What It’s Like Being a Vampire

When he was about to arrive at the airport, the smile on Xiang Kun's face slowly disappeared. He knew that he had just been immersed in a certain emotion again, and that there might have been "emotional assimilation".

At that time, he naturally didn't pay attention to other vehicles around him. At high speed, affected by wind noise, road noise and the isolation of the car body, he couldn't hear too many sounds from other vehicles.

However, the instinct to collect perceptual information from the surroundings allowed him to capture some signs, proving that his "emotional assimilation" ability can affect people in the surrounding range even in high-speed vehicles, and is not affected by the speed of movement and the body of the vehicle. of isolation.

To some extent, his current "emotional assimilation" ability has changed greatly from the beginning.

At the beginning, according to Xiang Kun's observation, after he was deeply immersed in a certain emotion, the premise of "emotional assimilation" to have an impact was that other people noticed him and looked at him, and the target of "emotional assimilation" to produce emotions could only be It's him.

It's as if carrying a bow bag on the road back then, only those who accidentally saw him would have the same emotion, and in their minds, the person who walked alone in the emotion was still Xiang Kun; on the night of Tang Baona's birthday, KTV He sang a song in the song, and it was also because other people's attention was on him that the emotional assimilation effect could be produced. In their perception, the target of the emotion was also Xiang Kun himself.

So he once believed that when he was immersed in a certain emotion, it was his demeanor, expression, body movements, and various messages from his body that had a certain physiological hypnotic effect on those around him who noticed him. Let them be brought into the same emotion unconsciously. Because the target of attention is him, so the bearer of emotion is still him.

But with the passage of time, the frequency of drinking blood and mutations increased, unconsciously, the influence method and degree of "emotional assimilation" have changed a lot.

Now after he is immersed in a certain emotion, he doesn't need the people around him to notice him, and he can directly influence and assimilate without distinction.

Just like on a high-speed train, he sat in his own seat. In fact, few people in the car noticed him, but they were still affected by his emotions, and his emotional goals were consistent with his, targeting the person who dominated the seat.

At that time, if there were people outside the bullet train who were within the affected range, they would probably be assimilated into their emotions, but because they did not have the same emotional target, their reactions would be different.

Just like on the highway, the people in some vehicles around were affected by Xiang Kun, but they didn't see Xiang Kun, or even knew his existence, so there must be some differences in their reactions.

After entering the "super sensory state" many times and making a lot of observations, Xiang Kun guessed that when "emotional assimilation" works, it should be the special "energy" that he uses to establish contact with various associated objects. is playing a key role.

However, the specific emotions this time were very special. After arriving at the airport, he faintly felt that his body seemed to have undergone a slight change under the influence of emotions. He could feel this change intuitively, but he couldn't describe it concretely.

It seems that his control over his body has become more rounded, and the abilities and energy he has absorbed are also being rapidly assimilated and fused.

why?

In fact, even Xiang Kun himself was a little unclear about his emotions and goals when he was laughing on the road just now.

He just recalled his college life and some thoughts, and then thought of the experience after the mutation, which was actually only a few months but seemed like years. He felt a little absurd, funny, but also a little helpless and melancholy. It turned into anticipation, pleasure and excitement again.

How would it feel to be affected by this emotion on the highway, in other cars? Especially if they didn't know Xiang Kun existed.

Some are not easy to imagine, but they shouldn't be too negative emotions.

At least he feels good now.

...

After Xiang Kun arrived at the airport, he didn't wait for a while, and saw Peng Xiao who arrived on the same plane, and Tan Lulu, their old squad leader in college.

Of course, he didn't go up to play pranks like when he and Chang Bin met Zicheng a few months ago. Some jokes have to be based on the relationship, but the relationship is not to that extent, or he knows that the other party's personality can't make such jokes. That would be annoying.

"Old Peng, Lao Ban, here." Xiang Kun waved to the two of them, and stepped forward to help Tan Lulu carry the suitcase.

Seeing the bewildered expressions of the two looking at him, Xiang Kun didn't show off, and said with a smile, "Can't you recognize me? I'm Xiang Kun."

"Xiang Kun? I'll go! What's going on? You've become too much. You just walked over, and I was still telling our old squad leader that if the bald guy took off his glasses and changed into a suit, It's Killer 47." Peng Xiao joked.

Xiang Kun replied with a smile: "Just exercise a little more." Then he led the two of them to the side to rest first. They still had to wait for another college classmate whose flight would take about forty minutes to arrive. .

For Peng Xiao and Tan Lulu, Xiang Kun naturally established a corresponding cognitive model, most of which were based on the memory of college, but from the brief greeting at the first meeting, they can basically modify their personalities, and then make a decision. targeted judgment.

