Not qualified

It smelled awful. Disinfectant.

It hurt so much. Every breath hurt.

Who am I?

I'm Zhou Xun...

No.

I'm Kallen.

Kallen slowly opened his eyes. The sunlight was too dazzling, and he had to close them again.

After a long while, once he had gradually adjusted to the brightness, Kallen tried opening his eyes again.

He saw white sheets, a white blanket, the blue-and-white hospital gown he was wearing, and his younger cousin Mina sitting beside the foot of his bed, doing her homework.

Mina seemed to sense something. She turned to look at Kallen, and when she saw his open eyes, she immediately covered her mouth as tears spilled from her eyes.

Then,

Mina kicked her younger brother Lunt, who was also doing his homework beside her. Lunt toppled sideways onto the floor.

"He's awake! He's awake! Lunt, go get the doctor! Get the doctor!"

"Okay! Okay!"

Lunt scrambled up from the floor and ran out of the ward without even picking up his homework.

"Kallen, are you feeling all right?" Mina asked anxiously.

"Water... water..."

Kallen's lips felt terribly dry, so dry that touching them seemed enough to peel the skin right off.

"Okay, Kallen."

Mina quickly brought over a glass of water, put a straw in it, and held it to Kallen's lips.

Kallen took the straw between his lips and began drinking.

Once he finished,

Kallen opened his mouth.

Mina picked up a damp towel and wiped Kallen's face.

Just then, Lunt returned with the doctor.

The doctor first checked Kallen's condition, then opened the dressing over his chest wound to examine it. He smiled and nodded.

"Young man, you're going to be fine. The wound was deep, but it didn't damage your spleen. You're lucky. Very lucky."

Kallen nodded slightly.

The doctor gave the nurse some instructions, presumably about changing the dressing. Once he finished, he told Kallen:

"Make sure you get plenty of rest. Now that you're awake, we'll keep you under observation for another two days, then you can go home."

"Thank you, doctor," Mina said on Kallen's behalf.

"You're welcome."

The doctor and nurse left.

Kallen tried to push himself upright with both hands.

Seeing this, Mina and Lunt helped Kallen sit up, one on each side. Then they stacked two pillows behind his back, finally allowing him to lean against them.

"Mina, how long was I asleep?"

"Two days. The doctor said you lost too much blood."

"Oh."

Kallen gently turned his neck a few times. As long as he didn't disturb the wound on his chest, he had no trouble moving anything else.

"Officer, this is a hospital ward. You can't smoke here."

"I'm not smoking cigarettes. This is a pipe."

"You can't smoke a pipe either..."

"I haven't lit it. Move aside."

Chief Duke walked in and immediately burst out laughing.

"I'd only just arrived at the hospital when the doctor told me you were awake."

"Chief..."

Chief Duke pulled over a chair and sat beside Kallen's bed.

"You were right. Absolutely right. The killer really was unbelievably stupid. If we hadn't spent so long identifying the first victim, we'd have found the killer ages ago."

Kallen looked at Chief Duke and said:

"Mrs. Hughes..."

"I'm sorry. When I arrived at the Hughes Crematorium office with my officers, we found you tied to a chair, with something sticking out of your chest..." Chief Duke gestured with both hands. "The only saving grace was that you were still alive. We got you to the hospital in time for emergency treatment."

At this, Chief Duke sighed.

"Unfortunately, our arrival must have alerted Mrs. Hughes. She escaped. We weren't able to catch her."

"Ah..." Kallen sighed too.

"Your aunt already told me what happened that night. That woman really is insane. She specifically targets people she knows!"

Kallen nodded.

"Well, do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

At the question, Kallen shook his head.

"Insane. Insane." Chief Duke repeated the word. "There's absolutely no logic to her killings."

Perhaps because he had witnessed and thoroughly understood Mrs. Hughes's "stupidity" as a murderer,

Chief Duke had no intention of continuing to discuss the case with Kallen.

Once you knew the answer, you realized that painstaking analysis and investigation of a killer like this was about as useful as repeatedly making eyes at a blind person.

