The Secrets of Heaven, Season 4

Chapter 4

Elena had given up struggling and instead felt a faint sense of sympathy for Henry on the television screen.

“I know what questions you’re going to ask next,” the Frenchman said, wiping away tears from his face, his eyes red. “I’m a recently unemployed stage actor, spending my nights destitute in Parisian bars. A month ago, a mysterious man in black came to me, took me to the airport, shoved me into a private jet, and flew to America in a few hours. The man in black took me to a deserted island, and in a palatial villa, I met that person—but I immediately fainted. When I woke up, I found myself lying in a secret room, my hands and feet tightly bound with leather straps. I was so scared I almost wet myself, and I screamed for help, but it was no use. There was an old television set in the room, and a masked man appeared on the screen. He told me that I had an opportunity to completely change my life. My choice was very simple: either receive a million-dollar check and become a world-famous figure, or spend the rest of my life wandering the streets of Paris!”

Now Elena finally understood—it was the same locked room, the same bondage, the same television set—Henry was simply using the same methods others used against him, disguised and applied to himself!

She cursed Henry dozens of times in her heart, but the picture on the TV suddenly stopped, and Henry stood there motionless, his grimacing expression disgusting her.

What's going on? Is there something wrong with the TV? Elena stretched out her finger again and randomly pressed a button on the remote control.

In an instant, the television set emitted a terrifying sound, followed by a sudden explosion!

Debris from the picture tube and its plastic casing flew in all directions, the lights in the sealed room went out in an instant, and the whole world sank into boundless darkness.

Elena's heart nearly exploded, and she screamed in terror...

Hell is right beneath your feet.

His name is X.

He was dressed entirely in black, including black pants, black sneakers, a black shirt, and a scarf. He even wore a black hat and large black sunglasses again. Combined with his naturally black hair and eyes, only his skin was a near-bronze color.

He walked through a dark corridor, illuminated only by a dim, yellowish light from the end. He was dragging a heavy object, its weight even exceeding his own. But his physical strength and arm strength were astonishing; his hands were tightly gripping a stiff neck—not his own, of course, but that of another poor man.

Yes, he was moving a corpse.

X's movements were still very difficult, after all, it weighed more than 70 kilograms, and now it was really "deadly heavy". He could only hold the dead man's neck tightly, letting the corpse's legs drag below, rubbing against the dusty ground.

The body still retained a trace of warmth, but all the joints were stiff. X felt like he was carrying a heavy log, and every step required even more effort.

Finally, he arrived at the iron gate.

A few slivers of white light peeked through the crack in the door, along with a layer of white mist. X's powerful shoulder slammed open the iron door, and he dragged the corpse inside.

It was a large, white room. The moment he entered, he felt a chill; white light shone down from above, making it feel like Siberia. The room contained many metal cabinets. He casually pulled one open, revealing a rotting corpse inside.

Friends, please don't be afraid. This is just a hospital morgue; there are no ghosts here.

X pulled out a white mask and covered his mouth and half his face. He opened the other metal drawers—these were containers for storing corpses, each filled with a body, some with peaceful faces but already decomposed; some were simply bones; some were mangled and bloody, presumably killed by severe external injuries.

The hospital had been without power for a year, and only a few days ago were electricity and air conditioning restored, turning it back into a cold, peaceful world. It's fortunate that these bodies were preserved to this extent.

He calmly observed the people in these cabinets; only in this room could everyone be equal. There were no big bosses, no civil servants, no laborers, and no homeless people—all reduced to cold, lifeless shells, awaiting their return to dust, for we all came from dust.

X had seen many dead people in his life. He continued to pull open the cabinets in the morgue and finally found that the last compartment was empty.

He looked back at the corpse that had been dragged in, as if the empty metal drawer was a grave prepared for the poor fellow.

"goodbye!"

He silently murmured something to himself, then dragged the heavy corpse over, finally managing to stuff it all into the cabinet. Although in this cold world, X's back was already covered in sweat. No longer caring about the pungent stench of the corpse, he took off his mask and gasped for breath, taking one last look at the corpse's face—a typical French face, an Alpine type of Caucasian, with large patches of bloodstains on one side of the face, wide-open eyes, and a high nose that seemed broken—it had likely hit something protruding while being dragged headfirst on the ground.

You guessed it, the deceased's name was Henry Pepin.

Fifty minutes ago, this poor Frenchman fell from the roof of the hospital and died instantly from a comminuted skull fracture.

Fifteen minutes earlier, X arrived at the hospital exhausted and found Henry's body downstairs. He quickly dragged the body into the building and grabbed a mop and rags to wipe the bloodstains off the concrete floor. After confirming that no trace of the deceased would remain, he dragged Henry to the end of the corridor and, with great effort, finally reached the morgue.

X paused for a few seconds, then closed the deceased's terrified eyes and shoved the large drawer back into the metal cabinet—farewell.

