The school was in a state of panic, with everyone speculating about who was responsible. A female witness claimed the perpetrator was a hunchbacked Black man in a factory uniform, but she was too terrified at the time, and the bathroom lights were out, so she couldn't be sure if she'd seen him clearly.
We thought it was likely. If it were students, we wouldn't have used a hammer meant for sheet metal; we'd have used the steel pipes we usually fought with. There were many factories nearby, and the workers were strong, often using hammers to pound things, making it convenient for a head blow.
The police investigated nearby factories, uncovering a frighteningly large number of undocumented Black workers, appearing from nowhere. It would take time to check them all. The students were scared, the teachers were scared, the girls were scared, and the boys were scared. Everyone went out in groups of five or more; otherwise, they wouldn't dare go downstairs for food, even if they starved. One night, our dorm leader asked if anyone wanted to go to the bathroom together. No one responded. The dorm leader rolled over and held it in, then went back to sleep.
Edith and Domenica were very scared. They called me, asking if they could secretly move into my dorm. I said it wouldn't be convenient, as there were other people in the dorm. They replied that their other two roommates had gone home out of fear and had already made arrangements, so I could sleep in their beds. I then moved in secretly.
Edith and Domenica's dorm was incredibly messy, with a strong perfume scent, clothes and shoes strewn everywhere, and underwear dripping water from the air conditioner vent. I usually kept my curtains drawn and stayed inside my mosquito net because they wore very little and were always moving around. At night, if they needed to use the bathroom, they would climb onto my bed and shake me awake. I would grab my phone in one hand and a steel rod in the other, accompanying them to the restroom, waiting at the entrance to prevent anyone from entering. I discovered I wasn't the only male in the girls' dorm; I occasionally encountered other guys.
The school soon heard about males hiding in the girls' dorm and was greatly angered. One night, they surrounded the dorm doors, and a group of female teachers stormed in, searching dorm by dorm. They found 6 puppies, 12 kittens, 10 small turtles, three large tanks of goldfish, a small alligator, hamsters, and geckos, as well as 3 male students. All were given severe demerits.
I wasn't given a demerit. During the search, Domenica took me to the bathroom. She turned on the water with a rush. The teachers outside didn't expect her to be hiding in the same bathroom with a male student, so I managed to slip through. However, this place was definitely not a long-term solution. We discussed it and decided to move to a hotel near the school, booking a more upscale one for better safety and comfort than the small dorm.
Two weeks later, the head-bludgeoning killer was caught. He was a Black man in his sixties from a furniture factory. He looked very simple, but under his mattress were women's hair, strand by strand, of different colors. This hair belonged to 12 victims from cases he had committed over the years, both locally and in other places. Considering the local outrage, the court expedited the process, handling it almost overnight. A week later, the head-bludgeoning killer was publicly executed.
Edith, Domenica, and I all went to witness the event. The execution took place on an abandoned broken bridge. The head-bludgeoning killer was bound and kneeling by the edge of the bridge, with three rifles aimed at his back. As the first hint of red appeared on the horizon, the crowd of onlookers had mostly gathered. Then, with a loud bang, all three guns fired simultaneously.
The head-bludgeoning killer's body stiffened, and he plunged headfirst off the bridge. It was cold in the morning, and the water below the bridge was frozen. As the killer fell, I had a feeling as if his weight had disappeared, like a feather. Only when his body hit the ice did all the weight suddenly return, making a "bang" sound. The bridge was often used for executions, so a pack of wild dogs waited nearby. As soon as the body dropped, they rushed over to eat it.
After returning, I spent two hours painting a picture of a person falling from the bridge to the ice. The inspiration struck me like lightning. I gave this painting to an art mogul I knew to sell on my behalf. He said it could fetch around four hundred million. I left this money in my mother's account and had it transferred directly to her card. Please check.
In the hotel, I also painted several nude portraits for Edith and Domenica, giving them to them for free. I told them my true identity was that of a renowned painter and that these paintings were priceless, capable of supporting them for life without work. They didn't believe me but said they would cherish them.
This month, I diligently studied technology, learning several mechanical processing procedures and some electrical knowledge. Next month, I might seek an internship at a nearby factory to see what it's like inside. Besides learning skills, I finished several books by Feng Menglong, read part of the Later Han Dynasty Records, and browsed through many magazines. I also crammed some textbooks on forensic psychology.
I discovered that my youthful appearance is quite handsome. A divorced, beautiful female teacher at the school, who liked to wear pencil skirts and form-fitting white shirts, had always been very kind to me. Last weekend, she called me into her office alone and directly asked if I could come to her place that night. I was afraid of offending her, so I went. I also worked part-time at a milk tea shop for a few weekends. The owner of the milk tea shop was a plain-looking girl. One night, after closing the shop, as I was busy washing the ice cream machine, she suddenly hugged me tightly from behind. After that, I resigned from the shop. I hope she can move on and promptly transfer my owed wages to me.
These are roughly the events of this month. I'm doing quite well, and the money is enough for now. I heard that Mom and Dad have acquired new planets. I wish you success in your endeavors and good health.
Your son, Jiang Senlin
After reading the monthly journal, Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng, as usual, each wrote a reply.
Cen Yemeng's reply was still a string of soft, generic phrases, such as "Mom will always support you," "Mom hopes you study hard," and "Mom hopes you are happy in life."
Jiang Ye's reply was a torrent of angry reprimands:
"You brat, I sent you to study, not to flirt around everywhere! At such a young age, you're already accumulating a mountain of romantic debts! Focus your time on your studies! Stop fooling around with those two senior students! If you continue to be so unreliable, I'll fly to Leng An Star myself and whip you with my belt! Your mother and I are decent people. If you become so indecent, won't people laugh at us? If you dare turn into a prodigal son, you're finished!"
"Your mother's birthday is next month. Be considerate and mail her a gift and a greeting to make her happy! Your dad doesn't care, but you must remember to be filial to your mother! Be a good student outside, and don't make her worry!"