Frightening Joke: Above the Mist-Chapter 164 Bookmark

Finding someone is actually quite troublesome, especially when the missing person doesn’t want to be found.

Bai Yanliang stepped into Ren Wudao’s room, slowly glancing around.

It was apparent that Ren Wudao was a person with a very regular lifestyle.

Generally, a man’s bedroom wouldn’t be impeccably tidy, but Ren Wudao was clearly an exception; similarly, Bai Yanliang was also an exception.

If there was anything in Ren Wudao’s room that appeared messy, it would probably be that place...

Bai Yanliang’s eyes shifted to the bookshelf, filled with books on medicine, psychology, trace evidence, geography, mystery novels, science fiction magazines, ancient classics... Ren Wudao’s interests were very broad.

But what he had been reading recently should be that one.

Bai Yanliang pulled out a book that was almost fully inserted into the shelf.

The book’s title was "The Explanation of Consciousness."

Coincidentally, Bai Yanliang had also read this book.

It’s a philosophical work by a cognitive scientist, involving psychology, neurology, computer science, and philosophy. The main issue explored is clearly stated in the title—consciousness.

Bai Yanliang became interested in this book partly because it was quite boring in the mental hospital, and also because... he was very interested in one of the author’s viewpoints.

"The Explanation of Consciousness" distinctly differs from traditional phenomenology, and what intrigued Bai Yanliang most was that traditional phenomenology uses the first person, i.e., "I," for research and analysis of "things themselves."

Whereas "The Explanation of Consciousness" elevated this concept by employing the perspective of "we."

The author mentioned that in studying consciousness, one cannot remain in the "third person," but rather must start from the third person to indirectly acquire truths about the first person.

This could summarize some phenomena, which the author divided into three categories.

The first category is experiences of the external world, such as vision, sound, smell, and touch.

The second category is experiences of the internal world, such as fantasies, dreams, and so on.

And the third category, which Bai Yanliang found most intriguing.

It encompasses experiences of emotions and feelings, such as physical pain, itch, hunger, and thirst, as well as human emotions, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

Bai Yanliang wanted to find the fundamental cause of his emotional anomalies, which led him to explore philosophical books he wasn’t very interested in, and he didn’t expect Ren Wudao to take an interest in it as well.

Moreover, upon opening the book, many places were annotated with lively and flowing handwriting, written by Ren Wudao himself, showing his earnestness in reading.

"Has Ren Wudao always been interested in philosophical books?" Bai Yanliang turned his head and asked.

Yu Sheng shook her head, looking at the book in Bai Yanliang’s hand, "My brother once said that philosophy is the most foolish yet profound discipline in the world, and prolonged contact with it can turn a genius into a madman. He always reads philosophical books as if they were fantasy novels."

What a peculiar hobby...

Bai Yanliang turned around and closed the book.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed that the book wasn’t fully closed.

After reopening it, he discovered the reason.

There was a very thin bookmark sandwiched within the page.

Bai Yanliang picked up the bookmark and looked at it carefully. The bookmark was quite new, entirely transparent, only as long as a pinky finger, but exquisitely crafted.

After thinking for a bit, Bai Yanliang did something very undignified.

He rummaged through the trash bin.

Though rummaging through trash is a dirty and tiring task, it’s quite useful.

Yu Sheng wanted to help, but was stopped by Bai Yanliang. Wearing plastic gloves, he took everything out from inside.

It wasn’t really necessary to go this far; Ren Wudao’s trash bin was likely cleaner than most people’s desks. Apart from some paper scraps and packaging bags, there was nothing superfluous.

But what Bai Yanliang was looking for was packaging bags.

"The places selling this item shouldn’t be many."

Bai Yanliang held a transparent package for the bookmark in his hand, with four small characters printed in the corner: Mercury Night.

A small transparent bookmark with a name like Mercury Night is indeed quite troublesome.

Yu Sheng frowned slightly; this... doesn’t quite match Ren Wudao’s style.

He despised such flashy things, and from Yu Sheng’s understanding of Ren Wudao, if he were to buy a bookmark, he would definitely choose the most traditional and practical one.

Rather than this thing, which exudes a strong sense of juvenile pretentiousness.

Bai Yanliang, however, was relatively calm. He picked up his phone and called Gao Fei.

"Do me a favor."

"Sure thing! What is it?" Gao Fei’s voice was rather sly, with more than a hint of gossip.

When he saw Bai Yanliang and Yu Sheng leave together, this fellow nearly laughed out loud if he hadn’t clamped his hand over his mouth. He simply couldn’t imagine Bai Yanliang going on a date with a woman.

"Check out a bookmark named Mercury Night. Where is it produced, and where is it sold?"

"Ah?" Gao Fei was stunned, "Brother Bai, are you messing with me? How do I check that? I’m a forensic scientist, not a cyber cop... Also, what’s with this Mercury Night, it sounds like a nightclub..."

"Mercury Night?"

Bai Yanliang distinctly heard another man’s voice beside Gao Fei; it was He Yige.

Gao Fei was also taken aback, looking at He Yige in puzzlement, "You’ve heard of it?"

He Yige, just entering from the gate, chuckled, "By chance, it’s a quiet bar. I once went there for a couple of drinks with friends."

"Oh..." Gao Fei felt a bit disappointed, "It’s a bar, then. We’re talking about a bookmark named Mercury Night."

"Hahaha." He Yige laughed heartily, "Then there’s no mistake; that bookmark is a giveaway from Mercury Night, not for sale outside."

Bai Yanliang, who had been listening to their conversation on the other end of the phone, also chuckled. How coincidental.

"Gao Fei, give the phone to Mr. He."

Gao Fei glanced at He Yige and handed over the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Bai."

"Hello, Mr. He, I won’t mince words. If possible, could you take us to that Mercury Night?"

He Yige was somewhat surprised, pondering silently for a moment before agreeing.

"No problem, then... where should I meet you, Mr. Bai?"

"Just wait at home for me; I’ll pick you up..."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Yanliang smiled and said to Yu Sheng, "We’re lucky."

Yet, Yu Sheng found it hard to smile. Although Bai Yanliang discovered a clue as soon as he arrived, this clue only intensified the unease in Yu Sheng’s heart.

Because Ren Wudao simply wasn’t someone who would go to a bar.

Even if it was a relatively quiet bar, with light music as the main feature, he probably wouldn’t go either, because...he didn’t drink alcohol at all.

The Ren Wudao before disappearing always made Yu Sheng feel he was a bit... unlike himself. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

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