Chapter 202: A Month of Terrors

The Director watched Lu Xin calmly get up and walk towards the office, his legs turning to jelly.

He wanted to scream for Vice President Xiao to run, but didn’t dare.

He considered tackling Lu Xin to the ground, hoping to curry favor with Vice President Xiao, but he was even more terrified of that.

Finally, trembling uncontrollably, he watched Lu Xin reach the office door, knock, push it open, and step inside. As the door shut quietly behind him, the Director, shaking all over, used every ounce of strength to turn to a male colleague:

“Xiao Yin, I hear you have a relative doing well outside the city?”

“Things outside the city aren’t like before, right? They’re not just grabbing people for illegal labor anymore?”

“Do jobs outside the city offer social insurance and housing funds these days?”

…

When Lu Xin entered the office, he saw Vice President Xiao sitting on the Director’s sofa. The man hadn’t taken off his sunglasses or touched the tea beside him. He’d been rubbing his face with both hands, but snapped his head up the moment Lu Xin came in. From behind the sunglasses, his gaze fixed on Lu Xin with strange vigilance and intensity.

“Vice President Xiao.”

Lu Xin greeted him, glanced around, and sat down in the chair opposite the sofa.

Although he wasn’t sure why this cannibalistic guy wanted to see him and was ready to shoot him at the first sign of trouble, Lu Xin decided he should still show the proper respect to a company leader—at least until Xiao showed any hostility.

“You’re Lu Xin?”

Vice President Xiao’s eyes locked onto Lu Xin’s face and stayed there, staring intently. After a long moment, he finally spoke slowly, “I’ve looked into you. You’ve been doing well at the company recently, seems like you have some connections. My father’s secretary specifically called here once to assign a project to you. I just don’t know why he did that…”

“You’ve been with the company for over three years, won Model Employee several times.”

“But last time, I heard you got into a conflict while negotiating a transport deal? And even fired a gun?”

…

Lu Xin listened as Xiao listed these points one by one, his brow furrowing slightly.

Then he nodded. “Yes.”

Vice President Xiao seemed surprised by how readily Lu Xin admitted it, unsure how to continue.

After a pause, he asked, “Who exactly are you?”

Lu Xin noticed the eyes behind the sunglasses had narrowed, seemingly full of hostility towards him.

*What a pointless question!*

So Lu Xin simply watched him quietly, offering no answer.

Vice President Xiao stared back silently. As someone in a position of power, he was naturally adept at using silence to pressure others.

But this time, he stared for a long time without even blinking.

Then he realized Lu Xin’s expression hadn’t changed at all; he was just watching him calmly.

It made Xiao feel like he’d punched thin air.

If he had to describe it, it was like closing your eyes, waiting eagerly for your girlfriend’s kiss, waiting a long time, and then opening them…

…to find your girlfriend gone!

Finally, he gave up, rubbing his face hard and letting out a long sigh. “Fine, I won’t ask about that. But I came here today specifically to ask you properly: what did you mean by this yesterday?”

As he spoke, he pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and spread it on the coffee table.

On the paper was just one sentence: “People shouldn’t, and must not, think about eating others.”

*”He actually kept the note?”*

Lu Xin considered it. Keeping the note meant it was important to Xiao, meaning Lu Xin’s words had indeed struck a chord. Coming to find him first thing in the morning suggested this person might still be salvageable…

He smiled slightly. “It’s simple, really. It means exactly what it says.”

“Seriously, you absolutely shouldn’t try to acquire a taste for that. Neither the law nor morality allows it…”

…

“You…”

Seeing Lu Xin earnestly lecturing him, Vice President Xiao almost lost his temper.

But he held back, merely glaring at Lu Xin, his voice deepening slightly. “I’m asking *why* you gave me this note?”

“Why would a normal person suddenly write something like this for someone?”

…

Faced with his question, Lu Xin found communicating with people like this truly exhausting.

It would be easier if the guy just revealed his twisted, murderous side so Lu Xin could take him out in self-defense…

After all, if he didn’t show that twisted side and hadn’t done anything else wrong, he was technically a normal person.

Even though Lu Xin had a gun, he couldn’t just shoot a normal person…

So, after thinking seriously, he said, “If you were normal, wouldn’t you have asked me about the note yesterday when you saw it?”

“But instead, you waited a whole day and only brought the note to me today.”

…

Saying this, he leaned forward slightly, delivering his conclusion: “Therefore, you’re not normal either.”

“You…”

Vice President Xiao stared hard at Lu Xin and suddenly stood up.

Lu Xin silently opened his backpack.

