Cooperation

Feng Xiuye, who took the wooden carving to Old Du, turned out to be Tang Baona's uncle—this actually connected the dots!

"Should we go see Mr. Feng, or go directly to Tongshi Town to find Ms. Tang and Mr. Xiang. Xiang?" Zhao Feng asked Fang Pingfang.

Zhou Rui rubbed his hands together and whispered, "It looks like we're about to find the mastermind behind the 'Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster' and the 'little girl in the white dress'? I'm getting a little nervous."

"Brother Zhao, do you have a prejudice against Xiang Kun, Ms. Tang, and Ms. Yang? It seems like you've already decided in your heart that they are the masterminds behind this? Although Mr. Feng is Ms. Tang's uncle, he might be the one creating illusions and influencing emotions. Maybe he deliberately gave that wood carving to Old Master Du?" Mi Qiao said.

"It's not just this," Zhao Feng explained. "There are many other clues pointing to Xiang Kun and the people around him. You've seen the investigation materials that De'an and I worked on, right? What initially caught my attention about the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster illusion was a case that occurred in an abandoned warehouse in Yungang District Citong City. You can find the specific details in the materials. The key point is that that incident happened on the second day of the Lunar New Year, while my handling of Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia's case was on the evening of the 29th of the Lunar New Year. They were only a few days apart, Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia were most likely still in Citong City."

Wang De'an immediately chimed in, "When I was working in Rock City, three young men who wanted to molest women also saw hallucinations of something like Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster, and were terrified. Before they saw the hallucinations and became paralyzed with fear, a blind little girl appeared, stopped their crimes, and distracted them. That little girl was also carrying a very special 'guide bird, a canary.' The dashcams of the three suspects recorded some strange behaviors of the bird, so I've always suspected that their hallucinations and abnormal fright might be related to that bird. Later, Zhao Feng and I also conducted related investigations, and the details are all in our records. However, there are some things we just discovered when we went to Tongshi Town, which we didn't have time to record. We found that the blind girl with the 'guide bird' was also very close to Xiang Kun, Tang Baona, and others, and they had been living together in Chongyun Village for a while. Plus, there's this matter with Old Du... Although there's no direct evidence to prove that these things are related to them, I don't think these 'coincidences' are purely 'coincidences.'"

Zhou Rui exclaimed in surprise, "Old Wang, are you talking about Professor Li Yang's daughter Li Jun? I did see her in Chongyun Village before, the time I met Mr. Xia. She was indeed very close to Xiang Kun and the others. I never expected that she was also involved in the illusion of the eight arms and eight eyes... This is really... I suddenly feel like everything has been arranged."

Mi Qiao added, "Brother Zhao, Brother Wang, don't you find it strange that you two, living in different cities, discovered the 'Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster' illusion within a short period of time, then you happened to know each other, discussed it together, and then joined 'Shenxing Technology' to continue investigating the 'eight-armed, eight-eyed illusion'?"

"It's such a coincidence..." Zhou Rui murmured.

Mi Qiao frowned and stated his judgment. "I think that Brother Zhao and Brother Wang, you two were either specifically 'chosen' to witness these things, or you're influenced by this 'Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster illusion,' and there are probably many more cases happening every day in various places, with all sorts of people being affected by the 'Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster illusion' every moment. Otherwise, there's no way to explain why you two would both encounter these things so coincidentally."

Ye Chong whispered, "Is it like that proverb says... when you find one cockroach in your house, there are actually hundreds of thousands of cockroaches thriving in your home?"

Zhou Rui: "Why can't it be that the two of them were 'chosen'? If so many people were really affected by the eight arms and eight eyes, there would be news and rumors everywhere. Didn't you see how big the Montamira incident was? If someone had actually seen it, it would have been exposed online immediately."

"The question is, what are we supposed to do?" Zhao Feng frowned, but as soon as he said this, he subconsciously thought of the dream that led him to the corpses on Purple Huan Mountain. In that dream, he also saw Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster, which even carried him a long way, taking him to see the location of the corpses. He had only told Wang De'an about this, and after joining "Shenxing Technology," he hadn't revealed it to anyone, including Old He.

Was he truly someone who was "chosen"?

As the group discussed their plans, Fang Pingfang spoke up just before they reached their car, "Next, we'll head back to Haixi Province to see Mr. Du's 'godson' and Mr. Qi. Ye Chong, ask the information gathering department to find out who made the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving that Feng Xiuye showed to Mr. Du, and where it is now. Also, book the plane tickets; it would be best if they arrived early. We can arrange to meet Mr. Du's 'godson' tonight."

Before getting into the car, Mi Qiao subconsciously looked back at the hospital building they had left, glanced at the location of Old Du's ward, and immediately spotted Old Du's thin figure standing by the window, silently watching them.

Thinking of Old Du's description of the dream, she felt a chill run down her spine and quickly got into the car.

