Chapter 299 - 53

Words : 1015 Updated : Oct 3rd, 2025

Chapter 299: Chapter 53The woman pounced on the table like a madwoman, her arms constrained by her clothes, unable to extend, her body twisting and curling violently like a python reacting to stress. Her eyes were so red they seemed ready to bleed, her expression fiercely savage as if aiming to devour someone. Outside the visitation room, everyone except Li Zhiyuan was visibly shaken with fear; even Tan Yunlong was not exempt from this reaction, for anyone normal witnessing this scene would feel a strong sense of discomfort. After all, she was human, one of their own kind. In a world colored by long-term peace, everyone fundamentally struggled to accept such unchecked hysterical outbursts of primal nature. Li Zhiyuan, however, felt differently. Through the glass, he could see a form of catharsis in her screams and frenzied movements. What was seen as horrifying by others appeared to him as a sign that a beneficial phase was commencing in the cycle of events. This empathic understanding wasn’t rooted in any rational explanation; it was like a drug addict who could identify where to buy supplies just by walking through city alleys, or a seasoned frequenter of brothels knowing whether a place had what he sought with just a glance. Special groups of people seemed to have a radar in their minds, sensing each other’s presence—a sort of "birds of a feather flock together." But clearly, Aunt Xu didn’t understand this, as she began to tidy up the photos on the table, believing the inquiry had concluded and no more could be gleaned from further questioning. Li Zhiyuan believed that Li Lan kept her by his side not because of her strong capabilities but because she was from his hometown, spoke the Nantong dialect, and could be used to contact his parents in the future. Even though the call would only be made several years later, it was indeed something Li Lan would do. "Brother Binbin, I know the woman inside, and I don’t want her to know I’m here." This statement was meant for more than just Tan Wenbin. After saying this, Li Zhiyuan turned and ran into the restroom down the corridor. Xu Wen’s companion helped her through the door as she walked out and saw three people standing at the entrance. Xu Wen asked, "Who are you guys?" Tan Yunlong replied, "I’m the local police where the person inside is registered. Brought them along for a visit." With that, Tan Yunlong patted Tan Wenbin on the shoulder. Tan Wenbin had, after all, dined with corpse-like figures. At that moment, he bowed his head to avoid allowing the woman to notice the resemblance between him and the "police" standing behind him, then shrugged his shoulders slightly. Xu Wen showed a trace of guilt; after all, she was responsible for causing the woman’s hysteria, so she merely nodded her head and turned to walk away, her companion following closely. When they reached the restroom, Xu Wen paused to wash her hands. The man whispered, "Didn’t get much out of her." Xu Wen, lacking this awareness, spoke in a normal tone, "She probably hasn’t been down there. She’s just severely agitated because of her husband’s issues. Where’s the next crew member’s drop-off?" "Lianyungang." "Then we should hurry up." "Are we visiting everyone?" "What else, I need to see it to believe whether he is dead or alive." "Is this place your hometown, aren’t you going to pay a visit?" "My mother has already been brought to Beijing, there’s nothing and no relatives worth visiting back home." "I heard..." "The director’s relatives—I dare not get involved, else when the director returns..." As they left the restroom and headed out, the rest of the conversation faded. Li Zhiyuan came out of the restroom and turned on the faucet to wash his hands. Thanks to being partly blind for a month, his auditory sense had further developed, and he had heard the preceding conversation. Aunt Xu was looking for someone, but not Li Lan, because Xu Wen wouldn’t describe Li Lan with the phrase "need to see the body dead or alive." Thus, the task assigned by Li Lan wasn’t related to the incident that befell Zheng Haiyang’s parents; however, Li Lan hadn’t yet returned. What kind of task could take so much time—two months already? As Li Zhiyuan shook off his hands and walked back, he contemplated that ordinarily he would have greeted Xu Wen warmly, calling her "Aunt Xu." But now, he was quite averse to any contact with Li Lan and her associates. If given a choice, he’d rather not have anything to do with Li Lan for the rest of his life, believing she felt the same. Because, whenever their mother-son encounter took place, no matter what was said or done, they were essentially stripping each other’s skin bare. The doctor came out and spoke with Tan Yunlong. "The patient is really unstable right now; another visit isn’t advisable." Tan Yunlong pointed to Li Zhiyuan coming back and said, "Just let the child go in alone; the kid, it’s pretty pitiable." The doctor looked at Li Zhiyuan reluctantly but nodded, "Alright, let him go in alone, all others must wait outside." Tan Yunlong bent down, seemingly whispering into Li Zhiyuan’s ear: "That man inside is a veteran, been on the battlefield." Li Zhiyuan nodded, "Thank you, Uncle Tan." Tan Yunlong smiled and sat back on the corridor bench. Li Zhiyuan then entered the visitation room. He sat down opposite the woman. She was no longer as crazed as before, but still catching her heavy breaths, the redness in her eyes still terrifying. Sёarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Zhiyuan just sat there, silent. He was here out of "interest," not due to any camaraderie with classmates, so he did not want to bring up Zheng Haiyang as a conversation starter. He didn’t even want to exert the effort or tactics to steer the conversation, despite his knack for doing so.

Chapter 299 - 53

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