Insights Chapter 88: Dream Builder

Chapter 88: Dream Builder

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

That day, Zhao Meng’an was in an internet cafe writing his thesis. He got stuck while writing. A man sat next to him playing games and offered him a box of instant noodles. Later, the man started chatting with him. After a few conversations, the man said he needed one more person to play games and offered to pay him to join. He even promised to give him twenty-five yuan for one game.

Zhao Meng’an was tempted by the offer. However, he had never played games before in his life. Blushing, he waved his hand and said he didn’t know how. But the man didn’t mind at all. Instead, he patiently taught him. And so, Zhao Meng’an entered the world of gaming for the first time.

He discovered how much fun it could be. He played two rounds with the man, and as promised, the man gave him fifty yuan. He exchanged contact information with the man. Sometimes, when the man was at an internet cafe near the school and saw him there, he would invite him to play games, pay for his internet usage, and even treat him to meals. He thought he had met a good person.

At first, the man listened to his stories. Later, the man would ask him questions. Gradually, the man began to instill some thoughts in him, giving him examples and saying certain things. He gradually opened up to the man, sharing more with him than he did with his dorm mates.

The man seemed to have a lot of social experience, speaking confidently about many issues from the perspective of someone who had been there. Once, the man invited him to dinner at a luxurious restaurant and poured him a glass of red wine.

“Where is there any fate-changing through studying? You were born at the starting line, while others were born at the finish line. You can’t outrun them. Those wealthy people want you to be like slaves, working hard for them.”

Zhao Meng’an felt something was off listening to his words, but he couldn’t find words to refute.

“When you were young, you were told to study well in math and science, and that you could go anywhere in the world without fear. But as you grow up, you realize that the ones making money are the good-looking ones and the rich kids. They earn millions or billions by just doing a livestream. When they ask, resources come flooding in. What about you? Delivering takeout earns you three yuan per order, and if it’s late, they dock two yuan more. You think you’ve crossed a battlefield like a hero, but in reality, the subjects you study in college are grooming you to be obedient slaves. College is a conspiracy. Except for those with exceptional talent who enter prestigious schools, and a few lucky ones, no one can achieve upward mobility through education. Those waiters, delivery drivers, and insurance salesmen are at the bottom, with no dignity. As for doctors, teachers, lawyers, civil servants, including police officers, they are all drones cultivated by the wealthy, ants toiling away without ever reaching the top.”

These words struck Zhao Meng’an’s heart. It seemed to articulate the confusion he had always felt but couldn’t express. He felt as though he was being led, opening a door he had always ignored. At first, he listened attentively, but as he drank more, he only saw the man’s mouth moving in front of him.

Gradually, he couldn’t articulate what felt wrong, just that he felt uncomfortable. He began to tell the man about his experiences, including being sponsored by Jin Yuewen.

The man sighed regretfully, “If you hadn’t chosen this major, if you had known all this earlier, your life could have been saved. But now, this is your life. Unable to find a job, and even if you do, you’ll be unemployed at 35, tossed around like trash.”

Listening to this, Zhao Meng’an felt like a terminally ill patient, his face drained of color.

The man sighed, “Jin Yuewen is so successful. He should know all this, but why didn’t he tell you? It seems he only used sponsoring you to gain praise from others.”

Yes! Jin Yuewen must have had such thoughts. He never intended to completely help him! He sponsored so many people, but he himself was just a tool for his show. Since then, he couldn’t concentrate on studying anymore. His heart grew cold, and his grades plummeted even further.

Under the influence of the man, Zhao Meng’an felt that Jin Yuewen’s sponsorship was a mockery of the higher-ups, deliberately pushing him into a major with no future prospects, watching him struggle in the mud.

Jin Yuewen seemed to have realized something at this point. He reduced the amount of money he gave him and told him to learn to be independent. This became the catalyst for everything. Jin Yuewen thought his sponsorship of Zhao Meng’an wasn’t mandatory. He had the upper hand and could stop anytime. But he didn’t anticipate that once this long-term sponsorship started, it became an obligation. When the money became less, it became a serious offense.

