Chapter 706: A Soul’s Call
Translator: Azza
Editor: Conspiracing
"He ordered me to open the sack. When I saw a woman's head exposed inside, I fell to the ground, paralyzed in fright. The woman had been drugged and she was in a daze. Her expression was like that of someone sleepwalking. He laughed and said that I was still afraid. He learned the whole process of kidnapping someone from my novel in order to kidnap her, including how to use diethyl ether. 'Today, you have to surpass yourself', he said."
"Vaguely aware of his intentions, I desperately shook my head and asked for him to hurry and let her go. ‘You can do anything to me, but killing someone is absolutely impossible.’ He held my face and said that I had vividly described murder in the novels. What was it like in that situation? Wasn’t it all about substituting myself into a murderer’s world? He said that the things I had written recently were plain and tasteless. He said I needed some 'growth' and a strong, lasting mental stimulation. When I looked into his eyes, I felt a deep terror. It was a look that someone who had murdered before would have."
"He said many, many things to me, yet I was still reluctant to agree. He was extremely disappointed in me. He asked me to observe the whole murder process and record it in first person. You will find the notes in another notebook. I don’t want to repeat the cruel experience again. Did killing people help me? No, not at all. I fell into the pits of self-blame, guilt, and fear because when the woman was killed by him, she was crying and her eyes were pleading. She looked like a cow about to be slaughtered, and the murderer had his back to me. I obviously could have taken what I had beside me to hit him and save this woman for a bit, but I didn’t. I didn’t dare to resist him anymore. I’m guilty! I’m guilty! I’m guilty!"
The following long section was all about Xin Bai watching the murderer's murder experiences. There were a total of six murders. It also mentioned the fat man discovered by the police. His name was Xi Xiaohu, who seemed to be Xin Bai's colleague.
The murderer's "teachings'' for him were gradual. Xin Bai didn't dare to kill anyone, so he got him to beat them. First, he cleaned the bathroom, then he got Xin Bai to dismember the bodies, and then he got him to hold the organs of the corpses to take pictures as mementos. Chen Shi thought to himself that in time, Xin Bai would gradually lose himself under his control, and perhaps would kill strangers numbly and mercilessly as well!
This had nothing to do with his personal morality. The human heart was like this. It will constantly adapt to the environment and become accustomed.
"There’s no mention of Lan Xiao here." Chen Shi said, "When I talked about the name Lan Xiao with Xin Bai, he reacted calmly. If he had seen or witnessed him being killed, he definitely wouldn’t act so calm."
"But Lan Xiao’s ID card was indeed in the hands of the murderer. This ID card was used when renting the house. If Lan Xiao had already gone 'missing' at that time, Xin Bai wouldn’t know... Has the murderer not 'gifted' this to him yet? Or if Lan Xiao is still alive, where is he imprisoned?"
"Lan Xiao is Xin Bai's childhood nightmare. I think the murderer must hope that Xin Bai would kill him personally... Right, that novel has entered the main story line. The identity of the villain, Lan Xiao, has been exposed and the betrayal of his friends and relatives isn’t far away. "
"Old Chen, look at this segment of text."
Lin Dongxue pointed out a piece of text.
"He told me that he did all this to make me the best there can be. He saw himself in me, but he was uneducated and rather stupid, so he was unable to write these amazing stories. He wanted me to be the best writer, leaving my name down in history. A good writer must have extraordinary experiences. He said that one day he might be arrested by the police and executed, but these experiences will be carved in my bones and will be remembered forever. It may become a best-selling novel. There is an important role this novel has. That is, he, in this way, has something like eternal life. To give me success was like giving himself success! After some talking, he shed tears and I also shed tears. My tears were fake. My heart had long since gone numb. I just hoped that all of this would end as soon as possible and hoped that this demon would die!"
"He mysteriously revealed to me that when the plot of the novel enters its final chapter, he’d have a big gift to give me. However, when I receive this big gift, I must be prepared... This so-called being prepared refers to having the guts to kill someone!"
"I hope I can hold on to this last bit of myself and before I lose myself even more. To those who discover this passage in the future, perhaps I will be arrested in the future, shut myself away in front of you, and behave numbly and indifferently. I know I’ll end up like that, but please don't abandon me. I have already seen hell. Please have mercy on this weak and helpless soul and give it a little warmth!"
"PS: For my 'health', he forbids me to eat fried chicken. I really want to eat fried chicken. God’s Fried Chicken is so tender and crispy, especially when covered with cumin and chili noodles. Once you bite down, the juice under the crispy skin will overflow out... If you’re reading this and are willing to help me, please buy me a set of God’s Fried Chicken. Remember to add french fries and Coke. My heart may have been lost, so please wake me up in other ways. Remember, it’s God's Fried Chicken in Chang'an Lane!"
The segment of text ended there. Although the last passage was a bit weird, neither Lin Dongxue nor Chen Shi laughed. They heard the call of a lost soul. Lin Dongxue said, "Is the fried chicken shop in Chang'an Lane still open? "
"I’m not too sure. I don't usually like eating that stuff. Why don’t we go over early tomorrow morning?"
"Miss Gu should be here by now?"
The two walked outside, and a takeaway boy parked his motorcycle there. A police officer said, "Hey, hey, don't park the bike by the door."
The takeaway boy readily complied and pushed the bike away. He glanced at Chen Shi inadvertently. This man looked honest, but Chen Shi caught an abnormality in his eyes.
"Miss Gu is here." Lin Dongxue poked him.
Gu You's car appeared and Lin Dongxue went forward to greet her. Tao Yueyue got out of the car first while Gu You went to the parking lot to park.
Gu You changed her outfit. Although her beautiful figure was slender and tall, she was wearing loose and unremarkable clothes. Psychologists seemed to have regulations in this regard, to not dress too seductively.
Gu You went over and asked, "What's the situation?"
Chen Shi replied, "Mm, PTSD and learned helplessness."
Gu You teased, "I asked you what the symptoms of that person were, but you directly told me what illnesses he has? When the doctor asks you where it hurts, do you just start talking about stomach ulcers?"
"Okay, okay, let me rephrase it. They’re probably the symptoms of PTSD and learned helplessness."
"Haii, got it."
"What is PTSD?" Lin Dongxue asked.
Tao Yueyue, who was holding her hand, said, "Sister Lin, you don’t even know this much? It's post-traumatic stress disorder."
"Sister hasn’t read as many books as you!" Lin Dongxue smiled. "Yueyue is really knowledgeable."
"Why don't you look at whose child she is..." Chen Shi said proudly, suddenly noticing that the takeaway boy just walked away. A trace of doubt passed through his mind.
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