My Neighbor is a Serial Killer, and I've Been Reborn - Chapter 1

At eleven o’clock late at night, a strange dragging sound came from downstairs. I leaned out the window to look down, only to see Old Man Zhang from apartment 802 dragging a black trash bag towards the garbage disposal area. The trash bag was large and irregularly shaped, and Old Man Zhang was struggling to drag it. “Throwing out trash so late?” I mumbled. But the next second, the trash bag tore open, revealing a pale, stark white arm. I was so scared I almost fell from the window. That was a human arm! Old Man Zhang noticed the torn bag, frantically looked around, then quickly re-wrapped it and dragged it into the abandoned warehouse behind the complex. I wanted to call the police, but my phone rang just as I picked it up. “Xiao Li, remember to get up early tomorrow to pick up a package. My nutritional supplements arrived.”

It was Old Man Zhang’s voice. How did he know I was watching him? I trembled as I replied, “Okay, Uncle Zhang.”

After hanging up, I immediately called the police. But when the police arrived, Old Man Zhang was watering flowers in the yard, his face full of kindness. “Officers, is this young lady under too much stress? She said I killed someone in the middle of the night. How could an old man like me have that ability?”

The police checked the warehouse, but found nothing. I pointed to the torn part of the trash bag: “It was right here! I saw the arm with my own eyes!” But the ground was clean, not even a trace of blood. The police advised me to get some rest, then left. Old Man Zhang walked up to me, smiling, and said, “Xiao Li, have you been working too hard lately? Do you want me to make you some soup to nourish your body?” Looking at his kind smile, I felt a chill run through me. This person was definitely problematic.

The next morning, I moved out. But three months later, the news reported that an unidentified female body was found in the complex, disfigured horribly. I knew Old Man Zhang did it. Another six months passed, and a similar case occurred again. The police suspected a serial killer but couldn’t catch anyone.

One year later, late at night, I was working overtime at my new home when the doorbell suddenly rang. I looked through the peephole and almost jumped out of my skin. Old Man Zhang stood outside, holding a fruit basket, his face full of smiles. “Xiao Li, I heard you moved here, so I specially came to see you.” How could I possibly open the door? But before I could react, he actually pulled out a key. The door opened.

“How do you have my key?” I retreated in horror. Old Man Zhang entered, casually closing the door. “Young lady, knowing too much isn’t good.” He put down the fruit basket and took out a sharp knife from it. “How many people have you killed?” I desperately backed away. “Not many, just eight. They were all busybody young ladies.” He slowly walked towards me, his eyes becoming sinister. I wanted to run, but my legs were too weak to move. The moment the knife plunged into my chest, I had only one thought: if I could do it again, I would definitely stop him. My vision went black, and I died.

When I opened my eyes again, I was leaning out the window, looking down. Downstairs, Old Man Zhang was dragging a black trash bag towards the garbage disposal area. It was this day again! I had been reborn! This time, I would never let him escape.

I immediately picked up my phone and started recording. This time, I would capture evidence and let everyone see Old Man Zhang’s true colors. The trash bag tore again, and the pale arm was exposed. I clearly filmed this scene. Old Man Zhang frantically looked around, and I quickly hid behind the curtains. He didn’t see me, re-wrapped the trash bag, and dragged it into the abandoned warehouse. This time, I didn’t call the police immediately. Instead, I quietly went downstairs and followed him.

The door to the abandoned warehouse was ajar, and I secretly peeked through the crack. Old Man Zhang was digging a pit. In the corner of the warehouse were several black trash bags, emitting a foul odor. I almost threw up. Those were bodies! Old Man Zhang threw the new trash bag into the pit and began to bury it. I recorded the entire process. Now with this irrefutable evidence, he couldn’t escape.

I was about to quietly leave when I stepped on a piece of corrugated iron. Clang! A loud noise. Old Man Zhang suddenly turned his head and saw me. “Xiao Li? What are you doing here?” His smile instantly turned eerie and terrifying. I took off running, but he was fast and caught up to me in a few steps. “Young lady, you saw something you shouldn’t have.” He grabbed my hair and dragged me back into the warehouse. “Please let me go, I didn’t see anything.” I struggled desperately. “Too late.” He raised the shovel to strike my head. I closed my eyes, waiting for death, but then I heard police sirens.

“Police! Don’t move!” Several police officers rushed in, and Old Man Zhang was subdued on the spot. “How did you get here?” I asked in disbelief. “Someone reported unusual activity here.” The police searched the warehouse and found eight bodies. As Old Man Zhang was being handcuffed, he glared at me viciously: “You little [expletive], you called the police?” I shook my head: “It wasn’t me.” Then who called the police?

