Chapter 17: MOMO ~

Tang Mo's mind worked fast and almost instantly he realised that the person he was talking to was not a turkey egg, let alone a turkey, but probably some kind of creature from The black tower, or more likely ......

"You're human?"

The male voice was silent for a moment, "Well, I'm human. You're human too?"

Tang Mo: "Yes."

Neither of them spoke again.

The car is parked at the side of the road, the blinding sun shining into the car, illuminating the white egg with a golden hue. The text on it appears now and then, but all Tang Mo can see are a few words and a bunch of jumbled codes, and he is now more concerned with the man speaking across the street.

He pondered for a moment and decided to show his sincerity before asking the other man a question. He began to describe his situation, "Right now I'm holding a white egg in my hand and your voice is coming out of it. Are you the one trapped inside the egg, or is it some other situation?"

The man's voice was steadfast and calm: "I am not trapped in an egg, I am also holding an egg in my hand, and your voice is coming from it." After a pause, he added, "It's a turkey egg."

Tang Mo's mind wandered: "You must be from China, so you just came out of the ground floor of The black tower too? I got this egg from one of the The black tower monsters, it's a turkey egg."

"Me too, a white turkey egg from The black tower creature."

The two men now understood completely that the turkey egg they were holding was similar to a mobile phone, allowing them to talk to and contact a stranger they had never met.

That being the case, Tang Mo now wants to know how far the turkey egg can be linked.

"Where are you?"

"What city are you in?"

The disparate words froze both sides.

The other party responded first: "I'm in Beijing."

Beijing ?

Beijing is a thousand kilometres away from Shanghai. Is it really the mobile phone that makes it possible to communicate directly with the turkey eggs even from such a distance?

Tang Mo said, "I'm in Shanghai."

Tang Mo looked down at the turkey egg in his hand and had a vague idea. The egg in his hand seemed to be in a damaged state for some reason. Tang Mo didn't think he could have broken the turkey egg with all that banging, knowing that it wasn't the turkey egg that had been cracked, but his steering wheel. The black tower is not that fragile.

There is less than a 20% chance that the turkey egg was cracked by him, and more than an 80% chance that it was originally damaged.

Due to the damage to the turkey egg, Tang Mo does not know exactly what the egg does. There are only three lines of text on the turkey egg that are not garbled, one of which -

[Quality: Rare].

This is a rare prop.

If The black tower is really just playing a game, then it makes sense that it would give out props to players. Rare items are valuable in any game, and Tang Mo doesn't know if his damaged turkey egg will ever work again, but he might be able to find out from this Beijing player what it's really for.

A rare prop can't just be used to talk to each other. Before Earth came online, human technology could already do global video calls, so it doesn't make sense that a mysterious object like The black tower could only do that. Since both are turkey eggs, look alike and can talk to each other, there is a good chance that they both serve the same purpose.

Tang Mo put together some language: "I was playing the tower attack game on the ground floor of The black tower and a big mole in The black tower gave me this egg as a reward. The egg was so hard that I tried to smash a car steering wheel, a rock and some other hard things with it, and I got a crack in my steering wheel, but it didn't break."

Start by giving as much information about yourself as possible so that the other party feels that both parties are now sharing information.

Tang Mo continued again: "...... The big mole who gave me the turkey egg said that we humans are unable to hatch it. I thought I was the only one who got this egg and could use it directly, but I didn't expect you to have it too. But I didn't specify that I needed another person to use the egg on my side, and that I could talk to both sides, any hints on your side?"

The low male voice replied decisively, "No."

Tang Mo: "......"

You can't talk like that!

How did this man not get the message at all?

Shouldn't normal people also volunteer the information they have when engaging in a friendly exchange of ideas with others?

Tang Mo was silent for a long time and then began to continue the set of words, "How did you reach me. At the moment it was I who heard your voice first before I answered."

This is no longer information, and if this is not forthcoming, Tang Mo no longer has any hope of a set of words.

"A few lines surfaced on this egg and I tried to study the egg for a while. When I got to the third tap with my finger on this egg, suddenly it shone with a very blinding golden light." The man was finally willing to reveal something, "The egg has been emitting a very faint golden glow as I speak now."

