"You wouldn't happen to be telling me that Xiao Tan is essentially some kind of monster, would you?" Feng Bujue asked.

"Hehehe...very good. After accepting the supernatural setting, your way of thinking has broadened considerably," Woody said with a smile. "But you're guessing wrong."

"Then what is it? Multiple personality disorder?" Feng Bujue continued.

"Neither, neither..." Woody replied. "It should be said that it is a kind of self-preservation mechanism of the soul; a kind of...power that he cannot fully control at present."

"Oh...then does this mechanism you're talking about cause amnesia?" Feng Bujue asked again.

"Of course not," Woody said.

"Hmm...that's strange then," Feng Bujue pondered. "I remember...the day after that incident, Xiao Tan's family helped him get a week off from school and took him away from S City. Just when I thought they were preparing to permanently flee the country...a week later, Xiao Tan came to school again as if nothing had happened." He paused at this point. "Later, I probed him a few times...he had obviously completely forgotten everything that happened in the alley. I also talked to his parents, and they only said...Xiao Tan has forgotten about this, so don't mention it again."

"Hehe...they're not wrong, because that memory of Wang Tanzhi has indeed been isolated," Woody replied.

"Huh?" Feng Bujue was taken aback and speculated, "So...was he taken abroad for brainwashing?"

"Nothing like that," Woody said. "It's just that Wang Tanzhi's parents were a little worried about their son's condition, so they took him to Dubai and had his grandfather help him with it."

"His grandfather is a magician?" Feng Bujue asked.

"Hahahaha..." Woody seemed to have been tickled by the joke and burst out laughing. "Hahaha...he used to be...hahahaha..." He laughed harder and harder, slapping his thigh violently.

"Sigh...they all call themselves geniuses, but they always act like idiots..." Asas sighed on the sofa, looking at his superior.

"Ah...sorry...hehehe..." Woody stopped laughing after a long time. "I thought of something very interesting."

"Let me summarize..." Feng Bujue said, "My childhood best friend, a handsome and rich guy with a decent job...his body actually hides some amazing supernatural power, and his family knows this...and doesn't care. Because from his grandfather's generation onwards, this has been a common occurrence."

"Yes," Woody replied.

Feng Bujue took a deep breath. "Okay...I think...some problems that have plagued me for many years have been solved."

"Hehehe..." Woody continued, "Are you referring to the cover-up work for the murder case?" He shrugged. "I was responsible for covering it up, so it was naturally seamless."

"You did it?" Feng Bujue thought for a few seconds. "No wonder this matter wasn't reported by the media at all...I was wondering, how could it be that four people died and..."

"Hehe...if not me, who else could it be?" Woody smiled. "Also...are you sure only four people died at the time?"

As soon as he said this, Feng Bujue felt a chill down his spine, and his eyes changed slightly. "You..."

"Yes, I also took care of the eyewitness," Woody said. "This case was closed as four hooligans fighting, affecting passers-by, and finally five people dying together."

"Did you also control the police..." Feng Bujue said, "And...how could the families of the deceased accept this outcome?"

"I am a devil...I have plenty of ways," Woody said, "Hehehe...anyway, compared to what you did...it's more effective."

"Hmph..." Feng Bujue just snorted and didn't respond. Because...he did something similar back then.

...

That day, in the alley, Jue Ge's appearance restored Xiao Tan to his senses, but the latter immediately fainted.

Thus, the whole mess was left to Feng Bujue.

Jue Ge first calmly observed the situation in front of him. Then, he went to check the pulses of the four thugs...After confirming that all four were dead, he simply left the dead aside and walked to the little fat man squatting in the corner of the alley, and began to ask about the situation just now.

With the help of a combination of intimidation, deception, and a series of slaps, Jue Ge successfully extracted from the terrified eyewitness's mouth what had happened before.

Next, he faced a major choice...

Calling the police was undoubtedly the "correct" choice. Handing these matters over to the police would make the subsequent events have nothing to do with him. As countless famous detectives have said—"Our duty is to find out the truth, we have no right to decide the life and death of others."

But...Feng Bujue made another choice...He intimidated the eyewitness.

He used his reasoning ability to quickly state the other party's school, grade, and even the neighborhood where he lived...and used a serious, cold tone to make threats of violence and death.

"You also hate them, right? You can't wait for them to die, right? Do you think anyone will really believe what you say? If I and my friend testify together, saying that you killed them, it seems more credible, right?" After the intimidation came the inducement. Only in this way can the other party act according to their own ideas, only in this way can the other party think—doing what this person says is the only way out.

Soon, Feng Bujue forced the other party to memorize a set of "four hooligans fighting among themselves" statements. After confirming that the eyewitness did not dare to call the police, he let him go.

