After leaving May's place, Alan looked like a wilted vegetable. He never would have imagined that the aloof and reserved May was actually a shameless gold digger! She was mistress to a rich man old enough to be her father...
Alan clutched the toilet bowl and threw up violently. It was disgusting and ironic—he'd mistaken donkey droppings for treasure! Damn it, he'd been the most pitiful lapdog alive!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, until a bold idea took shape in his mind...
So the next day, he sneaked back into May's apartment, aimed his phone at the cinema screen, and snapped photo after photo...
He used those photos to ruthlessly blackmail the old man. The man had status and reputation to protect—of course he wouldn't dare fight back. Without a word of protest, he meekly handed over the cash...
10
That thick wad of bills finally soothed Alan's wounded pride. At the same time, it revealed to him a path to wealth...
Everyone in this world has secrets they don't want anyone to know. If he could get hold of those secrets, wouldn't he have cracked the code to endless money?
He was so excited by the idea that he could barely contain himself.
From that day on, he carried the master key and frequently slipped into strangers' homes. Among these people were the elderly, married couples, young men and women...
He discovered a brutal truth: no one in this world is perfect. In corners that sunlight never reaches, darkness and vice flourish beyond your imagination—and all of it translated into cash for him, an endless stream of cash...
Day after day, the money poured in until his hands went numb from counting it.
11
Busy making money at night, he couldn't wake up in the morning. Recently he'd been arriving late to work with increasing frequency. His boss was furious and chewed him out: "Don't think that just because you've been promoted to department manager, you can do whatever you please. I promoted you, and I can demote you just as easily!"
Alan gave a cold laugh and slammed the door on his way out. Things were different now—he was no longer some office drone to be pushed around! With a single "I quit," he fired his boss on the spot.
Thinking back on all the indignities he'd suffered at that company over the years, he pocketed the master key and slipped into his boss's house...
The boss's situation was even worse than he'd imagined. The company had committed numerous serious criminal offenses over the years. Once exposed, the consequences would be devastating.
Alan reported him anyway.
When he was being squeezed dry, who had felt any sympathy for him?
Soon enough, the boss was hauled away by law enforcement. His companies and assets were seized and confiscated... What awaited him was not just financial ruin, but a prison sentence.
Hmph. Served him right!
12
A full belly breeds lust.
With money in his pocket, Alan started playing around with women. He even booked out entire clubs and partied until dawn—extravagant, decadent, a life of wine and revelry... With money, you really could do whatever you wanted!
When May heard he'd gotten rich, she came crawling back, shameless.
Alan took her to a luxury auto dealership and told her to pick any car she liked. May didn't hold back—she went straight for a model worth millions.
Alan just smiled, waved his hand grandly, and bought it on the spot. Then he hopped into the driver's seat himself, hit the gas, and sped off in a cloud of dust: "Sorry, sweetheart—you probably won't be comfortable in this one!"
May stood there wiping exhaust fumes off her face, thoroughly humiliated.
Alan caught a glimpse of her in the rearview mirror. All he felt was contempt.
Someone like May? He couldn't even look at her now.
The woman he wanted had to possess not just outer beauty, but inner purity as well. Her past had to be as clean as a blank sheet of paper, untainted by any sordid stain...
But did such a woman even exist in this world?
Ever since acquiring the Life Cinema, he had developed a deep, abiding despair when it came to human nature...
13
One day, Alan suddenly thought of his first love, Tammy.
They were from the same village—you could call them childhood sweethearts. He was smart and got into college, but his family was too poor to afford tuition. That was when Tammy stepped up and said she'd work to pay his way through school.
Thanks to Tammy's help, he managed to complete his education. But once he started working, he began to look down on her...
Now he was a white-collar professional at a big company—how could a woman who waited tables at a restaurant be good enough for him? Having her beside him would only drag down his status, and the humble origins he was so desperate to hide would be exposed for all to see...
So he mustered his courage and broke up with Tammy. She grabbed his arm and demanded to know why.
He gritted his teeth and tossed out one line: "Do you really think the two of us are still a match?"
Tammy choked on her words.
Alan didn't say anything more. He left behind some money and walked away.
