"Yingzhi, it's okay. You’ll get better."
Mom wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, her face filled with sorrow.
"My dear, this diary and photo album can help you remember some things from your past." Dad handed a diary and photo album to Zhao Yingzhi.
Zhao Yingzhi pretended to be puzzled as she opened the diary and album.
Both the diary and album had been deliberately fabricated. The diary recorded her daily life and relationships with her so-called family members, as well as the difficult journey from graduating school to finding a job.
The photo album was full of pictures of her with "family" from childhood to adulthood. If you didn’t look closely, it would be nearly impossible to tell they were expertly forged.
On top of that, the three actors playing her family constantly gave her subtle, deliberate guidance. For someone with a blank memory, it wasn’t hard to make her believe she was truly part of this family.
At least for the first five times, she genuinely believed she was a member of this household.
“Take your time, sweetie. Mom didn’t get a chance to cook today because of everything with you. Your brother ordered takeout. I’ll call you when it arrives,” Mom said gently.
“Okay,” Zhao Yingzhi replied softly, her face serious as she read the notebook.
The three exchanged glances, then one by one exited the room.
Once the three had left, the look in Zhao Yingzhi’s eyes as she stared at the notebook turned sharp.
Meanwhile, outside the room—
“We’ve rehearsed this scene countless times. Nothing’s going to go wrong. Relax,” the mother whispered. A hidden microphone was clipped inside her collar.
“Do you think this memory reenactment method really works? This is the fifth time. Is she really the killer?”
“Touching something deep inside her should awaken the memory of the murders, but now I’m starting to doubt it.”
“I think the problem was with the previous killer actors. None of them captured the essence of the killer’s actions, so it failed to trigger her real memories.”
The mother relayed the information through the hidden mic.
“Got it. Anyway, this is the last try.” She ended the call, looked up at the father and brother, and said in a low voice, “Get ready.”
The father checked the time: “The takeout should be here soon.”
Then he picked up a newspaper and entered the study.
The brother sat on the couch watching TV—the show on screen was the exact one that had aired during the original incident.
Every detail had been recreated to perfection. Now it was just a matter of whether the killer’s actions could reach deep into Zhao Yingzhi’s mind and awaken her memory.
12:25 p.m.
Li Ran walked into Building 5 carrying the takeout, and stopped in front of Unit 104 in Building 2.
“It’s just a delivery. No need to be so nervous. If soldiers come, we fight; if water floods, we dam it.”
He took a deep breath. What really rattled him was that the mission said: Failure means death. That naturally made him anxious.
It’s often the simplest tasks that become terrifying when tagged with an unpredictable condition.
Ding-dong~!
Li Ran pressed the doorbell.
Inside the apartment, the brother stood up and said, “Takeout’s here. I’ll get the door.”
In the bedroom, Zhao Yingzhi looked coldly toward the door, silently thinking to herself: After my brother opens the door, he’ll say the code phrase. The delivery guy will stab a knife into his chest…
Outside Room 104, Li Ran waited for a moment before the door finally opened.
“Hello, here’s your food,” Li Ran said politely, holding out the bag with both hands.
The brother froze, giving Li Ran a puzzled look. “Who are you?”
“I’m the delivery guy,” Li Ran replied.
“No, no, something’s off. You’re not the right one. We didn’t order from your place,” the brother said, starting to close the door.
Li Ran quickly blocked it and read from the receipt: “One braised chicken, one soy-braised pork, one scrambled eggs with tomato, one stir-fried yam and wood ear mushroom, four servings of rice. Address: Building 5, Unit 2, Room 104. Phone number is…”
“Enough already! I said this isn’t the place! Get lost!” the brother shouted angrily.
The unexpected appearance of a male delivery guy completely disrupted their plan.
Meanwhile, the police officers hiding outside and upstairs were equally confused.
“Why is it a guy today? What happened to the female delivery agent from Dark Palace?”
“This delivery guy is really suspicious. Observe him for one minute. If he doesn’t leave, shoot on sight!” the lead detective ordered.
Back outside, there was no way Li Ran would just leave. If this mission failed, he’d die.
He had already brought the food to the door, and they refused to take it? Was this family crazy?
12:29 p.m.
Li Ran had less than one minute to complete the task.
That meant if he failed within the next sixty seconds, he’d die!
“Building 5, Unit 2, Room 104,” Li Ran reconfirmed the address, all while eyeing the man who had opened the door.
(Prompt: Say the code phrase “She looks like a dead person.”)
(Prompt: After saying the phrase, stab him in the chest with a knife.)
(Prompt: He’s a Class B psychic infection host—it won’t be easy to kill him.)
When those three prompts popped up, Li Ran was stunned.
What the hell kind of prompts are these?
I’m just here to deliver food, and now it’s telling me to kill someone?
Has the cheat system gone insane, or have I?
“You’re not leaving, huh?” The brother’s face darkened, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He reached to his collar mic and said, “Unexpected event. Requesting authorization to eliminate.”
Right after those words, a black gun barrel hidden in the bushes outside aimed directly at Li Ran’s head.
Seeing the man talking into his collar mic, something clicked in Li Ran’s mind.
“Ten seconds. I’ll be dead in ten seconds.”
He had to decide now. Even if the earlier prompts were baffling, there was no more time to think.
Following the prompts was the safest option.
“She looks like a dead person,” Li Ran suddenly said.
The brother froze.
So did the police officers monitoring from outside and upstairs.
“Hold fire. Do not shoot,” the team leader immediately ordered.
Outside the door, after saying the code phrase, Li Ran swiftly summoned the Thunder Dagger. Before the brother could react, the blade plunged into his chest.
“AHHH!!”
The brother screamed, blood soaking his chest.
“Y-you… nailed it…” he gasped with a pained smile, staggering backward. Blood trailed from the entryway to the living room. Finally, he collapsed dramatically on the sofa, showing off an Oscar-worthy "playing dead" performance.
Li Ran was momentarily speechless. He was sure the guy wasn’t really dead, because the knife had gone in like it was stabbing air—no resistance at all.
“Ah! My son! What happened?!”
From the study, the father ran out after hearing the commotion and grabbed his "bloody" son, shaking him.
He turned to Li Ran at the door, froze for a second, and thought: Why is it a guy?
Then a voice in his earpiece whispered: “Stick to the plan!”
Only then did he realize—the killer actor had changed.
No wonder the stab was so accurate—exactly like the original crime scene.
With that thought, the father snapped into action. He dropped to the floor dramatically, his face contorted in exaggerated terror, and screamed toward the door, “Who are you?! Why did you hurt my son?!”
(Prompt: Kill him!)
(Prompt: Stab his thigh. Cover his mouth with one hand.)
(Prompt: When he tries to crawl away, stab him again in the waist and back until he stops moving.)
(End of Chapter)