Da Ge

Chapter 33
In the blink of an eye, the semester came to an end, and it was time for the final exams.KFFRSHwWCUFdHMkRdlTHWgqulmpwXJ

GzHgFwJDUQcMWKD

On the day of the exams, students flooded out of the school like a swarm of bees. Xiao Bao’s skirt got caught by a playful little boy running past, tearing a long gash as his backpack zipper snagged on the delicate lace trim.JIdugGLzLQXTtPjoaXnSabshBrqfPz

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Furrowing her brows in frustration, Xiao Bao watched the oblivious culprit disappear into the crowd, leaving her with the damage.QfJxlDibFuSdDDFtrcQQjqVmIUSFTr

hFDtqDuNVkrrBMr

When Wei Zhiyuan returned home, Grandma Song hadn’t arrived yet. He found Xiao Bao sitting on the couch with Grandma Song’s sewing kit beside her. She had removed the torn lace from the bottom of her skirt and was clumsily attempting to mend it, folding the fabric carefully and stitching it with a crooked needle.lzmnOipGZsQfgYMDJuKWvFDVXsGkmx

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“What are you doing?” Wei Zhiyuan asked.ZwZDmrlXKQgyYiQaNKNymCskrGGMNM

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Startled by his sudden voice, Xiao Bao pricked her finger. She shook her hand, grumbling, “Oh, you scared me! I accidentally ripped this edge and can’t sew it back. I have to tear it all off and start over.”ssKKqRzThDZVdfkikyDshhbOkoEuZa

CNMCBdjtpcmlQED

Pausing for a moment, she tilted her head and glanced, “Oops, looks like it’s a bit crooked.”ORZyLKsLaBldxRdVtpnCHKrxUkbCza

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Xiao Bao’s sewing skills were far below average, and she had never sewn her own clothes before. Considering their current financial situation, buying branded clothes was out of the question, but getting a new outfit for the young girl wasn’t a big deal.KkQVMFeRCplWvTKbihPwDhyYLTVLyK

SopAtOgdtGxDbHZ

However, the usually pampered Xiao Bao, who believed in “sulking when there’s reason and creating a reason to sulk when there’s none,” didn’t even mention it.gDENpazxKHdBBgqXkXNijWOPpzImLO

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Wei Zhiyuan realized then that the disappearance of their eldest brother had put pressure not only on him but also on Xiao Bao.mSJuuEZBEehAjiyVsaEEoljtOoqdsx

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Since the sewing went awry, Xiao Bao had to cut the thread with small scissors and start over, but unfortunately, it went crooked again before long.swRnsaojYLgkUfHIudfBwayGEMDnkh

RJJQDyerrYIOQCm

She sighed in frustration, tossing the needle and thread back into the sewing kit. Clearly feeling aggrieved, she sniffled, but upon realizing that only Wei Zhiyuan was at home, she held back her tears — though she appeared young, she was no longer a child. In her eyes, Wei Zhiyuan and their eldest brother and grandmother were different; the eldest brother seemed more like a distant but powerful father figure, while Wei Zhiyuan was like an older brother of the same generation. She felt embarrassed to act immaturely in front of him.DxQCZSgppYxDceBPTZnrDWGsTfmeWE

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After a while, Xiao Bao walked over and took Wei Zhiyuan’s ruler. “Brother, let me borrow this long ruler.”kyfEQZbpkTrEGwYnfXAwJPKWzSjhta

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With a slight bend at her waist, she leaned over the table, using the ruler to press the fabric edge and painstakingly sew to avoid another crooked stitch.fuGpsXgIwnxWwxqDsclQgzdEMFtqif

hCYEylWfzqtkeyw

Wei Zhiyuan kept his head low, as if reading a book, but the pages remained untouched. Several times, he wanted to lift his head and tell Xiao Bao to stop sewing, that he would buy her a new skirt tomorrow. But he didn’t dare.YyjFwyCsHrvrJpwYHrGdrlLhVeGnOZ

juisBXbxurlDSZX

Despite the apparent affluence at home, losing their eldest brother meant losing almost their entire source of income. Without a source of income, their savings would eventually run out.VVmltCNfdUHEWwJlXrmGdkXmUGDNtZ

