Artifact Report

Chapter 5 Jin Xueli: The Hunter Being Harassed by a Madman
Jin Xueli stood in front of her own portrait, her ears buzzing.

Wreaths were blocking her doorway, and when she opened the door, she could see her own smiling, blurry face. A black and white portrait was pinned crookedly in the center of the wreaths, with the word "BITCH" written in bright red, fierce words, tearing apart her smiling face.

It was the first time that she had seen wreaths at an Asian funeral in her own life. While she was filled with shock and anger, a small part of Sydney was actually amazed at how authentic the wreaths were, exactly like the ones on TV, and she wondered where they were made.

As for who had placed the wreath at the door, she wasn't curious because she knew who it was.

Jin Xueli kicked the wreath down, slammed the door, and took out her cell phone while walking towards the elevator.

"Come up here right now and see what's placed at my door."

She has lived in this building for three years, and today was the first time she got so angry at the building manager in such a loud voice. In the past, she never dared to be rude.

"What gives you the right to charge such high rent and management fees? This is the most expensive land in Blackmoor City? Your security personnel are mummies stolen from the National Museum next door. They are all dead? I told you that there was a pervert who was following me recently. Why didn't I increase the security? I actually let him get to my doorstep?"

When Jin Xueli first moved into this building, she felt very guilty.

Under normal circumstances, someone like her, who came from an ordinary immigrant family, had no distinguished education, and an ordinary job, would not be able to pass the application review even if she spent her entire life saving enough money for rent, and would not be able to live in this century-old building that has been designated a historical landmark.

The layers of barriers formed by class and relationship networks make it difficult for many newly wealthy tech tycoons to rent a house here, let alone buy one.

Soon after moving in, Jin Xueli met a woman in the elevator. She struck up a conversation with her in a friendly manner, which made her secretly happy. Before the elevator reached the lobby, the woman smiled and asked, "Who do you work for? We're having job interviews right now."

It took her several seconds to realize that the other party mistook her for a maid.

Even though her clothes and appearance were similar, others could somehow tell at a glance that she did not belong to this class - the building manager on the phone was one of them.

"Miss Jin,"

The manager explained in a tone that was almost kind and sympathetic, "I'm very sorry, too. But you may not know that we try not to disturb the interpersonal interactions of our residents. This has always been our policy."

"The people we usually interact with are all well-known and respectable people. This is the first time something like this has happened. According to security, he said he wanted to give you a surprise and brought you flowers, so we didn't know that you and your boyfriend had some emotional problems..."

"It's not a relationship dispute, it's stalking!" Jin Xueli angrily said, not even paying attention to the implication of the word "respectable person". "It's not a boyfriend, he's holding a funeral wreath!"

The man had dated her several times and had indeed visited her with permission. It was after he saw her residence and life that he began to frequently ask her for money and gifts. She could not stand it anymore and decided to cut off contact.

She also didn't expect that "rejection" could arouse such strong and uncontrollable hatred.

"Okay, okay, I'll have them removed right away. Security isn't like you, so it's understandable that they don't recognize those kinds of wreaths. I hope you can understand," the building manager said. "But Miss Jin, I'd also like you to have a good conversation with him and calm the situation down. After all, the residents here are relatively low-key and quiet, and don't appreciate this kind of commotion..."

"So I should apologize to you?"

Jin Xueli was so angry that she didn't even hear what the manager said. She hung up the phone and kicked the elevator door hard.

When she left the building, she did not ask the doorman to call a taxi for her, and walked absent-mindedly into the streets of Blackmore City in the bright morning sun.

Jin Xueli can call the police or apply for a personal restraining order, but neither is safe.

Maybe we have to wait until she becomes a victim before the police take action; a personal restraining order can deter normal people, but how effective will it be on a madman?
Most women, apart from calling the police and running away, can only pray; but Anthony probably doesn't know that there is much more that Sydney can do.

She walked around for a while, made up her mind, and hailed a taxi.

She arrived at the perfect time. When she arrived at the Blue District, "Between the Backlight" had just opened.

The bar door is hidden behind a flight of stairs that extend underground next to the sidewalk, and people walking on the street can basically not see its sign light; however, in Jin Xueli's impression, the sign light has never been turned on, so it seems that it doesn't matter whether passers-by can see it or not.

She pushed open the faded wooden door, and with the creaking sound of the dry door hinges, she walked into a cramped and dark basement.

In the dim light, chairs were turned upside down on the table, and cardboard boxes were piled in the booths. The air was stale and cold, with the smell of dust, alcohol, and a faint odor of vomit.

