Alma Espejo Antigua

Capítulo 1

Part One, Section 1: Prologue

Prologue

There are some things that the higher-ups are unwilling to publicize in order to avoid causing an uproar among the public. For example, the Nanpu University expedition team went missing in the mountains, and the rescue team sent by the Jingyun local garrison only had five survivors. Moreover, these five people were either seriously injured or mentally unstable.

However, some things are destined to cause a public outcry, such as the series of events that occurred in the Jingyun Mountains involving the Nanpu University expedition team and rescue team. Although the news media did not report on this matter, the School of Humanities at Nanpu University has a certain reputation both domestically and internationally. The Nanpu University expedition team's entry into the deep mountains of Jingyun to search for the lost Mansi people was a major event for the school. Therefore, how could the fact that the seven members of the expedition team never returned to the school hide it from the students' discerning eyes?

The more the higher-ups remained tight-lipped about the matter, the more speculation arose among the public. No secrets stay hidden forever, so the students of the School of Humanities eventually learned the vague conclusion indirectly: the Nanpu expedition team was completely wiped out in the Jingyun Mountains, more than half of the rescue team perished, and those who survived were like the American soldiers who dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War II—some remained silent, some committed suicide, and some went insane.

In today's highly developed internet age, the story of the Nanpu University study tour quickly spread, becoming a nationwide topic of conversation. The more it was circulated, the stranger, more outrageous, and more bizarre it became. Not to mention the versions circulating in the streets and alleys, there were more than a dozen versions circulating online alone.

Some claim the expedition team and rescue group encountered vampires and were all turned into zombies; others say the Jingyun Mountain area is a real-life depiction of the movie "Anaconda," where everyone perished in the snake's belly; still others say the expedition team members lost their heads, which were preserved as specimens and remain forever in a cave called Wantouku...

The truth remains unknown.

Part One, Section Two: Chapter One, The Formation of Calamity ○1(1)

Chapter One: The Beginning of Calamity (Part 1)

Countless nights I've been lost in dreams, in which I become a bat, swooping down on terrified faces... Then I wake up drenched in sweat, looking at the cold moonlight outside the window, slowly calming my breathing, regaining my senses. I am not a bat, I am policeman Xu Haicheng.

(Excerpt from "Police Detective's Diary")

In the dimly lit tunnel, two dim lights slowly emerged. A chilly wind swept in with the subway's movement, causing Xu Haicheng on the platform to squint slightly, his hair standing on end, revealing a circular scar. The scar was still fresh, grayish-white, a stark contrast to his naturally dark skin. This scar was left half a year ago when he was searching for the Nanpu University research team in the Jingyun Mountains. Of course, that journey to uncover the truth brought him far more than just that. He also had three bullet holes in his body, and a gaping hole in his heart, perhaps one that could never be repaired.

The subway came to a stop, and people poured out of the carriages and into the platform, all in a hurry. It was late autumn and early winter, and most people were dressed in dark clothes. As they huddled together, their faces were somber and their expressions blank, much like some gloomy scenes in a movie.

Suddenly, a commotion arose behind me.

Xu Haicheng turned around and saw a person tumbling down the escalator, clutching something tightly in their hands. The person landed on the ground and couldn't get up immediately. They turned their head to look behind them, their face filled with panic.

Following his gaze, a girl of about twenty-five or twenty-six years old rushed down the stairs. She was dressed smartly, her hair in a ponytail, and her movements were nimble. She shouted as she walked, "Stop!"

The crowd was quite surprised and quickened their pace to squeeze into the carriage, afraid of getting into unnecessary trouble.

Xu Haicheng was half-pushed into the carriage by the crowd, but his eyes remained fixed on the stairwell. He recognized the girl; her name was Pan Xiaolu, a junior from the same police academy. She had been transferred to the city bureau's criminal investigation team six months ago and was his subordinate. During his hospitalization for serious injuries, she had visited him with other colleagues.

The man who had rolled onto the ground scrambled towards the carriage, finally managing to squeeze in before the doors closed. Pan Xiaolu, however, was left standing outside. Frustrated, she pounded on the door, but to no avail. Then, her eyes caught sight of Xu Haicheng, and she suddenly brightened, staring intently at him.

Xu Haicheng nodded slightly to her, and she understood, her eyes shining even brighter.

The subway started moving, the friction of the rails hissing. Pan Xiaolu was left behind.

Xu Haicheng silently observed the person. He stood by the other door of the carriage, leaning against it, and looked out the window until Pan Xiaolu's figure disappeared before letting out a long sigh.

He looked very young, probably only twenty-three or twenty-four years old, with a thin build and slightly long hair that covered his entire forehead. His eyes were hidden beneath his hair, and when he looked around, they revealed a cautious and wary expression. Upon seeing his face clearly, Xu Haicheng was a little surprised. He recognized the man; his name was Xu San, a habitual thief with whom Xu Haicheng had some history.

Xu San's surname was naturally Xu, but because he was a habitual thief, commonly known as "Three Hands," everyone called him Xu San, and his real name was forgotten. His parents died early, and he grew up relying on his grandmother. His grandmother doted on him, but this fostered his lazy and gluttonous habits. When he was in junior high school, his grandmother passed away, and he dropped out of school. From then on, he hung out with a group of thugs and gradually embarked on a path of petty theft.

