Chapter 68: Madmen

Luo Yajun didn't blink, staring at the person under the light in front of him, feeling like he was looking in a mirror.

Don't blink, don't flinch—just stare back. It might just be a trick, maybe an illusion from the infection, or some realistic disguise. Infected people can have all sorts of strange abilities, and this might be one of them.

Detective Luo kept telling himself this, forcing himself to stay calm, especially not to show any surprise on his face.

He had discovered throughout the years that, even in situations where you have no other choice, you should never reveal to the other person how much you're holding back.

But this time, he couldn't do it.

Deep down, something in him knew that this wasn't just a trick or an illusion.

"Don't pretend you don't want to see me," the "Luo Yajun" in front of him grinned. "At the branch base, when they showed you the surveillance video of me in real life, you couldn't control yourself, could you?

Because you got the message I sent through that lens. Every part of you wants to see me because we're special to each other."

Luo Yajun stayed silent.

When he was at the branch base, he suddenly rushed out of the building because of a sudden fever, and he still hadn't figured out why.

He'd told himself it was just because he's always been a guy who acts on impulse; maybe he just didn't want to be detained, or maybe he didn't trust the other investigators and wanted to find the truth on his own.

But the truth was, deep down, he really did want to see the person who looked exactly like him on that surveillance screen.

"Who are you?" He managed to ask through gritted teeth.

"Haha, what an interesting question," the other "Luo Yajun" laughed. "Have you ever seen someone ask who they are in the mirror?"

"You're not me."

"Of course I'm you," the other guy said. "But if you insist, why not just call me Luo Shiyuan?"

That was Luo Yajun's old, abandoned identity—a legally dead person.

Luo Yajun didn't respond; he just kept staring, trying to see through the other guy's thoughts, despite the identical face staring back at him.

"So, it's always been you?" Luo finally asked. "The source of the infection? The monsters in the city?"

"It's a bit much to say it like that," Luo Shiyuan smiled. "It's more like it's 'us.' You and me share the same desires.

If you must ask, then see me as a part of you, born from the 'nothing' inside you. Every time you've felt anxious about the future, afraid of the unknown, or lost faith in what you've always believed, I've grown a little stronger, feeding on your inner darkness.

I'm your shadow, born from the shadows in your heart, growing stronger every day.

And when poor old Brooke ate that bullet for you, boom! I was born."

"No, I never thought about."

"Never thought about what? Breaking a few necks on a whim? Shooting a bunch of random, unlucky folks?"

Luo Shiyuan laughed again.

"You see, we actually want the same thing. It's not surprising since we're the same person. This is what I've been trying to tell you. For people, the unknown future is like a big bad wolf, and everyone is a helpless sheep.

They can't run, they don't know who the wolf will eat next, and they can't do anything about it.

But what we want is change, to make the world a little more interesting.

We want the wolf to fear the unknown too. That's your deepest wish, Detective Luo; you're just too scared to admit it.

But don't worry—that's what I'm here for. To do what you can't, to be the person you need to be but are too afraid to become."

"That's different. I killed…"

"Only the ones who deserved it? Ha, I bet you think so," Luo Shiyuan smiled. "Don't worry, I know what you really want.

It's almost time. My experiments are done, and now I'm ready. Last night was just a small test; today's the big day.

We'll start harvesting the infection source in Zone Z today. Everything will be just as we want it."

"Stop, you're insane," Luo Yajun growled. He'd never hated himself more. He wanted to snap the guy's neck, but his hands were tied behind his back.

"You're welcome," Luo Shiyuan grinned.

"Honestly, I've been looking forward to this. I could've prepared a lot more, but some strange people showed up recently. But that's fine, haha, they've made the game even more exciting."

Suddenly, the lights went out, and the room was plunged into darkness.

For a moment, both men realized what this meant.

Batman.

Somehow, darkness had become his symbol.

There was a brief silence, then laughter echoed in the dark.

But it didn't come from Luo Shiyuan, the infected source of maniacal laughter—it came from Detective Luo Yajun, tied to the chair.

Luo Shiyuan turned toward him, intrigued. "What? Have you started to appreciate the beauty of nothingness?"

"No," Luo Yajun sneered in the dark. "I'm just laughing because you're about to face disaster."

"Ha, you really have that much faith in him?" Luo Shiyuanchuckled.

"You must've realized he's just a mortal. He hides behind masks and gadgets, but at the end of the day, he's just a man.

I'll prove it. Watch closely, Detective Luo; he's no different. He doesn't bring hope to fight 'nothing,' just a fleeting illusion."

Luo Yajun kept sneering.

"You said you're me, and I'm you. So no one knows you better than I do," he said. "You think you can take him on? You're nothing compared to him.

Let me make it clear—you're nothing to him."

"What did you say?"

Even in the darkness, Luo Yajun could feel the other guy's smile fade.

"Yeah, I said you're nothing compared to him," Luo Yajun continued, smirking.

"You claim to be the embodiment of 'nothing'? How funny. You might fool others, and you might even fool yourself, but if you're something born from my heart, you can't fool me. I know what you are.

So let me tell you—there's no way you can stand up to him. I've seen him with my own eyes, and I know what he's like.

Maybe he's not extraordinary, but you think you can infect him and drive him crazy like you? That's impossible."

Luo Yajun leaned back in his chair, smiling.

"Because you can't drive a madman mad again."