Kowloonfront (FRONTA) 4/5

I heard a commotion out back, so something must have happened.

We don't need that hullabaloo.

Hohoho, you want to get past me? I'll let you go through. That's the way the world works. I see... a walking corpse puffing its chest out. Now, hurry through.

All right, I'll let you in. Hurry through.

Make it stronger next time. I need a stronger medicine!

You know about it, don't you?

Crow. You just know Grandma will get all better with Blue Crow!

Heehee. She'll be aaall better.

It sucks, but no one's coming in until the Man returns.

I'm not sure what changed, but it seems like I don't have to keep an eye on you anymore.

Are you looking for the Man? Or worse, is the Man looking for you?

Did you read the e-mail I sent? I meant to say that the physician Xiaohei's looking for is a wangren. Makes you wonder. If he's not a human physician, and it's so hard to find him, how's the guy still in business?

Xiaohei's looking for a wangren. But she wouldn't seriously walk into Wangren Road just for that, would she?

If you walk in empty-handed, you risk getting captured by wangren. Be careful, and check your e-mail.

Xia's card was infected with a virus... Kidz explained to me that that's why all the terminals kept screwing up.

Well? Aren't you lucky that I'm such a Good Samaritan?

If they found out I helped you, it wouldn't look good for me...

There's a nasty drug taking over this district.

... No, no, it isn't my stuff, sadly. It's the Man's. You know, Mr. Chen's.

The drug is called "Blue Crow". People take it to awaken their mingli, but it most often fails and turns the sad saps who did take it into wangren.

The drug fuels your delusions, but its effects are irreversible.

Where is Blue Crow made? The Aged People Centre, underground.

To get inside, you'll need to ask the front door, but it's a wangren. Go to Wangren Road first thing.

Have you seen the staff dorms?

Take the tunnel, turn left and go downstairs. Wangren Road's that way.

Also, if you don't bring your own material to delude with, you risk being lost to the wangren's delusions.

... ... ...

Seaweed Mask acquired.

What brings you around so much? Are you... a friend of Window Man? Haha! Yes! See, I have this favour...

In case you go to West City Road, can you take this to Grandpa Zong?

It's a little timeworn, but deliver this seaweed mask for me.

It's free, of course. Afterwards, ask him for a reading. ... All right. Here's the seaweed mask.

That seaweed mask will make Grandpa very happy, I'm sure.

He's made a hobby out of caring for his beloved wife's face.

My, you're still here? And why's that? Do you know one of the wangren nearby? You wouldn't know Window Man... Look, take a quick turn right.

There's no way for anyone to talk to the wangren living here on the surface without a pair of delusion glasses.

I've heard that peeled shrimp has huge positive effects on those who eat it, but what happens, huh? Do you know?

Peeled shrimp appears to have powers of purification, but what can it purify? I just don't know!

Okay, okay. Listen up, wise guy... The time's coming when you too become a wangren. Heh, don't you get it?

Okay, okay. What'll it... Hmm. Mr. Chen's awfully late tonight.

He must have gotten heated in his plotting to punish you. Heh, you'd better prepare yourself. Watch him drown you in Blue Crow and make a wangren out of you!

When the Man runs out of medicine, he gets more from the Aged People Centre. That's where Blue Crow's made. The Aged People Centre is in the basement of the Twin Centre. If you don't know what Blue Crow is, the opium dealer knows all about it.

It's only hearsay, but... I've heard that "he" isn't human. Instead, "he" is a living corpse. That's why "he" always smells like rotting flesh when he struts around.

You know who "he" is, don't you? I'm sick of him! Rip the malice outta him and turn him back into a corpse!

There's some mirror in the Aged People Centre that absorbs twins' powers.

It's called the dragon mirror.

But the door to get into the Aged People Centre is no normal door. Pull all you want, but it won't open.

Not all doors are built equal. Some are... well... wangren!

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Don't tell anyone, but the window over near the seaweed mask merchant is a wangren as well.

I go between being a man and a woman depending on my day. It's a luxury few people have.

Mr. Wei made a face all of a sudden and bolted out.

