Old He

The characteristic of "eight arms and eight eyes" left a very deep impression on Chu Xiuwen.

He had never seen any projections of the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster," whether in dreams or in reality, nor had he experienced any related feelings of fear.

However, through his old classmate Guo Lin's father, Old Master Guo, who had seen the multi-armed "gatekeeper" during his heart attack and rescue, and the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving he saw in Qi Haoguo's new home after the New Year, he connected Xiang Kun with him.

He believed that Xiang Kun might have some special talent or tool that allowed him to draw upon the power of the "eight-armed, eight-eyed" being. Therefore, when Xiang Kun saved Old Master Guo and intimidated Qi Haoguo, they would all see the existence of the "eight-armed, eight-eyed" monster.

Moreover, Chu Xiuwen speculated that Xiang Kun was not the only one with this ability; they must have an organization, and there must be others who could do the same.

After all, when Xiang Kun was in Citong, there was a case in another city where a criminal suspect was intimidated by the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster".

Chu Xiuwen knew that someone from the Xia family had been kidnapped, and he also knew that "Dr. Xia" Xia Libing and Xiang Kun were very close. That's why he took the initiative to help Xia Libing's third uncle contact Qi Haoguo and ask Qi Haoguo to use his connections in Myanmar to help.

If he remembered correctly, the Xia family members were kidnapped in Montamira.

Two days ago, news came that the Xia family had been kidnapped in Montamira, and today there's news of an "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster" appearing in Montamira. He absolutely doesn't believe there's no connection between these events.

Chu Xiuwen casually took a sip of soup and said, "Don't keep looking at your phone while eating. I'm your elder, after all."

Upon hearing this, Zicheng immediately sat up straight, somewhat embarrassed.

Chu Xiaoting laughed and said, "Come on, Second Uncle, you often look at your phone while eating too. I heard from my dad that Second Aunt often criticizes you, but you tell her to make the most of your spare time!"

Chu Xiuwen couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. This niece really didn't play by the rules. Didn't he, as her uncle, have any pride?

However, he seized the opportunity to "change the subject" and said, "By the way, what about that place in Myanmar called Meng something, what's that about the monster? Is it just a rumor?"

"It shouldn't be a rumor. Many tourists from various countries have posted about their experiences and observations in Montamira, and their descriptions are mostly similar," Chu Xiaoting said.

"I think that around that time last night, some natural phenomena occurred in Montamira that we can't yet describe or understand in detail, causing a drastic change in the magnetic field in a certain area of Montamira, which even affected people's senses and thinking," Zicheng couldn't help but express his opinion.

Chu Xiuwen followed their lead and said, "Oh, so that means the monster was just a hallucination created by some people, and it doesn't actually exist?"

Chu Xiaoting said, "I don't think it's a hallucination! If it were a hallucination, not everyone would see a giant with eight arms and eight eyes!"

Zi Cheng adjusted his glasses and said, "That's why I said the change in the environment must have affected the senses and thinking of people in the area. That eight-armed, eight-eyed image is likely something that actually exists and has a similar appearance, such as some buildings, large trees, or stone statues. Under the influence of the environment, it projects the image of an eight-armed, eight-eyed giant into the vision of those affected. So you see, many eyewitnesses' descriptions of that giant, that monster, differ in detail. Some said it was two stories high, some said it was as tall as a mountain, at least tens of meters high. Some said the monster's body was like metal, with sharp edges and a reflective surface, some said the monster's body was covered in tumors that were oozing fluid. So what they saw was the same thing, but not the same thing, which may be directly related to their location and the surrounding environment. Of course, this is just my conjecture."

After listening, Chu Xiaoting frowned slightly, but nodded thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it, I agree with your judgment."

Chu Xiuwen was also taken aback, feeling that what Zicheng said did make a lot of sense and seemed plausible. Could it be that, theoretically, there really was a similar implementation method?

After all, Zicheng and Xiang Kun have a very good relationship and have known each other for a long time. Maybe he knows something?

However, judging from Zicheng's demeanor and the way he expressed himself, Chu Xiuwen believed that he probably did not know, otherwise he would not have made these guesses or said these things.

