ATFBETIBM Chapter 560.2

“That’s such a cliché greeting. I thought the meticulous lawyer Ran wouldn’t say such outdated lines.” The young man’s smile curled up, occasionally revealing small tiger teeth, looking charming and cute. “But since you’ve asked, if I must answer, perhaps we’ve met in a dream.”

Ran Jingjing was momentarily stunned, then she looked at Bai Lixin with eyes filled with inquiry. She murmured softly, repeating Bai Lixin’s words, “In a dream, we met in a dream…”

However, her distraction lasted only a moment, and Ran Jingjing quickly regained her professional demeanor. “Mr. Bai Lixin, what case do you need our firm to handle?”

“Our law firm’s reputation in City R is among the best in the industry. You’ll be glad you chose us.”

The young man, who originally had a charming smile, frowned at these words.

Ran Jingjing immediately understood. “Sir, our professional ethics are top-notch in the city. What you say in this room today, I guarantee not a word will leave. We can ensure absolute privacy for clients. From the moment you step into Yino Law Firm, we are allies. I will do my utmost to help you win the case. In return, you must be completely open with me and provide all the details of the case.”

The young man breathed a sigh of relief and hesitated for a few seconds before finally speaking, “My girlfriend committed suicide.”

Ran Jingjing: “Mmm.”

Young man: “Now my girlfriend’s family is accusing me, saying my girlfriend died because of me.”

“They’ve already taken me to court, and I’m a bit panicked. Can you help me?”

Ran Jingjing sat upright, leaned back slightly on the sofa, crossed her legs, and clasped her hands together.

From a psychological perspective, this was an aggressive posture, a form of behavioral suggestion.

Using this posture would place oneself in a dominant position and subtly command the other person.

Ran Jingjing nodded. “What exactly are they accusing you of? Please tell me in detail. This will determine whether I take on this case.”

The young man hesitated for a moment. “You don’t want to take this case?”

Ran Jingjing’s facial expression tightened slightly, and her eyes sharpened imperceptibly. “If you can be completely honest, I will help you.”

The young man was relieved and continued, “The last time we met, I told her to go die.”

Ran Jingjing: “Is there a record of this?”

Young man nodded cautiously. “Yes, there are chat records.”

Ran Jingjing: “What else is in the chat records?”

The young man hesitated for two seconds: “Just some things I usually say to her.”

Ran Jingjing extended her hand: “Do you have the chat logs? Let me see.”

The young man: “I don’t have them. I deleted all those records, but my girlfriend saved them.”

Ran Jingjing: “That’s not a problem. We can recover them. Let me make sure I understand this correctly. When you interacted with your girlfriend, you subconsciously practiced PUA tactics to manipulate and control her, and your language showed clear signs of aggression and control. From your previous chat logs, it can be seen that your girlfriend was very loyal to your words and acted on them strongly. The last time, when you told her to go die, she committed suicide, and her family is using this as grounds to accuse you of murder?”

The young man nodded: “Yes, that’s exactly it.”

Ran Jingjing’s eyes flickered slightly: “Mr. Bai Lixin, can you list some examples of the verbal control you used on your girlfriend? Mention as many as you can think of. The more, the better.”

The young man lowered his gaze, appearing to recall the memories.

After half a minute, he slowly spoke, “Once, I told her to stand in the rain all night.”

Ran Jingjing: “Did she do it?”

The young man nodded, “Yes, she really stood in the rain all night and got sick for several days.”

Ran Jingjing: “Anything else?”

The young man licked his dry lips nervously. “I told her that if she truly loved me, she would give me her rib.”

Ran Jingjing narrowed her eyes slightly. “Where is that rib now?”

The young man avoided her gaze. “I threw it away.”

Ran Jingjing remained composed and leaned slightly towards the young man. “Do you remember anything else?”

Young man: “There are a few more. Like I told her to tattoo my name on her body, and she did. I told her to skip her final exams, and she did. Generally, whatever I said, she would do.”

Ran Jingjing: “Are these conversations recorded?”

