A Conversation with Desire Jack

Jack held a medical report in his hand. It looked like a death notice, making his steps extraordinarily heavy and slow.

When he returned home, he discovered that the unfamiliar figure he had seen downstairs not long ago had somehow appeared inside his house.

There were two chairs in the room, and Wen Xishu sat in one of them.

He had come directly to Jack's home.

"Hello, are you... in need of help?"

There was no language barrier among the Three Towers people, so Tower climbers and Three Towers people could communicate without any difficulty.

Wen Xishu found it rather amusing.

Faced with someone breaking into his home, Jack's first reaction was to ask what help the person needed. He did not even ask who the person was.

Before good people were pushed past that line and the evil within them exploded, they really were simple and honest.

Wen Xishu said,

"I do need a little help, Jack. But I believe we can help each other."

Jack was somewhat surprised that the other man knew his name.

"How... how can I help you?"

Wen Xishu appeared very approachable. Even his posture was casual and relaxed, while Jack seemed somewhat restrained.

"Relax, Jack. You can consider me a friend of yours and Jennifer's. You only need to answer a few questions."

"Is it really that simple?"

"It is."

The two of them were like a psychiatrist and his patient. Jack was clearly the sort of patient with some obvious issues.

"Of course, as payment, I think I can bring you and Jennifer closer together."

Light immediately appeared in Jack's eyes. But when he remembered that he would soon die, that happiness seemed unlikely to last long, and the light quickly faded again.

Wen Xishu saw it all. He understood that kind of change too well.

Back when he had taken part in certain activities with extremely high mortality rates, he had encountered people whose eyes were dim and lifeless.

Some people pursued extreme sports for the thrill. Others did it to die with dignity.

When bungee jumping, you would always encounter a certain kind of person. Whether it was seventy meters or three hundred meters, they jumped the moment they said they would, as if they no longer had any attachment to the world.

"You seem rather depressed. It looks like this illness has dealt you a heavy blow. But Jack, your illness may not be what you think it is."

"From now on, treat me as a doctor and be honest with me. Think of it this way: do it all for Jennifer."

Once Wen Xishu mentioned Jennifer, Jack no longer had any suspicion or guard up. He had always lacked such things.

"Alright. What do you want to ask? I really do not have long to live. I think... even the best doctor cannot change my situation."

"Besides, I do not have any money. But whatever you want to ask, if I know the answer, I will tell you."

Jack was very candid. Wen Xishu had to admit that his luck was not bad. The key person in his first mission was such a kindhearted old man as Jack, which greatly reduced the difficulty.

"Do you like Yulia?"

Wen Xishu's first question was exceptionally direct.

"I do not like Yulia."

Just as expected.

Jack's answer did not surprise Wen Xishu.

Yulia's importance did not actually come from herself, but from the fact that she was Jennifer's mother.

He nodded.

"So Remian thought you liked Yulia, but in reality, you only wanted to get close to Jennifer."

Jack now believed even more that Wen Xishu knew Jennifer. He answered honestly.

"She is a good child. She makes people feel happy, makes the world seem less terrible."

Wen Xishu agreed. Though he did not know Jennifer well, he had unexpectedly found her to be a good child in the Strange Tower.

"And Jennifer likes being with you too," Wen Xishu added.

Jack shook his head uncertainly.

"I... I do not know. I only like being with her. Actually, that is somewhat selfish, because it only makes me happy."

"But I... do not know whether Jennifer is happy."

Wen Xishu smiled.

"As far as I know, Yulia has a bit of looks. If she lived in a romance novel for women, perhaps she really could wait for some domineering CEO whose intelligence had dropped, and have him fall for her despite her divorce and child."

"But she definitely does not lack men willing to court her. Among those men, including Remian, they should not treat little Jennifer badly either, right?"

Jack nodded lightly.

"Yes. Everyone loves little Jennifer. Who could possibly harbor ill intent toward her?"

Wen Xishu said,

"Although you are not sure whether little Jennifer likes being with you too, do you think... when she is with you, is she happier than when she is with other people?"

