"Hanaoka Yasuko never liked him."
"But to protect that woman, he’s willing to kill another person—a cruel and cold-blooded method, filled with bloody obsession!"
"What kind of devilish love is this?"
"The most terrifying thing about Stone God is that to ensure absolute success, he went and confessed to top the crime. Now the police have identified Stone God as the one who killed Togashi, even if someone later discovers the real Togashi’s body, it won’t be exposed. No one would think that was actually Togashi’s real body, because the Togashi case is already closed, unless Stone God himself appeals to overturn the case."
"No wonder the book is titled ’The Devotion of Suspect X’; this is using his own life to love this woman!"
"Even though the truth is now clear, the only thing I can’t comprehend in this story is why Stone God would love Hanaoka Yasuko so much, even at the cost of his life—this is a death sentence!"
Of course, there’s a reason why.
However, Chu Kuang clearly won’t let the logic of the truth become blurred; the following plot is Stone God’s memory.
Feeling hopeless about life and the future, Stone God wanted to commit suicide, but Hanaoka Yasuko and her daughter suddenly moved in, knocked on the door to greet their neighbor.
Stone God opened the door.
The mother and daughter greeted Stone God with smiles.
Yasuko’s eyes were full of longing for life.
Even if the plot doesn’t explicitly state it, everyone knew that perhaps Hanaoka Yasuko and her daughter thought they would completely get rid of Togashi and live a happy life of normal people.
Just such a simple reason:
That smile instantly struck Stone God.
Stone God suddenly didn’t want to die anymore; he once said: "Sunday is the happiest day, as long as you open the window, you can hear the voices of two people."
This is the beginning of love.
But is this really love?
Or is Stone God’s devotion merely a way to repay gratitude?
Maybe some things, even readers with a god-like perspective can’t discern, yet such an ending obviously isn’t the most cruel.
At the end of the novel.
Hanaoka Misato committed suicide.
After learning the truth from Tang Chuan, Yasuko’s mood was turbulent and heavy, but to ensure Stone God’s efforts weren’t in vain and for her daughter’s happiness, she decided to continue living with guilt.
However, her daughter’s suicide news crushed her.
The daughter couldn’t bear such pressure, and she was tortured by intense guilt—how could she, as a mother, not be the same, it was the last straw that broke the camel’s back.
Hanaoka Yasuko surrendered herself.
As she made this decision and walked into the police station, all the arrangements Stone God made, risking innocent lives, were all for naught.
Hanaoka Yasuko’s back trembled violently, her voice raspy: "I’m sorry, really very sorry. For letting you... for letting us...
For someone like me..."
"What nonsense are you saying! What are you saying... Foolish talk... You’re talking nonsense..."
Stone God’s voice was like muttering a chant.
"How can only we be happy... That’s impossible. I must atone too, I must accept punishment, I want to accept punishment with Mr. Stone God. All I can do is only this, all I can do for you is only this. Sorry! Sorry!"
Yasuko supported herself with both hands, head against the floor.
Stone God shook his head, retreating, his face twisted in agony.
He suddenly turned around, using both hands to hold his head, letting out a beast-like roar, intermingled with cries of despair and confusion.
The sound of that roar moved everyone who heard it.
Police officers rushed over, trying to stop him.
Tang Chuan xue blocked them: "At least, let him cry to his heart’s content..."
Tang Chuan xue put his hand on Stone God’s shoulders from behind.
Stone God continued to roar, as if he were expelling his soul.
When the last psychological defense broke, the one who had meticulously planned everything, using reverse reasoning to manipulate the world, Stone God completely collapsed.
He should have succeeded.
He had already succeeded.
But he lost to human heart.
Lost to the guilt inherent in humanity.
The novel emphasized such a line: "Sometimes, as long as one lives well, it’s enough to save someone."
But then there are those who are unwilling to even live.
But whose fault is this?
Togashi or Hanaoka Yasuko?
Or Stone God who liked pursuing extreme logic, supposed to be a great mathematician?
After being dazed for a long time, Lu Yang suddenly sighed.
The design of the ending as the answer makes this mystery novel show its greatest charm.
By laying foreshadowing throughout the novel regarding characters and the timing and location of events, even using some guiding techniques, readers formed preconceived impressions, bringing huge impact and surprise when the mystery is unraveled—that’s the most successful aspect of this novel.
Unlike pure literature.
This mystery novel, besides its storytelling, also carries unexpectedness and the rationality of its layout.
But is this Narrative Trickery?
Chuan’s narrative trickery-solving mystery genre?
Chu Kuang guided readers to the time trap, which corresponded to some characteristics of Narrative Trickery.
However, the key issue was that both readers and the police were always in a unified perspective, breaking the narrative trickery setting.
This isn’t Narrative Trickery.
Readers had the opportunity to guess the truth.
Whether or not it’s Narrative Trickery doesn’t matter now.
What’s truly important is the ultimate plot twist in the last few Chapters of the novel, bringing such a powerful shock!
Is this a novel hurriedly written by Chu Kuang?