CH 421

‘The plastic surgery hospital can provide various perfect personalities to the children, and now I encounter this playroom which mimics Happiness Orphanage. Does that mean the personality implant technology has to do with the Happiness Orphanage?’ Most of the memories Han Fei had of the Happiness Orphanage were positive, even though the place was simple and old, it was his childhood.

When he was young and innocent, it was the worker and volunteer there who told him about the world and the greatness of humanity. After he grew older, the first thing he remembered about the place was the positive memories. For a long time, he believed that was all to his childhood until he lost his souls.

Without his childhood memory, kindness and sin, the blood red orphanage deep inside his mind exposed itself. At that moment, Han Fei noticed everything in his mind was dyed red, every act of goodness was bloody. As the fragmented memories clicked together, he slowly saw the truth.

‘The laughter is alone inside the blood red orphanage, as alone as I am standing here looking at the painted windows. I see how beautiful the world outside the windows is but I can’t ever leave because the windows are all just painted. There was no tragedy in my childhood. My friends, volunteers, teachers, have given me a positive childhood, but when I try to think about them, I can’t remember any of their faces. Were they real? Do they really exist? Can a healing personality heal all the wounds? If yes, how?’

Han Fei closed his eyes. Pain was like a needle that pierced deep into his brain, allowing him to see the laughter deep inside his mind. It was a madman who laughed like no tomorrow. Everything in his eyes was dyed red, his world was red. Han Fei had no idea if his healing personality was a perfect personality or not but he was sure the laughter must have the world's most imperfect personality.

“Han Fei?” Bai Xian froze at the door. He studied Han Fei inside the playroom. Other than fear, he felt worried for him. Han Fei stood before a painted window motionless like he was trapped inside a nightmare. Rousing his courage, Bai Xian slowly nudged into the room. “Han Fei!” He darted to Han Fei’s side and grabbed the man’s arm. “We can’t stay here any longer!”

Bai Xian’s voice made Han Fei lift his head. The back of his head still pained but at least now he could tell where the pain came from. As long as he didn’t try to remember his childhood, he’d be fine.

“Why did you come in here?” Han Fei instantly looked to the door, he was afraid that the guard might escape with his brother. Clearly Han Fei was overthinking this. The guard was shivering, he didn’t dare to stay in the corridor alone. When Bai Xian ran into the playroom, he dragged his brother into the room too.

‘The brother’s phone is filled with videos of children being tortured. If the white shoe is a child, then he must have been tortured, it’s normal then for him to possess resentment, but for the resentment to gather until he became a Pure Hatred? Something else must have happened.’ Han Fei had no idea if there was a connection between the white shoes and the hospital in the cryptic world but based on his experience of dealing with Butterfly, he knew that only Pure Hatred could move from the cryptic world to the real world via some kind of unique method.

‘The white shoes, the painter, and the monster who is influencing Ah Cheng’s boss, there are at least 3 Pure Hatreds at this hospital.’ Han Fei now focused on the hospital because this place appeared to be related to him. Han Fei looked around to search for info directly related to Happiness Orphanage but all the files had been wiped. If Han Fei wasn’t a resident of Happiness Orphanage, he wouldn’t have recognized the children’s playroom. This hospital hid itself well. Even the employees here wouldn’t know its secret, much less the outsiders.

‘When Immortal Pharma’s CEO was still alive, he often visited this hospital. This hospital is related to the Happiness Orphanage. His big brother gave me the black box in my mind. What are they planning?’ 10 years had passed, the CEO died and his brother was beaten until only his memory fragments remained, but even so their traces could be found all over the world. Han Fei was unwilling to leave just like that but at that moment, a harrowing scream came from the 3rd floor.

“That sounds like Ah Cheng’s boss!” The trio rushed up the stairs. When they arrived, they were shocked by what they saw. The floor, walls and ceiling were covered in white paper. All of them had the same demand—Give me back my face!

Dragging the unconscious murderer, Han Fei rushed down the corridor. He remembered the general direction of the scream and thus made his way deep into the 3rd floor. “The doorknob has no dust, someone has recently opened this door.” Han Fei stared at the room before him. He had Bai Xian record everything before he kicked the door down. The window in the room was left open and the curtains fluttered in the wind.