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Both of them harbored the same fear, silently understanding each other without explicitly mentioning it.NddOAgFsjgikGihfpYWuMBboyTpRzj

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Just then, San Pang arrived.CVBtuDllbXkzyDEawMRUhdLgblxyyf

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San Pang always seemed cheerful, as if he could find joy in poverty day after day, as if there were endless reasons to be happy. In Wei Qian’s words, he had a perpetual flush of happiness on his face, as if he had just finished drinking celebratory wine.iSuRbNJQXiDKJucXmNHzIrCqlIVIPH

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Peering around the room, San Pang asked with confusion, “Hey, hasn’t your brother, the unlucky lad, returned yet? Did someone snatch him away to become a son-in-law somewhere, planning to live happily ever after?”mBTaRCzpFWgiZBdwqhSijKRaXPDEly

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No one had informed San Pang about the disappearance of Wei Qian and the others at Wei Zhiyuan’s request. San Pang remained blissfully unaware.fuEubVQttNUsEbJUORQuRtuHuBGdoY

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Wei Zhiyuan replied, “It’s been about a week or two. I heard they started heading back yesterday.”UlMDzDdsqeHXPAfGshlcogLkCfvvTA

PugYuPRJOYQLPhk

“Oh,” San Pang, seeing Wei Zhiyuan’s calm demeanor, didn’t think much of it. He glanced at the task in Xiao Bao’s hands and remarked, “Xiao Bao, are you planning to become a tailor?”AyAQDEZrsefwuCNPzhqywlfRtyqXRm

TVvWjoKZXsLXdAV

Xiao Bao lifted her head and met Wei Zhiyuan’s gaze. She wasn’t adept at reading people’s expressions from a young age, but for some reason, she suddenly evolved to a new level—she could now understand the meaning behind others’ eyes. She awkwardly concocted a less-than-clever lie, “I don’t like this lace trim anymore, so I want to remove it.”BmWIjiXYvTPkOsuADOplpoRAWZHgTL

ZWyiyahSjaQHwEs

San Pang responded naturally, “If you don’t like it, let your brother buy you a new one. Why bother with all this trouble?”JmlZqTyVyAhvoNrhpMQJgsVgFbqvoy

nwjJwnApwOpmMYG

Xiao Bao was an honest child who rarely fabricated lies. She didn’t know how to respond and quickly lowered her head, fearing she would be found out soon.mrlCHHBskKYZwpOihiPKdmslgMwmHO

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After a while, she pursed her lips and managed to say, “I… I want to save some money.”qfOeOvImSWBhWkZXoIouSwiqnpTaZW

ehGmrNMIeZiNUEA

San Pang was surprised but casually said, “Look at our little sister, so sensible. If your brother heard this, he’d be pleased.”bbjYdfXRDBRaAGYRdiWgyDdYlbQiws

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He was joking. San Pang was always a talkative person, unreserved and uninhibited like Wei Qian. He was accustomed to speaking freely without restraint. However, as soon as he finished speaking, both Xiao Bao and Wei Zhiyuan suddenly lifted their heads to look at him, their expressions extremely grim. They remained silent, but their disapproval was evident.oAmAePEOnXqBVUZaUoKzRssTniILbe

PZeKdfdekKPsRsM

Reacting swiftly, San Pang paused for a moment before lightly patting his own mouth, “Ah, look at my big mouth spouting nonsense. Don’t take it to heart, everyone.”aIMEvsRvoTbttwKHiyPwqjZMJItUSA

EmLXhsEcsOCiJSf

After a while, Wei Zhiyuan managed to force out a smile, but Xiao Bao couldn’t muster the same facade. She grabbed her clothes and sewing kit, muttered softly, “I’ll go work in my room where it’s quieter,” and then turned and left.OlSUNYPUdtDxIdNHgAQnKlPfoTffuA

ivtTRhXGLcoCmni

At that moment, San Pang finally realized that something was amiss.esrxZnvHMoiVkkrOcEGnfooTKUSpDM

