Mobius – 2 – Time Reverse Blind Spot : 2

Wang Donglin’s Confession

Yes, you’re smart enough to see the hidden meaning in my story.

With my cautious nature, I wouldn’t just kill someone for a few inexplicable emails. Some people, simply reading newspaper stories like “So-and-so was caught by police after a string of murders,” will arbitrarily assume that killing is easy and that the police are fools.

In reality, it’s incredibly difficult to kill someone without being caught.

So when I received that series of strange emails, I simply deleted them completely and emptied my Recycle Bin, not even wanting to look at them.

However, one email with several picture attachments caught my eye.

Although the pictures were a bit blurry and looked like they’d been taken from a distance, each one was shocking.

Moli and I met at the karaoke bar, left together, and walked side by side through the alley… until we both entered my house, and in the wee hours of the morning, I loaded her body into my car, and finally, there were the photos of me dumping it by the lake. These photos formed a complete and reliable chain of evidence that would definitely convict me.

Why was this so? It seemed the other party knew I was going to kill that night, so they were lying in wait nearby, filming the entire process.

But I only truly resolved to kill Moli after I successfully tricked her into leaving that night. No one, not even me, could have known my plan in advance.

Unless the other person isn’t human but a demon.

Looking at such an email, I was completely devastated. My hands trembled, and I didn’t even have the courage to hit the delete button.

What should I do?

Just then, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. For some reason, I was startled and jumped to my feet. I had a feeling it wasn’t a harassing telemarketing call but a voyeur.

“Hello…”

“Teacher Wang, our photos are pretty good, aren’t they?” The caller used a voice changer, and his tone was strangely distorted.

“Who are you? What do you want?” I screamed uncontrollably.

“It’s simple. I want to make a deal.”

“How much…?” I asked, feeling unsure. I had a feeling the person who had taken these photos was no ordinary person. They might not be after money at all.

“Money? That’s too vulgar! Teacher Wang, if these photos get out, you’ll be dead!”

My legs gave way, and I sat down helplessly. “Whatever you want, I’ll give you…”

“A life for a life—it’s a fair exchange. Don’t hang up; check your email first.”

There was a new email with information about Lin Jiarui.

“You mean I should kill this girl?”

“Yes, killing her will save your own life.”

“Give me some time to prepare…”

“There’s no time. You must kill her within a week, or I’ll hand over all the photos to the police.”

“Wait…” I was filled with despair, a bitter taste in my mouth. “I don’t have time to prepare. If I act rashly like this, I’ll probably be caught by the police.”

“So?”

“Since I can’t escape justice, why would I kill another person and aggravate my crime?” Although I knew I had no right to bargain, I did so anyway.

“Oh, that’s an easy problem to solve. I can guarantee your safety,” the other party said casually.

“Guarantee? On what basis?”

“Then, please remember the following instructions carefully. Every step must be taken with care…”

The mysterious person on the other end of the phone asked me to select the personal belongings of the two victims and bury them in two different locations. You wouldn’t have guessed it, but the media dubbed me the “souvenir killer,” believing I buried a “souvenir” with each murder. But in reality, those “souvenirs” were fabricated afterward. The night I killed Jiang Suyu, she was wearing a black butterfly hairpin. I disposed of it when I dumped the body, but I happened to remember the brand, so I bought a new one and buried it in the park. The other “souvenir” was something I had deliberately saved. When I was dating Moli, I gave her a worthless silver necklace as a token of our love. So, after killing her, I kept her necklace as a memento. Unexpectedly, this impulsive decision ultimately proved to be a huge boon.

They asked me to bury two “souvenirs,” not three or even one. Looking back, I think the main purpose was probably to make the keychain missing from the fourth victim, Lin Jiarui, less conspicuous. But at the time, I didn’t think much of that. I was solely focused on following their instructions, hoping to save my life.

