The Mystery of the Inner Demon

Chapter 224 Aegean Bookstore

Lou Jing laughed: "It shouldn't be that bad. This person does fit your description quite well, but you just said that person was killed two weeks ago, and he should have been at work during that time. Besides..." She then looked at Zhong Kui, "Didn't you just say that the possibility of the murderer being an employee of our bank was unlikely?"

"As expected of the bank manager, you remember my words quite well. If someone as clever as you has come up with this candidate, wouldn't it be a pity if we didn't go and meet him?" Zhong Kui showed no intention of backing down.

Lou Jing led them to the second floor of the branch, where a sign for corporate banking services was hanging at the door of the office at the top of the stairs.

"Xiao You, these police officers need to see you." As Lou Jing called out, a fair-skinned and handsome male manager looked up at them.

It seems this is the Xiao You that Lou Jing was talking about.

"This is You He, the manager of the corporate banking department," Lou Jing introduced, without revealing the reason for seeking out You He.

You He looks very young; if Lou Jing hadn't told Qi Fei and the others beforehand, he would already be twenty-seven years old.

At first glance, one might mistake him for a recent bank intern.

He looked at Lou Jing timidly, his fear habitual; it seemed this female boss had left a harsh mark on him.

"Police? Is there a financial crime case that requires assistance?" This was You He's first reaction.

“No, we’re investigating a murder case. Do you know this person?” Qi Fei took out Hao Weiwei’s photo and added, “He’s an online writer, pen name ‘Supreme Original’.”

You He looked completely bewildered: "I don't read online novels, I don't know this person at all..."

"And what about science fiction?" Zhong Kui asked from the side.

After hearing this, You He's eyes swept across Lou Jing's face, and he roughly knew that this information was revealed by his superior.

The subtle emotions in Xiao You's expression did not escape Zhong Kui's notice. Strangely, there was no displeasure in Xiao You's panicked expression; rather, it seemed more like guilt and unease.

"You like science fiction." Zhong Kui answered her own question, giving Xiao You the answer.

Xiao You clenched her hands tightly and asked weakly, "What...what does this have to do with the matter you're investigating?"

"Have you read the science fiction novel *Neuromancer*?" Zhong Kui continued to ask.

Xiao You nodded, increasingly confused: "This is just my personal hobby; I don't know this person you're talking about at all..."

"Don't be nervous, we just hope you can provide some information to help us," Wu Shanqiu said with a smile, looking at Xiao You, whose lips had turned white with fear.

Xiao You glanced tentatively at Lou Jing, but her haggard face remained expressionless, showing no intention of offering her subordinate any emotional support.

"Then, what do you want to know..." he said softly, his unease growing stronger in his eyes.

“There aren’t many people who like classic science fiction these days. Have you met anyone in Baicheng who shares the same taste? Like… your clients?” Zhong Kui’s gaze towards Xiao You was quite amused. Xiao You seemed to notice Zhong Kui’s unusual interest in him and lowered his head to avoid eye contact.

"How could we talk about personal hobbies with our clients? Of course we've never encountered that," Xiao You denied.

“But you have your own little science fiction circle in Baicheng.” Zhong Kui sensed that Xiao You was avoiding the main point.

“If you really have to ask, we do have a club where we usually just discuss science fiction novels and TV series, and we organize some events from time to time. But when we meet, we all use nicknames and don’t know each other,” Xiao You said immediately. “Besides, I really don’t understand how this could be related to the case you’re investigating.” He cautiously raised his head to look at them, and his words sounded more like a rhetorical question.

“Neuromancer, that’s the online name the killer used. We have reason to believe that this person is familiar with Baicheng and has had contact with your Baisha branch,” Qi Fei replied seriously.

Xiao You was surprised and her mouth was slightly open: "This, this sounds like me..." She blurted out the words, then immediately realized that she had misspoke and hurriedly waved her hands to explain, "I, I mean according to the conditions you mentioned, theoretically, it doesn't mean that I admit that I am the murderer."

When Xiao You said these words, Zhong Kui's gaze seemed to sharpen even more, and then she mimicked his tone and said, "Don't worry, theoretically, the murder happened in Nancheng. You were working at the bank at that time, so you didn't have the time to commit the crime."

However, we are very interested in the club you mentioned. Could you take us there to see what you usually talk about?

“This…” Xiao You hesitated, “To enter the club, you need to pass a science fiction knowledge test. You can’t pass unless you’re a real science fiction fan. Otherwise, even if I take you there, everyone will be discussing science fiction-related things, and there might be some things you won’t understand.”

"What about the number of people?" Qi Fei asked.

"We usually meet in groups of about twenty people, the number is not particularly fixed."

"where do we meet?"

“Oh, we have an Aegean Bookstore here. The club was organized by the boss, and there's a party tonight. But the boss is a bit eccentric. Even if you're police officers… um…” Xiao You pursed her lips and stopped talking.

Zhong Kui became interested upon hearing this: "That's great. If you have rules, we'll respect them. It's a coincidence that I've also dabbled in science fiction. I can give the membership exam a try."

As dusk fell, led by Xiao You, the car stopped at the entrance of an old market.

The vast market shows that it was once prosperous. The signs for various small commodities, clothing and shoes in this semi-open-air, densely packed shops are still broken and preserved. The neon lights on them illuminate the tightly closed, rusty roller shutters, giving it a cyberpunk apocalyptic feel.

The Aegean Bookstore can only be reached by walking through this abandoned market. Without someone familiar with the area to guide you, you might not be able to find it immediately using only your phone's navigation.

Unlike the dilapidated and dirty area outside the bookstore, the bookstore itself was bright and clean, with its lights shining brightly.

The sound of rustling conversations could be heard from inside the bookstore, and figures could be vaguely seen moving about through the bookshelves. It seemed that the party Xiao You mentioned had already begun.

As they pushed open the glass door with its solid wood frame, a "ding-dong" sound from the doorbell rang, abruptly silencing the chatter inside the bookstore.

Dozens of eyes turned to them, passing over Xiao You's shoulder and landing on the three uninvited guests.

These people, of all shapes and sizes, men and women, were dressed in strange clothes, as if they were a group of alien creatures disguised as humans.