Immortality of the dead

Chapter 18

“There’s something you don’t know, and I’ll tell you, but you must never reveal it, or it will have serious consequences.”

He Xi nodded.

It wasn't that I was blinded by He Xi that I revealed such a crucial matter as the Virus Knight. I know He Xi is a woman of few words, and she would never keep a promise she made. If I didn't tell her, I would seem heartless. At the very least, it would leave her with a bad impression, which is something I don't want.

“Because this city is under such a threat, if the investigation into your brother does not involve this possibility, I can promise you that I will not disclose it to the police for the time being and can investigate privately. Once it is found that your brother is involved, I will never risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. I must immediately inform the police and let them conduct a full investigation.”

He Xi's face turned pale. She said, "I hope this isn't true. That would be too terrible. If someone were to use the Fan virus as a biological weapon and release it on a large scale in the city, oh my god. My brother would never do such a thing."

“I’m not saying that Fan Zhe will be involved in this matter. For example, what if he discovered the Virus Knight’s experiment and was thus poisoned by the Virus Knight? Since that person claims to be like that, maybe he has other terrible viruses besides the Fan’s virus.”

“But the hole in my brother’s glove must have been made by someone inside. So this virus knight has a deep connection with some people in Heller International.”

I shook my head: "This is just speculation. After all, it's more likely that Virus Knight is just someone's prank, or that his meaning is completely different from what we think, and has nothing to do with Xin Jingyuan. Let's wait for concrete clues before making any decisions. Are you planning to come with me tomorrow morning?"

He Xi frowned: "It might not work. My father will come to Xinjingyuan for an inspection tomorrow morning, and then he will fly back to Switzerland at noon. I will have to accompany him the whole time."

"Oh dear," I exclaimed, "This is terrible. These past two days have taken up all my energy. I should have interviewed your father. His Heller International extended a helping hand to the Xinjingyuan incident, and he himself is the discoverer of Fan syndrome and has long led Fan syndrome research. If I, as a special correspondent, hadn't been able to interview him, I would have been truly unqualified."

I slapped my forehead repeatedly, filled with regret. My job is to be a reporter, and making such a mistake is unforgivable; my attention had been completely drawn to other things.

“Wang Runfa’s matter shouldn’t take more than a morning. I’ll come over as soon as I finish. Could you arrange a short interview for me?” I said to He Xi. I could only rely on her.

"How about this? My father will be having lunch at Pudong Airport tomorrow at noon. Why don't you come and have lunch with him? We can chat while we eat. He's also on KLM's 12:20 flight. We'll have lunch around 11:00, and check-in will be done before then, so we'll have about half an hour to forty minutes. Is that alright?"

"Okay," I readily agreed. Although Pudong Airport is quite far, consider it a small punishment for my negligence. If I had remembered earlier, I could have arranged the interview yesterday.

"I'll call your cell phone when we get there, uh." I suddenly remembered that He Xi didn't have a cell phone.

"I'll call you when it's time," He Xi said.

I nodded.

As I walked out of the Ruijin Hotel, I realized that I hadn't mentioned the pregnancy to He Xi at all.

Was it a subconscious avoidance, a fear of causing embarrassment for both of us?

I think He Xi definitely doesn't want this child and will get rid of it as soon as she returns to Switzerland. In that case, why should I bother to expose this secret?

So... of course it never happened...

I stood there for a long time in the cold night, until the high beams of the cars next to me kept flashing, before I reluctantly got into the taxi that had been waiting for me.

Van Heller Agreement

The walls weren't the usual white, but a pale blue. It's a color that can calm the mind, yet there are also some strange, irregular curves faintly drawn on them, like the undulating waves of the sea. Staring at them for a while can make you unconsciously sink into a blue ocean. Rather than saying it helps to relax the mind, it's more accurate to say it has a slightly hallucinatory effect, which is the owner's true intention.

I was the only one in the corridor. Sitting on a wooden bench, I stared at the thick wooden door in front of me. Wang Runfa had been inside for almost an hour. How much longer did I have to wait?

This is the second floor of a modern Shikumen building near Yan'an Road in Shanghai. Within Shanghai's relatively small professional hypnotherapist circle, this place, called "Ou Mingde Psychological Clinic," is extremely famous. Generally speaking, hypnosis is not effective for everyone. There are those with a so-called "hypnotic constitution" who are easily hypnotized, and many others who are "hypnotically immune," leaving most hypnotists helpless. Usually, the success of a hypnosis session is closely related to the subject's mental state, including immutable factors such as personality and beliefs, as well as their emotions during hypnosis, and their level of trust and cooperation with the hypnotist.

What makes Ou Mingde so remarkable is that he can break through most "hypnotic resistance" and successfully hypnotize more than 90% of people. Even if the person being hypnotized is psychologically resistant or doubtful, he has a method to gradually dismantle their resistance. Of course, this greatly reduces the success rate, but in the eyes of other hypnotists, this is simply incredible.