Seeing his expression, Zhao Feng laughed and said, "From what De'an and I have investigated, if one hasn't done anything wrong or committed any major evil, that 'Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster' won't have too much of a negative impact. It can even help people clarify their own pursuits and eliminate distracting thoughts and anxiety. Even people who have done bad things can be redeemed as long as they follow their inner changes and reform themselves properly. You can see that from Old Du. To be honest, if I had the chance, I would even like to see that 'Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster' and experience the influence of that fear, to see what I'm truly afraid of."

He spoke sincerely, though he had dreamt of an "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster," but he hadn't experienced the same profound fear as Old Du. Moreover, the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster" he dreamt of was basically the same as the imagined image he pieced together from the suspects' descriptions and Wang De'an's speculations in reality, differing significantly from both Montamira's vision reconstruction and Old Du's eight-armed, eight-eyed drawing.

Around 8 p. m., Fang Pingfang and the others arrived at Jianzhou Airport. To their surprise, the "godson" of Old Du, whom they had contacted in advance, a young man named "Xiao Liu," also came to the airport to pick them up.

Knowing in advance that there were eight of them, "Xiao Liu" specifically ordered two MPVs.

Fang Pingfang and her group naturally had a car arranged by "Shenxing Technology," but they came here to see "Xiao Liu" and his cousin-in-law, Mr. Qi, so they naturally wouldn't refuse.

"You haven't had dinner yet, have you? I've booked a private room at a restaurant in the city. Let's go eat first and chat while we eat," Xiao Liu said warmly to Fang Pingfang in the car.

"No need to trouble yourself, we've already had a light meal on the plane..." Fang Pingfang said.

Sitting in the front passenger seat, "Xiao Liu" waved his hand arrogantly, exuding an air of "you do as I say": "Hey! The simple meals on the plane won't do. Since you're here, try some of the local specialties of Jianzhou. Let me treat you properly. Hey, if you had come this afternoon, I would have taken you straight back to Tongshi Town. Speaking of good food, Tongshi Town has far more delicious food than Jianzhou."

Fang Pingfang was a little puzzled by "Xiao Liu's" enthusiasm and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Gao, when our people contacted you, did they mention our interview, and what the topic was...?"

"Xiao Liu" laughed and said, "I did mention it. It's an interview, no problem. Ask me anything later, I'll tell you everything I know, I promise! My godfather told me to cooperate fully, don't worry."

"Has Mr. Du already contacted you?"

"Yes."

"By the way, Mr. Qi is Mr. Gao's cousin-in-law, right? We've heard a lot about his charity work in Tongshi Town from Mr. Du, and we'd like to know more about it. I wonder if we could invite him to come over for dinner? Or, since he's in Tongshi Town now, could we go there for a late-night snack? Of course, we'll treat you," Fang Pingfang said tentatively.

"My cousin's husband isn't in Tongshi Town right now, so it's probably impossible to see him. It's not that he doesn't want to see you or can't make it, but he's actually in a detention center in the provincial capital right now," Xiao Liu said.

"What's going on?" Fang Pingfang asked. After they confirmed that they were going to see Old Man Old Du and that Mr. Qi, the "information gathering department" had already sent them information about the two men, which they had briefly reviewed before boarding the plane. However, the information only mentioned that Qi Haoguo had closed most of his businesses and focused his investments on Tongshi Town, and had also invested in a large number of public welfare and charitable projects. It didn't say how he ended up in the detention center.

But just as she thought of this, Mi Qiao, who was sitting next to her, silently handed her a tablet computer. It contained the latest information about Qi Haoguo and "Xiao Liu," including why Qi Haoguo was in the detention center. It seemed that the "information gathering department" had just found the information.

Fang Pingfang frowned slightly, unsure whether it was because she had been in the secret department of "Shenxing Technology" for a long time and her standards had become higher, or whether the efficiency of the "Information Gathering Department" had indeed declined. Recently, she had frequently encountered situations where information seemed to be lagging behind or untimely.

Sitting in the passenger seat, "Xiao Liu" was unaware that Fang Pingfang had seen the updated information. He frankly recounted how his cousin-in-law had been "extorted and threatened," and how he had directly called the police and turned himself in.

"But don't worry, my cousin's husband is a lucky guy. The things he confessed to didn't cause any serious consequences. Plus, he turned himself in and did good deeds, so he shouldn't get a heavy sentence. But since he hasn't been sentenced yet, we can't see him for the time being. Actually, I know most of what my cousin's husband did in Tongshi Town, the projects he invested in, and how he met my godfather. If you have any questions, just ask me."

Mi Qiao asked, "Mr. Gao, did you work at the 'Youlong Restaurant' before?"

"Yes, yes, I used to work at 'Youlong Restaurant' under Brother You and the others. My cousin's husband sent me there to learn, but unfortunately I only learned the basics. Now I run a restaurant on the same pedestrian street. I'll take you there to try it tomorrow. Of course, we have to go to 'Youlong Restaurant' first. Now, everyone in Tongshi Town eats rabbit meat." Xiao Liu laughed.

"I know, we used to eat there all the time," Mi Qiao said.

