0. Introduction#
If I had to do it all over again, I can't guarantee I would make the same choice.
"Tragedy is a special, unparalleled comedy. When anything reaches an extreme, it inevitably moves in the opposite direction. So the correct approach should be to continuously correct oneself over time, through the dual effects of internal motivation and external pressure. What’s that saying? It’s a slow but steady spiral upward." The man's loud and firm voice echoed beneath the ceiling.
1. Tragedy#
"William Shakespeare has his own unique understanding and expression of human flaws, which is most typically manifested in the play 'Hamlet...'"
"Hamlet is tasked with avenging his father, but due to his own character flaws, he hesitates at critical moments and misses the best opportunities."
...
"The key to understanding human flaws lies in the magnitude and significance of each individual's flaws. If they are the main contradiction, then such human flaws are at least unforgivable to some extent; if they are secondary contradictions, then people should offer understanding and care... Alright, that’s it for today’s lesson."
Lu Heng smiled and said, "This is also our last class of the semester. The course is about to conclude, and I hope everyone can complete the final paper for this elective course well. Although it’s not that important, it is a testament to your hard work this semester."
He paused and said loudly, "This is the last time you will see me this semester. I hope you all have a great holiday!"
Lu Heng, a professor at Luocheng University, was just in his early thirties but had already achieved the position of associate professor, with a bright future ahead. The course he taught was called "Analysis of Western Tragic Novel Culture," and he had unique research in this area. He was highly respected in related fields in the country. Originally, he was not the teacher for this course, but due to the unexpected hospitalization of the originally scheduled teacher, the school arranged for him to take over, and he unexpectedly became quite popular.
...
The lecture hall erupted in cheers, and Lu Heng smiled as he slowly walked out with his bag.
"Finally finished! I'm so happy! I’ll play a couple of games when I get back; it’s been a while since I played, and I’m a bit rusty," said a boy in a white shirt excitedly.
"Let’s see, I haven’t really felt like playing these past few days. Let’s hurry up and finish the final paper," said a boy wearing glasses next to him, pushing up his glasses. "Besides, there’s only a week until the winter break; it’s not too late to play when we get home. By the way, Chen You, are you going to eat later?"
The boy in the white shirt, Chen You, sighed, "Let’s see, I still have to stop by He Jing’s place before going back to the dorm. I don’t even know what she wants me for! Dating is so hard..."
"Ah, that’s so tragic! By the way, Lin Shu, I heard that Li Miaoyi from the next class was looking for you early this morning downstairs in the dorm. What’s going on? Are you two...?" Chen You teased.
Lin Shu, dressed in black, said, "Come on, what are you thinking? You know what kind of person I am." He lowered his head and said gloomily, "Besides, I’m not even thinking about that; she’s looking for me for something else."
Chen You said disinterestedly, "Tch, can’t take a joke. Anyway, I’m off; they’re rushing me over there."
"Okay." Lin Shu watched as Chen You quickly walked out of the classroom, gradually falling into his own thoughts and murmuring, "Maybe it was just a coincidence! I won’t think too much about it; I’ll go eat first."
It was already December, and Luocheng, located in the south, was surprisingly not cold, with a gentle breeze in the air, quite pleasant. Perhaps everyone who came here to study held such thoughts.
After packing his books and notes, Lin Shu slowly walked down the steps, wondering what to eat later.
A clear female voice rang out from the front left, right at the door, "Lin!"
Lin Shu looked up in surprise; it was a girl in a light green top and jeans. He thought, "Li Miaoyi...? What is she doing here?"
"Do you have something to do right now? I... I want to talk to you about that matter again." Before Lin Shu could ask, Li Miaoyi quickly interjected, "It’s already six o'clock; you must not have eaten yet, so let me treat you to dinner!"
Lin Shu was a bit speechless, adjusting his glasses with his index finger. "Didn’t I already say this morning that matter...?"
Li Miaoyi put her hands on her hips and glared at Lin Shu, shouting, "Alright, alright, I won’t talk about that. It’s just a simple dinner, consider it my way of thanking you for tutoring me. Isn’t that okay?"