This was an ancient truth: Rising favor breeds resentment.

Zhao Meng’an’s hatred towards him grew, surpassing his gratitude. Everything was like a snowball rolling uncontrollably, and in the end, this one thousand yuan led to Jin Yuewen’s death. The impoverished student he had sponsored for seven years had finally turned into a wolf. The wolf rose up and bit him to death.

After hearing all this, Shen Junci sitting in the observation room looked at the young man in the interrogation room and sighed deeply. Jin Yuewen was a good person, going to great lengths to do good deeds. But money couldn’t solve all problems. He spent money, but he couldn’t save some people’s hearts. You treat others with kindness, but others may not necessarily treat you kindly.

Having understood the motive for the murder, Gu Yanchen continued to inquire about other details of the case. “What about Jin Yuewen’s father? And the security guard Song Ran, why did you also kill them?”

Zhao Meng’an said, “I originally planned to leave after killing Jin Yuewen, but the old man suddenly came down from upstairs, yelling. So, I went up and also gave him a stab. When I was about to leave, a person wearing a raincoat intercepted me. Killing one or killing three is the same crime, so I just killed him too. Later, I saw a manhole not far away and stuffed him into it.”

Lu Ying asked, “Did you take his phone?”

“I thought the police might think he escaped. During those days, I deliberately didn’t turn off my phone or change the SIM card.”

“When Zhou Ru invited you that day, why did you initially agree?”

“I saw the photos she posted on her WeChat Moments. The girl looked pretty. I originally thought I would pretend to be a friend of that security guard and take her out, or just rob the massage parlor. But when I got to the intersection, I saw a plainclothes policeman I had encountered at the scene of the crime, looking around. That’s when I confirmed it was a trap set by the police.”

The doubts in the case were unraveled one by one. The Zhao Meng’an before him had lost his humanity, only harboring animalistic instincts. He finally stopped hiding and confessed to all his crimes.

After he finished speaking, Lu Ying spoke up, “The security guard you killed was only nineteen years old this year. He used to earn three thousand yuan a month and studied by himself every night, wanting to take the adult college entrance examination.”

Zhao Meng’an chuckled, a mocking expression on his face, “He’s an idiot. Do I have to live a life like that too?”

Gu Yanchen’s gaze fell on him. Zhao Meng’an was a bit scared of him since he was arrested by him. He felt an invisible pressure and stopped smiling. Gu Yanchen said, “There’s something I can tell you. In our investigation, we found that Jin Yuewen once had tens of millions in assets. But when he died, there were only twenty thousand yuan left in his personal account. He was indeed broke. He didn’t lie to you about not having money.”

Jin Yuewen was truly broke. Drained dry by those blood-sucking helpers. In the end, he met a tragic death with nothing left. In this world, it’s hard to be a good person.

Gu Yanchen continued, “I’ll tell you a second thing. Including tuition and living expenses, Jin Yuewen sponsored you a total of 120,000 yuan. This is money that many people would need to work for a long time to earn. We checked Jin Yuewen’s phone, and he originally asked a friend to arrange a job for you because you didn’t graduate smoothly. However, the company declined to hire you. Without his help, your life would have been even more miserable. He doesn’t owe you anything; it’s you who owes him.”

Zhao Meng’an was stunned. He began to ponder why he hated such a person. Acting out of emotions and stubbornness…

Gu Yanchen continued, “Your background isn’t something you can choose. No one in this world owes you anything. Also, no matter who told you those things, those ideas about education are fundamentally wrong. The fundamental purpose of education isn’t for people like you to become rich, but to make most people better ordinary people.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Meng’an was stunned for a few seconds, as if he had been petrified on the interrogation chair. So, is this the purpose of education?