"You're here so early?"

The back door was pushed open, and a man poked his head in and walked into the bar. He looked like a Shar Pei, with droopy eyebrows and eyes, and had a friendly look like a dog.

He turned on the TV for Xueli and gestured towards the bar, "Please sit down. I'm cleaning up."

The midday news came on a TV hanging from the ceiling in a corner of the bar. A baby elephant had been born at the Downtown Island Zoo in Blackmore, bringing a smile to the female anchor's face.

"Any news?" Jin Xueli asked as she sat down. "I'm planning to go over there in the next couple of days."

"There's a family that's temporarily short of staff and wants to hire an experienced hunter without any family connections. I thought, isn't that you?"

The bartender's Shar-Pei-like face was still buried behind the bar; he seemed to be squatting on the ground, vigorously wiping the cabinet door. Amid the rustling sound of the rag, he said, "It's not a big payout, just three thousand dollars. We'll leave next week. Of course, the final result has nothing to do with you."

A few years ago, three thousand dollars would have been enough to make her eyes shine like flashlights; but now, it’s not even enough to buy her the trouble of moving.

"It's not convenient for me to act with others. I have some personal matters to attend to. Do you have any other commissions?"

"Then there's no—"

He had barely begun to speak when a sudden burst of urgent music came from the TV, causing Jin Xueli to look up and glance at the screen - it was breaking news.

"We've just learned," the female host said to the audience with a serious expression, "Mr. Vesile, the founder, shareholder, and CEO of the Qunmu Group, was found dead this morning at his estate in Upstate. He was 59. The cause of death is currently suspected to be sudden heart failure, and the police have begun an investigation... Mr. Vesile was also a state legislator and philanthropist..."

Jin Xueli was startled and said, "He's dead?"

A Shar-Pei-like face popped out from behind the bar, looked at the screen, and asked, "Do you know him?"

"No, not directly. But I have a client who I've had some dealings with... I thought I could do business with him in the future, what a shame." Jin Xueli said, putting the deceased Blackmore City's richest man down. "Don't you have any other missions?" "You can wait a few days, maybe there will be one." The bartender began to clean the beer tap again and said, "When are you planning to go?"

Jin Xueli took out her cell phone, intending to check the time, but instead discovered more than 20 text messages on the screen, all from an unfamiliar number. Without even clicking on them, one could tell they were filled with pleading, foul language, curses, and threats.

She has blocked four or five numbers, but it doesn't seem to stop the harassers.

"I'll go tonight. If there's no mission, forget it." She put away her phone, her tone cold. "There's a small, but disgusting problem. I need to go and get something back before I can solve it."

The bartender nodded and asked, "Same drink? Or take some home?"

"Yes," Jin Xueli felt her face turn pale at the mention of wine. "I don't have any cups, just find two plastic bottles to put it in."

As soon as she thought of the wine he had prepared, her stomach began to tremble even before she drank it, as if she wanted to vomit out all her internal organs in advance.

No matter how many times she drinks, Jin Xueli can't get used to the taste of alcohol. She's been forcing herself to drink for the past few years, and it's like she's turning into Pavlov's dog. Sometimes, just the smell of alcohol on someone makes her legs go weak, dizzy, and nauseous.

"Only the wine you paired with it has the effect I want. If I drink something else, my mind will be numb, but my limbs will feel heavy and weak, and I will fall asleep as soon as I close my eyes. Isn't that playing with my life?"

The bartender flashed a smile. "But the alcohol isn't effective enough, is it? I'll keep an eye out for any suitable medicine for you."

It would be great if she could take a pill to achieve the same effect. However, before she could get the pill, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and force herself to drink the wine.

If she wants to continue living like this.

When night fell, Jin Xueli changed into jogging shoes and sportswear and tied her hair tightly into a bun.

She packed up all her commonly used equipment and items into a backpack - not an ordinary backpack, but a half-person outdoor backpack that hikers carry, which can even fit a sleeping bag.

Although she didn't plan to stay long, Jin Xueli did not dare to be careless and still brought a hunting knife, a women's pistol, and a bottle of bear spray.

It's a pity that due to practical legal constraints, none of her methods can be used directly on the harasser; in the end, she has to go through a long detour and find a roundabout way to save the country.

The time on my phone jumped to 9:43 PM.

One harassing message after another, all from different numbers, continued to pour in, piling up at the bottom of the screen, with not a single one being opened; the number of unread messages had reached 129.