He suddenly regretted it, regretting that he had tutored Li Miaoyi for that little bit of money, only to end up in this tangled situation.
"What’s with you, a grown man, being so wishy-washy? Hurry up; I’m almost starving!" Li Miaoyi said, not giving Lin Shu a chance to respond, quickly walking out. "Hurry up, or the cafeteria will be full."
Lin Shu followed silently, muttering, "Are you treating a child? It’s almost vacation; how could there be that many people?"
Li Miaoyi didn’t respond, seemingly lost in thought, nearly bumping into someone coming from the opposite direction.
2. Memories#
In the cafeteria, the crowd was sparse, with most people taking their meals back to the dorms, and very few sitting down to eat.
In a remote corner, two people were sitting and eating quietly.
"How can you guarantee that what you’re saying is true? How do I know this isn’t just a story you made up?" Lin Shu took a sip of soup and looked up to ask. "Besides, if this really happened, why not go to the police? I’m just an ordinary student."
Li Miaoyi listened to this line of questioning without saying much, then took out her wallet from her pocket, opened it, pulled out a photo, and handed it to Lin Shu.
Lin Shu looked at her in surprise and took it. The photo showed a young woman holding a seven or eight-year-old girl. The woman was in her early twenties, with a gentle smile on her face, and bore a slight resemblance to Li Miaoyi.
Lin Shu thought for a moment and said, "What can this prove?"
Li Miaoyi spoke softly, "This is my sister. I was only eight years old then, and this was the last time I saw her. It’s been ten whole years."
She sighed lightly and continued, "You might think I’m just telling stories, and I can’t prove anything, especially since so much time has passed. Even the police were helpless and could only conclude it as a missing person case."
Lin Shu took a deep breath and said seriously, "Why did you come to me? If even the police can’t do anything, what can we do?"
"I know who you are. No! More precisely, I know your other identity. I saw the 'Gerechtigkeit' software on your tablet." Li Miaoyi said with a low laugh, as if she had discovered a secret.
Lin Shu was taken aback, "Hey, hey, hey! Is it okay to invade someone’s privacy like this?"
Gerechtigkeit, a software developed abroad, means "justice" in German. It is a relatively niche detective community that has been popular in a small circle. Most of the time, users analyze and solve cases provided by the system to earn points.
However, many cases have real-life prototypes, making it quite popular and maintaining a fixed audience. Through the points earned, a ranking is established, which is not actually a ranking from the software itself but one organized by players who voluntarily compile user points.
"You’re zs, the third-ranked master on the leaderboard," Li Miaoyi said excitedly, which was also a secret she stumbled upon. The Gerechtigkeit software does a great job of keeping information confidential, making it hard to know who is on the other side of the screen. If she hadn’t coincidentally seen Lin Shu’s account, she would never have discovered that an ordinary boy from the next class was actually the famous 'zs' in the community.
That day, after Lin Shu finished tutoring her, he casually picked up his tablet to play and found a familiar software in a toolbar compartment, which he had heard someone mention before and remembered well.
Seeing the account at that moment surprised her, and a sense of urgency surged. So, the next morning, she couldn’t wait to find Lin Shu, wanting to seek his help.
Lin Shu smiled wryly, "Forget it, that’s just for fun; it’s not serious." He regretted that day, having logged in out of boredom to see if there were any new tasks, and then Chen You had come to find him, causing him to forget to log out. He thought, "Carelessness leads to trouble! I usually log out in time; it’s better that fewer people know about this."
Li Miaoyi said, "Even so, I think you can definitely help me, and I found out..."
Lin Shu’s voice was calm as he slowly said, "We’re not that familiar, are we? Why should I help you? I’ve only tutored you a few times, and that was just a transaction, so we can’t really call it friendship. Why should I help you with your problems?"
The air grew quiet, and Li Miaoyi didn’t speak, just quietly stared at the black patterns on the table, as if caught in a whirlpool, making her eyes dim. Then she smiled, "Indeed, I was being presumptuous. This matter is really my own issue; I’m sorry."