Xu San was from Tongyuan, a suburb of Nanpu City. After graduating from university, Xu Haicheng was assigned to the Tongyuan Police Station as a grassroots criminal investigator. Once, when Xu San was caught stealing, Xu Haicheng, seeing that he was young, only gave him a few words of reprimand and then let him go. Knowing his family's financial situation, Xu Haicheng even specially arranged a job for him as a waiter in a restaurant. Xu San was well-behaved for a while. However, he was used to playing around, and the restaurant job was tiring. Before long, he left without saying goodbye and went to work as a thief in the city police station.

Later, Xu Haicheng was transferred to the Chengnan Branch as a grassroots criminal police officer, and he was caught again during a cleanup operation.

By this time, Xu San had completely become a habitual thief. He answered Xu Haicheng's questions with a grin, no longer blushing as he had the first time. During that period, Xu Haicheng often saw him looking around suspiciously on the street and couldn't help but go over and scold him. Xu San neither got angry nor dodged, always smiling and saying, "Officer Xu, I understand."

Although he knew, he had neither the will nor the ability to change his ways.

Xu Haicheng had no choice but to let him go. However, whenever he saw him, he couldn't help but recall the way Xu San looked back then, with his droopy eyes and flushed face, and a sense of pity would well up in his heart. Fortunately, Xu San was a cowardly kid who had only ever committed petty theft and had only been detained a few times so far.

I wonder what caused Pan Xiaolu to pursue him so relentlessly this time?

It's probably related to the wooden box in his hand, Xu Haicheng guessed to himself.

The wooden box was rectangular, roughly twelve inches tall and ten inches wide, with delicate carvings along its edges. The wood itself was a deep, rich color with fine grain, exuding an antique charm. Although Xu Haicheng knew nothing about wood or antiques, he could tell at a glance that this box was of extraordinary quality. He knew Xu San's background well; he came from a poor family and made a living through petty theft, always penniless. This wooden box seemed completely out of place for him.

Perhaps the chase scene had left a deep impression on the passengers, so even though there were quite a few people in the carriage, there was a circle of empty space around Xu San, and some passengers even squeezed through the crowd to get away from him.

Xu San clearly realized that the commotion around him was because of him. He lowered his head with a gloomy expression, and his hair naturally fell across his forehead to cover his eyes, making it seem as if he was guilty. But Xu Haicheng knew that Xu San's skin was as thick as a city wall. This pretense was just to dispel other people's wariness. His eyes were actually peering through the gaps in his hair, closely watching the surrounding movements. He would flee at the slightest disturbance.

The subway chugged along, and the carriage was unusually quiet.

Xu Haicheng turned up his collar to cover most of his face, his back to Xu San, his shadow watching him through the floor-to-ceiling glass window. Xu San recognized him, so he had to approach without Xu San noticing in order to catch him quickly. Otherwise, given Xu Haicheng's slippery nature, Xu Haicheng wasn't entirely confident he could catch him.

Sure enough, as Xu Haicheng took a few steps, Xu San's gaze immediately locked onto his back. Xu Haicheng saw this through the reflection in the glass window, pretending not to notice, took another step, and then stopped, lowering his head so that his face wouldn't be reflected in the glass. Xu San couldn't see his face, but with the instincts of a habitual thief, he sensed danger and squeezed into another carriage without hesitation.

He moved suddenly, and by the time Xu Haicheng reacted, the two were already some distance apart. Seeing that the subway was slowing down as it entered the station, Xu Haicheng, disregarding the possibility of disturbing other passengers, shouted, "Stop!" This shout was like a death knell; Xu San moved even faster, clutching the wooden box tightly in his hands, crouching low as he slipped into the crowd like an eel.

Xu Haicheng pursued closely, but being tall, he couldn't squeeze through like Xu San. As the distance between them grew, he became increasingly anxious.

Fortunately, the passengers recovered from their initial shock. Upon seeing Xu Haicheng and Xu San's attire and demeanor, they understood the situation and made way for Xu Haicheng.

As for Xu San, although no one openly blocked his way, many feet darted out from the sidelines to trip him, appearing and disappearing in an instant. Xu San was tripped, stumbled, and was about to fall. In that moment of hesitation, Xu Haicheng caught up and kicked him in the knee. Xu San could no longer stand and knelt down with a thud, not forgetting to glare fiercely back at him. But when he saw it was Xu Haicheng, the fierce look vanished instantly.

The subway had just come to a complete stop when Xu Haicheng grabbed Xu San by the collar and pulled him out of the carriage. Xu San cooperated perfectly, neither struggling nor shouting. Instead, he hooked his arm around Xu Haicheng's shoulder, making it seem at first glance that the two were very close and had their arms around each other.

Part One, Section 3: Chapter One, The Formation of Calamity ○1(2)

To avoid causing any unnecessary commotion, the two found a quiet corner to stand in. Xu San wasn't new to dealing with Xu Haicheng, so he didn't show much panic. Instead, he said with a grin, "Captain Xu, long time no see! I heard you got promoted?"

Xu Haicheng ignored his attempt to strike up a conversation, looking at the box in his hand and asking, "Where did this box come from?"

"Captain Xu, is there even a need to ask?"

"It's been more than half a year since I last saw you, and you still haven't improved at all." Xu Haicheng didn't actually have much ill will towards him; on the contrary, his words carried a hint of anger at his lack of progress.

Xu San chuckled and said, "Then I'll need Captain Xu to promote me."

Xu Haicheng shook his head helplessly, knowing he had nothing to be ashamed of; he was already deeply mired in crime and would only slide deeper in the future. "What's in the box?"