Tang Mo suddenly remembered that when he had just struck the third time, the egg seemed to be flashing too, but before it could light up, the man's voice came through and the light disappeared.

Tang Mo: "So do you know how to turn off the call?"

"I'll try."

Both men tried for a long time, and suddenly the voice cut off. After another ten seconds, the male voice rang out, "I just held this egg with both hands and the call was terminated."

Three taps to start the call, two hands to hold the egg and the call ends?

Tang Mo: "Then you terminate first and I'll try."

"Good."

Tried by Tang Mo, who could also open the call and end it at any time. After several trials with both men, either party can open the call by tapping their egg three times; either party can end the call by holding the egg.

The experiment was conducted with unparalleled understanding, with no one saying a word and sharing as much information as possible.

When the egg was almost ready to be studied, a strange feeling came over Tang Mo. The owner of the other turkey egg worked very well with him, and they worked together as if they had been trained many times, in perfect harmony. This made Tang Mo feel a slight sense of sympathy for the other man, who, unfortunately, would have been even more so if he had been a little better at making conversation.

This man had never said a single key piece of information and was clearly hiding something. Tang Mo knew what he was hiding and he knew that the other man had found out that he was trying to set up a conversation.

Now that they have said all they can say, there is no point in going on if neither of them is willing to reveal their true information. Tang Mo, for example, cannot say that his turkey egg is damaged, which puts him at a disadvantage; the other side is also unwilling to give out useful information and is always on the lookout for Tang Mo, an unknown stranger.

The man's voice stayed smooth and a little nice, "Do you have something else to say?"

Tang Mo: "...... has one last question."

"What?"

"Why is it that the first thing you say when you open your mouth is not hello, not hello, but ...... MOMO ?"

There was silence in the air, and Tang Mo had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong. Until a low chuckle came from the turkey egg, and for the first time the man's voice was laced with laughter, "So you don't even know what this egg is called?"

Tang Mo: "......"

Just keep some things to yourself, don't say them out loud!

Tang Mo had known that this man was deliberately defensive, and he knew that the other side was well aware that he had information missing. But now that he's saying it openly ...... he feels a little bad inside, feeling down and feeling that the two men, who have always been cold and defensive of each other, seem to be getting slightly closer because of this provocation.

At least it's not the enemy.

"The egg is called 'MOMO' so I subconsciously shouted 'MOMO' when I saw it glowing."

Tang Mo said indifferently, "My name is Stranger, what is your name?"

"......" The man was momentarily silent, only then realizing how many times he had just shouted such an intimate title. After a long time, he said, "My surname is Fu."

Tang Mo said, "So it's okay then?"

"Well, goodbye."

"Bye."

Once the call is over, Tang Mo puts the turkey egg back in his pocket and taps his fingers on the steering wheel.

Firstly, the egg is called MOMO.

It shouldn't have anything to do with his name, it just happens to be called that.

Secondly, this Mr. Fu in Beijing is very clever and very defensive. The chances of getting information out of him were very slim, and in all likelihood, this was their first and last call. There was nothing to be gained from their call and both parties sensed that the other end of the turkey egg was a bad one to get at. In that case, there was no need to make contact.

This rare item, the Fire Egg, is a hot potato in Tang Mo's hands. He would love to use it, but has no idea what it does or if it is damaged beyond use.

As for getting words out of that man's mouth ......

Tang Mo had lost hope. Unless there was an accident and the other party had to share information with him, there was no way this person would ever let go.

Tang Mo would not share information about a rare item with a stranger. With such an item, he would already want to hide it from anyone in order to surprise them. Tang Mo would not be so sweet as to volunteer information.

Tang Mo sighed and continued driving in search of City North High School.

By the time the car reached downtown Shanghai, the streets were swarming with cars and the traffic was a messy mess. It would have been unwise to drive at this point, so Tang Mo abandoned the car and walked. He walks along the edge of the road and uses the barricades to hide himself if there are any.

On its fourth day online, Shanghai became a deserted city.

It's getting dark, but many of the businesses along the street are still lit up. Tang Mo walks past a KFC where there are unfinished fries and ketchup on a table by the window, but the fries are wilted and there is no one in the empty fast food restaurant.

The closer you get to the city centre, the more cautious Tang Mo becomes.