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But as he opened his mouth to inquire, he saw the stubborn glint in the child’s eyes and knew he wouldn’t get any answers.zuTxOxtwZWmIhyuFvFxtIkoMOVSZQO

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San Pang understood then. Both these kids were feeling uncomfortable, but they were holding it in because of his presence.dcMqLJmhdMsGIqLqRkknleeSOXvTSg

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“Well,” San Pang thought, “I better leave. Staying here any longer might suffocate these two little ones.”cdRjrStOAdFkwreLQSTGxqZTpcPfVP

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He bid farewell to San Pang and Wei Zhiyuan, deciding to confront Grandma Song that evening and get some answers.qGcrpzjQvirikBJczxLvWCzgNiLSqf

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However, Wei Zhiyuan remembered there was one thing he hadn’t completed yet.XaYmyAjWlGMINhuxvsIIShnmJfVheM

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The next day, he chose a quiet afternoon to leave the house. As he was about to go, Wei Zhiyuan took out the money Wei Qian had given him for summer camp, looked at it, and tucked it along with the envelope into his backpack.tVmdHwGOqHNagQEPtkCNjDxLQAjaFV

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It was something his brother had left for him, and Wei Zhiyuan wanted to keep it with him for peace of mind.NOJlyHINsmKBaKQFmKCyTZRkSykjgY

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After finishing his task, Wei Zhiyuan decided to use this money to buy Xiao Bao a new outfit. After all, if his brother didn’t return, there would be no point in going to summer camp.tDXYTMaMwKRDliwkSQzKQAhAMdIJdt

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At this time, those who were working had already begun their workday, while those who weren’t were taking their midday break in the sweltering summer heat.sQlRUybxIqzgfVUsdLxJCeWAcLapih

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Wei Zhiyuan had figured out that the eccentric had been married once and then divorced, now living alone. He had the entire schedule of the eccentric’s shifts and knew that on this day, the eccentric was scheduled to work from the afternoon until midnight, meaning he wouldn’t be at home.JaosFBTfKBXEOmblqlWIFaCldCAGWC

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Having already scoped out the area near the man’s house four times, Wei Zhiyuan agilely climbed the fence near the apartment building and, with a push and a pull, leaped onto the balcony of the second floor.rDDcDnQjNbHwAkyMSUBNcFsfxhZsWg

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Using the small knife he always carried with him, Wei Zhiyuan made a slit in the man’s window screen just big enough for his hand to fit through. He then tucked his hand into the long-sleeved jacket he had deliberately worn, reached through the screen, and unlocked the latch from inside, flipping open the window and sliding in.TgJauncLWhXuRRcfrgoyOtwDatDLwP

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Before undertaking this task, Wei Zhiyuan had meticulously considered every detail, anticipating any potential surprises. He approached the situation with a cautious mindset, making bold assumptions but seeking confirmation. He first surveyed the man’s home with great care.FwfaUbaPUJnDoPZNmMNeAfxDXEEqqd

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Soon enough, Wei Zhiyuan knew that his cautious pleas were completely superfluous.MyYSlyCrAyWEQjxOsJemzYuNXeeULA

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He found a large number of pornographic posters and pictures in the filthy bedroom, most of which featured children, and judging from the pictures, this person seemed to be extraordinarily attracted to young boys and girls between the ages of six and eight or nine, who had yet to develop. Since he lived alone, the guy didn’t even bother to hide them, plastering them all over the walls.EDlkLWjctYKSlWcEyVMZBSFodpfIIT

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Wei Zhiyuan didn’t want to leave any traces of himself behind. Through his sleeves, he flipped through those things and calculated the feasibility of reporting them.ChurxAPfviKDbIpRdErjkeBlwQWJoG

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Then he rejected the idea.ykfBrXmkAEOSLcuZGHfRAddnCNquYR

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Wei Zhiyuan only heard from his brother that this pervert seemed to have killed a little girl, but it had been a few years ago. The little girl had long since died without evidence, and even her family refused to go to the police. They had no evidence at all that this person was responsible.HBEnQNjUxcIkcoiJarydIZgxUebZIR

