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墨書 Inktalez
The weather in April shouldn't be this foggy, yet the thick, glue-like mist envelops the boat. I think of the formless spirits in Strange Tales; they must be as captivating as this.
The man's story is fragmented and disjointed, making it hard to imagine he is a successful figure in the ruthless world of business.
Everyone present should have recognized Xu Xiaoran, Liu Junliang, Chen Lianqing, and Li Hua as characters from the first story. But who is Xu Zhou? He is Xu Xiaoran's father and Lin Ye's lover. And who is Xu Xiaoran?
I suppose I don't need to elaborate further.
As the story unfolds, I can't help but feel puzzled. Liu Junliang said that just as he was about to assault Xu Xiaoran, Song Yuegui secretly placed a phone in his coat pocket that saved her. Liu Junliang then chose to drown himself, but Xu Zhou claims that Xu Xiaoran did not escape that time; instead, the crime continued until she was discovered a year later.
Is Liu Junliang lying?
Why would he lie?
These two questions linger in my mind as Xu Zhou speaks, refusing to fade away.
The more I think about it, the more confused I become, as if I've sunk into a sticky quagmire from which I cannot escape. Breathing becomes difficult. I clutch my head and murmur to myself, "Why is he lying? Why?" My nerves begin to throb painfully, causing me to tremble all over.
"Miss, you don't look well," Xu Zhou inquires. "What's wrong? Do you know Xiao Ran?"
Do I know Xiao Ran? I don't know; my head hurts.
I can no longer think clearly, like a hamster in a cage. Xu Xiaoran is Xu Wenmo; Xu Wenmo is Lin Ye's friend; Lin Ye is Xu Zhou's mistress. These simple connections spin around in my mind like a hamster wheel, leaving me dizzy.
"Do you know Lin Ye?" I asked with difficulty.
"Lin Ye? You mean Lin Ye? How do you know her?" Xu Zhou did not wait for my answer but sighed and said, "Lin Ye, that's a story for later."
"Is it long?"
"Not too long, not too short."
"How did you punish that Liu Junliang?" The woman, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, seemingly intrigued by this lengthy and dull story.
The old man had stopped rowing at some point; the oar hung over the side of the boat. He turned around to face the three of us, looking at Xu Zhou with interest. Noticing me looking at him, he glanced my way and broke into a grin.
"That bastard!" Xu Zhou cursed bitterly. "Li Hua was right. Although I'm a man, I have to admit that there are still some unfair aspects in society towards women. My daughter was harmed; she is absolutely a victim. I can't let the crimes committed by that Liu Junliang tarnish my daughter's reputation again. So I couldn't charge him with rape, but I had my ways. My subordinate, Wen Yi, found out about Liu Junliang's family accounts. I transferred two hundred thousand to it. Two hundred thousand isn't much, but it was a significant amount back then. Then I bribed bank staff to create fake remittance records showing that the two hundred thousand was transferred in installments over the years. After that, I reported Liu Junliang for embezzlement and bribery to the relevant authorities. Of course, back then, the crackdown on corruption wasn't as strong as it is now. Liu Junliang had been a principal for over ten years; it was no surprise he had connections above him, which naturally led to some forces trying to obstruct me. But I am not so easy to deal with. I didn't care about the money; I kept throwing piles of it until I eventually paved Liu Junliang's way to prison."
"Did you succeed?" the woman asked again.
Xu Zhou nodded. "I succeeded."
I sensed the woman smiling; she was hidden behind sunglasses and a mask in the darkness, but I could feel her smile.
My brow furrowed slightly as I couldn't help but wonder who had come that night if Liu Junliang was in prison.
To the front left, Xu Zhou rubbed his face. A few strands of short hair fell over his slicked-back hairstyle, adding a touch of tragic heroism to his appearance. Indeed, the most fragile and time-worn looks are often the most captivating.
"After this matter is settled, I..." he began his narration again.
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