Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
At the end of the email, Liang Mei finally remembered who had worn those pants and shoes back then. But upon seeing that name, an indescribable feeling welled up inside me, a deeply uncomfortable sensation, as if everything had been in vain and we had returned to square one.
This person was none other than Hu Pei, Lu Zhiqiu's boyfriend at the time.
Liang Mei had dismembered Lu Zhiqiu, and during the photo shoot, due to the angle, she inadvertently captured a pillar that extended outwards. Behind this pillar, however, was someone hiding. This person was facing Liang Mei and Lu Zhiqiu's corpse, clearly peeking out from behind the pillar to look at Liang Mei.
I found that photo, and while I could see the pillar on my phone, the figure behind it was too blurry to make out. The resolution was simply too low; everything appeared hazy. Yet we could tell that someone was hiding behind that pillar.
From the angle, it seemed that the person concealed behind the pillar could only vaguely see a silhouette and not Liang Mei's face directly. This situation suddenly became somewhat "absurd." Based on the timeline, Hu Pei, who was hiding behind the pillar, should be considered the murderer. Yet the real murderer encountered a deranged dismemberment enthusiast.
After Yang Licheng and Wang Yikai left, Hu Pei had come here. Perhaps he had argued with his girlfriend Lu Zhiqiu, which led him to pick up a brick in a fit of rage and strike Lu Zhiqiu on the head with it. Hu Pei did not premeditate this; he acted in a moment of passion, unable to control himself in his fury.
After killing her, Hu Pei was filled with regret and didn't know what to do. At that moment, he heard rustling sounds nearby; someone was approaching. Terrified, Hu Pei quickly hid away just as Liang Mei walked over.
Liang Mei dismembered Lu Zhiqiu while Hu Pei watched from behind the pillar.
For over an hour, two people were present with one corpse. This might explain why Hu Pei later became so fearful. He witnessed Lu Zhiqiu—whom he had killed—being dismembered by someone who emerged from nowhere. The intense shock left Hu Pei living in fear for seven years afterward.
To alleviate this pressure, Hu Pei chose to marry and have children early. However, deep down inside him, he feared not only Lu Zhiqiu's ghost returning for revenge but also that dismembering psychopath.
In her email's conclusion, Liang Mei revealed that after graduation, she lost her phone—the one used to take photos of Lu Zhiqiu's head. The photos were stored on her phone and a computer. Later on, thinking this matter might be forever settled, she decided to change both her phone and phone number.
Little did she know that things were far from over.
Seven years later, Liang Mei received an email containing that very photo. She understood that revenge ultimately fell upon her shoulders. But after seven years had passed, she wondered if she could still explain herself clearly. She had seen news reports about wrongful convictions before; such things were not unheard of. And indeed, she had committed acts of dismemberment—she feared being asked why she would do such a thing if she wasn't the one who killed Lu Zhiqiu.
Before her child was born, Liang Mei didn't care; she thought she could handle whatever came her way in the future. But once her child arrived, she realized that the once unyielding Liang Mei had transformed into a cautious woman. With no father for her child, she couldn't let her child lose their mother—especially not one who was a murderer and dismemberer.
This was the biggest regret of Liang Mei's life; she should never have lingered over the dismemberment, nor should she have taken that useless photo. Liang Mei knew that the photo existed only on her phone and computer; she hadn’t uploaded it anywhere. The Avenger must have gotten hold of her phone to trace her all the way here.
What Liang Mei needed to do was find this Avenger and have a serious talk, to tell him that she was not the Murderer.
But clearly, the Avenger wasn’t giving Liang Mei a chance to speak.
I tugged at my hair in frustration, realizing that after all this time, I had ended up back at square one. After all, Hu Pei was still the Murderer. But could someone as timid as Hu Pei really commit murder? And what about the old phone that the Murderer had swapped? Could it be the very one that Liang Mei lost years ago?
As I thought about this, doubts began to swirl in my mind.
I spoke up, “I think we might be accomplices.”
“What?” Zhao Mingkun asked.
“We gathered those thirteen people together, and the Murderer wanted to do just that,” I explained. “This way, the Murderer could kill all thirteen of them at once. The phone that Hu Pei had swapped might be what the Murderer used to investigate the whereabouts of the others.”
I wanted to say more when Zhao Mingkun’s phone rang again.
“Who is it?” I asked firmly.