Of course, I considered the possibility of deception, that after I’d killed someone, they wouldn’t care about my life or death. But I wasn’t stupid. I made a copy of the data on Lin Jiarui’s keychain USB drive, figuring that if anything went wrong, I’d confess to the police and hand over the data for investigation.

However, the ‘Organization’ was truly powerful. On my first night in detention, a small note appeared on my bed: Relax, we’ll get you out.

Relax?

We’ll see.

The ‘Organization’ told me I could admit to the murders—I couldn’t deny them, after all—but I wasn’t to answer any questions about the “souvenirs.”

Interestingly, aside from the note that appeared on the first day, the power of the ‘Organization’ seemed to have vanished. I received no further instructions from them. While awaiting trial, I couldn’t sleep every night. The days were filled with endless interrogations, trials, psychiatric evaluations, psychological analyses, and case replays, leaving me exhausted and with a splitting headache.

Sometimes, I even forgot who I was, as if I had just woken from a dream. When I opened my eyes, I saw that the sky was dark and it was already evening.

One day, in my daze, I received news I wasn’t sure whether to see it as good or bad: the psychiatric evaluation results indicated that I would be sent to a psychiatric hospital instead of prison. That same night, a mysterious note appeared by my bed for the second time. It read: “Be prepared to regain your freedom.”

I suspected the ‘Organization’ would take action midway between my transfer from the detention center to the psychiatric hospital, but I didn’t expect you, a ruthless Cheng Yaojin¹, to appear midway and snatch me away. At the time, I was in a state of confusion, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. I didn’t dare admit that I was in cahoots with the van hijackers, so I had to follow you on the run. However, as we escaped, I gradually realized that something was amiss.

I only knew someone was trying to get rid of me, but I didn’t know who I could trust. Everyone, including you, Lu Tianfeng, might have ulterior motives. In the end, I chose to escape on my own, traveling to Moyun Town to find Judy, the contact I’d agreed to with the ‘Organization.’ As expected, Judy tried to silence me, so I had no choice but to preemptively eliminate her. After careful consideration, I still believed you were the most suitable partner.

Why?

Because I see that you possessed a certain ability, one that mirrored the ‘Organization’—your ability to disrupt their planned prison van hijacking proved you have the power to stand up to them head-on.

I believed the data I held holds special meaning for you, unlike anyone else, so a deal between us was the most cost-effective. We would each get what we need, and we would maximize our profits.

What do I want now?

As I said earlier, I want freedom. I want to leave this city, even this country. I just want to escape this mess unscathed, regardless of the ‘Organization,’ the police, or the case. I want to flee to a small country in Southeast Asia and start a new life.

Yu Yongsheng? Who? Oh, the man who was relentlessly pursuing me…

I didn’t want to kill him. I just wanted to escape as quickly as possible. In my panic, I ran into Judy, who told me to hide under the eaves while she dealt with the pursuers. I never expected that woman to be so ruthless. In an instant—alas, after witnessing that scene, I no longer trusted anyone from the ‘Organization.’ They are all devils, lunatics, not a single sane person.

Why did I kill someone on the run?

Did I… kill someone?

Yes, the woman in the red car… No, I didn’t want to kill her at all. I just wanted to trick her into taking me to Moyun Town… But in the car, the demon suddenly appeared, and then…

The woman was also at fault. Not only was she not afraid at all, but she also actively threw herself into the demon’s arms. I shouted at her to leave, but she seemed completely oblivious to my words and only laughed even more wildly.

I was powerless, watching the demon push her into the icy river, watching the desperate splash of water rise before finally returning to calm.

Lu Tianfeng, let’s work together. I’ll give you all the data the ‘Organization’ is trying so hard to obtain, and you’ll help me leave D City and flee far away.

To show my sincerity, I can give you the data first. How about that?

You… there’s no reason to refuse, right?

1. A real Chinese general, but in pop culture it is also used to describe an unwelcome busybody who shows up where he/she is not wanted, effectively disrupting a plan. ↩︎