Crimson Instinct

Chapter 160: Reliving that fateful night (3)

*Bai Li*

That clack sound I heard wasn't the part of the VR I was in because Qi Qiang could only replicate the situation based on how much I remembered. At that time, I didn't know there was such a sound.

But when I fired my bullet at Rodey this time, that sound came naturally to me even if it was not in the VR. It was unmistakable. I shut my eyes and imagined the scenario once again.

I lowered my arms first to fool Rodey, but when he was about to kill Tan Ye, I raised my hands again and fired.

*Clack*

"Ah"

I was right. It wasn't an illusion. This was the thing that the back of my mind was pointing at.

I said, "Qi Qiang. Backward the time again at the same time I started."

"Okay."

Those conversations repeated.

"Cocoa!"

"Goodbye, civilian."

*Bang*

Then in my memories, I heard that sound again just before Tan Ye's gasp. I concentrated on hearing that sound once again.

*Clack*

"Ah"

That was it. That was something missing that I felt since I started with VR. I found it. It was beginning to make sense to me, yet it didn't at the same time.

In the past, after I heard that gasp, I had asked to check if Tan Ye was fine

"Civilian. Are you alright?"

But instead of his assuring voice, I heard that familiar evil chuckle. "Unfortunately, it's me who is alright, Major."

I froze.

"Tsk. Tsk. The poor civilian is dead...by your bullet."

Wait what? No...how is that possible? I shot at Rodey. It shouldn't be the civilian.

"See? There is a nice, crisp hole in between his brows. Oh, I forgot, you cannot see."

It was like somebody sucked the soul out of me.

The civilian was dead?

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"Arf! Arf!"

Was the civilian dead? I shot the civilian? But I had aimed at Rodey. I was confident at my shot. It cannot be the civilian who died, but why do I still hear Rodey's voice?

I still couldn't make anything out of it. I felt numb and unable to process anything.

An innocent man died at the hands of a soldier who missed his shot. How was I supposed to face myself? What was I supposed to say to his family?

Suddenly, I felt the ground shaking beneath me. Ah no...was it me who was trembling?

I was on the verge of collapsing.

"...Bye, Major...Nice meeting you...time to go"

W-what?

"Arf! Arf!"

I faintly sensed Cocoa circling me and nudging my leg, but I couldn't move my body. I felt paralyzed.

"Grrr...arf!"

Cocoa grabbed my thigh with his paws, and then I felt him biting my pants and pulling me hard, but I couldn't focus.

I didn't hear Rodey's voice after that. Did he leave? He escaped.

Somehow, I forced myself to move and took a step forward. One step and two trembling steps, and then I rushed towards the civilian.

I sensed him lying on the ground, and I bent on my knees. I felt my way with my hands and touched his neck to check his pulse.

Nothing.

My heart was racing like crazy. Was it even beating at 72 beats per minute?

My breaths turned ragged, and my hands were shaking when I made my way up to his head. My trembling fingers felt something warm and wet as I touched his forehead.

Blood

And that unmistakable bullet hole

It was true. I had killed a civilian. I had failed my mission.

At present, I opened my eyes and jolted. "I am done. Please switch it off."

I heard Kang Yuan's voice, who stood beside me. "Sure?"

"Yes, I am."

"Qi Qiang. Switch off the VR."

"Alright."

I felt him taking out the headset, and I leaned back on my seat, resting my head on it. I exhaled a deep breath.

I sensed Xin Lei's presence behind me, and then I felt a pair of soft hands, pressing my head for a gentle massage.

Ah, I really needed it. I felt like my head would explode any moment

She said nothing, but I sensed that she was happy and proud of me.

"Bai Li," Kang Yuan said, "How was it? Do you feel any difference going through the experience for the first and second times?"

I nodded. "A hell lot of it."

"In a good way or a bad way?"

I faintly smiled. "Both."

