Lately, I had the impression that someone was observing me. This sensation intensified as the number of people around me decreased. I was quite convinced that someone was indeed looking at me.
This sensation persisted for more than 20 days. When I began to worry that I was being overly sensitive because of work stress and isolation, and considered seeking medical help, the feeling abruptly vanished. After that, I experienced two weeks ofinsomnia, during which my mind was restless at night, racing with various thoughts. Perhaps it was all a result of the recent issues with the project. I am Li Shengli, 30 years old, and I work as a project manager at a private electronic communications firm. Recently, our company secured a communication system project from the military and received a significant deposit. To ensure we met the project deadline, our team had been holding numerous meetings and working day and night.The military could be quite troublesome at times. The commander unexpectedly expressed a desire to have a meal with me. I had to underwent thorough physical examinations by the soldiers, and it was only after I was deemed healthy that I was permitted to dine with the commander.The commander appeared to be in his fifties, exuding a strong presence while also being quite approachable. He engaged in conversation with me in a manner similar to how my father would, inquiring about my family's circumstances and daily life. Although he didn't discuss the project in detail, I got the impression that he was a highly influential individual, quite exceptional, and possessed a strength that surpassed that of regular people.One evening at about 9 o'clock, after I had taken a shower, I was in bed watching TV when I heard a door creak open. I quickly turned over and sat up, straining to determine if it was my front door. The apartment I live in is located in an older neighborhood with a lot of people coming and going, and there have been several instances of break-ins.I got out of bed and stood up. Someone was indeed opening my front door, but it felt like a routine action. I hurried to the door, which was already ajar, and saw a delightful smile. I exclaimed, "Xiaoyun! What brings you here? You didn't even give me a heads up!"Xiaoyun is my girlfriend, and we've been living separately for quite a while. She has a hectic schedule, traveling frequently. She works as a key account manager for a foreign trade company based in Guangzhou.Xiaoyun set the bag aside, smiled, and embraced me, cheerfully exclaiming, "I'm giving you a surprise!"It's been ages since we last connected, and of course, we must rekindle our flame with some fiery sex! Two naked bodies are passionately entwined together, and the air is filled with the sounds of blissful moans...In the middle of the night, when I was half-asleep, I felt Xiaoyun gently grabbing my back. I mumbled, "Little greedy cat, still want more?"Xiaoyun swiftly pulled her hand back and struck me, saying, "You naughty guy, why so sensitive?"I chuckled and turned to embrace Xiaoyun, saying, "Go to sleep, babe."I dozed off for a bit and felt Xiaoyun's hand on my back again, which was a bit ticklish. I didn't think much of it, shifted my body slightly, and mumbled, "I'm really tired. Let's get some sleep." Xiaoyun didn't reply, just made a humming sound in agreement.I was asleep until Xiaoyun shook me awake. She mentioned that she needed to head to the CBD in the morning to handle some matters and would return for dinner later. She advised me to get up quickly.I got up unwillingly and made my way to the office. My boss arrived unusually early today and chuckled when he spotted me, saying, "Shengli, you came early!"I smiled awkwardly and replied, "It's not that early, it's just 10 minutes to 9." The boss then instructed me, "Set your things down and head to the conference room for a meeting."In the conference room, I spotted a few soldiers. I recognized two of them, but the other two were unfamiliar to me. They appeared pleased to see me and engaged in polite conversation, along with some lighthearted chatter about the project. The two soldiers I hadn't encountered before seemed especially worried about my well-being, inquiring about how I was feeling and if I had been unwell lately.I definitely had to say that in order to complete the tasks assigned by the commander, how could I dare to get sick, even if it's just insomnia? The discussion about my health lasted over 30 minutes, almost as if they were conducting a health assessment for me. Sometimes, these soldiers can be quite peculiar.In the evening, I returned home and enjoyed a romantic dinner with Xiaoyun, after which we spent an endless night of making love. I slept very soundly that night.The following day, Xiaoyun was leaving. Before she left, she repeatedly urged me to call her if I felt unwell, emphasizing that I often downplay my health problems and shouldn't allow my body to deteriorate.I was filled with joy and gave Xiaoyun several kisses before saying goodbye.In the evening, while I was showering at home, I suddenly recalled the time Xiaoyun had touched my back at night. Feeling a bit awkward, I started to scratch my back and noticed a few small bumps, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. After drying off, I became a bit frantic trying to find a mirror to inspect my back. As a man living alone in a rented room, I didn't have a large mirror. After some effort, I managed to get a glimpse of my back, but ultimately found nothing unusual. I thought to myself that if I had a significant lump, I might not discover it for years. Just pondering that, I lifted the mirror again to take another look at my back.Using a small mirror to see your own back