For some reason, she always felt a strange sense of "closeness" to this "Xiao Liu". This feeling was inexplicable, as if they had eaten together at the "Youlong Restaurant" and thus become "one of us".

"Do you know why Mr. Qi suddenly made such a drastic adjustment to his seemingly normal business and came to Tongshi Town to invest, do charity, and participate in public welfare?" Fang Pingfang asked.

Because Old Du had explicitly stated that Qi Haoguo was someone with a similar experience to him, Fang Pingfang naturally focused their attention on Qi Haoguo during their trip.

Although contacting Mr. Liang would likely allow them to meet Qi Haoguo privately, for the time being, it wouldn't be a bad thing to learn as much as possible through "Xiao Liu." After all, "Xiao Liu" seemed quite cooperative.

"My uncle-in-law never explicitly told me, but I've spoken with Brother Bao from Tongshi Town. He told me that my uncle-in-law seemed to have started to change after that car accident," Xiao Liu said. "My aunt also said that my uncle-in-law's temper improved a lot after he came back from Tongshi Town."

"Oh? What kind of car accident?" Fang Pingfang pressed.

"Last year, my cousin's husband came to Tongshi Town to discuss a project. He was in Bao Ge's car when they rear-ended someone. It was a minor collision, but neither the person nor the car was seriously injured. However, after that, my cousin's husband suddenly changed his personality. After returning home, he put away many of his businesses and then came to Tongshi Town," Xiao Liu said.

"Oh? Do you know who they rear-ended? What happened after the collision?" Zhao Feng, who was in the same car, immediately asked.

Based on "Xiao Liu's" description, Zhao Feng keenly realized that Qi Haoguo was influenced by the "illusion of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Monster." If the rear-end collision was indeed the turning point in his transformation, then he must have been affected by the illusion at that time. Therefore, what happened during or after the rear-end collision was crucial.

"I don't know, Brother Bao didn't tell me," Xiao Liu said, shaking his head.

"Mr. Gao, do you know Xiang Kun?" Zhao Feng suddenly asked.

"Of course I know him. Brother Xiang is one of the partners of 'Youlong Restaurant' and also Brother You's childhood friend. I see him often. Brother, you know our Brother Xiang too?" Xiao Liu said, looking at Zhao Feng in the back through the rearview mirror.

Zhao Feng laughed and said, "I know him too. Actually, we just met him a few days ago at the 'Youlong Restaurant,' along with Mr. Xia, Ms. Tang, Ms. Yang, and Ms. Xia."

"What a coincidence! When we get to Tongshi Town, I'll ask if Brother Xiang is free to come over for dinner." "Xiao Liu" said naturally. "To be honest, I'm not that close to Brother Xiang, so I don't really have many reasons to invite him to dinner."

Zhao Feng glanced at Fang Pingfang, and after receiving a signal from her, he said to "Xiao Liu," "We'll talk about that later. Let's do our interview first."

When they arrived at the restaurant, under questioning from Fang Pingfang and the others, "Xiao Liu" recounted in detail how he met Old Du in prison, how he visited Old Du with his cousin-in-law after his release, and how he became Old Man Du's godson. He didn't hide much or make up anything; he told the whole story.

"So, you only recognized Mr. Du as your godfather after he became seriously ill? And it was Mr. Qi who decided to visit Mr. Du and pay for his medical treatment outside the home?" Fang Pingfang asked thoughtfully.

I thought I wouldn't get much out of Qi Haoguo tonight, but I didn't expect to get so much crucial information from "Xiao Liu".

"Yes, it was all my cousin's husband's decision. He's quite interested in Old Du's... uh, my godfather's mystical theories," said Xiao Liu.

"Did Mr. Qi mention to you that thing with eight eyes and eight arms... does it exist?" Zhao Feng hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't say "monster".

"No." "Xiao Liu" paused slightly, then added, "But my cousin's husband has a wooden carving."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people in the car simultaneously brightened.

"Xiao Liu" laughed and said, "What, you're also interested in that eight-armed, eight-eyed wooden carving? Hey, when your people contacted me, they said your interview topic was the interpersonal relationships of released prisoners or something. I don't think your focus is quite relevant."

"Didn't Mr. Du tell you? The first time we contacted him was actually when we were investigating the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant illusion incident in Montamira, Myanmar. This latter topic is what Miss Fang and her team are currently working on. However, our investigation back then hasn't yielded any results yet, and the program hasn't been produced, so it's natural that we're very interested to hear about this lead," Zhao Feng said.

"Oh, I see... To be honest, when I saw the news about Montamira, and that imagined Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant on TV, it reminded me of my godfather's paintings and my uncle's wood carving. If you're interested, I can take you to my uncle's house to see them."

So, after dinner, "Xiao Liu" led Fang Pingfang and her group in two cars straight to Tongshi Town, arriving at Qi Haoguo's villa in the early morning.

When Fang Pingfang and the others, led by "Xiao Liu," pushed open the door to the second-floor bedroom and saw the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Wooden Carving displayed in the glass cabinet, they all instinctively widened their eyes and held their breath.