Li Xue’s teacher left the most beautiful present for Han Fei. Han Fei left the hospital when the sun rose. He had told everything he knew to the police. The elder was not wrong. The three organizations and garden owners’ target was Perfect Life.
Just like how Fu Sheng had left a backdoor in Perfect Life, the ghosts in the cryptic world could affect the real world through Perfect Life. Han Fei had no idea how they did it. He could only give them a general warning. As he communicated with the police, Han Fei knew more about Gao Xing.
The child who lived with blind parents could very likely be the garden owner. The police found many things as they dug up old files. Gao Xing might not be the blind couple’s biological son. At the hospital, the blind couple carrying the wrong baby home, and changed Gao Xing’s life forever. However, this couldn’t be verified because everyone involved had died. However, the more the police investigated, the stranger the case was. The child who should have died many years ago kept appearing in the murders. He was like a ghost watching over all the sins. No one could prove that he was related to the cases, but his presence was suffocating.
Xin Lu Police had started their move. Li Xue’s teacher and the garden owner’s final duel would turn the city into a chessboard. This duel would happen at a place people normally wouldn’t notice. Both parties had prepared decades for this. Han Fei didn’t slack off during this important moment. He took out the bracelet Li Xue’s teacher had given him and called Du Jing. As the friend of Fu Sheng and his brother, Du Jing knew many things. She was the only person who could help Han Fei investigate Immortal Pharma.
“Han Fei? Have you figured it out?”
“I’m willing to cooperate with you.” Han Fei didn’t beat around the bush. “My past is blank. My brain has created false memory to give me a false sense of security. I want to know what has happened on that bloodred night.” “That is a taboo topic. Fu Sheng destroyed all the documents before he died. He once told me that if anything about that night were to leak, Immortal Pharma would be in great danger.” Du Jing had a good impression of Han Fei. But she was not helping Han Fei for free. She needed something from Han Fei too.
“The purpose of Perfect Life is to provide a happy paradise for humans, but the paradise will be used by the scariest ghost. It’ll become a tool for it to control all the players. Once they succeed, all of Xin Lu will be in danger.” Han Fei told Du Jing everything he knew. Du Jing was silent. She needed time to process this. Han Fei didn’t urge her. He had met Du Jing in the memory world. He knew what she had been through and knew her personality. He believed she would make the right choice. After all, this old lady was similar to Li Xue’s teacher. They both had the bracelet from Fu Sheng.
“Come to the theme park we first met. A doll will bring you to come to see me.”
“Okay.” Han Fei hurried to the theme park, which was important to the Fu Siblings.
40 minutes later, Han Fei appeared at the theme park entrance. The theme park was shut down. The parade that used to happen every day was replaced by stray cats. All the amenities had stopped running.
“Is anyone there?” The entrance was locked. Han Fei was about to show off his incredible lock-picking skill when a person in a tattered doll costume shuffled out of the guard house. A normal person would be shocked to see this, but Han Fei had a complicated feeling. In Fu Sheng’s memory world, he had once worn this costume for an interview. It was on that day that he met Fu Tian and his mother.
“The memories are affecting each other? Or have the fates intertwined?”
The doll waved at Han Fei and led the way. They walked through the various rides and stopped before the ferris wheel. The doll opened the door, entered the cabin, and signaled for Han Fei to get in. Han Fei had no idea what the doll was up to, but he obliged. As the door closed, the ferris wheel started to move. When they reached the highest point, the doll removed its head to reveal Du Jing’s young face. She took a deep breath and leaned back. She turned to Han Fei. “This costume was hidden by Fu Tian at the deepest part of the theme park. I have no idea why he cares about this costume so much. Can you give me the answer?”
“Perhaps in his memory, someone very important has worn this costume.” The theme park in real life didn’t involve Han Fei. So the person inside the costume back then was probably Fu Sheng.
“Understood.” Du Jing nodded. “I’ve checked all the info I could. I can confirm that someone very important to Fu Tian has disappeared. Everything about him has been removed. But he has existed for real.”
“His name is Fu Sheng. He’s my… family.” Han Fei didn’t know how to describe Fu Sheng. He finally decided to describe him as his family.
“I can’t remember him at all, but this should be something he left behind.” Du Jing removed the bracelet she had been wearing. She let Han Fei see the message left on it. “I’ve been in constant. I don’t know who to believe. I need time to think, but the situation now is too urgent.”
“Can you feel it too?”
“Of course.” Du Jing sighed. “The thing is everywhere, even among Fu Tian’s descendants.”