KfjQGhgozHrlEwv

As for the encounter he had, it could only be described as unsuccessful. If the other party insisted that he only wanted to snatch the child’s pocket money, that seemed plausible too.bLIpLAbfNjwaLSbuFqnVEdAAMrWCsz

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As for keeping child pornography at home, even if it causes some trouble for this person, what can it do? What does it have to do with him?eAYkcfybzJNdtlRvQUMtXaOfLOLRuW

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He was already in enough trouble, he couldn’t get into more trouble because of this.OwzpRBwwvugIKMRqMUBuHPRLMthbcw

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In the end, Wei Zhiyuan rummaged through another drawer and found something inside that clearly belonged to a child-a little girl’s cartoon hair card, his familiar, their school uniform buttons, and even a few pieces of children’s underwear.USSMmzcBmRFHhtZWRZldEKBNCWDTfi

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Next to them were a dozen videotapes.QYfnJJhuWyeqYcBTNkCWdzeLCoMAJw

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Wei Zhiyuan pulled out the top one and placed it in the old VCR next to him, and after the noise and white dots, a pornographic video featuring a little girl of about ten years old appeared on the screen.zJjLqfPJqZkbmJgZnqxnDaErOgZhkJ

JQCSSVEHOGKFwiD

Wei Zhiyuan was not particularly interested in this. He furrowed his brow as he fast-forwarded the tape, witnessing the absurdity of the world— an entire box of videotapes, all featuring the same little girl, and all with the same content, yet somehow, switching between several poorly executed themes with a theatrical flair.wepWWvEcShHjRZuYBYWBiAJAmlcnol

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Wei Zhiyuan didn’t consider himself a savior of the people; he simply found the existence of such a person in the world somewhat nauseating.SPlBPoWHhVFkBUrimKNXSYjMSddgGP

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Having seen enough, he prepared to eject the tape quietly and depart to execute his next plan.ehfUrFibIAUaiXDKsELrsNflrrcRpq

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Just a split second before he could press the pause button, the fast-forwarded tape jumped to the next segment.btwmEOBDHZaKWmWPGdjFpcAuhChWfM

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These tapes were all poorly made pirated copies, likely created carelessly by the person who recorded them. Inadvertently, another video segment got mixed in. The initial few frames flew by rapidly under the fast-forwarding effect. Wei Zhiyuan glanced at them and felt a change in the background style. His hand, poised to press down, involuntarily paused.OjalDqctJqJEPdINoFxyBKXWxEXftz

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Then, he suddenly widened his eyes in shock and disbelief.mdRrEwzWGmCfOAJqLWnRlJDpCnOYyU

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He saw two tall, well-built Western men dressed quite scantily. After delivering a couple of disjointed lines as if they were just placeholders, they unexpectedly embraced each other in an ambiguous manner, and before he knew it, they were rolling together in an intimate embrace.ddAKQkYfMFOpXTdgURPBPuviUkyLvw

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Wei Zhiyuan didn’t know when he had stopped fast-forwarding, his eyes fixated on the two men on the screen. Both male leads had long, powerful bodies, with muscles defined in all the right places—definitely not fake.lFdQQyuLXBFvUjPMYOtOpALLaaCeFs

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And those two incomprehensible male leads seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves!CPknoiekWbzmiqaGhnsoPJsvezcShU

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Wei Zhiyuan stood frozen in place, his hand extended in mid-air, completely forgetting to retract it. Just as the two men in the video were getting into the thick of things, cursing and grumbling, a knock suddenly sounded from outside.NpUqUEciCRYsXBwAFhyNSZmerqZtQB

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Like a lightning bolt striking him, Wei Zhiyuan swiftly turned off the VCR, holding his breath as he stood motionless in the unfamiliar, messy living room.xMnfbRKsKWAvpWPGvTsxrSGyUmaxTZ

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Someone outside shouted, “Collecting electricity bills? Is anyone home?”nqCXlWdrsfoMZDfEYICiqpsbHKmwEQ