To this day, he couldn't forget her tear-filled eyes—the shock, the heartbreak...
Yes, he had wronged Tammy. But people always climb upward, don't they?
Thinking of all this, Alan felt a sudden impulse to call Tammy and ask how she was doing now.
But in the end, he held back.
What was the point? They weren't in the same world anymore!
14
One day, Alan happened to walk past the restaurant where Tammy used to work, and was surprised to find it had been turned into a flower shop.
Just as he stood there staring, a sweet voice rang in his ears: "Sir, would you like to buy some flowers?"
From among the blooms, a beautiful young woman rose to her feet—her white dress whiter than snow, her smile as radiant as the blossoms around her... He felt as though an electric current had struck his heart!
"Yes, yes—I'd like to buy some flowers..."
"What kind of flowers would you like?"
"Any... any kind is fine..."
The young woman laughed: "What do you mean, 'any kind'? Different people get different flowers! Lovers get roses, mothers get carnations..."
"Lover!" Alan said.
She fetched a bouquet of roses and deftly wrapped them. "What would you like written on the card?"
"Just write: Will you be my girlfriend?"
She wrote the message on the card just as he'd asked, then walked over and placed the bouquet in his hands: "Sir, I hope all your wishes come true."
But Alan took the flowers and immediately handed them back to her: "These flowers—I bought them for you!"
The young woman froze, then slowly blushed crimson.
15
Her name was Angel.
True to her name, she was like a lovely angel.
Alan fell for her, hard and fast.
Flowers, gifts, sweet words thrown in for good measure... Under his passionate pursuit, the angel fell right into his arms.
Angel was not only beautiful and gentle, but clever and handy around the kitchen. Once, she made him a bowl of plain noodles, and they were so delicious that he devoured two bowls in one sitting. As he ate, he couldn't help thinking of Tammy...
Back then, Tammy used to make him plain noodles all the time.
"What's wrong? Don't they taste good?" Angel looked at him.
"They're delicious—really delicious!" Alan forced a smile, then added, "These noodles reminded me of someone..."
"Who?"
"My first love," Alan replied. "The taste is a lot like hers..."
"You really loved her, didn't you? Why aren't you together anymore?"
"She died. Cancer." Alan lowered his eyes, playing the tragic lover. He knew that kind of performance was irresistible to girls.
Sure enough, Angel was moved by his act. "Alan, don't be sad," she said softly, taking his hand. "From now on, I'll take her place and take good care of you..."
16
Alan felt like the luckiest man alive. This girl named Angel seemed as if she'd been custom-made for him by heaven itself. In every possible way, she exceeded his expectations...
But was she really as perfect as she appeared? Could she be just like everyone else—gold on the outside, rot on the inside?
He picked a day and sneaked into Angel's home.
When he pushed open that door, his heart was trembling. He was genuinely terrified of confronting the ugliness and cruelty of human nature once more...
Thank heavens—Angel did not disappoint him! Her Life Cinema was as pure and clean as could be, whether in her family background or her personal history, there wasn't a single flaw to be found...
Alan wept for joy.
He silently vowed to treat this girl well, to bring her happiness and joy...
In a word—she was worth it!
17
"Alan, do you really love me?" Angel asked one day.
"Of course!" he answered without hesitation.
"Then why have you never let me come to your place?"
"..."
Alan didn't dare let her visit.
Everyone has their own Life Cinema, and he was no exception.
He was terrified that one day Angel would discover his secret!
Because he knew full well that his own life was filthy and shameful. If Angel learned the truth, she would walk away without a second glance...
"Why aren't you saying anything? Feeling guilty?" Angel pouted with her petal-soft lips. "Hmph, you must have a woman hidden at home!"
She'd put it like that—how could he refuse? He had no choice but to steel himself and bring her back to his place...
Alan stayed on high alert, making sure she didn't go near the wardrobe. But the moment he stepped away to take a phone call, trouble found him! Angel was standing in front of the wardrobe, pointing inside: "I was just trying to help tidy your closet—how come there's a door inside? What's behind it?"
18
Alan's mind went blank with a thunderous roar.
He stammered for a moment before finally coming up with an answer: "Remember that first love I told you about? Behind that door is a private room where I keep her memorial tablet."