“Don’t come in yet! Brother Bai, keep on video-taping!” Han Fei suddenly shouted.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Xian and the guard became nervous.

“There's a smell of blood in this room.” Han Fei’s eyes narrowed. He stared at a big and new leather luggage at the corner of the room. It was the one Ah Cheng’s boss brought out from his car. The luggage was here but the man had disappeared. Han Fei started to open the luggage and black hairs leaked out from between the zippers and the bottom of the luggage started to bleed.

“A dead body?” A strange odor permeated the air. Bai Xian who was recording started to dry heave. Han Fei, who was closest to the luggage, didn't react. However, he did notice the chilliness radiating out from the luggage. Inspired, he slowly looked up at the mirror embedded into the wall. A faceless woman sat on top of the luggage he was opening. He blinked and the woman disappeared. By then Han Fei had unzipped the entire luggage. Inside the luggage were one white shoe, a latest phone, and a woman whose face was ruined.

Bai Xian’s phone dropped to the ground. After a few seconds of shock, he retreated rapidly until his back touched the wall. The guard also moved to curl up at the corner. Han Fei wanted to explore the hospital further but when he saw the dead body, he didn’t dare to move anything inside the room. This was because the situation had changed. All he needed to do now was to preserve the crime scene and wait for the police.

When he left the movie festival, Han Fei already contacted the police. They waited for 10 minutes when the siren arrived. Li Xue and several officers entered the room. The murderer was sent to the hospital. Han Fei, Bai Xian and the guard sat along the wall to wait for questioning.

Bai Xian and the guard encountered something like this for the first time. They panicked and stammered. Bai Xian even vomited. In contrast, Han Fei was much calmer.

The victim’s info was soon retrieved. She was Zhou Li, Ah Cheng’s boss’ lover. She was pretty and capable. She helped the boss deal with many under the table deals. After the police confirmed the woman’s identity, it confused Han Fei even further. At the movie festival venue, he clearly heard Ah Cheng’s boss talking on the phone with his lover. The police looked through the call record of the man’s phone left inside the luggage. He had been talking to the dead but he didn’t seem to notice it.

“Ah Cheng’s boss was very much unlike himself at the time, he must have been influenced by something.” Han Fei sucked in a cold breath. ‘The white shoes, the faceless woman and the painter, what have they done to the man?’ Ah Cheng’s boss was their first target but their next target might be Han Fei.

After calculating the time, Han Fei found Li Xue. He had been outside for far too long already. He needed to rush back home.

“Wait, aren’t you supposed to be at some kind of event?” Li Xue knew Han Fei’s new movie was about to be released. When she got Han Fei’s call, she thought Han Fei was about to invite her to the event. When the phone rang, she even thought about what to wear but when she picked up the phone, she understood Han Fei would never disappoint. The first thing he said was he had found a dead body.

“I was but something happened so I came here with my friend.” Han Fei took this opportunity to praise Bai Xian.

“In the past you gave tips to the police but this time, you’ve appeared directly at the crime scene and became the first witness. If this continues, will you end up capturing the killer yourself eventually?” Li Xue hoped that Han Fei would mind his safety.

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you? You brought an actor to search for evidence inside a building abandoned for a decade. Do you think this is some kind of live horror show?” Li Xue thought she was already a rule-breaker at the station but compared to Han Fei, she was a goody two shoes.

“I’ll be more careful next time.” With Han Fei’s aid, the evidence collection went smoothly. The suspect wasn’t that careful when he dumped the body, he didn’t seem to want to hide his trace. After everyone was questioned, Han Fei took back Bai Xian’s phone. Of course the recordings had been copied by the police as evidence.

“Brother Bai, do you feel better now?” Han Fei found Bai Xian and the guard at the corner. Their faces were white.

“How come it doesn’t affect you at all?” Bai Xian was confused.

“I work with blood at work, so I’m used to it.”

“But didn’t you work as a comedy actor before Twin Flowers?” Bai Xian was also an actor. Real blood and fake blood, they couldn’t be more different.

“Hmm, anyway, here’s your phone. The screen is slightly cracked.”

“It’s alright. Even if it’s not cracked, I don’t think I’ll be using it anymore.” Bai Xian held the wall and stood up. He looked weak. “Have you deleted the videos in it? If you have not, help me delete them. I won’t be touching any recording apps any time soon.”