Chapter 115: The Truth |
Who could have wielded a blade and killed people in that brief twenty minutes?
The answer is, anyone could have.
Within the hospital, there were numerous mental patients, many of whom were highly aggressive. Taking advantage of the recent chaos to kill would be a piece of cake for them.
But clearly, to cause such precise injuries, one would need not just a motive but also a tool.
The wounds were so clean, almost unnaturally so, as if they were a single, clean cut that severed muscle, tendons, and bone with no jagged edges.
Undoubtedly, the blade used to achieve such clean cuts had to be exceptionally sharp, like "cutting through iron as if it were mud."
So, who could obtain such a high-end blade in a nearly sealed mental hospital where patients had their personal belongings confiscated upon admission? Guan Shan could say, of those in the hospital at the time, only two people could have done it.
Xiang Wen, and… himself.
"Xiang Wen could have done it, but did he have a reason to?" Guan Shan tried to justify, "Even if he had a sadistic desire to kill, he could have used the patients he controlled to vent, rather than targeting the more noticeable orderlies."
He must have been delayed for some reason, and it's plausible he suddenly went mad, right?
While Guan Shan was deep in thought, Wei Hong came over, asking, "Hey, big reporter, have you finished your news article?"
Guan Shan closed his laptop, put it in his bag, and stood up. "It's mostly done. Just waiting for police confirmation."
The news about Xiang Wen and the building collapse had been published. As for Xu Rong, that story had been reported many times, lacking only the final verdict. As a responsible journalist, he had to wait for the dust to settle.
Wei Hong slapped his shoulder, laughing heartily. "Why wait? Just inform Xia Lei, and it's done."
He thought for a moment, "But he's a bit busy now. You can contact the logistics team directly; they'll handle it. Rest assured, as long as it's legal and reasonable, the Special Security Group can sort it out for you."
Guan Shan was stunned.
Wow, does the Special Security Group have this much power? His initial understanding of the group was definitely off! He felt like he'd boarded a pirate ship.
No, pirate ship seems inappropriate, a pleasure boat? No, that's even worse...
Guan Shan shook his head to clear his thoughts, asking, "Anything else?"
Wei Hong pointed his thumb at the hospital building. "Xiang Wen and his accomplice's bodies have been excavated. Want to identify them?"
Guan Shan looked at the ruins, hesitated, and said, "I think it shouldn't be hard to identify, right? You must have his information. I have something else to do..."
Wei Hong was puzzled, "We do have Xiang Wen's info, but the other guy isn't in the database. He likely altered his appearance and identity. According to Jiang Siyan, you're the only one who's seen his true face."
Guan Shan: "..."
When did he see the true face of the "second voice"? And why was Jiang Siyan so sure? Guan Shan felt an increasing sense of foreboding.
But refusing to go seemed unreasonable...
He finally sighed, "Alright, I'll go take a look."
At the cleared ruins, Guan Shan looked at the beheaded body, lost in deeper thought.
Xiang Wen's body was clearly partially crushed by the fallen dome, but the way his head was detached had nothing to do with the building.
Because… it was as smooth and clean as those on the orderlies' bodies.
Alright, no more excuses.
Could Xiang Wen have killed everyone and then committed suicide?
Even if others believed that, Guan Shan couldn't convince himself.
Xiang Wen didn't escape because he was already dead!
The killer of the orderlies and him was the same person…
"So… there's only one answer."
Guan Shan took a deep breath, looking at the dark sky, feeling his worldview being shattered, "This damn simulator never transported me to any virtual space!"
Wei Hong beside him said, "This is Xiang Wen's accomplice. Look… what's wrong?"
He noticed Guan Shan suddenly deep in thought, wondering if all strong individuals had eccentricities. Guan Shan took several deep breaths, then showed a professional smile, "Nothing, just had a sudden realization."
Wei Hong felt a chill, thinking the night had gotten colder, scratching his head, "Glad you're okay."
Guan Shan walked over to the body, covered by a transparent shield. The man had a gloomy, unkempt appearance, about thirty years old, with black spots and scabs all over his skin, looking like an anthrax patient.
The body, though seemingly intact, was actually shattered and pieced together.
"Did I really cut that many times..."
Despite feeling nauseous, Guan Shan couldn't help but mutter.
Wei Hong heard clearly, "???"
You don't know how many times you slashed? No wonder the shadow Esper ended up like this…
Physical-class mutation-type Espers, despite their transformations, still had a "transformation" process.
For example, a "lizardized" Esper in Worker Bee could revert to human form and couldn't maintain it after death.
The same applied to the shadow Esper.
The attacks suffered while shadowed manifested on the human form after death, resulting in this gruesome state.
Wei Hong pretended not to hear, saying, "Is it him?"
Guan Shan wasn't entirely sure, as he saw only rolling black mist and pus-filled blisters during the fight. Even the final BOSS kill revealed only a broken skeleton.
But given the state of the body and its features, it had to be the "Anthrax Patient" he battled for so long.
Guan Shan closed his eyes, exhaled, and nodded, "Yes, it's him."
So this was the truth?
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