Insights Chapter 47: Torture

Volume 4: Seven Deadly Weapons

Chapter 47: Torture

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Nighttime, in the residential area. Shen Junci vomited out both dinner and wine, finally feeling a bit relieved. Gu Yanchen went to the nearby vending machine to buy him a bottle of mineral water. Shen Junci rinsed his mouth, poured the remaining water on the ground to flush out the filth. He knew his body; when he didn’t take his medicine on time, he would occasionally vomit blood. It wasn’t a big deal, enduring it would pass, he didn’t want to alarm Gu Yanchen.

After resting for a while, Shen Junci stood up, still feeling dizzy, unable to fully open his eyes. His memory also began to be disjointed, as if transitioning from a coherent line to individual dots. At one moment, it seemed like Gu Yanchen was carrying him on his back. At another moment, it seemed like he saw Wuliang walking obediently ahead with a Pikachu in his mouth. At yet another moment, it felt like they were in the elevator, with Gu Yanchen’s arm around his waist, holding him close, as if he could hear his heartbeat.

When he slightly regained consciousness, he found himself lying on the sofa at Gu Yanchen’s home, with a Pikachu and a puppy plush toy beside him, and Wuliang had already been put back on the balcony.

Gu Yanchen brought him warm water, and after drinking it, he felt the fiery burning sensation in his body finally subsided. Later, Gu Yanchen brought him a warm towel and wiped his face and hands. He just couldn’t open his eyes; whenever he did, everything seemed to spin around him. His body felt like it was floating in a boat on the waves, yet it was also like riding a never-ending carousel.

Gu Yanchen asked him, “Doctor Shen, are you feeling any better? If you’re really uncomfortable, I can take you to the hospital.”

Shen Junci shook his head, “Let me lie down for a while…”

Gu Yanchen said, “Then I’ll make you something to eat again. Eat a little, an empty stomach will make you feel uncomfortable.”

He murmured in agreement.

After a while, Gu Yanchen made him a bowl of noodle soup, which he brought over. It had tomatoes, eggs, and dried shrimp in it. Gu Yanchen helped him up, and he took the bowl and ate. It tasted delicious, and he wanted another bowl but restrained himself, fearing he might vomit again if he ate too much. Later, Gu Yanchen helped him to the bed in the guest room. The sheets smelled of sunlight.

In a daze, he felt Gu Yanchen holding his hand, massaging his joints with just the right amount of pressure. He was uncomfortable until the early hours of the morning, struggling to sit up. The spinning of things around him finally slowed down a bit, allowing him to see everything around him clearly. But standing up still felt heavy-footed, as if he had just recovered from a high fever.

Gu Yanchen was sitting on the other side of the bed, holding a laptop, checking something. Seeing him get up, Gu Yanchen became nervous, “Are you still feeling sick? Do you need to vomit?”

Shen Junci shook his head, holding his forehead in his hand, “I want to go home.”

Seeing him dizzy, how could Gu Yanchen possibly feel at ease? “Don’t go back, just sleep here tonight. The sheets and blankets are newly changed.”

Shen Junci said, “But I haven’t washed my face or brushed my teeth.”

His hair was messy, his complexion even paler, making his eyebrows look particularly dark, his expression somewhat bewildered. When has Gu Yanchen ever seen the cold beauty of the past in such a state? He chuckled at his self-restraint, like leading a child, he took him to the bathroom and gave him a clean towel and toothbrush.

After washing up, Shen Junci struggled back to bed with the help of the wall. He couldn’t stand the smell of alcohol on himself, so he spoke up again, “I want to change my clothes…”

Gu Yanchen pulled out a clean white T-shirt from the wardrobe for him.

After changing in the bathroom, Shen Junci finally agreed to lie down and sleep. Gu Yanchen went over and helped him tuck in the thin blanket. Shen Junci suddenly opened his eyes again and reached out to touch the phone on the bedside table. Gu Yanchen hurriedly handed it to him, and Shen Junci plugged in his earphones, adjusting them before inserting them into his ears. His routine was incredibly practiced; even when intoxicated and not fully conscious, his movements were smooth, as if they were muscle memory.

With these actions complete, he curled up on his side, finally preparing to sleep.

Gu Yanchen had to cover him with the thin blanket once more, and when Shen Junci closed his eyes again, he didn’t open them. After a while, even his breathing became steady. Gu Yanchen breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know what Shen Junci was listening to, but his curiosity was piqued. Quietly, he took one earphone off and put it in his own ear.

As he listened to the audio content, he suddenly froze. It was a recording of his speech from a previous meeting… and interrogation sessions. It seemed to be edited and looped, playing for a long stretch without stopping. Frowning, Gu Yanchen didn’t quite understand why Shen Junci was listening to these. It wasn’t like it was important leadership speeches that needed to be fully comprehended. With a sense of puzzlement, he listened for a while before discreetly putting the earphone back into Shen Junci’s ear.

Afterward, Gu Yanchen tiptoed to the living room, rummaged through his pockets, and retrieved a piece of paper. It was a note Shen Junci had written to him as a hint during the last case involving Qi Siwei. The note had the word “pregnant” on it, written in a hurried script.

