"I replied, 'Ever since I gained some renown, I haven't had any personal time, but it's fine. I'm used to this life.'"
In the library at home, I was organizing some of my mother's past works, flipping through a book by Ye Xue Liu Hen titled "Gui An Shen Jing: Zhui Tian Zhe" (Forensic Investigator of Strange Cases: The Fallen). I was just casually reading when, in chapter 12, I stumbled upon a hidden sentence: "Perhaps I won't be able to finish this work, as someone has been watching me lately. Is it because I was once a drug enforcement officer? I don't do that job anymore; I just want to write novels in peace. Why? Why are those people doing this? Can't they just leave me alone? I can't tell Guanghui about this, as it would affect his current work. You know he's like the old man now, I can't affect him at this time. I hold my stomach. If you were me, child, wouldn't you make the same decision?"
My eyes widened. This book was written by my mother thirty years ago. Based on my age, if I wasn't born yet, it meant that suspicious individuals had been targeting our family even then.
I continued reading "Gui An Shen Jing: Zhui Tian Zhe." I discovered that starting from chapter 12, my mother would suddenly leave suggestive remarks at the end of almost every chapter or in certain sections.
This book had always been on a shelf in a corner, but I had never noticed it.
When I reached chapter 15, another astonishing name appeared before my eyes.
"He Sheng, that's the name your father gave you. I don't know if I can last until that day, but no matter what, I will persevere until after you are born. I will definitely persevere. Don't worry! I won't let you be affected."
The end of chapter 16 read: "He Sheng, as I write this chapter today, I almost cried. How could this happen? Is my depression getting worse?"
A small corner in the middle of chapter 17: "Yes, He Guanghui has also noticed recently. Those people have found our family again. These bastards, when will they ever stop."
...
I read all the way to chapter 923. I skipped many parts because I realized that my mother had been writing this work ever since those people started watching her. She stopped updating it until before she became involved in that incident, which was chapter 923. After that, I never saw any more updates.
That was the very day my parents were both killed. My uncle had told me about the events of that day. I had thought the situation was as he described, but upon seeing this chapter, I discovered new doubts.
"Due to a mysterious mission, I was re-invited back by the police force. I could have refused anytime, as I hadn't been in the police for years. However, Director Zhang said that because those people didn't know I was in hiding, I still had great value. So, He Guanghui and I carried out that mission. It was raining heavily that day. The special forces and armed police followed us to the drug lord's lair, a huge desolate mountain. We searched everywhere. Due to the harsh environment and our unfamiliarity with the surroundings, we soon got lost. Even more unfortunate, we got separated from the armed police and special forces.
Later, it was just you father and I walking. As we entered a swamp, a large group of people in camouflage suddenly appeared, surrounding us with guns...
Those people had strange Polaris symbols painted on their faces, and a silver cross covered almost their entire faces. Their teeth were painted red. Besides submachine guns, they carried sharp nine-ring swords on their backs.
At that time, He Qiming (my uncle) seemed to be watching from nearby, probably with some special forces. But if he had appeared then, it would have only led to his death.
There were about a hundred of them. Their leader was Pierce. His characteristic was that he had many body doubles. In fact, two years ago, we all thought we had killed him, but unexpectedly, he reappeared two years later.
It was then that we realized the person we had killed earlier must have been another of his doubles.
'Detective Guanghui, Writer Li, I didn't expect it to be really you! Hahahaha, are you surprised to see me again? That's right, you were tricked by me. The person you killed on the cliff before was not me at all!!' At this point, my mother indicated the foreigner's voice.
'Pierce, if I could catch you once, and a second time, there will be a third time. No matter how many times you escape, the result will be the same! But because of your constant running, do you know what you've become? A stray dog! Do you understand?'
'Heh, Detective Guanghui, is this a psychological tactic? This method won't work on me. Kill them all for me. Today is a good opportunity!'
At that moment, the people in camouflage shed their outer clothes, revealing long black robes. Pierce also took off a jacket, revealing his muscular physique and tattoos. He wore a Polaris pendant on his chest, which, according to my mother's description, looked exactly like the one Father Raynald gave me."
Reading these words, I touched the Polaris pendant on my chest and realized it was incomplete on the back. If I guessed correctly, this Polaris pendant was part of a pair, and the other was still with the real Pierce. And Pierce was definitely still alive. If I hadn't read my mother's novel, I would never have known I had been deceived by him all along.
The doubt I mentioned earlier refers to this. But it's no longer a doubt; this guy is definitely still alive.
The ones we arrested before were most likely just another of his body doubles.
I continued reading: "As soon as Pierce gave the order, all the men in black drew the swords from their backs and held them to my and your father's necks. Those were dozens of nine-ring swords, but my father and I were not afraid. We were ready to face death. I thought I was doomed. Suddenly, Pierce produced a gun and pointed it at my head: 'Writer Li, it's time to go. Didn't you do well just writing novels at home? Why did you have to come out and risk your life for this police husband? Do you know that it's because of your recklessness that you won't live to see today? Well, I know you have a child, and I heard he's not small anymore. Don't worry, after you die, I'll spend my time playing with him slowly, until one day he also dies in despair like you. Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!'"