From Xiang Kun's point of view, Peng Xiao still had the same naughty and familiar temperament as before, so he didn't give too enthusiastic positive feedback, but maintained a normal politeness, and made himself seem a little mysterious and uncomfortable. It's easy to mess with, this will save you a lot of trouble.

This is not to say that he hates Peng Xiao, but that his choice of social strategy can make him more relaxed and labor-saving.

Just like Zicheng, he also likes to joke, and he is very cheap if he is suitable, but Xiang Kun will give strong feedback and counterattack. This can be said to be another choice of social strategy, or it can be said to be true feedback without strategy, which is more emotional. more direct.

After chatting with the two of them for a while, another classmate, Xie Jun, also arrived. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xiang Kun led them to the parking lot.

"Xiang Kun, are you still working in the previous company?" Tan Lulu asked after getting into the car.

"No, I'm doing something by myself now." Xiang Kun replied simply.

"You started your own business? That's good. What do you do? Software engineering?" Peng Xiao also asked.

"It's just a small fight." Xiang Kun said with a smile: "I heard from Chang Bin that your current company, Lao Peng, is doing well. It seems that you have already conducted several rounds of financing? Is it time to go public next? Turn around Maybe there will be another billionaire among our classmates."

"Fucking billionaire, I'm the youngest partner. And it's not as easy as it was a few years ago. The capital is unwilling to burn money, so I'm starting to be cautious. Alas, it's hard to start a business these days, and I'm still the old class." The iron rice bowl is the most comfortable."

"How can there be any iron rice bowl these days, Peng Xiao, don't complain, I heard that you just bought a villa in September, and even bought a sports car for your girlfriend?"

"Boss Mr. Peng! When will I go to play with you and show me the life of a local tyrant." Xie Jun, who was sitting in the co-pilot, also turned around and smiled.

After successfully leading the topic to Peng Xiao, Xiang Kun didn't participate much and concentrated on driving.

Entering the urban area, while waiting for the red light, Xie Jun suddenly said, "Xiang Kun, your driving skills are very good."

Before Xiang Kun could answer, Peng Xiao, who was sitting behind him, had already supported the back of the front seat, stretched out his head and asked curiously, "What's the best way? Didn't you see how fast Xiang Kun was driving?"

Xie Jun explained: "Driving skills are not based solely on whether the speed is fast in a short period of time. The urban area is so congested, and the speed is limited on the highway, how fast can it go. The main thing is that Xiang Kun drives with a 'sense of rhythm'. I observed It has been more than ten minutes, and he is very accurate in predicting, and he is very stable. I know many powerful drivers, and they drive like this in their daily life. He actually kept overtaking along the way just now. The speed is actually very fast, and the line is still on the curve. But you sit in the back, don’t you feel any intense driving? This is the most powerful part.”

"It's true what you said. Xiang Kun's driving is indeed stable." Tan Lulu also nodded in agreement.

Xiang Kun said with a smile: "After all, I am also an old driver with a nine-year driver's license, and I am also familiar with Chang Bin's car. But Xie Jun, don't you also make a website, how can you 'know a lot of good drivers' ?”

It is true that he has had a driver's license for nine years, but in fact, the number of times he has driven in the past two years can be counted on two hands. However, he has driven Chang Bin’s Magotan many times, and he has established a cognitive model long ago, and has a corresponding cognitive model pairing for driving skills. Every time he drives, he will constantly correct the model. It is not difficult to improve driving ability, brain information processing ability.

He even suspected that if he drove this car for a while, he might establish a "supersensory connection" with some parts of it without knowing it.

On the way back from the airport just now, he was subconsciously "practicing", but he was actually driving very gently. At first, he thought that the three people in the car would not notice anything abnormal, after all, from the absolute senses. In other words, he really didn't have the feeling of speeding and braking without stopping, but he was very stable.

Xie Jun smiled and said: "Because I am doing a car review website, although I am responsible for online development and maintenance, but because I like cars very much, I don't usually do much, so I have also done some New car evaluation, help them take videos, and go to the track to run with colleagues if nothing happens, so I know a lot of test drivers.”

Both Tan Lulu and Peng Xiao were very interested in Xie Jun's industry, and they began to ask him repeatedly, asking him which car company recharged the most, and then asking him which brand of cars at a certain price on the market is the most recommended, which one.

Xiang Kun also added a sentence or two from time to time to help advance the topic and let them focus on Xie Jun.

But one thing Xie Jun mentioned attracted Xiang Kun's attention at once.