The place was getting crowded. He rounded a corner and saw a young woman in a tracksuit filling her stomach with various snacks and instant noodles at a family convenience store. She wasn't surprised to see Tang Mo, but gave her a wary glance before turning her head to scavenge the convenience store for food and water.

Tang Mo carries a large, heavy bag with a torch, food and water.

Along the way he saw a number of people scavenging for food and water, as well as several small groups of people in packs, keeping a wary eye on everyone who passed by. Many were covered in splotches of blood and others were wounded, lying by the roadside wailing with missing arms and legs.

The city's overpopulation has left many people alive after the events of The black tower.

Tang Mo roughly estimates that there are about four people per square kilometre in downtown Shanghai. It's dinner time and most of these people are eating. Tang Mo's improved physical condition has reduced his need for food considerably. He has not eaten for a day or a night, but he is not hungry at all.

City North High School is a famous school in Shanghai, but Tang Mo didn't know it. Instead of asking the two men who were eating on the side of the road, he went straight into a deserted newsagent and searched long and hard for a detailed map of Shanghai.

"Jing'an District ...... City of Northleigh ...... here."

Tang Mo carries his bag and moves on again.

Suddenly, without a hint of warning, a clear, cheerful voice rang out.

"Dingdong! Official US Zone 3 player Richard Wells has successfully opened the first level of The black tower, in three minutes, all US players will begin attacking the tower!"

Tang Mo stops moving and the two men eating look up at The black tower in the distance. Tang Mo turns his head and glances at the clock hanging on the wall of the newsstand.

'19:18'

"Game time is from 06:00 to 18:00 every day, China's game time is over. USA ...... 13 hours time difference, game time on local time? Will it still be communicated globally ......"

Tang Mo continues on.

Unlike the time when the stowaway Fu Wenduo opened The black tower, this game announcement was broadcast three times and stopped after only one broadcast.

Because it wasn't a China player who started the tower attack game this time, it was an American player, Tang Mo, walking along the road, also heard a middle-aged man, covered in blood and dying, giggling madly as he breathed heavily and gloated, "Die, all die ...... die ...... die ......"

Late at night, at eleven o'clock, Tang Mo finally reached the Jing'an district. The streets were a jumble of cars, and he kept overturning them, causing his walking speed to drop. He accidentally walked in the wrong direction once, and by the time he reached the Jing'an district, a loud child's voice rang out in the silence of the late night -

"Ding Dong! Official US2 player Mary Vanessa has successfully cleared The black tower level 1!"

Tang Mo raises one eyebrow in surprise. Wasn't it the player who started the tower attack game that cleared it?

"On November 19, 2017, two players worldwide have cleared the first level of The black tower. 416,230,000 players remain, please work hard to attack the tower!"

Tang Mo's footsteps stopped as he lifted his head and looked incredulously at the dark shadow hovering in mid-air.

He clearly remembered that yesterday morning, there were over 490 million players logged into the game and now ...... is 80 million short? Is it because of the two tower attack games in China and the US, or is there some other way to cause player deaths?

Another 80 million dead so soon?

Tang Mo's face is blue as he continues on his way. The street lights keep flickering and Tang Mo takes a torch out of his backpack and illuminates the map. Without a word, he rounded three junctions and walked four blocks. Before long, Tang Mo saw a traffic sign on the side of the road that read "School ahead, avoid" and was near the school.

"Ka-ching-"

Tang Mo stepped on a shard of glass. He looked down and many tiny shards of glass fell to the ground. He looked up again and this street lamp above his head had somehow been broken and glass had fallen all over the place.

This is just the first street lamp to break.

Tang Mo looks at the road leading to the school gate in front of him.

On this road, only two street lamps flicker with a dim glow. The ground is covered with broken glass from the streetlights, and the late autumn wind whistles through, rattling the trees on both sides of the road. The dark shade of the trees resembled silent ghostly shadows, and Tang Mo walked expressionlessly through the black ghostly shadows on either side, stepping one foot after the other on the broken glass.

The cold evening breeze blew the hem of his trench coat, and his gaze was calm, as if he was unaware of anything.

