Chapter 140: Reporter
Uncle Wang looked at the special symbol scar on his ankle, his eyes dazed, his heart surging with waves, he couldn’t believe this was real, a chill like flesh worms drilling into his brain burrowed in from all over his body, swarming to his brain, devouring his fragile reason.
“It’s your turn… the mission is handed to you…” That madman’s ravings echoed in Uncle Wang’s ears, and after a long time, he involuntarily repeated them aloud, as if a demon’s whisper was constantly tempting him.
“Hello, Uncle!!” Suddenly, Uncle Wang’s ears rang, a loud and clear female voice bursting strongly by his ear.
Like a bungling thief caught red-handed, Uncle Wang guiltily widened his eyes, looking around fiercely, and finally noticed the young girl who had at some point squatted down beside him.
The girl looked to be in her mid-twenties, fresh and beautiful, with a well-proportioned figure and fair skin, wearing a cartoon white T-shirt on top and suspender shorts that just hugged her hips below, carrying a red cowhide mini backpack, with a childish sexiness.
Seeing Uncle Wang, who had been lost in thought, finally come back to his senses, the girl relaxed inwardly and smiled, saying: “Uncle, I’m a reporter for Magic City Weekly Express, my name is Chen Xiaolin. Are you convenient? Can I ask you a few questions?”
Uncle Wang wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, “Reporter?”
“Just call me A Lin, Uncle.” Chen Xiaolin gave a brilliant smile; her lively and cheerful smile easily gave people goodwill, making Uncle Wang involuntarily lower his guard.
“What kind of express is Magic City Weekly Express? How come I haven’t heard of a newspaper like that?” Uncle Wang asked somewhat curiously.
Chen Xiaolin smiled and explained: “Who reads physical newspapers nowadays? Everyone looks at news on mobile phones and computers. Magic City Weekly Express is a section of an online new media, and I’m mainly in charge of the official account.”
“Ah… I know about official accounts.” Uncle Wang nodded; he actually hadn’t really heard what Chen Xiaolin was saying, but he still guessed her meaning from the parts he could hear clearly.
“Don’t worry, I just want to ask you about some things, no photos, no revealing your identity or name.” Chen Xiaolin, afraid Uncle Wang might have concerns, added.
Uncle Wang clearly didn’t have so many concerns; he had just been startled earlier and hadn’t quite recovered yet. Now that his mood had finally calmed down, he said woodenly: “Alright, what do you want to ask?”
Looking at Chen Xiaolin in front of him, it was just like seeing his own daughter who was attending university; his daughter was about the same age as her, with a similar personality, so looking at Chen Xiaolin, he felt somewhat kind.
Although he could guess Chen Xiaolin’s purpose and roughly knew what questions the other party wanted to ask, and his behavior like this might make the park side dissatisfied, he was willing to say as much as possible to this girl with a kind face about the things she wanted to know.
Sure enough, Chen Xiaolin got straight to the point and asked about the terrorist murder incident that had happened not long ago, asking in a low voice: “Three days ago, there was a murder incident in the amusement park, right? Do you know about it?”
“Of course I know.” Uncle Wang gave a bitter smile; he was an eyewitness to the incident and the only survivor among all the targets that madman had set his sights on.
Seeing the change in Uncle Wang’s expression, Chen Xiaolin was secretly delighted and quickly followed up: “Can you describe to me the process of what happened at the time?”
“Sure…” Uncle Wang saw Chen Xiaolin pick up her tablet computer, holding an electronic pen in one hand, her two eyes looking at him expectantly. He sat up straight, cleared his throat, and then drew on his lifetime of literary accomplishment to start narrating that day’s encounter: “That day, I was cleaning as usual. It was very noisy around, but because this is an amusement park with booming popularity, and my ears aren’t very good, I didn’t pay too much attention when that thing happened…”
Chen Xiaolin listened to Uncle Wang’s simple description, taking notes with full concentration, nodding from time to time to give Uncle Wang some encouraging responses.
Feeling that his description didn’t have anything strange, Uncle Wang then continued boldly: “I kept sweeping and sweeping until I saw the human corpse, then saw the murderer holding a knife standing in front of me, that madman.”
