Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Suddenly, everything that had happened over the last few days became clear. Hatred so intense it should have shattered me instead sharpened my mind.
I whipped around to face Wang Yu.
“My father tortured Jingjing to death in that extreme way because he wanted to warn me about you.
“And you seized the opportunity and deliberately showed me the video.”
I fixed him with a murderous stare. “You wanted me to believe that ten years ago, my father used the same cruel aversive conditioning to torture my sister to death. How satisfying was it to frame your enemy in broad daylight while you stood aside and enjoyed the show?”
Wang Yu was silent for several seconds. Then he chuckled under his breath.
“You really are clever, He Tian. I wouldn’t call it manipulation. I merely turned his scheme against him.”
He spread his hands and laughed without restraint. “Your father copied the method I used on those cats ten years ago, hoping to draw your attention to me. Since he was so eager to perform, I simply drenched him in the filth he offered me.”
“In the end, he’s still nothing but a coward and a fool who runs from everything.”
I gritted my teeth and forced myself to step outside my fury and despair toward my father.
“You practiced on those stray cats and dogs ten years ago. How did you use that method on my sister? She was a living human being. How could you make her sit beside a full bottle and let herself die of thirst?”
Wang Yu stood, his eyes blazing with fanaticism. “At last, the right question. The ultimate experiment in trauma-induced swallowing inhibition was my flawless masterpiece, performed with my own hands on your sister.”
My mind roared. Ice seemed to flood my body.
He gave a quiet laugh and walked toward me.
“He Tian, you’ve always believed your warning about the rock chrysanthemums drove your sister to her death, haven’t you?
“In fact, I was the one who told her Lion Mountain had the most beautiful rock chrysanthemums. I even told her exactly where to find them.”
“You monster…” I fought the urge to tear him apart.
Far from angering him, my hatred only excited him further.
“Let me explain the experimental conditions.
“I scouted Lion Mountain several times. Of all its abandoned shafts, I chose that one because geothermal activity kept the bottom at a constant twenty-five degrees.
“I had to make certain she died in the manner I designed—not from hypothermia.”
Wang Yu glanced at He Zhiyuan and me. His calm tone might have belonged to an academic seminar.
“She was a perfect subject. Twelve years old, terrified, desperate to survive.
“At that age, a child can usually last only three to five days without water. With water but no food, she might have survived three to six weeks.
“Of course I chose the faster option. I told her that if she swallowed a single mouthful of water, her sister down the mountain would die. Her mother and father would die too.
“Then I reinforced it with a little hypnosis. And do you know what happened? She chose to die of thirst rather than risk swallowing a single drop.”
His smile widened.
“When the hunger and thirst became unbearable, she begged me, ‘Big Brother, can I put the snacks in my mouth if I promise not to swallow?’
“I said, ‘Of course. Without water, you couldn’t swallow them anyway.’
“She pleaded with me not to kill you. She had deleted a paper that was very difficult for you to write, and she couldn’t bring you the rock chrysanthemums. Even as she died, she believed she had wronged you.
“On the last day, one sip of water would have saved her. But that stupid child sat with food packed in her mouth, staring at the bottle, and never dared touch it before she died.”
“You animal!” I gripped the water glass so hard I wanted to smash it into his face.
Wang Yu showed no anger. He merely laughed.
“Don’t get so worked up, He Tian. It was only a psychiatric experiment.
“Your sister’s lethal suggestion. Your father’s double-bind dilemma. Your mother’s vicarious trauma aggression. And your ten years of survivor’s guilt. Four interlocking control groups.
“I have to admit, the data from my comprehensive experiment in destroying your family’s humanity was beautiful. You were especially impressive. As the only surviving observational subject, your collapse just now confirmed my predictions perfectly.
“It completed my magnificent sixth murder!”
His demented laughter rang in my ears. The whole thing felt too grotesque to be real, too absurd to be anything but laughable.
“Do you think your experiment was perfect, Wang Yu?”
I walked toward him, my gaze steady. “You pride yourself on controlling human nature. You became a dragon in order to slay one, but you ignored the greatest variable of all.
“You think you destroyed my family. You didn’t. You proved that people can be despicable, but you underestimated the instinct to love.
“My sister didn’t refuse that water because of your pathetic hypnosis. She refused it because she loved me and loved her family. She preferred death to the chance that she might hurt her sister.
“And I didn’t spend ten years crossing disciplines into criminal psychology to cooperate with your observations. I did it so I could send both of you to hell with my own hands.
“Your experiment failed completely, because you forged me into your judge. You can spend the rest of your life in prison remembering your failure.”
The smile froze on Wang Yu’s lips. The fanaticism in his eyes shattered.
“Damn you, Wang Yu!” He Zhiyuan surged to his feet and threw himself at him.
I pulled the phone from my pocket. It had been connected to the same call from the moment I entered the room.
The screen displayed Officer Zhang’s name. The call had already lasted thirty minutes.
“Officer Zhang, did you and Professor Xu hear everything? You can come in now.”
The instant I finished, the door crashed inward.
Officer Zhang stormed into the consulting room with several armed officers. Black gun barrels swung toward Wang Yu’s bloodless face.
“Don’t move! Police!”