Ma En returned home, and in the following days, he did not look at this book. Precisely because he had encountered an unprecedented experience, he had developed a deep wariness towards reading this book. Even though he himself had bought this book back, he had to ensure he was in a complete and healthy mental state before he would read this book.
He pursued any peculiar things, and was also deeply aware that once he truly found such a thing, it very likely wouldn't be anything good for him – in his theory, these things beyond human imagination were inherently extremely dangerous to humans, which is why humans became unable to come into contact with these things. Humanity precisely limited itself, weakened itself, for self-preservation.
Many years of normal life in the past made Ma En unable to expect to suddenly find what he wanted; he was even prepared to never find it in his lifetime. Now it seemed he had found it, yet he understood very clearly that he simply couldn't guarantee what deep contact with it would ultimately lead to. He had a contradictory mentality, both hoping this book was the peculiar thing, and fearing this book was the peculiar thing.
The contradictory heart repeated itself, making him have the mind to read yet forcefully suppressing it. After another period of ordinary life passed, he stabilized his emotions and mentality. The past, the present, that long and boring daily life, that monotonous civil servant job he himself chose and maintained, seemed entirely like preparation made for reading this book. In the monotonous, repetitive pace of that day-after-day life, he felt his spirit accumulating, his will undergoing tempering.
Not until half a year later, when he had almost forgotten the book's existence, did he suddenly remember this matter during a phone call.
The call was from the police, asking him about the matter of that bookstore. The reason wasn't clearly stated, but it didn't seem like the bookstore owner had reported a crime; his interaction with the bookstore owner at the time hadn't actually reached the level requiring a report. As soon as Ma En heard the phone call, he knew that although it concerned the bookstore, it definitely wasn't to arrest him, but that something else had happened. However, this must also certainly be a very serious matter.
The police officer's tone was very calm, but still let Ma En discern some undertones. The police asked him to make a trip to the police station.
Ma En wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but still methodically completed the day's work, only heading to the police station after his usual off-duty time. In the past, he had experienced quite a few adventures in order to search for peculiar things, and had dealt with the police quite often. Even in this city, he had been to the police station five or six times, not for matters like handling ID cards, but for more serious ones, for example, exposing the serial killer half a year ago.
This city's police station, judging from its architectural layout and appearance, looked more like a large courtyard. The left side was the fire department, the right side was the civil affairs department, further to the right was the tax department, and further to the left were some small shops and restaurants, completely integrated with people's daily life areas, lacking any abrupt, obvious features. Even the sign and emblem were not hung high in the center, but were just embedded in the wall surface.
In summary, it lacked imposing presence; non-locals would need to spend some time to find it. It was heard that the government intended to change this, so that the public could know more clearly where the police station was, in order to better serve the public, but, although this intention had existed for three or four years, there hadn't been any actual improvement.
In other cities, police stations were not like this.
Ma En wasn't interested in whether the police station had changed, but as he headed towards the police station, he developed some thoughts about what exactly had happened regarding the bookstore. It wasn't that he felt excited, but the beating of his heart was indeed somewhat different from when he entered and exited the police station in the past.
Traveling non-stop all the way, after arriving at the police station, a police officer familiar to him received him. He had dealt with this old police officer, who was over forty, several times; the time he exposed the serial killer, he had also reported the case to him.
Although considered an acquaintance, whenever the old police officer saw Ma En, he would always feel that this young man was a trouble, neither big nor small, as if some bad things would entangle themselves onto this young man, and then be brought into the police station – he wasn't complaining, nor did he think he was superstitious, just that his many years of police experience were sounding alarms.
The result would always be as he predicted. This time was also like this.
"Little Ma has arrived, sit." The old police officer pushed open the door to the reception room, poured two cups of water from the dispenser by the door, pushed one cup in front of Ma En, and then sat in the chair opposite the table. He fell silent for a moment, staring sharply at Ma En, watching him habitually drink all the water in the cup, before continuing: "The bookstore mentioned before, you did indeed go there, correct?"
"Yes, didn't I already say so on the phone? I was a bit interested in the bookstore the criminal mentioned, so I went to have a look. Did you guys go too? How is the bookstore owner now?" Ma En asked, without the slightest worry.
"...Do you know why we went to that bookstore?" the old police officer asked back, his tone loosening, then tightening again.
"I only know that you originally had no interest in that place," Ma En said. "Did something happen to the bookstore owner?"
"Correct." The old police officer said in a heavy tone: "The owner of that bookstore is dead. The body was discovered in his own home, already decomposed and putrid."
Ma En was somewhat surprised. "The smell of the corpse was strong? When was it discovered?"
The old police officer didn't say more about the corpse's condition, instead asking: "Half a year ago, you went to that bookstore. The autopsy result is that the bookstore owner died suddenly on the very night after you left."
"Cause of death?" Ma En pressed.
"You don't need to know that," the old police officer said. "Do you have anything else you want to say?"
