Gier (eines der drei Gifte)

Kapitel 14

"Oh." Zhao Lirui said no more and watched Su Yang connect the network cable to the laptop.

Su Yang suddenly remembered being hypnotized before, and turned to Zhao Lirui seriously, saying, "Can you not look at the computer? I need to make sure that one of us is awake in order to deal with any possible changes."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Lirui asked, puzzled.

“Because I was hypnotized by this computer before.” Su Yang took a deep breath and recounted how he heard strange footsteps at Zhang Chengting’s house, was then hypnotized by an “eye” that popped up on the computer, and almost committed suicide with a knife, but was saved by a cat. Finally, he said with lingering fear, “So I have to make sure that neither of us can be hypnotized, otherwise we are very likely to become the next victims.”

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment, Chapter Seventeen (2)

Zhao Lirui murmured incredulously, "You mean, Zhang Chengting might be the mastermind behind this series of murders?"

Su Yang shook his head. "That's unlikely too. Because he's dead, he couldn't have planned his own death. And after he's dead, it's unlikely he could control other people's fates, unless he really becomes a ghost." Speaking of ghosts, Su Yang felt a pang of emotion. He remembered the mysterious man in black in the security footage he'd seen in the small hotel last night. "Could it really be him? Or his ghost?"

Zhao Lirui also fell into deep thought, "If it's not Zhang Chengting, then it can only be Zhu Su."

Why do you say that?

"Do you think there might be a third party manipulating the outcome of all this?" Zhao Lirui countered.

"But... Zhu Su has been dead for so long, how can she be controlled?"

“Perhaps she has special abilities.” Zhao Lirui sighed. “In fact, the potential of each of us far exceeds our application and even our imagination. The power of the brain is still considered a ‘pink box’ by the scientific community, not yet fully explored. Our consciousness is only the tip of the iceberg; the deeper functions of the brain are the unknown parts hidden underwater. You should have heard that less than ten percent of our brain’s actual capacity has been developed. From Zhu Su’s background, we know she had a dark childhood and experienced a series of setbacks. Perhaps this can actually stimulate her potential, just like how people possess superhuman abilities in times of crisis.”

"But she's already dead. Even if she really had special abilities, she couldn't possibly continue to use them after she died."

“It’s hard to say.” Zhao Lirui sighed. “There are many forces in the world that are far from being understood by us humans. For example, the mysterious shipwreck in Bermuda, and the fact that some people can really change matter with their minds. According to the law of conservation of energy, it is hard to deny that the energy a person possesses disappears after death, but it may remain through some medium and affect the thoughts and even lives of others.”

"Do you think the power of a person's spirit is strong enough to kill someone?" Su Yang still had doubts.

"Do you think killing someone requires a lot of energy?" Zhao Lirui chuckled. "Have you seen that Honda commercial? Through a series of clever setups, a single bead can propel a car. Or, as chaos theory suggests, the flapping of a butterfly's wings can cause a storm across the ocean. So, killing someone doesn't require real force; it only requires influencing a single point in their brain. Through that single point, you can change their thoughts and actions, using them to commit murder or suicide."

Zhao Lirui's words were like a sudden awakening for Su Yang. He carefully recalled the series of events that had occurred before. His life on the run, his repeated encounters with danger, all began with a chat on the internet, or even more so, because of that bag of red grapes. A small coincidence, yet it changed the course of his life! Perhaps there really was a mysterious force in Room 602 that could affect the nerves of everyone who entered or left, thus leading to their death.

However, Su Yang vaguely felt there were still many loopholes. For example, how did Zhang Chengting's and others' heads end up in Zhang Chengting's house? It couldn't be that they carried their heads there themselves after they died. Also, why did Zhang Chengting move to the apartment above his? And most importantly, why did Chen Lijuan die? She had never been to room 602. Was it just because her phone number was the same as Zhu Su's? Furthermore, who hypnotized Su Yang—Zhang Chengting or Zhu Su? What was their motive?

"Perhaps all the secrets are hidden in Zhang Chengting's computer." Su Yang breathed a sigh of relief, gestured for Zhao Lirui to sit by the door away from the computer, and then turned on the computer.

Zhao Lirui watched Su Yang's every move and said thoughtfully, "I still think that the eye and footsteps you mentioned were hallucinations caused by your high level of mental tension, or that you were bewitched by some mysterious force."

"What kind of enticement?" Su Yang asked Zhao Lirui while checking the computer.

“I can’t say for sure. Maybe you received a suicidal suggestion at Zhang Chengting’s house.” Zhao Lirui tried hard to think of an answer that would satisfy her.