"I spoke to the doctor about your condition. It's nothing too serious. Some rest should put you right."

As he spoke, Chief Duke reached out and patted Kallen's cheek.

"Most importantly, nothing happened to this face. Thank goodness."

Kallen turned his head away to express how speechless Chief Duke had left him.

"Hahahaha." Chief Duke stood up. "We've issued a wanted notice. Luckily, the reporters haven't gotten wind of this case, so our department isn't under too much pressure.

"Still, I look forward to seeing you back on your feet. Your method of analysis really impressed me. We should talk more in the future."

"Of course, Chief."

"I'll be off, then."

Chief Duke was an impatient man. He didn't even stay to peel an apple for him.

But just after Chief Duke stepped outside:

"Oh? What are you doing here?"

"We've come to ask a few questions." It was a man's voice.

"What's there to ask?"

"We don't want to be here either, but it's our duty." This time, it was a woman's voice.

Soon,

A hook-nosed man wearing a gray wool coat entered, followed by a woman in a long gray dress.

Kallen remembered these two very clearly.

That day, when he had left the Crown Ballroom and gone to catch a taxi, he had happened to see them getting out. The woman in the gray dress had even mentioned an "Otherworldly Demon."

The hook-nosed man took out his identification and flashed it in front of Kallen.

Before Kallen could make out what it said, the man put it away and sat down.

Chief Duke stood in the doorway, watching.

"Mr. Kallen, correct? First, congratulations on waking up. I wish you a speedy recovery."

"Thank you."

Kallen noticed that ever since the hook-nosed man had set eyes on him, he had been studying him-his fingers, his throat, his eyes. He was watching Kallen's slightest physical movements.

Unfortunately, what he didn't know was that Kallen was an expert in this field too.

Besides, compared with the feeling of being "scrutinized" by Alfred that night, this hook-nosed man barely qualified as an amateur.

"Mr. Kallen, first, I'd like to ask whether you noticed anything unusual about Mrs. Hughes during your interactions with her."

An incredulous expression appeared on Kallen's face.

He asked in return:

"She did this to me. Doesn't that count as unusual?"

"No, that isn't what I meant. I mean, beyond the fact that she was a murderer, did you notice anything unusual about her?"

"Yes."

At this answer, the hook-nosed man's gaze sharpened. The woman behind him took out a notebook, ready to write.

Kallen answered very seriously:

"For a murderer, she was unusually stupid."

"Pfft!"

Standing in the doorway, Chief Duke let out a piglike snort of laughter.

The hook-nosed man opened his mouth slightly, seemingly trying to find the right words. After a moment, he asked again:

"What I mean is, did she behave abnormally in any way? For instance, when she attacked you, did her appearance or her tone make you feel as though she were a different person?"

The changes in Mrs. Hughes when she had tried to kill him, along with that black patch, immediately surfaced in Kallen's mind.

Nevertheless,

Kallen shook his head.

"Sir..."

"You can call me Rodi."

"All right, Mr. Rodi. I honestly don't know what you're trying to ask me. Your questions are leaving me at a loss.

"All I can tell you is that I took my aunt home that night, and then, while I was taking Mrs. Hughes home, she offered to help me lose my virginity.

"I couldn't resist the temptation, so I agreed.

"Then we went to the Crematorium Society."

"Why not her house?" Rodi asked.

Kallen answered, "She said that doing it there..."

Kallen had chosen the Crematorium Society as the final scene precisely to reinforce Mrs. Hughes's "character."

Listening beside them, Lunt's little face turned bright red.

Mina lowered her head in embarrassment.

The hook-nosed man glanced at his female assistant.

She nodded to indicate that she had written it down.

"Then she said she would teach me, and told me to sit in the chair first. So I sat down."

"You just let her?" Rodi asked, puzzled.

"She said if I let her..., she would..."

For a moment, Rodi was at a loss for words.

Kallen continued, "Mr. Rodi, I know this sounds absurd. I'm usually a levelheaded person, but at the time, I found that my brain had stopped working properly. I was acting purely on instinct, doing whatever she told me to do, just hoping we would get to the next step a little sooner."

