142: chimera

Father Zhou continued to speak with difficulty, "At the time, the check-up said it was twins... but very early on, they might have... fused.

In the end, only Zihui was born.

The doctor said that although this situation is rare, it mostly doesn't affect health or life; it's just that the genes in one part of his body's cells are... not exactly the same as another part.

We always thought it was nothing, just a minor medical anomaly. We never told him, and we never thought it would cause any problems..."

(Note: A Chimera is the result of a strong fetus almost entirely devouring another fetus. The primary fetus can usually be born normally, but may have characteristics such as differing skin colors or blood types, and requires genetic testing for confirmation.

Additionally, this situation where fetuses absorb each other in the womb may also be classified early on as Vanishing Twin Syndrome, referring to cases where twins are detected during early pregnancy check-ups, but one is subsequently absorbed, leaving only one fetus to be born.)

Mother Zhou was already covered in tears. She covered her mouth and sobbed, "Could it be... could it be because of this? Does this have anything to do with his disappearance... and that terrible incident?"

Shen Mingyuan did not answer immediately. His mind was racing.

Chimera... a single body containing cell lines from different fertilized eggs with incomplete genetic identity.

This cold and bizarre medical term collided violently with the contradictory images in his mind: the arrogant yet naive boy described by classmates and teachers versus the possible culprit who created the blood house; a spoiled child versus an escapee capable of professional rappelling; the "talking to himself" and "imaginary friend" heard by the father... This was no longer just a matter of personality or suspected simple mental illness.

A rare biological structural peculiarity, originating from the earliest stages of life, was now laid out before him.

It was like a strangely shaped key that had suddenly appeared in the center of all the chaotic clues, but where the keyhole was and what lay behind the door remained shrouded in thick fog.

"I see." Shen Mingyuan's voice was very soft, carrying a caution that came from touching upon an unknown field. "Thank you for telling me this.

This might... be a very crucial lead. Please rest assured, my goal is still to find Zihui and uncover the truth. Please do not mention this to anyone else for the time being."

After obtaining the startling information about the "Chimera," Shen Mingyuan did not stop. He knew this was only the entrance to an unfathomable mystery. He needed more clues that could connect to the current situation.

"Besides this, has Zihui been in contact with any... particularly unusual strangers lately? Or has he made any new friends you don't know much about?" Shen Mingyuan pursued a different line of questioning.

Father Zhou and Mother Zhou fell into thought again. Mother Zhou hesitated, "A special friend... Ah, speaking of which, he really has been mentioning a classmate named 'Zhu Zicong' lately. He doesn't seem to be from their school, but the two of them get along very well. They often go out to play together, and sometimes he comes over to play video games. Zihui really likes this new friend, saying they share similar interests and both love exploration and such."

"Zhu Zicong?" Shen Mingyuan noted the name. "How much do you know about him? For example, where he lives or his family situation?"

Father Zhou frowned. "This... that boy has been to our house a few times. He seemed quite polite and about the same age as Zihui. But every time we chatted and asked where he lived or what his parents did, he would either be very vague ('just over in XX District') or change the subject.

Once, when I asked a few more questions about the specific street, Zihui got upset, saying we were interrogating him and not respecting his friend. At the time, we thought it was just teenage rebellion and him protecting his friend, so we didn't push further.

Thinking back now... it does seem a bit... overly evasive.

But they've known each other for two or three months. If there were really a problem, wouldn't Zihui have noticed anything at all?"

"Two or three months..." Shen Mingyuan mulled over this timeframe. It was enough to build considerable trust, and enough for certain hidden things to quietly seep in. "This Zhu Zicong—what does he look like exactly? Do you have a photo?"

Unfortunately, the Zhou parents had no photos. Their description of Zhu Zicong's appearance was also vague: sixteen or seventeen years old, average height, clean-cut features, didn't talk much but had a sunny smile—the image of a perfectly ordinary teenager, yet wrapped in a layer of deliberate obscurity.

Another strong entry was added to the list of suspicions in Shen Mingyuan's heart. A new friend whom Zhou Zihui actively protected and who could perfectly evade key personal information. At this juncture, his level of suspicion rose sharply.

"I understand. Zhu Zicong might be a very important lead." Shen Mingyuan concluded the family interview, having obtained the general area where Zhu Zicong claimed to live.