He knew that neither Xiang Kun nor Dr. Xia had been in Chongyun Village since yesterday.

As for where he went specifically, whether he went to Myanmar or Montamira, he didn't know.

He knew Xiang Kun likely had official connections, but he didn't know whether the widespread "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster" hallucinations in Montamira were a special countermeasure by the authorities against the riots attacking Chinese and tourists in the area, or a solo operation by Xiang Kun to save Xia Tianhuo.

At this time, Chu Xiuwen was unaware that Xia Tianhuo had been rescued. He instinctively felt that the appearance of the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster" in Montamira was related to the rescue of Xia Tianhuo.

"Where did you see these news articles? On Toutiao or Tencent News?" Chu Xiuwen asked.

"You can read those news apps, but most of them are just translations of articles from foreign social media or news platforms, and many are just content directly copied from various domestic platforms. I'll send you what we've read; many of them are posts from people who experienced it firsthand last night in Montamira, first-hand information." Chu Xiaoting said, sharing the articles she and Zicheng had just read with her second uncle via WeChat.

Chu Xiuwen disregarded his earlier warning to the two young men not to look at their phones while eating, and started browsing articles and discussion posts on his own phone right there at the table.

This afternoon, the Myanmar government issued a statement saying that the riots that occurred in Montamira last night were caused by a fight between several local gangs. The Montamira local police took strong and effective action to stop the riots in time. The statement also said that no tourists were killed in the riots, and those involved have been severely punished by law. The Montamira police are capable of maintaining local security and the safety of tourists.

It is clear that the Myanmar government is trying its best to avoid mentioning the mass attacks on Chinese merchants and tourists that night, and is also deliberately avoiding talking about the monster or giant illusion that has affected many people and even shaken the entire international internet.

However, the online discussions were not affected by the official announcement from Myanmar. The focus remained on the illusion of the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster," and various speculations and discussions continued to emerge.

After having dinner with Zicheng and Chu Xiaoting, Chu Xiuwen called Qi Haoguo directly to ask if he had heard about what happened in Montamira.

"I know." Qi Haoguo's answer on the phone was simple, without saying much, and he didn't even mention helping Xia Libing's third uncle contact forces in Myanmar for help.

Just as Chu Xiuwen thought Qi Haoguo might not know much about what happened in Montamira and was unaware of the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster," and was about to relay what he had just seen to him, Qi Haoguo extended an invitation. "Are you free now? I just bought some good Tieguanyin tea, would you like to try some?"

Chu Xiuwen readily agreed and drove to Qi Haoguo's mansion in Tongshi Town.

Sitting in his bedroom, Qi Haoguo put down his phone and looked up at a custom-made glass cabinet placed against the wall in the bedroom. Inside was Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving he had specially commissioned to be made according to his description.

Qi Haoguo stood up and slowly walked to the glass cabinet, his emotions slightly agitated.

However, it had nothing to do with the wood carving itself. Although he tried his best to recreate the details of the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster" he had seen before, and the master craftsman he commissioned to make the wood carving was very skilled, looking at the wood carving itself did not bring him the same psychological impact as the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster" he had seen before.

His emotional outburst stemmed primarily from news from Montamira.

Qi Haoguo learned of the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster" that had appeared in Montamira much earlier than Chu Xiuwen, and his access to the information was also more comprehensive and direct.

Yesterday afternoon, after Xia Tianhuo was rescued, Xia Libing's third uncle called to tell him about the situation, since he had previously asked Xia Libing to use his connections to gather information and establish contact in Montamira.

Xia Tianhuo escaped because of infighting among the kidnappers, which naturally had nothing to do with Wu Lun, whom Qi Haoguo had asked to help.

At first, he was just a little disappointed that he couldn't take this opportunity to rebuild his relationship with Xiang Kun through the Xia family.

But when he tried to contact Wu Lun again, he found that he couldn't reach him no matter what he did, which made him feel a little strange. So he tried to contact some other old contacts in Montamira. Of course, the other people were not big shots like Wu Lun.