Standing in the doorway, Chief Duke nodded in agreement. "Men. Understandable."

The woman in the gray dress lowered her head and whispered into Rodi's ear:

"Is that really how it works, Captain?"

Rodi didn't answer.

Instead, he asked another question:

"And then she attacked you?"

"No. She said she wanted to create a great work of art. She had originally chosen my aunt as her model, but I was the one who took her back in the end, so I became my aunt's substitute.

"Then she told me a great deal about the composition, and kept asking for my opinion."

"And finally?"

"She stabbed the dagger into my chest. I watched myself bleeding... She kept talking about her composition, and then I passed out. When I woke up, I was here in this hospital room."

Rodi nodded and stood.

It seemed the questioning was over.

Kallen didn't want Mrs. Hughes's case to veer toward "Otherworldly Demons," because that would bring trouble upon him, and perhaps even the Immerlis Family. It was best to let it end as a case of serial killings by a deranged murderer.

Oh, no, not end. The police would keep trying to catch "Mrs. Hughes," but unless they could open up Miss Molly's stomach...

No, that wasn't right either.

Miss Molly didn't seem to have a stomach.

Rodi turned to leave, but suddenly stopped. Looking back at Kallen lying in his hospital bed, he asked with a smile:

"Mr. Kallen, you're so young. I'm curious-how did you learn to do that psychological analysis for the police?"

"I learned it."

"From whom?"

"A friend. I've always been interested in psychology, because I've had mild autism since childhood. So I tried to move beyond its shadow through books on psychology, along with my friend's guidance..."

"What I'm asking is, which friend?"

"Me."

Piaget appeared in the doorway. He was dressed casually, yet somehow made his clothes look aristocratically refined.

"And you are?" Rodi asked, looking at Piaget.

"I'm Kallen's friend. He's a very gifted young man when it comes to psychology. Here's my card."

Rodi took the card. When he saw the surname, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Your father is..."

"Kampa Adams."

The Minister of Energy and Development of Ruilan Country.

"Have you finished your questions? My friend has only just woken up. I think he needs more rest, not interruptions."

"We're finished."

Rodi left the ward, followed closely by the female assistant in the gray skirt.

Chief Duke waved to Kallen and left as well.

Piaget walked over to Kallen and said with a smile:

"My friend, I heard what happened to you yesterday, but you hadn't woken up yet. I prayed to God that you would wake soon. It seems God heard my prayers."

"Thank you, Piaget."

"Oh, and there's this."

Piaget handed the insulated container he had brought to Mina:

"Sorry for the trouble, but could you find a bowl and spoon and help your brother drink this later?"

"Yes, sir."

Piaget turned back to Kallen and lowered his voice:

"It's medicinal chicken soup."

Many ancient civilizations had used plants as medicine, leaving behind numerous traditions.

When Mina opened the insulated container, Kallen caught the delicious aroma of chicken soup mingled with medicinal herbs;

He couldn't appreciate the thick soups Aunt Mary and Aunt Winnie made at home, but what Piaget had brought came remarkably close to Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms.

"Did you make it?" Kallen asked curiously.

Piaget smiled and shook his head:

"I had Linda 'wake up' and control my body to make it. How would I know how to cook?"

"Heh." Kallen chuckled.

Perhaps only the two of them could discuss such a chilling subject as casually as everyday gossip.

"Oh, I heard from your family that you dropped out of high school?"

"Yes, because of a psychological issue. Autism."

Autism, the explanation for everything.

"What a shame. Would you like to go back to school once you've recovered? I mean university. As long as you pass the entrance exam, my letter of recommendation can help."

That letter of recommendation would undoubtedly carry considerable weight. Kallen had noticed the change in the hooked-nosed man's expression when he asked about Piaget's father. Piaget's background involved more than simply being a university psychology professor.

"I'll need to discuss it with my family. You know, I still need to earn money for them."

Piaget asked in puzzlement, "Does money need to be earned?"

"..." Kallen was speechless.

For a moment, Kallen didn't know how to answer. Although the Immerlis Family certainly wasn't short of money, they were indeed poor compared with the family of the man before him.

