Chapter 9: The Person in the Dream

Zijin and Wang Jinjun left the orphanage at sixteen, and after years of struggling to survive in a world both indifferent and unforgiving, they had long since grown cautious and circumspect. Mulling over everything that had happened in the police station, the brutal murder they witnessed that morning, Zhu Daqing’s mysterious demeanor, his talk of the truth, and Liang Shan’s attitude toward him, Zijin slowly pieced together an answer in his heart.

“Zijin, what should we do now? The patrol officers will definitely come looking for us for further investigation. When do you think they’ll catch the killer?” Wang Jinjun, usually lively and mischievous, now wore a worried expression. And rightly so—for anyone, witnessing a murder firsthand would shake them to the core, let alone when, according to Zhu Daqing, this was no ordinary crime.

Zijin tried to smooth the furrow from his brow. “It’s all right. Let them handle it from here. Let’s just go home and not dwell on it—it’s all behind us now.” He knew that if he too lost his composure, it would only increase the anxiety weighing on his girlfriend. Suppressing his own fear, Zijin gently put his arm around Wang Jinjun and walked her home. Surprisingly, she did not resist.

Back at their rented apartment, Zijin comforted her, cooked a lavish meal, and kept her company for a long while, chatting until her fear finally subsided. As night fell, Wang Jinjun went to bed early, but Zijin sat alone in the living room, sifting through everything that had occurred.

“Animal attacks have been happening for some time now. Apart from today’s case, each scene left evidence pointing to a different animal as the perpetrator. But so far, only animals have been implicated—could it be possible for a plant to commit a crime? None of the scenes yielded conclusive evidence to prove it was an animal or a human behind it,” Zijin mused, stroking his chin as he scanned detailed reports of recent animal attacks on his phone.

“There have already been three categories: vertebrates, arthropods, mollusks. But there’s no logic to it. If animals really are behind this, what kind of creature will commit the next crime? Is there a pattern?” Zijin continued to analyze, eliminating possibilities. Since childhood, he’d possessed a unique curiosity about living things, often sneaking into the orphanage’s tiny library to read encyclopedias about animals. Although he’d never had a formal education, his knowledge of biology far surpassed most people’s.

As he pieced together the clues, Zijin took out paper and pen. “Among these fourteen cases, three occurred in the capital, two on the islands, five in Magic City, and one each in Shudu, Luocheng, Qing City, and Bingli City. These ‘animals’ frequently appear in bustling, fast-developing cities like the capital and Magic City. If it’s humans behind this, what’s the motive? Terrorists? Organized social revenge?”

“Could it be…” Zijin thought of his own physical abnormalities on the night of the car accident. He had the vague sense that he was somehow connected to these events, but the more he analyzed, the less he could grasp the link. After poring over his scribbled notes for a long time, he finally threw down his pen and slumped into the sofa.

“Forget it. There’s no understanding it. I’m just an ordinary person—what’s the use of thinking so much? Still, what Zhu Daqing said… it didn’t feel like a fabrication. In the patrol station, the officers wouldn’t have let a stranger make up stories for us. But whatever. All I want is to live a peaceful life with Jinjun. Simple contentment is best.”

Zijin tidied up the table, left his analysis notes in place, washed up, and went to bed.

In the dim light, Zijin felt as though his limbs were bound, lying immobilized somewhere. He struggled unconsciously, realizing that ropes or something like them had bitten deep into his wrists and ankles. Suddenly, he heard distant, indistinct voices and approaching footsteps, growing louder with each passing moment. Alert, Zijin lay perfectly still, feigning unconsciousness.

The footsteps drew near, but the voices grew only more muffled. Try as he might, Zijin could not make them out—the sounds were fading away…

The footsteps stopped right beside him, making his heart leap into his throat. He could hear his own pounding heartbeat, and the increasing rasp of a surgical bone saw slicing into flesh.

With a jolt, Zijin’s eyes flew open. The searing pain blurred his senses. He fought to keep his eyes wide, desperate to see who was beside him, but could only watch helplessly as his own body, sprawled on a laboratory table, was dismembered by a shadowy figure…

“No!” Zijin sat bolt upright, arms flailing uncontrollably. Tear tracks on his cheeks, his flushed face, and his disheveled hair all spoke of the nightmare’s terror—it had all been just a dream.

“A dream… But why did it feel so real, as if I’ve truly experienced it? Was it because of what happened yesterday?” Sunlight spilled across his face, highlighting the vigor of youth within him. Morning had come. Calming himself, Zijin washed up and quietly opened Wang Jinjun’s door.

She too seemed restless, clutching the covers tightly, her brow furrowed as if in pain. Seeing this, Zijin leaned in and gently took her hand. Sensing his presence, Wang Jinjun’s tense, sweaty fingers slowly relaxed, her frown smoothing out as she slipped back into deep sleep.