Chapter 469: Suicide?

The moment she confirmed Gu Xinian’s identity, countless thoughts flashed through Lu Yibei’s mind.

Whether it was going to BanShan Apartment or coming to the Hua City Library to consult the Hua City Urban and Rural Construction Gazetteer and then finding the abandoned factory from her dream, her ultimate goal was to find members of the Truth-Seeking Fellowship.

However, according to her original plan, she hadn’t intended to make contact with the Truth-Seeking Fellowship so soon.

After all, the Truth-Seeking Fellowship still carried the reputation of a cult.

Before she had enough information, she couldn’t judge whether they were a group of lucid “lunatics,” or a bunch of vicious, evil, antisocial, 24-karat pure perverts.

But now…

The strange behavior of the girl on the bus and the library administrator, the eyes watching her from the shadows, and Gu Xinian suddenly appearing before her-all of it indicated that the Truth-Seeking Fellowship had already set their sights on her.

This sudden turn of events made her feel extremely unsafe.

Who knew what Gu Xiliu’s intentions were?

Maybe behind those rows of bookshelves, three hundred hatchet men were hiding, just waiting for Gu Xinian’s command to leap out from the shadows and chop her into mincemeat.

Even if I can make water heaters explode, if three hundred people really charge at me, I’m probably still no match for them, Lu Yibei thought.

So, she made a bold decision.

If you can’t beat them, join them!

When you can’t tell if the other side is friend or foe, wouldn’t taking the initiative to become their friend eliminate the possibility of becoming their enemy?

A beautiful girl eager to join the Truth-Seeking Fellowship, secretly investigating them-sounds reasonable, right?

If she could gain their approval, not only would she be out of danger, but she could also obtain information about the real world from them.

At that point, she could decide whether to join them in their schemes or hand their base coordinates over to the police and report them with a single move.

This, this is killing three birds with one stone! Lu Yibei thought.

“You said you want to join us?” Gu Xinian asked with a serious expression. “Why?”

Lu Yibei nodded and said earnestly, “I’ve heard about your deeds for a long time. I’ve admired you since I was a kid!”

“Our deeds?” Gu Xinian tilted his head in confusion.

Ever since their last failed attempt, the Truth-Seeking Fellowship had done nothing for nearly twenty years except secretly amassing resources and developing members, waiting for a new opportunity.

Where did she hear about our deeds? Gu Xinian wondered.

Sensing the change in Gu Xinian’s expression, Lu Yibei’s heart tightened a little.

Did I say something wrong?

No way, right? After all these years, you haven’t done a single bad thing?

Can’t you just take the hint and play along? Do I really have to act it out for you?

“Yeah! Isn’t it all over the internet? The Truth-Seeking Fellowship is a brutal and ruthless cult, doing everything from arson, murder, and robbery, to human trafficking, and even blocking elementary school kids and beating up old ladies-they do it all!”

“I’ve done it!” Lu Yibei patted her chest.

As she spoke, a fanatical and excited light danced in her eyes, as if she couldn’t wait to rush out onto the street and randomly kill two unsuspecting passersby with a toilet plunger.

As for how to kill them… she hadn’t thought that far.

And everything she mentioned was indeed what was circulating online about the Truth-Seeking Fellowship’s atrocities, though there was hardly any concrete evidence for any of it.

It was as if, whenever something bad happened and the culprit couldn’t be found, it could be pinned on the Truth-Seeking Fellowship.

But that didn’t stop the Fellowship’s image from becoming increasingly demonized in the public’s mind.

When Lu Yibei searched for news about the Truth-Seeking Fellowship online, looking at the comments, she sometimes felt they had become a vent for some netizens’ negative emotions.

Gu Xinian: “…” Wait, girl, can you be clear-what exactly have you done? Arson, murder, robbery, or beating up old ladies? Why do I feel like you’re a bit dangerous?

“Miss, I think you might be mistaken about something. We might not be what you imagine us to be!”

At least, that’s true for the part I’m responsible for. As for what Second Uncle’s in charge of, I can’t guarantee… he added silently.

In fact, every year there were a few mentally unstable people who thought the Truth-Seeking Fellowship members were their kind and came looking to join. Gu Xinian was already used to it.

“I get it, I get it!” Lu Yibei said solemnly. “You all think this world is fake and that there’s another real world, right?”

“I actually think so too. The doctor even said I have delusional disorder and split personality.”

Gu Xinian: “…”

Although to ordinary people, the Truth-Seeking Fellowship members were all lunatics, even lunatics came in different types!

You, with your hospital-certified diagnosis, are probably not the same type as us, really.

Gu Xinian was about to tactfully refuse Lu Yibei’s request to join the Truth-Seeking Fellowship and advise her to go back and get proper treatment.