"What? You keep her memorial tablet at home?" Angel looked shocked.
"She sacrificed so much for me. I'm truly grateful to her, but she died so young, and I never had the chance to repay her. After thinking it over, I set up a memorial tablet for her." Alan slipped back into his performance. "Angel, you're not upset, are you?"
"No," Angel said gently. "Anyone who treats a lost loved one with such devotion must have a faithfully loving heart."
"Darling, thank you for understanding." Alan kissed her. "From now on, let's both leave that door alone, so we don't disturb her, okay?"
"Okay." Angel nodded obediently.
19
That night, Alan had a dream. He dreamed that Angel opened the door, walked in out of curiosity... and then came out with an ashen face. She slapped him hard across the cheek: "You liar! Everything you've done makes me sick! I'm breaking up with you—I never want to see you again!"
Alan woke with a start, pressing his hand to his face as he sat frozen for a long time.
He had muddled through today, but what about tomorrow? And the day after that...?
This was a woman he was going to marry and spend his whole life with. Over all those long years, there was no guarantee she would never touch that door...
If she went inside and watched his Life Cinema, the outcome from his dream would inevitably become reality!
The very thought of it carved at Alan's heart. He had never loved a woman with his entire being like this before...
All because this woman fulfilled every single fantasy he'd ever had!
He really, truly did not want to lose her!
20
That evening, after Angel had fallen asleep, Alan opened the door inside the wardrobe and stepped into his own Life Cinema. He had made up his mind—to erase every dishonorable chapter of his history! That way, he'd never have to worry about anyone seeing it.
But as he reviewed his own life, he was chilled to discover just how sordid his past was—a litany of misdeeds so extensive that there was nowhere to even begin editing...
To change it all scene by scene would be an enormous undertaking.
As he sat there in a daze, a knock came at the door.
"Alan, what are you doing in there? Can I come in?" It was Angel.
"No—don't come in!" Alan called out hastily. "I'm just grabbing something—I'll be right out!"
In that split second, he made a decision. He selected everything, hit the delete key, and completely wiped his past—reformatting himself into a clean, unblemished blank page. Only then would he be worthy of someone as perfect as Angel...
And only then would the threat be eliminated for good!
When the dialogue box popped up—"Are you sure you want to delete?"—Alan chose "Yes" without a moment's hesitation. The images on the screen vanished in an instant, replaced by a vast, blank white. At the same moment, a powerful electric current surged through Alan's body...
When Angel pushed the door open and rushed in, she found him sitting there blankly, his hollow eyes staring out into an unknown world...
He had become an idiot.
(End of Story 9)
*
"Serves him right—who told him to betray sweet Tammy!" Cindy scoffed. "But if he turned into an idiot, how could you possibly know about everything he went through?"
"Because before that happened, I watched his Life Cinema too!" the girl answered calmly. "Everything he experienced—I know it all inside out!"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Angel—and I'm also Tammy," the girl dropped the bombshell. "I knew about the Life Cinema long before Alan did. To come back to his side, I secretly altered my own life..."
"He treated you like that, and you still couldn't forget him?"
"I know you all probably think I have no self-respect. Honestly, I hate myself too—why am I so spineless..." She smiled bitterly. "But I couldn't help it. Loving him had become a habit. Now, at last, I can stay by his side forever. He doesn't remember a thing, but I'm still happy..."
"..."
No one knew what to say.
When it comes to matters of the heart, only the person drinking the water knows if it's cold or warm.
"That Alan's fate truly doesn't deserve sympathy," a young man broke the silence. "In the past, I almost walked the same path of no return. Looking back now, it still sends chills down my spine." From the uniform he wore, he appeared to be a delivery driver.
"Is that so? Tell us your story," the Boss said with a smile.
"Before I tell my story, let me show you all something." The man pulled off his shirt, revealing his chest.
On his chest was a scar the size of a wok—ugly and ghastly. Several of the women turned away in alarm.
"Have you ever heard of the Human-Face Sore? It's a parasite that attaches to the human body and feeds on the host's desires. The stronger the host's desires, the darker its energy becomes."
He traced the scar with his fingers and said softly: "Right here... one used to grow..."