I'm not too worried about him. Least he paid for his group in advance. I don't really remember, but one of them could still be on the third floor.

The seminar is over now, isn't it? There's no need to be anxious now,

unless something else is afoot...

I'm telling you, you can't come in.

I feel so low-spirited today. Tell me, how about you?

Did you hear the big commotion? Some guy can't get out of Hyper-Comm!

Hey, everything all right?

Listen, I know people need to use my terminals, but go easy on the merch. Hyper-Comm isn't some kids' toy.

Hyper-Comm can be bad for you if you get careless using it.

I hear there's a big mirror that drains the power out from twins.

If you don't want to be drained, fight fire with fire. Counter that mirror's attack with another mirror.

You must be... the feng shui master. Yes, we spoke earlier, didn't we? My eyes must be fooling me!

Don't say I told you this, but keep what you had to do to the old hag in mind.

S-Sorry to bother you, Mr. Chen, but that weirdo creeping around Kowloonfront before is back, and... he's freaking us all out, sir. Again, I hate to b-bring it up!

The old Kowloon Circuit manager upstairs was looking for you. Maybe something went haywire again.

Weird how that guy couldn't log himself out of Hyper-Comm.

Nobody knows when the feature first cropped up on Kowloonet.

Hell, we don't even know who runs it, but it makes for a neat ghost story.

Did you see Grandpa Zong's brother?

His little brother was always addicted to computers, 'til he couldn't log out of Hyper-Comm. Both brothers're pretty weird, and then there's Grandpa's wife, who... Nevermind. That'd be rude.

Fauceting, fauceting...

Water... Wa... ter...

Being water's not so bad. You can slip into soil and drift anywhere you want. No one can talk down to you anymore!

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... I take great pleasure in writing those e-mails to you.

You, however, are not so punctual. How about I share my thoughts for you here ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...? I'm sure you found my username striking, no? Now, today's theme is "trust". Shared trust deepens relationships more than any other trifle could. You were granted power out of trust, were you not? After all, the you now only exists because it is allowed to. Whether you swallow it or not, that is the truth. You may not see the full picture,

but you do put on quite a show! Don't we all...

Now, get to work before the trust that warms your little heart tears it to shreds! ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... "The Dancer's Reward"... I'll never cease to love this piece. It portrays Salome as she beholds the lifeless head of John the Baptist, black blood spilling off the platter. ... It's as if Audrey Beardsley drew it to flow into Salome's very heart.

Devoid of all facial expression, dark and unfathomable is Salome's heart. In that way, her face speaks volumes. Each time I see this drawing, I drown myself blissfully in my imaginations. By the way, my Salome also dances very well. What kind of reward do you suppose will suit her? ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... You fancy yourself a time traveller? I didn't think you have the eyes to percieve the seeds of time. Here's a nice quote for you:

"Tis not enough to help the feeble up, but to support him after." Consider making it your motto. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... In time, when you come to love receiving those e-mails from me, I'll be overjoyed.

... Why... Why am I... Mr. Chen... is that... you...?

Sorry... that weirdo from...

Wait... Why am I... here again?

The old man from Kowloon Circuit was out here looking for you.

An e-mail addressed to you came in.

Everyone you see on the Net is a twin.

When twins come into this world, they're quickly separated, doomed to never know where their siblings are. That's why they cultivate their strange powers through seminars.

The seminar was a bust, and the twin registry is closed for now. What are they plotting this time?

The pyrotechnician got a real kick out of that, I'm sure.

His little brother read a firecracker fortune for me once.

Can you believe what it said? "You are gifted in guiding others." Hahahaha! "Guiding others", huh. To be fair, I don't know HOW anyone guides anyone around this city!

Wigs are an unsung commodity here, given they protect us from so much. It isn't safe to lose head hair. By the time you find any gone, it may already be implanted in a cursing doll!

Wigs are an unsung commodity here, given they protect us from so much. It isn't safe to lose head hair.

The pyrotechnician told me you were about to raid the Aged People Centre. He was thrilled beyond belief!

Did you hear that explosion?! I heard it was the Aged People Centre!

Well, least they won't have to worry about protecting head hair anymore.