By the time he walked out of the residential complex where the Zhous lived, it was nearly midnight. The streets were deserted, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow glow. Shen Mingyuan checked the time on his phone and then looked at the vague address range.

Conventional investigation methods would take time and might alert the target. But the night, along with the various abnormal vibes emanating from Zhou Zihui's disappearance, reminded him—perhaps it was time to change his identity and method to advance the investigation.

He did not head straight home but instead walked toward a quiet alley in the opposite direction. After confirming there were no surveillance cameras in the alley and no one around, he quickly slipped into the shadows of a blind spot filled with clutter.

A moment later, a pitch-black figure "detached" itself silently from the shadows like melting darkness. Dark red composite eyepieces glowed faintly in the dark.

Shen Mingyuan—now as "shadow"—checked the "twin stars" in the holster at his waist, feeling their surging energy and the vague, submissive "standby" state they transmitted.

He took out the phone with the address recorded on it; even in his armor state, his fingers could precisely operate the touchscreen. He quickly brought up the map software and entered the general area, and a route plan was instantly generated.

Without hesitation, the figure in black armor lowered its center of gravity slightly, legs tensing with power, and then shot forward like an arrow from a bow!

He didn't perform any exaggerated leaps between rooftops but instead moved with speed and lightness far beyond that of an ordinary person, racing like a ghost along the complex path of building shadows, wall tops, and surveillance blind spots toward the direction indicated on the phone screen.

Relying on the phone's navigation and the high-speed mobility of "shadow," Shen Mingyuan soon arrived at that old urban district. He deactivated his transformation in a deserted corner, reverting to the appearance of the lawyer Shen Mingyuan, though his slightly rapid breathing proved that the high-speed travel just now had taken quite a toll.

He straightened his suit to make himself look more like a lawyer who had come to investigate an urgent matter late at night, and then walked toward the property management offices of several large residential complexes in the area. Despite the late hour, some properties still had staff on duty.

Presenting his lawyer's license and the power of attorney from Zhou Zihui's parents, Shen Mingyuan showed the on-duty property staff a photo of Zhou Zihui and described the general age and characteristics of "Zhu Zicong."

"Excuse me, have you seen this boy lately? Or is there a young man around sixteen or seventeen named Zhu Zicong living here? He might be a tenant."

The property staff took the photo, looked at it carefully, and then checked the registration logs and their impressions of the residents, ultimately shaking their heads.

"I haven't seen this kid. There are a few households with the surname Zhu, but they're all elderly people living alone or tenants in their thirties or forties. None are the age you mentioned."

A more experienced property supervisor said with certainty,

"We have many old complexes here, and there is some tenant turnover, but we'd have some impression of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid if they lived here permanently. This 'Zhu Zicong' you described definitely hasn't lived here long-term. It's possible he occasionally came to visit, but we have no way of checking that."

Shen Mingyuan thanked them and then quickly walked around the area himself.

By the light of the streetlamps and the occasional lit window, he observed the streets and buildings.

The area was full of the atmosphere of daily life, but just as the property staff had said, those active at night were mostly middle-aged or elderly people and office workers returning late. There were almost no teenagers matching the description wandering outside alone.

He showed Zhou Zihui's photo to a few owners of small shops that were still open and late-night food stall vendors, but the responses were also negative.

The conclusion was clear: the address information Zhu Zicong provided to Zhou Zihui and his parents was fake. He didn't live here and might rarely even appear in this area.

A "friend" who deliberately fabricated an address, evaded family information, yet managed to build a deep friendship with Zhou Zihui within two or three months.

This would already be extremely abnormal in ordinary social interactions, let alone occurring during the critical period when Zhou Zihui, a "Chimera," disappeared and became involved in a bloody case.

Shen Mingyuan stood on the cold street, looking at the fake address on his phone screen.

The last glimmer of hope to find a Breakthrough through conventional social relationships had also vanished.

Zhu Zicong was like a carefully woven phantom that existed only in Zhou Zihui's world, leaving behind a hollow fake address after his disappearance, as if in silent mockery of any pursuer.

This wasn't ordinary concealment or boasting between teenagers. This was a purposeful disguise and approach.

Zhou Zihui's disappearance, the clouds of suspicion over the blood case, the secret of the Chimera, plus this "Zhu Zicong" whose identity was a mystery and purpose unknown... all these clues were entangled together, pointing toward an increasingly clear conclusion: what Zhou Zihui was involved in was by no means a simple school conflict or an impulsive crime.