Lin Shu also quietly looked at her. To be honest, he didn’t want to get involved in such matters, especially since he didn’t have the ability to do so.
"I’ll leave first!" Li Miaoyi suddenly stood up and said softly, "Sorry for bothering you!" After saying that, she quickly left, as if trying to escape from this place. Lin Shu sensed her low mood, but...
Lin Shu just sat there, leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, as if thinking about something, very quiet, very surreal. Only the fan continued to "whoosh... whoosh" as it turned, pulling his thoughts back to reality.
He took out his iPad and looked at the Gerechtigkeit in his browsing history, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes, he pressed his lips together and muttered, "I have my own things to do; it’s all your fault for bothering me all the time, sigh..."
Time passed quickly, and Lin Shu packed his things and prepared to leave, but he noticed a thick notebook on the chair opposite him. He guessed it must have been left behind by Li Miaoyi in her hurry. Sighing, he picked it up and put it in his bag, planning to return it to her tomorrow. He didn’t dare to message her now; it would be awkward after their confrontation, and he smiled awkwardly.
3. Diary#
By the time Lin Shu returned to the dorm, it was already around eight or nine o'clock—not too early, but not too late either.
"Welcome back, Lin Shu." Two of his roommates were playing games together. When they saw Lin Shu return, they greeted him and then continued their intense battle.
He responded a couple of times, sat down in a chair, and organized his backpack, putting everything in order. Lin Shu had a bit of OCD; he felt uncomfortable seeing things out of order. Finally, he took out the thick notebook that Li Miaoyi had left behind and suddenly felt curious.
"I’ll just take a quick look, just a glance, that’s not invading someone’s privacy." He thought to himself, "As long as I don’t blink, it’ll just be one glance."
Lin Shu turned on the small desk lamp and gently placed his hands on the notebook, flipping it open. He pressed his lips together, took a sip of water from his thermos, and began to read the words inside.
"I’m so happy today! When I was answering questions, he looked up at me. Did he notice me?... But he doesn’t even know me. What should I do? Should I take the initiative to talk to him and exchange phone numbers? Oh, I’m so shy; how can a girl be so proactive?... Unknowingly, my freshman year is almost over. What should I do? Should I ask Xiaolan and the others later? Hmph, they will definitely laugh at me.
---April 3, 2007
"
Lin Shu was stunned. What? 2007?
He glanced at the time; it was indeed December 2017, a diary from ten years ago. What’s going on? Isn’t this Li Miaoyi’s diary? He thought for a moment and continued to read.
"Today I sat in front of him. I’m so nervous. Do I have anything on my back? Is my hair dirty? What if he sees and dislikes me?... ---May 11"
"Today I finally learned his name. He’s from the class next door, but he often takes leave and doesn’t come to school much. I wondered why I don’t see you often; what a pity. A person as excellent as you wouldn’t like me, right? Let’s just call you H! Your name sounds nice. ---May 19"
The rest were just random thoughts. Lin Shu pondered who this diary belonged to and why it was with Li Miaoyi. Could it be? He shook his head, deciding to put it aside for now and just return it to her!
He took out his phone, looked at the names in his recent call history, thought for a moment, and decided to dial. "Beep... beep... beep... beep... Sorry, the number you have dialed is not available, please try again later...."
What’s going on? Did she block me? That can’t be; Li Miaoyi isn’t that petty. She’s always been carefree, and Lin Shu felt they had gotten along quite well.
Gradually, a bad premonition surged in Lin Shu’s heart. Leaning back in his chair, he tapped his fingers lightly on the table, recalling the conversation they had earlier. "What was she trying to say...?" he murmured softly, "A secret?"
Just then, he was jolted out of his thoughts by a hurried sound at the door, "Lin Shu! Lin Shu!!"
He looked up to see Chen You, with a serious expression, staring at him. "What’s the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Chen You pulled him up and said, "Don’t ask; I have something urgent. Come with me!" Seeing this, Lin Shu didn’t say much. He knew his friend, although playful, was usually very steady, and it was rare to see him like this.
