Chapter 34: Shattered Fates

The members of the Special Investigation Team stared at Xiao Yu as if he were an alien.

“Speak up, why did you come to Earth?”

“If you weren’t an alien, then why is your mind wandering off into outer space?”

“No, that’s not a wandering mind—that’s a black hole!”

“Don’t you remember? It was you who argued that the timeline didn’t add up, insisting that the suspect couldn’t have committed the crime in just 33 hours!”

“What, are you about to slap yourself in the face now?”

Everyone watched Xiao Yu, waiting for a satisfactory explanation.

Xiao Yu simply smiled—no explanation.

“Really? Are you about to beat yourself up over this?”

No, he could only say he had a few theories in mind.

Each one was more hair-raising than the last.

So, he needed to verify them!

……

On the way to the detention center, Xiao Yu’s thoughts kept churning.

He had traversed time, and yet he still looked incredibly dashing.

Living the cushy life as a handsome man—what could be more delightful?

Why would he return to his old line of work, draining countless brain cells day after day?

Through the car window, he gazed out at the distant sky.

He remembered the oath he had sworn to the national flag in a past life.

How could he ever forget it? How dare he?

A youthful determination, reminiscent of his first day at the police academy, lit up his face…

……

Interrogation Room at the Detention Center.

Handcuffed, He Xia sat in the interrogation chair, his eyes fixed on Xiao Yu with growing agitation.

Xiao Yu’s cold gaze met his as his first words stunned He Xia.

“You killed your ex-girlfriend and her entire family!”

He Xia: ……

He was completely frozen.

His expression was one of confusion, disbelief, and complete shock.

It was as if he were silently asking, ‘Are you out of your mind?’

His heart pounded furiously, and he felt the absurdity of having his personal data exposed online.

Xiao Yu fixed his gaze on He Xia, not bothering to look at his face.

Instead, he stared intently at He Xia’s hands.

He had noticed something off about those hands from the very beginning.

They exuded an unnaturally steady aura.

Just as Xiao Yu had spoken his mind…

He Xia’s unnaturally steady hands began to tremble…

“So it was you after all!”

Slowly, he looked up and fixed his eyes on a dazed He Xia. Xiao Yu coldly asked, “Doesn’t it strike you as odd that I said you killed your ex-girlfriend and her family?”

“It wasn’t me—if it wasn’t me, how could it be?!”

Coming to his senses, He Xia roared in anger.

He launched into a triple denial; it was typical of a man on the run… Xiao Yu thought to himself.

He said nothing further, waiting for He Xia to calm down on his own.

Sure enough, an angry He Xia glared at Xiao Yu, gradually regaining his composure.

But his eyes remained locked on Xiao Yu, silently demanding an explanation.

“I can only tell you this: you did kill them. The massacre was your doing.”

Xiao Yu continued, “But you, as you are now… are innocent!”

What?

He Xia was utterly dumbfounded, his expression a mask of disbelief as his worldview was shattered.

“You mean I did it, killed them, and yet I’m innocent?”

“Dude, can you speak normally?”

“I’ve seen a case like this before,” he began.

No—rather, I solved the case myself. Xiao Yu explained, “That case was fascinating. The suspect was a multiple personality disorder patient. Each persona had its own distinct experiences, perceptions, thought patterns, identity, and even body-environment responses. The most intriguing part was that each personality switch brought on severe amnesia. Not just ordinary forgetfulness—you could say one personality’s actions were entirely unknown to the others!”

“……”

He Xia stared at Xiao Yu in stunned silence.

His eyes shone as though he were gazing upon a deity.

“In that case, it all began with a particularly sharp yet disturbingly cruel persona within the suspect’s mind.”

Xiao Yu locked eyes with He Xia and said, “After that persona took control, the suspect committed unspeakable atrocities. Since the memories weren’t shared among the various personas, the main identity was completely unaware of the murders, rendering it innocent. Even when arrested, while investigators knew the crimes were the work of a deranged persona, they had no choice but to imprison the entire suspect for life!”

Yes, although such individuals aren’t executed due to their mental illness,

they are sentenced to a lifetime in special psychiatric hospitals.

No freedom, forced treatment every day, confined to a special ward.

Even though they’re still alive, this punishment is far crueler than execution!

“So you’re telling me that aside from that twisted persona, the main and other personalities are innocent—and everything was the work of the deranged one?”

Here comes the interesting part.

Regardless of how many personalities there are, they all share the same body, right?

Does that mean the crimes belong to that body?

No matter which persona is in control, it’s still the same body!

Multiple personalities are like multiple souls.

So, tell me—how do I kill a soul?

If I can’t, then isn’t locking someone up problematic?

Because if the innocent personalities are released, what if the deranged one takes over again and resumes killing?

This is an unsolvable puzzle!

So then…

“I know you can hear me. I even know you can see me.”

Xiao Yu fixed his cold gaze on He Xia and said, “Aren’t you planning to come out and meet me face-to-face?”

He Xia’s face was filled with confusion, unable to accept Xiao Yu’s words. His body remained motionless.

“Do you really think your flawless plan is just a bluff?”

Xiao Yu taunted, “By the way, did you ever really recover from that mental illness you had as a kid?”

He Xia’s expression suddenly darkened…

He Xia’s expression suddenly darkened.