Complete Metamorphosis Manual

Chapter 23

The monk Yingjie was imprisoned in an official mental hospital. Unless he abandons his delusion that he is Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva or dies inside, he will probably never be able to get out in his lifetime.

The old postman sighed and lamented for several days, but fortunately he wasn't as unlucky as Yingjie.

Is having delusions always a bad thing? Does being mentally unstable always mean being locked up?

Yingjie, Laoyou, and Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding all suffer from delusions. But don't you think they are happy and joyful in their delusions?

If you have a physical illness, you can choose not to treat it. Why can't you choose not to treat a mental illness?

The old postman thought bitterly, "I have a mental illness, and I won't get treatment. What's it to you?!"

In fact, others may not care if someone is mentally ill, but if someone knows that Old Postman killed someone, then they definitely have a say in it.

Lang Fei was killed by Lao You.

That day, Lang Fei finished his night shift, humming a little tune as he prepared to meet a listener who had pledged himself to him. Just as he stepped out of the radio station, he was terrified and screamed at the sight of a ferocious ghost with a blue face and fangs.

The vengeful ghost didn't really harm him; it just mischievously stuck out its tongue at him and threw something into his open mouth. Before he could react, it had already swallowed it.

Lang Fei suspected it was just boogers; it must have been a prank orchestrated by that bitch An Jia. He watched the "ghost" get into the car and drive away in a cloud of dust. Just as Lang Fei was about to call An Jia and give her a good warning, he remembered that An Jia was already dead.

The thought terrified him. Before he could think about it, he felt as if all the organs in his body had gone on strike.

Lang Fei died of heart failure.

Of course, no one knew that Old Post had killed someone, because the dead can't kill. On the day Old Post decided to become a ghost, he managed to cancel his household registration. Even more absurdly, he still had a death certificate—that thing was similar to an ID card.

Ding Yan lay on the sofa and sighed, "These past two days I've suddenly felt that Yang Xin is quite pitiful..."

"What's there to be pitied about? If they find out you're operating an illegal company, you won't be pitied anymore?" Aunt Mei said while drinking her soup. "And if they find out what's going on at my clinic, you won't be pitied anymore?"

“That’s not what I meant…” Ding Yan sat up. “Actually, we’re not enemies… I just felt sorry for him. He solved a case but was sidelined, and then he finally uncovered a case that could earn him merit… only to have it stolen by someone else…”

"You can only say he's just unlucky." Old You said, tossing Ding Yan a new phone number: "I changed my work phone, I canceled that number, and asked someone abroad to find a more reliable communication network."

"Does it have to be international roaming? It's so expensive..." Ding Yan fiddled with the phone, his face showing the texture of the sofa cushion.

"If it weren't for this, Yang Xin would have already found your hideout!" Old Postman said calmly.

Ding Yan pursed her lips and continued to think about Yang Xin's pitiful situation. She decided to help Yang Xin.

Chapter Eight: Xili's Dream

1.

Most of the things the ancients said made sense, such as the saying "misfortunes never come singly."

Yang Xin felt that his life had suddenly become very difficult.

He suffered setbacks at work one after another.

A few days ago, I was sidelined by my superiors and assigned to the so-called "suicide task force." Just when things were finally starting to look up in An Jia and Lang Fei's case, I was sidelined in this case. The so-called "task force" didn't actually handle the case, and my superiors didn't pay much attention to it. The case was essentially shelved.

Recently, I've been idly wandering around. Suicide cases are a bit like gambling, all about luck. Not all suicides are so flamboyant; some people die secretly and quietly, so how would you know?

Even if they knew, it was already a fait accompli, the living were turned into the dead, and all they could do was beat their chests in frustration and get scolded for their poor handling of the case.

For example, the recent mass suicide of fans in Xili was completely unexpected; 17 people died without warning, which is no small matter. While the media's continued coverage didn't criticize the police, it focused on various aspects of "rational fandom," citing numerous examples and revisiting old issues of irrational fandom, such as the Yang Lijuan and Andy Lau incidents.

However, the police believe that such a large-scale mass suicide must have been organized and planned by someone, right? Yang Xin from the suicide task force, are you really just sitting around doing nothing?

Yang Xin had indeed been eating for free these past two days. He was already dealing with a lot of work-related troubles, but then his grandfather from his hometown of Shili Town came to visit. The old man was furious when he heard that his son was getting close to Ding Yan, the town's notorious crazy and eccentric girl.

This old man was usually unassuming, but he was notorious for beating his son. He didn't care about his son's feelings, nor did he understand the fact that his son was an adult. He grabbed a broom, pulled down his pants, and started hitting his son's buttocks, yelling, "You immediately cut off all contact with that little lunatic! Otherwise, I'll disown you as my son!"

For a moment, Yang Xin really wanted to die. Of course, it was just a thought.