Su Yang's body jolted. "What did you say? A hint of suicide?" A flash of inspiration struck him like lightning. "Yes, definitely! You're right!" Su Yang stood up excitedly.

"What are you thinking about?" Zhao Lirui asked, her excitement rising as she saw Su Yang's agitation.

Su Yang no longer bothered to hide anything. He confessed to finding four severed heads in Zhang Chengtin's house and his suspicion that two of them belonged to her brother and sister-in-law. Upon hearing the whereabouts of her brother and sister-in-law's heads and recalling the gruesome scene of their deaths, Zhao Lirui couldn't help but burst into tears. She wiped away her tears and asked, "And then? What else?"

Su Yang looked at the distressed Zhao Lirui with heartache, but he knew that now was not the time for grief. The most urgent thing was to sort out the whole story. "I think the suicide suggestion you mentioned earlier was the appearance of those four heads, which convinced me that their deaths had nothing to do with me, thus freeing me from the shackles of guilt that had been weighing on my heart for so long. But on the other hand, because I had suppressed the thought of guilt for so long, I was so eager to prove my innocence at the time. Coupled with severe tension and dehydration, I experienced the auditory and visual hallucinations you mentioned, wanting to prove that their deaths really had nothing to do with me through my own suicide."

Zhao Lirui analyzed the situation carefully in her mind, nodded in agreement, and said, "What you said makes a lot of sense. Can I watch the computer with you now?"

Having refuted a major "ghostly" argument, Su Yang felt a sense of relief, but one question still troubled him: "How do I explain the eye image I saw when I first video chatted with Zhu Su? And this image actually appeared in my dream."

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment, Chapter Seventeen (3)

Zhao Lirui chuckled softly, "Actually, it's quite simple. The first time, it was most likely Zhu Su's mistake; she sent it to you, and it didn't originally have much significance. It's just that you kept interpreting it as a hypnotic tool, so subconsciously you always associated the eye with hypnosis. When you think of hypnosis, that eye automatically appears in your mind, putting you into a hypnotic state. As for your dream scenes, I think they might have some truth to them, but it's definitely not Zhu Su guiding you to the scene. It's more about your understanding of the whole case. For example, you dreamed about the man who killed Zhu Su, and..." The perverse sex between the two of you stemmed from your previous conversation with Zhu Su's neighbor about her having a boyfriend. Furthermore, you harbored a persistent suspicion that Zhu Su suffered from a split personality, which led you to orchestrate that scene in your dream. The final scene of the man dismembering Zhu Su was likely influenced by what Old Chen told you about Zhu Su's cause of death that night. Additionally, the eye in the television screen in your dream was more likely a figment of your imagination, or perhaps, when Zhu Su first sent you that video online, you subconsciously assumed it was a hypnotic prop, and this belief projected into your dream, causing the eye to appear.

Su Yang gasped. "The brain's ability to mislead can be this strong?"

"Otherwise, why would I say that everyone is capable of dying from their own subconscious fears?"

Su Yang nodded thoughtfully. He recalled a phrase Old Chen had always emphasized to him: "There are no ghosts in this world. As long as you're not affected by illusions, they can't harm you." It seemed that Old Chen had encountered many cases of people scaring themselves to death in his career. Unfortunately, Old Chen, who had spent his life hunting eagles, ended up being pecked in the eye by an eagle and dying from his own illusions. Life is full of uncertainties, but it also shows that those who have a clear conscience have no ghosts in their hearts.

Zhao Lirui leaned closer and watched as Su Yang clicked through Zhang Chengting's previous browsing history one by one. To Su Yang's disappointment, although he found two email addresses, the password verification was incorrect whether he entered Zhang Chengting's birthdate or the pinyin of his name. He couldn't help but feel discouraged.

"Why don't we check the other files on the computer more carefully?" Zhao Lirui suggested.

Su Yang nodded, and the two of them opened each file on the computer one by one. But after working for more than an hour, they still came up empty-handed and found no useful information.

Su Yang clicked on a software program in frustration. "It seems that Zhang Chengting probably anticipated that the computer would fall into someone else's hands, so he deleted all the data that could potentially leak his personal information."

"Wait a minute." Zhao Lirui looked at the English instructions on the software that Su Yang had opened and examined them carefully.

"What software is this? I get a headache whenever I see a lot of English text."

“This is a piece of hacking software,” Zhao Lirui said definitively. “With it, you can arbitrarily set up a phone number to send messages to other phone numbers.”

"But what does this have to do with us?" Su Yang's mind was still reeling.

"Didn't you say you received many text messages from Zhu Su at the beginning?" Zhao Lirui said excitedly, "That was most likely sent to you by Zhang Chengting through this software. That's why the mobile company might not have a record of it."