He grabbed a jacket; the December nights in Luocheng were still a bit chilly. Looking back at the diary on the table, he pondered for a moment and tucked it into his coat.
Chen You hurriedly led Lin Shu downstairs. Lin Shu asked what was happening, but Chen You remained silent, walking quickly. This made Lin Shu feel uneasy. Could it be?
When they reached the small tree by the dormitory entrance, Chen You took out his phone and pointed it at Lin Shu, saying, "Look, this is a message Jingjing sent me! I can’t reach her now; it seems to be related to Li Miaoyi?"
Lin Shu looked down at the text on the phone, "Miaoyi and I have something to do at the library, so I won’t accompany you. If you can’t reach me for a while, go find Lin Shu and tell him it’s about Miaoyi; he will understand. If you still can’t reach us, go to the police immediately."
"What’s going on, Lin Shu? I’ve been trying to call He Jing, but I can’t get through. What happened? Why did she say you know something related to Li Miaoyi?" Chen You asked anxiously, clearly flustered. "The library should have closed by now; she should have been back."
Lin Shu was also puzzled. What could they be doing at the library? Why did she say I know? He fell silent, suddenly waking up, taking out the notebook from his coat, and using the dim light from the streetlamp to flip through the diary, finding the last page, which had fresh ink on it, indicating it was written no more than five hours ago.
He calculated in his mind; this was right around the time he had just finished class. Lin Shu suddenly thought, could this be a trap set by Li Miaoyi, deliberately left behind? Regardless of whether I agree to help her, she would make me see these words.
Adjusting his glasses, he cleared his mind of chaotic thoughts and focused. "Lin Shu, I’m sorry! If you’re reading this, it means you didn’t agree to my request. But I had no choice but to pull you in because I discovered a secret in the library basement. It’s related to my missing sister! No one believes me; I can only seek the answer myself! I’m begging you to help me; I really have no other way."
Lin Shu felt a surge of helplessness, gritting his teeth and thinking, "Are you crazy?"
Looking at Chen You’s anxious face, he steadied himself and said softly, "Follow me!!" After saying that, he ran forward without looking back.
4. Stepping In#
Recently, the weather in Luocheng has been nice, with few clouds, and the moonlight shining directly onto the ground, faintly revealing two figures running forward.
It was Lin Shu and Chen You. The air was quiet, only the sound of their breathing could be heard, and ahead, the dark night blurred the silhouette of a building.
"Lin Shu, are we going in? But the doors are already closed?" Chen You questioned.
Lin Shu whispered, "When I was on duty at the library, I conveniently got a key to the duty room." He pulled out a set of keys and waved them in front of Chen You.
Chen You exclaimed in delight, "Good brother, as expected of you! You really are something."
The duty room of the Luocheng University library is located near the side of the main entrance. The library has a long history, or at least that’s what the promotional brochure says. There’s a door in the duty room that leads to the library hall.
Lin Shu quietly led Chen You, taking advantage of the night, and reached a set of stairs. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, quickly inserted the key, turned it counterclockwise, and successfully opened the door. The two slipped into the duty room and locked the door behind them.
"It’s so dark!" Chen You poked Lin Shu’s arm, complaining. Clearly, he still didn’t understand what was happening; he was only following Lin Shu out of absolute trust.
Lin Shu fiddled for a moment and took out a flashlight from a small cabinet. With a "click," he turned it on; fortunately, the batteries still had power; otherwise, they would have to use their phones for light. He adjusted the flashlight to the lowest setting and said softly, "Alright, stop complaining and follow me. I wonder what’s happening with them now?"
The quiet building was empty, and the sparse footsteps made them dare not make a sound. The two moved slowly, using the faint light to avoid being discovered by the patrolling security outside.
"Let’s check the basement," Lin Shu recalled the words from the diary and turned to Chen You, saying, "Let’s see if there are any clues there."
Chen You replied, "Okay, let’s hurry!"