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Wei Zhiyuan closed his eyes, clenched his fist by his side, and silently counted his thundering heartbeat.FuGgZOgflrFEbWlKqajLfQsJoKjKnC

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Taking a deep breath, he mentally mapped out several evacuation routes in the room in case the person outside suddenly opened the door or—YjGkNiVULnIFbAkJxRaCFuhdsUlZBj

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Luckily, the person outside waited for a moment, then muttered, “They disappear as soon as you mention money, what kind of people are they? Disgusting!”bfadWHFqSibfgMToVQhEMbuZwFkkAq

IYliXvanBFxjOdH

And then it seemed like they left.pUcjqxSTdoKKjVWDmlCzhCQUhCphGI

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Wei Zhiyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.mcQcooZIxLtZDyzOCGDWoAwrfGfxCg

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His back was drenched in sweat, but his actions were methodical. He first ejected the videotape, then carefully restored everything to its original state. Finally, he found a place under a small cabinet where cash was kept and withdrew three hundred yuan.ujxuzAsOIVgKMSacunHnMOsUSUEKKt

SiJRqiuDzTQoJnr

His heartbeat had slightly calmed down, but he still felt flushed, turning back to press the creases flat on the torn screen. Then, he observed through the peephole in the door for a while, making sure no one was lingering in the empty hallway, and confirming that the pervert hadn’t locked the door when leaving. Only then did he carefully push the door open, slip inside, and silently make his way out of the hallway.xrjjWyRiLElQHmtwXfRDOLDhBgwNmX

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Wei Zhiyuan felt a fire burning inside him, parching his mouth and tongue. It seemed like a sticky residue clung to him, and he suspected it stemmed from his indignation and disgust. So, he bought a bottle of ice-cold Arctic Ocean water from a roadside vendor and gulped down three mouthfuls, finally quenching the fire within.HkhtWJNkIlRHPhXGZfOkYFhanuQVvK

usIuYSaDdIdHRVM

Returning home calmly, Wei Zhiyuan left a note for Xiao Bao, saying he went to the city library to borrow some materials and wouldn’t be back for dinner. Then, he headed straight to the factory where the pervert worked.PGqOOMdWENlNwhMBnCnmstUdXiEtXQ

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On the last page of his secret notebook were the words “Qiu Jianguo,” followed by a large red cross.YkAURrUaymqQFNQdxqvVLGJLACYMjk

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Ah, Qiu Jianguo was the name of the pedophile.CgsshqxRevkAzphdQSVnDNdfpIFFsE

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That night, Qiu Jianguo ate his dinner in the cafeteria as usual.SAadDAacfqfATOEBoRXgecrKaONpwh

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Recently, he had set his sights on a boy who resembled a little girl. Boys of this age were playful, running around recklessly during the summer vacation, and their parents were also more negligent, making it easier to seize opportunities, even easier than with girls.BOzBAXwljYrkVgfQhBayKOyOIFKoyL

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As he finished his meal, the security guard approached with a few bottles of alcohol. “These are for you, just delivered.”lWnCYtMwyQpiZRWaqRDarqGjlUffeq

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Qiu Jianguo was taken aback. “For me? But I didn’t order anything.”jcdCrRrJRTtbayhpvPfFsNCwlIjmEt

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The guard vaguely sensed something abnormal about him, although he didn’t know the specifics. Instinctively, he didn’t want to engage with him any further. So, he casually placed the alcohol and the receipt in front of him. “They’re for you. If you didn’t order them, then who did? Payment has been made, over three hundred yuan, quite expensive.”AuqXPRrwrIzqYWqrssgnhlxVAsGqPs

fxqyejdUZqDijlx

After the guard finished speaking, wanting to avoid further interaction, he simply instructed Qiu Jianguo to deliver the signed receipt to the communications room before leaving.xEdHDvhXcIYdWtvcPRAAjkLtVRnNAy

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Qiu Jianguo checked the receipt and found it was from a small tavern nearby that he frequented often. His name was indeed on it, so everything seemed in order.bOwyBVhROBkhmSXsDBgJduErLmkIuI