Just then, Lu Yibei suddenly said, “Actually, I know I’m not quite normal. I don’t have any special ambitions in finding you. I just want to prove that this world is fake, so it’s normal for me to feel disgusted by it. Can you help me?”

As she spoke, although her face was expressionless, her eyes perfectly conveyed what it meant to be lonely, helpless, and lost.

That should count as stating the central theme, right? Lu Yibei grumbled inwardly.

She had pointed out the theme, added a request from a beautiful girl, and, with the faint charm she unconsciously released, she instantly delivered a finishing blow.

Looking at Lu Yibei’s pitiful appearance, Gu Xinian was stunned for a moment, feeling a sudden sense of enlightenment.

I get it now, is that how it is?

Because she thinks everything in this world is fake, she detests it, so when she does those terrible things, she feels no psychological burden.

Looks like she’s a recruitable member!

Gu Xinian thought to himself, nodding, “Miss, I understand. I’m happy to help you, but joining the Fellowship isn’t something I can decide alone. Before that…”

“I get it, I get it!” Lu Yibei interrupted, making a throat-slitting gesture as she spoke. “You want a token of loyalty, right?”

Gu Xinian, “…” What do you even understand? Can’t you just let people finish talking? What’s with this token of loyalty nonsense!

“It’s not what you think, and we don’t need any token of loyalty.” He explained helplessly.

“Then what do you need me to do?” Lu Yibei interrupted again.

“…” Gu Xinian was silent for a moment, then said, “There’s a lot you’ll need to do, but it’s hard to explain in a few words. I’ll send someone to find you later and explain it all slowly.”

“By the way, I haven’t asked your name yet, miss…”

“Wang Buliuxing!” Lu Yibei blurted out.

Wang Buliuxing? What a unique name… Gu Xinian was taken aback, then smiled. “Congratulations, Miss Wang, you’re now a provisional member of the Fellowship.”

“It’s getting late today, so I’ll head back first. When the time is right, I’ll contact you about the next steps.”

With that, Gu Xinian stood up to leave.

Just then, Lu Yibei suddenly raised a hand and called out in a low voice, “Wait!”

“Is there something else?” Gu Xinian turned to ask.

“Are you sure you really don’t need…” Lu Yibei made the throat-slitting gesture again. “Don’t need that?”

Why do you keep thinking about that? Gu Xinian’s mouth twitched. “No, we don’t…”

“Oh…” Lu Yibei nodded thoughtfully, pondered for a moment, and just as Gu Xinian was about to leave again, she called out softly, “Wait!”

Gu Xinian, “…”

“Is there something else?”

Lu Yibei pointed at the Hua City Urban and Rural Construction Gazetteer on the table, frowning. “Did you tear out the pages from this book? Can I take a look?”

Even though she’d already come into contact with a member of the Truth-Seeking Fellowship, Lu Yibei was still curious about the abandoned factory in her dream.

“That… I’m afraid I can’t.” Gu Xinian smiled wryly. “Once you become a full member, you’ll naturally find out.”

“Oh…” Lu Yibei nodded.

Looks like that abandoned factory is an extremely important place to the Truth-Seeking Fellowship, Lu Yibei thought.

“Anything else?” Gu Xinian asked.

I know you’re talkative, so I’ll wait until you’re done before I leave, okay?

“No.” Lu Yibei shook her head expressionlessly.

“Then I’m leaving?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Right after, as soon as Gu Xinian turned around, he heard Lu Yibei’s voice behind him.

“Wait!”

Gu Xinian, “…” Can’t you just say everything at once?

—

Hua City, Yunkang Psychiatric Hospital, temporary office of Golden Horn.

Golden Horn sat in front of the computer, browsing through intelligence reports sent by informants and subordinates, occasionally capturing or marking information in hopes of finding clues about the whereabouts of the Beast of Inheritance.

Just then, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door.

“Bang bang bang-!”

“Come in!”

At Golden Horn’s call, a particularly flustered special task force member walked in.

“S-Something’s wrong, Secretary, s-something big has happened!”

“Something big?” Golden Horn was taken aback, looking up at the special task force member. “What happened? Don’t panic, take your time and explain clearly.”

“Gulp-!” The special task force member swallowed, steadied his breath, and said, “The prisoner in B2016 is dead.”

“What? Dead?!” Golden Horn was shocked. With a swish, he jumped up from his seat. “Let’s go, hurry and take a look!”

—

A moment later, inside cell B2016.

Berses, dressed in a straitjacket, lay on his side on the single bed, back facing Golden Horn, motionless.

Golden Horn walked up and gently turned Berses over. His body flopped limply.

Just as the special task force member had said, he was already dead.

Golden Horn lifted Berses’ eyelids, pried open his lips to check his tongue, then pulled off the top of his straitjacket to examine his body, frowning.

No signs of poisoning, no traces of struggle before death, but there were some symptoms of excessive blood loss. Could it be… suicide?