abcnovels
Chapter 33 - 33 Should I Report It to the Police?
Chapter 33 - 33 Should I Report It to the Police?
Chapter 33: Chapter 33 Should I Report It to the Police?
‘I am an assassin.’
‘Some call me the king of the dark night, while others call me the grim reaper of the human world.’
‘But, no one has ever seen me.’
‘Because anyone who has seen me is dead.’
‘To kill is to indulge in quick vengeance.’
‘It can stop injustice, and it can administer justice.’
‘But what after the kill?’
‘Does one obtain redemption of the soul, or sink into the bitter sea, unable to find peace?’
‘I will tell you with my own experiences what one should do after killing, and what can happen.’
‘In the end, I will advise you.’
‘Give yourself up, the police are everywhere outside.’
‘…’
At first glance at this small portion of the beginning, Mingyue’s brows furrowed, “Another first-person narrative?”
‘Swindler’ was also written in the first person.
Youyou pursed her lips, “Right.”
In novels, most are written in the third person, first-person is used less.
This is even more so in web novels.
Because it’s too difficult to write a good story in the first person.
A limited perspective means readers can only see what the protagonist sees, hears, and feels, unable to know things beyond the protagonist’s senses, which can easily lead to numerous story loopholes, and so on, too many to list.
If an unsuccessful author submits a work, and Mingyue sees it’s a first-person narrative, it will trigger a ‘100% rejection’ response.
“Give him a chance.”
Mingyue couldn’t help but laugh, after all, this was ‘Heroes List’s champion.’
The champion of the Langya List is the handsome gentleman of Jiangzuo.
The champion of the Heroes List is the failed Mr. Lin.
They are both talents of their generation and have bright futures ahead of them.
Youyou and Mingyue continued reading.
‘The first time I personally destroyed a life was when I was nine years old.’
‘I tied its limbs, took a sharp knife, and slashed at its throat.’
‘I even used a bowl to catch its fresh blood.’
‘It struggled, but I was so strong that I forced it into boiling water, completely stripping it of its power.’
‘I was merciless, with no intention of letting it go; I chopped it up into pieces.’
‘In the end…’
‘I tasted a delight like never before.’
‘Because the chicken soup was delicious.’
Youyou pursed her lips, her exquisitely carved face brightened with a brilliant smile, “Is Lin Chuan writing a lighthearted assassin novel?”
Mingyue picked up her coffee and took a sip.
Then, she pondered for a moment, “This twist is indeed aptly executed, portraying the butchering of a chicken in such a gruesome way that one immerses themselves in it, building a tension and horror, and then revealing that it was just chicken-killing, it can indeed bring a smile to one’s face.”
Youyou murmured, “Immersion…”
Mingyue smiled and said, “I kind of understand why he chose to use a first-person narrative.”
“Why?” Youyou asked.
“First-person narrative, while not flawless, does have its strengths, the most significant being the strong sense of immersion,” Mingyue explained.
Youyou nodded, “Right, Lin Chuan uses the first person to create a strong sense of immersion, making the effect of the reveal at the end as impactful as possible.”
The editor-in-chief Mingyue looked at the title of Lin Chuan’s book again.
This Assassin Is Too Professional.
She rarely praised anything and remarked, “If he’s writing with the ‘twist + light-hearted’ tag, it’s not without merit.”
“You seldom praise the beginning of a piece,” Youyou laughed.
Mingyue’s lips curved upwards, “That’s because I haven’t come across a good one.”
The two exchanged smiles.
But their smiles soon froze on their faces.
Their expressions were somewhat similar, brows tightly knit, carrying an indescribable gloom as if dark, heavy clouds were pressing down upon them, their visages heavy.
Because Lin Chuan’s “This Assassin Is Too Professional” is not labeled as ‘plot reversal + light-hearted.’
On the contrary, its label is: Realistic.
‘After killing a chicken, I had a very strong feeling.’
‘I would become an assassin.’
‘Because I am a born assassin.’
‘A year later, I joined an organization, and there, I learned fighting, combat, firearms, and most importantly, how to deal with crime scenes.’
‘All these skills were summarized through real combat experiences.’
‘My first target was a tycoon, along with his mistress.’
‘…’
‘The task went very smoothly.’
‘But that wasn’t enough, because the scene was still a mess, and I had to deal with it, otherwise, I would be exposed.’
‘I decided to falsify the scene.’
‘…’
As she read on,
Mingyue’s lips turned slightly white, her breathing became heavier, wanting to take a sip of coffee, but she put it down just as she was about to bring it to her lips.
She couldn’t drink it.
“I need to get some air.”
Mingyue took a deep breath, stood up, and walked to the window, facing her face directly at the grill, breathing in the not-so-fresh air outside.
After a while,
Mingyue finally regained her senses, returned to her seat, and started complaining, “This is too realistic, I felt as if I was right there at the scene!”
But Youyou across from her did not respond.
When Mingyue looked up,
Youyou’s eyes were fixed on the phone screen, completely engrossed.
“Youyou?”
Mingyue called out.
Youyou snapped back to reality, patting her chest, “It feels like I’m reading a horror novel, it’s thrilling and scary, but I want to keep going.”
Mingyue’s mouth twitched slightly, nodding her head, “Indeed, but I have a question.”
“What question?” Youyou was slightly surprised.
“What did Lin Chuan do before he started writing novels?” Mingyue frowned slightly.
“He started writing books in college; he didn’t do much of anything else,” Youyou pondered, “Sister Mingyue, why do you ask?”
Mingyue’s mouth twitched, “I’m wondering if I should report this?”
“Ah?”
Youyou’s eyes widened, staring intently at Mingyue.
“Just kidding,”
Mingyue smiled wryly, “Lin Chuan’s opening is written so realistically, the details are too real, I can see the scene just by closing my eyes!”
Youyou nodded, very much in agreement.
Lin Chuan is too harsh!
Mingyue continued, “Especially the part about cleaning up the scene, wiping the floor with disinfectant to prevent Luminol reagent detection, and using a hairdryer to dry the floor and shoe soles to avoid leaving footprints.”
“Even when leaving, he opened the window to let the smell of disinfectant dissipate; it’s just too professional, I’m starting to suspect he has some cases on his hands!”
Both of them took a sip of coffee.
Slowly.
The slightly bitter taste lingered in their mouths, dispersing the bloody smell in their minds.
It was only then that Youyou asked, “Will this get approved?”
“It should be fine, his description is very well controlled. If it were any more detailed, he’d be locked in the ‘small dark room,’” Mingyue pondered, “I’ll still ask the reviewers though.”
Before long,
The reviewer replied: Approved.
A radiant smile appeared on Youyou’s delicate face, like a breeze on an early March morning brushing past the willows by the river, creating ripples.
She had a feeling that Lin Chuan’s new book would do very well.
It might even surpass the swindler!
“Youyou, how about you transfer Lin Chuan under my name?” Mingyue blinked her eyes and suddenly asked.