Geister im Medizinstudium Horror-Akten

Kapitel 5

Narrow Road

When I told my roommates about the possibility of changing classrooms based on the data, they all looked at me with utter disbelief. No wonder, words are no proof; we have to wait for the facts to prove my words are true. After a few days of rest, my thigh was much better, and I no longer had to walk with the gait of someone participating in the Paralympic Games. Training stopped, giving me more time to think about the current issues. The most important thing was: if the fruit flies were telling the truth, then where would Chen Wenwen's baby go?

Completely baffled, I eventually found the vice president of the literary society last year, a seemingly well-behaved but actually quite well-behaved young man, and asked him for the contact information of the evening newspaper editor who had a close relationship with Chen Wenwen. He frankly told me that the editor had left the city in the latter half of last year, before Chen Wenwen's death, and his whereabouts were unknown.

The only usable lead has also run dry. Although I still stubbornly believe that Chen Wenwen's death was suspicious, it seems that suspects have been eliminated one by one—either due to lack of evidence or lack of intent. Only one person remains a strong suspect: the playboy Xu Beijie.

Tian Momo showed particular enthusiasm for my personal life, constantly prying into Fruit Fly's situation through Tangdou, the ever-present gossip spy. Each time he put on a righteous air and reported on the enemy's movements, I could only sit there half-listening to his rambling. But the news Tian Momo brought was always worse than the last: Xu Beijie had gone out with Fruit Fly again; Xu Beijie had bought Fruit Fly a gift; Xu Beijie and Fruit Fly were walking hand-in-hand down the street; Xu Beijie…

"Enough!" After a few days of this, I finally couldn't take it anymore and burst out one evening during his routine report, "All you ever talk about is that damn Xu Beijie, it's driving me crazy! What do I care about the fruit flies? Just stop worrying about it!"

Tian Momo was speechless for a moment, his face turning pale and then red. After a long while, he slowly said, "Brother K, you've changed. You may not realize it yourself, but you have definitely changed. If you don't want to give up, you'd better take action; but if you don't have any intention of doing anything, then you'd better calm yourself down. You really weren't like this before."

After saying that, he got up and left, leaving me alone in the room, sulking and lost in thought. "What?! Go do it, go do it, go do it! Who do I ask? Damn it!" I muttered angrily, starting to pack my bag. I was going to find Fruit Fly and ask him more questions. Maybe Fruit Fly hadn't told me something. Maybe I'd also ask him about my own situation…

No one answered the phone in Fruit Fly's dorm; as usual, her phone went unanswered and then was switched off. I sighed: since I was already out the door, I might as well take a stroll. The streetlights cast a soft glow, and a few flying insects danced around the milky-white lampshades. I walked with a limp, and couples occasionally brushed past me, whispering and laughing. I turned the CD volume up high and walked almost blindfolded.

Suddenly, a chaotic cacophony erupted around me. People spoke in alarm, the cacophony of sounds rising sharply. I opened my eyes to find the entire campus plunged into darkness—a campus-wide power outage. Students studying in the various buildings poured out of their classrooms, the whole school engulfed in a torrent of people. People spoke in all sorts of accents, laughing and shouting, rushing towards their dormitories. I plugged my headphones back in and walked slowly against the flow of people, head down, occasionally being bumped into by some clumsy person rushing towards me.

When I was finally alone, I looked up and realized I had unknowingly returned to the main building. The massive, dark building was shrouded in deathly silence, devoid of any sign of life. I turned off the CD player and slowly walked into the building. I could sense that something unknown still lingered around me, but my heart was like a block of ice, smooth yet heavy. Nothing that would have otherwise terrified me could evoke any emotion in me. Suddenly, I felt that this building wasn't frightening at all, but rather filled with warmth and comfort.

I pushed open the door to 407. Everything inside the classroom was as usual, as cold and gloomy as ever. I sat down at the desk where Chen Wenwen had left her handwriting. I stroked the deep marks on the desk and softly read: "It is easy to go from life to death, but difficult to go from death to life. To live towards death is what I desire; to die because of life is what I grieve for."