"Sorry." Piaget realized he had misspoken. "Have a proper discussion with your family. If money is a problem, you can come to me anytime."

"Thank you."

No matter the era or the year, anyone who volunteered to lend you money was a true friend.

"Get some rest. I'll head back."

"All right. Stay safe on the way."

Piaget left.

Mina began feeding Kallen the chicken soup. He drank quite a lot; it really did taste excellent.

Kallen had Mina and Lunt share the remaining soup and chicken.

Afterward,

Kallen took a nap.

When he woke, he felt someone touching his body.

He opened his eyes,

And found his aunt standing beside his hospital bed. His blanket had been pulled back, and even his pants had been taken off.

Perhaps because of his injury, he had slept very deeply.

Aunt Mary's eyes were red. When she noticed Kallen was awake, she explained:

"Don't move. I'm wiping you down. You can't take a bath right now, and you'll feel better once you're clean. You've always liked keeping yourself clean."

"Thank you, Aunt Mary."

"There's no need to thank me, Kallen. You suffered in my place. If I hadn't insisted on taking you out for barbecue that afternoon, you wouldn't have..."

At that, Aunt Mary started crying again.

"Everything's fine now. You're safe, Aunt Mary, and that's what matters. Nothing much happened to me, really."

"Don't say any more, Kallen. Lie still. I'm so sorry."

"It really isn't a big deal, Aunt Mary."

"Be good and lie still."

After that, Kallen obediently lay still while Aunt Mary wiped his body.

Since this was an elder's loving care, Kallen felt perfectly calm, without any awkwardness.

Besides, Aunt Mary was very practiced at wiping him down;

It took no guessing to know where she had gained that practice.

That afternoon, Aunt Mary stayed by Kallen's bed and fed him some fruit.

In the end, at Kallen's strong insistence, she took Mina and Lunt home. The two children had school the next day, and the family business couldn't do without his aunt.

Besides, this was a VIP ward, with a call bell beside the bed. Apart from medical matters, the nurses could also be called to help with eating, drinking, and using the bathroom. There was no need to hire a caregiver, though the fees were actually far higher than hiring one.

That evening,

Kallen asked a nurse for that day's newspaper to pass the time.

The thoughtful young nurse also gave him a novel she had been reading;

Kallen soon put the newspaper down and started reading the novel;

Well, it was a Mary Sue novel;

Even more surprisingly, Kallen actually found himself engrossed in it.

Late that night,

The door to the ward opened.

A black cat darted in and jumped onto the bed.

Immediately afterward,

Dis appeared.

Kallen licked his lips and tried to sit a little straighter.

Dis walked over to Kallen's bedside,

And asked:

"Does it still hurt?"

"I'm fine. The doctor said no vital organs were injured," Kallen answered with a smile.

Perhaps he ought to have feared Dis, because that night, without any warning, Dis had plunged a dagger into his chest;

Yet he had no reason to fear Dis, either, because he was still alive.

"Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

"I've heard that cat meat soup is very good for healing wounds."

"..." Puer was speechless.

Dis smiled and walked over to the ward's window.

Puer glared at Kallen, and Kallen glared right back at her.

"Kallen."

"Yes, Grandpa." Kallen immediately turned to look at Dis by the window.

"Do you have a lot of questions?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to ask them?"

"I've never been sure whether I should."

Before, he had always feared that bringing their unspoken secret into the open would cost him his life, forcing Dis to kill him.

But that night, when he stood by the bed with Alfred and Miss Molly, meeting the eyes of Dis down below, that pretense had already been shattered.

Now, he felt considerably more at ease, because Dis had already stabbed him once.

"The next time you know there's danger around you, if I'm not home, you'd better take Paul with you when you go out."

"All right, Grandpa. I understand."

"This time, if you hadn't happened to run into those two from No. 128, you would already be dead."

"Yes, Grandpa."

Facing the window, Dis

Let out a sigh:

"The mistake that began with me should end with me."

As he spoke,

Dis turned around,

And looked at Kallen on the hospital bed:

"No one else has the right to interfere."