Chapter 379: Execution

"The one who ordered the assassination of my fiancée was Wang Xian's stepmother, and the one who got me fired and left me nowhere to turn was his father. Yet, for the sake of revenge, I made Wang Xian pay with his life."

"During the few months I spent interacting with Wang Xian, I watched him walk step by step into the abyss, right into the trap I had woven for him."

"I was the one who turned a bright, cheerful boy in the prime of his youth into a tool for revenge. I exploited his naivety, magnified his misfortune, brainwashed him, and destroyed his hard-won life."

"To be honest, I regretted it. From the moment I learned Wang Xian had jumped off that building, I regretted it."

"I ruined half of the massive Wang Family, and my fiancée was more or less avenged."

"That should have been the end of it. But then something happened that I still can't wrap my head around to this day."

"That night, as I picked up my phone and turned on my computer to delete all my files on Wang Xian, his messaging avatar suddenly flashed."

"I am absolutely not lying. The dead Wang Xian had sent me another message!"

"I am a staunch atheist who values reason and logic, so at first, I assumed it was the police probing me. I didn't pay it any mind. I deactivated all my accounts, then hurried to pack my things and leave."

"I moved to a completely unfamiliar city, ready to start a brand-new life, but..." Du Yu lowered his head. The smile vanished completely from his face, replaced by a trace of deeply hidden pain and guilt.

"But it seemed Wang Xian had followed me there."

"Just like the psychological suggestion I used on him back then, I could always hear his voice. I always felt his presence lingering around me."

"Sometimes, my brand-new phone would receive inexplicable text messages. The tone and phrasing were exactly identical to the dead Wang Xian's."

"I don't think it was someone impersonating him, because those messages would automatically disappear after a while. I have never heard of the police possessing that kind of technology."

"I forced myself to calm down and think the whole situation through. I scrutinized my life and even moved far away from the big cities, hiding in the deep mountains to meditate in peace. Yet Wang Xian's voice would still unexpectedly drift into my ears."

"I suspected that I had developed a psychological disorder myself from being too invested in hypnotizing Wang Xian. I sought medical help everywhere, but every doctor's examination concluded that I was completely normal."

"I hadn't been reverse-hypnotized, nor was I lost in self-suggestion, yet traces of Wang Xian frequently appeared in my life."

"To find answers, I fled abroad and studied at a top university. But no matter what I tried, Wang Xian continued to follow me."

"I was the only one who could sense his existence, and it couldn't be explained by psychology, neurology, or philosophy. I was tormented by him day and night, fading from panic into numbness."

"During those five years abroad, Wang Xian appeared more and more frequently. I began to realize that he might not be a figment of my imagination, but a genuine lifeform existing in another state."

"As an atheist, I couldn't irresponsibly claim that Wang Xian was a ghost. Just like a defense in court, I needed sufficient evidence to convince myself."

"So, I began searching for proof that ghosts and monsters truly existed. The question of whether or not ghosts exist in this world is incredibly difficult to answer from a material standpoint, which doomed my exploration to be an arduous one."

"A few weeks ago, I returned to the country to pay respects to my fiancée, and it was then that I stumbled across a very interesting supernatural-investigation live stream."

"Live streams are different from pre-edited videos—they are very difficult to fake. Moreover, unexpected things happen during every broadcast. It didn't feel scripted."

"Granted, the viewing experience of that stream was absolutely terrible—the screen would occasionally go black, the feed would frequently drop, and there were even multiple times where the Streamer abandoned his audience to run for his life." Du Yu swept his gaze over everyone pointedly. I gently wiped the sweat from my forehead, took the Brooch out of my pocket, and pinned it back on.

"But it was precisely this terrible stream that gave me a long-lost sense of reality. The Streamer wasn't acting; he might have genuinely encountered a supernatural phenomenon."

"I am a hardcore skeptic."

"To be one hundred percent certain of the stream's authenticity, I stepped in to help him out once. In return, I wanted him to bring me along for a broadcast."

"If I could see a supernatural phenomenon other than Wang Xian with my own eyes, then Wang Xian's existence could also be clearly explained. The hidden veil of this world would be completely lifted."