The case was solved, and Old Man Zhang was sentenced to death. But I always felt that something was not right. Who called the police? Why did the police arrive at such a crucial time?

Three months later, I received a package. Inside was a note: “The game has just begun. Old Man Zhang was just an appetizer.” My blood ran cold instantly. There were other killers? And they knew my address. I immediately called the police, but they said there were no fingerprints on the note, so they couldn’t trace the sender.

That night, I had a dream. In the dream, Old Man Zhang smiled and said to me: “You thought catching me was the end? There are twelve of us in total.” I woke up, drenched in cold sweat. Twelve serial killers? What kind of terrifying organization was this?

The next day, the news reported a bizarre case. The victim was found with twelve needles inserted into their body. This was completely different from Old Man Zhang’s modus operandi. I knew the real horror had just begun.

I started frantically collecting information, trying to find clues about this mysterious organization. While searching for similar cases online, I discovered a strange pattern. Over the past ten years, similar serial murder cases had occurred throughout the country. The victims were all young women, and the modus operandi varied, but they all had one common characteristic: a small mark resembling an ancient rune was left on the bodies.

I compiled these cases and discovered an even more terrifying truth. Each case occurred exactly one year apart, and the locations were distributed according to a certain pattern. If my猜测 was correct, the next case would happen in three months. The location would likely be in the city where I currently lived.

I reported this discovery to the police, but they thought I was suffering from persecution paranoia due to trauma. “Miss, you need to see a psychologist,” the officer patiently advised me. No one believed me. I could only find a way on my own. Since I knew the time and place, I decided to wait. I bought pinhole cameras and installed surveillance in all possible crime locations. At the same time, I posted online, reminding young women to be careful.

However, three months passed, and nothing happened. I began to doubt if my hypothesis was correct. Until I received the second package. This time, there was a photo inside. The girl in the photo was Li Xiaoyu, who had gone missing three months ago. She was tied to a chair, her eyes filled with despair. On the back of the photo was written: “You guessed the wrong time, but you guessed the right person. She’s been dead for three days.”

My hands began to tremble. Li Xiaoyu was an online friend I had met, and we often discussed these cases. Because of my warning, she had always been very careful. But she was still killed. And the killer was clearly targeting me. They knew I was investigating, so they deliberately killed my friend. I immediately contacted Li Xiaoyu’s family, and indeed she had been missing for three days. I handed the photo over to the police, and this time, they finally took it seriously.

“How did you get this photo?” the police looked at me suspiciously. I told them the whole story, including my rebirth. Of course, they didn’t believe the rebirth part. But there was now evidence of the existence of a serial killer organization. The police formed a special task force, and I became a key protected person.

But the protection was useless. A week later, my bodyguard was found downstairs with twelve needles inserted into his body. This was a demonstration against me. They could kill anyone around me at any time. That night, I received another package. This time, it contained a key and a note: “Midnight, twelve o’clock, third floor of the abandoned factory. If you’re late, your parents will be like Li Xiaoyu.” My heart almost stopped beating. They had captured my parents!

I didn’t notify the police and went to the abandoned factory according to the address on the note. It was eerie and terrifying, filled with broken glass and rusty machinery. I used the key to open the door on the third floor, where a circle of candles was lit. In the flickering candlelight, I saw a scene that made me collapse. My parents were tied to chairs, their mouths gagged with cloth, their eyes filled with terror. “Dad! Mom!” I rushed over, wanting to save them.

“Don’t move.” A voice came from the shadows. A masked person walked out, holding a remote control. “Your parents have bombs strapped to them. If I press this button, they’ll be blown to bits.”

“What do you want?” I asked in despair.

“What do we want?” The masked person laughed. “What we want is a game.”

“What game?”

“A survival game. There are twelve of us, and just one of you. The rules are simple: you have to find the identities of all of us within one year and kill us.”

“What if I can’t do it?”

“If you can’t, you and your family will die. And every month, we’ll kill an innocent person until you complete the game.”

I was shocked by this insane proposal. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because it’s fun.” The masked person shrugged. “We’re tired of ordinary killing games; we want something new and exciting.”

“And you, you’re the player we’ve chosen.”

“Why should I believe you’ll follow the rules?”

The masked person placed the remote control on the table: “The bombs on your parents have a timer. They will explode automatically in twenty-four hours. Unless you do what we ask.”

