The weapon by the pillow

Chapter 14 This is... a request list

"This is not a nightmare..." Lynx's voice trembled.

His eyes were filled with fear as he looked at Cheng Tan, as if he were looking at a plague god or... the god of death.

"This is... a naming list! Whoever you dream of using which weapon will die!"

"Nonsense!" the research enthusiast shrieked, his face equally pale. "This...this doesn't make sense! It must be a coincidence! Or...or someone copied his dream to commit the murder! Yes! Copycat crime!"

"A copycat crime?" Shadow analyzed calmly. "Imitating the sequence of the suspected murder weapon from a thirteen-year-old cold case to kill two people who might be connected to the case but have been out of the public eye for many years? What's the motive? Revenge? To silence them? Or... to complete some kind of ritual?"

The word "ritual" sends chills down everyone's spine.

Cheng Tan felt as if he were being roasted on a fire, under the gaze of everyone.

He clutched his head, crouching down in anguish: "I don't know... I really don't know anything... I was just dreaming... I woke up and saw those things... I don't know Zhao Jianguo, and I don't know Wang Bin! How could I...?"

His explanations seemed weak and powerless in the face of a series of "coincidences".

Just then, Ah Zhe, who had been huddled in the corner, said in a trembling voice, "Brother Bin... the day before I last saw Brother Bin... it seems... it seems I received a strange phone call... His face looked terrible... and he was cursing and saying something like... 'After all these years, it's still not over...'"

These words, like a bolt of lightning, cleaved through part of the fog!

"Is this never going to end?!" Li Kai suddenly seized on this key phrase. "Who is he talking to? Who's on the phone?!"

Ah Zhe shook his head frantically: "I...I don't know...I didn't hear clearly...He just said that one sentence, and then slammed the door and left...and then..."

Before his death, Wang Bin received a mysterious phone call that mentioned, "It's been so many years, and it's still not over." This undoubtedly points more directly to his death being connected to an event from many years ago!

The person on the other end of the phone is very likely the culprit who caused his "accidental" death.

At least someone who knows the truth, someone who threatens!

This person may know the truth about what happened thirteen years ago, may have been involved in what happened back then, or may be... a determined avenger.

The air in the room was so thin it was hard to breathe. Suspicion, like a poisonous vine, coiled between everyone.

The prophecy on the note is being fulfilled step by step in a way that is beyond everyone's expectations.

Cheng Tan's nightmares unfolded like a death list.

Ice Cone (Zhao Jianguo) – Dead.

The wire (Wang Bin) – is dead.

What's next...? A wrench? A utility knife? A paperweight? Or... pliers?

And who will be the next one to "come"?

Li Kai slowly straightened up, looking flustered as well.

"No matter who's behind this, no matter if these 'accidents' are murders or not, no matter what Cheng Tan's dream is... one thing is clear: someone doesn't want the events of thirteen years ago to be completely forgotten. Someone is forcing us, forcing everyone who might be involved to surface, or... disappear completely."

"Tonight, we are trapped here, perhaps not by chance. Perhaps, each of us is part of what was meant to be."

He held up the crumpled note, the writing on it seeming to burn in the dim light.

"So, before the police arrive, before the next 'accident' occurs..." Li Kai's eyes sharpened like a hawk's, "let us find out for ourselves what exactly happened in this room back then, with Li Wan. And—"

His gaze finally settled on Cheng Tan's face, and he spoke slowly and deliberately:

"—Why did your nightmare choose you as the 'announcer'?"

The room suddenly fell silent.

In the online world, however, it has already caused a huge uproar.

The number of comments was so high that you needed to turn on the simplified mode just to barely see the screen.

"I got goosebumps all over! Is this a real murder investigation scene?!"

"That Li Kai is terrifying; his eyes look like he wants to kill!"

"If Cheng Tan's nightmare is indeed a premonition, could he be the next target?"

"It's terrifying to think about! If we follow the order of nightmares, the next one would be a wrench!"

"Did anyone notice that shadow? He was so calm, unusually calm!"

"Lin Qian definitely knows more! What exactly is her identity?"

"Where are the police? Why haven't they arrived yet!"

"The address is Building 7, Anping Lane! I've already called 110 three times!"

This is undoubtedly a hot topic, even more popular than online novels. Related discussion posts are springing up like mushrooms after rain on major social media platforms and forums.

On Douyin, some people are recording and editing videos, some are organizing timelines, and some are doing doxxing of the backgrounds of everyone who appears.

A post titled "The Complete Record of the Thirteen-Year-Old Unsolved Case in Anpingli" quickly rose to the top of the trending list on a well-known forum, with the number of replies skyrocketing every minute.

The poster had clearly done their homework, compiling all the key information from scanned old newspapers to tonight's live broadcast.

But what sparked the most heated discussion were the several pointed questions raised by the original poster:

"Is Zhao Jianguo really involved in this case? Why was he cleared of suspicion back then? If he was one of the murderers, why didn't the police focus on him during their investigation? Was it due to insufficient evidence, or because... someone deliberately misled the direction of the investigation?"

These questions acted as a key, unlocking the netizens' fervent pursuit of the truth.

The reply floors are refreshing at an astonishing rate:

Post #1235: "I'm a law student, and I just checked the public reports from back then. The police stated at the time that 'the scene was chaotic, and it was impossible to determine which tool caused the fatal injury.' But if it was a multiple-person crime, it's entirely possible to use different tools to cause different injuries!"

Post #1456: "Regarding Zhao Jianguo, my grandfather used to live in that area. He said he remembered a laid-off worker named Zhao from a machinery factory. He had an eccentric temper, but his skills were excellent. Li Wan's water pipes broke down, and I think she asked him to fix them. But what does that prove?"

Post #1678: "The information upstairs is important! If Zhao Jianguo went to Li Wan's house, there's a possibility of contact! Why an ice pick? Ice picks aren't common murder weapons, but if it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, he'd use whatever was on hand..."

Post #1890: "Use whatever you have on hand? Then why are there so many 'optional' items like wires, wrenches, utility knives, paperweights, and pliers? Unless these tools were already there! Or rather, they were brought by different people!"

2012th floor: "Multiple perpetrators are becoming increasingly likely! But what's the motive? Robbery? Crime of passion? Revenge killing? Or... some kind of perverse group violence?"

Post #2234: "I have a bold idea: Could it be that Li Wan learned some secret she shouldn't have known and was silenced? And there was more than one person involved in the silencing?"

Post #2456: "If Zhao Jianguo was one of them, why was he able to remain unscathed for so many years after the crime before his 'accidental' death? Was he silenced by his accomplices over a dispute over the spoils, or was he eliminated by the real mastermind?"

Post #2678: "What's the deal with Wang Bin? A thug, a history of violence, received a mysterious phone call before his death... He's clearly another insider or participant!"

Post #2890: "Who's next? Following the nightmare sequence, it's the wrench! Does anyone know anyone who might be connected to 'the wrench'?"

Floor 3001: "Hurry, let's search together! I refuse to believe this is true. We shouldn't be misled unless... more conclusive evidence emerges!"