However, Ou Mingde's first attempt at hypnosis on me ended in failure. I still remember his ashen face afterward, as if he were possessed by a water ghost. That time, while exploring an ancient tomb from the Three Kingdoms period, I was teetering on the brink of death due to the eerie symbols carved in the tomb passage. Through an introduction, I sought his help, but he returned empty-handed, which led to my subsequent trip to Nepal. This shows that his hypnosis skills are nothing compared to those of extraordinary individuals in the underworld.

This time, hypnotizing Wang Runfa is more than enough for him, and I don't want to ask Lu Yun for help with everything. It would be a waste to have this contemporary successor of an ancient Chinese illusionary art help this foolish guy like Wang Runfa learn a lesson. To me, she's a highly respected figure; it's best not to ask her if possible, lest she shirk responsibility when something serious happens. Although Lu Yun and I have a good relationship, and she never refuses a request, this woman who tests my resolve every time we meet is ten times more unpredictable than He Xi. So, ordinary people should maintain their self-awareness.

The door finally opened. Wang Runfa came out first, followed by Ou Mingde's shiny bald head.

"How is it?" I asked anxiously.

"Oh dear, I was a bit dazed. Dr. Ou said I'm not a suitable person for hypnosis, and this hypnosis session wasn't very successful, so I still couldn't recall the specific circumstances," Wang Runfa said loudly, shaking his head.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ou Mingde nod very slightly.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry to have kept you from your morning work. I wanted to help the police, but it seems I couldn't." I said regretfully to Wang Runfa.

"Oh, no, no, I mistook you for someone else. I'm so sorry you had to spend most of the day at the police station." Wang Runfa waved his hands repeatedly.

Wang Runfa is a straightforward person. As soon as I mentioned that I wanted to find a hypnotist to help him recall his mistakes, he agreed. He even refused to accept the two hundred yuan I offered him as compensation for lost work time. He wanted to make up for his mistake in this way.

"Old Wang, Dr. Ou and I haven't seen each other in a long time. I'd like to sit here for a while. Why don't you go back to the hospital yourself?"

"Okay, okay. You two can continue chatting, I'll be going now."

I watched Wang Runfa go downstairs and saw him turn out of the narrow passage of Longtang through the window before turning around and gesturing to Ou Mingde.

"Let's go inside and talk," he said.

I sat on the soft, comfortable sofa. Most people would have relaxed in the hallway, and sitting on such a sofa, I'm afraid that with a little guidance from Ou Mingde, I could easily drift into a drowsy, dreamy state.

"Your hypnosis was successful?"

"Of course, but at your request, I gave Wang Runfa's subconscious a final instruction that the hypnosis had failed, which is why he said that after regaining consciousness."

This was because of He Xi's relationship with Ou Mingde, which was why he specifically asked Ou Mingde to do so beforehand. If Wang Runfa didn't think this way, any discovery would be quickly made known to the police investigating the case.

Ou Mingde returned a printed photograph to me.

"How is it?" I asked as soon as I took it.

"He confirmed it's the man on the far right in the photo!"

"Are you sure you won't mistake someone else for someone else again?"

“In a deep hypnotic state, Wang Runfa fully recalled the situation at the time, and the probability of misidentification was very small. It’s like seeing a person one moment and then being asked to identify a photo the next.”

This was the answer I expected. I had been preparing for it for a long time, but I still couldn't face it with complete composure.

Why did Wang Runfa mistake me for someone else? Why did I feel a sense of déjà vu for Fan Zhe, whom I had never met before? Why did He Xi, who seemed so troubled and unapproachable, treat me so differently from everyone else? We chatted and laughed in the bar, and eventually went to a hotel. These questions finally have a definitive answer.

That's because my profile looks very similar to Fan Zhe's!

Wang Runfa saw my profile and mistook me for Fan Zhe. When I was pinned to the ground with one cheek pressed against it, he ran over to confirm, but he could only see half of my face. When he saw my face later, because of his preconceived notion, he didn't doubt his earlier judgment.

When I first saw Fan Zhe's photo, he looked familiar. I racked my brains trying to remember if I had seen him before when he took office. If I had looked in the mirror back then, I might have suddenly realized who he was.

My charm couldn't possibly have attracted He Xi, who was heartbroken because her lover was teetering on the brink of death. He was even kinder to me than Rembrandt, simply because I resembled Fan Zhe. Perhaps she herself didn't realize this, but when she looked at me, Fan Zhe's image must have subtly appeared in her mind. On that first night, she must have mistaken me for Fan Zhe for him, which led to that incident. I can't help but think that in my dazed moments, during our lovemaking, she must have been calling out Fan Zhe's name...

Indeed, I once wondered why He Xi treated me this way. Was she genuinely interested in me, or did she have ulterior motives?

Okay, now there's no need for that ridiculous suspicion anymore. The smile on her lips, the gentle look in her eyes, it's all because of another man.

