What It's Like Being a Vampire

Chapter 108: You’re Trending Again

Seeing Xiang Kun approaching, the canary in the cage chirped curtly.

Xiang Kun understood its message, one of submission and fear.

He picked up the cage and brought it to the bathroom. Pointing at the bird droppings, he emphasized to the canary, “Here, no good.” As he spoke, he focused his attention on the bird, maintaining an imposing demeanour. He mentally recalled images of the “Giant Owl” and then used a paper to wipe off the droppings, disposing of it in the trash bin.

The canary instantly fell silent, shrinking into a corner, unclear if it understood Xiang Kun’s message.

Xiang Kun was well-aware that birds have a shorter rectum, it’s hard for them to store feces, and they need to defecate frequently to reduce weight for flight. As such, it’s more of a challenge to train them when compared to pets such as cats and dogs. To make birds defecate at specified intervals and in designated areas requires sustained guidance from a young age.

Still, he wanted to see whether he could get the bird to understand his meaning directly, without training.

He watched the canary for a while, but received no response. Unable to interpret Bird Language, the only thing he could deduce from its posture was fear.

Xiang Kun returned the cage to its original position and covered it with a cloth for a sense of security.

He had already planned a few stages for his sensory training:

The first stage was to collect samples of sounds and smells which his sensory abilities had not encountered before the mutation. He aimed to develop a “database”, utilize these senses instinctively, and guide the further evolution of his mutated sensory abilities.

The second stage was to train himself to rapidly assess his surroundings using these sounds and smells, using them as his “super sight”.

The third stage involved in-depth surveillance and long-term observation of specific targets. Similar to the second stage, this one was also geared towards evolving the brain’s ability to process sensory information.

Through several weeks of targeted training and post-mutation evolution, the second stage was almost complete. Gathering information about the environment had become an instinctive reaction. Hence, he was preparing to proceed to the third stage and conduct in-depth, long-term observations on individuals.

Initially, after thorough consideration, he planned to choose a stranger unrelated to him as his target. But now, he decided it would be better to use an animal for practice first specifically, this canary.

After all, compared to humans, animal social relationships and experiences were much simpler. As far as this canary was concerned, one could say they were almost non-existent. Moreover, it had been born not long ago and was now under his watch 24/7, making it convenient for him to collect relevant information.

On the other hand, if he could understand the canary’s habits, character, and more clearly through deep observation and accurately interpret its various states and the meanings of its chirps, he could in turn more plainly gauge the specific impact of his emotional “intimidation” on it.

Xiang Kun started searching online for various information on canaries and hibiscus birds, along with some ornithological content. Some of this he had already studied while researching “Bird Language”. But now, he was ready for a more comprehensive, in-depth and systematic understanding.

Meanwhile, he was constantly keeping an eye on the canary’s condition, its heartbeat, respiration, odours and movements within the cage.

After an indefinite period, when Xiang Kun wanted to consult Xiao Pingguo about a problem, and was about to see if she had gone sleep, he picked up his phone and coincidently received a message from Tang Baona.

The message contained a picture of a man walking down the street, leading a dog and carrying a shotgun. The backdrop was a scene of dilapidated houses, an image of a post-apocalyptic world. The ink style of the picture was rather discordant due to obvious processing errors when it was Photoshopped.

Why is she sending me this picture? What does it mean? Because the man in it is bald like me?

Xiang Kun was somewhat puzzled.

But one moment later, he realised that something was amiss. The bald man in the picture… the colour of his clothing… Wait, is that… me??

“What is this picture?” Xiang Kun responded with a question mark emoji.

Tang Baona didn’t respond, but instead sent over a dozen photoshopped images featuring various bald figures. In the final few pictures, the changes were minor, and aside from the backgrounds, Xiang Kun instantly recognised.

IS THAT ACTUALLY ME??

Upon closer examination of one untouched picture showing a bow bag and the surroundings, he realized it was taken not long after he had left Xia Libing’s House.

Tang Baona sent an emoji laughing uproariously, ‘You’re trending again-I. Wait, why do I feel a sense of déj? vu?

Then she sent a link to a Weibo post.

Earlier, she had left Xia Libing’s House and took a cab directly to her grandfather’s house.

Her grandfather, Mr. Feng, had a tradition of inviting his children and grandchildren to his house for tea, mooncakes, moon viewing and chatting on the night of the Mid -Autumn Festival.

However, he understood that his children all had their own families, so he didn’t insist on having dinner together. They could come over after finishing their meals.

Tang Baona’s family was rather liberal. Her older sister was in the throes of a passionate romance and had arranged dinner with her boyfriend that night. As such, Baona and Yang Zhen’er went to Old Xia’s House to bid her farewell and celebrate Xiang Kun’s ‘birthday’ in advance.

At this time, her parents and sister had already arrived, and they were chatting in the courtyard. Other cousins, two uncles, and two aunts-in-law had also arrived, but it was clear they had just got there.

The moment she entered the courtyard, she quickly greeted her grandfather and other elders, her siblings, and then their children. It took her quite some time to complete all her greetings.

After finishing the greetings, Tang Baona nestled herself quietly near her parents and sister, speaking minimally.

However, the topic of their discussion was to do with how they had caught a human trafficker and saved two children by accident.

The person speaking was Tang Baona’s second uncle, for whose company Baona currently worked.

“Those two kids are Old Master Zhang’s grandchildren from the Zhang family. They decided to sneak out and accompany their cousin. The cousin was too busy talking to a girl, and they ended up in a remote corner where human traffickers targeted them. After noticing them missing, their cousin searched for several hours but failed, thereby delaying the best time to locate them.

Once Old Master Zhang learned about it, he reported it to the police without any hesitation. The police department of * *City took it very seriously and immediately coordinated resources to search for the kidnappers. Thanks to the extensive surveillance system, they managed to locate the two children and identify the traffickers’ vehicle.

But before the police could move in, the traffickers’ vehicle was tail-ended by the car driven by Baona and her friends.”

“Baona’s car was driven by the third Miss from the Yang family. It’s not surprising that this happened. Last time she came to the company looking for Baona, she crashed straight into my SUV while parking. I couldn’t help but wonder if this girl had something against me,” the second uncle chuckled while saying..