Then he learned some news that puzzled him. Yesterday, there had been rumors circulating in Montamira that the Guihai people were behind the death of the big boss's only son, Teng Li.

He knew that before Xia Tianhuo was kidnapped, the most likely scenario was that he was in the same car as Teng Li, so the person who killed Teng Li was most likely the same person who kidnapped Xia Tianhuo.

If this news is true, it's already circulating throughout Montamira today. Why didn't Wu Lun tell him?

Of course, since Xia Tianhuo had already extricated himself from the situation, he was simply curious and puzzled about it, so he continued to follow up on the developments of the matter through various channels.

That very night, he learned that the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster" had appeared in Montamira and had intimidated all the thugs.

Shortly after midnight, before the news spread widely on the Chinese internet, he had already learned the details from people who had experienced the situation firsthand in Montamira.

When Qi Haoguo heard the Chinese boss, who was also in his forties and ran a factory in Montamira and held a considerable position, excitedly and incoherently describing the enormous, multi-armed, multi-eyed "giant" he had seen on the phone, his hand holding the phone trembled slightly.

After repeatedly confirming the scene the Chinese boss had witnessed, and confirming that the "giant" he saw, apart from its size and some details, was basically the same as the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster" he had seen before, Qi Haoguo was no less excited than the boss on the other end of the phone.

This feeling is somewhat like repeatedly working on a difficult question that no one else knows before the college entrance exam, firmly believing that it will definitely be on the test, and then on the day of the exam, when the test paper is handed out, you see that the question is right there on the test paper.

It's like quietly listening to a niche song that almost no one else has heard, and then suddenly one day, you see that song dominating the headlines and charts, instantly becoming a phenomenon.

At one o'clock in the morning, after ending his call with the Chinese boss of Montamira, he went to his bedroom with great excitement and looked at the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving.

Having confronted his inner fears long ago, Qi Haoguo had already reshaped and clarified his life pursuits and code of conduct. But knowing the existence that guided him to find his true self, even though he couldn't see or feel everything that happened in Montamira its arrival in such a shocking way, he still felt a strong sense of being invigorated and encouraged, and his will became even stronger.

However, looking at the wooden carving he had commissioned in his bedroom, he had no intention of kneeling, praying, or praising it, because his heart and spirit had been genuinely affected and he had truly come into contact with it. He knew that it was not a deity that required others to worship in the traditional sense.

To venerate it should be to recognize one's own fears, then follow one's inner needs, and truly be oneself.

When you want to help others, just do it. Do what you can, and don't worry about whether you get praise or thanks.

If you believe something is wrong, then don't do it, even if doing it would bring benefits and the risk is minimal;

When you feel that certain things or certain people are important to you, then do your best to maintain and pursue them, and don't be bound by reality or hesitate.

When you feel that a certain responsibility is yours to bear, then straighten your back and take it on, even if it is hard and difficult.

These things sound simple, but they are actually very difficult. Qi Haoguo is far from achieving them, but he is in the direction of "compliance".

Because you know what the real fear is, as long as you "comply," you can keep moving in another direction.

The further he went, the more determined he became; that feeling of unwavering conviction was truly remarkable.

Qi Haoguo's family did not move to Tongshi Town with him. The only younger generation member who came with him, "Xiao Liu," was assigned to help at the "Youlong Restaurant." The housekeeper was also sent away to do shopping. So when Chu Xiuwen arrived, Qi Haoguo was the only one in the three-story building.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries in the living room, Qi Haoguo told Chu Xiuwen about the "insider information" he had obtained through Montamira's channels.

"Although the official statement from Montamira is that no tourists died last night, as if the riots didn't cause much of a stir, in reality, 29 people died and nearly a thousand were injured. However, of the dead, 17 were from clashes between local factions, and 12 died from injuries sustained in self-defense during attacks on Chinese shops, or from internal strife and mutual attacks. None of the tourists died. Oh, by the way, remember Wu Lun you mentioned when you contacted me yesterday? That guy also died last night, killed by his own men. The exact cause is still unknown."