N-Not that that's the only reason seniors buy my wigs. Just look at them!

GRANDMA'S MEDICINE -CINE -CINE!

Even if we're twins, as long as we don't have any weird powers, the Snakes won't bother us!

Where are the Snakes hiding that Sleeping Dragon they keep feeding?

"Producing" twins on a whim is pretty unethical, in and of itself.

Twins are only produced by high-ranking Gemini members, but what if triplets or quintuplets come out by mistake?

And what happens when it wakes up? It's supposed to bring the Snakes their "miracle of immortality"... Will people like us ALSO get eternal life out of all this?

I see, I seeeee... A giant turtle, raising its head!

Heehee, that's how the world works... All right, come on through.

The Man hasn't come back yet.

The Man has the dragon mirror, and he'll use it to drain your life essence to a pulp!

Ahahaha...

Man, this ain't my day...

That feng shui weirdo's been poking their nose left and right around here. I've been on edge the whole time. Think I'm the one with the bad vibes? Yeah, I really should do like they do and "go with the flow".

Geez, he's still bumbling around...

Speaking of wangren, you must know by now that Xiaohei was looking for one.

Both the water and air along West City Road seem stagnant... Find Xiaohei as soon as you can.

Supreme Firecracker acquired.

Oh, you can talk to wangren now? That means you can talk to Door Man.

I remember going to Wangren Road to get those delusion glasses once. It was a horrible experience. Would you mind coming back later? I have something to give you.

I might not look it, but I'm a serious explosive material specialist.

Hey, you're back! Guess what's reeeadyyy?

I put my blood, sweat, tears and expertise into the firework I'm about to give you. See... I'd been waiting for the day someone like you finally showed up to Kowloon.

All I wanted was to avenge my little brother for what Blue Crow did to him.

I never had the power to do it alone, but now... Here. This is my supreme firecracker.

Light the supreme firecracker in front of the drug lab door.

It's down in the Aged People Centre.

It really worked...? Thank you. I've finally avenged my little brother. He and I... were regular twin siblings.

My brother grew popular for his fortune-telling firecrackers. That's when the Snakes targeted him. They pumped him with all kinds of drugs to see which, if any, would trigger his mingli to awaken. In the end, the malice took him... Technicians don't believe in fortune- telling. We rely solely on evolution.

It's not easy for people to hone their mingli.

Even if you do hone it, an evil mind can easily twist it from your control.

Don't let that happen to anyone else.

Uh-oh, don't tell me you went to Wangren Road... Really? You did? ... Then, can I tell you something? Sometimes, I have this dream where I've become a pair of dice.

Sure, I'd wake up thinking, "This was only a dream," but I can only go so long without thinking about it: my life as a die. Know what I mean? You don't think that's weird, do you?

There's a rumour going around that wangren are hiding in Kowloonfront. I haven't become one yet, so... I-I mean, I'll NEVER become a wangren!

What... brings you here, Mr. Chen? I mean... you ARE Mr. Chen, aren't you?

Is this guy actually Mr. Chen? He smells... different. Can't fool my nose.

You can talk to wangren now?

You should try having a heart-to-heart with one!

Window Man, near the Seafood Centre, would be a safe wangren start with.

If you can talk to wangren, go down to where Blue Crow is made.

Door Man keeps the Aged People Centre door closed in the Twin Centre.

He'd never help them, so he must be an unwilling participant.

You blew the place up?!

You know, the taxidermist bought up tons of Blue Crow, I hear.

I'm sure that good-for-nothing only wanted to hoard the stuff.

And who knows if Chen hid batches. Don't act like it's gone just yet. That "medicine" could be anywhere.

Oh! You can. Talk to. Me? Listen, I'm. Only following. The Gemini's. Orders.

They stored. The dragon. Mirror down. Here in. The Aged. People Centre.

But the. Back room. Of the. Centre. That's where. They produce. The drug. That turned. Me into. A wangren. I... I want. To burn. It all. Down. Do you... Have a. Firecracker?

You want... To blow. Up the. Drug lab. Too...? Plant the. Firecracker. By its. Door.

