Chapter 338 - Chapter 338: Chapter 338: Strange Stories (1/2)
Chapter 338: Chapter 338: Strange Stories
Translator: 549690339
“The key is…” Li Peiye resumed with his mysterious tone, “those two self-confessed ‘car thieves’ disclosed to the police that they also witnessed strange things in the warehouse where they stored their stolen goods. They even warned the police to be careful when visiting the scene….”
Xiao Jie couldn’t help but laugh, “What bizarre things could they have seen? Did they see some ghosts?”
“The authorities didn’t find anything unusual in the abandoned factory, but those three did on that afternoon. Two of them turned themselves in while the third one developed paranoid delusions, even brandishing a knife when he went to the police office to report. This is truly strange, isn’t it?” said Li Peiye.
A student who hadn’t said much before suddenly piped up, “Is it the abandoned old brick factory on East Dadao?” Having received an affirmative response from Li Peiye, the student jumped in with, “There’s been a lot of similar rumors since the factory was abandoned. I heard…”
As he spoke, another student mentioned some incidents involving a derelict residential building in the city that were presumed to be haunted.
Soon enough, their table of old classmates began swapping stories of urban legends and supernatural events – some of them local tales, others gleaned from the internet or friends.
The discussion was very animated, even the more faint-hearted girls had an excited gleam in their eyes.
Considering it was broad daylight, and they were surrounded by friends in a crowded wedding reception, it felt like story time, which helped alleviate fear and cater to their curiosity.
Xiang Kun maintained an appearance of curiosity and attentiveness. From the beginning, he had recognised the two self-confessed car thieves and the paranoid knife-wielding man, who reported his paranoia to the Yun Gang Area Office, as the same individuals he and Old Xia experimented on in a warehouse within the abandoned factory area the previous afternoon. The trio had been subjected to a range test using the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving’s” emotional projection system.
Even though Xiang Kun hadn’t been keeping tabs on the trio of car thieves since they left the abandoned factory, based on his observations from their encounter, Li Peiye’s account of the ordeal didn’t surprise him.
However, Xiang Kun had initially estimated that the chances of the skinny young man and the fat middle-aged man turning themselves in were slim. Instead, it seemed more likely that the Scar face would seek the police’s help.
Despite Scar face’s imposing appearance, he was actually the most timid of the three.
According to what Li Peiye said, all three of them went to the police that night. However, judging from the timeframe, they did not immediately go to the police station to turn themselves or “ask for help” after they left the abandoned factory. The effects of the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving” didn’t lead to them ending up at the police.
Each of them made their decisions based on ongoing, self-induced emotional effects for different reasons.
These decisions were directly related to their lines of thought, cognitive habits, and personal experiences. Just like the “master” from the “consultation company,” who turned himself into the police after a dream. After being continuously tormented by fear and self-questioning, they all found seeking help from the police to be the most direct solution to alleviate their fears – even though ultimate problems they wanted to solve weren’t the same.
When people feel that their sins weigh too heavily on them to bear, turning to the police can provide a strong sense of atonement. While feeling threatened, with no one around to trust, turning to the police can provide a sense of security – even though they may be criminals themselves.
Although this doesn’t apply to everyone, it is the subconscious thinking pattern instilled in most people in our country.
By hearing about this incident today, Xiang Kun now had a better understanding of how people reacted differently to the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving’s” range projection effect. Much like how Tang Baona’s grandfather and uncle and that Boss Qi from Tong Shi Town – each of who’d had a dream due to the influence of the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving” – acted differently due to their different obsessions and fears. From Xiang Kun’s perspective, the emotional influence is continuous, stirring in their minds, influencing further random thoughts, until they find a way to alleviate or release their fears.
During a pause in the conversation, Li Peiye noticed Xiang Kun and smiled as he pushed a cigarette his way, “Brother, what’s your name?”
Except for the bespectacled bald-headed man, he seemed to know everyone else, figuring he was likely a relative of the groom.
As he said this, the table erupted in laughter. Wei Zhuo gestured to Xiang Kun not to answer and tapped Li Peiye’s shoulder, “I’ll give you three chances to say his name correctly. If you get it wrong all three times, you’ll have to drink three cups once the banquet starts.”
Li Peiye looked stunned, “Is it someone I know?” After gazing at Xiang Kun for a while, he suddenly shouted, “Holy Shit! Is it Xiang Kun?!”
Li Peiye, whose shock at Xiang Kun’s transformation continued unabated, hopped over to sit next to him, “Xiang Kun, I remember you were doing programming, something about coding? Did you… lose all your hair by overthinking things? Or did you shave it off intentionally for better heat dissipation, to show off your status?”
Xiang Kun remained taciturn, “It naturally fell out.”
“What kind of software does your company mainly make? Do you work on factory ERP or MES systems for the clothing and footwear industry?” Li Peiye asked.
Xiang Kun replied, “Actually, our company doesn’t do that. In fact, I no longer work in that field. I have turned my attention towards co-running a restaurant instead.”
“Ventured into the restaurant business? That sounds good, we’ll have to visit once it opens.” One of his classmates remarked.
“Not in Citong, but in Tongshi Town, Jianzhou City. We are currently doing up the place, and not entirely sure when it’s to be opened.” Xiang Kun responded.
“Why did you choose such a rural place as Tongshi Town to open a restaurant? Wouldn’t it have attracted more crowd if it were in Citong?” The classmate asked curiously.
Li Peiye, however, interjected, “Hey, don’t write off Tongshi Town yet. I heard some news recently that preparations are underway for major developments in Tongshi Town.”
Wei Zhuo looked confused, “Major developments in Tongshi Town? In which sector, tourism? Isn’t it close to Wushu Mountain Scenic Area?”
“I’m not quite sure about the specifics, but I do know that several big shots in the province have been keeping an eye on Tongshi Town. Those people are always in the know. If they’re watching Tongshi Town closely, then it must be for a reason.” Li Peiye shared mysteriously.
Wei Zhuo laughed, “Should we use this opportunity to invest in some real estate over there and make a big profit?”
Li Peiye shook his head, “I wouldn’t advise investing there just yet. We don’t know which sectors they’re going to promote and offer incentives to and when. Ordinary people like us don’t need to get involved; the risk is too high.”
One of them teasingly said, “Peiye, are you still an ordinary person? Aren’t you known as ‘Mr. Billion’?”