Jin Xueli discovered a few hours ago that the harasser had posted her number on many pornographic websites; the messages that came in after that were not only disgusting, but also impossible to block.

She simply stuffed her phone into the bottom of her backpack, out of sight, out of mind.

The night darkened the entire glass floor-to-ceiling window; she sat on the floor in front of the window, as if floating in mid-air, floating between the skyscrapers and countless lights of Blackmore City.

The neon lights, like scattered diamonds, continue to illuminate the night and usher in the dawn. This largest and most prosperous metropolis in the world never sleeps and never stops.

She endured the discomfort and swallowed the drink prepared by the bartender, mouthful by mouthful. Soon her consciousness became light and her blood began to bubble. Even though the house was quiet, she seemed to hear a buzzing sound from somewhere.

The primitive fear that has evolved over millions of years is not something that can be accustomed to or overcome through repeated attempts.

If she didn't drink a lot of alcohol and let her mind become confused and dull, Jin Xueli wouldn't even have the courage to walk to the edge of the balcony - she was extremely afraid of heights and didn't dare to ride the roller coaster when she went to the amusement park.

She gripped the balcony railing tremblingly, took a breath, and stepped onto the prepared chair.

The backpack weighed heavily on her shoulders, and when she pushed herself up to sit on the railing, she was scratched by it. The stumble almost made her heart and gastric juices slip out of her throat. She finally managed to steady her breathing, and her palms were covered in cold sweat.

Even when drunk, she still didn't dare look down, and only dared to keep her eyes on the city skyline.

Traffic churned between distant buildings, its countless headlights blurred into bright patches of color in the hazy rain. The cool, fine rain slanted and pelted down her skin, making Jin Xueli vaguely fear that it would wake her up, numb her consciousness, and bring her back to consciousness.

…I have to go.

She sat on the railing, her back to the neon lights of Blackmore City, looking at her reflection in the glass door and the vague living room behind it.

"I'll be back soon," Jin Xueli whispered to the apartment. "Wait for me."

She closed her eyes, leaned back, and fell straight into the cool night breeze of early November.

*My friends, the first thing I did when I landed was to eat to my heart's content. Oh my god, it felt like I was just released from prison, and I ate so much that my eyes were red - no, what am I talking about? The first thing I did was to type a lot, seriously!

Hehehe, I'm sorry I replaced Mai Minghe after just four chapters. Because introducing the world view requires multiple perspectives, otherwise it's not good to keep people confused for too long. I won't change him too often in the future.

I should have given a reminder at the end of the previous chapter, but I forgot... Donkeys don't have good memories. You have the hippocampus and I have the sea donkey body. Pirated copies don't work very well, and I think readers of the genuine version will forgive me.

I've always found Western fantasy novels difficult to read because of the names... So, I've made the Western names in the novels more memorable for Chinese people. For example, Jin Xueli is a translation of Sydney Gyn. If it were Sydney Jie, no one would know her, right? This experience was accumulated when I was writing Miledy, and it worked! It has a 4.8 rating on Dianping.

*Why do I put this nonsense after the main text? Because I can't write any more, but I can't bear to talk nonsense. Anyway, this chapter is free, so you can't accuse me of padding the word count.

　Let me see which impatient hot tofu grandma will become my creditor...

　　Okay, I owe Tianxia an extra chapter (how come it's a reduction for me?), I owe Mage Huiyu a big fat child-style extra chapter (didn't I just say I was anxious! I feel bad for him), I owe Yingyou a big fat child (I'd better go to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the People's Hospital and squat there to steal the child, it's faster)... What are you doing? You're here, what are you carrying (.

　　Thank you Tang Mian Ye, Time Ghost, Please Call Me Ah Qi, and O Jin O (How about I find a child for you guys, and then you can go home and cut it into four pieces and share them. I'm already freezing from saving up my manuscripts.)
　　Thank you Peng Xiaoxi, Pu Pu Haha, Mi Mie Mie, Mo Yuan pronounced as Black Bird, Flying Thief, Deyun Fu Jin, Kafka, A Shi qwq, Sanxiyi, Yuki Mingyuena, Qingqingjiu, Hami melon and I are irreconcilable (melon!), Jiang Lujing Lufu, I ate roasted sweet potatoes today - why are you in such a hurry, isn't it good for our relationship to last forever? What if it doesn't look good? I feel guilty.

　　Including the previous grandma, how many extra chapters do I owe? Five?

　　...five???????

　　………???
　　Time flies, does this "dead" refer to the saved manuscripts? !
　　
　
(End of this chapter)