Chapter 128

Bob continued, "I find it hard to imagine that someone like Laura exists in this world. People are shallow, or perhaps human nature is so, especially men. From a young age, they can't help but chat more with pretty girls. This is what I've observed. Even boys in elementary school feel proud to have a pretty girl as their deskmate."

"Douglas is like that. He's cruel, greedy, and moody. He's like the violent side of Ronald, showing no mercy to anyone. But from the moment he first saw Laura, he kept trying to please her, leaving the last bit of his humanity with her. No matter how much Laura disliked or teased him, he would just laugh foolishly. He hasn't changed since childhood."

"Frank is the same, though different from Douglas. He is more reserved, but his eyes don't lie. He really likes Laura, to the point of being jealous of everyone around her."

Bob slowly recalled.

"Frank said that he and Laura were together in college. Could the reason for their breakup be Douglas?"

I remembered Frank telling me about this. Perhaps the motive for killing Douglas wasn't just Ronald; there might be personal feelings involved.

Bob added, "They were indeed together in college. As for the reason, even though we were close, we didn't really know. We just made a fuss and asked Frank to treat us to a meal. As for the reason for their breakup, I have no idea. But after they broke up, our small group didn't fall apart. Their relationship remained the same as before. As for Douglas..."

Bob frowned, shook his head, and said, "Frank couldn't have been jealous of Douglas emotionally."

I asked, "Why?"

Bob replied, "Because Frank and Laura never saw him as a person. Or rather, Douglas himself thought he was Ronald's dog. He was proud of it because a dog with a master can bite people at will, while a dog without a master can only scavenge in the streets. He said this himself, not me."

I was stunned. Strictly speaking, I had never met Douglas in person. I could only get a rough idea of him from bits and pieces. But the madness he exuded was somewhat similar to Laura's.

Bob looked at me deeply and said slowly, "The only person Frank truly cared about or was jealous of, from beginning to end, was Alan."

What did that mean?

Could Alan and Laura have had an emotional entanglement?

It was impossible. If they did, Alan would have told me. Besides, in college, Alan and Laura were just good friends. With Alan's personality, it was impossible for him to like Laura.

Bob said, "Nothing happened."

Bob seemed to know what I was thinking. He smiled, shook his head, and said, "I was just thinking, when Alan announced he was with you, we discussed privately why Alan liked you. I couldn't figure it out, and Mike didn't know either. Laura did some digging about you, but after learning about you, she didn't say anything. Instead, Frank was the first to answer."

I asked, "What did Frank say?"

Bob replied, "He said that Alan has withdrawn from the competition."

As he spoke, Bob laughed first. Only when recalling college did he have a smile on his face, looking slightly relaxed.

He smiled, "It's true that Frank and Alan had a good relationship, but Frank always saw Alan as his competitor. He was extremely competitive. Even though they weren't in the same major in college, Frank compared his grades with Alan's. When we joined the drama club, Alan was the playwright, and Frank secretly competed with him, trying to make his roles stand out more."

That did sound like Frank.

If he weren't extremely competitive, he wouldn't have come this far. As the domestic general manager of a foreign company, he was much stronger than the chairman of a company in Silverlight City, like Howard.

"Alan wouldn't like Laura. Frank must be overthinking it," I said.

Bob's expression was a bit strange when he talked about college. He touched his nose, nodded, and said, "That's true, but Laura's attitude towards Alan is indeed puzzling. How should I put it? It's not romantic love. It's more like Laura might poison everyone, even Frank, without hesitation. But she would never harm Alan."

I remembered Laura's words during the trial.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a bond of life and death, a resonance of souls. Why would I kill, and in such a cruel way?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, he is the best playwright, the poet who understands me, the enlightener of my acting path. Alan is the perfect man in my life. Why would I kill?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I struggle with fate, I am at odds with the world, but I always hold tenderness for Alan."

I couldn't understand it either and murmured, "Why?"

Laura was almost a replica of Douglas. Why was she so gentle and even reverent towards Alan?

Bob said, "I don't know."

Bob shook his head, his eyes darkening slightly.

He sighed and said, "But Frank has always been bothered by this. Don't be fooled by his usual magnanimity. In reality, he's very petty in this regard. No matter how good his relationship with Alan is, according to his words, friendship is friendship, competition is competition. Alan is my best friend, a comrade who would take a bullet for me, but that doesn't stop him from being my rival."

He continued, "And that's always been the case. Before Alan left the old steel mill, Frank competed with him in everything. In that environment, the two of them tried their best to make things better for us. They were like leaders. Frank was sharp, good at reading people, and articulate, so he was closer to the people at the old steel mill. Just like Douglas and Laura in the shadows, some chose to betray and stand on the opposite side. Some were openly outstanding and talented, drifting between us and the old steel mill. Sometimes we didn't even know which side they were on. They always aimed for maximum benefit, like Frank."

"Alan was different. From his appearance, he wasn't particularly outstanding, nor was he as eloquent as Frank. In the eyes of the people at the old steel mill, he was just an ordinary person. But to us kids, his kindness and optimism were so precious. As long as he was there, we weren't afraid of anything. As long as he was there, things would get better."

"Frank and Alan were from completely different worlds, but they had a special bond. However, I know that Frank often had a fire in his heart. He wanted to prove that he was our leader and he could do better than Alan."