Lin Shu took the lead; he was quite familiar with this place, having been an administrator for half a year, frequently moving between various areas, and he remembered every door clearly. After walking a few steps, he looked ahead, and the security gate was flashing a dim red light. Lin Shu leaped over the obstructing steps, and Chen You followed closely, controlling their pace as they continued toward the basement.
The night enveloped the air as Lin Shu turned around two corners in the corridor, opened a door to a safety passage, and looked out into darkness. He adjusted the flashlight slightly to see a staircase leading down clearly. The cement stairs were covered in black stains, and at the end of the corner seemed like a black hole, exuding a chilling aura, as if it wanted to swallow them whole, with a safety passage sign glowing green beside it.
Chen You shivered, "Why does it feel so eerie here?"
Lin Shu laughed, "Not many people come here regularly; it’s usually used as a warehouse. We often move things around; look at how scared you are."
"Stop talking nonsense; who’s scared? Watch me!" With that, Chen You snatched the flashlight from Lin Shu’s hand and walked down the stairs alone.
Lin Shu felt a bit helpless and could only follow behind, saying, "Walk slowly; you’re not familiar with this place; don’t get lost! There are several passages below."
They could see the two figures walking further away, gradually disappearing at the end of the passage, and the footsteps slowly faded into silence. The quiet hall was illuminated by the moonlight shining through the glass, and at that moment, a shadow flashed across the hall, a vague figure that could be discerned as an adult man.
He sighed and didn’t linger too long, heading in the direction of Lin Shu and the others.
The two who had already entered the basement moved slowly. Chen You followed the wall passage, and Lin Shu closely followed him. He took out his phone to check the time; it was already 10:20.
"Lin Shu, look!" Chen You suddenly turned to Lin Shu.
What lay before Lin Shu was a chaotic warehouse, with boxes scattered all over the floor and a few chairs covered in dust. Chen You kicked one, and it creaked, causing a leg to fall off. He awkwardly said, "This... this has nothing to do with me; it was already falling apart."
Lin Shu wandered around the warehouse, and the situation was the same as before. He opened a box to take a look; it was filled with books that had been moved in before. He gently stomped his foot, and the dust on the ground made a heavy sound; it had been a long time since anyone had come here. There were a few wooden doors tightly closed on the side of the warehouse, and Lin Shu pondered for a moment, having a rough idea in his mind.
"With this much dust, there must be footprints; let’s hurry and search!" After saying that, Lin Shu pointed his phone at the ground. Chen You also raised his flashlight to look.
When Chen You first entered, he walked around a bit and found some messy footprints, but it wasn’t a big deal.
Lin Shu searched along the wall and suddenly noticed a particularly clean spot on the floor, with nearby boxes seemingly pushed aside, and around this clean area were clear signs of footprints, but they were quite chaotic, likely caused by someone moving back and forth.
"Chen You, come here!" Lin Shu called out, "It should be this way." Only this side showed signs of people; this must be the place.
Chen You quickly said, "Then let’s hurry! I hope we can find He Jing and the others smoothly!"
Lin Shu responded with an "uh-huh," tapped a few times on his phone, then put it back in his pocket, saying to Chen You, "Let’s go!"
Gently pushing open the wooden door, the lock was gone, so it was easy to enter. What lay before them was an even darker world. Lin Shu squinted his eyes, using the light to see, "What the hell is this thing!"
5. Fog#
Lin Shu raised the flashlight and walked forward but tripped on the uneven cement floor, losing his balance in a moment of panic and falling forward, accidentally hitting a rock.
The flashlight fell heavily to the ground, and Lin Shu lost consciousness.
"Lin Shu!" Chen You shouted anxiously, "Lin Shu, don’t leave me hanging! Damn it!!"
ps: The author definitely won’t let Lin Shu easily over, after all, he’s a character based on himself. But I’ve been very busy lately and lack inspiration, so I want to quickly wrap up this article.
It’s also a knot in my heart; I’m sorry, dear readers! Next time, I’ll make sure to come up with a complete plot and find a leisurely time to finish a story.
See you next time!