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He thought to himself, perhaps the delivery person had made a mistake with the name. It was common for mix-ups to occur with regular customers at the tavern. Anyway, the payment had been made, so why not take advantage of the situation? If anyone came asking, he could easily shift the blame onto the tavern’s mistake.poZRozBAXqiXtpycXdNiFippTdEytE

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Satisfied with this reasoning, he accepted the alcohol without any qualms. He proceeded to drink, accompanied by a small dish of peanuts. After downing three bottles of alcohol, he was completely intoxicated, resembling a pile of mud as he slumped onto a lounge chair. There was no trace of his work ethic; he played hooky with a sense of entitlement.vKheHjNYgHYacuQQjqYHHJKtfrqhrH

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In his half-asleep state, Qiu Jianguo heard a “click” sound, but he paid it no mind, simply rolling over.JRQoDCGGCYUJGArvXIcNgClvxXNARc

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After another moment, he heard the crunchy voice of a little girl speaking.TwixysWppAOxUhTLVlNEMPzPazIXhG

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It was the kind of voice that was so undeveloped and tender that it could be pinched out of water.tjCNMMrwHbwlwVBhpUmhmebBJeTDVj

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He was seemingly intoxicated, and all of a sudden he reacted, his eyes reddened, and he sat up violently.gjwfbiFTyORJZrmGTGXMHMYOhZiTNl

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He heard voices coming from outside the door, and the little girl seemed to be muttering to herself, occasionally humming a couple of songs all by herself, accompanied by tiny, seemingly bouncing footsteps.UKYCNAPvmVmoAmaMflFArHpkyvQAjF

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He knew that the front of the workshop staff dormitory, there is a female worker with her eight year old daughter she lived with, so every time he saw that little girl he was itching, but he was very careful and cautious, and holding himself back.GewUhWrCoWwErYITnwQMwtlOojblZF

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But right …… now it is late at night.FEZRoZQVWEgjGKxKoIqZkSHoGxUFTV

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His brain heated by alcohol “boom” exploded.MTFggmmKGwlUJDfeRpCAgnBUqTZJPZ

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The man’s sweat hairs excitedly stood up, licking his lips thirstily, impatiently reached out to rub his crotch, and then stood up, he was drunk and not awake, in front of the eyes of a blank, following the sound of the distant and near, head and feet light to walk forward.FDtjNcfiXgWSlAEufWxOFJNtrROSjx

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As he walked, he felt a coolness around him, the man shivered and more or less sobered up, he frowned and realized that this was a low-temperature cold storage room where meat products were kept, and a rustling sound was coming from inside.rIGRFShCoZHdCamBPWgCsyqxKeDDto

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The man regained some of his senses and rushed inside, “Hey, you can’t just go in the cold storage!”JCFFKYEaZHOSJnQwCdDXtMQVpYdLra

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The man regained some semblance of sanity and exclaimed towards the inside, “Hey, you can’t just go into the cold storage!”cUKiXYAjureCLooXZKrqqyxYADXMfL

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The little girl seemed to mutter something, but her voice was too low for him to hear clearly. The man’s throat moved obscenely as he struggled between reason and desire, with desire ultimately prevailing.iffkYAVCgrrVLbjkVCWQOhuAMHJatn

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Casting a glance at the large clock by the warehouse entrance, he noted there was still over an hour left until the midnight shift change. He knew that during the day, new inventory could be added to the cold storage at any time, and the door would only be secured with a “small lock,” accessible to staff with keys. It was only during the late-night shift change that the door would be additionally secured with a larger lock, to be opened precisely at six in the morning the next day.MuuGzpvwoOJYlLXZLSUSjzTIzokYrr

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With over an hour to spare, there was plenty he could do.JPqlnEkyzhwDzJuGYRNlxVQriXkIPj

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Softening his tone, he said, “Little sister, you can’t wander in here. Come with uncle, I’ll take you to eat something delicious…”QHCILsjqxTlosvfZVRmpjRtavsBfOJ

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He walked straight in, oblivious to the fact that the clock at the cold storage entrance had long stopped ticking.jwYEFqQBouLzlCGXDaJsLtgIvxmAkX