"Several car media went to test the off-road vehicle at that time. Our website was short of manpower, so I followed suit as a photographer. The car tested, it was said to be an off-road vehicle, but in fact it was an urban suV with limited ability to get out of trouble. Forget it, there is no rear differential lock... Uh, these are not important. In short, when our convoy was driving according to the scheduled route, a strange thing happened. When passing through a forest, the leading vehicle hit and killed a wolf." Xie Jun Turning his head sideways, he told his story to the two classmates in the back seat.

"It's normal for there to be wolves in the place where you went to test the car. Could it be that they were surrounded by wolves later?" Peng Xiao asked strangely.

Xie Jun lowered his voice and said mysteriously: "No, the wolf was hit badly. We thought it was going to die, but we didn't expect it to stumble up and run away. And the people in the car in front said, that A wolf with horns on its head."

"With horns? Did you misunderstand? Wolves can grow horns? If you say it's a horse with horns, then you can also say that you have bumped into a unicorn. What kind of monster is this wolf with horns?" Tan Lulu couldn't help it. laughed.

"Unicorns are also creatures in fairy tales, okay?" Peng Xiao complained beside him, and then asked Xie Jun: "Aren't you all media people? No one takes pictures or video cameras? There is also a driving recorder in the car, right?"

"This is the strange thing." Xie Jun said: "The driving recorder took pictures, and some of our media people were taking pictures of the surrounding scenery, and they also took pictures. I have seen those pictures and videos, and it was indeed a collision. Something with a horn that looks like a canine."

Tan Lulu curiously said: "There are videos and images, so the news should have been flying all over the sky long ago. You guys have discovered a new species!"

"I haven't mentioned the strange place yet..." Xie Jun said.

"I'll go! My brother Jun, you've been talking about this strange place for a long time, what's so strange about it?" Peng Xiao scolded with a smile.

"Your video and image data are all lost, right?" Xiang Kun said seemingly casually.

"Yes!" Xie Jun immediately confirmed his guess, and then said: "When we returned to the camp that night, all the relevant videos and pictures in the device disappeared, even the records on the driving recorder disappeared. , not just that car, but all the cars!"

"Deleted?" Peng Xiao asked in surprise.

"Unless we deleted it ourselves." Xie Jun shook his head: "Many people copied the video, and I copied it too."

"Then I guess you didn't copy it down?" Peng Xiao guessed.

"Impossible, I checked it again on my own device."

Xiang Kun asked, "Have you ever stopped on the way?"

"That's true. After stopping a few times, the tires of some cars were broken, and the water tank of some cars was broken." Xie Jun said, "But we found the problem halfway through the drive. The leading car that hit the wolf had left All the blood and fur under it are gone."

"Did you drive for a while and was covered by dust or something? Maybe you passed by a puddle or something and was washed away by water?" Tan Lulu guessed.

"No, even if there is, it's impossible for there to be nothing left." Xie Jun said, "After we returned to the camp, we took off all the bumpers of the car and checked carefully. There is no blood, not a single wolf hair! And the technicians at the camp said that judging from the marks on the bumper, the car didn’t seem to hit an animal, but a rock. However, all the videos we can prove, The pictures are all gone. The driving recorders of all the cars are also turned off, and there is no record of that day on it, as if they forgot to turn on when they set off, but I am sure that when the team leader in charge of the activity checked the condition of the vehicles before departure, We have confirmed the working conditions of the driving recorders of all vehicles, and we have confirmed it ourselves."

"This is... too strange." Tan Lulu said in surprise.

Peng Xiao also doubted: "It's too mysterious! It feels like you are making up a story. You can't be hallucinating together, right?"

"It wasn't just one or two people that day, it was more than 20 people! How could it be possible that they all had the same hallucination, and they didn't realize it at the time?" Xie Jun said, "But after this incident, everyone really slowly felt it. We all thought the car hit a rock and we forgot to turn on the dash cam when we set off, because there's no other explanation that makes sense..."

"Xie Jun, aren't you really making up stories to fool me?" Tan Lulu still didn't quite believe it.

"You can just think of me as making up stories, hey, but I talked to a photographer from other media about this before, and he had a theory, saying that maybe we encountered the end of the world line, that is... Do you know the Mandela effect? ​​It means that the group’s collective memory of certain historical events does not match the historical facts. In fact, the multiverse is affecting each other. When our leading car hit the horned wolf, it was actually an event in another parallel universe. Those memories came to our side, into our heads. In that parallel universe, our cars had dash cams, and we did hit horned wolves. But in our world, the cars were just We hit a rock, and the team's driving recorders were forgotten, and we didn't take pictures of those horned wolves..."

Peng Xiao looked confused: "Damn it, Xie Jun! You went to test a car, and you jumped from the animal world to a monster horror movie, and then directly to a sci-fi movie?"

Peng Xiao and Tan Lulu naturally felt that they were listening to the story about Xie Jun's story. Even Xie Jun himself was not sure whether this happened.