"That's a good start if you feel even a little bit positive. Let's start with it. What is the good feeling? How will you describe it?"

I held Xin Lei's hands and got up straight back on the seat.

I slightly turned my head in his direction and smiled. "I am pretty sure that I didn't kill Tan Ye."

Then there was silence for a long time. I had expected it.

It was Xin Lei first who shook me so hard that I could already see stars in front of me, feeling dizzy. I heard her urgently typing on her phone. "What? What? Say that again. What did you say?"

"I said that I am pretty sure that I didn't kill Tan Ye."

Then it was Xin Zhen who slowly asked, "Is it related to that unlocking of a certain memory? Did you remember something?"

I nodded.

"What is it?" Kang Yuan asked.

I took a deep breath. "When I fired my shot, I heard two sounds back to back. First, there was a *clack* sound. Then it was Tan Ye's gasp exactly a second apart."

Then I didn't continue further.

I heard Xin Lei type. "So? What does that mean?"

I gave a hint. "There was no exit wound on Tan Ye's head. It wasn't a through and through shot."

It was quiet again as I sensed everybody might be thinking about it. Though I was sure that Xin Zhen and Luo Zhiqiang must have got the point already.

After a few moments, I heard a sharp gasp.

"Heh" I felt the mocking in Xin Zhen's voice as he spoke, "I think my dumb sister finally got it. Zhiqiang must have also understood it, right?"

"Hm."

I imagined Xin Lei to be pouting at his words. I heard her typing. "Is it really what I think it is?"

It was unbelievable for me as well, but it made perfect sense.

I said, "It is. There is no other explanation."

"Hey, hey! Tell me too" Liao Huifang said, "I don't understand."

"Me too," and Qi Qiang followed her.

I said, "Well, the clacking sound was of two objects clashing or colliding together. It happens when something metallic makes the collision against something else. And that was a bullet hitting a metal pole or something similar in the terminal. But if my shot hit Tan Ye and the bullet was stuck in his head because I already said that there was no exit wound, then how could my bullet end up hitting the pole?"

Qi Qiang said, "I still don't understand hehe"

Xin Zhen continued, "Because there were"

***

---

Dongcheng.

Shi Jianguo was out, visiting the container terminal with Su Weiyuan. They hadn't given up to prove Bai Li innocent of Tan Ye's death, so they thought to revisit the crime scene. Lu Zihao was busy planning to track Rodey with his team.

"What do you think, Captain Su Weiyuan?"

He calmly said, "We are missing something, Major General."

"So, let's find it."

Even if the area was already investigated and searched, Shi Jianguo wanted to check it again for himself.

They were at the same place where Tan Ye, Bai Li, and Rodey were at that night. They got into the same positions and tried to reenact the scene.

Shi Jianguo looked at Su Weiyuan, who was taking Bai Li's position. Then he looked back. There were huge metal poles and many storage containers laid side by side behind him.

"Let's see over there."

Su Weiyuan nodded, and they both searched around a bit.

Su Weiyuan's sharp gaze was checking everything like a hawk. Then as he moved past a pole, his sight landed on something, and he narrowed his eyes. He moved closer, and his suspicions deepened.

"Major General."

Shi Jianguo went to his side. "Hm?"

"Look at this," Su Weiyuan pointed at what he found.

There was a small dent in the pole. They both recognized it very well.

Shi Jianguo looked back and forth between Bai Li's position and this dent.

"This pole is straight in line with where he stood."

Su Weiyuan nodded.

"Say, Captain. Was there an exit wound on Tan Ye's head?"

He asked him even though they both knew the answer.

Su Weiyuan shook his head. "No, Major General. The bullet was inside his head."

"So how is there a mark of a bullet hitting this pole? If Bai Li's bullet never left Tan Ye, then how was this mark formed?"

"Major General. That only leads to one conclusion."

Shi Jianguo smiled. "What is it?"

"There were two bullets shot that night."