Du Yu's story ended there. From reality to the supernatural, from an unbelievable murder by psychological suggestion to being haunted by the spirit of the boy who jumped from the building—the thrilling suspense of it all sounded utterly flat coming from Du Yu's mouth.

After hearing him out, the others had varying reactions. The electric shock didn't trigger, proving that everything Du Yu had said was likely true.

"Are there really ghosts in this world?" Number One Wang Shi tilted his head back and looked at the dim yellow lights. "I don't believe it. As a traditional suspense novelist, the people I despise most are those who use the banner of ghosts and monsters to explain supernatural phenomena."

"If it were before I came here, I definitely wouldn't have believed it either. But just now, I saw the woman I dismembered standing outside the door. Is there any explanation other than a ghost?" Number Six had been in a trance ever since he saw the scene outside the door.

"Could it be the victim's twin sister? Or maybe just a projection? The lighting outside is dim, and given the critical situation at the time, it's entirely possible that you were panicking and hallucinated," Wang Shi argued. The others didn't interject.

The results of Du Yu's vote quickly came out: zero votes.

He seemed to have expected this outcome all along. Unbothered, he sat back down in his original seat, lost in thought.

Soon, the siren blared in the room, ten minutes earlier than before.

"It's time for the second accusation!"

The moment the siren sounded, rustling noises came from outside the iron door. It sounded like footsteps, but also like nails scratching against the door panel.

"The doorframe is already deformed. If we don't quickly choose someone to sit in the Electric Chair, we'll all be in danger." The deaths of Number Eight and Number Nine let everyone present know that inside and outside the door were two different worlds. That door absolutely could not be breached.

"The person accused will die whether they're the killer or not. To be fair, let's decide by voting." Number Seven Jin Zhouzhe was the first to speak up. "Everyone, don't hesitate any longer. Every second we delay makes our situation ten times more dangerous. Let's start the vote."

Number One Wang Shi's expression shifted unpredictably. His gaze ultimately landed on Wang Yuchun, his eyes like awls, making Wang Yuchun's full figure tremble slightly. "I believe the killer is Number Four, Wang Yuchun."

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone understood what he meant.

Number Four Wang Yuchun was the only person who had received a pardon vote. Killing her would put everyone back at the starting line.

That was the first reason. The second was that she was inherently in a vulnerable position. Her soft, delicate arms didn't look like they possessed any strength to resist.

"I also think the killer is Number Four, Wang Yuchun." Number Six Zhang Bei gave a sinister smile, taking the opportunity to grope Wang Yuchun.

"We're an alliance, Number Six! Think this through! We can vote for someone else together!" Wang Yuchun shrieked and dodged away. Her hair disheveled, she screamed at the crowd, "Let me go! I'm really not the killer! I swear on everything I have, I am absolutely not the killer!"

"I agree to execute Number Four." Number Seven Jin Zhouzhe's words carried not a trace of emotion, his voice freezing cold.

"Number Four, I could have protected you, but now I also think you're the killer." Number Five Tian Teng patted his chest and laughed with his mouth wide open.

"I also choose Number Four." Number Eleven gave Wang Yuchun a calm look, a hint of pity in their eyes. "If you don't die, the rest of us will."

"Five out of eight people voted for you, Wang Yuchun. Just make the sacrifice." One second Number Six was still talking, and the very next, he suddenly drew his knife and slashed open Wang Yuchun's right wrist. "Don't fight it. Just obediently accept your fate."

Number One Wang Shi and Number Six Zhang Bei restrained Wang Yuchun at the same time, pressing her down next to the Electric Chair. Under the threat of death, Wang Yuchun struggled with all her might like a wild beast, but the disparity in their strength was simply too great.

"Wait a moment." Du Yu grabbed a chair, jogged over to the Electric Chair, and smashed it right into the siren.

The flashing police light shattered, the siren stopped, and the knocking outside the door also paused.

But just when everyone thought they had averted the crisis, an even more ear-piercing noise echoed through the cell.