Chapter 8: False Redemption
2007words
The autumn rain in New York was unceasing as Sara Davis stood in the office of the Environmental Justice Foundation, gazing at the gloomy sky outside. Her new book, "Paradise Lost: A Survivor's Testimony," had topped the bestseller list for twelve consecutive weeks, making her one of the most prominent public figures nationwide.
But fame had not brought inner peace.
Every night, Sara would receive anonymous emails. Not threats, but photographs—images of victims who had died of cancer due to the environmental pollution she had helped cover up. The sender seemed to know every detail of her crimes, including secrets she thought would never be discovered.
Today's email was unusually different. In the photo was an eight-year-old girl, skeletal thin lying in a hospital bed, suffering from leukemia after drinking contaminated groundwater. Below the photo was a line: "Lily Chen died the same way. But her mother forgave you. We won't."
Sara's hands began to tremble. She remembered this girl's name—Lin Ya, one of the victims when she helped the petrochemical company cover up the pollution three years ago. At the time, she told herself it was just a legal technicality, but now looking at this photo, she realized her hands were stained with innocent blood.
"Ms. Sara?" Her assistant knocked and entered, "Your next interview..."
She turned around to find her assistant staring behind her, face pale. Sara looked back and saw dozens of photos suddenly appearing on her office wall—all victims who had died from environmental pollution, their eyes staring at her.
"You...can you see them?" Sara asked, trembling.
The assistant nodded, then hurriedly fled from the office.
Sara faced those eyes on the wall alone. She recalled Anna Chen's words: "The real poison is in our hearts." Now she understood, leaving the island didn't mean escape; the true trial was just beginning.
That night, Sara was found in the bathtub at her home, the cause of death was accidental drowning. But strangely, the water in the bathtub was black, like heavily polluted river water. The medical examiner could not explain this phenomenon and could only classify it as "death from unknown causes."
【One year later: Thomas's Code】
The sunshine in Silicon Valley was still bright, but Thomas Green's world had turned into a digital hell.
On the surface, his data protection foundation was operating well, helping thousands of privacy breach victims. He gave speeches worldwide and was hailed as a "pioneer in tech ethics." But only he knew that every night was torture.
All his devices—phone, computer, smart home system—began to malfunction. The screens would randomly display information about users who had committed suicide due to data breaches, their final words, their families' despair. Most terrifying was how these messages appeared in ways that completely violated digital logic, as if some supernatural force was controlling the code.
"This is impossible," Thomas said to his exhausted reflection in the mirror, "I've repented, I'm making amends..."
Suddenly, Anna Chen's reflection appeared in the mirror. She gently shook her head: "Thomas, I've forgiven you. But those children who died... their parents... they haven't forgiven you."
"But... but I'm trying to make amends..." Thomas's voice trembled.
"Make up for it?" The figure of a seventeen-year-old girl appeared in the mirror, the very girl who had committed suicide due to privacy leaks. "Do you think your foundation can bring me back to life? Do you think your speeches can eliminate my parents' pain?"
More figures began to appear in the mirror, all the people who had died because of Thomas's technology. They didn't speak, just quietly stared at him, their eyes filled with an indescribable sadness and anger.
Thomas frantically smashed the mirror, but those faces still reflected in the glass shards. He ran out of the room, but all screens—televisions, computers, even the microwave display—showed the same images.
The next day, Thomas was found dead in his own office, surrounded by all destroyed electronic devices. His cause of death was electrocution, but circuit analysis showed that no devices were powered on at the time. Among his belongings, investigators found a piece of code, which translated to: "System Error: Soul not found."
【Two years later: James's bill】
Autumn in Boston was desolate as James Carter sat in front of Mrs. Wilson's grave, holding a bouquet of white chrysanthemums. This was his seven hundred and thirtieth visit here, without missing a single day.
For two years, he had fulfilled the promise he made on the island: donating almost all his assets to the victims' families, establishing a financial victim assistance fund, and confessing all his crimes in court. He thought this would bring him inner peace, but reality was far crueler than he had imagined.
The attitude of the victims' families caused him unbearable pain. Some had accepted his apology and compensation, but their eyes were still filled with irreconcilable hatred. Others directly refused to see him, even publicly condemning his "hypocritical performance" in the media.
"Do you think a few words of apology can bring my husband's life back?" one of the widows once said to him in front of all the reporters, "Do you think your money can erase the pain my child feels from losing his father? Dr. Anna Chen might have forgiven you, but I never will."
These words were more painful than any torture on the island. James began to understand that the real hell wasn't the threat of death, but having to live with sins that could never be forgiven.
The cemetery was especially quiet that day, without even the sound of birds. James was about to leave when he noticed new words appearing on Mrs. Wilson's tombstone: "James, the debt has not yet been paid in full."
He rubbed his eyes, thinking it was an illusion, but the text was still there. More terrifyingly, the other tombstones around him also began to display text, with the names of all those who had died because of his financial fraud slowly emerging on the stones.
"This...this is impossible..." James fell to his knees.