I've decided not to mention the secret I discovered at Ruijin Hospital to He Xi again. Let He Xi deal with that life that shouldn't have existed.

I sat blankly on the sofa, my mind racing. I wanted to sever all ties with him, but I found myself holding a blunt sword. I tried to fight back, but only ended up hurting myself more.

Just as I was annoyed at myself for being so clingy, Ou Mingde handed me a piece of paper.

I took it and saw that there were three numbers written on it.

"836"

“If you’re not prepared to accept my counseling, then keep your worries to yourself at home. I’ll finish telling you about Wang Runfa.” Ou Mingde is a psychologist, so of course he could see that something was wrong with me.

“Oh, excuse me, go ahead.” I forced a smile at him. “Hmm, so Wang Runfa made another discovery?” “That day, Wang Runfa and that man walked quite a distance, only separating when they were almost out of the hospital gate. So Wang Runfa even saw him get into a taxi waiting at the hospital entrance. I guided Wang Runfa, who was under hypnosis, to focus on that taxi, and he remembered that it was a Volkswagen taxi, and the last three digits of the license plate were 836. I think this might be useful to you; you can use this to find out where the person in the photo went afterward.”

I did not explain the background to Ou Mingde; this was something he did for me after observing my expression.

"Thank you." I expressed my gratitude, though I didn't really think it mattered. Fan Zhe's flight was at noon that day, so he naturally took a taxi back to the hotel to get his luggage before heading to the airport.

Leaving Ou Mingde's clinic, I turned out of Longtang and walked along Yan'an Road. A cold front had hit Shanghai today; the temperature was much lower than yesterday, and the wind was strong, its rays slightly biting into my skin. This was exactly what I needed.

"Hey, reporter, aren't you having dinner with Dr. Ou?" A loud voice broke my confusion.

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wang Runfa. He was standing under a bus stop, looking at me in surprise.

"Ah... something came up at noon, so I had to reschedule with Dr. Ou. Haven't you gotten your car yet?"

"That's right, we've been waiting for twenty minutes already," Wang Runfa complained. Waiting for a car for twenty minutes in this kind of weather is quite unbearable.

"Oh, I'll give you a ride back to the hospital since it's on my way." I waved for a taxi to stop. I had no choice but to let him go first, but now that we'd run into each other, I couldn't very well not take him home.

"Thank you then." Wang Runfa didn't stand on ceremony with me and got into the car with me.

Ruijin Hospital wasn't far; including waiting at the red light, it was only about twenty minutes. After Wang Runfa thanked me and got out of the car, I asked the driver to take me to Pudong International Airport.

"Oh, to the airport? Could you wait a little while I go to fill up the gas tank?"

"Never mind then." I gave him the fare.

"Hey, wait a minute, I won't overcharge you," the driver said anxiously, this was a big business deal.

But I was in a bad mood and unhappy, and he kept dawdling, so I opened the door and got out of the car.

There were several cars lined up in front of Ruijin Hospital; there were plenty of options.

I walked to the first taxi in line, and just as I was about to open the door and get in, my eyes swept over the car behind me, and I froze.

Back then, there were two large taxis.

"It can't be such a coincidence," I thought to myself, but the last three digits of the car's license plate were indeed "836." I took out a piece of paper with the numbers written on it, checked it against the plate, and then walked towards the car.

"Hello, where to?" The driver turned his head and nodded to me.

"Airport, Pudong Airport."

He whistled briefly, started the car—this was a big order, after all. As he drove past the car parked ahead, he deliberately rolled down his window and smiled.

Is this a protest? The cutthroat competition is everywhere.

"Old Wang, Dr. Ou and I haven't seen each other in a long time. I'd like to sit here for a while. Why don't you go back to the hospital yourself?"

"Okay, okay. You two can continue chatting, I'll be going now."

I watched Wang Runfa go downstairs and saw him turn out of the narrow passage of Longtang through the window before turning around and gesturing to Ou Mingde.

"Let's go inside and talk," he said.

I sat on the soft, comfortable sofa. Most people, after relaxing in the corridor and sitting on such a sofa, would probably drift into a drowsy, dreamlike state with just a little guidance from Ou Mingde.

"You successfully hypnotized him?"

"Of course. However, at your request, I gave Wang Runfa's subconscious a final instruction that the hypnosis had failed, which is why he said that after regaining consciousness."

This was because of He Xi's relationship with Ou Ming, and because if Wang Runfa didn't think this way, any discovery would quickly be known to the police investigating the case.

Ou Mingde returned a printed photograph to me.

"How is it?" I asked, taking it from her.

"He confirmed it's the man on the far right in the photo!"

"Are you sure you won't mistake someone else for someone else again?"

“In a deep hypnotic state, Wang Runfa fully recalled the situation at the time, and the probability of misidentification was very small. It’s like seeing a person one moment and then being asked to identify a photo the next.”

This was the answer I expected. I had been preparing for it for a long time, but I still couldn't face it with complete composure.