Chapter 381: Dream Interpretation

Wang Sunxu’s Third Dream:

“I dreamt I was exploring the woods near our house with my brother. There was a big hole in the ground, and my brother jumped over it easily. He encouraged me, saying, ‘You can do it!’ I hesitated but eventually jumped and almost fell in. My brother grabbed my hand and pulled me up, patting my head and praising me. I felt really happy.

“We continued walking until we reached a maple grove. My brother said, ‘Don’t be afraid.’ I didn’t know why he said that. Suddenly, a giant snake slithered out from the trees. My brother used a stick to fight it off and even poked its eyes out to scare me, laughing the whole time.

“The snake writhed on the ground, looking pitiful. I felt sorry for it and decided to burn it to death.

“The psychologist asked, ‘What does a burning snake smell like?’

“Wang Sunxu replied, ‘It stinks like burning rubber, with white stuff coming out from under the skin.’

“Psychologist’s Note: The patient has a history of animal cruelty but no history of arson.”

Chen Shi put down the file and said, “Bedwetting, animal cruelty, arson—it seems like the psychologist was asking specific questions.”

“That’s right. The Macdonald triad, often seen in serial killers,” Gu You explained. “To understand the roots of Wang Sunxu’s violent tendencies, my colleague analyzed his dreams. Want to hear it?”

“No need. It’s probably something about an Oedipus complex or similar,” Chen Shi said.

“What? What?” KK grabbed the file. “How can you tell?”

Chen Shi said, “Gu You, this sounds far-fetched. Finding Zhou Xiao through these dreams?”

“You, who knows psychology, should understand that dreams are the truest reflection of the subconscious. By interpreting the imagery, we can uncover the subject’s true thoughts.”

“But that truth is only on a psychological level. People’s anxieties, desires, and fears might be reflected in dreams, but do you expect a dream to reveal a name or an address? Even if Wang Sunxu dreamt it, he wouldn’t say it.”

“We have no other leads.”

“Alright, expert psychologist, what’s your take on these dreams?”

“In the first dream, he walks in a dark world. Typically, darkness in dreams implies danger, but Wang Sunxu was calm describing it. This suggests he’s emotionally detached and lacks empathy. You and I know dreams generate synchronously. When you dream of a picture, it’s initially vague, and then details emerge. In Wang Sunxu’s dark world, he saw little people, excitedly kicking their heads off. I think this symbolizes the people he killed. The werewolf appearing could represent someone who hurt him in childhood. Note that the werewolf has blood on its mouth, indicating it has already caused harm. This blood might symbolize the harm done to Wang Sunxu.”

“I agree with this part,” Chen Shi said. “In middle school, Wang Sunxu had a teacher, Mr. Xu, who pretended to care for neglected students but secretly controlled them, making them do dirty deeds. The werewolf symbolizes Mr. Xu, with blood from other students he harmed. The werewolf coming from behind suggests it’s from Wang Sunxu’s past, someone already dead, yet still his greatest fear. Wang Sunxu’s drive to keep killing is to become stronger to defeat this nightmare. In the dream, he eats the little people’s heads to become a werewolf, but even after killing the teacher, he can’t shake off the fear of Mr. Xu.”

“Childhood deeply impacts a person,” Gu You commented.

“You two are amazing!” KK said. “Interpreting all this from a bizarre dream. Impressive.”

Chen Shi shook his head. “This is based on my personal experience with that case. Besides that, we know little about Wang Sunxu’s past. Dream analysis alone won’t uncover the truth.”

Gu You said, “Do we really know nothing? You can easily find his past through your police connections.”

“That’s just the framework. We know where he went to school and lived, but not his personal experiences.”

“Not necessarily. If we create a timeline of his life and cross-reference it with unsolved cases from the same times and places, we might uncover his past.”

“Gu You, do you think the other two dreams will lead to one or two cases?”

“It’s worth trying. Everyone wants to find out Zhou Xiao’s true identity.”

Chen Shi felt this indirect approach was straying too far off-topic. As he pondered, Gu You suggested, “Let’s treat this as a fun activity for our team-building.”

“Since you put it that way, it’s worth a shot. I’m afraid I have to go now,” Chen Shi said, checking his watch.

Sun Zhen asked, “What’s the plan for team-building? I suggest some outdoor activities like bungee jumping. We’re always cooped up indoors, so it’d be nice to get out.”

KK said, “Let’s vote!” He looked around, seeing only Sun Zhen raising his hand. “Guess that’s a no. How about a spa day? I know a great place.”

“Get lost!” Chen Shi retorted.

“Think about me as a woman,” Gu You said. “Let’s do something healthy and beneficial. How about a spa day?”

“I agree with Ms. Gu,” Sun Zhen said.

“Spas are boring, just lying there doing nothing,” KK said.

“Try it, it’s relaxing and good for your skin,” Gu You replied.

Chen Shi stood up. “How about a traditional Chinese gathering—dinner! I’ll book a nice restaurant.”

This idea was also rejected. Gu You wanted a quiet place to talk, KK wanted something more exciting, and Sun Zhen agreed with whatever Gu You liked.

In a hurry to leave, Chen Shi suggested, “I know a fancy bathhouse with a buffet. Let’s vote!” He raised his hand first.

“Does it have special services?” KK asked.

“No! But it has foot massages and such.”

“Fine, since you’re all proper folks, I’ll reluctantly agree!” KK raised his hand.

“A bath and buffet sounds good,” Gu You agreed, raising her hand. Sun Zhen followed suit.

“Settled then. See you all tomorrow night!” Chen Shi said.