At this point, Chen Xiaolin immediately switched the screen on her tablet computer and opened a photo. The photo was taken in a dimly lit bar, a somewhat haggard-looking middle-aged man raising a glass to the camera, forcing a smile.
Chen Xiaolin pointed at the man in the photo, her expression abnormal, her eyes revealing a hint of urgency and concern, and asked: “The one holding the knife, was it this person?”
Uncle Wang saw the man in the photo in front of him and was immediately scared into sucking in a cold breath. He pointed excitedly at the person above, as if seeing that madman holding a knife standing in front of him again, trembling as he said: “Yes, it’s him. He was holding a knife standing in front of me and even wanted to kill me.”
“Are you really sure?” For this answer, Chen Xiaolin seemed quite incredulous and dejected; her eyes dimmed as she asked again.
“No mistake. Lately in my nightmares, he appears every night.” Uncle Wang nodded affirmatively.
After getting this answer, Chen Xiaolin couldn’t help but rub her forehead, her expression somewhat desolate. She seemed quite surprised and uncomprehending about this result, and saddened by it.
Uncle Wang also had his own life experience; he could tell that Chen Xiaolin, as a reporter, had an off attitude about this matter. He guessed: “Is he someone you know?”
Chen Xiaolin tugged at the corner of her mouth and nodded slowly: “I really didn’t expect he would do such a thing. When I first saw the news, I felt like I was having a nightmare.”
Uncle Wang sighed, “Is he your boyfriend?”
“No, but he’s a very close friend of mine.” Chen Xiaolin shook her head. After confirming that the perpetrator of the amusement park terrorist murder incident was someone she knew, her mood was naturally very complicated. And thinking of the murderer’s family situation made her feel even more sadness and lament.
While Chen Xiaolin was feeling sad, Uncle Wang, who was silently comforting her, keenly noticed another change suddenly appear on her face. She was like someone who had abruptly remembered something terrifying, with terror instantly etched on her face.
Chen Xiaolin took a few deep breaths, looked at Uncle Wang, and asked with flickering eyes: “Uncle, since you were the last person to contact him before he died, did you notice anything abnormal about him? For example… any anomaly?”
Hearing this, Uncle Wang was like a cat whose tail had been grabbed; his whole body bounced up from the ground, then he shook his pant leg and shook his head rapidly: “I don’t know, I don’t know… I just saw him get beaten to death, and then I was saved. Nothing else, so I left, left ha.”
Uncle Wang stood up, picked up his personal items, and hurried away with his head down.
Seeing this, how could Chen Xiaolin not guess that Uncle Wang was hiding something? The other party must know some inside story others didn’t. She hurriedly chased after him: “Uncle, you must know something, right? Please tell me, okay?”
Uncle Wang dodged Chen Xiaolin who was chasing and questioning him; guilt and fear surged in his heart. He was afraid others would know he was connected to that madman.
He was a normal person, different from that madman. Even though the same mark as that madman had now appeared on his body, that didn’t mean he would turn into a madman who killed on sight. He didn’t want to accept any mission.
The more Chen Xiaolin pressed, the more Uncle Wang resisted and grew irritated.
Finally, Uncle Wang’s patience was worn down by the persistently pestering Chen Xiaolin. He let out a loud yell, his voice furious, his eyes glaring with bloodshot veins, his ferocious angry face making him look like an evil spirit, scaring Chen Xiaolin into retreating a few steps, not daring to make a sound for the moment.
Seeing Chen Xiaolin startled by him, Uncle Wang’s anger slowly calmed down. He snorted coldly, turned, and walked away. When he turned his back, his eyes were full of apology and desolation.
He actually didn’t want to be like this either, but he was very afraid. Those anomaly events that brought death and despair—he could never have imagined that one day they would involve him.
Uncle Wang thought, what if, just what if, under the influence of some unknown factor, he turned into a madman like that man that day? He didn’t want innocent girls like Chen Xiaolin to die under his butcher’s knife…
Watching Uncle Wang’s desolate back recede into the distance, Chen Xiaolin’s terrified emotions slowly steadied. She pouted, somewhat indignantly stomping her foot: “What’s the deal, yelling like that? If you don’t want to say, just don’t say it.”
