As it was no longer early in the morning, the dark clouds in the sky gradually dissipated. On the maple leaf-covered mountain path, there were more and more tourists climbing the mountain.
Among them were Peng Hui, Zhang Guorui, and a group of high school students. They came out to climb the mountain on the weekend, but before they were halfway up, a few girls with them started to laugh and complain, "I'm so tired." "How much longer do we have to climb?" "Don't worry, we're not halfway up the mountain yet!"
At this time, it was still all people climbing up the mountain. No one was coming down the mountain.
Just as they were thinking about this, they suddenly saw the figure of a fat man rushing down from the mountain path above, panting. It was autumn, but the man's face was covered in sweat. His grayish-black sportswear was also soaked, and there were some muddy stains on it.
The man looked like he had fallen hard into the river. His forehead seemed to be broken, and there were some blood stains on his sportswear.
When the fat man squeezed past them, there was a strong smell of blood in the air.
Peng Hui had allergic rhinitis. When he was hit by the smell, he immediately sneezed, and his nasal cavity was very uncomfortable. "What kind of smell is this …" He couldn't help but mutter. Even when he walked past the meat stalls with his mother in the market, the smell was not so strong.
Thinking of the meat stall, Peng Hui turned sideways to look at the fat man coming down the mountain. Some messy memories flashed in front of his eyes.
The meat stall owner raised the butcher knife high and chopped down on a bright red piece of pork on the chopping board. There was a loud bang, and the pork was cut in half. Another cut, and another cut. The meat was cut into pieces. Blood flowed from the knife, flowed on the chopping board, and splashed on the butcher's body …
"Did that man fall into the river?"
"How can there be a river in this mountain? I think he fell into a small ditch somewhere."
"Is he here to fish? How unlucky … "
The group talked in low voices as they continued to walk up the mountain steps.
Therefore, it was best not to climb the mountain alone. There were often accidents that happened to backpackers. Some were lucky enough to be rescued, and some unlucky ones died. It was not like there had never been such news before. Fortunately, the man did not fall heavily. If he had a fracture, the firefighters would have to be called in to save him.
After Zhang Guorui and the others gossiped for a while, they put this matter to the back of their minds, but Peng Hui still felt a little uncomfortable.
He looked back several times until he could no longer see the fat figure in sportswear.
Deng, deng, deng …
The footsteps on the mountain steps were messy and heavy. Breathing heavily, blood dripped onto the dark yellow maple leaves on the steps.
Tan Jinming walked very quickly. This speed came from the extreme fear in his heart. Something was buzzing in his blank mind.
What have I done, what have I done … How could this be, how could this be … Zi Bo and the others …
No, you don't have to blame yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. Not even a little bit.
You're just doing what the world has always done. They're doing it too. Everyone is doing it.
The weak were eaten by the strong. This was the truth. This was the true nature of the world …
"Ah!" Tan Jinming clutched his head in pain. "Go away, go away!" He wanted to chase this voice away. He did not want to hear it anymore. It was this voice that caused him to be like this. It was this voice that told him what to do. It was this voice that pushed him …
Really? I'm not pushing you, I'm just letting you see what you're really thinking.
You suppressed yourself for many years. In fact, you don't like people calling you Fatty Ming at all. You didn't like it since you were young. When you were young, every time you heard your classmates call you that, you would be unhappy. You wanted them to shut up. Later on, you got used to it. The so-called 'habit' was just to make yourself feel better …
Actually, it's not that you didn't care. You just gave up resisting. You admitted defeat.
Did I say something wrong? Didn't you taste the feeling of winning just now? You still have the desire to win …
"Go away …" Tan Jinming pressed his hands harder against his head. His hands wanted to dig into his brain to pull that voice out. His face was already green. He missed a step and almost tumbled down the mountain. Tan Jinming stopped and panted. He suddenly wanted to cry. He wanted to cry loudly.
Before his eyes, scenes that happened not long ago flashed. Panicked and tragic screams echoed in his ears.
"Fatty Ming! Fatty Ming …! Don't! "
He did not know where he got his strength from. He was so strong that there was no room for him to maneuver. The two tall and strong men were lifted up with one hand and thrown onto the rocks in the stream. They were so dizzy that they couldn't get up. They whimpered and struggled, but their strength was as weak as a baby's.
They did not have the strength to fight back. They had lost. They only had themselves to blame for losing. They did not have the strength to fight back …
Bam, bam, bam!
The heavy crashing sounds were the sounds of their heads hitting the craggy rocks. Again and again, blood spurted out. Then, minced flesh splattered.