You want... To blow. Up the. Drug lab. Too...? Plant the. Firecracker. By its. Door.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... ... ...

Wow! Are you here to talk to me? Really?! That's so sweet!

I see all kinds of things up here, Like when Mr. Chen brings himself back to life by taking Blue Crow. If a living human takes that medicine, all it does is draw out the malice inside of their heart. It isn't safe!

... ... ...

If you're able to talk to me, you should talk to Door Man too.

Door Man watches over the Blue Crow factory under the Twin Centre.

It's hard for most wangren to sustain their delusion outside of Wangren Road, but because my body's made of glass, I get to reflect things all the time! Door Man though... For all I know, he could be a full object by now.

... ... ...

How'd he escape that explosion? Was the feng shui master so lucky?

Who... Who are...? Oh, wait. Sorry I didn't recognise you at first. I thought you were Mr. Chen. Whew... Still, your face looks like the spitting image of his right now. ... At least, to those who knew him.

So, how was... you know... Door Man? Was he... caught in the explosion?

Psst! Do you know the secret about the old window over here?

It may look like some old window, but it's the wangren, Window Man. Use delusion glasses to talk to him!

There's another wangren like Window Man in the Twin Centre. That'd be Door Man. Another apt name for the books!

Good morning, Mr. Chen! Is Crow production going well today?

Steam detoxifies old shrimp. If you want a dip too, all you need is ask... That was a joke.

What brings you here, Mr. Chen? We're still, uh... making arrangements!

Okay, okay. What'll it... Huh? Why are you here? To show off how cheap you are? If you're not buying, go home! You can see that the Man isn't here. SOME PEOPLE have business today!

Okay, okay. What'll it... Ah!

Well, if it isn't Mr. Chen! Work kept you late tonight, eh? Done for the day? You did say the new batch'd be bad, so I held on to some of the older batch for you. Here's a dose to top off the work day!

Going out for some fun later? Let me guess, Mei'an's again...

You still have a wait on you before her workplace opens on Tai Chang Road.

Blue Crow Ampoule acquired.

Mr. Chen's body is only kept alive by the malice he pumps inside it.

If you cleaned out the malice, he'd become a corpse again.

What am I looking at here...?

What happened to that weirdo?

He was headed to the Aged People Centre where the twins' power was gathered. ... Did that power decimate him?

Word around the block is... Mr. Chen is expecting you. Be careful in there. Do you have a way to ward off malice?

He's like a giant mass of the stuff. If you took the malice out of Mr. Chen, there'd be nothing left of him!

Hey, how goes it, Mr. Chen?

Took you longer than usual to stop by. Another long day at work?

He smells different. How odd... Maybe the taxidermist swapped in a fresher body part or two for Mr. Chen.

This district is too stingy. It's awful to run a business in!

I have a message for you.

"Mr. Chen went to the turtle chef and dropped off the blue stuff."

"It's with the seafood congee cook."

What's this "Mr. Chen" guy's deal? Everyone goes quiet around him. He must leave a big impression.

I'm waiting. For someone... Bastard... I'm sick. Of following. Your damned. Orders all. The time!

Mr. Chen. Is that. You...? Oops. Wrong guy. Wait, how. Are we...?

Delusion glasses? Oh, I. See! That mirror... The vanity. Mirror...

It isn't. Like your. Delusion glasses. It makes. Its carrier... Look like. Mr. Chen... To anyone. Who knows. Him. Anyways, this. Place'll blow. soon... Hurry. I'll lock. The explosion. In... And protect. You from. Danger... It's fine. Leave this. To me.

I was hoping I'd see you after that long e-mail came in.

I think I'll be closing early today. Get in there and read that e-mail.

Don't get too involved with people you meet on the Net.

Well, well! Never thought I'd see the day a new face wandered into town. I'm Li Hong. I run a nearby pawn shop.

Were you the one who inspired Xiaohei to find all of this, uhm... esoterica? You know. Like this almanac?

It's a book Xiaohei asked me to find a while ago. I'm finally back with it.

I can't stay in one place for too long, though, so could you deliver this voucher to Xiaohei in my stead?

Exchange Tag acquired.