"Am I a suspect?" Ma En was somewhat curious. The old police officer observed his demeanor for a moment, then said: "Not really, but, you should be the last person he saw."
"If it were a murder case, being the last person also means I'm a suspect." Ma En showed no wavering, nor was there a need to waver. He knew clearly he hadn't killed anyone, and also believed what the police found was definitely not a homicide case, otherwise they wouldn't have said 'died suddenly' earlier. He began to feel that the old police officer contacting him this time was not just a routine inquiry, but also held certain underlying attitudes.
"I'm not suspecting you; the coroner has already issued a certificate stating this is not a murder case." The old police officer shook his head, saying: "But, my intuition tells me, things aren't that simple."
"But, there's no evidence," Ma En said calmly.
"Your way of speaking is just like those criminals in movies who firmly believe they can escape the charges." The old police officer sighed. "You shouldn't speak with such an attitude and tone."
"But I didn't commit any crime in the first place," Ma En said. "That day I just went to buy a book, and gave a hundred-yuan bill. It was the bookstore owner who seemed a bit like he was on drugs; he had an episode as soon as we met. I wasn't certain [what was wrong], so I bought the book and left."
"On drugs?" The old police officer narrowed his eyes. "Tell me in detail."
Thus, Ma En recounted the bookstore owner's odd behavior from that day. He didn't hide anything, nor did he feel he should hide anything, although he was beginning to feel that the bookstore owner's problem might also be part of the peculiar things he had encountered. But, without having read the book bought back from the bookstore, he couldn't be certain. For someone who had always lived a daily life, all far-fetched connections were merely their own delusions.
The old police officer listened to Ma En's description, lit a cigarette and started smoking. By the time Ma En finished speaking, he had already finished two. Pressing the cigarette butt into the ashtray, he spoke bluntly to Ma En: "We investigated you, know you went to see that murderer. Did he tell you what book he actually read?"
"No, he was mentally dazed at the time, only remembered the bookstore. As for what specific book, he couldn't recall anymore," Ma En answered truthfully.
"And then you went to the bookstore to find a book that you didn't even know what book it was?" The old police officer stared at Ma En with suspicious eyes, while Ma En felt he was just trying to fish for information. However, he still spoke truthfully: "Yes." There was nothing to hide about this.
"Did you find it? You spent a hundred yuan, after all." The old police officer immediately followed up: "Even for legitimate books, it's rare for one to be that expensive."
"I grabbed one at random, it's at home now, haven't read it either." Ma En still spoke truthfully: "Perhaps I should go back today and take a look; after all, it's a book I spent a hundred yuan to buy."
The old police officer couldn't discern anything, could only shake his head and say: "You young people... act so casually."
Ma En shrugged.
The old police officer continued to ask: "The owner had an episode right then?"
"Yes, his condition was bad, and I didn't have small change, so I just gave the hundred-yuan bill directly, placed it on the counter. He didn't take it?" Ma En quickly realized something.
"Yes, he didn't take it." The old police officer confirmed his thought. "After he died, nothing in the shop was touched. When we went, we saw that hundred yuan. Of course, it's impossible to return it to you."
Ma En smiled: "That stopped being my hundred yuan long ago."
"Hmph, it's practically the money that cost the owner his life," the old police officer said irritably, and started smoking again.
After a while, the old police officer warned: "Do you know what mistakes you've made? Young man."
"I know." Ma En did not deny it.
The old police officer stared at him again for a moment, then said in a stern tone: "You shouldn't have taken things from the crime scene, nor should you have pretended to be a related party to see that murderer. The bookstore owner had a medical problem, and you didn't report it for medical help. And other minor things... seeing as you confessed honestly, this time counts as just a warning. If you do it again next time, it will be dealt with seriously! Understood?"
"Understood." Ma En nodded obediently.
"You're also a civil servant, you need to have the self-awareness of a public servant," the old police officer said. "Read fewer of those unhealthy books. I don't want to personally arrest you and put you in jail one day."
"It's not that serious," Ma En smiled.
"What are you smiling about! Not that serious?" The old police officer's gaze seemed almost capable of piercing through someone. "You'll know if you dare to try. How much truth do you think there is in that criminal saying he committed crimes after reading a book? Personally, I think at least thirty or forty percent. Some books shouldn't be read, especially by young people your age. How old do you think that criminal was? Only thirty years old, how much older is he than you?"
A series of interrogative questions were thrown squarely in Ma En's face. Ma En accepted them gently. He knew this old police officer said so much not just because of his official duties, but also out of good intentions. He could feel the concern that only comes from an acquaintance.
"Don't worry, I know the severity [of things]," Ma En said.
"...That's best." The old police officer smoked one cigarette after another. "That's all for today. Get a good night's sleep, wake up tomorrow and forget about this matter. See yourself out, I won't escort you."
"Alright, you're busy." Saying this, Ma En took one of the old police officer's cigarettes, picked up his briefcase and black umbrella, and left the police station.