The atmosphere in the room shifted abruptly. Gentle air flowed around me, brushing my cheeks, gliding over my skin, as soft as silk, as warm as brocade. I could faintly hear a tender, moving nocturne playing in my ears. It wasn't an illusion; it was a real experience, like…like the words Chen Wenwen had once written, the words she had painstakingly penned when she was still innocent and lovely. My eyes suddenly felt moist; I couldn't explain why, just a feeling of being moved. I casually pushed open the window beside me. Below lay the flowerbed where she had once bled profusely. I felt the cool night breeze, looking at the dark and vast campus: how much courage did it take for a petite girl to take that fatal step, ending her blossoming youth?

A series of light, hurried footsteps interrupted my thoughts. I leaned over the table, listening intently: judging from the footsteps and breathing, there was more than one person. Perhaps a student had forgotten something in the study room and was rushing back to retrieve it…

The footsteps paused briefly before reaching room 407. Then, the door creaked open, and two figures, barely discernible, slipped in silently. I leaned on the table, holding my breath: What a small world…

The people who came in were none other than Xu Beijie and Fruit Fly.

Chapter Four: Mystery

Narrow Road

When I told my roommates about the possibility of changing classrooms based on the data, they all looked at me with utter disbelief. No wonder, words are no proof; we have to wait for the facts to prove my words are true. After a few days of rest, my thigh was much better, and I no longer had to walk with the gait of someone participating in the Paralympic Games. Training stopped, giving me more time to think about the current issues. The most important thing was: if the fruit flies were telling the truth, then where would Chen Wenwen's baby go?

Completely baffled, I eventually found the vice president of the literary society last year, a seemingly well-behaved but actually quite well-behaved young man, and asked him for the contact information of the evening newspaper editor who had a close relationship with Chen Wenwen. He frankly told me that the editor had left the city in the latter half of last year, before Chen Wenwen's death, and his whereabouts were unknown.

The only usable lead has also run dry. Although I still stubbornly believe that Chen Wenwen's death was suspicious, it seems that suspects have been eliminated one by one—either due to lack of evidence or lack of intent. Only one person remains a strong suspect: the playboy Xu Beijie.

Tian Momo showed particular enthusiasm for my personal life, constantly prying into Fruit Fly's situation through Tangdou, the ever-present gossip spy. Each time he put on a righteous air and reported on the enemy's movements, I could only sit there half-listening to his rambling. But the news Tian Momo brought was always worse than the last: Xu Beijie had gone out with Fruit Fly again; Xu Beijie had bought Fruit Fly a gift; Xu Beijie and Fruit Fly were walking hand-in-hand down the street; Xu Beijie…

"Enough!" After a few days of this, I finally couldn't take it anymore and burst out one evening during his routine report, "All you ever talk about is that damn Xu Beijie, it's driving me crazy! What do I care about the fruit flies? Just stop worrying about it!"

Tian Momo was speechless for a moment, his face turning pale and then red. After a long while, he slowly said, "Brother K, you've changed. You may not realize it yourself, but you have definitely changed. If you don't want to give up, you'd better take action; but if you don't have any intention of doing anything, then you'd better calm yourself down. You really weren't like this before."

After saying that, he got up and left, leaving me alone in the room, sulking and lost in thought. "What?! Go do it, go do it, go do it! Who do I ask? Damn it!" I muttered angrily, starting to pack my bag. I was going to find Fruit Fly and ask him more questions. Maybe Fruit Fly hadn't told me something. Maybe I'd also ask him about my own situation…

No one answered the phone in Fruit Fly's dorm; as usual, her phone went unanswered and then was switched off. I sighed: since I was already out the door, I might as well take a stroll. The streetlights cast a soft glow, and a few flying insects danced around the milky-white lampshades. I walked with a limp, and couples occasionally brushed past me, whispering and laughing. I turned the CD volume up high and walked almost blindfolded.

Suddenly, a chaotic cacophony erupted around me. People spoke in alarm, the cacophony of sounds rising sharply. I opened my eyes to find the entire campus plunged into darkness—a campus-wide power outage. Students studying in the various buildings poured out of their classrooms, the whole school engulfed in a torrent of people. People spoke in all sorts of accents, laughing and shouting, rushing towards their dormitories. I plugged my headphones back in and walked slowly against the flow of people, head down, occasionally being bumped into by some clumsy person rushing towards me.