“The information for the first target has already been placed under your parents’ chairs. You have one month to find him and kill him.”

“Remember, no calling the police, no seeking help from anyone. If we find out, the game ends immediately, and everyone dies.”

After saying that, the masked person disappeared into the shadows. I hurried to rescue my parents, but the bomb’s structure was too complex, and I didn’t dare to act rashly. I could only first get the information under the chair.

It was a photo and a file. The photo showed a middle-aged man who looked very ordinary. The file stated his name was Wang Jianguo, he worked at a nearby bank, was single, and had no criminal record. He looked like an ordinary office worker in every way. But he was one of the members of the serial killer organization. I had to find him and kill him within a month. But I had never killed anyone. How could I do it? However, to save my parents, I had no choice.

As I left the factory, I looked back. My parents were still tied there, the red light on the bomb blinking. The countdown was on. Twenty-three hours and fifty-eight minutes. I had to complete the first task before time ran out.

I started tracking Wang Jianguo. He went to work and came home on time every day, living a life as regular as a machine. He left at 9 AM and returned at 6 PM. He ate lunch at a small restaurant near the bank. On weekends, he went to the supermarket to buy groceries and occasionally watched movies. He didn’t look like a killer at all. But the more ordinary he seemed, the more dangerous I felt he was. True killers often hide behind the most ordinary appearances.

I needed to find an opportunity to get close to him and then figure out how to kill him. But how was I supposed to kill someone? Poison? Too easy to be discovered. Knife? I didn’t have the guts for that. Gun? I didn’t know where to get one.

Just as I was struggling, Wang Jianguo did something that shocked me. After work that day, he didn’t go straight home. Instead, he went to an abandoned factory in the suburbs. I secretly followed him and saw him drag a sack from the basement. What was in the sack? He put the sack in the car’s trunk and drove away. I immediately called a taxi and followed him.

He drove to a remote mountain outside the city and parked in front of a hidden cave. I hid behind a tree and watched as he dragged the sack into the cave. After a while, he came out empty-handed. After he drove away, I bravely entered the cave. The sight inside almost made me vomit. Deep in the cave, there were more than a dozen bodies, all young women. Their deaths were extremely horrifying; they had clearly suffered greatly before dying. The most recent body was still warm; it must have been brought by Wang Jianguo just now.

I trembled as I tried to call the police, but then I remembered the masked person’s threat and hung up. I couldn’t call the police; I had to figure something out myself. But seeing these innocent victims, I became even more determined to kill Wang Jianguo. This demon could not be allowed to live any longer.

I started to formulate a plan. First, I needed a gun. Through the black market, I spent fifty thousand to buy a handgun. Then, I needed to create an opportunity. Wang Jianguo went to the same restaurant for lunch every day and always sat by the window. I could snipe him from the rooftop of the building across the street. But I had never fired a gun before. What if I missed? And there were many innocent people in the restaurant; I couldn’t harm them. I needed to find a better opportunity.

After observing him, I found that Wang Jianguo went to a bar in the suburbs every Friday night. There were few people there, and he usually drank heavily. This was the best opportunity. On Friday night, I arrived at the bar early to wait for him. At nine o’clock, Wang Jianguo appeared on time. He sat alone at the bar, drinking whiskey glass after glass. I sat not far away, observing him, my hand holding the gun, my palm drenched in sweat. Could I really kill someone? Even if he was a killer, he looked so harmless now.

Just as I hesitated, Wang Jianguo suddenly turned his head and looked at me. His eyes instantly became as sharp as a knife. “You’ve been following me for a long time,” he said with a smile. My heart pounded, and I tried to remain calm: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Stop pretending, young lady. Do you think you’re well hidden?” Wang Jianguo stood up and walked towards me. “I noticed someone following me three days ago. At first, I thought it was the police, then I found out it was just a little girl.” “You’re very brave, daring to follow me alone.” He sat down opposite me, looking at me playfully. “Tell me, who sent you?”

I feigned composure: “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I just came for a drink.” Wang Jianguo smiled: “Is that so? Then why have you been staring at me?” “I just thought you looked familiar.” “Familiar?” Wang Jianguo’s smile became eerie. “Maybe you’ve seen me in the news.” “What news?” “News about those missing girls.” He lowered his voice. “You know what? They were all beautiful, just like you.” My hand secretly reached for the gun in my bag. “Are you threatening me?” “Threatening? No, no, no.” Wang Jianguo shook his head. “I’m just chatting with you, that’s all.” “Oh, by the way, what’s your name?” I couldn’t give my real name: “My name is Xiaoyu.”