The young man nodded. “Yes, they are.”

Ran Jingjing: “Mr. Bai Lixin, based on the evidence you’ve provided so far, you are likely to be incriminated.”

“Your words directly influenced her actions. If you told her to kill herself, and she did, you could be charged with inciting someone to death.”

“In serious cases, this could be treated as intentional homicide.”

The young man’s face suddenly turned pale. “Then what should I do, Lawyer Ran, please help me.”

Ran Jingjing: “Stay calm. As I mentioned earlier, if your words are directly related to her death, that would be the situation. Of course, there are exceptions. For example, even if you told her to kill herself, but during the time between you saying those words and her death, she was influenced by other factors to commit suicide, then your words wouldn’t be directly related.”

“To win this case, we need to find this other influence.”

“Mr. Bai Lixin, when is the trial scheduled?”

Young man: “Two months from now.”

Ran Jingjing: “Two months, time is a bit tight, but if we act quickly, we should be able to manage. Mr. Bai Lixin, I can take on your case, but based on the current evidence, it’s not favorable for you. Your chances of winning are low, so you need to be mentally prepared. However, it’s not hopeless, and we can appeal if necessary.”

The young man immediately looked at Ran Jingjing with gratitude. “Thank you. As long as you’re willing to take my case, I’ll feel relieved. You’re a legendary queen in the legal world, with you here, I’m at ease.”

Ran Jingjing let out a soft laugh, “If there are no issues, I’ll have my secretary come and sign the contract with you.”

She skillfully pulled out a calculator and typed in a series of numbers, “If we win the case, the lawyer’s fee will be this amount. You’ll need to pay a 50% deposit up front. If we win, you’ll pay the remaining 50%. If we lose, you won’t need to pay the rest.”

“That’s fine,” the young man hesitated for a moment, “but can we use a different currency?”

Ran Jingjing raised an eyebrow: “What currency?”

The young man: “Gold. I only have gold.”

Ran Jingjing: “…Alright.”

Half an hour later, Ran Jingjing watched as the young man left.

The accountant standing behind her couldn’t help but comment, “Miss Ran, I never thought someone would actually pay with gold!”

“And that man is so handsome, like a movie star. Actually, no, even movie stars don’t look as good as him.”

Ran Jingjing stared absentmindedly in the direction the young man had gone.

…

Late at night, a tall male figure walked alone on a dark road.

Unbeknownst to him, a dark figure appeared some distance away and started following him closely. As he passed under a streetlight, a sharp glint flashed in the hand of the dark figure.

The figure in front walked deeper and deeper, until he reached a corner.

The dark figure behind quickened their pace.

Just as the front figure turned the corner, the dark figure sped up even more.

Just as it rounded the corner, it was met with a sudden blur.

The dark figure could not dodge in time and was struck down hard, letting out a muffled groan.

The voice was high-pitched.

It was a woman’s voice.

Under the dim street light at the corner, the light finally illuminated their faces.

One had striking features and stood tall and elegant—it was Bai Lixin from earlier in the day.

The other had sharp, cold features and was dressed impeccably—it was Ran Jingjing from the law firm.

Bai Lixin looked down at Ran Jingjing from above: “Lawyer Ran, why are you following me so stealthily?”

Ran Jingjing got up from the ground, her expression calm, “What a coincidence. I was just walking this way. The road doesn’t belong to you, does it? You can walk here, and so can I.”

“And besides, you just attacked me. I could totally sue you for ‘intentional assault.'”

Bai Lixin glanced at the knife in Ran Jingjing’s hand: “I was acting in self-defense.”

Ran Jingjing waved the fruit knife in her hand: “I’m only carrying this for self-protection. There’s no law against carrying a fruit knife.”

Bai Lixin: “With Lawyer Ran’s grasp of legal nuances, it’s no wonder she’s a top lawyer.”

Ran Jingjing remained unfazed by Bai Lixin’s sarcasm. She dusted off her clothes and walked past Bai Lixin, “Since I’m ahead now, you have nothing more to say, right?”