When I was finally alone, I looked up and realized I had unknowingly returned to the main building. The massive, dark building was shrouded in deathly silence, devoid of any sign of life. I turned off the CD player and slowly walked into the building. I could sense that something unknown still lingered around me, but my heart was like a block of ice, smooth yet heavy. Nothing that would have otherwise terrified me could evoke any emotion in me. Suddenly, I felt that this building wasn't frightening at all, but rather filled with warmth and comfort.

I pushed open the door to 407. Everything inside the classroom was as usual, as cold and gloomy as ever. I sat down at the desk where Chen Wenwen had left her handwriting. I stroked the deep marks on the desk and softly read: "It is easy to go from life to death, but difficult to go from death to life. To live towards death is what I desire; to die because of life is what I grieve for."

The atmosphere in the room shifted abruptly. Gentle air flowed around me, brushing my cheeks, gliding over my skin, as soft as silk, as warm as brocade. I could faintly hear a tender, moving nocturne playing in my ears. It wasn't an illusion; it was a real experience, like…like the words Chen Wenwen had once written, the words she had painstakingly penned when she was still innocent and lovely. My eyes suddenly felt moist; I couldn't explain why, just a feeling of being moved. I casually pushed open the window beside me. Below lay the flowerbed where she had once bled profusely. I felt the cool night breeze, looking at the dark and vast campus: how much courage did it take for a petite girl to take that fatal step, ending her blossoming youth?

A series of light, hurried footsteps interrupted my thoughts. I leaned over the table, listening intently: judging from the footsteps and breathing, there was more than one person. Perhaps a student had forgotten something in the study room and was rushing back to retrieve it…

The footsteps paused briefly before reaching room 407. Then, the door creaked open, and two figures, barely discernible, slipped in silently. I leaned on the table, holding my breath: What a small world…

The people who came in were none other than Xu Beijie and Fruit Fly.

Ironstone

I tried to suppress my emotions, breathing as steadily as possible, trying to make out their figures. Xu Beijie circled the front of the classroom, carefully searching the surroundings, then walked along the aisle towards the back. I pressed myself against the wall, burying my head deeply in the desk, watching him silently. He glanced around briefly, then turned and walked back, smiling at Fruit Fly, "Don't worry, there's no one here. The main building is usually empty enough; who would stay here when the power goes out?"

The fruit fly didn't speak, its head lowered, seemingly lost in thought. Xu Beijie walked back to her side, raising his hand to stroke her hair, but she dodged away. He smiled slightly awkwardly and said, "Yingying, we've been together for so long, don't you want our relationship to take things to the next level?"

The fruit fly remained silent. Xu Beijie, however, was already itching to act. He slowly took the fruit fly's hand and said softly, "Yingying, I truly love you. Now and in the future, I want to be with you. Why don't you believe me?"

"Really?" the fruit fly finally spoke. I could hear a mixture of anticipation, uncertainty, and a faint hint of joy in her voice. She paused, then continued, "But, but I feel like I've let down so many people..."

"You mean that martial arts guy? Don't be ridiculous. Although he saved you before, you should know that anyone would risk their life to save someone in that situation, let alone a beautiful girl like you." Xu Beijie said shamelessly, "If I were the one by your side at that time, I would have tried my best to save you from danger, and I would never have let you get hurt in the slightest."

"You?" the fruit fly asked somewhat doubtfully. She paused, then continued, "But I don't think you could react as quickly as him..."

“People are always able to unleash their inner potential in times of crisis. And in the future society, a person's future will not depend on muscle, but on their brains. I am absolutely confident that my abilities are second to none. I will use all my strength to protect you…” Xu Beijie’s hand was already around the fruit fly’s waist. I saw the fruit fly weakly push away a few times, but to no avail. Suddenly, a desperate scream echoed in my ears. I shuddered, because the scream coincided perfectly with a roar of anger in my heart.

Looking at them again, I knew it might just be an illusion, because the two people in front of me were completely unaffected and were almost glued together. "I will love you for all eternity," Xu Beijie said, his voice growing softer as his face drew closer to the fruit fly's, "I swear..."

"Did you make the same vow to Chen Wenwen?" I asked coldly. The effect of those words was like a bolt from the blue; the two men froze. Xu Beijie frantically looked around, "Who is it? Who's playing tricks?" Fruit Fly pushed his arm away, staggered back a few steps, and gasped for breath, his hand on the table.

