Chapter 34 – The Mark
“No one has come or gone,” Tubin shook his head. “The farm is too far from the county town. The workers only go out on Sunday afternoons to buy essential supplies. They usually stay on the farm. Also, because the stable is being renovated, no guests have come to ride horses.”
Tu Ran and Ding Naiqing exchanged a glance.
So now it was certain: the alien was still on the farm.
Tu Ran approached Tubin. “Can you gather everyone on the farm here? We need to conduct a check.”
Tubin thought for a moment, then nodded cooperatively but with some hesitation. “The regular workers can come, but Mrs. Egan has been bedridden since Mr. Egan passed away. It might be inconvenient for her to come out.”
Tu Ran smiled. “That’s okay. We will visit her personally. For now, please gather everyone else.”
“Alright, please wait a moment.” Tubin quickly left.
The farm was quite large, and it would take some time to gather all the workers.
The group waited in place, with Tu Ran leaning casually against a post supporting the hay shelter to rest.
Ding Naiqing walked over, his brows furrowed tightly. He asked in a low voice, “Sister Tu Ran, if those aliens have possessed these workers, can you identify them?”
Tu Ran shook her head honestly.
Maybe one day, when she had x-ray vision, she could recognize them at a glance.
“Then how do we tell which one is the alien and which one is a normal person?” Ding Naiqing was very troubled.
“Isn’t it said that aliens don’t have human memories?” Tu Ran replied.
“But the guards from the federal government’s Reigaken state branch already used that method this morning. They had pairs of familiar people ask each other questions, and everyone answered correctly.”
Tu Ran frowned, pondering the situation. “It seems the aliens have found a way to retain the memories of the people they possess, which complicates things. We’ll need a different approach.”
Ding Naiqing looked around the farm, deep in thought. “What if we watch for any unusual behavior or reactions? The aliens might still slip up.”
“That’s a start,” Tu Ran agreed. “We’ll observe closely. Let’s also see if we can find any physical marks or signs on the bodies that might give them away.”
As they planned their next steps, Tubin returned with a group of workers, ready for the inspection.
Tu Ran frowned, realizing the situation was becoming more complicated. “Since no one has entered or left the farm, and Kenny Egan’s body is here, it means the alien must still be on the farm. Could it be that… it hasn’t possessed anyone else and is hiding somewhere on the farm instead?”
Hearing this, Ding Naiqing found it plausible. “Should we scan the area with a thermal imaging device first?”
Tu Ran nodded in agreement.
Ding Naiqing turned to instruct the guards. After some discussion, two guards nodded and quickly left to get the equipment.
What other methods could they use? Tu Ran stared at her boots, deep in thought. Unconsciously, she had dug a small hole in the ground with her boot.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a winding line in the soil at the corner of the haystack.
It was faint, and if it weren’t for her excellent vision, she might have missed it.
Tu Ran quickly walked over, crouched down, and examined it closely.
A moment later.
“Ding Naiqing,” she called.
“Hmm? What is it?” Ding Naiqing looked in her direction.
Tu Ran gestured for him to come over quickly.
Ding Naiqing immediately walked over and crouched down beside her.
Following her gaze, he saw the faint trace.
Tu Ran questioned, “Don’t you think this winding line looks like the track of a snake?”
Ding Naiqing considered it. “It does look like one, but this track is very short.”
Indeed, the winding, wavy line extended less than a meter from the haystack. Because of the soft soil, it had left a mark.
“It’s definitely short,” Tu Ran agreed, “but…”
She gave Ding Naiqing a meaningful look.
Ding Naiqing’s eyes widened as he began to understand. “But if the alien moved like a snake, it might have left other marks nearby. We should search the area more thoroughly.”
Tu Ran nodded. “Exactly. Let’s follow this trace and see where it leads. It might give us a clue about where the alien is hiding.”
The two of them started to carefully inspect the ground around the haystack, looking for more tracks or any other signs of the alien’s presence.