At that time, Shen Junci had used this note to inform him that Qiu Xiaoxue was pregnant. Nowadays, medical examiners mostly used electronic methods, with Qi Yi’an responsible for scene documentation, and Shen Junci generally only needed to sign his name. This was one of the few instances where he had handwritten something.

Then Gu Yanchen opened a notebook, one of Lin Luo’s belongings he had sorted through before. In it was a transcription of a sentence: “Everything in the present is pregnant with the future, and everything in the future grows from its past.”

The way the word “pregnant” was written in it was exactly the same as on the note. Gu Yanchen stacked these two items together and locked them in a drawer. Inside were also a stack of “evidence”.

Outside the window came the sound of rustling, indicating a light rain tonight.

—

At this moment, in a dark basement in the western part of Penang City. A man regained consciousness and found his hands bound behind him, his feet also tied, sitting in a chair. He was firmly secured to an old chair, which creaked whenever he moved. The man struggled to open his eyes, feeling intoxicated and dizzy.

A blindfold covered his eyes, making it impossible for him to see his surroundings clearly. He tried to move his nose and eyes, creating a small gap below the blindfold, allowing him to see some of the room’s interior. It was a small room, resembling an old warehouse or basement. A small light bulb hung from the ceiling, obviously not emitting enough light, casting a dim glow.

Several old bedsheets hung on the wall, and the floor was covered with a thick layer of plastic sheeting. He could feel it under his feet; this place hadn’t been cleaned in a long time, judging by the plastic.

In the corner of the room was an iron door, looking heavy and covered in rust. The man tried to use his hearing to determine his location, but he couldn’t hear anything except for some insect chirping and distant barking. There were no sounds of cars passing by; it was late at night, and there shouldn’t be many people around here.

The man struggled to remember why he was here. His last memory was of him and his friend finishing drinks and heading home. He was walking alone along the roadside, humming a tune, when suddenly someone ran up from behind and pressed a stun gun against his neck. It was a burning sensation, and he was completely unprepared. He convulsed for a moment before losing consciousness.

When he woke up again, he found himself in this eerie place. He was still wearing the same clothes as before, but his phone and keys were nowhere to be found. He had no impression of who had kidnapped him. Cold sweat broke out on the man’s body, sobering him up instantly. He lowered his head, trying to figure out his current situation.

Had he been kidnapped? Was it because…

He didn’t wait for long before the door opened, and a figure walked in, followed by a beam of light shining on his face. In the basement, the man bound to the chair was blinded by the incoming light.

A muffled voice spoke, “Zuo Junming.”

The man widened his eyes in disbelief, looking at the person in front of him. This was indeed his name. The person had come directly for him, not mistaking him for someone else.

Zuo Junming felt a sense of panic. He gasped, asking, “Who are you? Where is this? Why did you grab me?”

As he spoke, he attempted to free himself from the ropes, but they were tight, almost cutting into his flesh, causing him pain. He even felt blood dripping down. The person opposite him was dressed in black, but he could only see their feet. In the dim light of the room, he could see the person’s shadow stretching out on the ground before him.

The person didn’t speak, which made the man even more anxious. He spoke rapidly, “Is this about money? I have some savings, how much do you want?”

Before he could receive An Nanswer, the person picked up a stick and tapped it against their hand.

“I… I haven’t offended anyone… I am kind to others, I believe in honesty, I’ve never had any conflicts with anyone in business! Have you mistaken me for someone else?” Zuo Junming’s chest heaved rapidly.

A derisive chuckle came from the other side.

“What do you want from me?!” The man’s heart sank, and he shouted hoarsely, “Help! Help me!!”

The response was a blow from the stick. The person swung it forcefully, hitting the man’s nose and causing a bright streak of blood to fly through the air.

“Fuck!” The man cursed, tears and blood streaming down his face. This was the first time he had been so brutally beaten. But this was only the beginning. Another strike followed, hitting him in the cheek, knocking out a tooth. The narrow room suddenly filled with the scent of blood.

“Help! Help!” The man shouted loudly. Before he could recover, another heavy blow struck his stomach, almost causing him to vomit blood. His ribs might be broken, and his cries for help turned into desperate screams.

Zuo Junming was in too much pain to speak. He gritted his teeth, feeling a mixture of fear and hatred.

The person in black continued to rain blows down on Zuo Junming’s back. The chair toppled over, and Zuo Junming turned his head, struggling to breathe. He could feel his forehead swelling, blood flowing down. He lay on the ground, adopting a pitiful expression, “Please, spare me.”

Struggling to lift his head amidst the blood, Zuo Junming glanced around. Through the slits of the blindfold, he could see a white plate in the corner of the room, holding various weapons – hammers, screwdrivers, and even a beer bottle… Seven types of weapons in total.

Looking at these weapons, the man suddenly remembered something, his eyes widening in an instant. The person in black seemed to ignore him, leaning down and whispering in his ear, “You know what I want to ask. If you don’t tell me, I’ll keep hitting you until you remember…”

The chair was set upright again.

In the long night, this torture had only just begun.