Zhao Mingkun glanced at his phone and said, “It’s that old lady, their counselor from back then.”
He put it on speakerphone, and we heard the old lady’s voice: “Children, I’ve contacted some family members of those people. They… they are all dead…”
Zhao Mingkun exclaimed in surprise, “Are you saying these people are all dead?”
The old lady replied, “That’s right, dear. It’s strange; they all died recently and under mysterious circumstances. It happened about a week or two ago. There are still a few people I couldn’t reach; this whole situation is quite suspicious. I wonder if it has anything to do with what happened back then. Should I try asking around some more?”
"No need," I said at that moment. "If I'm guessing correctly, the rest of them must be dead too. The Murderer had no intention of leaving anyone alive. Everyone who interned at the construction site back then must die, regardless of whether they are the Murderer or if they had any motive to kill Lu Zhiqiu. The Avenger will leave no one behind."
Zhao Mingkun hung up the phone.
I frowned and said, "But I think this is not just about revenge anymore. It feels more like a massacre, a slaughter that won't stop from the very beginning. Just how close were you to Lu Zhiqiu to do something like this?"
Zhao Mingkun shook his head and replied, "If I knew that, I wouldn't be here."
"I know," I said seriously, looking at Zhao Mingkun.
"You know who the Avenger is?" Zhao Mingkun asked.
I nodded and said, "Give me some time. Once I unravel all the mysteries, I'll be able to confirm it. Right now, the other three have left Dongxing City, so we don't have to worry about the Murderer going out to kill. I think the reason the Murderer is killing so many people, aside from avenging Lu Zhiqiu, is likely due to an even more important reason, which is the main reason for such a high body count."
"What reason?" Zhao Mingkun looked at me, puzzled.
I spoke, "Selfishness."
"Selfishness?" Zhao Mingkun clearly didn't understand what I meant.
"It won't be long before everything settles down," I said slowly while looking at Zhao Mingkun.
Zhao Mingkun nodded without saying anything.
I sat down and sighed heavily. "But even though I know who came back for revenge, I still haven't figured out who killed Lu Zhiqiu back then. Now we know that the one who killed and dismembered him is not the same person. This means that the Murderer might not have had much hatred towards Lu Zhiqiu because if it were a crime of passion, there are plenty who act on impulse and commit murder; accidental killings are also possible. I always felt that Hu Pei shouldn't be so ruthless."
"Then it must be one of those twenty interns from back then; could it be anyone else?" Zhao Mingkun suddenly chuckled. "But among those twenty people, aside from the three women who have fled to other places, the rest are all dead. Perhaps the Murderer from back then was already killed long ago; even if we uncover the truth from seven years ago, what difference would it make?"
"Yes, although so many years have passed and many things are unavoidable, the truth is still the truth. We promised the two grandmothers that we would uncover the truth behind Lu Zhiqiu's death." I said, "When someone dies, they are dead. Our search for the truth is often not just for the deceased, but for those who are still alive. Many times, knowing that someone will remember you after you're gone makes death seem less frightening."
"What’s truly terrifying is being alive yet feeling utterly alone, to die without anyone knowing. That would be a great tragedy in this world." I looked at Zhao Mingkun.
Zhao Mingkun's expression turned somber as she spoke, "But if a criminal dies, will anyone remember them? Or will everyone rejoice at their demise? Just like the Avenger who has returned and killed nearly twenty people—each of them had families and friends."
"Perhaps?" I hesitated to give a definitive answer.
Zhao Mingkun suddenly asked, "After I die, who will remember me? Will I even have the chance to become a star? I think no one will miss me."
I wanted to tell Zhao Mingkun that I would remember her—the woman who wanted to be a police officer but could only walk a dark path; the one covered in scars who never hid her flaws; the person who never loaded a bullet in her gun; the occasionally kind-hearted individual.
But when the words were on the tip of my tongue, I didn’t know how to express them.
I suddenly recalled that morning when I had woken up early to follow Zhao Mingkun out. It was because of that moment that I realized there are no good people or bad people in this world—only those who do good deeds and those who do bad ones. That would remain a secret in my heart, perhaps one day I would share it with Zhao Mingkun.
"Come with me to a place," I changed the subject.
"What place?" Zhao Mingkun asked.
"We're going to find Jiang Xiaochun; she should know something," I replied. "Even if she has gone mad."
Comment 0 Comment Count