If you can deliver that exchange tag to Xiaohei for me, I'll be in your debt!

If you can deliver that exchange tag to Xiaohei for me, I'll be in your debt!

You came from Yang to awaken Kowloon's feng shui, have you? I see, so Yin's misfortune has finally trickled over.

I'm Wei, the chairman of this school. As you know, Kowloon is comprised of four "dragon veins", or flows of qi.

Each flow spills from a fountainhead. Each fountainhead is a Divine Beast. Only, there is one problem.

Between the four Divine Beasts, Baihu, Zhuque and Xuanwu's human candidates have never been formally identified.

The one candidate ever accounted for was Qinglong's, but that man sealed off his means to undergo the Divine Choice.

More specifically, the man cast himself inside of a wooden Buddha statue that none know the current whereabouts of.

As for the other three candidates, we don't know if any still exist in our world today.

... Actually, there may be some clues for you scattered online. Walk over to the Dragon Hotel.

Use an access card at the terminal, log on and dig around Kowloonet.

I'll let Rich know you're coming.

You must be the one Grandpa Zong sold that bad access card to, huh. I modded it myself before dropping it, so my bad that you got busted over my handiwork. Anyways, since that card's of no use to you, may I have it back?

Sorry again! Peace!

Wei told me you were dropping by. I'm Rich. What can I help with, the Kowloonet terminal? Right behind you.

You can't log onto Kowloonet without an unmodded access card.

People space out and drop their cards all the time, so it doesn't hurt to pluck one off the ground. Not so many pedestrians anymore, but that's Kowloon for you.

If Wei didn't warn me you'd be here, I would've told your gumshoe-looking mug to shove it at the door... Hey, what's with that wooden tag?

Hey, what's with that wooden tag?

Oh, brother. Did that pawner ask you to deliver this to Xiaohei? If you need to, look upstairs.

Xiaohei's been going on about her sister these days out of nowhere. Says she shows up in her dreams with some "prophecy" of their reunion. And Xiaohei actually buys it! If Xiaohei is a twin though, and her story is real, the Snakes are gonna target her big time. The Snakes are gathering twins and stealing away their powers. They're not good people.

Oh! Hey, thanks again for the tag. I hate to keep Li Hong waiting, but I needed a breather before heading out. Rich is worried. He thinks I'm going in over my head to chase some "delusion". But I'm not delusional! I'm fine, see? I'll go to the pawn shop in a moment.

Are you that feng shui master causing all the buzz around here?

You know, "feng shui master" has a soothsaying ring to it, yeah? Mind saying some soothes for me?

I keep having this dream where a man with my exact face shows up. He looks at me and yells, "Save me!"

It creeps me right out. Do I have a twin or something?

If I had a big brother all this time, someone had better tell me.

Well, twin or no twin, it's enough to make a guy wonder if he's got ESP.

Are you that feng shui master causing all the buzz around here?

You know, "feng shui master" has a soothsaying ring to it, yeah? Mind saying some soothes for me?

I keep having this dream where a man with my exact face shows up. He looks at me and yells, "Save me!"

It creeps me right out. Do I have a twin or something?

If I had a big brother all this time, someone had better tell me.

Well, twin or no twin, it's enough to make a guy wonder if he's got ESP.

Lookie that, it's the sneak who thought he'd score my access card! Hehe, I'll show you how to "score". I can use Hyper-Comm without a card, even on this dingy street terminal! Get ready. I'm about to get inside you. Sit there and look pretty for me, hehe! That's Hyper-Comm technology for you! Yeah, this is gonna feel reeeal good... I'm about to screw your brain to MUSH!

We have a major seminar later today.

If you plan on using the Net soon, I implore you to attend Orientation. You have some time before it begins. Powers of resonance cannot be honed by one's self, but we are here to help! ... Oh, are you not registered yet? Go ask the Twin Registry for assistance!

Have you heard of the Day of the Fire? I went to show Mr. Xia that almanac to see what he thought of it, and... Come in. I'll explain things inside.

... I want you to meet Mr. Xia. He's a loner who lives in the Seafood Centre. If you ask him about me, he might open up to you.