The Mystery of the Inner Demon

Chapter 229 Ecstasy
"Hao Weiwei, haha, this cockroach and trash hiding behind the computer screen, he's not qualified to comment on my work. When I found out my work had been reported and taken down, I knew it was definitely this guy."

"This notorious ringleader of cutthroat competition, this ignorant illiterate, plagiarizing, using AI, and spouting clichéd plots to gain attention and traffic, actually claims my novel was written with AI." A reckless fire, incongruous with his age, gleamed in Luo Yong's eyes. If he were a hot-blooded young man in his early twenties, a cruel smile would have appeared on his weathered face. "Since he wants me to prove I'm not AI, then I'll prove it thoroughly with my actions."

"With your financial resources, you don't need to write novels to make a living. Why would you put Hao Weiwei to death because of his report?" Qi Fei still couldn't understand why the closer he got to the truth of this case, the more confused he became.

Luo Yong looked up at the pale fluorescent light on the ceiling of the interrogation room, took a deep breath with his chest heaving, his Adam's apple bobbing, and said five words: "Because I'm tired."

The interrogation room was silent, with only dust swirling silently in the air.

Qi Fei flipped through his notes, as if he were having a conversation with Luo Yong across a dimensional barrier: "Before interrogating you, I compiled the testimonies of Dongfang Tian and You Shuo from the science fiction group, as well as your lover Lou Jing. Of course, I also referred to your masterpiece, the book that was suspected to be created by AI, 'After the Consciousness Anchor Failed, I Was Reborn in the Third Dimension.' I still don't understand why a successful adult man with a happy family would do such an extreme thing because of a hobby?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Yong suddenly laughed—a laugh filled with mixed emotions: bitterness, exhaustion, disillusionment, and despair.

“Officer.” He turned his head to look at the one-way mirror, which reflected his angular face, though wrinkles were already faintly visible on his forehead. “I know there are other people watching behind this mirror. That’s how it was portrayed in all the crime dramas I watched when I was a kid.”

"Hmm..." He lowered his head, holding the paper cup in both hands, as if he had made up his mind. "I know what the outcome of intentional homicide is. You need a perfect case report, and I need a complete story."

"Alright, I'll waste some of your time listening to my whole story, some of which are related to the case, and some of which are not." He said, looking directly at Qi Fei with a resolute expression.

Qi Fei picked up his pen, silently agreeing to his request.

“You just said that you have spoken to many people connected to me. I think you have grasped some fragments and some clues. So let me, the person involved, string all the scattered stories together.”

You're right. I have things many people envy: a successful career, a comfortable family background, a perfect wife, and a lovely daughter. What more could I ask for in life?

However, in my fifty years of life, I have always had a secret that no one knows.

The era I was born in is very different from what you are experiencing now.

Speaking of which, I have some connection with Nancheng. I was born in Sanwu Town, which is not far from here, and moved to Baicheng with my parents when I was very young.

Back then, Baicheng was just a county town in the south with few outsiders. In the days before the internet, all my knowledge, besides books and television, came from the people coming and going in the county town.

So I never realized that, as a boy, I was any different from other people.

Until I entered university, I met someone, the kind of person you would usually call a buddy. We would stay up all night watching sci-fi TV series, discuss everything related to sci-fi, and fantasize about having the opportunity to create the best sci-fi works in China in the future.

However, what I initially thought was a deep friendship gradually changed in my heart. This was the first time I had felt the stirrings of that feeling. I began to fantasize that he and I were partners in a novel, partners, not just companions. I was very clear that I fantasized about experiencing all the adventures that only existed in novels with him.

I gradually realized that the type of boy I liked was different from most boys.

These emotions that had clouded my judgment were ultimately defeated by my reason. In panic and fear, I buried these feelings deep within my heart, forcing myself to be with the girl, but no matter how many times I tried, I could never experience the same feelings for him. Finally, I forced myself to forget it all. Have you ever tried that kind of self-castration?

I was too arrogant, thinking I could control everything, cut off all emotional ties, and devote all my energy to my studies and career.

You can't imagine the pressure, all along. I was the most outstanding member of the entire family, and so many people had high expectations of me.

I must live the most respectable life possible to maintain this expectation.

Therefore, I turned everything into calculation problems and strategy problems.

I chose Lou Jing as my wife not because I love her, but because she is the one who can help me the most, whether it's family matters or career.

Yes, I am such a selfish bastard.

After decades of uneventful married life, we've become increasingly wealthy, but also increasingly busy and exhausted.

When I came to my senses, I realized that half of my life had already passed.

People often say that I have a life that everyone envies, just like you just said.

However, to me, all of this suddenly seemed like a dream, a bubble, and lost all meaning.

I've never truly been myself. Haha, what's coming will come.

The rebellious spirit I suppressed in my youth was unexpectedly changed by a chance encounter when I was nearly fifty years old.

That time, I passed by the Aegean Bookstore because of work. For some reason, after not having been to a bookstore for many years, I suddenly felt nostalgic and went in for a while. In front of a shelf of science fiction novels, I met You He.

You wouldn't understand; people of the same kind can sense each other the moment they meet.

The moment our eyes met, I knew he felt the same way I did.

I unusually struck up a conversation with him, and he didn't shy away. We talked about science fiction, and he told me that the bookstore owner had formed a group of science fiction enthusiasts and invited me to join him at the next event.

I gladly accepted his invitation.

I still remember that night when I came to this bookstore. Men and women alike had their own nicknames; no one cared about your social status or wealth. Everyone was passionately discussing their favorite novels, and I suddenly felt an unprecedented ecstasy—an ecstasy that made me feel truly alive.