Replacing the Evil Way

Chapter 85: Möbius loop, cut

Darkness, endless darkness.

He Wei’s body swayed as if floating in an ocean, but there were no sounds of waves, only the bottomless darkness.

There was no excruciating pain in his chest, and his vision and hearing were impaired. He had no idea where he was in this deep abyss. Was this hell? There was no glimmer of light or sound, just a suffocating darkness that could drive a person to madness.

Suddenly, a glimmer of light pierced through the thick blackness.

Gradually, one point, then two points… one beam of light, then two beams… they intertwined in front of He Wei, surrounding him. He squinted his eyes, not knowing what these lights were. He reached out and gently touched them as if plucking a string. All the beams of light swayed as the energy transferred, forming beautiful and dazzling waves of light.

Amidst these waves of light, there were also some colorful images. He Wei wanted to take a closer look, and with a slight step, he found himself floating towards them.

It was unknown what kind of place this was. This seemed like a space without gravity, but he could still breathe. At least He Wei didn’t feel the suffocating sensation of oxygen deprivation. Perhaps he had already died and no longer needed the oxygen that normal humans did.

As he got closer to the points of light, He Wei could see the images more clearly, and he gradually widened his eyes.

Each image in every point of light was a photo of himself, each with subtle changes, like freeze-frame animation. They lined up one by one, forming a beam of light.

He Wei raised his head but couldn’t see where the beams of light were emanating from. When he looked down, he couldn’t see the end of the beams either. He swam to the side and found that the horizontally arranged beams were also composed of points of light from his photos. He picked up one beam at random, which was the scene of his younger brother putting a birthday hat on him on his tenth birthday.

After inspecting several beams of light, He Wei saw images from his childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Suddenly, he understood that these beams of light represented the timeline of his life, with hours, minutes, and seconds neatly interwoven, forming a cube that enveloped him.

“Are these all your life?”

A deep voice echoed in the hollow space. He Wei instinctively replied, “Yes, they are all my life experiences.”

“Do you want to have them again?”

He Wei hesitated, not quite understanding the meaning of this question. After a moment, he nodded again.

After an unknown amount of time passed, the voice spoke again:

“Whatever choices you make, just don’t regret them.”

The beams of light gradually brightened and continued to close in, like a burning white fire. He Wei raised his hand to shield his eyes and said, “Wait, you—”

The remaining words, along with He Wei, were engulfed by the blinding white light. The endless blackness was completely replaced by a bright and transparent white.

———

“Knock, knock, knock!”

“Captain He! Are you awake?”

“Lao Wei! He Wei! Just answer if you can hear us!”

He Wei closed his eyes, his brow furrowing, and slept very restlessly. Alarm bells, shouts, and banging on the door all blended together, clamoring in his ears like several loudspeakers playing rock music at once, and his temples throbbed along with it.

“He Wei! Are you dead or alive?”

So noisy.

He Wei slowly opened his eyes and found himself looking at a snow-white ceiling and checkered curtains. He sat up, his head heavy, and glanced around to figure out where he was. The room wasn’t large, with white walls, a stark wardrobe, and that 1.2-meter single bed underneath him. Everything was so familiar. Wasn’t this the old dormitory he had lived in for years?

The knocking abruptly stopped, and voices could be heard outside the door.

“It’s already noon, and Captain He still hasn’t woken up. Could something be wrong?” Xia Liang’s voice rang out.

Chong Zhen’s replied in a loud voice: “Damn, now that you mention it, it’s possible. He drank quite a bit. What if he’s lying there with alcohol poisoning and no one’s noticed?”

Xia Liang grew nervous: “Should we try to get in and check? I can go downstairs and ask the property management for a spare key…”

“What spare key? Watch me, the Foshan Shadowless Kick—”

Chong Zhen had already assumed a stance, and he was about to kick when the door opened from the inside. He Wei had a deathly pale face and said impatiently, “What’s all this noise outside?”

Chong Zhen’s poised leg retreated hastily, and he stumbled, grabbing the windowsill to avoid falling. He stared at He Wei and exclaimed, “You’re not dead? You could at least respond when you’re not dead! Both Xia Liang and I have nearly screamed our throats raw, thinking you’d dropped dead in your dorm!”

“It’s not that easy for me to die.” He Wei rubbed his temple, and Xia Liang noticed his pale complexion and dark circles under his eyes. He asked softly, “Captain He, did you have a headache from drinking too much?”

“Drinking?” 

Xia Liang nodded. “Yes, yesterday we had a team gathering, and you came back late. You must have drunk too much; that’s why you’ve been sleeping in until now.”

“What’s the date today?” He Wei asked.

“It’s the 15th. Are you getting forgetful?” Chong Zhen shook his head. “Luckily, today’s the weekend. Otherwise, Lao Zheng would have criticized you.”

“The 15th?” He Wei furrowed his brow. “Was there no incident?”

“Come on, can’t we take a break right after solving a case? Do you want to be Conan? I don’t want to be Kogoro Mouri!” Chong Zhen patted his shoulder, looked around, and said, “With your pale complexion, I was even planning to invite you to lunch, but I think you should continue sleeping. Xia Liang, let’s go grab something good to eat.”

After seeing Chong Zhen and Xia Liang off and closing the door, He Wei stood in the dormitory, gazing at this familiar old space of about 15 square meters, suddenly feeling a sense of unfamiliarity creeping over him.

He took out his phone and confirmed that it was the 15th and there had been no reported cases to the police, which meant there hadn’t been any murders at Fulong Mountain. He checked Weibo again, and Cheng Zesheng’s concert was scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. tonight, and fans couldn’t miss it.