Su Yang realized what was going on and excitedly hugged Zhao Lirui, "Wow, you're so smart, I like you so much!"

Zhao Lirui blushed, and with a "spit," she pushed Su Yang away, saying, "Hey, be serious, we're talking about serious matters."

Su Yang realized his rudeness and blushed.

Zhao Lirui didn't want the awkwardness between the two to continue, so she continued, "Then let's check Zhang Chengting's QQ records now. If Zhu Su's number is on them, it means that the person who was impersonating Zhu Su and chatting with you was him."

"Not bad, not bad." Su Yang rubbed his hands excitedly. One by one, the questions in his mind were resolved, and he felt much more relaxed. The dawn of victory seemed to be just around the corner.

Zhao Lirui quickly opened QQ on Zhang Chengting's computer, scrolled down the login list, and sure enough, there were three numbers. "Do you remember Zhu Su's QQ number?" Zhao Lirui asked Su Yang.

"I don't remember anything at all."

"Oh, it's okay, we can determine this by checking the information." Zhao Lirui entered her personal QQ account and checked the detailed information of the three numbers one by one.

"It's it, it's the one!" Su Yang excitedly pointed to the last number. "Zhu Su's online name is her real name."

A smile appeared on Zhao Lirui's face. "Now we can solve another question. The rest is for us to look carefully for any records of communication between Zhu Su and Zhang Chengting."

Encouraged, Su Yang continued to check the remaining files on the computer. But no further surprises appeared. He looked up at Zhao Lirui helplessly. Zhao Lirui was also perplexed.

"Did he delete it so thoroughly? Or did he hide the information in some way?" Zhao Lirui unconsciously voiced her thoughts.

Su Yang slapped his thigh. "That's it! It's very likely hidden." He excitedly opened "My Computer," selected "Tools—Folder Options—View," then chose "Show all files and folders," and opened "Start—Search," typing "Zhu Su." The computer quickly started searching automatically, and soon a dozen or so Notepad documents appeared in the search window. Su Yang cheered as if he had discovered a new continent. Zhao Lirui's cheeks flushed with excitement, making her look even more charming.

Su Yang held his breath and opened the documents one by one. Sure enough, these were all Zhang Chengting's diary entries. The two of them read them with great excitement:

March 9th, cloudy with rain.

I never expected to run into Pighead on the street today. He recognized me, but he was no longer the arrogant police chief he used to be; he looked more like a fugitive like me. But his threat hadn't diminished. He threatened me to kill someone, or he would report the murder I committed in Qinglan Town to the police. If I succeeded, he would give me another 50,000 yuan as a reward. I was too tired to go back to living on the run, and I needed the money, so I had no choice but to agree. But I never expected the person he wanted to kill was his own daughter—Zhu Su. He didn't say why, but from his eyes, I could see he both hated and feared her.

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment, Chapter Seventeen (4)

March 11 Sunny

Today, I successfully found Zhu Su, who runs a clothing business, at the Baima Clothing Wholesale Market and struck up a conversation with her. The deadly game began. I found myself unusually excited. It seems I really am suited to be an assassin.

March 14 sunny

My relationship with Zhu Su is progressing smoothly. After two dates, I feel she's become attached to me. Someone like her, with a twisted father, a dark childhood, and mild schizophrenia, is easily hooked if you're even slightly kind or caring. Sometimes looking at her is like looking at myself; I feel sorry for her. But I think she's probably happier than me, because at least in her heart, I care about her. And who else in this world would care about or pity me?

March 19 sunny

I've been living with Zhu Su like lovers. But it doesn't bring me joy; it brings me pain. The pain isn't from the impending murder of her, but from the fact that being with her constantly reminds me of the past. Oh God, my head is throbbing again; I can't take it anymore…

Upon reading this passage, Su Yang recalled his several encounters with Zhang Chengting at the Shangling Apartment two years ago. Judging from Zhang's eyes and actions, he indeed showed deep signs of schizophrenia and violent tendencies. His diary also hinted that he had a dark childhood, which affected his personality as an adult. "Most unhappy lives have unhappy childhoods."

A pang of sadness swept through Su Yang's heart as he continued reading:

March 20 sunny

Suddenly it occurred to me, why did I kill Zhu Su with my own hands? Someone with such a dark past, her heart is as fragile as delicate porcelain. So I could easily set a trap for her, making her commit suicide! Yes, suicide! Haha, this game is getting more and more fun.

Heavy rain on March 25

Today, Zhu Su and I slept together as planned. We didn't use any contraception. Someone like her, who witnessed her father drown his own child, would never bear to watch her child die before her eyes again. I can tell her it's retribution, and if she wants relief, she should die. Then, the whole plan will be perfectly executed. Hahaha, I'm so excited, I really feel like a devil.