“Were you trying to kill me just now?” Bai Lixin had a subtle expression, “With just this fruit knife? Aren’t you underestimating me?”

Ran Jingjing rolled her eyes, “As you said, it’s just a fruit knife. And besides, you need evidence to make such claims. I have no reason to kill you.”

Bai Lixin: “You have plenty of reasons, because I am you. Don’t you know that?”

Ran Jingjing looked at Bai Lixin as if he were insane, “Are you crazy? You are you, I am me. How could you possibly be me?”

Bai Lixin: “Judging by the fact that you dared to come at me with just a fruit knife, that exorcist must not be you.”

“Wasn’t it always the exorcist who took action before? Why is it you this time? Where did that exorcist go? Is he really seriously injured?”

Ran Jingjing’s back stiffened. She glared at Bai Lixin and then quickly turned to walk away from him, “You’re insane! What exorcist? I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Ran Jingjing tried to leave, but Bai Lixin wouldn’t let her.

She quickened her pace, almost running. Not hearing any footsteps behind her, Ran Jingjing glanced back, but Bai Lixin was nowhere to be seen.

A sense of foreboding gripped her, and her heart began to race.

Just as she rounded another corner, a chilling yet alluring voice echoed behind her, “Lawyer Ran, we meet again.”

The missing young man was now lazily leaning against the wall, as if he had been waiting for her for a long time.

Ran Jingjing stopped in her tracks, frowned, and pulled out the knife. She looked at Bai Lixin with a guarded expression, “What do you want? Don’t come any closer!”

———————————-

In the live broadcast room.

[What’s going on? I don’t understand.]

[Is Ran Jingjing trying to kill God Xin? Is Ran Jingjing the final boss?]

[No way, God Xin just said there’s still an exorcist. So Ran Jingjing and the exorcist are working together.]

[But why does Ran Jingjing want to kill God Xin? I’m confused.]

—————————-

“Suhong, Cao Ji’an, Wang Li, Li Chongming, Wang Tou, Shen Shukuang.” Compared to Ran Jingjing’s chaotic state, Bai Lixin appeared much calmer. Suddenly, he began to list these names without any context, and with each name, his eyes glanced at Ran Jingjing.

For some reason, after hearing these names, Ran Jingjing’s expression became even stranger, and her body tensed up even more.

Finally, Bai Lixin mentioned two more names:

“Ran Jingjing.”

“Su Xiaohua.”

Ran Jingjing glared fiercely at Bai Lixin. “Shut up!”

Bai Lixin: “These are the only people I’ve identified. Except for you, it seems like none of them have noticed.”

“I actually didn’t notice either, until tonight when I went to Wang Tou’s hospital. A friend’s remark reminded me.”

Ran Jingjing took two steps back, watching Bai Lixin cautiously.

Bai Lixin: “It said, why do all these people have some illness or another? Suhong has lung cancer, Wang Tou has skin cancer. Shen Shukuang lost a toe, and Wang Li, Cao Ji’an, Li Chongming have limps.”

“As for the limp, I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I’ve always suspected that someone was avenging Su Xiaohua. Because Su Xiaohua lost a leg, they made sure those who harmed her also suffered similar injuries.”

“Suhong, Shen Shukuang’s deaths, I always believed someone was avenging Su Xiaohua.”

“I fell into a misunderstanding trying to find this person, and could never find a way out.”

“Until tonight, I saw the police dog lying at Wang Tou’s feet.”

“I suddenly realized something.”

“Gan Tai was raised by Wang Tou. During training, police dogs are usually trained with an emphasis on loyalty and rejection. They resist the temptations of food and toys, only accepting food and toys given by the trainers.”

“The purpose of this training, aside from stabilizing the police dogs, is crucial to prevent them from being poisoned.”

“Gan Tai is an honored service dog with distinguished achievements. This is the foundation; it will not forget.”

“But since I met it, it has shown excessive affection towards others besides Wang Tou.”