Suddenly, Tang Mo lifted his foot and took two quick steps to his left. Where he had just walked, a large finger-thick nail had somehow appeared out of nowhere. If he had stepped on it just now, his palm would definitely have been pierced.

Tang Mo lifted his head and stared around warily.

He had walked to the school grounds and was only 100 metres short of the school gate.

It is 1am, the cold evening wind is blowing and no one is around. As Tang Mo continues to walk, this magical nail appears twice more, once even hovering blatantly in front of Tang Mo, and if he takes one quick step without noticing, the sudden nail could poke him in the eye.

These bizarre circumstances only occurred from his approach to the school, where he was now only a dozen metres away from the school gates, and over eighty metres further to go back to the circuit entrance.

Tang Mo hesitated for a moment before deciding to enter the school to find out what was going on.

A sharp voice rang out, "Don't you come any closer!"

The voice was childish and loud, with a hint of dryness that hadn't quite finished changing.

Tang Mo immediately responded, "You're a student at this school?"

"Don't you come any closer, you ...... who you are!"

"I mean no harm, I've come to see a student. She is my friend's daughter."

The large nail floating in front of Tang Mo's eyes fell to the ground and no longer seemed to be holding him back. Tang Mo walked further, unhindered, until he reached the entrance to the school. Looking through the barred door, he saw no one, and the boy he had just spoken to was nowhere to be seen.

Tang Mo frowned and asked in a loud voice, "Where are you?"

The boy said timidly, "You ...... are really not a bad person?"

"I'm not. Are you in some kind of trouble and do you need help? I have some water and food here."

"I ...... I'll be in the janitor's room next to the door, you leave the water and food by the door and don't come in ......"

Tang Mo takes a bottle of water and a bag of compressed biscuits from his rucksack and walks towards the gate of the doorman's office. He walks unhurriedly, halfway to the door, and stops dead in his tracks.

The young boy added, "Why don't you ...... come over here!"

Tang Mo smiled and continued to walk on. There was silence all around, the boy stopped talking and Tang Mo didn't either, just walked quietly. When he reached the steps in front of the janitor's room, he suddenly picked up his pace, side-stepped the door of the janitor's room and darted through the window and into the small janitor's room.

The shards of the window splattered onto the steps that Tang Mo was about to step on a moment ago, and the steps collapsed in a flash, blasting a hole seven or eight metres deep, the bottom of which was a multitude of sharp, pointed knives with their blades pointing upwards.

"Sensei, he's found it! Teacher, help me!!!"

Ordinary shards of glass could not hurt Tang Mo's skin now, even as his reflexes and running speed surpassed that of most humans. The somewhat obese boy shouted in terror at the sight of Tang Mo and turned to run, but Tang Mo was even faster than him, grabbing the little fat boy's arms and yanking him to his feet, snapping his arms right back.

"Don't you move! Who are you and what the hell do you want!" An anxious male voice rang out.

Tang Mo looked up to see a young man in a white shirt who appeared to have just woken up, his hair was a mess and his eyes were red with anxiety as he ran into the doorman's office.

Tang Mo asked rhetorically, "Why did you just trick me into coming over ...... to try and kill me?"

The young man said sharply, "Put him down first, don't hurt him. We'll give you whatever you want, we'll satisfy you!"

Tang Mo sensed that something was wrong and was about to ask for clarification when a voice rang out, " Tang Mo ? You're finally here! Don't, don't, let go. Mr. Li, he's not a bad guy, he's Tang Mo, the friend I told you about before. He was the one who wanted to come to the city to look for someone, and I got separated from him in the middle, so I came to the school first to see if I could run into him."

Tang Mo looks at the visitor.

"Li Wen ?"

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The author has something to say.

Tangtang & Mr. Fu School: Not a good idea to cheat, no more contact.

-[End of whole article]-

Fuwa: -V- Friend, do you think the lovely and beautiful author will let you guys not get in touch? 23333 Naive!

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Tomorrow, we're going to be in V for this article~

Earth This article has a very cold topic and the stupid author probably doesn't write very well, so I've been very apprehensive. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get to the bottom of this. I hope to see you all again in the comments section of the next chapter and every chapter after that =3=

Thank you for your support for this article.

I hope to see you all again in the comments section for the next chapter and every chapter after that.

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