Chapter 18: Second Movement

Inside the concert hall, the symphony's melody had already changed at some point.

The passionate, defiant chapter of the Pathétique had passed; now it entered a low, sorrowful adagio.

The weeping, lamenting violin sound flowed slowly through the air, carrying a fateful grief, as if it had already played a dirge for a life about to pass.

Chu Che elegantly picked up the soda water before him; the droplets on the cup wall reflected the stage's soft lights.

He slightly turned his head; the gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses was calm and distant, falling on the violinist at the side of the stage, then passing through him to stare at an unknown far distance.

That expression was not like someone listening to a concert.

It was more like he was appreciating a drama he himself had staged, now approaching its climax.

A slanted beam from the stage's spotlight happened to shine on him, rendering his already pallid skin nearly translucent; his whole being appeared holy, like a deity.

At the same time, dozens of miles away, the Half Mountain Villa.

The sky had completely darkened.

At some point, a strong wind began outside the window, driving large raindrops that pattered against the huge floor-to-ceiling glass, forming ferocious streaks of water.

Inside the villa's study, the atmosphere was oppressive to the extreme.

Ban Shou's investigation had completely reached a dead end.

He stared fixedly at the rows of monitors before him, his forehead covered in fine sweat.

"How is it? Found anything?" Xiao Zhang's voice sounded a little unsteady; now he felt that any object around him might sprout eyes at any moment.

"None!"

Ban Shou slammed his fist on the table; on his face, which usually bore the words 'technical confidence,' cracks appeared for the first time.

"All instrument readings are normal! Infrasound, wave detection...... nothing! This place is so clean not even a Bluetooth signal's noise can be found!"

At this moment, scientific means had completely failed.

"Report! No...... no......"

A young policeman assisting Ban Shou was about to report the situation of his assigned area.

Suddenly.

"Bang!"

A huge sound!

The study's heavy door, made of precious solid wood, slammed shut under everyone's astonished gaze.

Although the doors and windows were shut, a chilly wind swept through the room out of nowhere, making the files on the desk rustle and scatter everywhere.

"Ah——!"

That young policeman could no longer bear this extremely weird scene; his mental defenses collapsed instantly and he shouted.

Immediately after, he widened his eyes, pointed at the closed door, and let out a heart-rending, desperate scream.

"Handprint! There's a black handprint on the door!"

Everyone looked over in shock.

On the valuable redwood door, a black, wet handprint—like one taken from a corpse just pulled from water—was stamped there with perfect clarity.

That handprint was dripping black, viscous fluid, exuding an indescribable stench of decay.

Panic, like a bursting dam, erupted completely!

"I...... I fuck......"

An old detective instinctively swore, his hand gripping the gun trembling uncontrollably.

He had caught more bandits and seen more murder scenes than most people have eaten meat.

But this scene before him had completely surpassed the materialist worldview he had built over thirty years.

Professor Chen stared fixedly at the crystal-clear black handprint; his wrinkled face turned deathly pale.

Auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations...... these could be explained by deep hypnosis and psychological suggestion.

But this physical phenomenon that appeared out of thin air, this door that closed by itself, this handprint stamped on the door......

This had already exceeded the scope of all knowledge he had learned in his life!

"This is impossible...... this is unscientific......"

His cloudy eyes were filled with shock and bewilderment as he muttered unconsciously.

Just then.

A policeman beside him suddenly widened his eyes, all color draining from his face.

He stretched out his trembling hand, pointing at the empty space behind Professor Chen, and squeezed out a few broken syllables from his throat.

"Chen...... Professor Chen...... you...... you behind......"

Professor Chen's heart skipped a beat; he whipped around!

Behind him, there was nothing.

Only a cold wall.

But that policeman's terror, which came from deep within his soul, was certainly not feigned!

Professor Chen felt a chill run through his heart.

Inside the villa, the situation grew even worse.

"Over there! Outside the window! That phantom!"

"My cup! My cup fell by itself!"

"Light! The light is flashing!"

More and more policemen began to glimpse fleeting apparitions; the water cups on the table, untouched, suddenly fell and shattered, while the splendid crystal chandelier overhead started to flicker wildly, alternating light and dark, casting each person's face in a ghostly hue.

The entire manor had completely turned into a genuine haunted house.

The scene was in utter chaos.

A young police officer had completely broken down mentally, crouched on the ground holding his head, speaking incoherently.

Professor Chen had no choice but to go over, forcibly calm himself down, and administer emergency psychological comfort to him.

「Ban shou」 was still staring dead‑eyed at the screen, his eyes red, like an enraged bull, trying to find even a shred of logic in those chaotic, flickering data streams.

Xiao Zhang's legs were cramping from fear, and he felt a chill in his crotch.

But after glancing at the several servants behind him who had been scared stupid, huddled together and trembling, he still gritted his teeth, raised his gun, and used his not‑so‑stalwart body to shield them behind him.

And all this chaos and fear were clearly reflected in Li Zhenhu's eyes.

He watched the policemen who had previously made him feel completely at ease; now each one was more panicked and more flustered than he was.

His last, and strongest, psychological line of defense collapsed with a bang at this moment.

【Target: Li Zhenhu】

【san value: 35/100】

【san value: 30/100】

【san value: 25/100】

Inside the concert hall.

That sorrowful adagio movement quietly ended.

After a brief silence, the momentum of the entire symphony orchestra suddenly shifted!

The soaring brass instruments played a glorious melody, like a charge's bugle call!

Immediately afterward, all the violins drew their bows, launching a hurried, explosive, storm‑like passage that instantly pushed the concert hall's atmosphere to its peak!

Qin Zhixia's heart also rose to her throat with that violent melody.

She could clearly feel the chair vibrate slightly under the orchestra's full performance.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, almost about to burst out.

She abruptly turned her head to look at Chu Che beside her.

The man still maintained that pose, immersed in the world of music.

Under the stage's brilliant, stirring lights, amidst the sweeping violent melody, Chu Che slowly turned his head and looked toward Qin Zhixia.

The corner of his mouth curled into an arc.

That was a warm, perfect, flawless smile.

Like a composer who had poured his heart and soul into his work, he finally heard his most perfect piece as the conductor played the final note.