Chapter 85 The Punisher (2)
The candlelight in the dilapidated classroom was dim, and the air was filled with dust and a faint stench of decay.
The atmosphere around the long table was tense.
Lin Chujiu was restless, while Pei Yu beside her remained calm and composed.
Hong Jiadu, sitting in the main seat, wore an expression that was a mixture of strange excitement and solemnity.
He looked somewhat agitated, but there was a hint of distress in his eyes.
What's most chilling is that on the other side of the long table, there was Zhou Ruoruo, who had already died!
She sat there, her skin a swollen, decaying green, as if it had been fermenting for many days.
Her eyelids were half-closed, the whites of her eyes were cloudy, and only her pupils were filled with boundless resentment as she stared intently at everyone present.
She was resentful and gloomy, a stark contrast to her former scheming yet glamorous self.
Viewers in Lin Chujiu's live stream were quite astonished by what they saw:
What happened? How did Ruoruo come back to life?
【How did Ruoruo become like this? She looks so ugly...】
[How can the person upstairs be so vicious? Ruoruo became like this because of death, how can you say she's ugly?]
[I was just saying, besides, you said it yourself, she's dead. How could she not be ugly when she's dead?]
[My God, what's going on here? Can any expert explain?]
Hongjiadu ignored the fear on Lin Chujiu's face, glanced at his watch, and announced:
"It's time, let's begin the class reunion."
Just as Hongjiadu announced the start of the class reunion—
The air in the empty space next to it instantly distorted!
A strong sense of spatial flow instantly washed over Lin Chujiu. She felt something invisible compressing the air beside her, and then looked towards that empty space—
A thick, blurry black shadow quietly emerged.
It has no shape, it wriggles constantly, and though it seems ordinary, it exudes endless despair and fear.
"Everyone's here."
Hong Jiadu's voice was clear, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Ruoruo's terrifying face and the cowering shadow:
"We gather here tonight to remember and to settle scores. Among the five of us... there was a murderer."
The deceased's anger must be quelled; only through the murderer's personal repentance can there be a glimmer of peace.
The banquet turned into a distorted trial. Hong Jiadu controlled the pace, and every reminiscence was fraught with hidden danger.
“Lin,” he suddenly stared at Lin Chujiu, “you seem to be one of the last people she saw before she disappeared? Did someone hear you arguing in the old equipment room? About a certain award-winning design?”
Who is she? Lin Chujiu was a little confused. How did a "she" suddenly appear?
Lin Chujiu instinctively looked at Zhou Ruoruo, only to be met with a venomous glare from her before turning her head away.
This is probably a baseless trap.
"I am not the murderer." Lin Chujiu said firmly, "I don't know her, and we never argued."
"Is that so?" Hong Jiadu stood by the table, leaning forward, his oppressive aura increasing sharply. "Why did someone see you? Why is your name on the edge of the investigation record?"
Running away from lies will only deepen resentment... Look, Ruoruo is looking at you.
Zhou Ruoruo's green-glowing, venomous eyes were fixed on Lin Chujiu, and the stench seemed to emanate from afar.
What is this? Investigation records... Is it a new lead they found?
Lin Chujiu was both frightened and furious.
"I said, no." Lin Chujiu insisted through gritted teeth.
Pei Yu took in this scene.
"Ahem." He coughed lightly, tapping his knuckles twice on the table.
The sound wasn't loud, but it strangely broke the oppressive atmosphere.
Hong Jiadu paused in his questioning, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes as he looked at Pei Yu.
Zhou Ruoruo's gaze was also drawn to it, her resentment mixed with confusion.
She seemed... not to recognize Pei Yu anymore.
"It seems that Lin is very persistent."
Hong Jiadu's tone subtly changed, and he temporarily let her go, but the crisis was not yet over.
Hong Jiadu looked at Pei Yu, his expression complex:
"Pei Yu...we used to be best friends. Some things we have to face eventually."
I don't want you to hide her story. Where did you go that night?
The candlelight in the classroom went out at that moment, and even the shadow on Xu Sisi's seat stopped moving.
Zhou Ruoruo suddenly turned her head towards Pei Yu, her eyes filled with such venom that it almost materialized!
However, all they received in response was Pei Yu's silence.
His long eyelashes drooped, and he ignored Hongjiadu.
"Pei Yu!"
Hong Jiadu's voice suddenly rose, filled with anguish and pleading, "Speak! Acknowledge it, and only then can we be redeemed! Let the dead rest in peace! You don't want to be trapped in a nightmare forever, do you?"
A sense of oppression washed over me.
Lin Chujiu couldn't help but hold her breath.
Pei Yu slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Zhou Ruoruo and the shadowy figure before meeting Hong Jiadu's eyes.
The candlelight illuminated him, reflecting a heavy emotion in his eyes.
“Yes.” He spoke, his voice flat yet clear, “That night… I went, I saw it.”
Amidst the jubilant expressions of the crowd, he confessed, "I am one of the murderers."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell into a deathly silence.
Hong Jiadu was quite pleased. He let out a long sigh, his shoulders relaxed, and his face showed a complex expression of relief mixed with some bitterness.
"It's good that you've admitted it."
Who is the remaining murderer? Without any prompting, all eyes turned to the blurry black figure sitting in Xu Sisi's seat at the center of the long table.
The dark figure trembled violently, as if cowering in fright.
In the near-suffocating silence, she finally swayed very slightly up and down.
That was a nod.
Two murderers: Pei Yu, and Xu Sisi, who has turned into a shadow.
Hong Jiadu turned to Zhou Ruoruo, his tone gentle and even somewhat ingratiating:
“Zhou, did you hear that? They confessed... the murderer is going to repent.”
Has your resentment subsided? Can you... finally find peace?
Zhou Ruoruo's green eyes slowly surveyed the classroom with a deathly gaze.
Having seen Pei Yu, the shadowy figure, and Lin Chujiu, the gaze finally settled on Hong Jiadu's pale face.
Then, she stiffly turned her green head and shook it very slowly.
Her lips moved slightly, and a hoarse voice resounded in everyone's mind, filled with boundless hatred and resentment:
"One more is needed..."
She stared intently at Hongjiadu as she spoke.
Upon hearing that voice, Lin Chujiu's hair stood on end!
That wasn't Zhou Ruoruo's voice at all! It was another, even more shrill and desperate female voice!
She suddenly realized that this didn't seem to be Zhou Ruoruo!
Hong Jiadu's expression froze instantly, his initial relief turning into fear.
The classroom, filled with candlelight, suddenly turned a ghostly green, like eerie flames, illuminating every terrified face.
One more murderer is needed.
Zhou Ruoruo's words were still echoing in everyone's minds, and their expressions were inscrutable.
With everyone present harboring their own ulterior motives, Lin Chujiu unconsciously moved a little to the side to avoid contact with Pei Yu.
Pei Yu looked at her as she moved away, a hurt flashing in his eyes.
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