"I'm not sure if there are ghosts in this room, but I don't have time to play ghost games with you." I stood up from my seat and slowly walked towards them. My mood was now like a still pond, completely devoid of any excitement. "Unfortunately, I've ruined your good time. But before I leave, I have some questions for Guo Yingying. So, Xu Beijie, could you please excuse me for a moment? After I've asked her, I have some questions for you too."

"Ah... Ah K, is that you?" the fruit fly asked tentatively, trembling. I sighed deeply. "It's me. Such a fool, such a muscle-bound, simple-minded martial arts enthusiast, someone who takes what others entrust to him to heart—who else could it be but me?" A bitter taste had crept into my voice. I remembered the first time I met her in this classroom, and a wave of sadness washed over me. "You've completely forgotten about Chen Wenwen, haven't you?"

"Stop using a dead person to intimidate us," Xu Beijie retorted sharply. "She has her life, and we have ours. Similarly, you have no right to interfere in other people's lives."

"Interference? Hmph, what a joke." I had already walked up to them. I stopped, took a deep breath, and slowly said, "Xu Beijie, since you're so eager to speak, I'll grant your request first. I'll ask you, what is your relationship with Chen Wenwen?"

To my surprise, Xu Beijie gave this answer: "Her? She used to be my girlfriend, but we broke up because of personality clashes. I don't know anything after that. What else do you want to know?"

"So, Guo Yingying, what about you?" I turned to the fruit fly and asked it the same question. The fruit fly pressed one hand to its forehead, its brows furrowed in pain, looking as if it were about to collapse.

“Let me answer for her: Of course, we’re classmates, best friends who live in the same dorm. It’s strange, why are you going to such lengths to find out all this? What are you trying to do?” Xu Beijie asked with great authority. “I know you have a lot of grievances against me. You think you can get Guo Yingying without lifting a finger, that I snatched her away from you. But why don’t you think about this: even if you could get her this way, would you cherish her? You don’t know how to appreciate the good things around you, that’s why you lost her. I’m different from you. I know how to love. You and I are on completely different levels!”

"Phew...what a powerful speech." I chuckled dismissively. "Love. What is love? Everyone has their own answer. Chen Wenwen is dead, and no one can guarantee that she didn't sacrifice her life for so-called love. But what did she gain in return for losing her life? There's no need to try to sway me with 'righteousness,' I have no interest in that."

"That's her business. If she thinks it's worth it, then her life is worth sacrificing!" Xu Beijie seemed to have completely entered the role. He continued passionately, "What is love? Love is the greatest emotion in life, the one most worthy of sacrifice! If you don't have the determination to sacrifice yourself, what right do you have to pursue love? I can tell you, in the face of love, you are a loser! You clearly know it exists, but you dare not face it, and the result of your loss is entirely your own fault!"

"Well, well, it's truly a pleasure to hear your words, more valuable than ten years of study," I replied lazily. "What a sublime love, a great love, a love worthy of our admiration! Xu, you could totally put on a new version of 'The Peacock Flies Southeast.' But you can't change others, and I don't want to change you. I have no more questions for you two, so you can continue. Goodbye."

After saying those words, as I slowly walked past Xu Beijie, he suddenly whispered a single word. I didn't hear it clearly, so I turned to him and asked, "What?"

“I mean, LOSER!” Xu Beijie said viciously, simultaneously raising his knee and delivering a hard blow to my left thigh. The pain made my vision blur, and I almost fainted. For the next few dozen seconds, my fists rained down on Xu Beijie until Fruit Fly cried and grabbed my arm: “K, stop! K, it’s one thing to argue with someone, but why resort to violence? Don’t you think that’s shameful?”

“He started it first…” I abruptly stopped speaking, realizing that my body had blocked the fruit fly’s view, and she couldn’t possibly have seen Xu Beijie’s little trick. I gave up all thoughts of defending myself and slowly straightened up: “Yes, I am despicable. I’ve always been like this, have you forgotten? I’m a true villain, not a hypocrite.”