Wang Jianguo’s eyes suddenly changed: “Xiaoyu? Interesting name. I remember a girl named Li Xiaoyu last month, she was also very beautiful.” “It’s a pity she was too curious and kept investigating things online that she shouldn’t have.” My blood froze. He was talking about Li Xiaoyu! He was the killer who killed Li Xiaoyu! “You killed her?” I asked, gritting my teeth. “Kill? What an unpleasant word.” Wang Jianguo raised his glass. “I just made her eternally quiet.”

“You demon!” I couldn’t control myself any longer, pulled out the gun, and pointed it at him. But Wang Jianguo wasn’t nervous at all; instead, he smiled even more happily. “So you’re the girl who’s been investigating us online. No wonder Li Xiaoyu always chatted with you; she told me all your information.” “What do you mean?” “You thought Li Xiaoyu was an innocent victim?” Wang Jianguo shook his head. “She was our inside contact, specifically responsible for collecting information on targets like you.” I couldn’t believe it: “Impossible! She helped me investigate the cases, how could she be one of you?” “Precisely because she helped you investigate, she was able to know how many clues you had. She reported all your movements to us,” Wang Jianguo explained. “But why did you kill her?” “Because she wanted to betray the organization.” Wang Jianguo’s expression turned cold. “She said she was moved by your sense of justice and wanted to quit the game. Such betrayal is not allowed.”

My worldview completely collapsed. So Li Xiaoyu had been deceiving me all along. I thought I was protecting her, but in reality, she was monitoring me. “Now you know the truth.” Wang Jianguo stood up. “So the game can continue.” “What game?” “The gun in your hand.” He pointed to my handgun. “You want to kill me, right? Come on, shoot.” He spread his arms, completely defenseless. “Just pull the trigger, and you can avenge those dead girls.” My hand was trembling. This was the best opportunity; I should shoot. But I couldn’t do it. I had never killed anyone, and even when faced with a demon, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“Hahahaha!” Wang Jianguo laughed loudly. “I knew you wouldn’t dare. You’re too kind, sickeningly kind.” He snatched the gun from me. “Game over, young lady.” The muzzle of the gun was aimed at my head.

Just as Wang Jianguo was about to shoot, the bar suddenly lost power. In the darkness, sounds of fighting and screams erupted. A few seconds later, the lights came back on. Wang Jianguo lay on the ground, a knife plunged into his chest, blood pooling everywhere. He wasn’t dead yet, and with his last ounce of strength, he looked at me: “You…you’re not alone…” After saying that, he completely stopped breathing.

I looked around in horror, trying to find the person who had just saved me. But I was the only living person left in the bar. The other customers and staff were gone. On the ground, besides Wang Jianguo’s body, there was a note: “First task completed. Twenty-four hours later, information on the second target will be sent to your home.” I picked up the note, my hands trembling. It turned out someone had been secretly helping me from the very beginning. But who was this person? And why were they helping me? I didn’t dare to stay at the scene for long and quickly left the bar.

When I got home, I found my parents had already been rescued. They were safely sitting on the sofa, the bombs gone from their bodies. “Dad! Mom!” I rushed over and hugged them. “Yueyue, where did you go? We were so worried about you,” Mom asked with concern. “I… I went to deal with some things.” I dared not tell them the truth. “Oh, by the way, someone came by just now, saying they were your friend,” Dad said. “What kind of person?” “A young man wearing a hat. He said you would understand.” “He also left this,” Mom handed me a box.

I opened the box, and inside was a phone and a card. The card read: “I am your partner. From now on, we play this game together. If you have any questions, use this phone to contact me.” I immediately dialed the only number on the phone. “Hello, partner,” a young man’s voice responded. “Who are you? Why are you helping me?” “Who I am isn’t important. What’s important is that we have a common enemy.” “What do you mean?” “This serial killer organization killed the most important person to me. I want revenge for her, and you want to save your family. Our goals align.” “Do you know their identities?” “I know some of them. I’ve been investigating this organization for three years and have gathered some clues.” “Then why don’t you just call the police?” “Because this organization has inside contacts,” the mysterious person said. “Police, government, media, they have people everywhere. Only if we act ourselves can we completely eradicate them.” I recalled Li Xiaoyu’s betrayal and believed his words.