Then, he began to clean up the scene and clear the evidence...He wiped off all the bloody palm prints on the iron rod and imprinted the fingerprints of several dead people; he took off the clothes of the dead man in the leather jacket, cleaned the collar, cuffs, and hem of the clothes where fingerprints could easily be left, then covered them with the fingerprints of several dead people, and threw them aside; he carefully wiped off every footprint and palm print left by himself and Xiao Tan on the ground; he even carried out secondary damage to the corpses...further expanding the impact of the fractures, in order to disrupt the judgment during the autopsy...

When Feng Bujue is serious about doing something...his execution and planning are very strong, and this whole process only took him five minutes...

Finally, he took off his school uniform, put it on the outside of Xiao Tan's coat, carried him on his back, and carried two schoolbags by himself, swaying out of the alley.

In order to avoid the surveillance cameras on the nearby streets, he deliberately detoured through two more alleys and passed through a residential area. Then, Jue Ge hailed a taxi and sent Xiao Tan home.

This road was not very long, and Feng Bujue's school uniform had covered the blood and stains on Xiao Tan's body, so the driver did not suspect anything.

In less than ten minutes, the two arrived at Xiao Tan's house. His home was in a high-end community, with a separate house and courtyard. Feng Bujue had been there several times before, and he called Xiao Tan's parents down through the intercom, one to let them pay the fare (Jue Ge's pocket money was really small back then), and the other to let them help carry people...

...

"What you did can indeed interfere with the police investigation to a certain extent, but that is far from enough," Woody said. "You should also be very clear about this."

"Yes...Even if I consciously avoided the surveillance cameras on the street when leaving the alley, I can't guarantee that they weren't filmed before entering the alley..." Feng Bujue said, "After all, I was just a junior high school student that year. Even if I could formulate several plans to sneak into the local police station and destroy the video files, it would be difficult to implement them." He spread his hands. "Of course...what worries me the most is that witness...It's only a matter of time before he tells the truth."

"So...in the end, all you can do is delay the progress of the investigation," Woody continued, "Hehe...But you only need to do this...Because you know that Wang Tanzhi's family has a certain background, as long as there is time, they can operate a lot of things. Whether it's legal...or illegal..."

"Actually, I was prepared at the time...waiting for the public security to come to my door at any time and take me to assist in the investigation," Feng Bujue said, "I watched the news every day during that time, but there was no report at all...I originally speculated that it was the result of Xiao Tan's family mediating, but when I thought about it, it seemed unlikely...After all, this case is not small. Until today...I know the truth."

"I have a question..." Woody pushed his glasses and gave Jue Ge a strange look. "If you had enough ability, like me, to be foolproof...would you kill the eyewitness to help your friend get away with the crime?"

"How could that be?" Feng Bujue replied quickly, "I helped Xiao Tan cover up the evidence because I believed in him, I believed that his original intention was self-defense." He said with a righteous expression, "But let me kill people to silence them...this involves another life. The eyewitness has no grievances with me and has never met me..."

"We can tell when you're lying," Asas interrupted Jue Ge's nonsense.

"Tch...why didn't you say so earlier?" Feng Bujue's tone immediately became lazy and casual, "Since I decided to do it, of course I have to be watertight and eradicate the roots..."

"Well said..." Woody praised, "You really are this kind of person..."

"Oh? What kind of person am I?" Feng Bujue smiled.

"You are the kind of person...who deep down regards morality and law as worthless, and always applies your own unique criteria to things," Woody said gloomily, "You are the kind of person...who must be restrained by strict laws and systems; you are the kind of person...who, once you gain the power to break common sense, the consequences will be unimaginable..."

"Hmph...your last two sentences apply to most human beings," Feng Bujue said, "Doesn't everyone want to do whatever they want?" He tilted his head. "As for the first sentence...can't you just say that I have antisocial tendencies?"

"Hehehe...very good..." Woody said, "Conversations between villains should be more direct."

"Then I'll ask you a few questions in a more direct way," Feng Bujue said, "First...Xiao Tan should be fine right now, right?"

"You don't have to worry about his affairs," Woody pointed to the clock on the wall, "Because he hasn't been answering the phone, so...two minutes ago, Gu Xiaoling has already driven to his house." He smirked again, "Hehehe...she can handle this little scene."

"Huh?" Feng Bujue continued, "Could it be that Gu Xiaoling is also..."

"Hehehe...don't worry, she's human," Woody said, "And she's not under my jurisdiction."

"Hmm..." Feng Bujue pondered, "I'm saying...how many abnormal humans are there among the people I know?"

"No comment," Woody replied.

"Heh..." Feng Bujue sneered, "Then let's talk about me." He raised his hand and tapped his temple lightly with his index and middle fingers. "What did you do to my brain?"

