Eye Pupils (3)

A moment later, Shen Xing pulled a piece of irregular, egg-sized wood from the pile.

At first glance, the surface was covered in bumps, looking like a piece of low-quality scrap that one might discard without a second thought.

This was Shadow Wood, harvested from the galls that grow on tree trunks or roots after a tree becomes diseased; it was relatively rare.

Naturally, this type of wood is seldom used in wooden carving; it depends on the piece being created and whether the work itself suits the wood's natural growth structure.

For a fine wooden carving, one must balance the material's texture, grain, color, branch structure, toughness, and wax-absorption properties between the raw material and the finished product.

Strictly speaking, Shadow Wood does not belong to any specific category of timber; there is no distinction between northern or southern wood, as it is merely a unique material born from a pathological growth.

However, its shape perfectly matched Shen Xing's original vision for that bloodshot eyeball.

He had bought this piece on a whim, never expecting to use it, but he felt it would make a fine addition to his collection if nothing else.

The surface of the Shadow Wood was pitted and uneven, covered in irregular, undulating knots, but to Shen Xing, the natural growth pattern closely resembled the back of an eyeball—specifically, the chaotic cluster of optic nerves.

By carving the smoother front section with precision and refining the nerve-like structures at the back, he could create a complete, realistic eyeball.

With the general concept formed in his mind, he began to carve.

First, he stripped the bark, then used a pen to sketch the rough outline of an eye onto the primary areas of the wood. He could have drawn it on paper first, but having inhabited this body for some time now, he had already mastered the basic rhythm of carving; for a small piece like this, there was no need for preparatory sketches.

Besides, the image of that eye was etched so deeply into his mind that he could never forget it.

After marking the basic shape, he secured the wood in the bench vise and used a jigsaw to remove the excess, bringing it closer to the size and shape of an eyeball.

He couldn't trim it to the exact final size just yet, as he needed to leave extra material for the subsequent refining process.

Next, he began to refine the wood using the spiral fine-tooth tool.

During this process, Shen Xing displayed a level of focus greater than he had ever achieved before, losing track of time, hunger, and fatigue.

He entered a state of obsession, his mind filled entirely with the image of that bloodshot eyeball.

In the past, with his skill and speed, it would have taken him at least 24 hours to finish such a piece, but from morning until dusk, he had already completed the entire eyeball.

After using the arc blade and flat chisel to smooth the surface and the large surrounding areas, he switched to the electric dental drill for fine detailing.

Soon, the last rays of sunset vanished, and the city lights flickered to life.

Shen Xing let out a heavy breath and suddenly stopped, slowly setting down his tools to stare unblinkingly at the nearly finished eyeball.

Only then did he feel as if he had finally come back to life, once again sensing the world around him.

A night breeze drifted in through the window, and the dim streetlights cast a long, triangular shadow in the corner of the room.

So far, he had essentially manifested the physical form of the bloodshot eye from his mind. However, the most realistic parts were the front and sides; he had not yet touched the back, as he had never actually seen the optic nerves.

He took the wooden eyeball from the vise and examined it closely in his hand, when suddenly, a wave of intense weakness washed over him.

Shen Xing felt an extreme thirst. He stood up, his steps unsteady as he walked to the water dispenser in the living room. He gulped down a large glass of water, and once the feeling of emptiness subsided, a wave of overwhelming drowsiness followed.

Since being jolted awake at four in the morning, struggling with Lin Wanru's corpse, running downstairs in a panic to dig out the eye, and then talking to the arriving officers for so long while fearing his secrets would be exposed, his mind had been under constant, high-tension strain.

Now, having spent nearly ten hours in single-minded focus at his workbench, Shen Xing felt a fatigue like never before; he could barely keep his eyelids open.

He set down the glass, returned to the bedroom, and the moment his head hit the pillow, he fell fast asleep.

The workbench lamp remained on, and the window stayed open, but as Shen Xing had told Xiong Wei and the other officers, this old residential building was incredibly quiet, exuding an eerie stillness.

Time passed.

He slept until five o'clock the following afternoon.

Shen Xing was woken by hunger.

Before he even opened his eyes, he could hear his stomach growling.

Dazed, he opened his eyes to see the face of a stranger—a woman standing by his bed, leaning over and watching him.

The sight gave Shen Xing a sudden jolt, and he scrambled up from the bed.

"Don't be nervous, I'm an investigator from the Public Security Bureau." The woman took a step back, smiling as she spread her hands. "You were sleeping so soundly that I didn't want to wake you."

She was tall with a pleasant face and clear eyes, sporting a chin-length bob. She wasn't wearing a uniform, but rather a white, tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt, high-waisted jeans, and a small, glossy black backpack.

As she spoke, she produced her identification and held it up for Shen Xing to see clearly.

Shen Xing took a look.

The ID read: "Li Naijing, Investigator, Special Case Investigation Unit, Yungu City Public Security Bureau." In the center, below the text, was a black six-pointed star.

Shen Xing remembered the officer, Xiong Wei, whom he had met earlier; their IDs didn't seem to have a similar emblem.

"Li Naijing?" he muttered to himself.

The name was imposing, yet carried a strangely... milky undertone.

"How did you get in?" Shen Xing pulled himself together and asked.

Li Naijing shrugged. "I just walked through the door. The investigation unit has plenty of ways to open these cheap locks, and we have the authority to enter private property without the owner's consent."

With that, Li Naijing turned and walked toward the living room. "Get up. Let's go to the living room and discuss the details of yesterday's case."

As she turned, her gaze swept over the unfinished wooden eyeball still clutched in Shen Xing's hand. She paused for a fraction of a second, but didn't ask any questions.