If Yang Xindu, the head of the suicide investigation team, committed suicide, then this story would be extremely ironic.

2.

Ding Yan was overjoyed. How lucky she was to encounter such a mass suicide case once in her life! Her only regret was that she hadn't organized this large-scale operation; otherwise, it would have been even more spectacular. She would have been willing to be a free consultant for such a grand undertaking, even without being paid.

These past two days, every time she opened the closet to collect blood, she couldn't help but say to Xili, "You little brat, you've been faking your death for three years, and so many people are still dying for you!"

Ding Yan didn't know if Xi Li could hear her, but she hoped he could, because it was something to be proud of, something to be incredibly proud of. At that moment, she desperately wanted him to come back to life and regain consciousness.

However, no matter what Ding Yan said, Xi Li remained quiet, with her eyes closed, maintaining her usual charming smile.

That mass suicide was actually preceded by warning signs.

The initiator, whose online name was "Li Fen Wang," had called on companions online to commit suicide together two weeks before the incident. The post received a high number of clicks online, but most people treated it as a joke, with many merely observing. After all, one person posting about wanting to commit suicide has some credibility, but a group suicide, especially for a celebrity, is simply too outrageous.

Everyone took it as a joke, and no one expected that it would actually happen on the anniversary of Xili's death.

Not only did the Li fans commit mass suicide, but they also recorded the entire incident. The video footage is not entirely public, but Lao You somehow managed to get his hands on it.

Ding Yan accepted two cups of blood and carried two packets of potato chips before excitedly sitting down in the workshop. He asked the old postman to put the copied videotape into the player, and the 17 children immediately appeared on the big screen.

They are indeed children, and they all look to be around 16 or 17 years old, probably still in high school.

They were wearing the black leather jackets and bright red tight-fitting T-shirts that Xili wore for his farewell performance, and all had the same buzz cut that Xili had always sported.

The suicide took place in an abandoned factory building, which had been meticulously decorated with dazzling lights, reflecting Xili's long-standing requirements for the stage. They sat together and watched all of Xili's "life" video footage, and when they saw the farewell performance, everyone broke down in tears.

Ding Yan couldn't understand what kind of emotion, what kind of fervor, this was. But no matter what, Ding Yan was deeply moved. She murmured, "Xi Li, perhaps for the sake of these fans, you shouldn't have left the stage..."

After the fans finished crying, they lit candles, and each person went on stage to sing a song by Xili. Finally, they sang his signature song together. Then, everyone bowed deeply in front of a large photo of Xili before beginning their actual suicide.

In reality, the actual suicide process is very short; they all chose quick ways to die, such as putting a plastic bag over their heads, hanging themselves from the iron frame of the factory, or slitting their throats.

According to media reports, these 17 children are all different and do not share any common characteristics; in fact, they do not even know each other.

Among the children, there were mischievous kids who struggled academically, as well as high-achieving students; some were extroverted, while others were introverted or even dull.

A mother, weeping, held her child's diary and told the media that the diary was filled with admiration for Xi Li. She admired him for rising from an ordinary deliveryman who never gave up on his dreams to become one of the most influential singers; she admired his pursuit of his dreams, his spirit, his character, and his attitude towards his fans. She admired his songs; every single one of them resonated deeply with his fans, singing about their joys and sorrows, their everyday lives, and showing them that she understood them.

Yes, the children found recognition and emotional comfort in Xili.

But on that day, Xi Li died. To be precise, he was declared dead, and the reason given to his fans was—heart failure.

How foolish are these children, hoping to exchange their lives for the resurrection of Xili.

3.

Ding Yanxing and Qingxi Li are "dead," otherwise, how much public pressure would he be under right now? Seventeen lives lost—no one could bear that responsibility.

In fact, she always knew why Xili chose to "die".

That's because he achieved his dream.

Achieving a dream also means losing it. During the days of striving desperately for his dream, he was happy, fulfilled, even blissful. But when he reached the pinnacle of the stage and looked around, he felt lost, disillusioned, and unhappy. Because he no longer had any dreams.

Ding Yan didn't understand. Was it really that painful to have no dreams? She herself had always been a person without dreams, and most people in this world were the same. Why did they still choose to live aimlessly?

Ding Yan watched the video over and over again, feeling increasingly uneasy, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. She vaguely sensed that there was some kind of conspiracy involved, a conspiracy related to Xili.

Yang Xin was practically going crazy. The bureau leaders were clearly using this opportunity to destroy him. Not only were they refusing to add any personnel, equipment, or support from higher-ups, but they were also setting a 30-day timeframe for solving the case.

"30 days?" Ding Yan asked, holding the phone. "That's plenty of time. I've seen cases on TV where they often only have 7 days to solve them, and even in 'Justice Bao,' there are cases with a 3-day time limit!"