"You..." The fruit fly was speechless. She stood there in front of me, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. I reached out to push her away: "Go on with your lover, I'm outta here. This is 407, a good place for a date, and occasionally a place for lovers to commit suicide."

With a sharp "smack," I rubbed my stinging left cheek and nodded slightly: it had been so long since I'd felt this way... The fruit fly, after slapping me, stood there stunned for a moment, then burst into tears. I ignored her and strode out the door. As I left that classroom that had saddened so many, I faintly heard a long, sorrowful sigh, but I couldn't discern where it came from.

perseverance

For me, losing all of this simply means returning to my old life. My leg is almost fully recovered, and I'm spending more of my time on the training field every day; the statistics are still on 407, and I've started to pretend I don't see the contempt in Ergui's eyes; I walk aimlessly through the streets and alleys of the school with my headphones on, listening to CD after CD and smoking one cigarette after another; I'm more silent than before in my dorm room, and no one knows how to comfort me—in fact, I don't need their comfort.

At night, I would sit in room 407 more often, sometimes without even playing music, just sitting there blankly. I longed to hear something, to feel something, even those sounds that used to send chills down my spine, that oppressive airflow. But nothing happened, nothing at all. This isn't over yet. I'm still so far from the truth, yet I've lost every opportunity to try, even the happiness I might have had. Chen Wenwen, don't you want your grievances to be redressed?

Chen Wenwen didn't answer me, so I don't know.

One midnight, I came out of the main building, intending to go back to my dorm to sleep. As I crossed the intersection in front of the building, I caught a glimpse of a hurried figure out of the corner of my eye. I didn't pay any attention to it, and as usual, I plugged in my headphones, turned the volume up high, and then walked towards my dorm along the hard concrete road to the rhythm of Megadeth's music.

"Let me introduce myself I'm a social disease

I've come for your wealth leave you on your

No time for feeling sorry, I got here on my own

I won't ask for mercy, I choose to walk alone..."

I sensed someone following me subtly from behind; the flickering shadows on the ground indicated there was more than one. I chuckled softly and lowered my voice slightly.

"What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine too

If you shake my hand better count your fingers…”

Ahead was a corner, the only way back to my dorm. Dense trees shaded the ground at the corner, creating a dark area from which the faint moonlight couldn't penetrate. "This would be a good place to commit a heinous act," I thought, clenching my fist slightly.

“What if I do get caught? what if there is no judgment?

If I'm right I lose nothing, if you're right I lose it all

I ought to get caught because I'm doing something wicked

I'm guilty haunted by my fear and the only consequences

Are dread and the fugitive mind! "

Things unfolded faster than I expected. The instant my foot stepped into the shade, a sharp gust of wind swept towards my back. I lunged forward, my left foot bracing the ground, my upper body straight, my hands naturally defending, and my right leg, propelled by a half-rotation of my waist, swung backward. I felt my heel strike something soft, and someone groaned, flying in the direction my leg had traveled. A not-so-graceful backspin, I thought.

“You built walls to protect you so no one will infect you

Pursued by those out there that vanish in thin air

Come a long way to find what you really left behind

You don't know when the end is but it's coming fast..."

There were more of them than I expected. I regulated my breathing smoothly, kicking left and right as I did on the practice field, my legs flying continuously in the air. Their faces were completely hidden by their baseball caps pulled low, so I couldn't see their eyes and therefore couldn't judge the direction of their hits. Even so, I still managed to kick down two people and punch another one, splitting his nose open. Just as I was about to dislocate his shoulder joint, I suddenly felt a hard blow to my old thigh injury, followed by a broad, burning pain that spread through me, and my legs gave way, causing me to collapse to the ground.

Despicable! Using weapons! That's against the rules… I covered my head with my hands, elbows between my ribs, and twisted my legs into a scissor shape to protect my groin, trying to curl my body up so that their blows would land more on my back and the outside of my thighs. The weapons used to whip me were clearly sticks; the blows hurt, but they didn't seem fatal. I suddenly felt ridiculous: I'd been running around investigating a female ghost, only to find out that my biggest threat came from people like me… I'm such a fool, so damn ridiculous.

The men I had knocked down earlier beat me particularly badly, kicking me relentlessly and even trying to break my ribs, but I managed to roll away each time. Suddenly, their beating stopped. I barely opened my eyes and saw a person wearing a face-covering woolen hat staring at me with great interest. After a while, he came over, bent down, and picked up my backpack that I had dropped on the ground.

