You Mingxu continued: "If the second personality theory doesn't hold, and the creator of the Punisher is someone else, then how did they achieve the current situation? Whether it's what Chen Feng saw or your memory fragments, since they're fabricated, there should be loopholes. When exactly did they tamper with you both?"
This was something Yin Feng had repeatedly contemplated.
The first possibility was that the memories in his mind had been implanted beforehand. However, current brain technology couldn't achieve this. Moreover, he had undergone numerous brain examinations without detecting any abnormalities.
The second possibility was hypnosis. But genuine hypnosis in psychology was completely different from the nonsense portrayed in TV dramas and novels. No one could snap their fingers and control him—that would be magic. Of course, true hypnosis masters did exist, but even if the Punisher managed to acquire one, unless they could get close to him and gain his trust, it would be impossible to achieve. Therefore, this approach was also theoretically unfeasible.
The third possibility was what he had just told You Mingxu—those events had indeed occurred, and both he and Chen Feng had witnessed the truth, but there were hidden circumstances. Honestly, he couldn't think of any other reason that would make him stand side by side with Yin Chen and collude with that woman Su Ziyi. Unless he had a second personality, there was no other reasonable explanation.
This was why he had been straightforward with You Mingxu from the start today, stating that the most likely possibility was him having a second personality.
The logic had long been flawed; he just refused to admit defeat.
However, another remark from You Mingxu stirred something in Yin Feng's heart.
She asked: When exactly did they tamper with you both?
"What do you mean?" Yin Feng inquired.
You Mingxu replied: "I don't know and don't understand whether it's possible in your field of psychology or neurology to make someone believe falsehoods as truth. But since we're insisting on the 'no second personality' hypothesis, we must correspondingly assume that they managed to achieve exactly that.
No one can truly achieve perfection. In our view as criminal investigators, as long as something is done, traces and clues will inevitably be left behind. Think carefully—recently in your surroundings, and on that night three years ago when Chen Feng saw you with Su Ziyi, did anything unusual happen? It might be just insignificant details. The truth often hides in the details. You must recall carefully—perhaps only you can discover it, only you can refute them."
In our view as criminal investigators, as long as something is done, traces and clues will inevitably be left behind.
Since it's fabricated, there must be loopholes.
Did anything unusual happen?
Just insignificant details.
...
Actually, Yin Feng had always been someone who paid close attention to details.
But more often, he focused on behavioral details of people rather than the physical evidence and conventional logic that investigators cared about.
Therefore, when pursuing the Apprentice Killer, he would arrive at behavioral predictions like "the killer enjoys commenting on crimes online"—seemingly far-fetched, without paying much attention to conventional logic. Conventional logic wouldn't lead to this conclusion either.Moreover, the events of that night had dealt too great a psychological blow to him. Whenever he recalled them, his emotions became unsettled, and he would instantly be drawn back into the scenes described by Chen Feng or those he had witnessed himself.
At this moment, You Mingxu's words, entirely grounded in the mindset of a criminal investigator, aligned with his own thinking yet diverged in subtle ways. In his mind, there was a faint "click," like a small match igniting a weak glimmer of light. Before this, he had been lost in a fog, but now he seemed to vaguely glimpse dark, slender threads hidden within it, flashing by in an instant.
His intuition told him that something was clearly still missing.
"I see not the true face of Lushan, because I am lost in its depths."
They couldn't have targeted him without leaving any traces.
Details.
Unusual details.
...
When had he become so fixated on the idea that the Punisher had another founder and that it was a man he felt intensely familiar with?
Chen Feng's eyewitness account was from three years ago. How had he described it back then? What other details had he mentioned?
The police station office... thick case files... the clock hanging on the wall... someone looking up, a hint of a smile in their eyes... footsteps and voices in the corridor...
The hospital... a corner... that familiar dark figure... the empty storage room... vanishing into thin air...
After the banquet... the snowy lakeside... him entering the secret room... Chen Feng following... Li Mingdi on the floor... the strangely familiar leather whip... Chen Feng walking to the stairs... Su Ziyi turning around... a white shirt, glasses... a black satin miniskirt...
These scenes flashed through Yin Feng's mind, one by one, in meticulous detail. Gradually, the fog lifted, and those dark, slender threads became increasingly clear. The light from that match grew brighter and brighter, connecting the illogical details in every scene. Finally, the threads intertwined into stark, protruding veins, unmistakably laid out before his eyes!
Sitting in front of the computer, Yin Feng felt as though he had suddenly fallen into an icy cellar, his heart pounding violently.
If he insisted on holding to the assumption that there was no second personality...
Then, after eliminating all impossible answers...
The remaining person, no matter how unbelievable, was the true founder and soul of the Punisher.
He had been silent for too long, and You Mingxu's heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.
She asked, "Have you... thought of something?"
It was more than just thinking of something. The more unreasonable the situation, the narrower the path—almost like a crack—but once traversed, it led to the most astonishingly precise answer.
Yin Feng's throat felt dry as he slowly typed, "A Xu, thank you. I think I don't need to go to my death anymore."
You Mingxu: "What?"
"I already know who the founder of the Punisher Organization is."
You Mingxu shuddered. Today had felt like a rollercoaster ride—just when it seemed to be slowing down into a smooth but aimless descent, he had suddenly hurled her back into the sky.
"Who?"
"I also know how that person managed to accomplish all of this."
He typed a name on the screen.
You Mingxu's eyes widened abruptly.
Yin Feng's face, however, was already covered in a frosty expression. After typing the name, he closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them and calling out, "Guan Jun!"Guan Jun pushed the door open and entered, glancing at the densely packed words on the screen. His frustration evaporated as he exclaimed, "Teacher Yin, no offense, but are you having an online romance? Still not finished talking? The police aren’t fools either—I’m almost at my limit trying to stay hidden."
But then he met Yin Feng’s icy gaze, cold as if submerged in freezing water, which sent a shiver through Guan Jun’s heart. Damn, he thought, couples really are something else. Just moments ago, Teacher Yin had seemed half-dead, but after a few words with You Mingxu, he was fully revived? And they were actually going to overcome such a huge obstacle together?
However, he heard Yin Feng say, "Keep an eye on someone for me. From now on, I need to know every word that person says, everyone they meet, everything they do, and everywhere they go. That person is completely unaware right now and, while hiding their identity, will definitely let their guard down.
This person is about to lead the Punishers in carrying out their final criminal plan. By keeping tabs on this person, we’ll have the Punishers by the throat. It’s my turn for revenge—this time, I’ll make sure they don’t return, and I’ll uproot the Punisher Organization completely!"
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