Self-Portrait

When Fang Qinghe told me that the person who took the package was Chen Mu, I didn’t react at first. His tone made it sound as if Chen Mu were someone else entirely.

But very quickly, it dawned on me—I am Chen Mu. I hurriedly, nervously said to Fang Qinghe, “Ah, Leader Fang, I haven’t done it, I never signed for any package.”

Fang Qinghe nodded, gave a brief acknowledgment, but said nothing else. I was afraid he might start suspecting me, like He Ping did, so I immediately began thinking of ways to explain myself.

Suddenly inspired, I said, “Leader Fang, didn’t they say the package was signed for not long after noon? I’ve been in the office building all day; I never went out. It’s impossible it was me.”

After a pause, I added, “And since there was a signature, there must be handwriting. You can use my handwriting for analysis, compare it to see if it’s the same person. It really wasn’t me, Leader Fang, you have to believe me.”

Fang Qinghe smiled and said, “Chen Mu, you’re nervous again. Didn’t I say I believe you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here now. I know the person who signed for it wasn’t you, but since he sent it in your name and signed for it in your name, there must be a reason behind it.”

Hearing him say that, I finally relaxed. At least he didn’t suspect me. But I was still puzzled—why would someone send a severed head in my name, then sign for it in my name? Was the sender and the receiver the same person?

I was lost in thought when Fang Qinghe spoke again, “Actually, based on my judgment, I’ve already guessed what he wants to do. But I can’t tell you the details yet. My hypothesis needs evidence to support it. After all, we can’t rely solely on deduction; everything must be based on evidence. I called you here for a private meeting to tell you that no matter what happens next, you must remain calm. The police won’t arrest people recklessly. Trust in our ability. Report any situation to me immediately. Don’t act on your own, fearing you might be misunderstood; that would be falling right into the killer’s trap.”

I nodded right away. I felt that Fang Qinghe was truly remarkable, a blend of both He Ping and Jin Ze—Jin Ze’s deductive skills and He Ping’s meticulous demand for evidence.

At that moment, Fang Qinghe suddenly got up and came to my side, patting my shoulder. He said, “Chen Mu, everything will turn out fine. We will crack this case. Heaven’s net is vast and never misses. Evil cannot triumph over good. If things haven’t ended well, it simply means we haven’t reached the final step.”

His words made so much sense, and they calmed my anxious heart considerably. Yes, that perverse beast who watched me shower and praised my physique is still just a man, not a devil. I refuse to believe he can escape justice forever.

Fang Qinghe told me I could leave, reminding me to report any discoveries, thoughts, or personal speculations to him immediately. If I couldn’t reach him, I could tell Jin Ze.

Leaving Fang Qinghe’s office, it was just about time for everyone to get off work. After a day of tension, I figured it was time to leave. I considered checking into a hotel, but on second thought, since the stalker was so twisted, he could follow me anywhere. I might as well just go home.

Just as I stepped out of the office building, someone suddenly pulled me aside. I almost cried out, but realized it was Jin Ze.

I looked at Jin Ze in confusion, wondering why he’d drag me off to a corner. What was so secret that it couldn’t be discussed in the office?

Just as I was puzzling over this, Jin Ze handed me a small black gadget and whispered, “Chen Mu, we’ve overlooked an important clue. We’ve always been led by the killer, rarely taking the initiative to approach him. Since he’s tried more than once to stealthily enter your house, why not secretly install a camera in your bedroom, see if we can capture any evidence? Granted, he’s sharp, he might notice, but unless we try, we’ll never know. Chen Mu, whatever we catch depends on you.”

I took the miniature night vision camera from Jin Ze, thinking it really was a good idea. Even if I couldn’t capture the stalker who might be lurking in my home, at least I could see how I look sleeping. I wanted to see for myself what happens while I sleep. My sleepwalking problem had already been confirmed by others’ videos, but seeing it for myself would be a completely different experience.

After Jin Ze explained how to use the camera, I put it in my pocket and asked him, “Why didn’t you talk to me about this in the office? Is this an official plan from your cold case unit, or your own idea?”

Jin Ze replied, “It’s my own idea, but Leader Fang has approved it.”

I nodded, then asked, “Did you discover something? Is there a mole in the office?”

Jin Ze shook his head. “No, but the fewer people who know, the better.”

I understood—maybe there wasn’t a mole, but anyone could become a pawn for the killer. Some plans are best kept between as few people as possible. I didn’t ask further and just left.

When I got home, it was still daylight, but after all the murders and terrifying scenes, I was jittery and nervous. I had started to avoid strangers, so I didn’t bother going out for dinner. I just made instant noodles and then showered, getting ready for bed.

While showering, my mind kept replaying the message the voyeur sent me, my heart pounding as if he was still watching me from some corner.

Luckily, everything was safe. When I went back to my room to change, I discreetly made my move. While taking clothes from the wardrobe, I quietly hid the night vision camera Jin Ze gave me inside the clothes.

This action was extremely subtle; even if the stalker had been in the room, he might not have noticed. Let alone if he wasn’t there at all.

After placing the camera, I got into bed. I tried to recall the series of cases, but still had no clue, as I honestly didn’t know what connection I had to the other victims besides Fang Lin.

Thinking about it, I drifted off to sleep. I slept unusually well, straight until morning, only waking lazily when the sunlight hit me.

But as soon as I woke, a chill ran down my spine. I suddenly realized something: I remembered closing the curtains before bed, but now the sun was shining in. Who opened the curtains?

I was instantly petrified. Had the stalker come again? I immediately thought of the night vision camera hidden in my wardrobe.

Seeing the camera still perfectly hidden, I relaxed.

I quickly took out the camera, which had its own memory card. I plugged the card into my computer and started playing the footage.

When I saw myself lying on the bed, my heart was in my throat. I was scared, but curiosity won out over fear.

In the video, I was tossing and turning on the bed. I knew I was thinking about the string of cases, frustrated by the lack of clues.

Gradually, I quieted down. Around ten o’clock, I fell asleep.

After that, the video was mostly just me sleeping. Strangely, I slept so deeply that I didn’t even turn over—completely motionless.

The footage was boring, no clues at all, so I fast-forwarded. Around three in the morning, I suddenly sat bolt upright in bed.

I watched myself abruptly sit up, barefoot, and walk to the door. I opened it, poked my head out, looked around, then closed it again.

Then I leaned against the back of the door, looking panicked, as if I’d seen something.

Suddenly, I rushed to the wardrobe, pressing my face right up to the camera. My whole face filled the frame, so nothing in the room could be seen.

All I could see was myself staring at the camera, mouth moving as if saying something, but no sound came out—it was eerie, like I’d suddenly gone mute.

I figured this must be a clue. Though I remembered nothing, my sleepwalking self seemed aware of what happened during the day; I even remembered the camera. It was as if I wanted to convey something. I decided I would definitely show this footage to Fang Qinghe or Jin Ze, maybe find a lip-reading expert to figure out what I was saying.

After a while, I moved my face away.

Soon, I got back into bed. But not long after lying down, I suddenly sat up again.

This time, my eyes stared fixedly at the curtains. When I saw what was beneath them on the video, I shivered involuntarily.

Damn it, I don’t know when, but a pair of feet appeared beneath the curtains—just the tips showing, but I caught it.

At that moment, another thought struck me, and I suddenly looked up at the ceiling in the video.

The hole in the ceiling had been gouged open again, and that haunting eye was back…

Feet behind the curtain, an eye in the ceiling—there was not just one person, but two spying on me. Even watching through the video, I was trembling in terror…