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He followed the sound of the girl’s voice, going deeper and deeper until he finally pinpointed it—just behind a wall! Licking his lips, the man took a sudden step forward, “Gotcha…”LLrKJAsEpRneRZZLPCDOcexzzOLPIQ

kjBlqzzXiYxAObQ

But there was no little girl there, only an old phone he had discarded two or three years ago, repeatedly playing a ringtone, its ambiguous childish voice echoing incessantly.NhxxczPMOAnKgFCNnYCoKSvuXIrgPM

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Suddenly, as if running out of battery, the ringtone ceased.WjEKiTqFGIqmIQsXdLfpnGeLPQfZCj

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The entire cold storage fell into a deafening silence.GHXKKOlETpYlXrfyNyRFlOQRiMzLtz

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The man was startled, and just then, behind him, came a loud “clang”—a sound he knew all too well, the sound of his colleague closing the outer door and dropping the big lock!IqMARgybcylqfdMJXoMOuJpbPEjRWf

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Wait! It wasn’t time for the shift change yet, so why would someone lock it now!DyebtbYPMPOgvAvdkDvWjVCLGKxIOQ

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The man rushed to the door, shouting hoarsely, “There’s someone inside! Let me out! Let me out!”zLWDYChLrxtEZzWaSlTpFMEdwrYJBG

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Wei Zhiyuan waited until midnight, then burned his secret notebook and went straight home. He spread out the thick stack of calculation paper he had written before on the bed, pretending to be diligent—neither Grandma nor Xiao Bao had ever been to the library, so no one knew when it closed.hNbpiusdnvUzUnACjmpARqGmbgbMTM

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He was still damp from the dew outside, expecting himself to be troubled and sleepless. To his surprise, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he felt a profound sense of relaxation throughout his body. He placed Wei Qian’s pillow beside him, as if his big brother were there to keep him company…BeqaXZVTEauggxReXOSnwlocSjYdQY

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Wei Zhiyuan fell asleep in this mix of guilt and hidden anxiety. He drifted off into a dream where his brother wore only an unbuttoned shirt, lying in bed looking at him. Despite the multitude of scars on his body, they didn’t detract from the graceful lines of his physique.UERoEhKJXstZsKHhaRnffslbpNBbrt

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Wei Qian’s eyes resembled their mother’s, but with a clear sharpness. His nose was high, and his lips bore a smile that… came from Wei Zhiyuan’s imagination, an indescribable expression.VmUPKBfprcqNRbYazNiTUhKnrTeZOY

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Wei Zhiyuan saw his brother’s exposed body, and that sticky feeling seemed to entangle his heart again. Like a possessed youth, he walked over, suddenly tempted to touch in a blasphemous manner.ovTltaEGbpaYvmLlzvxbbBeVZvSaGT

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In the dream, his older brother lazily glanced at him and allowed the touch. Wei Zhiyuan couldn’t contain his excitement, giving rise to a stranger and deeper desire.AVXDhfxiQmnOBptLXxmuXcAedbGXnZ

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Wei Zhiyuan was startled awake by a series of ringing phones. He sat up abruptly, his expression blank for a moment, while waves of shock surged through his mind like a tsunami.eOymReJVMUpPToDLfNgCdxvpGFmmGc

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His lower body felt icy cold, hesitating for a moment before awkwardly getting out of bed and picking up the phone.SUgUtypPqoXHxqosiBXehZdXsTENTg

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“Hello…”LgnkDkpllKtqCpvdOjjIsVdhtgFdSS

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“It’s me.” The familiar voice sounded somewhat hoarse through the receiver. “You’re not fully awake, are you? There was a little trouble on my end earlier, so my phone’s temporarily out of service. Let Grandma know not to worry, I’ll be back in a couple of days.”hsBWNKBXvIBaiMiYFBxtxyAHgfpuvT

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Wei Zhiyuan didn’t know how he managed to respond to this call; he felt completely numb all over.DuiwIxEbOeQiQcTReevLzhargbmpzm

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