“So what now?” “Continue according to their game rules. But this time we have the initiative because I know some of their secrets.” “What secrets?” “They have a weakness,” the mysterious person said. “These twelve people aren’t a true team, but are controlled by some mastermind.” “If we can find the mastermind, we can wipe out the entire organization in one go.” “Do you know who the mastermind is?” “Not certain, but there are a few suspects.” “I need you to continue acting according to the game rules, which will draw out more organization members.” “And I will secretly investigate the mastermind’s identity.” I agreed to his plan.

Twenty-four hours later, the information for the second target was indeed delivered. This time, the target was a woman named Liu Meili, who ran a beauty salon in the city center. She seemed like a successful businesswoman. But according to the information, she specialized in abducting young girls and selling them to the organization as experimental subjects. Those girls who went missing from beauty salons were all her handiwork. This time, I wouldn’t hesitate.

Liu Meili’s beauty salon was luxuriously decorated, with her main clients being wealthy ladies. I booked a beauty service as a customer. “Miss, what treatment would you like?” Liu Meili personally greeted me, her smile sweet. She looked to be in her forties, well-preserved, and elegant. She didn’t look like a human trafficker at all. “I’d like a full body treatment,” I replied. “No problem, we have the latest imported equipment, and the results are excellent.”

She led me to a private room. “Please change into this bathrobe first, the technician will be here shortly.” I followed her instructions and changed, secretly observing the room’s layout. Besides the beauty bed, there were some strange pieces of equipment in the room. Many photos of young girls were pasted on the wall, all smiling brightly. But their eyes were somewhat empty, as if they were being controlled. The technician entered, a cold-faced middle-aged woman. “Miss, please lie on the bed.” After I lay down, she began to apply a strange essential oil to my body. The essential oil emitted a sweet, cloying scent that made me drowsy. I realized the essential oil was problematic and quickly held my breath. But it was too late; I started to feel dizzy. “What is this?” I tried to stay awake. “Relax, it’ll be over soon,” the technician said coldly. I wanted to get up and run, but my body was no longer obeying me. The essential oil contained a powerful sedative!

Just as I was about to lose consciousness, the room door suddenly opened. My mysterious partner rushed in and punched the technician, knocking her down. “Hurry!” He pulled me and we ran out. But the other employees of the beauty salon surrounded us, holding stun batons. “Trying to run? Not so easy.” Liu Meili appeared at the doorway, her smile turning vicious. “Such a pretty young lady, she’ll fetch a good price.” My mysterious partner pulled two guns from his bag and handed one to me. “Don’t hesitate this time,” he told me.

I took the gun, remembering the missing girls, and pulled the trigger. A gunshot echoed, and an employee fell to the ground. This was the first time I had shot and killed someone, but I felt no fear, only anger. My mysterious partner’s aim was accurate, and he took care of the other employees in a few shots. Only Liu Meili was left. She raised her hands in surrender: “Don’t kill me, I can tell you the organization’s secrets.” “What secrets?” “The mastermind’s identity,” she said. “I know who he is.” My partner and I exchanged glances, deciding to listen to what she had to say first.

“The mastermind is Dr. Chen, a medical expert,” Liu Meili said. “He established this organization to conduct human experiments.” “What experiments?” “Immortality experiments.” Her eyes gleamed with a crazy light. “He wants to find a way to live forever.” “So he needs many young women’s bodies as experimental subjects.” “We are just his tools, helping him collect experimental materials.” “Where is Dr. Chen?” “In a secret laboratory in the north of the city. I can take you to the exact location.” “Why betray him?” Liu Meili gave a bitter smile: “Because I’m also an experimental subject. He injected me with a drug, saying it could delay aging.” “But the drug has side effects; I often experience hallucinations and headaches. I know I don’t have much longer to live.” “Rather than being disposed of as a failed experiment, I’d rather drag him to hell with me.”

I believed her words. But my partner suddenly shot and killed her. “Why did you kill her?” I asked in shock. “Because she was lying,” my partner said coldly. “Dr. Chen doesn’t exist at all.” “How do you know?” “Because…” He took off his hat, revealing his true face. When I saw his face, I almost fainted from fright. He was Old Man Zhang! The serial killer I thought had already been executed!

“Impossible! You’re dead!” I recoiled in horror. Old Man Zhang smiled: “When did I die? Did you see my body?” “But the news reported…” “News?” He shook his head. “That’s all fake. We have the ability to falsify any news.” My mind was a mess. If Old Man Zhang wasn’t dead, then everything before was fake?