He looked up at the ceiling of the morgue and thought that if one day he could lie here instead of in a stinking ditch, a bush, a construction site, or even be left with no trace of his remains, it would be the luckiest thing in his life.

So he pinched his nose, patted the metal cabinet, and said to Henry, who was buried in the drawer, "You're lucky!"

He suddenly heard a rustling sound, held his breath and walked over. In a corner at the other end of the morgue, there was a shadowy figure moving about.

There are no people who come back to life, and no ghosts that never leave the world—X firmly believed this. He had just rushed to the corner when, sure enough, a dark figure darted out and sped past, brushing against his trouser leg.

Turning around, he realized it was just a large black cat. He pounced on it and stomped his foot, and the black cat slipped through the cracks in the morgue and disappeared into the dark corridor.

He didn't rush out of the morgue, but stopped at the door, the shadow of the big cat still looming before him—was it his prey, or was he its prey?

But an hour earlier, X, who was used to being the hunter, actually became the prey, and this time the hunter was Ye Xiao.

Although it wasn't the first time X had faced Ye Xiao face-to-face, under the scorching sun outside the police station, looking into his angry and cold eyes, and seeing the murderous aura emanating from his body, X, who thought himself fearless, still felt a sudden fear welling up in his heart.

He realized he could be afraid—and that was what truly terrified him. He closed his eyes and leaned against the morgue wall, the cold air enveloping him from all sides like a cocoon around a pupa. He noticed his body temperature gradually dropping, his breathing becoming increasingly difficult, and his heartbeat slowly slowing until it could barely beat anymore.

Just like the pistol Ye Xiao pressed against his forehead.

X = Man in Black

Except for his skin, his entire body was black, even his files were completely black—because he had never had a file, no real identity or passport, and had never been registered with any government. He was like a wisp of air, a ghost, a sigh; all that remained of him was a symbol: X.

Of course, those who see him will naturally think of another description: the man in black.

Neither X nor the man in black had ever failed before, nor had they ever been so humiliated, having a gun pointed at their heads. Although his expression and eyes remained unchanged, as if he were still the ruthless hunter, merely playing a trick on his prey, X was actually utterly devastated. Every hair on his body stood on end, and his heart felt as if it had shattered in two!

X was defeated by Ye Xiao's furious will, knocked down by the energy contained within him, and destroyed by the strength in his eyes—this was a terrifying man, impossible to contend with or face. The initial contempt was all an illusion. Never anger this man, for who knows what impossible task he might accomplish?

In the end, X can only rely on a twenty-year-old girl to save him, which will be the greatest shame of his life.

He crouched on the ground in agony, the cold air accumulating there. Just as he felt he was about to freeze into a black ice sculpture, he heard a crisp explosion.

"Bang--"

Like a vase suddenly shattered, or a balloon bursting, the needles pierced X's eardrums like golden needles. He seemed to be recharged, standing up and opening the morgue door.

The dark corridor remained silent, yet a faint smell of burning could be heard...

A sleeping city, in broad daylight.

Please allow me to turn back time and take us back to the Nanming City Police Department.

When Ye Xiao looked up from his reverie, he discovered that the twig had quietly evaporated.

His mind went completely blank for a moment. He instinctively circled the ground floor of the police station, then shouted blankly, "Where are you?"

His own echo reverberated through the empty police station, and he realized that Xiaozhi had run away again.

But this time he was truly enraged. He would never forgive her again, never be seduced by Lolita's eyes again, never be bewitched by Ouyang Xiaozhi's ghost, and never get caught up in Alute Xiaozhi's past.

Every strand of his hair stood on end. Ye Xiao ran out of the police station, and before him was still that quiet street, with the faint scent of twigs lingering in the air.

Should we go left? Or right?

This was a problem, but time wasn't on his side. Ye Xiao looked up at the sky; the sun was still hidden behind the clouds. A cool breeze blew gently from his left, caressing his chapped lips before trickling down his throat.

In an instant, he made his decision, trusting his intuition—to go left.

Ye Xiaofei ran to the left like a whirlwind, the pistol at his waist pressing hard against his stomach. He endured the pain and ran forward, the wind blowing against his face ruffling his hair, like the shadow of a twig.

He ran for several hundred meters before finally stopping to catch his breath, only to find himself standing at a crossroads, completely disoriented. The four roads looked so similar, and he couldn't even tell where the police station was. He looked around blankly, and despair gradually took hold of his heart.

Suddenly, he caught a whiff of something. Without a second to think, he immediately ran in that direction. Sure enough, after crossing two intersections, he spotted a figure in the distance.

Ye Xiao quickly ran up to close the distance and determined that it was Xiao Zhi. He then shouted, "Stop!"

Xiaozhi turned around and saw him, but instead quickened her pace and turned into a side road. This fueled Ye Xiao's anger even more. He rushed to the side road, only to find that it led to the stadium. The huge stands, several meters high, cast a shadow over his head. The girl's figure flashed and rushed into the gate beneath the stadium stands.