The sound of flowing water in the mountain stream was still murmuring. However, the clear water now had some color of blood. It fell from the sky and melted into the water surface.
Another object fell. It was a broken eyeball.
"No, no …" Tan Jinming choked. He looked blankly at the cloudy sky. The unextinguished light still illuminated some memories that had not been drowned. He and Wang Zibo's university days. They teased each other. After graduation, they went out to work …
He had already said that when Wang Zibo got married in the future, he, Fatty Ming, would be the best man.
If he, Fatty Ming, got married one day, Wang Zibo would be one of the best men.
After becoming a social animal, there were not many classmates who kept in touch with him. Even if they liked each other in their WeChat Moments, it was just a tacit understanding. However, he and Wang Zibo were different. They still kept in touch. They would hang out from time to time because they were true friends …
"Ah, go away!" Tan Jinming scratched his head. The more he thought about it, the more painful it became. He wanted to crush his head.
He was pained and remorseful for what he had done, but he was also panic-stricken at the consequences he would have to bear.
I don't want that. I definitely don't want that. I never wanted to treat Wang Zibo like that. And … and the others …
More memory fragments flashed before his eyes. They were accompanied by the cries of the girls. They were scared silly. They were paralyzed. They wanted to escape …
However, not a single one of them managed to escape.
Tan Jinming could not understand how he could catch up so fast. That was not a speed he should have. It was impossible. He was just a fat otaku. He would pant after running a few steps. He would pant after climbing a few stairs. He would never be able to catch up so fast …
Why? Why do you want to belittle yourself? Does that make you feel better?
Kneeling in a very low position, with nothing, there was nothing to lose. There would be no pressure to compete.
Because you gave up on competing. You gave up on yourself.
But that was the past. "Fatty Ming". You are different. You can be different.
"Go away … Ah …" Tan Jinming almost knelt on the ground. He was already crying. He wanted to use his forehead to knock against the stone slabs. He could not stand it anymore. He did not want to hear that voice again. That was not what he wanted. That was not what he wanted …
His behavior naturally made the tourists who walked past confused. A group of tourists walked over. They might have thought that they had met a drunk or a psychopath.
Another group of tourists had a kind lady. She walked over and asked, "How are you? What's wrong? Do you feel unwell? Do you need me to call someone? "
"I …" Tan Jinming paused. He did not say anything. He suddenly ran down the mountain. Panic filled his body. He was confused and scared.
There are many people here. They saw me … there is a surveillance camera at the foot of the mountain. It recorded me coming here with Wang Zibo …
Also, I was sitting in Zi Bo's car, and the driving recorder in the car recorded everything along the way.
After running for a while, Tan Jinming slowed down. Where could he go? There was no way he could escape.
Escape? Why should he escape? How many years have you been escaping? Think of something else. You can't just do this.
Tan Jinming looked around. The cold mountain wind pierced through his clothes and flesh. For a moment, he felt that everything was empty. He had made a huge mistake, a mistake that could not be forgiven and could not be undone. There was no other way, and he really deserved to die … But, but …
Tears fell from his eyes. Tan Jinming took out the phone from his pocket with trembling hands. The phone case was stained with some blood.
He pressed on the screen. He choked and sent a message to his mother. "Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't want to do that." Then he sent another message to his father. "Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't want to do that."
After sending the message, Tan Jinming turned and walked to the edge of the mountain. Except for some small crossings, the stone steps from the foot of the mountain to the top were accompanied by stone railings.
But the railings were not high. An adult could easily climb over them. Outside the railings on the east side of the road, there was a valley surrounded by smoke all day long. There had been such incidents in the past. Tourists who sat on the railings to take pictures accidentally turned over and fell to the bottom of the mountain. They died.
At this time, Tan Jinming stood on the side of the railings. He pressed his hands on the railings and propped his feet up. He was about to jump over the railings.
Suddenly, his right hand gripped the railings tightly. His expression showed fear. This, this …
Just as Tan Jinming was feeling bewildered, he raised his right hand and grabbed his hair. Tan Jinming immediately let out a shrill cry of pain. He wanted to let go of his right hand, but he couldn't control it at all. Instead, he pulled even harder.
This right hand was at a strange angle. It looked like it was grabbing its own scalp. It walked back away from the edge of the railings.
"Ah …" Tan Jinming was still screaming in pain. The veins on his face were bulging. His eyes were also rapidly filling with blood and turning red.
He felt that his right hand no longer belonged to him. This right hand had a life. It was that voice …
The voice became more real and clear. It was talking to him. It was saying in his mind.
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