“Such as Shen Shukuang’s body, or when it was at Su Hong’s home, and also at Li Chongming’s home.”

Ran Jingjing swallowed her saliva. “What are you trying to say?”

Bai Lixin: “Is it possible that Shen Shukuang, Su Hong, Li Chongming… are all Wang Tou in disguise?”

“Or rather, these four people plus you, are actually Su Xiaohua?”

Ran Jingjing: “…”

S419M: [??!]

Escape System: [???!]

———————————-

In the live broadcast room.

[??!!]

[!!]

[??]

[WHAT?!]

[Things suddenly got weird.]

[A major twist, a mind-blowing twist, oh my god. What does God Xin mean by this? Are they all Su Xiaohua? So this copy is actually Su Xiaohua’s inner world? Does she have multiple personalities? Damn.]

[Fuck, I was wrong! I was wondering why that Border Collie acted like a Husky when at someone else’s home. It smelled its owner’s scent, how could it not be excited!]

[This can also explain why God Xin saw Gan Tai near Shen Shukuang’s body at the morgue.]

[It also explains how Gan Tai could find Su Hong and the exorcist in the blood mist.]

[Wait, in the blood mist, Gan Tai was clearly helping the exorcist. So does that mean the exorcist is also a personality of Su Xiaohua? Does it prefer the exorcist personality over Su Hong?]

[If God Xin’s guess is correct, Su Xiaohua’s personality should have two types: one personality helps Su Xiaohua, and another wants to harm Su Xiaohua.]

[Don’t think so complicatedly, maybe except for Ran Jingjing and the exorcist, the others aren’t aware they are personalities of Su Xiaohua at all. They’re just acting out of self-interest. Su Hong wanted to survive, so he went crazy.]

[No, no, in their memories, they probably don’t know they are Su Xiaohua. But in their subconscious, there must be a voice telling them to kill Su Xiaohua. If Su Xiaohua is the main personality, killing the main personality allows the secondary personality to take over the body. It’s like what that person upstairs said, acting out of self-interest.]

[Wow, this copy is really exciting. The big boss is actually right beside me. Look at your analysis, it’s so comforting.]

[Terrifying.jpg.]

[So the current situation is, Su Xiaohua’s main personality has been missing for ten years. Is it because she was harmed by the Cao Ji’an personality before, so she fell into a deep sleep? Does God Xin’s task to “find Xiao Hua,” mean to awaken the main personality “Su Xiaohua”?]

[Oh my god, is this how the copy is supposed to go? No wonder there have been no clues about Su Xiaohua.]

[We were all deceived by Ran Jingjing earlier. She also talked about punishing bad guys in a gray area outside the law. It turns out that she already knew about the personalities.]

[Ran Jingjing isn’t wrong. She did punish those people outside of the law.]

[But think about it carefully, isn’t it chilling? What kind of personalities did Su Xiaohua split into? Violent mania, voyeurism, control… What is the real Su Xiaohua like in reality? Are we really looking for a harmless little flower as shown in the clues?]

[The inner world of a schizophrenic patient is rich and uncontrollable. Today, if a patient watches a movie about a serial killer, they might imagine themselves as that killer. Even if they haven’t killed anyone, their mind may create a personality that firmly believes they are a killer. So we can’t judge the character of the main personality of a schizophrenic patient based on the attributes of the secondary personality. They are just patients, unable to control themselves.]

[There are also other cases where some people have committed many evil things, yet their secondary personality has a conscience and constantly prevents the main personality from committing crimes. Multiple personalities are really hard to understand. It’s not something the patient can control through willpower. Speaking of which, they are quite pitiful. For us normal people, eating, sleeping, and playing are all up to us. But schizophrenia divides life into several pieces; we have a life span of decades, but they only have a fraction of it.]

[But they won’t be lonely, right? There are so many people in the soul to chat with. It’s kinda cool.]

[Chatting? Cool? Come on, isn’t Su Xiaohua’s example right in front of you? Are you finding life too easy and want to make it more difficult for yourself?]

[…No, no, I’ll take my leave!]