“Fu Sheng’s descendant is among the three organizations?” Han Fei frowned.
“Immortal Pharma used to be a company that fought for humanity’s greatest future. But now, it had become a monster that is rotting from inside.” Du Jing touched the bracelet. “I’ve woken up too late.”
“There’s still time for a change. Immortal Pharma and Deep Space Tech’s centers must be protected. Perfect Life is a theme park to balance out the cryptic world. Endless players are pursuing their happiness in it. Once this mental paradise collapses, the consequences are unbearable.” Han Fei came to have a good chat with Du Jing, but he realized Du Jing knew more than he expected. He decided to leave the two tech giants to deal with their internal problems among themselves.
“I will find that person.” Du Jing touched the costume. She reached into the doll’s giant pocket and took out a black key. “Don’t you want to know what happened that night? All the secrets are hidden behind a door. The key to that door is here, but other than Fu Tian, no one knows where that door is.”
There was a key but no door.
“You need to find the truth yourself. I only know a general idea.” Du Jing passed the key to Han Fei. “There’s only one kid who survived that night. He has murdered all the other children. He is true evil. He is deemed by Fu Tian to be the most dangerous item.” Han Fei gripped his fists as if to prevent the blood from flowing through his fingers. “But what I don’t get is why Fu Tian didn’t kill this dangerous item but has sealed up all the info about him. After looking through all the internal documents, I notice something special.” Du Jing looked into Han Fei’s eyes. Her eyes carried deep pain. “There was another ‘person’ there that night. The person wanted to create the world’s most beautiful soul. He gave the surviving children a choice. Either to kill based on his instructions, or everyone will be killed by him.”
Han Fei’s nails scratched through his skin. Blood burst in his eyes. “And then?”
“Fu Tian’s experiment failed completely. All the children of hope died, and only a mad one remained.” The ferris wheel was still spinning, but no one was saying anything.
After a long time, Han Fei turned to Du Jing again, “What else do you know?”
“That’s it.” Du Jing pointed at Han Fei’s key. “You need to find out the rest of the secrets yourself.”
The ferris wheel slowed down, and they were back at the beginning.
Du Jing carried the doll head and left the cabin. “Many people are born holding a key. They know the key can open a door, but they might not encounter that door their whole lives. If possible, I hope you won’t move further. The current you is already the best you.”
Du Jing disappeared from the theme park. Han Fei held the key tightly. No one knew what he was thinking.
…
The man with the blank mask appeared at an abandoned factory in the countryside. The chemical factory had once exploded. Some of the dangerous matters still lingered. The whole area was forbidden. But this place was home for the man with the blank mask. The man entered the factory after avoiding all the traps. Once he reached the elevator, a cold voice came from the second floor.
“Where have you been?”
The man stopped and glanced up. There was a man with a guinea pig mask.
“Mind your own business.”
“I heard that you received a letter last night. The letter is blank.” Guinea Pig took out a normal-looking white paper from his pocket. “You should be thankful that God doesn’t allow killing among core members, or you would be dead already yesterday night.” The man in the blank mask pressed the button beside the elevator door. The floor started to sink.
“I can see that you’re in a bad mood.” Guinea Pig burned the paper. “Yesterday night, intelligent city, old city, and five biggest countrysides have been cleansed. Even the moles inside Perfect Life have been captured. Xin Lu Police are more capable than I thought.”
“It’s fine. The most capable among them is dead.” The man in the blank mask smiled at Guinea Pig. “Since God has chosen to make his move, then it will not fail.”
“I hope so.” Guinea Pig moved down. “Right. I’ve taken over Butterfly’s successor from the Sunday Night School. The murderer’s clubhouse will cultivate him.”
“Thank you.” The man entered the elevator. He desperately needed to calm down.
“We need your help at the intelligent city. The police are fishing. Don’t forget that the goals of all the core members are to help God blur the police’s focus…” Before Guinea Pig, the man in the blank mask walked away. “I so want to kill him. I’ve even figured out the name. It’ll be called Blank.” Guinea Pig left. A modified car parked beside the road. Bald Eagle and Crow sat at the back. A fattened Shen Luo sat in the middle.
“I’ve thought it through. I’ve decided to join you.” Shen Luo didn’t have any surface wounds, but he was under a lot of pressure. “I won’t deny it anymore. I’ll admit it. I’m that Butterfly you talk about. I’m surprised that you’ll discover me considering how deep I’ve hidden myself.”