March 28 sunny

I'm starting to regret agreeing to do this for that idiot. Zhu Su is too crazy, she's practically inhuman, and she seems to possess some kind of mysterious energy that allows her to see through people's minds. I'm a little afraid of her.

Su Yang looked up and saw that Zhao Lirui, like him, had beads of sweat on her forehead. Clearly, she too had felt the dark and crazy power in the diary.

Su Yang reached out and squeezed Zhao Lirui's hand tightly. The warmth transmitted between their palms eased their tension considerably.

Su Yang continued scrolling down. He discovered that the timeline had jumped to over a month later. What had happened during that time? Why was there a blank space? Su Yang wondered, but he didn't bother to delve into it, focusing instead on reading Zhang Chengting's diary.

Heavy rain on May 2nd

The plan failed. It turns out Zhu Su had completely lost her ability to have children. I increasingly feel that I'm not controlling her fate, but rather she's controlling my life and death. I can't stand this feeling anymore; I really want to kill her!

May 10th, cloudy, windy

Good heavens, Zhu Su told me again that every day I go in and out carrying a blood-soaked corpse on my back, a long tongue resting on my neck. Even more terrifying, the corpse she described looks exactly like the beast I killed. I'm going to break down! She's a damned devil, a devil! Equally eerie is her black cat. It's a messenger from hell, with the eyes and voice of a devil!

May 18 sunny

Her behavior in bed became increasingly perverse. Many times, I felt she wasn't making love, but rather taking revenge—revenge against men. I could feel her hatred for my penis; she practically wanted to crush it! But this also drove me crazy. Hahaha, turns out I hate men that much too.

May 20 sunny

I was finally free. I was no longer a man, no longer that wretched, filthy man. Hahaha, I laughed, I laughed loudly, I laughed wildly! When she raised her knife and cut off my penis, the filthy black blood spraying onto her face, I felt so good, so pleasurable. She felt it too. I think we were both devils, or people possessed by devils.

June 4th sunny

I killed her! I have completed my mission.

I even felt that I came into this world to kill her, and she was meant to be killed by me. We were both deformed, children abandoned by God, and in the end, we would even abandon each other. Abandoned, abandoned. Yes, abandoned. At least I abandoned her head. I never want to see her eyes again, those terrifying eyes from hell.

Besides, the feeling of killing is so exhilarating. I love watching her tongue stretch out, I love the intoxicating sensation of the knife cutting through her body, even the sizzling sound of flesh being roasted is so captivating! And the feeling of holding a long-haired person's head is simply incredibly exhilarating! I'm really afraid I'm going to become obsessed with killing.

"I can't stand this pervert." Su Yang felt a tightness in his chest, almost suffocating him. He walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and the cool evening breeze blew in, clearing his oxygen-deprived mind, which was still sharp from tension and nausea. Zhao Lirui silently went to the bathroom, wrung out a towel, and handed it to him.

Su Yang gratefully accepted it, wiped the sweat from his face, and sighed, "How can the difference between people be so great? It's even greater than the difference between humans and animals."

“So it is said that the human heart is more treacherous than mountains and rivers, and harder to know than the heavens.” Zhao Lirui sighed. “So when you meet someone who makes you feel at ease and secure, you should cherish them, because that is a gift from God.”

Su Yang understood the implication in her words, but he could only pretend not to, and wearily waved his hand, "Let's continue reading."

Heavy rain on June 5th

Apartment 602, the Man-Eating Apartment, Chapter Seventeen (5)

I think I must be living in a dream, or the real world is just too terrifying! I woke up this morning to find Zhu Su's head standing upright on the floor beside my bed; it almost scared me to death. She really is a demon; only a demon could continue to haunt people after death! I wanted to chop it up, but I didn't dare. I could only throw it even further away.

I've locked all the doors and windows. I hope she won't show up again.

June 15 sunny

I want to cry, I want to kill myself! Zhu Su's head just won't leave me alone. Every morning it appears on the floor, no matter how far I throw it, how deep I bury it, how much I reinforce the doors and windows, how many nights I stay up, or even use security cameras to monitor it, I can't get rid of it. The next day it always reappears silently on the floor, without leaving any trace. I suspect I've gone mad, otherwise how could I see it every day? But even if I haven't gone mad, I think I'm close. Even if I haven't committed suicide yet, I'm practically dead. No one in this world can bear to live a life of playing hide-and-seek with a human head every day!

June 26 sunny

I completely broke down. I cried to Zhu Su, begging her to stop tormenting me and let me get a good night's sleep. Today, looking in the mirror, I realized I've become unrecognizable as a human. At this rate, I'll die sooner or later.