RIACMET chapter 35

 

Jiang Nian searched and compared everything deliberately, so he could spot a clue.

It would make sense if it were someone with special abilities sneaking out without permission. But where could an ordinary person possibly go in this cold weather?

He couldn’t believe that someone would go out just to die. If they really wanted to die, they could simply not cover themselves with a blanket at night or wear less clothing. There are easier, more dignified ways to die. Why go through the trouble of going outside?

Moreover, someone had gone missing every two or three days—that was clearly a pattern. Mixed in with ordinary deaths, it might seem normal at first, but upon closer inspection, it stood out.

After reading the missing person investigation reports of a few civilians, Jiang Nian sat quietly and listened to the others discuss the matter.

Everyone’s attention was fixed on the fourteen night patrol members who had been killed, except for him.

That was understandable. After all, losing fourteen superpower without warning was a major shock.

At the same time, however, people had become so focused on the bigger details that they overlooked the seemingly insignificant ones.

The killer’s hunt hadn’t started with the night patrol. It started with civilians.
The killer wasn’t targeting superpowers or patrol squads; his original targets were ordinary people, hunted in secret.

…

By the time they returned to their hideout from the command center, it was nearly seven in the evening, and night had fully fallen.

Huang Qian and the others went back out to check on the civilians they hadn’t managed to visit during the day. They sent back a report: Xiaoya and her daughter weren’t home when they stopped by, so they planned to return the next morning.

Cheng Jing said nothing. He started preparing dinner and then called Jiang Nian to eat.

Recently, Jiang Nian had always carried a pouch full of snacks with him whenever he went out. Whenever he had nothing to do, he would take them out and show them off. Because of that, he rarely ate much at dinner. After eating half a bowl of rice and a chicken leg, he wrapped himself in a small blanket, sat by the fire, and played on his phone.

When Cheng Jing finished eating and tidying up, he saw his “hamster” working on snacks again—bag after bag, one treat after another.

Jiang Nian had already forgotten that he had just said, “I’m full. I can’t eat another bite.”

Cheng Jing wanted to remind Jiang Nian to eat fewer snacks and more proper food. However, seeing him eat so happily, he held his tongue.

Forget it. If I talk too much, he’ll say I’m being too fatherly. He could only offer a mild suggestion:

“Drink more water when you snack.”

“I know, Brother Jing.”

Jiang Nian didn’t even lift his head, but he answered sweetly. When Cheng Jing sat down beside him, Jiang Nian skillfully fed him a bite to keep him quiet.

All right, if we can’t beat them, we’ll join them. So, Cheng Jing changed the subject.

“This tastes good. So, what did you find out today?”

Now talking business, Jiang Nian put his phone aside, looked over, and replied.

“I’ve realized the killer is stronger than I originally thought. He might even have dual abilities. One of them is likely teleportation, or maybe he has an invisible helper.”

His tone was certain. He finished off a pack of dried fish in a few bites and opened a container of cold tripe. He moved quickly, eating without stopping, and began explaining what he’d discovered and deduced from the Jiaheyuan death reports. He concluded,

“They didn’t just disappear. Most were taken away by some kind of supernatural force. For example, they were attacked and then dragged off to a basement where it would be easier to dispose of the bodies.”

This wasn’t a wild guess, but rather a deduction based on clues and experience from his previous life. Even if he wasn’t entirely correct, he was at least 80% confident.

“… ”

Cheng Jing thought carefully, then analyzed.

“That explains why the night patrol team ended up in the basement. The killer must be psychic, with the power to move people and deliver a blow hard enough to knock them out—or even kill them.”

Whether the attack was physical or mental, just thinking about it gave him chills.

“I’m pretty certain. As for the killer’s motive, we still don’t know. But clearly, their original goal was to secretly kill someone every two or three days. They didn’t intend to go after the patrol. I think the patrol found something out, so they were silenced.”

Jiang Nian continued, his mind still spinning with theories, though the clues wouldn’t quite link together—it felt like something was missing.

“A person with special powers secretly kills people and drags them to a basement every day or two. For what? To raise zombies? But what’s the point? Could they control zombies? That would be terrifying.”

The more Cheng Jing speculated, the graver his expression became. The more he thought about it, the more chilling it seemed.

“…”

Jiang Nian followed his train of thought and shook his head.

“If someone wants to control zombies, they’d need to undergo a special infection mutation to sync with them mentally. Honestly, they’d have to become a zombie themselves while maintaining their sanity. At least in my past life, I never heard of a psychic who could control zombies.”

Then he paused, something dawning on him, and muttered to himself.

“But it is possible to raise a zombie…”

“Who would raise a zombie? They’re uncontrollable and dangerous, unless…”

Cheng Jing instinctively cut in but stopped midway through and turned to look at Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian was struck by his words, and suddenly, the missing pieces in his mind clicked together. The two of them said in unison,

“Unless the zombie is their relative!”

“Exactly!”

Everything became clear in an instant. Jiang Nian clapped his hands.

“Yes, that’s it! That’s the only way it would make sense for a normal person to raise a zombie!”

As he spoke, he set his snacks aside, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and organized the information in his mind. He continued excitedly:

“The killer’s relative turned into a zombie, and they’ve been killing people to feed it. In the current situation, someone going missing for a day or two won’t raise too much suspicion.”

Cheng Jing fully agreed and took over the reasoning.

“After the night patrol discovered the truth, they were killed to silence them. Then, the narrative shifted to make it look like they entered the basement on their own. Most people would assume they went down for some unknown reason and ended up as victims…”

“And when nothing is found in the basement, people will simply chalk it up to zombies attacking them. Once the storm passes, the killer can continue murdering in secret.”

In most cases, a plan needs to make sense to work. Even madmen have motives and desires behind their actions.

“Exactly. So much is happening across the West District relocation zone—people die every day. Once it’s concluded that zombies were involved, the case will be quietly closed. I have to admit, it’s a clever plan.”

Jiang Nian couldn’t help but admire the killer’s cunning. If he hadn’t been reborn with sharper instincts than most college students, the case might have ended there, brushed off in all the chaos.

Honestly, very few people would chase after the truth. A new crisis looms every single day. Even families barely have time to reflect on the past. When they’re fighting to survive, who has the energy to worry about the dead?

After a brief wave of regret, people naturally think:

It’s normal for superpowers to be killed by mutant zombies.
After all, this is the apocalypse—zombies rule the world now.