Chapter 58 – 67 times

Chapter 58 – 67 times
Translator: Xena

Jian Xie was right.

This was what he saw in his medical records, and it was used as one of the pieces of evidence that he needed community support from a psychologist.

And these countless calls to the police did not occur within an hour or have an interval of a few minutes—

It was within an even more exaggerated one second.

In such a short period of time, it was clearly impossible for such a large number to have been manually dialed by Jian Xie alone.

Therefore, the police determined that he was deliberately harassing them, but they could not ignore the possibility that he might have genuinely needed help. So, someone was tasked with finding out what had happened.

When they dialed back the last missed call, they found that a hotel receptionist answered the phone.

It turned out that it was from a public telephone at a hotel in a neighboring city.

According to the person who answered the phone, the individual who actually made the emergency report left the hotel several hours ago and could no longer be contacted, but they provided the family’s identification information.

In the end, the police only found the wrecked car.

After being rescued from the car accident, the police questioned him about it. Jian Xie looked bewildered, as if he had no recollection whatsoever of having committed these things.

At the same time, his mental state was also a cause for concern.

The recording Cheng Li heard was made during one of his rare moments of lucidity.

Compared to his fragile appearance and sluggish movements when he first regained consciousness after the car accident, every gesture and word from Jian Xie at the time radiated an extreme indifference. He calmly recounted the sequence of events, showing no emotion over his parents’ deaths. He deflected accusations about making frequent phone calls and pointed to a homicide committed by someone else.

After repeated verification, the police immediately dispatched officers to the location he described to investigate, but they did not find the body he claimed was there.

The name and age matched, and they were indeed living next door to the Jian family at that time.

But the dead was alive.

Was he lying… or what?

Upon learning of this, Jian Xie’s subsequent reaction was quite subtle. He paused for a moment, then actually let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Well… alright.”

After that, no matter how much others pressed him with questions, Jian Xie simply pressed his lips tightly together, refusing to say another word.

He was detained by the police for a period of time as a warning for obstructing official business, and a detailed record of the matter was kept in his file.

A year later, Cheng Li retrieved Jian Xie’s file.

Despite carefully reviewing all the documents, he was unable to explain the other’s change in behavior before and after the accident.

Cheng Li’s intuition told him that the other person wasn’t the type to joke about such matters, which made the whole thing seem very strange.

Given that the Bureau was extremely strict with new recruits with criminal or detention records, and even more so with investigators suspected of having severe mental illness, Cheng Li, after careful consideration, decided to conceal this part of the file and asked someone who wasn’t exactly a friend to alter the record…

“Please answer me.” Seeing Cheng Li’s prolonged silence, Jian Xie lowered his head, and frowned as he looked at his palm, his life line appearing disordered in his eyes. “I just want a clear answer. Is this part just my imagination, or is there real evidence to support it?” 

Cheng Li decided to tell the truth. “…It’s true.”

Almost immediately after he finished speaking, Jian Xie raised his head and stared at him with his clear eyes.

“And it wasn’t sixty-odd times, it was sixty-seven times.” Cheng Li paused for a moment before continuing, “That’s all I know.” 

A very special number.

As an investigator, he was particularly sensitive to the numbers “6” and “7.” However, Jian Xie was rarely conscious during his treatment. After his discharge, he quickly resumed normal behavior, leaving Cheng Li unable to extract any meaningful information from him.
information from him.

Ultimately, Jian Xie was a rather mysterious teenager, and there were many things Cheng Li simply couldn’t get answers to unless the person spoke up himself.

“……”

“In that case, may I ask why you called the police, and why you claimed a living person had passed away?”

Cheng Li turned his head. His expression was quite serious as his gaze fixed on Jian Xie with an intense look of inquiry. “You’re not the type to use something like this to grab attention and show off.”

Other teenagers might engage in such attention-seeking behavior, but in his view, Jian Xie would never do such a thing. Every action he took had meaning.

And those accounts did not seem fabricated.

“What exactly happened before your parents’ car accident?”

Jian Xie’s fingers tightened into a fist. Then, his voice remained utterly flat as he said, “I don’t know either. I’m trying to figure it out.” 

“……”

Upon hearing this, Cheng Li wore an expression of surprise.

Why did he say he doesn’t know?

Could it be that even Jian Xie himself cannot explain his own abnormal behavior? But he never once mentioned that his memory was failing. 

Cheng Li frowned, unable to comprehend it.

He didn’t realize that all those times the other person called the police were just to figure out the time.

“But at least now I know this part is real. Thank you.”

Soon, Jian Xie nodded to him, then pulled open the car door and stepped out.

Now that he knew this, the rest would be much easier. It was the crucial basis for him to establish the correct inference.

——Now there were only two possibilities left.

First, he did indeed intentionally make 67 calls at the same time, after which he suffered a concussion in that car accident and lost his memory.

Second, it was unintentional. Time had either reversed or frozen, enabling him to dial 67 times within a minute. The accident bore supernatural traces.

If it was the second reason…

His chaotic memories now had an explanation.

In other words, he likely came into contact with an anomalous object or encountered a monster on the day of the accident. Furthermore, this was precisely why he was chosen as It’s sacrificial offering.

