4
As soon as I got home, I threw down my schoolbag and grabbed the newspaper on the coffee table, reading it carefully without missing a single word.
Railway police busted a theft ring; a cross-river bridge was completed somewhere; the sports lottery won its first-ever five million jackpot; a popular Hong Kong idol was rumored to be dating a pop diva eleven years his senior; and in Russia's snap presidential election, Acting President Vladimir Putin was elected for a third term. He launched the slogan "Revitalize Russia," striving to restore Russia's great power status. It seemed the world was changing rapidly, but none of it concerned me.
"Wash your hands and eat." Mother poked her head out of the kitchen and scolded.
I stammered vaguely, not moving. On the B2 "Social News" section of the newspaper, news of the murder resurfaced, with the headline "A Real-Life Ring: Uncovering the Truth Behind the Cursed Videotape."
A week ago, major newspapers and television stations in Chengguan City began intensively reporting on a bizarre murder. The victim, the owner of a local video store, disappeared without a trace on the first night of the new century. A few days later, her body was found thousands of miles away in Wudu City, floating in a well in an abandoned factory.
The cause of death is unknown. Police haven't disclosed the results of their investigation, nor have they ruled out the possibility of "criminal activity" in this incident. I suspect the reason for their silence is simple: they haven't found any valid leads, not a single one, like a radar screen scanning the vast ocean, leaving nothing on the screen.
The deceased's husband has repeatedly denied the possibility of suicide in interviews, saying his wife had a cheerful personality and had no mental health issues.
"She is kind and gracious." "It's hard not to like her." "She has a gentle personality, is honest, and is a good homemaker. No one ever holds a grudge against her." Other people interviewed also said this.
I was particularly interested in this murder because the victim owned a video store, and the news mentioned she had a daughter in middle school. This information reminded me of someone I knew. Could something have happened to her family? I pondered this and began to silently read the newspaper every day.
The general public's interest in this murder case is different from mine. They are more concerned about the dozen videotapes that were fished out of the well along with the body.
Every news report spared no effort to exaggerate the atmosphere of supernatural horror. Sixteen videotapes, each of which was of unknown origin, were from horror films, including the renowned film "The Ring." As if disdaining the average reader's inability to fully exercise their imagination, the news reports emphasized the mysterious videotapes, the woman's body in the well, the unexplained deaths, and other elements that coincided with the story of "The Ring." Was this coincidence intentional or was there some other reason? Stay tuned for further reports. Professional journalists excel at writing endings that lack closure.
Today, the follow-up report finally arrived. I carefully read the news, which took up nearly half of the social section, but found no significant new information. The newspaper simply invited a few experts and professors to hold a symposium to attract attention, discussing the social impact of the movie "Midnight Ring" and the feasibility of replicating and spreading viruses through videotapes.
There was a sudden sharp pain in my right earlobe.
"How many times do you have to yell? The food's getting cold!" My mother grabbed my earlobe and dragged me from the sofa to the dining table. I felt like an antelope with its throat grabbed by a cheetah.
My father was also present during dinner, which was quite unusual. He was a criminal police officer, and when he faced a major case, he was always required to work overtime, day and night. He often stayed away from home for days at a time, and when he returned unexpectedly, he would only take a change of clothes and leave. My mother complained a lot about this.
The same is true in recent times. It seems that we have been involved in another serious case.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was heavy. Both parents ignored each other, as if they didn't exist, not exchanging any words, just focusing on eating. After the extramarital affair a few years ago, they had barely patched things up, but it had become like this since then.
"How's school been lately?" my father suddenly asked as he picked up some food.
"Pretty good." I was a little surprised because he rarely paid attention to my studies.
"Study hard and don't watch TV on the weekends. The high school entrance exam is coming up soon, right?"
I was speechless. I had graduated from junior high school last year. My mother's eyebrows were raised, and she was about to explode. She couldn't stand my father's indifference to my studies.
I quickly changed the subject. "The newspaper mentioned that murder case where the videotape was recovered again. They called it a 'real-life Ring.'"
My father snorted, "Those media outlets are always fanning the flames. Even the simplest case can be turned into a huge uproar."
"So, you have a clue?" I asked quickly.
He remained silent.
"Is it suicide or homicide? You've figured it out, right?"
"That's not your concern."
"Just ask one last time, okay?"
My father raised an eyebrow and put down his chopsticks. "You seem particularly concerned about this case."
I looked away, "Just curious."
"Didn't you hear some rumors?"
"How is that possible?"
"How could it be impossible? The deceased's daughter, the girl surnamed Li, went to the same elementary school as you. It would be strange if you didn't know anything about her."
My heart skipped a beat. "Li Zitong?"
"It seems you know it very well."
My mother, who was eating quietly at the side, suddenly interrupted and said, "Wait, are you still in contact with that girl?"
"No, I haven't seen him in a few years." I defended myself impatiently, "I heard about it from my classmates."
My mother stared into my eyes and said, "If I find out you're still in contact, I'll make sure you're punished. You're not studying hard, and you're actually having a premature love affair. If I hadn't gone to school and pleaded for mercy, you would have received a serious warning."
"I've already told you that she and I are not in that kind of relationship. We just happened to be together!" I couldn't remember how many times I had repeated this sentence.
His father looked surprised and asked, "Ajie has ever had a premature love affair?"
"You don't care about your son at all!" The mother couldn't help but burst out. "He's never home all day long. I've been in charge of everything since he was three years old. Have you ever asked a question?..."
My father and I fell silent in tacit understanding and focused on eating.
After dinner, my mother was washing dishes in the kitchen, mumbling something to herself. My father was standing on the balcony, smoking and talking on the phone, with the partition door closed. I pretended to sit on the sofa and read the newspaper, but I was actually eavesdropping on my father's conversation.
I was certain my father was investigating this murder. Firstly, the area around the video store fell under his police station's jurisdiction; secondly, he was evasive and unwilling to directly explain the case. If it was a case unrelated to his work, he'd happily analyze it in front of me, as if imparting his professional skills in criminal investigation. He seemed eager for me to follow in his footsteps and become a police officer.
My father's voice was so low I could barely make out a word. I had no choice but to risk leaning closer to the balcony door to eavesdrop. But as soon as I got closer, the door opened, nearly hitting me in the face.
"What are you doing standing here?" asked my father.
"No, I just want to get some fresh air... I'm going to do my homework." I wanted to escape guiltily, but he stopped me and rarely called out my full name.
I turned around tremblingly and found that my father's expression was hesitant.
"If, I mean if...your mother and I separated, what would you think?"
"Oh, are you finally getting divorced?" I answered subconsciously.
The father's brows knitted together, "What nonsense is this kid talking about?"
"Isn't it?"
He didn't answer again, his face becoming mixed with emotions.
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