"Very possible," a familiar voice came from behind. James turned to see Anna Chen standing in the sunset, but her figure was semi-transparent.
"Anna? Aren't you..."
"I'm dead, yes. But my work is not finished." Anna Chen's voice was soft, yet it conveyed a certain irresistible power, "James, I have forgiven you, because you showed genuine remorse in the final moment. But forgiveness does not equal exemption from punishment."
"I have already taken all legal responsibility..."
"The law?" Anna Chen shook her head, "Laws are made by humans, but there are higher principles. The families you've hurt, their pain hasn't disappeared because of your repentance. Their anger hasn't subsided because of your apology. Their curses..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but James already understood. The surrounding tombstones began to emit a deep humming sound, as if the dead were whispering some ominous spell.
The next morning, James was found sitting in front of Mrs. Wilson's grave, dead with a smile on his face. The autopsy showed he died of cardiac arrest, but without any signs of illness. Even stranger, scattered around him was a large amount of cash, exactly matching the sum he had defrauded years ago. Where this money came from remains an unsolved mystery to this day.
【Three Years Later: A New Beginning】
In a luxurious banquet hall in Manhattan, a grand dinner named "New Hope Charity Night" was being held. Eight business elites gathered together: arms dealer John Clark, oil tycoon Jennifer Rogers, organ trafficking group boss Mark Wilson...
They had all heard about the "Lost Paradise Incident" from three years ago, but all believed it was just the act of a mad scientist. They spoke about the case with contempt, believing the victims "deserved it" and that Anna Chen was an "extremist."
"If I were in that situation," John Clark said, raising his champagne glass, "I would have killed that woman directly. What psychological experiment? Pure waste of time."
The others burst into laughter, completely unaware of the young female server in the corner. Her name tag read "L. Chen," and she was quietly pouring wine for the guests.
The champagne had a special golden luster with a sweet and rich taste. Everyone praised it endlessly, completely failing to notice that this special flavor seemed somehow familiar.
At midnight, the eight people gradually began to feel drowsy. One after another, they lost consciousness in their seats.
The next morning, the banquet hall was empty. Police launched an investigation, but the eight people seemed to have vanished into thin air. The only clue was a note found next to Jennifer's seat: "The second course is about to begin."
【Far Out at Sea】
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, a new island rose from the sea. This was not naturally formed, but built using the most advanced technology. The architectural style on the island was identical to the one from three years ago, but the scale was larger and the facilities more sophisticated.
The copper plaque in the hotel lobby still bore the same inscription: "You need to atone for your sins to reclaim your true lives."
But this time, a line of small text was added below the sign: "Anna Chen Legacy Inheritance Program - Phase Two Activation."
In the laboratory at the deepest part of the island, a fully automated system was running. Dozens of photographs hung on the wall—all victims who died from drug side effects, environmental pollution, and data leaks, including Lily Chen.
An electronic display showed the last video recorded by Anna Chen before her death:
"If this system has activated, it means I am no longer in this world, and those survivors have also paid the price. But this is not the end. I've connected with seventeen people across the world who shared similar experiences—they all lost loved ones, all were hurt by those powerful criminals."
"Some of them are doctors, some are engineers, and some are scientists. We have been secretly working together for two years, building multiple islands and preparing countless experimental protocols. Because in this world, there are too many victims like us, and too many criminals like those eight people."
The screen displayed a world map, marking seventeen different small islands, each with a numerical countdown beside it.
"Whenever a new criminal is confirmed, the system automatically initiates the corresponding program. This is not revenge, this is the continuation of justice."
A mechanically synthesized voice echoed across the island:
"Target confirmation complete. Eight new subjects are in position. Experiment codename: Justice Cycle 02. Estimated experiment duration: 72 hours."
"Subject profile: John Clark, arms trafficking leading to regional conflict escalation, resulting in over 100,000 civilian deaths..."
"Jennifer Rogers, concealment of oil spill incident truth, ecological disaster resulting in over 20,000 deaths..."
The voice continued to dispassionately announce each person's crimes, while on the monitoring screen, eight new "guests" were slowly awakening in their rooms, beginning their journey of atonement.
At the highest point of the island, a new monument stands tall. It is densely engraved with countless names—Anna Chen and her daughter Lily, Sara, Thomas, James, and all the innocent victims who died because of the criminals' greed. At the bottom of the monument is a line of blood-red text:
"The wheels of justice never cease to turn. Debts must always be repaid. The game... is far from over."
The sea breeze blows past the monument, making an eerie wailing sound, as if countless departed souls are whispering about their unsatisfied anger.
And somewhere in the world, the data for the next batch of "candidates" has already been quietly collected. Arms dealers, human traffickers, drug manufacturers, environmental destroyers... the list is long, very long.
Because in this world, evil will never disappear, so judgment will never stop.
The storm will eventually subside, won't it?
But some storms are destined to blow to the ends of the earth.
At the deepest part of the deep sea, more islands are being quietly built.
The game is far from over.