He Wei’s expression was somewhat dazed. He remembered everything that had happened before—the two strange experiences of time loops, the agony and torment he endured to save Cheng Zesheng. This time, he had chosen to let himself die, plunge into chaos, and then wake up in his old dormitory. The date was the 15th, and it seamlessly matched the present He Wei.

The coat that belonged to Cheng Zhenqing wasn’t in the room. Only the coat he had worn for the dinner on the 14th was there. There was nothing special inside—keys, a phone, gloves that were necessary for crime scenes—just a set of ordinary essentials. He couldn’t find anything unusual.

Cheng Zesheng’s phone was missing, and the gun was nowhere to be found either. He wondered if they were left at the mansion. He had to confirm and also find Cheng Zhenqing to inquire about any similar occurrences in the previous loops.

Perhaps because he had been hiding and evading before, He Wei had grown accustomed to wearing dark clothes and putting on a mask when going out. On his way, he ran into Heng Luzhou from the Anti-drug Division. He instinctively lowered his head and avoided eye contact, walking past him. Heng Luzhou tugged at his arm, saying, “Hey, He Wei, what’s going on? Are you pretending not to see me when we meet?”

“Oh, I didn’t notice.”

“I was waving at you from three meters away! Where are you off to all bundled up like this?” Heng Luzhou looked at the sky outside. “It’s nearly 30 degrees today. I’m sweating in short sleeves, and here you are, dressed like a loach.”

He Wei responded calmly, “A calm heart brings coolness.”

“Nonsense, only the dead can stay calm!” Heng Luzhou finally let go of him. “I thought you were ignoring me just because I didn’t invite you to dinner.”

“…” He Wei waved his hand, reminding him inadvertently, which meant that he’d remember to ask Heng Luzhou out for that meal later. Whether they had it or not, he could deal with it later. Right now, there were more important matters to attend to.

After going downstairs, He Wei found his old friend in the parking lot. He got into the driver’s seat and placed his hand on the steering wheel. He couldn’t help but feel nostalgic; to outsiders, it might seem like he had just taken a day off from driving, but only He Wei knew that he hadn’t touched his beloved car for almost three months.

The Jeep cruised on the wide highway. He Wei had one hand on the steering wheel and the other arm resting on the window sill. The wild wind roared in through the open window, and the clear blue sky above showered brilliant sunlight. The road was lined with magnolia trees, with large buds about to bloom, spreading their intoxicating fragrance throughout the entire street.

In April, the world was filled with the beauty of spring, and the most beautiful scenery was at this moment.

As he drove along, He Wei’s mood began to relax. After arriving at Fulong Mountain, he locked his car, stood in front of the well-paved road, hesitated for a moment, and then decided to take the smaller path.

He Wei had stood in front of this mansion countless times before, and the memories it brought were filled with fear and heartache. He feared that if he went inside and saw a body, specifically Cheng Zesheng’s, he might break down all over again.

Luckily, when he looked through the window, there was nothing inside the mansion. He Wei, wearing gloves, pushed open the gate and entered. He stood in the doorway, examining the thick layer of dust on the ground. It was evidence that no one had set foot here for a long time.

He Wei cautiously ventured inside, using a flashlight to search. He confirmed that he didn’t find what he expected from the previous time loop. He was the only recent visitor to this mansion. When he left, he raised his head to meet the brilliant sunlight.

No murder had occurred, and Cheng Zesheng was alive. Did this mean that he had successfully severed the Möbius loop and broken this endless cycle of death?

Thinking about this, He Wei’s heart was filled with a subtle excitement. He steadied his mind, reminding himself not to get excited too soon. He would find Cheng Zhenqing and confirm with him before jumping to conclusions.

He drove to Hutaoli, and on the way, he received a call from an unknown number. The voice on the other end was familiar.

“Hello… Is this He Wei?”

He Wei was taken aback for a moment, instinctively checking his phone’s screen. Cheng Zesheng?

Indeed, it was Cheng Zesheng on the other end, but not the one he was familiar with as his lover. This was the pianist, Cheng Zesheng.

The pianist’s voice was gentle, with a hint of shyness. “Will you come to my concert tonight?”

“Uh?” It took He Wei a few seconds to react. He realized that there was a pianist’s concert tonight, but—did they know each other? The familiar tone of their conversation made it seem like they were old friends.

“I… I just wanted to thank you for your help. Please don’t misunderstand; I’m not forcing you to come.” Cheng Zesheng’s voice suddenly lowered, carrying a clear sense of disappointment. “If you’re busy… then forget it. I’ll invite you next time.”

He Wei was completely baffled. What had he done to help Cheng Zesheng? How long had they known each other? It was as if they should have been familiar friends.

“What did I help you with? We’ve known each other for a long time?”

“Not that long. You helped me block the fans on the street, and the day before yesterday, when my manager, Fang-Jie wanted to… cough cough, you stepped in to help. So, I hope you can come to the concert. I have… a gift for you.”

He Wei was once again dumbfounded. Everything Cheng Zesheng was mentioning had been part of the loop, but now that the loop was broken, these events—shouldn’t have happened.

In regular life, he didn’t know the pianist Cheng Zesheng at all. He wasn’t interested in celebrities like him. Only Yun Xiaoxiao would go to concerts to chase stars.

“Will your brother also be there?” He Wei pinched his brow, thinking that if he could meet Cheng Zhenqing, it would make things much easier. Perhaps he would have a better understanding of the current situation.

“Huh?”

Cheng Zesheng’s voice sounded confused and innocent.

“Who are you talking about? I don’t have a brother.”