Then he saw Vice President Xiao abruptly walk to the door, glance outside to ensure no one was eavesdropping, and close it firmly again. He walked back, remaining standing, and looked at Lu Xin. “That dream I’ve been having… does it have something to do with you?”

“Dream?”

Lu Xin was taken aback by the question.

Then Vice President Xiao reached up and removed his sunglasses, revealing eyes completely bloodshot.

He looked like he hadn’t slept all night.

Such eyes made his somewhat handsome face appear distorted.

“The nightmare that’s been tormenting me for a whole month—is it connected to you?”

…

Lu Xin realized things might be different from what he’d assumed.

After a moment’s thought, he asked, “What exactly is the dream?”

Seeing Vice President Xiao’s wary expression, Lu Xin put on a friendly smile. “It’s alright, you can tell me. I have some experience dealing with things that seem… strange.”

Vice President Xiao visibly hesitated, looking at Lu Xin’s expression.

Some people are good at reading faces to tell if someone’s lying, and Lu Xin’s expression was the picture of sincerity.

He took a deep breath, slowly sat back down, and asked wearily, “First, tell me why you wrote me that note.”

Lu Xin nodded and said directly, “I could tell you really wanted to eat…”

His voice was soft, and he paused intentionally to observe Vice President Xiao’s reaction.

But he quickly realized observation wasn’t necessary; Xiao’s reaction was immense.

An expression of sheer terror appeared on his face, and his body started shaking.

After a moment, he gave a slight nod, his voice strangely hoarse. “I… I do.”

“Or rather, I already have.”

“And… I’ve been eating it consecutively for a month!”

…

“Hm?”

Lu Xin was genuinely curious now.

Vice President Xiao let out a long breath, picked up the water beside him, downed it in one go, and then said, “It started a month ago. I began dreaming of strange scenes… in them, someone kills my younger brother and sister, then makes them into…”

“…and forces me to eat!”

A terrified expression consumed his face, as if he could barely speak the words, his Adam’s apple bobbing uncontrollably.

“Can you imagine that scene?”

“He serves it to me on a delicate silver plate, then pries open my mouth and forces me…”

…

Lu Xin pictured the scene, nodded, and said, “Pretty scary…”

“You…”

Vice President Xiao glanced at him, looking agitated. “You don’t look like you find it scary at all.”

Lu Xin nodded. “I’m used to it.”

He meant he was used to people saying his reactions were flat, but his words sent a chill down Vice President Xiao’s spine.

Still, Lu Xin was the first person to see this urge in him, and Xiao had been suppressing it for so long. After a slight hesitation, he continued, “After waking up that night, I vomited violently for a long time and immediately ran to check on my brother and sister… Even though we don’t share the same mother, I really… I’m incredibly fond of them…”

“Thankfully, my brother and sister were fine. Only Dad asked me strangely what was wrong.”

“I didn’t dare tell Dad about such a bizarre, terrifying dream. I didn’t dwell on it, just figured I was under too much stress.”

Vice President Xiao paused before continuing, “But I didn’t expect it… the next night, I had the dream again.”

His eyes seemed hollow now. “Same place, same person. I couldn’t see his face clearly, only watched him kill my brother and sister again, and then… then he presented it to me in a red earthenware pot…”

“I realized I was dreaming and struggled desperately…”

“But no matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t wake up… until I ate it again…”

“After that, he came every single day…”

The muscles in Vice President Xiao’s face twitched, and his voice sounded distant.

Seeing his tension, Lu Xin kindly took out a cigarette and offered it.

But Vice President Xiao waved it away and pulled a flat, silver box from his own pocket.

Opening it revealed rows of cigarettes, all with golden filter tips.

He took one out, placed it between his lips, lit it with a lighter attached to the case, and casually offered the lit cigarette to Lu Xin.

Lu Xin accepted it but didn’t smoke immediately, gesturing for him to continue.

“I’ve had this nightmare for a long time. That person appears in my dream every day…”

“And I… every single time… I can only wake up after I’ve finished eating…”

…

Lu Xin looked at him curiously. “You didn’t tell your family?”

“How could I?”

Vice President Xiao looked up, his expression strange. “Tell them I dream about eating my own brother and sister every night?”

“That does seem rather awkward…”

Lu Xin nodded, then asked, “Is that all?”

After a moment, Vice President Xiao nodded. “Yes, just that dream, repeating every day…”

“My brother and sister are perfectly fine. Aside from poor sleep, there’s nothing else wrong with me. Except…”

He paused, then looked up at Lu Xin, his eyes extremely red:

“I… I’m addicted!”