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Chapter 84: The Final Bet
At this moment, the mist had dispersed, and the moon was shining brightly in the tranquil night. The mansion was enveloped in the silvery moonlight, a splendid Baroque building standing in the deep mountains. Its exquisite exterior had been eroded by time, resembling an old woman with snow-white hair. Its once beautiful appearance had faded with wind and frost, leaving weathered lines on its withered cheeks. The two French windows, like sunken, hollow eyes, were now gazing at an unexpected guest.
He Wei stands in front of the mansion. This mansion was a creature that twisted time and caused Cheng Zesheng’s death. He has gone back in time countless times, standing in this position this late at night, just to save Cheng Zesheng and prevent the tragedy from happening.
If nothing else, Cheng Zesheng and He Wei should be at the 5 o’clock position in the rear, observing him and trying to guess his identity. He Wei had hoped that the man in black might be someone else, but faced with the undeniable truth, he could no longer struggle. He had to admit that perhaps in a previous loop, it was he who accidentally killed Cheng Zesheng.
As for Cheng Zhenqing’s disappearance, whether it was accidental or inevitable, He Wei doesn’t know. Perhaps, as he said, people outside the loop’s main characters couldn’t access the crime scene. Even if he found the mansion, they existed in different time frames, and he could not prevent the murder.
He Wei steadies his mind; this is his destiny, and he must face it. Escaping wouldn’t change the outcome. He adjusted his hat’s brim and walked confidently toward the mansion’s courtyard. He removes the rusty lock from the gate without wearing gloves or a mask. He had them prepared in his pocket, but he felt it was unnecessary. The He Wei from the past is aware of his presence, and with his intelligence, he should have guessed the true identity of the man in black from the moment he appeared.
Inside the mansion, it was dark and quiet, with only the moonlight seeping through the French windows and casting a frosty glow on the floor. He Wei surveys the surroundings, and his gaze falls on the cabinet. Cheng Zhenqing once hid him here, and now he was hesitating whether to follow the same script this time, hiding in the cabinet and waiting for the two to enter.
The biggest variable this time was that he didn’t have a weapon. Who would be able to kill Cheng Zesheng if he didn’t follow the script? If he didn’t follow the script and confront Cheng and He face-to-face, what would the future hold?
Just then, a gunshot rang out beside him, followed by the shattering of the glass in the balcony’s French window.
He Wei was startled and quickly turned around, but he didn’t see anyone. The mansion’s door was pushed open, and footsteps approached as if someone were entering the mansion. However, he still couldn’t see who it was, only feeling a tense presence and the rapid beating of his own heart.
What’s going on?
Another gunshot and Cheng Zesheng’s voice cried out:
“He Wei! Come over! It’s a trap!”
He Wei instinctively rushed over to the center of the living room, and a third gunshot rang out.
The bright red stain gradually appeared on the shirt on his chest. He touched his chest, becoming increasingly panicked. This wasn’t his blood; he was not injured. Had Cheng Zesheng been shot? But where was he? Why couldn’t he see him?
The sweet scent of blood in the air grew stronger, and a pool of blood started spreading on the floor. He Wei’s hands were covered in blood, and he trembled slightly. It was as if he could already see Cheng Zesheng’s lifeless body right in front of him, with a pale face and lifeless eyes and no chance of waking up.
He Wei’s knees weakened, and he knelt on the floor. Although he couldn’t see what was happening, his sense of smell remembered what had just occurred. He recalled the gruesome death of Cheng Zesheng in the previous loop.
The fog that had just dissipated began to thicken once more.
For some reason, even though he’s inside the mansion, the fog is so dense that he can’t see a thing. He bites his lip, closes his eyes, and shakes his head to force himself to stay calm. No, this is what happened in the previous loop. He has gone back in time again! Cheng Zesheng hasn’t died yet; he won’t let him die!
Despite his trembling hands, He Wei tried to check the time. Sure enough, it was 2:50 a.m., even though it felt like a long time had passed since he saw the mansion and entered it. Time hadn’t moved at all.
Something was off here. This wasn’t the real world, or at least not the world he was from. He Wei stood up, holding onto his knees for support, and started to move and explore. The fog had become so thick that it obscured the moonlight, and he couldn’t see anything. With each step he took, he felt like he was walking through a wet, bloody puddle, and each step reminded him of Cheng Zesheng’s urgent call for him to come over.
In the eerie and horrifying fog, He Wei heard footsteps approaching from a distance. The footsteps were getting closer and closer, then they stopped, and a blurry figure appeared in front of him. He Wei couldn’t make out who it was and lowered his head, only seeing a pair of feet wearing blue sneakers with a snake-skin pattern, similar to a pair he owned.
A pair of slightly cold hands place something metallic and icy into his hand.
“Your gun; it’s here.”
“Who are you?” He Wei touches the cold barrel of the gun. It was a real firearm, not the toy gun he had in his pocket. He didn’t bring a gun with him because he didn’t want the murder to happen. Why was this being forced upon him now?
He felt a push on his back, and the voice said again, “Go; you know what to do.”
He Wei stumbled, and the ground beneath him produced the crisp sound of twigs breaking. He pauses, confused. He was not in the mansion anymore; he was standing on a grassy field filled with dead tree branches.
He was startled, as if waking from a dream, and looked around. There was no fog, no blood, and the mansion was still across from him. But he was standing in the same spot, and he hadn’t moved a step.
However, he now held a genuine type-92 pistol, and in the moonlight, He Wei realized that this might be the very weapon used to kill Cheng Zesheng.