My CD player, which had been with me for four years, underwent a normal freefall, falling about two meters into the air and shattering into pieces right in front of me. The man stepped on the wreckage, twisting it a few times with a creaking sound. Then, I watched as my cherished CDs in my case were broken into pieces, reduced to a pile of worthless plastic junk. A gurgling sound rose in my throat, and my limbs flailed weakly as I desperately tried to crawl over and stop him, but I couldn't resist the dirty feet pressing down on my back.

After destroying the last remaining treasure in my life, that man stepped forward and stomped his foot hard on my head. I vaguely saw malice and mockery in his eyes. I thought, even the eyes of a wild beast wouldn't reveal such viciousness. So I quietly opened my mouth wide, suddenly raised my head, and bit down on his calf, refusing to let go no matter how desperately he screamed. The salty liquid flowed over my tongue, mixing with my uncontrollable saliva and spilling onto the ground. I had completely lost my mind, my teeth sinking deeper and deeper into his muscles. The taste of blood brought me a strange pleasure, and in a daze, I seemed to see Chen Wenwen's blood splattered everywhere again, and her deathly pale face...

Then, I felt a heavy blow to the head. In a daze, I seemed to reluctantly release my mouth, and then, I knew nothing more…

"It was Teacher Li from the Youth League Committee who brought you here." The eldest brother sat in the district hospital ward, looking worriedly at my head wrapped in bandages. "I really don't know what kind of trouble you've gotten yourself into. Being beaten like this is the least you can hope for. You should be grateful. Luckily, Teacher Li happened to pass by, otherwise you might have been beaten to death. Were you beaten by Chen Wenwen? Really..."

“Ghosts take lives directly, how could they be hit so inadequately?” Blind Liu chimed in. I looked down at my body; almost all exposed skin was covered in bruises. I had already moved around, and it seemed no bones were broken, except for a minor fracture in my left little finger—nothing serious. My sideburns were badly cut, but the doctor was lenient during the cleaning, only trimming some soft hairs; most of my hair was still intact.

"It's okay, I can take it." I turned my neck, and it hurt terribly, like I'd twisted a muscle. I gently patted the bandage on my head; my mind was still a little foggy. Just as I was about to jump off the bed, Ding Pao grabbed me and pressed me down: "You better behave yourself. You've been unconscious for five or six hours, and you want to go out and have fun again? Teacher Li will be coming to see you in a bit and ask about the details."

I thought for a moment, then obediently lay back down on the bed, closed my eyes, and soon began to snore. Only after my classmates had quietly left the room did I open my eyes, bite my lower lip tightly, and quickly tasted the sweetness of blood again:

I used to always put others first, but now I'll do it for myself. I swear I won't let anyone who dared to hurt me get away with it.

confrontation

"Have you gotten into trouble with people from the streets recently?" "No." "Have you had a conflict with your classmates?" "No." "Have you run into problems in the martial arts club?" "No."

“That’s strange.” Li Zhengliang sat beside the hospital bed, scratching his chin thoughtfully. After thinking carefully, he asked, “Have you had a falling out with someone you know—uh, someone else?”

"Yes," I replied, "Xu Beijie, formerly from the student council office."

“This is even stranger…” Teacher Li propped her forehead with one hand and scratched the back of her head twice. “Xu Beijie has already gone out for his internship. He’s not at school right now…”

I fell silent. Teacher Li was a relatively simple person among adults, only wanting the best for others. He couldn't possibly have imagined the extent of deceit and cruelty some students had reached. I think Xu Beijie had the time and motive to commit the crime.

"Did you hear them talking?" "No." "Do they have any distinctive features?" "I couldn't see their faces, no." "Did you cause them any harm?" "I broke one person's nose, but that's about it."

Mr. Li scratched the back of his head with both hands: "This is really difficult...it's practically a clueless situation." He scratched for a while before finally putting his hands down: "This incident has a very bad impact on the school—even members of the martial arts club were beaten up like this at school, so other students feel even more unsafe. The school has assigned me to handle this matter, and I was thinking of having the police come and question you. You wouldn't mind, would you?"