After saying that, Chen Xiaolin thought of that madman again. She still couldn’t figure out how her good friend Zheng Yu could do something so against human ethics, completely without warning, utterly baffling. Just half a month ago, they had met once, drinking together at Good Luck Bar, chatting freely, sharing recent life experiences and pouring out their hearts.
Of course, Chen Xiaolin didn’t think that one occasional drinking session could completely release the pressure on a person, but it should at least ease some. And in her impression, Zheng Yu was a father with a strong sense of responsibility and duty; he couldn’t possibly abandon his beloved young daughter and recklessly commit an act of revenge against society that outraged both heaven and man.
There must be a reason! Chen Xiaolin recalled the eerie story about his daughter’s painting that Zheng Yu had mentioned at that drinking session.
Since she believed Zheng Yu wasn’t someone who would commit horrific violence for no reason, there must be a special cause for him to turn into that state, and Chen Xiaolin guessed it was related to the anomaly in Zheng Yu’s home.
At that drinking session, Zheng Yu said that the art teacher at school had assigned his daughter’s class the homework to draw their imagined heaven, but his daughter drew their home attic—because Zheng Yu had said heaven is where the deceased go. So, had his daughter seen something in their home attic before?
Thinking of this, Chen Xiaolin grew increasingly uneasy.
What terrible secret was hidden in the attic of Zheng Yu’s home?
Chen Xiaolin looked back and found that Uncle Wang had already walked far away, feeling somewhat unwilling. If only she could ask a bit more.
Suddenly a breeze blew by, and Chen Xiaolin smelled the incense burning in the air, then saw hazy smoke and yellow paper flying everywhere, and heard bell-shaking sounds and voices like “singing opera,” speaking in a Minnan dialect.
Curious, she followed the sound and arrived at the core area of the amusement park, near the Rapids Ride game facility, where she saw an eerie scene.
She saw a pot-bellied man and several men and women in professional attire standing by, watching a handsome youth with an upright posture dance gracefully in front of a table covered with yellow cloth and full of offerings, as if performing a ritual. The youth was muttering incantations.
Seeing this, Chen Xiaolin’s reporter intuition kicked in immediately, keenly sensing the scent of news. She quickly hid in the darkness, took out her camera, and continuously photographed the scene, recording it all.
Afterward, she carefully put away the camera and walked to the big fat man’s side.
The big fat man, seeing the pretty young girl suddenly appear and come to his side, briefly showed surprise, but he didn’t immediately ask who she was. He just silently watched the handsome youth perform rituals, waiting for the ceremony to end.
After the handsome youth finished the ritual, the big fat man first glanced at Chen Xiaolin, then came before the handsome youth, respectfully cupping his fists and saying: “Thank you so much, Master Li Duojin. Thank you for coming all this way to perform rituals for our little rundown amusement park to clear the evil spirits.”
The young master named Li Duojin smiled upon hearing this, returned the courtesy, and said: “It’s just a small effort. Besides, Boss Zhang, you paid a big price to hire me. It’s just an employment relationship between us; no need for thanks. I take people’s money and eliminate their disasters—it’s that simple.”
Hearing Li Duojin’s words, Boss Zhang just gave a simple and honest smile, then turned his head to look at the Bodhisattva statue on the table, praying repeatedly: “Bodhisattva, please bless my company to safely pass this crisis, and my JOJO Amusement Park to return to its former booming popularity,” and so on.
After worshiping, Boss Zhang asked Li Duojin somewhat nervously: “Master, now that you’ve finished the religious ceremony, did you sense anything off about this amusement park?”
Li Duojin understood Boss Zhang’s meaning. He looked young but had aged eyes. After a quiet silence, he sincerely said: “There are indeed some restless anomalies here, but no need to be too afraid. Those anomaly beings generally won’t appear, and after this ritual, they shouldn’t appear again.”
Hearing that there really was an “anomaly” point, Boss Zhang’s smiling face froze.
If the anomaly couldn’t be well resolved, his amusement park would remain unable to reopen.
Li Duojin comforted him again: “Don’t worry, those guys have been controlled. There shouldn’t be any strange incidents for a long time afterward, unless it’s man-made.”
Speechless dead. The nucleic acid test from the day before yesterday had no result, so this afternoon I went to the hospital again to test a single tube. Lately, so many people around me have been infected.
