Chapter 127: Unveiling the Truth
Chapter 127: Unveiling the Truth
Despite the lifelike appearance of the puppet, dressed in real clothing, Chen Chuan could never mistake it for a living person.
Director Lei, standing behind him, spoke up, "Did you forget something? Come out first."
Chen Chuan turned around and said, "Yes." He turned and walked out of the room. Director Lei took one last look inside; his son was playing with building blocks obediently, but he couldn't seem to get it right. He gently pushed the door closed.
When they returned downstairs, Director Lei glanced at Chen Chuan, "Did you see something just now? You can tell me anything; I'm ready to hear it all."
Chen Chuan glanced at his second self and said, "What do you see in your son, Director Lei?"
Director Lei paused for a moment before confessing, "He's reclusive, rigid, and doesn't talk much. He has no friends, but it's not his fault. He was hurt in the past and has been plagued by an unknown abnormal substance ever since. It's all my fault, so I can accept that he's not a normal child. As long as he grows up safe and sound, that's all that matters, even if he no longer recognizes me as his father."
Chen Chuan said, "Then I'll tell you what I saw."
Director Lei looked at him, awaiting his answer.
Chen Chuan looked back at him and said slowly, "What I saw wasn't a child but a puppet."
Director Lei was taken aback. He stood frozen for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and strode forward, grabbing Chen Chuan's shoulder.
Chen Chuan stood his ground without flinching. Director Lei stared at him intently, "Are you sure?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Director Lei muttered, "So that's it... that's how it is..." His eyes seemed to redden, and he shook Chen Chuan's shoulder gently, "Thank you, Chen Chuan!"
Chen Chuan asked, "Did you think of something, Director Lei?"
Director Lei took a breath and said, "Yes, it's a question that's been bothering me for two years."
He seemed to have calmed down, releasing Chen Chuan and taking a step back. He asked seriously, "Chen Chuan, can you confirm that you saw a puppet and nothing else?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I'm certain."
Director Lei nodded and said, "Then please wait here for a moment while I make a few calls."
Chen Chuan said, "Go ahead, Director Lei." He walked over and sat down on a nearby sofa.
Director Lei waited until Chen Chuan was seated before leaving the room. Despite his calm exterior, Chen Chuan could sense the director's excitement from the slight tremor in his back.
After about half-hour wait, Director Lei returned and sat on the sofa opposite Chen Chuan. He remained silent for a long time.
Chen Chuan didn't initiate a conversation either.
After another long pause, Director Lei removed his black-framed glasses, fiddled with them, and seemed to be searching for something. He wiped the lenses with his sleeve, put them back on, and looked at Chen Chuan. He spoke solemnly, "Chen Chuan, before today, I never imagined I could save my son's life in this way. Thank you."
Chen Chuan started to say something, but Director Lei waved him off, "I'm not crazy; I know you're right."
He looked up, "Two years... For two years, who would've thought that I was facing a puppet all this time?" He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I thought I was an expert in secret sect rituals, but I couldn't even recognize one right under my nose."
Chen Chuan said, "Director Lei, it seems you believe what I've told you."
"Emotions often overpower rationality, so I avoided thinking about it. But when the truth was presented, I could make a rational judgment and not immediately deny it."
Director Lei sighed, "Without your reminder, it would've been challenging for me to overcome this on my own."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment, "Perhaps it's presumptuous, but may I ask what happened?"
"There's nothing to hide," Director Lei took off his glasses again, rubbed his reddened eyes, and put them back on, regaining his composure.
"As the director of the Secret Sect Review Bureau, I often deal with illegal sects. During one investigation, my temporary residence was exposed.
I later discovered that an escaped member of the illegal sect had entered my residence and performed a ritual curse on my son. In simple terms, they linked my son to a monster tale.
I tried various methods to undo the curse, but nothing worked.
This incident caught the attention of my ex-wife. Seeing me perform a ritual on our child, she reported me, unaware that the curse, if left unchecked, could affect those around him.
Official regulations prohibit revealing such matters to anyone except law enforcers. I couldn't explain to her directly, only hinting that she should stay away from our son.
Our marriage was arranged by elders; we had no love. We didn't understand each other. If I told her, she'd likely think I was insane, making up stories to reclaim custody.
I tried to fix things, but she kept avoiding me. Until half a month later..."
He sighed deeply, "If I'd realized the issue earlier, perhaps I could've prevented this tragedy. But I also feel relieved that her death is unrelated to our son; neither needs to bear this burden..."
At this point, he picked up a water glass from the side and drank it in one go. He then placed it back down on the table with a thud.
(End of Chapter 127)
Director Lei looked up at Chen Chuan and said, "You know, for this ritual to be successful, my child must be alive. So, they must be keeping my child somewhere right now."
