Chapter 8

Many things are like this: before the event, one is as clueless as a pig, but after the event, one becomes as wise as Zhuge Liang.

Many clues seem to have no connection, but if one already knows the outcome and works backward, everything seems to fall into place.

"Uncle?" Seeing Meng Lang's strange expression and actions, Xiaoyu timidly called out.

Only then did Meng Lang realize that he was still holding the vegetables.

"Uh, you don't know yet, do you? Uncle and you are neighbors; I live in 303." Meng Lang smiled and pointed upstairs.

Xiaoyu's mouth immediately formed a cute O shape. "So you're the 'uncle next door' that the landlord sister mentioned?"

Meng Lang's mouth twitched. "The 'perverted uncle next door,' right? I heard everything, that's how I know your name."

Xiaoyu was taken aback for a moment, then covered her mouth and giggled. "That must be because the landlord sister doesn't know Uncle. I think Uncle is a good person."

Meng Lang, who had just been given a "good person card," looked helpless. "We're about the same age, why is she a sister and I'm an uncle..."

"Then... should I call you 'big brother'?" Xiaoyu tilted her head.

"No, you call her aunt!"

"Hehehe!"

The two of them walked upstairs, chatting and laughing.

Just as they disappeared from the stairwell, a shadow reappeared in the darkness.

Looking in the direction where the two had vanished, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up, revealing a row of white teeth...

...

Meng Lang did not choose to pursue immediately.

A murder that hadn't even happened yet—what crime could he charge the killer with if he really caught him and took him to the police station?

Could he say, "I can tell this guy is a murderer at first glance, but the crime will happen in two days?"

The killer would probably be fine, but he would be considered a lunatic.

So Meng Lang decided to remain silent for now.

From the book, it was clear that the other party could fabricate a series of false evidence to frame him. Besides being cruel, the killer also had some knowledge of criminal investigation and counter-investigation techniques.

Such a character would be very difficult to deal with. Once he alerted the killer, he might become the target himself.

Meng Lang's advantage now was that the enemy was in the open, while he was in the shadows.

The enemy only saw him as a scapegoat, but in reality, he was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The other party was the prey, and he was the hunter!

...

At the door of 302.

"Here!" Meng Lang handed the vegetables to Xiaoyu.

"Thank you, Uncle!" Xiaoyu took the bag but didn't seem to have any intention of opening the door. Instead, she looked at Meng Lang quietly.

Meng Lang was taken aback, then realized something and laughed.

He took out his key, jingled it, and opened the door to 303 next door.

"See? Uncle didn't lie to you. Little radish, you're quite cautious."

This little girl, though seemingly innocent and simple, had a maturity beyond her years, which both surprised and touched Meng Lang.

After all, children who are loved don't grow up, while those who lack love grow up too quickly...

Xiaoyu, seeing that Meng Lang was really the resident of 303, smiled shyly and took out her key, clumsily opening the door.

"Xiaoyu, why are you back so late? Hurry up and cook, I'm starving..." A woman's voice came from inside when she heard the door open.

"Okay, sister, I'll go right away!"

"Bang!" The door to 302 closed, leaving Meng Lang standing in the wind, disheveled.

So Xiaoyu not only bought the vegetables but also cooked?

What kind of fairy sister is this?

Meng Lang immediately imagined a scene: a fat, mean sister sitting on the sofa, crossing her legs and cracking sunflower seeds, while Xiaoyu, wearing a small apron and standing on a stool, stirred the pot in the kitchen...

Could it be... that the sister is actually a stepmother's child?

A real-life Cinderella!

But to be honest, such a sister... I want one too...

Looking at the door of 302, Meng Lang's mind filled with Xiaoyu's shy smile, and he became even more determined to save the girl.

Such a pitiful girl should not die tragically like in the book!

Meng Lang could have chosen to leave, but facing a cruel and ruthless killer, any involvement would be extremely dangerous.

As long as he moved out of this rental, the murder and the prison sentence would be far from him.

This would be the simplest, most direct, and safest way to change his fate.

But... Meng Lang couldn't pass this mental hurdle!

The Meng family's ancestral teaching: life is what I desire, righteousness is also what I desire; if both cannot be had, I will give up life to achieve righteousness!

Since everything started with him, he would bear all the sins!

...