"Hehe...is that even a question? I sealed your fear," Woody replied.

"Why?" Feng Bujue asked again.

"Ah...why...hehehe..." Woody repeated the question and then laughed again.

"You don't want to answer this question either?" Feng Bujue said.

Woody shrugged. "It's not time to tell you yet." He seemed to suddenly remember something. "Oh, but you can rest assured, this is not an incurable disease in terms of physiology, and you are not in immediate danger."

"Ha..." Feng Bujue gave a dry laugh, his face full of displeasure. "That's really encouraging news."

"Hehehe...perhaps this news can make you a little happier..." Woody continued, "You are not the only one who has been sealed."

"Oh, who else?" Feng Bujue asked in a cold tone.

Woody grinned on one side of his mouth and said the name, "Li Ruoyu."

Feng Bujue's eyes changed, and then he was silent for a few seconds before saying, "No, you're lying, she can feel fear."

"Hehehehe...I didn't say that the emotion she was sealed was 'fear'," Woody replied.

Feng Bujue's expression tightened, and he tried to recall every moment he had spent with Si Yu, recalling her every word and deed...but he couldn't find a clue.

"You can't guess," Woody said, "Even she doesn't know about the existence of the seal." He said with a smile, "Li Ruoyu's seal was set up shortly after she was born. Because it was an infant's brain, it was easier to deal with. Tampering with the brain of an adult may cause shadows, but her seal...is something that human medical equipment cannot see..."

*Poof—*

Feng Bujue suddenly stood up and punched Woody in the face.

"Hehehe..." Woody's cheek took a heavy blow, but he just pushed his glasses and smiled indifferently, "I said last time... 'When we meet again, you will be very angry,' look..."

"My finger seems to be fractured," Feng Bujue looked down at his right fist.

"If our conversation can return to a rational and harmonious atmosphere," Woody said, "I can consider helping you heal your hand."

Feng Bujue stared at Woody with dead fish eyes, then returned to his seat. After sitting down, he raised his right hand and gave the other party the middle finger.

Woody didn't care about this, he just snapped his fingers and helped Feng Bujue repair the injury on his hand.

"You must think...that we guys who treat humans like toys and manipulate them at will are very hateful," Woody said, "But have you ever thought about...what is the relationship between you, who are in the game, and those NPCs, monsters, and derivatives? Will high-dimensional beings care about the feelings of those low-dimensional creatures? Would you care about an ordinary zombie in a game? Would you consider...what his name was before he was infected, what job he did, and whether he has a wife, children, and parents waiting for him?"

Feng Bujue did not respond. He had indeed thought about these questions, but he couldn't get the answers, or rather, he didn't want to think too deeply.

"This is just one of the problems of you humans," Woody smiled, "You don't have to be too entangled, hehehe..."

"You don't want to say the reason for the 'seal'..." Feng Bujue said, "Then at least tell me...what is the emotion she was sealed with."

"What is it..." Woody looked up and said with melancholy, "It is a strong, heartfelt emotion, it is an emotion that cannot be explained by any science; it is poetic and full of fantasy...it can be unforgettable, it can make people obsessed, it can make people swing their fists at opponents they cannot defeat regardless of everything..."

"'Love'...is it?" Feng Bujue interrupted him, "Unlike fear...not being able to fall in love with others will not be noticed by oneself..."

"Bingo!" Woody shouted.

"You intentionally told me this information..." Feng Bujue continued.

Woody said directly, "Of course, it's to make a deal with you."

"The content of the transaction?" Jue Ge responded.

"You do things for me, and after it's done, I will not only lift your seal, but also hers," Woody said.

"It's as if lifting her seal would be of great benefit to me..." Feng Bujue said.

"Hehehe..." Woody's glasses flashed a white light, "Whatever you say."

Feng Bujue said again, "Then...what do you want me to do?"

"The immediate goal is..." Woody said, "Put away your nonchalant attitude, fight well for me in the [Butterfly War], and then enter the final stage of the Apex Contenders' Tournament..."

"By the way," Feng Bujue interjected, "I was just about to ask you...what exactly is this game..."

"Without me saying it, you should also understand that *Thriller Paradise* is not just a game," Woody interrupted him, "The things it can determine...and the role you play...are all extremely important." His expression was solemn, "Feng Bujue, you are no more normal than the other three members of 'Hell Front'...There is a reason why I bet on you, don't let me down."

"Okay, okay..." Feng Bujue said, "Then what happens after I enter the top 50?"

"Stop her," Woody replied.

"Stop who?"

No one answered this question, because as soon as Jue Ge finished speaking, Woody disappeared abruptly, as if he had never appeared...

Only Asas was still lying prostrate on the sofa. It yawned and said, as if it could see through Feng Bujue's thoughts, "No, this is not a dream."