He gripped the gun tightly, reflecting on everything that had just happened. Suddenly, he understood why the previous He Wei in the loop might have wanted to kill him to break the loop.
Because he must do something. If he were to enter the mansion calmly, with nothing happening, he might be plunged into an even more chaotic and terrifying overlap of events.
He Wei put on a mask and gloves, pressed down the brim of his hat, and approached the mansion again.
———
Three minutes to ten past three, Cheng Zesheng and He Wei witnessed the entry of the man in black into the mansion. They stood there silently, not saying a word to each other.
“I think it’s my future self.” He Wei whispered, “I had suspected in the past that he killed the pianist because the murder weapon was in his possession. Now, he’s appearing at this moment, it can’t be a coincidence.”
Cheng Zesheng disagreed, “No, the killer can’t be him.”
“Why are you so sure?”
“Because… he’s you. How could you possibly kill someone unrelated to you?”
“…” He Wei stared at him, sternly stating, “I’ve told you, he is him, I am me. Don’t confuse us. So far, his actions have left me puzzled, and we don’t know if there are any hidden conflicts between him and the pianist. So, don’t jump to conclusions so soon. I’m afraid your trust might be shattered later.”
Cheng Zesheng and he locked eyes, sighing in resignation. He Wei held such strong animosity toward his future self, and it left Cheng Zesheng somewhat baffled. Why would someone dislike himself to such an extent?
“Bang!”
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out from inside the mansion. Cheng Zesheng stood up abruptly and stepped out of the bushes: “I’ll go check inside!”
“Hey!” He Wei hurriedly followed him, and his heart began to race. What’s going on? There was no one inside, so why did the gunshot happen?
Once they both entered the mansion, they found it completely empty, and they began to investigate for clues. However, they were unaware that He Wei was hiding in a low cabinet, observing everything.
He watched Cheng Zesheng crouching on the ground, examining footprints, and then looked at He Wei, who was inspecting the shattered balcony glass. In his mind, he was racing against time to make a decision.
With the gun in his hand, it meant he was destined to kill someone. Who should he point the gun at? If he chose his past self, perhaps the paradoxical rules would have Cheng Zesheng take his place in death. But if he killed Cheng Zesheng… then what would be the point of coming back to save him?
In his mind, the words “loop, death, and salvation” kept alternating, and He Wei was on the verge of losing his mind. Why was he forced to make this choice? If he had to choose between his and Cheng Zesheng’s lives, he would rather it be his own!
Suddenly, a strange thought popped into his head.
Once it appeared, he couldn’t stop it. He clenched his teeth and realized that he wouldn’t know the result unless he tried. After crawling out of the cabinet, He Wei raised his arm, and the gun was pointed directly at Cheng Zesheng.
Cheng Zesheng looked surprised. He looked into He Wei’s eyes but was not afraid, instead, he asked softly, “…He Wei?”
He Wei stared at him, trying to suppress the painful emotions in his eyes. Cheng Zesheng felt puzzled, he stood up and approached slowly: “What’s going on? Why did you…”
“Don’t come any closer!”
He Wei sternly shouted, and Officer He, who stood on the balcony, was shocked: “Hey, He Wei! Are you out of your mind?! He’s not the pianist; he’s Cheng Zesheng from another world!”
“I know.” He Wei’s tone remained calm as he took a deep breath. “The one I want to kill is him.”
Cheng Zesheng was utterly bewildered, maintaining eye contact with He Wei. He felt that He Wei must have a reason for pointing the gun at him. Even though he wasn’t going to let him come closer, he still walked toward the gun’s barrel. “First, put the gun down. Can’t we talk about this and solve it together?”
He Wei smiled, a bitter smile hidden behind the mask. His fingers twitched several times, struggling to pull the trigger, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had never imagined that he would point a gun directly at Cheng Zesheng, the person he loved most. Killing him with his own hands would be far more painful than watching him die while protecting him from a bullet.
However, it was a chance, a chance that could potentially break the loop.
He Wei gritted his teeth and finally began to squeeze the trigger. “Bang!” The bullet had just left the barrel when a strong force collided with him, pushing him aside. This shot missed its mark. Another He Wei lunged from behind, overpowering him and pinning him to the ground. He caught sight of the smoking bullet hole in the floor, and his heart raced.
“You actually wanted to kill Cheng Zesheng?!”
He Wei sneered, “Didn’t you see it? Why bother asking?”
The two He Wei wrestled on the ground, with Officer He doing everything in his power to wrest the gun from He Wei’s hand. He Wei refused to give in, and they fought fiercely. Cheng Zesheng watched anxiously, wanting to separate them but unable to find an opportunity. At a critical moment, another gunshot rang out, and the two struggling figures quieted down, lying on the floor next to a spreading pool of blood.
He Wei’s chest continued to ooze blood, soaking his white shirt, and his life was slipping away with each passing second. His consciousness began to blur, and Cheng Zesheng and Officer He were in a state of panic and were hovering around him.
“He Wei! How are you?!”
“I don’t know why the gun went off, and I didn’t shoot!”
He Wei witnessed their frantic expressions and tried to say something but couldn’t make a sound.
Indeed, it wasn’t Officer He Wei who had fired the gun; it was him who had pressed his hand and pulled the trigger.
He couldn’t kill his past self, but his past self could kill him.
This time, he didn’t know if he had made the right gamble.
His consciousness grew hazier, and He Wei closed his eyes, sinking into the hazy and chaotic darkness.
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