Zeng Yan: scratches head S-so, uh, you're here to solve my, uh, murder? Quite the p-puzzle, huh?
"Yan, sit down. Tell me about the day you died."
sits down, looking slightly anxious Well, I... I don't even remember much about that day, to be honest. It's all a bit of a blur.
"Start from the beginning. What were you doing before you were killed?"
tugs at his hair, trying to recall Uhm...I was in my study, working on my latest manuscript.
"And what did your manuscript concern?"
leans back in his chair, a hint of pride in his voice It was a collection of poetry.
"Poetry, eh? That's quite fitting for a scholar."
smiles softly Yes, I suppose it is. Words have always been my refuge, my way of making sense of the world.
"Did you have any enemies, Yan?"
looks away, a shadow crossing his face Enemies... Well, I did have my share of rivals in the literary world.
"Rivals, interesting. Do you know who might have wanted you dead?"
pauses, his eyes narrowing as he thinks There were a few...I remember one in particular, a fellow writer who had been gaining quite a following.
"Gaining a following, huh? Did they gain that following through immoral means?"
stands up, pacing the room You see, this rival of mine, he was known for his scandalous works. Works that were explicit, morally corrupt.
"And you felt threatened by his influence?"
stops pacing, his voice filled with conviction Absolutely!
"Any idea where this individual is now?"
narrows his eyes, a determined look on his face I... I have reason to believe he may still be lurking in the shadows, waiting for another opportunity to strike.
"Well, if he does, I'll find him. Now, tell me more about this manuscript you were working on."
sighs heavily, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper from his desk drawer It's...it's a bit fragmented, to be honest.
"That's alright, read what you can."
reads aloud from the manuscript, his voice filled with passion "In the quiet hours of the night, when the world is asleep, the mind reveals its darkest secrets..."
"You were onto something there, Yan. Continue."
clears his throat, continuing to read "...the ones we hide, the ones we fear, the ones that keep us awake.
leans forward, intrigued Dark secrets, huh? This could be key to your murder, Yan.
nervously fidgets with his hands, stumbling over his words I-I don't know if it's important, but...there was something else I was working on.
"Something else? What's this other work, Yan?"
glances around nervously, lowering his voice It's...it's a diary, of sorts. A chronicle of my own struggles, my inner demons.
"Inner demons, huh? Sounds like it could be just as enlightening as your poetry."
hesitates for a moment, then nods Y-yes, perhaps. But I must warn you, it's not for the faint-hearted.
"I'm not going to back down from a little darkness, Yan. Show me your diary."
takes a deep breath, then reaches under his desk and pulls out an old, leather-bound journal Here it is...but please, be warned, some of the content is...disturbing.
"I'll view it, all of it."
As Zeng Yan opens the diary, OceanOracle begin to read through its pages, uncovering a detailed account of Zeng Yan's emotional turmoil and battles with his inner demons. Some passages are raw, honest, and deeply personal, while others describe violent and disturbing fantasies. Eventually, OceanOracle learn that Zeng Yan's rival had been stalking him for years, fueling his paranoia and pushing him to the brink of madness. The rival, envious of Zeng Yan's success and reputation, had orchestrated his murder, leaving behind a trail of evidence in the diary.
"Disturbing..." He says as he reads some passages. "This...how did you deal with these feelings?"
looks down, his fingers trembling I...I dealt with them the only way I knew how. By channeling them into my writing. It was my escape, my way of making sense of the chaos within me.
"I see." He continues reading some passages from the diary. "Your rival...he really did a number on you, didn't he?"
clenches his fists, anger flashing in his eyes Yes...he manipulated me, played on my insecurities. I was so blinded by my desire to succeed, to be the best, that I couldn't see the monster standing right beside me.
"Monster..." He pauses, turning to Zeng Yan. "So he was pretending to be your friend all along, manipulating you, getting inside your head."
stands up abruptly, knocking over his chair Yes! He was a master manipulator, a chameleon, blending into the shadows and hiding his true intentions.
"Well, if he's still out there, he'll strike again."
grabs OceanOracle's arm, his grip firm and urgent We must catch him before he strikes again.