can be challenging, but this time I observed something unusual. There appeared to be a subtle blue mole located at the center of my spine. This caught my attention, prompting me to examine it more closely, and I ended up taking several photos with my camera.This mole was very strange! I'd never seen such a weird mole before. This mole was about the size of a fingernail, but it seemed to have some metallic color showing through, and in the photos, it surprisingly displayed various colors emanating from it.What was this thing? The first thought that crossed my mind was that it resembled a tumor, as some medical images of such tumors could be quite colorful. I touched it with my hand and pressed down, sensing something firm. I rubbed the skin over it, but my hand remained free of any color. It felt a bit odd, but I didn't think much of it. After all, it's just an unusual-looking mole!The following evening, I reached out to my friend Chen Kai to help me examine my back. Chen Kai even made a lighthearted comment about me being overly anxious for asking someone to do it.I scolded him, "What the hell, do you see if I have a blue mole on my back?"Chen Kai glanced over and exclaimed, "Wow, there really is one! That's quite a big lump! Did a woman with purple cream scratched you while having orgasm?"I said, " shut the fuck up and take a good look!"Chen Kai leaned on my back and took another look, saying, "At first glance, it's just a mole, but upon closer examination, it seems a bit unusual. It's blue, and it looks like it's not on the surface of the skin, but rather emerging from within the flesh. I pulled your skin up to take a look, and it really isn't on the skin, it's from inside the flesh. Man, you don't have AIDS, do you?"I cursed, "Bullshit, this is nothing, right?"Chen Kai patted my back and remarked, "It should be fine. You're not in pain or itching. How serious can it be?"The issue regarding this mole had been resolved. After the project wrapped up and we held a celebration banquet, someone made an inappropriate comment about tumors, lumps and girls with acne, which reminded me of my own mole.When I arrived home and checked, it appeared that the mole was no longer blue; instead, it had changed to red and seemed slightly larger than it was before. Feeling a bit anxious, I decided to call Xiaoyun. I picked up the phone and said, "Hey, sweety.""S'up honey, you miss me?""Of course, give me a kiss."...After a lot of chit chat, I told Xiaoyu, "There's something growing on my back." Xiaoyun suddenly shouted, "What?""There's something growing on my back. A mole. Used to be blue but now red!""A mole? How can you see it?""By using a mirror. Problem?""Are you out of your mind? Why are you using a mirror to see your back?"I felt that Xiaoyun seemed to be over reacted all of a sudden. I asked, "Is something wrong?""What kind of mole?""Um, it was blue, very small, it seems to be under the skin, not on the skin. I just looked at it, and it seems to have turned red."Xiaoyun didn't reply, just made a humming sound."Could it be a tumor?" I asked."Um..." Xiaoyun seemed to be thinking seriously. "Haha, you silly! It's just a regular mole! If it turns red, that means it's getting better. I had one on my knee before as well.""Yes it is!" I felt happy immediately. "Who else did you speak with?" Xiaoyun appeared to be quite troubled."Only Chen Kai.""What did he say?""What can this sucker say? He claimed that this is a remote control placed by aliens and urged me to dig it out with a knife right away." I was just trying to be humorous when I said that!"Is he out of his mind?" Xiaoyun's tone seemed very angry."Haha, he's simply crazy." I continued to joke around."It's OK, sweetheart, don't listen to that guy's nonsense, just listen to me.""OK, when will you come back again? I miss you so much.""I'll return shortly," Xiaoyun remarked with a grin. Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that the smile seemed somewhat forced.We chatted for a few more minutes, but it felt like Xiaoyun had something urgent to attend to and quickly ended the call, which was unusual for her. She typically only hangs up after a long conversation filled with sweet talk. I started to think that Xiaoyun has never really been fond of my guy Chen Kai; perhaps I said something inappropriate.The days passed as usual, quietly. One afternoon while having lunch, I got a call from Chen Kai, who sounded out of breath, "Brother..."I said, " Take it easy man, is a dog after you?""Brother, have you upset anyone recently?""Nope.""There's someone following me.""What?""He's coming..."Chen Kai's call was suddenly cut off. I attempted to call him back, but the connection failed, as if there was no signal. I tried several more times, but still couldn't reach him. I then called my company's main office, but that call also wouldn't connect. Frustrated, I muttered, "Unbelievable, what a terrible phone."I went back to the office and tried to call Chen Kai on the landline. However, as soon as I dialed, the call dropped right away, and this happened multiple times. Frustrated, I muttered, "What the hell." I even borrowed phones from my coworkers to try again, but I still couldn't reach him. When I called Chen Kai's home, the line went through, and I asked his mother, "Is Chen Kai home?"His mother said, "He hasn't returned home in quite a while. Shengli, if you can, have a chat with my son and ask him to come back for a visit.""Alright, Auntie, I will certainly make sure to teach him a lesson when I encounter him."On the evening of the third day, there was a frantic knock at my door. When I answered, I found Chen Kai's sister, Chen Ying, in tears. She shouted, "My brother had a car accident! He's about to die!"