"You make it sound so easy! Do you think this is a novel or a movie? I'm the only one here. I've watched the videotape several times, and I don't have a single clue. But no matter what, we have to give the public an explanation!" Yang Xin said, rewinding the video to the beginning.

"So, what if we just say this was a simple case of mass suicide, an extreme act by crazed fans? Would that count as an explanation?"

"Sigh... It counts, but it's still... the worst possible explanation. Don't you find it strange? Who among them was the organizer?"

“Yes…” Ding Yan was also extremely curious about this suicide case, so he seemed very enthusiastic. “How about this… come to my house. I have a job at my house… oh, no, the study. It’s much more comfortable than your police station. Let’s talk about it.”

“Uh…” Yang Xin hesitated for a moment, remembering the old man’s words, and then immediately said:

"Okay! I'll go right away!"

4.

The media's detective skills were clearly far superior to those of Yang Xinqiang, the head of the special task force. Driven by profit, these guys had a keener sense of smell than a hunting dog.

On the 10th day after the mass suicide, the media revealed a new trump card: Xili did not die.

The article provides an in-depth analysis of the biggest beneficiary of this incident, which is clearly Xi Li. There were already some doubts surrounding Xi Li's death three years ago. For example, the publicly announced cause of death was "heart failure," but the specific cause of the heart failure remained unclear. Xi Li's funeral was held very secretly, and the memorial activities were not organized by Xi Li's family or management company, but rather spontaneously organized by her fan club, who funded and participated in the event themselves. Therefore, it is understandable to suspect that Xi Li may not have actually died.

Media speculated that Xi Li might have simply chosen this method to completely retire from the entertainment industry. Although fans held commemorative events every year after Xi Li's departure, and no new dark horse emerged to rival him, he was no longer the most talked-about figure.

Celebrities are never content with obscurity, including Xi Li. Three years later, Xi Li wanted to make a triumphant comeback, so he orchestrated this mass suicide. One of the 17 children had mentioned a few days before their suicide that by taking their own lives, they would pray for Xi Li's resurrection. Clearly, this was premeditated, organized, and planned. The mastermind behind it all was undoubtedly Xi Li.

The media outlet concluded its report by predicting that Xili would definitely appear soon.

This report immediately attracted attention, and other media outlets followed suit, with mixed reviews and increasingly outrageous claims. The mass suicide incident quickly turned from a tragedy into a farce, with second-rate or has-been stars appearing in different roles.

This is truly an unprecedented event, a once-in-a-millennium spectacle in the entertainment industry.

However, the most explosive news was yet to come.

No one knows who ordered it, but tomb raiders dug up Xi Li's tomb. The tomb was empty—of course it was empty, because Xi Li was in Ding Yan's closet.

The moment this news broke, the media practically treated the theory that "Xi Li is not dead" as fact. On one hand, there was the anger and condemnation of the tomb raiders and unscrupulous media; on the other hand, fans began to gather and urge Xi Li to appear as soon as possible, promising to continue supporting, idolizing, and loving him. Clearly, in the hearts of these fans, the 17 lives sacrificed were worthwhile. Even if they weren't, they couldn't have died in vain; at the very least, Xi Li had to be truly resurrected.

5.

When Yang Xin and Ding Yan came out of the workshop, Aunt Mei had already prepared a delicious soup.

While praising Aunt Mei's cooking skills, Yang Xin said, "We're finally making progress."

Yes, they finally have a clue; they finally know what's so special about that video recording.

Although the entire video appears to have no camera cuts or movement, making it seem like it was recorded automatically, there are two close-up shots of fans crying. With automatic recording, the machine wouldn't be able to choose when to give close-ups to whom, which is the first point of suspicion.

Furthermore, when the 17 children committed suicide together, each of them had a smile on their face, their expressions filled with longing and anticipation, and their eyes were all looking at the camera. But why?

Most people lose control of their behavior in the moment of death, but how did they manage to? Were they really looking at the camera, or at the people behind it?

Yang Xin and Ding Yan both firmly believed that there was an 18th person at the suicide scene.

Finding this 18th person is the key to solving the case.

Yang Xin sipped his soup while gazing affectionately at Ding Yan. Ding Yan glanced at him and chuckled, "What are you looking at? Look again and I'll eat you up!"

"How do you want to eat it?" Yang Xin asked with a smile.

"Wow! I didn't expect you to be so wicked, even though you look so honest!" Ding Yan laughed along.

Both of them were very happy at that moment because of the sense of accomplishment they felt for their efforts in making progress in the case.

At that moment, Xiao Jia's inside contact called in: "An old man is looking for Yang Xin!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Xin immediately spat out the soup he had just drunk, covered his mouth and coughed incessantly, his face turning a deep red, whether from nervousness or choking.

He stammered, "Tell me...tell me I'm not here!"