These were indeed pieces of information Chu Xiuwen couldn't find in related news online. However, he knew perfectly well the real reason for the minimal number of tourist casualties. He wasn't interested in the inside story; he didn't care at all about Wu Lun, the big boss, or whether the thugs died. What he truly cared about was the illusion of the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster," so he proactively brought it up:

"Have you seen the online discussions? The hallucination that appeared in Montamira last night? Based on the descriptions from those involved and witnesses online, I have a feeling... it looks a bit like that Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving I saw at your house last time?"

After Chu Xiuwen finished speaking, he stared intently at Qi Haoguo's face, trying to notice any changes in his expression.

This was a fairly direct test, but Qi Haoguo's expression didn't change. He calmly continued brewing tea, then casually asked, "Brother Chu, what is your greatest fear?"

Qi Haoguo naturally wouldn't reveal what he knew about the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster," but there were ways to explore it.

He knew that Chu Xiuwen also had some information he didn't know, and he was sure Chu Xiuwen knew some secrets about the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster," which he wanted to find out.

Yangcheng City.

After returning from Rock City, Zhao Feng and Wang De'an went back to the task force and continued to follow the instructions of the task force leaders to track down the suspect Guo Tianxiang.

However, the investigation has made no progress. Even though they found Mi Qiao, who had been in contact with the suspect for a long time and had great cooperation, they were still unable to pinpoint the suspect's whereabouts.

All that can be confirmed is that the suspect went to Willow City to meet someone before he finally disappeared, but did not see them.

The task force has gone to great lengths to ask colleagues in the technical department for help in the investigation, but they still haven't been able to determine the identity of the person the suspect wanted to meet.

Zhao Feng and Wang De'an went to Pancheng to investigate Guo Tianxiang's early activities there and to see Guo Tianxiang might be hiding in Rock City.

Wang De'an worked in Pancheng before joining the task force, so he and Zhao Feng were paired up to investigate.

However, after completing their task force mission, the two of them "casually" found an excuse to visit a witness and complainant in a case that Wang De'an had previously handled.

To be honest, the conversation they had with the blind girl named Li Jun for over an hour left a deep impression on them.

Because they had been "educated" on bird knowledge for over an hour, the girl became incredibly talkative when discussing bird-related issues.

But to be honest, over 90% of what Li Jun said was something they had never heard before; it was quite novel.

They even felt that Li Jun could chat for several more hours if he didn't take the initiative to leave in the end.

They did see the canary as they had hoped, but based on their observation, they couldn't discern any difference between it and other canaries.

Because Li Jun's father, Professor Li Yang, was nearby, they couldn't directly ask about the canary's strange behavior captured by the dashcam in the suspect's car the previous night. Otherwise, it would imply that they were there to "interrogate" Li Jun about the case, which would not only prevent them from continuing the conversation but also subject them to further investigation.

So they could only pretend to ask how to train "guide birds," but according to Li Jun, her ability to train canaries into guide birds was directly related to her own familiarity with birds, which would be difficult for others to imitate. However, she also put forward her own set of related theories and proposed some feasible methods for the domestication of "guide birds," which the staff of the "school for the blind" mentioned by Zhao Feng could try.

Although no unusual evidence was found regarding the canary this time, both men shared the same feeling after their meeting with Li Jun:

"This girl doesn't seem like a blind person at all."

"She had a very certain feeling about her surroundings."

"She was very gentle in manner and spoke in a soft voice, but she exuded great confidence when she spoke."

"This girl is special."

However, these are all very subjective feelings, and they did not find any substantial evidence.

Moreover, they both liked this optimistic, knowledgeable, intelligent, warm-hearted, and righteous blind girl very much and did not want their hasty investigation to have even the slightest impact on her.

While the two were in Yang City, intending to temporarily put aside the investigation of the "Many-Armed Monster" and focus on the pursuit of Guo Tianxiang, they saw what had happened in Montamira online and read the firsthand accounts of those involved.

Just as they were shocked and searching for relevant information online, the leader of the task force called them over to a private meeting room and introduced them to a leader.

However, what puzzled them was that the leader did not give any title, but simply referred to himself as Old He.