“Knowledge, effort, having more knowledge. These can help everyone choose their own path in life. Rich people aren’t necessarily happy, and poor people aren’t necessarily miserable. School education is about common sense, ideals, and morals. Grades aren’t really important, and making money isn’t the most important thing in life. But being a good person is.” Gu Yanchen looked at Zhao Meng’an and restrained the urge to curse. There was a recording here, which would be used as evidence in the future, “Because of some fantasies and some wrong ideas, you killed people.”

He killed the people who had helped him, killed innocent ordinary people, and shattered several families because of him.

“You’ve personally killed your chance of being an ordinary person. Your relatives will be ashamed of you, embarrassed by you. Whenever someone mentions you, they’ll think of you as a cruel murderer.”

Hearing these words, Zhao Meng’an was struck to the core. He was like a phoenix flying out of the family since childhood, the pride of the village, placing great importance on saving face. He began to consider how others would talk about him in the future, how they would mock his parents. Just thinking about those people’s gazes, Zhao Meng’an felt like he was going crazy.

Gu Yanchen’s eyes were full of disdain. “There’s a clear distinction between good and bad people. Someone like you can’t even be considered human.”

At this moment, Zhao Meng’an also calmed down. The words of the police in front of him were like a club, repeatedly striking his mind. Sitting in the interrogation room, he once again recalled the words of a person named Meng Shi…

Suddenly, Zhao Meng’an woke up. He realized that he had not only ruined the lives of Jin Yuewen and Song Ran but also his own life. The years of hard work in his studies, the earnest hopes of his parents, all turned into nothing because of his momentary lapse in judgment. And his hatred, his anger, they were all baseless.

Regret, frustration, and fear instantly overwhelmed him.

“I… I was deceived… Why didn’t anyone tell me earlier that those things were wrong…” He held his head and cried out loud. He finally regretted, paying a heavy price for his impulsiveness and foolishness.

“Waiting for you will be the death penalty,” Gu Yanchen hoped that he would know these things before being executed, spending his days and nights in remorse in prison, as if in hell.

Interrogation complete.

Gu Yanchen tidied up a bit, took the signed confession from Zhao Meng’an, and walked out of the interrogation room. Shen Junci listened to the entire scene, leaning against the corridor, raising his eyes to look at Gu Yanchen.

Gu Yanchen said, “The case is closed. Truly a rare scum, talking a bunch of nonsense.”

Shen Junci sighed, “With things like this happening, many people who should have received help won’t get it anymore.”

Seeing no one in the corridor, Gu Yanchen lowered his voice, “I think the person named Meng Shi is crucial in this case. I’ve already asked Bai Meng to retrieve the registration information and surveillance records from the internet cafe, but I don’t know if they’ll still be available after so long.”

Shen Junci nodded, “I also suspect that the Dream Master might be connected to the planners.”

This is a cunning crime, even more insidious than what Ding Yueran and they mentioned before. It’s hard to find traces of psychological manipulation. Even Zhao Meng’an thought his crime originated from his own thoughts. But in fact, he was greatly influenced by the Dream Master.

A good mentor can change a person’s life, while someone with ulterior motives can ruin a person’s life.

Gu Yanchen said, “I’ll continue to investigate this case. Jin Yuewen’s death may conceal other reasons.”

Shen Junci nodded again. At this point, Shen Junci spoke up, “By the way, Captain Gu, are you free tonight? Could you help me with something?”

Gu Yanchen asked, “What’s the matter?”

Shen Junci replied, “I made an agreement with the pet store to pick up Snowy recently, so I purchased some essentials. The items have arrived at the courier station.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Sure, I’ll help you pick them up tonight.” At this point, he remembered, “By the way, is the waist support comfortable?”

Shen Junci said, “It’s okay, but it would be better if it weren’t specifically for pregnant women.”

“…?” Gu Yanchen stopped in his tracks.

Shen Junci asked, “?”

Gu Yanchen hurriedly explained, “That’s the one my mom picked. It seems like there was a misunderstanding.”

He didn’t have enough time to choose, so he just had his mom send it to the City Bureau directly.

Shen Junci rubbed his forehead, “Please thank Auntie for me.”