CHAPTER 590: CHAPTER 589: CONCLUSION

The sunlight pierced the last darkness before dawn, scattering fragments of gold onto the land, the morning breeze lifting the birdsong as the first note pecked away the silence.

The previously quiet world seemed to come alive at this moment, the mist over Bin Yue Square gradually dispersing with the first rays of sunlight.

Zhong Xiaonan immediately got up and headed into the square, which by now was cordoned off, forbidding anyone from entering.

Zheng Min and Huang Lancai hurriedly followed behind.

But Zheng Min suddenly stopped in her tracks, looking down at herself.

"What’s wrong?" Huang Lancai noticed her unusual behavior and also paused.

Zhong Xiaonan turned her head upon hearing the voice.

Zheng Min extended her right hand, gently clenched it, and said somewhat disheartened, "My power has disappeared."

"With the great revenge achieved, Mr. Shen naturally reclaimed his power," Zhong Xiaonan said matter-of-factly.

Then she continued walking toward the tent without looking back, while Huang Lancai glanced at Zheng Min and followed.

Zheng Min did not dwell on it further, following the two because she wanted to see for herself what had become of those people.

Last night, Mr. Shen said those people wouldn’t die, but she had clearly seen many being tortured to death by evil ghosts, especially the one she hated most, Little Qiao, who had his limbs chopped off and was stomped on by her, with injuries so severe he couldn’t possibly survive.

But given Mr. Shen’s status, he wouldn’t lie to deceive them, so she wanted to see these people’s fate with her own eyes.

The two people and the ghost arrived in front of the tent, not entering immediately but standing outside listening.

Screams of pain, curses, and mad laughter reached their ears, but these sounds seemed spent of all energy, as if mere instinctual murmurs.

Zhong Xiaonan glanced back at the two and then lifted the flap to enter the tent.

Inside, she saw all the employees lying on the ground wailing, each with vacant eyes, drooling, tears mixed with snot, appearing to endure great pain, some bodies twitching and convulsing uncontrollably.

Zhong Xiaonan went to the nearest person, rolled up his sleeve, and saw his skin covered in scars but no blood, as if they were old wounds, just under the surface.

"Is this harm inflicted by their own consciousness?" Zhong Xiaonan asked.

Huang Lancai also realized, "No wonder Mr. Shen said they would live a fate worse than death; it was to punish them on a conscious level."

Physical punishment may be straightforward, but it’s too simple and the body might collapse, eventually leading to death.

But mental torment is the most painful and endless.

Then she got up and checked these circus members lying on the ground one by one, finding them all similar.

Muttering, drooling, eyes void, covered in scars, but full of vitality and impossible to die.

"They’re neither crazy nor incapacitated," Zhong Xiaonan said.

And Zheng Min found Little Qiao, whose position had changed, limbs intact, but she noticed his arms and legs filled with scars.

He lay there too weak even to wail, eyes silent, body occasionally convulsing, seemingly having lost all his limbs, with excrement all over the floor.

Zheng Min stared blankly at the figure, once a devil-like nightmare presence, now reduced to a puddle of mud.

The shadow of the past crumbled at this moment, and it felt like her soul became more transparent, her entire being lighter.

She turned and walked out of the tent.

"Where are you going?" Zhong Xiaonan asked.

"I want... I want to see if the cosmos are blooming," Zheng Min replied with a smile.

"Cosmos?"

Zhong Xiaonan was a bit surprised, momentarily unable to react; are cosmos blooming now?

But Zheng Min did not explain, instead looking at Huang Lancai, "Miss Huang, I’ll trouble you to return Binbin to his parents."

It turned out Yan Bin was taken back by Lady Huang, who, after understanding the situation and knowing Shen Siyuan’s involvement, took it upon herself.

The matter was clear from start to finish, so Zhong Xiaonan didn’t oppose it. After all, their Special Affairs Bureau handled special affairs, with little experience in ordinary matters, usually left to the local department.

And now that Lady Huang volunteered, she naturally wouldn’t oppose it.

"Rest assured, we will definitely handle this properly," Huang Lancai said, glancing at Zhong Xiaonan.

Seeing this, Zhong Xiaonan added, "This is something Mr. Shen assigned us; we dare not be negligent. However... won’t you see him one more time?"

Zheng Min shook her head and then disappeared into the wind before them.

"Huh?"

Zhong Xiaonan and Huang Lancai both exclaimed in surprise.

"Didn’t she say her power had disappeared?" Huang Lancai asked.

Zhong Xiaonan shook her head, "You’d have to ask Mr. Shen."

"What about these people now?" Huang Lancai asked.

"I’ve already notified people to handle it," Zhong Xiaonan said, taking out her phone.

Just then, sirens and ambulance sounds came from outside.

"These people are easy to deal with, but these animals are troublesome," Huang Lancai continued.

The circus had more than just dogs; there were lions, tigers, horses, parrots, and even an elephant.

"They should be sent to the Bin Hai Zoo. Of course, if rented, they should be returned to their original zoo," Zhong Xiaonan said.

"The protected animals are manageable, but those dogs probably belong to the circus itself," Huang Lancai added.

"Then send them to a nearby rescue station," Zhong Xiaonan said.

She liked keeping insects but not dogs.

"Can one be given to me?" At this moment, a small voice came from behind them.

Zhong Xiaonan and Huang Lancai were startled, turning to see two children standing in the corner of the tent.

"You are..." Huang Lancai started to say but stopped abruptly, recognizing Duoduo and Dou Dou.

She often met with Xiao Yue, though she hadn’t met Duoduo and Dou Dou much, so she didn’t immediately recognize them.

"Is Mr. Shen here too?" Zhong Xiaonan asked.

As a member of the Special Affairs Bureau, she was familiar with Shen Siyuan’s associates.

"Who is Mr. Shen?" Dou Dou asked, looking confused.

"Dummy, it’s brother," Duoduo whispered beside her.

"Oh, then no," Dou Dou replied, shaking her head.

"Then what are you doing here?" Zhong Xiaonan asked.

"We’re here to see the puppies," Dou Dou said.

Duoduo nodded eagerly beside her.

It turned out that last night, Duoduo had convinced her parents to let her have a dog.

But when Lin Jianming asked what kind of dog she wanted, she couldn’t specify.

So early in the morning, she came with Dou Dou to check the dogs from last night’s performance, to see which was the prettiest or smartest before asking her dad to buy that kind.

Dou Dou naturally did not refuse, wanting Aunt to buy one for her too, so they came here together.

Until Zhong Xiaonan mentioned giving away the dogs, Dou Dou spoke up.

As for these people on the ground, Duoduo and Dou Dou weren’t afraid; they had seen enough dead people to be accustomed.

"In that case, each of you can choose one," Zhong Xiaonan said.

Such small matters, she could certainly decide.

The two little ones, hearing this, held hands, jumping and dancing with joy.

Huang Lancai and Zhong Xiaonan watched their happy looks, finding their previously heavy hearts suddenly uplifted for some reason.

At this moment, Dou Dou seemed to think of something and released Duoduo’s hand to ask Zhong Xiaonan, "Then can you give me a big lion too?"

"Huh?"

Zhong Xiaonan: ...

PS: Headache is severe, feels like splitting, so just one update today, will make up for it tomorrow~