“You’ve been deceiving me all along?” “Not deceiving, it’s a game,” Old Man Zhang explained. “From the moment you were reborn, the game began.” “What do you mean?” “Do you think you were really reborn?” His smile turned eerie. “You’re just our experimental subject.” “We’ve implanted a chip in your brain that can control your memories and perceptions.” “So everything you’ve experienced, including being reborn, pursuing the truth, and killing Wang Jianguo, are all virtual scenarios we designed.” I felt dizzy. “Impossible… this is too real…” “Current technology can achieve this level,” Old Man Zhang said. “Your body has been lying on the experiment table, your brain controlled by us to experience various scenarios.” “We wanted to know what choices an ordinary person would make when faced with extreme situations.” “Would they violate their own moral bottom line to kill?” “The result is very interesting: you did kill, and you felt no guilt.” I shook my head desperately: “This isn’t real! I can feel pain, I can feel fear!” “Of course you can, the chip stimulates your nerves to create real sensations.” “But all of this is fake. Your parents weren’t kidnapped, Li Xiaoyu isn’t dead, and Wang Jianguo and Liu Meili are all our actors.” I completely broke down. If all of this was fake, what was the meaning of my efforts? Those people I desperately wanted to save, those villains I killed, didn’t exist?

“Now the experiment is over,” Old Man Zhang pressed the remote control in his hand. “You can return to reality.” A flash of white light. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying on a metal bed. Complex equipment was on my head, and my body was secured with restraints. Around me were white walls and various medical devices. This was a laboratory.

“Awake? How do you feel?” A doctor in a white coat walked over, it was Old Man Zhang. But he wasn’t Old Man Zhang now; his work badge read: Dr. Chen. “So Dr. Chen really exists, and it’s you,” I said with a bitter smile. “The experiment was very successful,” Dr. Chen recorded data. “Your brain activity is very interesting.” “In the virtual scenarios, you showed a strong sense of justice and protectiveness.” “But when faced with a choice between life and death, you still chose to kill.” “This proves my theory: anyone under enough pressure will become a killer.” “What do you want to prove?” “Human nature is evil,” Dr. Chen said coldly. “So-called morality and conscience are just superficial disguises.” “The deeper potential is selfishness and brutality.” “You’re wrong,” I said weakly. “I killed to save innocent people, not for myself.” “That’s the beauty of human nature.”

Dr. Chen shook his head: “You still don’t understand. In the virtual scenarios, those people were fake. You killed fake villains for a fake sense of justice.” “So in reality, would you also kill real people for what you believe is justice?” “Once this way of thinking forms, it’s very difficult to change.” I wanted to refute him, but I couldn’t speak. He was right; after experiencing the virtual scenarios, I had indeed become more cold-blooded.

“The experiment isn’t over yet,” Dr. Chen said. “Next is the second phase.” “What do you mean?” “I’m going to put you back into the real world to see how you’ll act.” “You’ll find that reality is even crueler than the virtual world.”

Dr. Chen injected me with a substance, and I quickly lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself lying in a hospital bed. The nurse told me I had been in a car accident and had been in a coma for three months. “Your family was very worried about you. The doctor said it’s a miracle that you woke up.” I remembered the laboratory experience, but the nurse said I had been treated at this hospital the whole time. Could the laboratory also be fake? What exactly had I experienced? What was real?

My parents rushed to see me, their eyes filled with tears. “Yueyue, you’re finally awake. The doctor said you might have amnesia, do you still remember us?” Of course, I remembered them, and I also remembered my life before the car accident. But I remembered the laboratory and everything in the virtual scenarios even more clearly. Those memories were too real to be just dreams.

After being discharged from the hospital, I returned to my original residence. To my shock, Old Man Zhang really lived in 802. He still had that kind demeanor and actively helped me carry my luggage. “Xiao Li, I heard you were in a car accident, how are you now?” Seeing him, I thought of Dr. Chen in the laboratory. But his expression and attitude completely showed no sign of recognizing me. “Uncle Zhang, thank you for your concern, I’m much better.” “That’s good, young people need to pay attention to safety.” His words made me wonder. If he really was Dr. Chen, why would he pretend not to know me? Or was this current Old Man Zhang the real one, and the laboratory experience was fake?

I began to secretly observe his behavior. But his life was very normal; he watered flowers, bought groceries, and watched TV every day. He didn’t look like a crazy scientist at all.

A month later, a murder occurred in the community. A young woman was found in the hallway, disfigured horribly. After investigation, the police believed it was a revenge killing, but they couldn’t find the murderer. I remembered the serial killer in the virtual scenario and started to suspect Old Man Zhang. That night, I secretly monitored his room. Through the window, I saw a chilling scene. Old Man Zhang was cleaning a bloody knife. His expression was focused and cold, completely devoid of his usual kindness. I quickly took photos for evidence, preparing to call the police. But the next day, the knife in the photos had turned into a kitchen knife, and the bloodstains had turned into red tomato juice.