The smile on Wen Xishu's face was comforting, and his tone was gentle, like an old friend.

Jack still nodded.

"Little Jennifer does seem to prefer being with me."

"Good. Thank you very much. I also hope the two of you can spend more time together. Now I will answer your question: Jennifer truly is happy when she is with you."

Those words brought a clear smile to Jack's face.

Wen Xishu continued.

"By the way, do you like other children?" Wen Xishu asked again.

Jack shook his head.

"Actually... if we put work aside, I do not really like interacting with other children."

Wen Xishu became even more certain of his guess.

There was some kind of special attraction between Jack and little Jennifer.

"Next question. Did the report saying you have late-stage stomach cancer surprise you?"

Jack looked confused and stared at Wen Xishu without speaking for a moment.

Wen Xishu said,

"Do not worry about how I know everything. Jack, we are friends, aren't we?"

"What I want to ask is whether you were surprised to learn that you have stomach cancer. Do you feel that some of your symptoms do not really match stomach cancer?"

That was an extremely blunt question.

Jack thought carefully for a while before speaking.

"I do not know either. My body started changing a few months ago."

"My appetite became huge. But sometimes I vomit frequently too... as you can see, I am very thin now."

Wen Xishu became interested.

"Do you have any photos of the vomit?"

Jack shook his head in surprise.

"Sorry, I did not take pictures of something like that."

"Something like that? What you vomited was not food?"

"No... perhaps you will find this hard to believe. Sigh, forget it. I should not say it."

"Please tell me clearly."

"I often vomit up some black liquid, but it feels like there is something inside the liquid."

Wen Xishu's pupils contracted slightly. This was clearly no ordinary stomach ailment.

He asked again,

"As far as I know, you are not wealthy. But the medical report in your hand is from Moen City Hospital."

"If I were you, I would not be able to afford a full set of examinations, would I?"

Jack did not deny it.

"That doctor was very kind. He took me through all kinds of examinations. He said today was his lucky day, and seeing how thin I was, he told me he wanted to do a good deed and help me."

"He did not charge me, but he also said I would have to raise the money for any further treatment myself. All he could do was give me an examination and tell me what illness I had."

Wen Xishu's heart skipped a beat.

"Can you tell me how to contact that doctor?"

Jack had no suspicions toward Wen Xishu, so he left him a number.

Finally, Wen Xishu said,

"Jack, has Jennifer ever felt unwell? I do not mean her stomach, but anywhere at all."

Jack looked surprised again, seemingly astonished that Wen Xishu always noticed things no one else had paid attention to.

"Yes... Jennifer told me that she sometimes hears strange sounds, even when there is clearly no one around."

Wen Xishu had almost gathered all the information he needed.

"Thank you very much for your cooperation, Jack. Lastly, I would like to leave you a gift."

Wen Xishu asked for paper and a pen, then quickly wrote something down. He tore the sheet off, folded it neatly, and handed it to Jack.

"You can think of this as an Invitation Letter, but do not open it yet."

"Open it only when you feel you can no longer endure the pain and want to see Jennifer."

Jack did not understand why, but Wen Xishu's gratitude made him feel as though he had some value after all.

He accepted the Invitation Letter.

Wen Xishu did not ask any more questions. He bid Jack farewell and left the old building.

He had confirmed his guess through Jack—

I really was misled. It was not a painful experience that turned Jack into a monster.

Rather, on the very day he was about to become a monster, he went through a painful day.

Jack becoming a monster was inevitable. Perhaps Jennifer would be the same in the future. They shared some trait, and they were drawn to each other.

Only after confirming the logic behind Jack becoming a monster could Wen Xishu proceed to the next stage of his work.

The verification process had gone smoothly. Although Jack possessed no Desire Sequence, he had remained kind toward Wen Xishu and answered every question.

But before beginning the next stage, Wen Xishu still needed to figure out one person who made him deeply uncomfortable.

He had originally thought that only Jack and Jennifer were worth paying attention to in this side mission.

But now, Wen Xishu had discovered another person worth noticing.