Just like what happened to his neighbor.

Under a monster’s deliberate manipulation, the neighbor became a Special A-level food source, while Jian Xie himself underwent an unspeakable transformation.

“Huh?”

Seeing the person ready to leave the moment they finished their business, Cheng Li instinctively unbuckled his seatbelt, pulled open the door, and climbed out, unable to resist stopping him. “Hold on, even if we’re done here, there’s no reason to leave so quickly, right? Aren’t you going to eat? It’s almost noon already. If you just go back like this, won’t you—”  

His voice abruptly stopped.

The young man who appeared out of thin air behind Jian Xie glanced at him, his gaze betraying a hint of coldness.

At the same time, its¹It’s the small letter i this time, as in the pronoun for referring to objects and monsters. Did the author confuse it, typo? Or was Cheng Li really referring to QZ as that? knuckles landed on the car door, tapping.

Cheng Li: “……”

That was careless of him.

The current Jian Xie could by no means be described as alone.

“Alright.”

He felt a pang of regret deep inside, because once Jian Xie officially became a temporary worker, their interactions would likely become much less frequent than they were now.

After all, Cheng Li was only a B-level investigator himself. With such a vast rank disparity, their assignments were unlikely to overlap. Working together in the future seemed even less probable, so who knew when they might meet again… Given his own high risk of death in the line of duty, would they perhaps meet at his funeral next time?

“……”

He felt complicated.

He had been thinking once Jian Xie joined the Bureau, he could at least pave the way for him. But now it seemed the other party didn’t need him at all.

Cheng Li stood listlessly by the car, but still tried to use a light tone. “Jian Xie, see you next time.” 

However, just as Jian Xie took a few steps forward, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at him.

That piercing gaze sent a chill down Cheng Li’s spine, leaving him with the distinct feeling of being completely exposed. His entire body froze stiff as a board.

“A long time ago, you sent me monster data you compiled yourself.”

“From what I’ve observed, the bulk of the content focuses on alienation. So, you’re wondering how to get your original level back?” Jian Xie had no idea he’d just casually revealed Cheng Li’s secret. His expression remained cold. “Once I figure out what to do, I’ll contact you myself.”  

This might not be difficult.

As long as he can restore his neighbor, then the investigator shouldn’t be a problem either.

Cheng Li: “……”

I feel like I’m hiding my loneliness.

“I have a feeling we’ll meet again soon.”

With those words, which sounded like a curse, Jian Xie’s figure quickly vanished from his sight.

……

“You’re very quiet.” Jian Xie walked along the street, pausing briefly before saying, “You actually know what I’ve been through, right?” 

A dark mist swirled around him, silently separating the thronging crowd from his presence like an invisible barrier.

【Yes, I do.】 Qin Zhuo made no attempt to hide his voice, which was laconic and unhurried. He reached out and seized Jian Xie’s wrist, pulling him from the dangerous crosswalk onto the steps. 【When I descended into your body, I witnessed everything firsthand.】

Jian Xie’s footsteps halted.

【Why not just ask me?】 It narrowed It’s eyes. 【Are you worried I’d lie to you?】

The nearly omniscient and omnipotent evil god was naturally capable of anything. It’s power simultaneously encompassed the past, present, and future. As a being of a higher dimension, time was but a straight line to It, with every moment clearly marked.

The truth Jian Xie sought to uncover, It could see through at a glance, not to mention that It was a participant in it.

“…I just don’t want you to cloud my judgment.”

Perhaps it was intuition, perhaps it was a premonition.

As Qin Zhuo’s revelation suggested, It’s arrival was entirely connected to the events Jian Xie experienced that day.

Only by understanding the true reason for It’s manifestation could one find a relatively reasonable explanation for why this deity, who stood at the pinnacle of this world, would show such inexplicable favoritism and indulgence toward someone as unremarkable as himself—

It would only be at that time that Jian Xie would understand why It had said It liked him.

Qin Zhuo could certainly state the reason directly.

But this felt too strange to him, as if it were no different from how It had repeatedly insisted that It’s feelings were genuine. It would just be another attempt to deceive him with words.

Without clarifying this point, Jian Xie couldn’t face what was stirring in his heart—these vague…

Feelings.

【Does it really matter?】It listlessly said.

Jian Xie couldn’t help but turn his head away, feeling his face grow warm. He didn’t know how to explain to a non-human what it meant to lack a sense of security, and could only unconsciously rub the ring on his left hand: “In any case, don’t get involved. I’ll handle it myself.”

【I promise you, I will.】Seeming to sense his thoughts, Qin Zhuo chuckled softly, It’s lips curving into a smile. 【But you must answer one question truthfully.】

The traffic light ahead flashed once, suddenly changing from red to green.

The people beside Jian Xie brushed past him, walking the pedestrian crossing. Amidst the crowd, he stood alone in place, hearing a lingering voice echo in his ear.

【What kind of relationship do we have in your heart right now?】

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  It’s the small letter i this time, as in the pronoun for referring to objects and monsters. Did the author confuse it, typo? Or was Cheng Li really referring to QZ as that? ↩︎