I started to doubt my own eyes. Was there something wrong with my memory, or was someone manipulating my perceptions? I saw a psychologist, who said I had post-traumatic stress disorder. “The car accident caused psychological trauma, leading you to develop persecution delusions.” “I recommend you take some medication to regulate your nervous system.” I took the medication as prescribed, but my symptoms didn’t improve. Instead, I saw more strange things. Sometimes Old Man Zhang’s face would turn into Dr. Chen’s. Sometimes I would see laboratory equipment appearing in my own home. Sometimes the reflection of me in the mirror was wearing a hospital gown, with electrodes on my head. I couldn’t tell what was real and what was a hallucination.

Until that night, I received a mysterious phone call. “Your medication has been tampered with,” a strange voice said. “What do you mean?” “Someone has added hallucinogens to your medication, making you unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.” “Who would do that?” “Someone who wants to control you,” the voice said. “Stop taking the medication for three days, and you’ll see the truth.” “But the doctor said…” “The doctor has also been bought off. Trust me, stop the medication for three days.” I hesitated for a moment, then decided to try. On the first day without medication, the hallucinations became even more severe. On the second day, I started experiencing withdrawal symptoms, convulsing all over. On the third day, all the hallucinations suddenly disappeared. My mind became clear, and my perceptions returned to normal. I re-examined my experiences of the past three months and found many suspicious points. The doctor always urged me to take medication, and the nurse’s eyes were strange. Although my parents cared about me, sometimes they would say inappropriate things. It was as if they were acting according to a script. And Old Man Zhang, his behavior was indeed problematic. I needed to find evidence to prove my suspicions were correct.

I began to re-investigate the murder case in the community. Through online searches, I found that similar cases had occurred across the country. The victims were all young women, and the modus operandi was similar. This highly matched the serial killer organization in the virtual scenario. I realized that the virtual scenario might not be entirely fake. Perhaps Dr. Chen used real cases as material to construct the virtual scenario. This could increase the realism of the experiment. I decided to take the initiative and look for more evidence.

Late at night, I quietly sneaked into Old Man Zhang’s room. He was sound asleep, and I carefully searched his belongings. In the bedroom closet, I found a hidden compartment. Inside were some strange things: syringes, medicine bottles, and some women’s personal belongings. Necklaces, rings, wallets – they must have been the victims’ belongings. I was about to take photos for evidence when I suddenly felt a sting in my neck. Someone had injected something into me from behind. I turned around and saw Old Man Zhang standing behind me, holding a syringe. “Young lady, you’re too curious,” his voice turned cold. “You…you’re Dr. Chen?” I tried to stay conscious. “I am me; there’s no Dr. Chen,” Old Man Zhang shook his head. “That’s just your hallucination.” “What did you inject me with?” “Some interesting chemical substances,” he smiled. “They can make you experience very special sensations.” I felt dizzy and my body began to lose control. “Why kill those girls?” “Because it’s fun,” Old Man Zhang answered simply. “Their fear, pain, despair, are all beautiful works of art.” “You’re a pervert!” “Pervert?” he mused. “Perhaps. But I prefer to call myself an artist.” “Death is the ultimate art, and I’m just creating.”

The drug’s effect grew stronger, and my vision began to blur. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, the room door was suddenly smashed open. Several police officers rushed in and subdued Old Man Zhang. “Miss Li Yue, are you okay?” an officer asked with concern. I nodded weakly: “How did you get here?” “Someone reported unusual activity here.” It turned out to be the mysterious caller who had alerted the police.

In Old Man Zhang’s room, the police found a large amount of evidence. Besides the victims’ belongings, there were detailed records of the crimes. They documented the entire process of over a dozen murders. Old Man Zhang was indeed a serial killer. But he consistently denied being Dr. Chen and also denied conducting human experiments. “I’m just an ordinary retired old man who occasionally kills a few people for fun.” “What laboratory, what virtual scenarios, I know absolutely nothing.” After examination, the doctors found that there were indeed hallucinogen residues in my body. But the source was unknown; it could have been injected by Old Man Zhang, or it could have come from somewhere else. The truth of the case was bewildering. How much of what I experienced was real? Did Dr. Chen and the laboratory really exist? Or was it all just hallucinations under the influence of the hallucinogen?