Meng Lang returned to his room.

He took out "My Struggle," which he had hidden at the bottom of his wardrobe.

To his disappointment, this time the book had not changed at all, and the writing showed no signs of fading.

Meng Lang frowned and thought.

Perhaps just discovering the killer's existence was not enough to change the future?

Or maybe this version of the book needed a cooldown period? The butterfly needed more time to fly?

Thinking of this, Meng Lang immediately recalled that he had received the autobiography last night, and it had first "updated" around noon today.

Could noon be a key time point?

Yes! Note this!

Meng Lang decided to observe the book at regular intervals to figure out its "update frequency."

If the autobiography was "daily updated," "weekly updated," or even "monthly updated," he would have to cherish every opportunity to peek into the future...

He flipped through "My Struggle" again, trying to find more clues to change his fate.

After some thought, Meng Lang had a clear idea of how to use this magical "autobiography" correctly.

If he did nothing, the future would not change.

So he needed to formulate a detailed plan to potentially alter the future before the "autobiography" changed, and then execute it.

Then, based on the "future" feedback from the "autobiography," he would adjust the plan and gradually change his tragic fate.

If the "future" was still unsatisfactory, he would repeat the cycle, once, twice, three times, until he achieved the ideal "perfect life"!

As for what the ideal "perfect life" was, Meng Lang hadn't thought it through yet.

But at least, it shouldn't be spent in prison...

This process was somewhat like the PDCA cycle commonly used in modern enterprise production management.

PDCA cycle: Plan (plan), Do (execute), Check (check), and Act (act).

After one cycle, if the product was not ideal, the production parameters would be adjusted, and the cycle would be repeated, correcting errors until the perfect product was achieved.

Although the context was different, the principle was the same.

Thank you, beautiful college mentor, for the life guidance!

...

Half an hour later, Meng Lang finally extracted the most critical content about the murder from the entire text of "My Struggle."

["Just as I was basking in my success and preparing to make a grand plan... Xiaoyu died!"]

["The street surveillance, the fingerprints on the door, the murder weapon and blood-stained clothes next to the body, and the hair and skin cells left by the killer...

Yes, all the evidence pointed to me!"]

["No eyewitnesses, no alibi, and no one sympathized with me. Public opinion was overwhelmingly against me."]

After analyzing the extracted information, Meng Lang drew some conclusions.

The murder would happen after he made his first fortune, shortly after the stock market crash.

The evidence against him in this case included: street surveillance, fingerprints on the door, the murder weapon and blood-stained clothes next to the body, his hair and skin cells at the crime scene, no eyewitnesses, and no alibi...

"Street surveillance..." Meng Lang pinched his chin, suddenly thinking of something and feeling a bit toothache.

"Could it be that the scene of me and Xiaoyu walking together was captured?"

Under normal circumstances, after a murder, the neighborhood would definitely check the surveillance to see if Xiaoyu had recently come into contact with any strangers.

As a neighbor and a stranger who had interacted with Xiaoyu, he would undoubtedly be listed as a "key suspect"!

Even his act of helping today could be seen by the police as evidence of "actively approaching the victim."

Perhaps the killer used these "inherent conditions" to choose him as the "scapegoat"?

"Then... what about the fingerprints, the murder weapon, the blood-stained clothes, and the hair and skin cells? These things couldn't have been placed there by me, right?"

After frowning and pondering for a long time, Meng Lang's eyes brightened, and he vaguely thought of a possibility.

Then there was another key factor... public opinion!

In such a heinous murder, especially with a 6-year-old victim and an extremely cruel method, how the public would react was easy to imagine.

Human flesh search, online bullying... under such public outrage, the powerful media and public opinion would undoubtedly interfere with the judicial process.

Even the police would, under various pressures, choose to close the case as quickly as possible.

In such a case, even if there were some doubts and flaws in the case, they would likely be overshadowed by the overwhelming public sentiment!

Could it be... that this was one of the reasons the killer chose such a cruel method?

Meng Lang felt a chill.

There was no doubt that this killer was a sinister, cunning, and terrifying person with a deep understanding of criminal investigation, case handling, judicial procedures, and public opinion manipulation!

Meng Lang was just an ordinary person, and facing such a formidable opponent, it was impossible not to be afraid.

"Maybe I should buy some insurance first?"