"Director Lei, do you need any help?" Chen Chuan asked.
Director Lei replied, "Thank you, but I have a pretty good idea where they might be hiding the child. I've already sent someone there, so we can just wait here." After a while, he continued, "But..." He took a deep breath, "We must first break this ritual."
Chen Chuan observed his expression and asked, "Is it difficult?"
Director Lei's lips trembled slightly, and his fingers slowly clenched into a fist after several attempts. "I just need to personally kill what I see, and then this ritual will be broken."
Chen Chuan's gaze intensified as he looked at Director Lei sitting there, understanding the pain he was going through at that moment.
It was no wonder that as the director of the Secret Sect Review Bureau, he had never considered this possibility. As a father, one would do everything possible to avoid the thought of harming their own child. This ritual was truly heart-wrenching.
"Can't we do it another way?" Chen Chuan asked.
Director Lei shook his head. "The original intention of this ritual is to use the cruelest means to torment the love between family members. If we don't use this method, even if we break it, it will recur." He took a deep breath and said, "As a father, I didn't fulfill my responsibility and brought misfortune to my child. So, I should bear the consequences."
He stood up and said to Chen Chuan, "Chen Chuan, I need your help again. I need you to watch from behind so that I can be reminded that it's just a puppet. Otherwise, I might not be able to do it."
Chen Chuan stood up and said solemnly, "Director Lei, I'm willing to help you, but..." He continued, "Aren't you afraid I might make a mistake?"
Director Lei looked into his eyes and said, "You're indeed a student of Cheng Zitong, and according to my understanding, you've personally handled many strange cases. The Flying Head Monster was eradicated by you, and I noticed that the intervals between your monster eradications are short, yet you remain unaffected."
"Perhaps even you don't realize it, but you possess an extremely special ability to resist certain kind of strange energy. What you say is more credible than what others say."
Chen Chuan understood that Director Lei had not only arranged for the rescue of the child but had also investigated his background. He appreciated this caution, especially since it involved the life of his son.
In the 1619 book, there is no mistake!
Chen Chuan also realized that it might not be just Director Lei who saw his child as a living person; perhaps others did too. The second self had endured the assault of the monsters, so he remained unaffected, which was the special ability Director Lei mentioned.
"Please wait a moment."
Director Lei excused himself and left. After a short while, he returned with a hammer in his hand.
"Let's go."
Chen Chuan followed him upstairs to the third floor.
As they opened the door, Director Lei looked inside, his gaze questioning. Chen Chuan glanced in and saw the puppet still huddled quietly in the corner. He nodded to Director Lei.
Director Lei tightened his grip on the hammer and stepped inside. In his eyes, he saw his obedient son sitting there, but he should have known something was wrong because his son still looked like he did two years ago.
Not a bit older.
Instinctively, he wanted to close his eyes, but breaking the ritual didn't allow for that. With leaden feet, he walked forward, raising the hammer with effort. In his vision, the child suddenly lifted his head and looked at him with innocent eyes, asking, "Dad, why are you hitting me?"
Tears streaming down his face, Director Lei said, "Xiao Ying, I'm sorry." He raised the hammer and struck it down forcefully, again and again.
In Chen Chuan's eyes, the puppet gradually cracked and broke under the hammer's blows. At this moment, the second self's fading indication seemed to intensify.
With the final blow of the hammer, a cracking sound echoed as the wooden puppet split open, and a glass bead, acting as an eye, fell to the ground.
Director Lei stood there, panting, and in his eyes, he saw only a broken puppet. With a clatter, the hammer slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.
He took a step back and leaned against the wall.
Chen Chuan looked at the second self, whose fading indication gradually disappeared.
After a while, Director Lei regained some energy and his eyes regained their sparkle. He turned to Chen Chuan and said, "Thank you. Let's go downstairs."
Chen Chuan nodded and took one last look at the puppet before following Director Lei downstairs.
Downstairs, Director Lei waited silently, anticipating a result he could accept. Chen Chuan remained silent. For a moment, the only sound in the living room was the ticking of the grandfather clock.
After about ten minutes,
"Ding-a-ling..."
The phone in the living room suddenly rang.
Director Lei quickly reached for it but paused with his hand on the receiver. After a moment, he slowly picked it up and held it to his ear, trying to keep his voice steady. "Hello, this is Lei Guangcheng."
In the empty living room, a clear and excited voice came through the receiver, loud enough for even Chen Chuan to hear, "Director Lei, we've found him! We've found the child! We'll send him to you right away."
Director Lei's eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"But he's a bit weak now. Those guys only gave him simple food and water, but he's fine. We'll send him to you right now."
Director Lei suppressed his surging emotions and said, "Thank you, Lao Gao! Thank you for your hard work."
(End)
Chapter end
Report