In court, Old Man Zhang was sentenced to death. Before his execution, he requested to see me alone. “Do you want to know the truth?” he asked me. “What truth?” “The truth about the experiment.” His eyes deepened. “Do you really think it’s all over?” “What do you mean?” “The experiment never ended,” he smiled. “Everything you’re seeing right now might still be fake.” “Including my death sentence, including this conversation, could all be new experimental scenarios.” “You’ll never know what’s real, because reality itself is relative.” “When your brain is controlled, there’s no difference between fake and real.” His words sent shivers down my spine. Had I truly returned to the real world? Or was I still lying on the experiment table, my brain controlled to experience new scenarios?

After Old Man Zhang’s execution, I thought everything was over. But strange things started happening again. I often saw the laboratory in my dreams, seeing Dr. Chen recording data. Sometimes when I woke up, I found needle marks on my arm, as if something had been injected. I began to suspect that I had never left the laboratory.

To verify this suspicion, I conducted an experiment. I hid a note in my room, writing, “If this is real, this note will still be here tomorrow.” The next day, the note was gone. But I distinctly remembered hiding it in a very secret place. This proved that someone was monitoring me, or my memory was being tampered with. I tried a few more times, and the results were the same. The things I hid would always inexplicably disappear. This made me even more certain that I was still in the experiment.

I decided to find the true location of the laboratory. Based on blurry memories, the laboratory should be in the industrial area north of the city. I drove there to search, going through every building. Finally, in the basement of an abandoned factory, I found the entrance. The door was locked, but I found another passage. The basement indeed contained a secret laboratory. All kinds of high-tech equipment were neatly arranged, and surveillance screens hung on the walls. The screens showed my life over the past few months. Including the current footage of me sneaking into the laboratory.

“Welcome home.” Dr. Chen emerged from the shadows, a satisfied smile on his face. “I knew you’d find this place.” “Is this really you this time?” I asked. “Of course, it’s me,” he nodded. “You performed even better than I expected.” “What do you mean?” “You successfully exited the virtual scenario and returned to the real world,” Dr. Chen explained. “This proves that the human brain has powerful adaptability.” “Even when controlled, it can still maintain a certain degree of independent thinking.” “So Old Man Zhang really was a serial killer?” “Yes, I arranged for him,” Dr. Chen said. “I needed a real threat to test your reaction.” “The virtual scenario taught you to kill, and real danger taught you to survive.” “Now you’ve advanced.” “Advanced?” “Yes, you’re no longer an ordinary person.” Dr. Chen pointed to the surveillance screen. “Look at your performance over the past few months.” “Calm, decisive, ruthless. These are all qualities of a perfect soldier.” I remembered my behavior over the past few months; I had indeed become more cold-blooded. To find the truth, I was willing to pay any price.

“You want to turn me into a killer?” “No, I want to turn you into a weapon.” Dr. Chen’s eyes gleamed with a mad light. “A perfect human weapon.” “You’re insane.” “Insane?” He laughed. “I’m saving humanity.” “This world has too much evil and corruption; it needs someone to clean it up.” “And you, you are the most perfect cleaner.” “You’ve undergone life-and-death trials, broken through moral boundaries, and gained abilities beyond ordinary people.” “Now, it’s time to begin your true mission.” He pressed a button, and the screen on the wall displayed a series of photos. They were all successful-looking people: politicians, businessmen, officials. “These people are the scourges of society,” Dr. Chen said. “They appear glamorous on the surface but are actually involved in despicable dealings.” “Your mission is to eliminate them.” “I won’t help you kill innocent people.” “Innocent?” Dr. Chen scoffed. “These people have blood on their hands.” “They’ve harmed thousands of ordinary people, but the law can’t touch them.” “And you can do what the law cannot.” I looked at those photos, remembering the thrill I felt when I killed the villains in the virtual scenario. That sense of righteousness, of eliminating evil for the people, began to well up again. But I knew this was wrong. “I won’t be your killer,” I said firmly. “That’s a shame,” Dr. Chen shook his head. “It seems more training is needed.” He pressed another button. Gas was released into the room, and I quickly lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was back on the metal bed. Electrodes were on my head, and my body was restrained. “Phase three of the experiment begins,” Dr. Chen entered data into the recording equipment. “This time, I will completely reshape your personality.” New virtual scenarios appeared on the screen. This time, I was no longer the victim, but the hunter. I would hunt down those criminals in the virtual world. Every time I killed one, I would experience pleasure and a sense of accomplishment.