This was his second time here. The last time, he was also chasing after Xiaozhi, but he ended up losing Tu Nan instead—and lost his life that very night.

Although he felt a slight fear towards the stadium, Ye Xiao still rushed in without hesitation. Before him was another lush green football field, the overgrown grass resembling weeds in a field, the rusty goalposts gradually being swallowed up. Turning back, he saw the magnificent stands, filled with 30,000 orange seats, the sturdy roof streamlined, but empty and desolate like a tomb.

Xiaozhi—stood right in the center of the stadium.

The prairie-like green grass covered her waist, making her feel as if she were walking in a green ocean. The empty stadium stands around her turned the place into a huge stage, where more than 30,000 ghosts watched her performance.

Her face was cold and pale, showing no fear of Ye Xiao whatsoever. Instead, she defiantly raised her chin, revealing a seductive gaze, as if to say, "Come here!"

This expression further enraged Ye Xiao, who immediately rushed onto the field. However, the tall, tangled weeds and the muddy ground beneath his feet greatly slowed him down. He could only struggle to push aside the grass in front of him, almost falling into the weeds. But when he looked up, he saw Xiao Zhi's contemptuous smile.

Damn it!

He charged even more fiercely, rushing towards Xiaozhi without regard for anything else. Just as he was about to touch her, a ferocious bark rang in his ears, almost shattering his eardrums.

The "gods" have arrived!

This huge, ferocious wolfhound sprang out of the bushes like a ghost, its two front paws striking Ye Xiao's chest hard, instantly knocking him to the ground.

It turned out that the "god" had been waiting for its master here all along. It had been lying at the foot of the small branch, but it was hidden by the wild grass and could not be seen. It only attacked suddenly when Ye Xiao got close.

Ye Xiao was completely unprepared, not even having time to draw his gun from his waist. He could only fall flat on his back, trampled to the ground by the ferocious creature. He had undergone brutal combat training before and could subdue any agile criminal, but he had never tried fighting an animal. Therefore, he was completely at a disadvantage in front of the "god," struggling to get up no matter how hard he tried, while also having to protect his face and neck—if his neck were bitten off by the sharp canine teeth, he would die quickly within seconds.

But how can human skin withstand a dog's claws? Ye Xiao's elbows were covered in blood, but he couldn't feel any pain at the moment. Only the hot breath from the wolfhound's mouth, carrying a fishy smell, sprayed directly onto his face.

Just as it opened its mouth to bite Ye Xiao's arm, Xiao Zhi shouted from behind, "God, stop! Don't hurt him!"

The wolfhound seemed to understand human speech, and its teeth suddenly retracted. Ye Xiao's arm thus escaped a terrible fate; otherwise, it would have suffered at least a comminuted fracture under the "god's" steel teeth.

But he was still pinned to the ground by the wolfhound, his hands forced to protect his face and neck, leaving him no way to fight back. After a few minutes of this desperate struggle, Ye Xiao suddenly rolled in the grass, finally breaking free from the "god's" oppression.

He immediately pulled out a pistol from his waist, disengaged the safety, pointed it at the sky, and pulled the trigger—bang!

Gunshots.

The sound echoed for half a minute in the empty stadium.

The wolfhound didn't rush at him, so Ye Xiao jumped up from the ground, ignoring the blood dripping from his elbow, and pointed his gun at "God".

In the war between humans and dogs, the scales have finally tipped in favor of humans.

A gentle breeze swept across the field, and the wolfhound stood majestically in the grass, only its eyes and ears peeking out from the tips of the grass, coldly watching him like a ghost.

Is it waiting for a human bullet?

Ye Xiao was only two meters away from "God," the dark muzzle of his gun pointed directly at its head. Only then did he feel the sharp pain in his elbow and watch his blood drip onto the grass.

But he couldn't bring himself to hate the wolfhound. His finger trembled for a long time as he pulled the trigger, but he couldn't fire that bullet that would solve everything.

Finally, he sighed softly and said, "I won't kill you. You can leave now."

The wolfhound understood perfectly. It made a soft sound, then circled around in place, wagged its tail gently, and disappeared into the depths of the green grass.

Although he forced the wolf to retreat, Ye Xiao also paid a heavy price. He put the pistol back in his waistband, grabbed his injured arm, and groaned in pain in the center of the court.

Suddenly, he sensed something was wrong—he was the only one left in the huge football field.

The twig disappeared once again.

He looked around blankly, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. No wonder "God" had obediently retreated; it had already completed its mission of covering its master. Taking advantage of Ye Xiao's fight with the wolfhound, Xiao Zhi quietly slipped away from the court.

Cunning Lolita!

Ye Xiao released his injured elbow once more and struggled to the other end of the football field, stepping onto the red track opposite.

His eyes, sharp as an eagle's, scanned the area again, and finally spotted a small figure in the huge orange stands.

It's her!