Interactive Fiction: The Right Choice After Unemployment

Chapter 31
Option 31.8 36.4%, Option 31.8 [-]%, Option [-] [-]%.

……

[Option [-]: Use high-power ship lights]

Possible problems: limited effect
……

Zheng Zhuo hesitated about this question.

And the consciousness in [Subconscious Voting] may also think the same way.They gave answers with fairly close votes.

In the end, however, it was settled.

"I recommend boat spotlights."

Zheng Zhuo raised his hand.

"When I patrolled at night, I found that spotlights can indeed attract fish schools. Turn off the stern lights and leave only the headlights, and the miniature deep-sea probe can enter the sea smoothly."

so...

There was a small difference of opinion among the crowd.After a while, everyone made up their minds: use boats to spotlight.

"(Although I don't know if the spotlight effect will be so good for fish schools of this size.)"

Zheng Zhuo is not as confident about this proposal as he said in his speech.However, he instinctively believed that Cao Yang should not be allowed to enter the water at this time.And pick up...

Those murloc monsters emerging from the sea flashed in Zheng Zhuo's mind.

He was a little worried that the connection would bring unexpected risks.

……

That night, the diving work started in an orderly manner.

The hull enters idle speed.The captain ordered to turn off all the light sources at the stern and the hull, and pointed the three high-power spotlights on the deck at the deep sea ahead of the bow of the scientific research ship.

With a single command, all the spotlights turned on together, illuminating the water area like daytime.

Zheng Zhuo's post was on the side, and during this period, he kept looking at the sea below.He saw silver fish scales glimmering faintly in the dark.

"……Moved……!"

The school of fish that had been wrapping around the boat day and night moved.They are slowly approaching the direction of the bow.

"How's the sonar?" he asked into the intercom.

"Massive fish populations are moving...but..."

There was a rustling sound from the intercom.

"The schools of fish still resident in the rear... are still... more than expected..."

"This--"

"It's unlikely that the fish stocks will decline any further."

On the radio, the voice of the captain giving orders came.

"Go into the water as originally planned."

The miniature deep-sea probe [Unknown] was thrown into the vast sea from the stern.Soon, it was submerged in the vortex formed by the school of fish.

Zheng Zhuo looked back along the side, only seeing a slight splash of water. On the [Identification] interface, the information of [Unknown] flashed, submerged in the information of various fish.

……

The exploration of the tiny deep-sea probe continued from night to early morning.When launching into the water, the number of fish schools inevitably has an impact. 【Unknown】The stabilizer on one side failed due to the collision, and a camera on the head was also damaged by a fish.This reduced its shooting range, shooting accuracy, and speed to varying degrees, resulting in a significant increase in exploration time.

Finally, before the first rays of morning light dilute the effect of spotlights, it returned to the scientific research ship with many scars.

Zheng Zhuo did not go to rest immediately after the changing of the guard, but came to the connecting point to watch the pulling process of [Unknown].The wet detector head is full of dents and scratches caused by fish impacts. It is hard to imagine that the marks on the steel structure were actually made by fish schools.

and……

After all the miniature deep-sea probes were salvaged and sent to the storage room, Zheng Zhuo also saw a deep and long dent on the side of the [Unknown].

There are also irregular bumps within the dents.

"(...Can you figure out what left the mark?)"

Zheng Zhuo opened [Appraisal].

……

【unknown number】

【Satellite Deep Sea Detector】

【Age: 4 years】

[Injury status: impact injury caused by fish, crush injury caused by fish, crush injury caused by cephalopod]

……

Cephalopods?
Cephalopods, I remember... squid, octopus...

The marks did look a lot like those made by an octopus' tentacles.But if this is the case, the tentacles that can wrap around such a probe are at least longer than the length of an adult male.

"Deep-sea creatures... are they..."

How deep-sea creatures can appear so close to the surface of the ocean.This made Zheng Zhuo feel uneasy.

……

This time, the information brought back by the [Unknown] has been greatly reduced compared to before the first landing on the island.But it still scanned the second island.Based on the data sent back, the main console restored the coastal conditions of a small part of the island.

"The island is long and narrow, with sandy beaches on both sides. The east side of the island is relatively high, with raised rocky low hills, and the west side is slightly lower, densely covered with jungle."

The first officer announced the results of computer simulation and comprehensive simulation of satellite signals.Judging from the current situation, the current environment around the second island is much better than that of the first island.Research ships can easily dock near the target site.

Therefore, the captain increased the number of sailing knots.Everyone will arrive at their destination in two days.

"(... two days later.)"

Holding the canned corn soup, Zheng Zhuo left the restaurant.He walked out onto the deck, the salty sea breeze blowing against his face.

It felt even better than being in the cabin.In the cabin, the smell of dead fish became stronger every day.Now, it's getting to the point where it's hard to ignore.

"(...but...the spirit of the crew and the students is not too bad...)"

Except that they have become taciturn, they are not much different from before.Zheng Zhuo even doubted his own judgment for a while: Could it be that those crew members were really just infected with the skin disease from the monster, rather than suffering a greater transformation?

No.

Zheng Zhuo shook his head to keep himself awake.

【Identification】No species identified.Here's the biggest problem --

Dang bang.

The railing beside him made a movement.Zheng Zhuo turned his head and found that Chu Huairen had also left the cabin and walked to his side.

He wrapped the coat tightly around his body, his figure looked thinner than the previous few days, and his face was paler.

"Zheng Zhuo."

he asked.

"Do you have nightmares at night?"

"……Won't."

"That's it."

Chu Huairen smiled.

"In the past two days, I have been dreaming about strange things. I dreamed that I was diving into the deep sea. In a very deep place, there are temples and statues..."

"There's something at the foot of that statue. I just feel like, I have to get there."

"..."

Chu Huairen began to dream about those things.Zheng Zhuo was silent.

Those things brought out of the professor's bag are necessary.But at the same time, they were also affecting Chu Huairen.Zheng Zhuo thought.

He didn't know if the shift was good or bad.

The more Chu Huairen accepts this hint, the easier it will be to bring him into the location of the personality card.From this point of view, it is a good thing to keep him accepting hints.

But at the same time, Zheng Zhuo didn't know if this mental influence would have other adverse effects on Chu Huairen.For example, become like Professor Lin Wen.

"(However, Professor Lin Wen has not changed too much for the time being... No, what if it is a sudden change at some point in the future?)"

Everything is hard to say.Zheng Zhuo thought about it, and opened [Subconscious Voting].

……

【problem】

[Teammates began to be affected by cultural relics.What measures should be taken? 】

【Option [-]】

[Do not take any measures.Keep the status quo and wait and see what happens]

【Option [-]】

[Change the storage location.Let him hide those cultural relics elsewhere]

【Option [-]】

[Change the storage location.Hide those cultural relics under his (Zheng Zhuo) bed]

【Option [-]】

[Try to minimize the time you stay in the dormitory.Let him often stay overnight in the ship's doctor's room on the grounds of physical discomfort]

　After [Option 1], [Option 1], [Option [-]] and [Option [-]], you can leave a message in the form of [this chapter says]. A message under [-] id counts as [-] vote.

　　票数统计截至至2022/11/17日晚20：00.
　　Finally, please recommend tickets~
　　


(End of this chapter)