Keigo Higashino's novel Malice tells the story of a tragedy that chills people's backs.
Best-selling author Kunihiko Hidaka died mysteriously at home, and after an investigation, the police found that almost all the evidence pointed to his hair, Onoguchi Shu.
Even more frightening is that Noguchi not only killed Hidaka, but also fabricated evidence to discredit him.
There is an intriguing quote in the book:
"You'll never know how much malice people who seem to be close to you in your life will hold toward you behind your back."
It turns out that not only enemies will hate you, but friends may also kill you.
Many times, we can fight the enemy's open guns, but we can't prevent the dark arrows of the people around us.
Keigo Higashino uses a wonderful detective story to uncover not only a case for us, but also the evil of human nature.
I stood up for you, and you fell for me.
Hidaka and Noguchi have lived in the same neighborhood since childhood, and elementary and middle schools are also in the same school.
Hidaka is lively and cheerful, and upright, but Noguchi has a gloomy personality, inferiority and cowardice.
When he was a child, the timid Noguchi was often bullied by the bad children of the school, and he was too scared to go to school.
After Hidaka found out, he accompanied him to and from school every day, and when he was in trouble, he took him behind him.
In middle school, Noguchi was blackmailed and abused by a tall and fierce bad student, Fujio.
Hidaka took the initiative to take him to the teacher to explain the situation, and also stepped forward when he was beaten.
To this end, Hidaka became a thorn in Fujio's eye, and Fujio tied him with layers of tape, spilled him with hydrochloric acid, and locked him up in the gym.
Noguchi, who was regarded as a friend by him, did not once help.
Seeing that he had been beaten all day, Nonoguchi turned around and betrayed him and became Fujio's little minions.
In order to curry favor with the bad boys, led by Fujio, Noguchi offered them pocket money and bullied others according to their instructions.
When Fujio violently assaulted the weak girl, he also acted as a helper indifferently.
When he saw Hidaka, he also changed his previous kindness and kindness, and began to tease each other with arrogance.
His former friends became the perpetrators who trampled themselves under their feet, and Rigao suffered a lot for this.
"Water Margin" has a saying: People have no rigid bones, and they are not secure.
Being a spineless person, once in adversity, will shake his tail to others and beg for mercy;
There is no bottom line in dealing with things, as long as you are threatened, you can betray anyone with your heart.
Such a person has no self-esteem and belief, and only cares about his own temporary gains and losses.
On the scale of friendship, you place real feelings, but they weigh up real benefits.
Once your relationship is put to the test, he will not hesitate to betray you and even fall into the rock.
I send charcoal to you in the snow, and you make my family ruined.
There is a saying in the book: "No matter how much righteousness a good person has, he will not be able to fill the black hole and malice in the heart of a bad person." ”
In the face of insatiable and selfish people, you are unreservedly kind, and in the end you will only drag yourself down.
Years later, Hidaka and Noguchi, who had grown up, went to different fates.
Hidaka became a well-known writer, and Noguchi was just an ordinary middle school teacher.
But Noguchi also has a dream of writing, hoping that Hidaka will introduce himself to the circle of writers.
With a carefully selected and valuable gift, he respectfully went to visit Hidaka.
Hidaka has long forgiven him for what he did in middle school and has resumed friendship with him. He was also introduced to the publishing house and established him in the field of children's literature.
When it comes to the right job opportunity, Hidaka will also actively recommend him to the other party.
With Hidaka's help, Noguchi realized his dream of writing full-time.
But Hidaka's efforts were taken for granted by him.
Instead of appreciating Hidaka, he complained that Hidaka underestimated his own level and gave himself unwanted children's literature columns.
Hidaka has a book based on Fujio, which details the cruelty of his school violence.
Therefore, Fujio's family did not forgive him and took him to court for defamation.
In fact, before Hinata created it, he got a picture of Noguchi assisting Fujio in raping a young girl from his old classmate.
Just take out this photo to prove that he didn't make it up and won in court.
However, in order to protect Noguchi's reputation, Hidaka chose to sacrifice his own interests and hide it for him.
But when Noguchi learned of this, he still did not have the slightest gratitude.
In order to destroy the photos and leave no handles, he even killed Hidaka.
Hidaka did not see clearly until his death that the friend he kindly helped was actually a white-eyed wolf who would take revenge.
There is a kind of bad in the world, I have sent you charcoal, but you have made me worse.
Those who are ungrateful see only their own interests and do not see the goodwill of others.
On weekdays, when you get the benefits of others, you feel that it is deserved;
When I was in distress, I was helped by others, and I also felt that it was a matter of course.
If you associate with such a person, even if you give everything you want, he will feel that you owe him.
When you find that a person is inching forward and ungrateful, you must put away your sincerity.
Otherwise, all sincerity and kindness will one day become a dark arrow that hurts itself.
If you don't have a good life yourself, you won't let others live well.
There is a line in "East Evil west poison":
"Anyone can be vicious, as long as you've tried what it means to be jealous."
As early as the time he learned that Hidaka had become a writer, Noguchi planted a seed of jealousy in his heart.
As a student, Noguchi's grades in Mandarin were among the best, and his short stories were so interesting that everyone thought he would become a writer in the future.
But Noguchi tried to write a lot of works, all of which sank into the sea.
After becoming a teacher, he did not start a family, did not interact with colleagues, and still buried his head in writing all day.
But in the end, he still didn't even touch the writer's edge.
Hidaka, whose achievements in Mandarin were not outstanding, won the Newcomer Award for his first novel written with interest.
In the following years, Hidaka worked tirelessly and soon became a pivotal figure in the literary world.
He became famous, had countless readers, and married a young and beautiful wife.
As Noguchi's interaction with Hidaka deepens, the gap between the two becomes more and more obvious.
Nearly every book sold well, hidaka bought an upscale villa, and was about to emigrate abroad to enjoy life.
Noguchi made a living by writing children's literature, living in a small single room in one room and one hall, and suffering from cancer.
However, Noguchi did not work hard to polish the work and actively cooperate with the treatment, but blamed all the misfortune on Hidaka.
He hated hidaka's excellence, hated the injustice of fate, and hated his own incompetence even more.
The flame of jealousy burned up and devoured The only remaining reason and conscience of Noguchi.
He spent two years forging evidence and killing Hidaka the day before he left the country.
When interrogated by the police, he also portrays Hidaka as an evil person who kills cats and threatens his contemporary pen.
Originally a successful career and a happy family, Rigao lost his life, carried a stigma, and was ruined at the hands of his closest friends.
The greatest evil of human nature is that it is not good to see others, especially those around them.
Such people are not uncommon in life.
When young colleagues are promoted, they will talk about others having a backstage behind their backs;
Relatives in their hometown get rich, and they will speculate that the business done by others is improper;
The daughters of classmates read PhDs, and they inadvertently complained that reading was useless.
They don't have a good life themselves and don't want others to be better off.
As long as you see others walking uphill, you will try your best to add to the blockage and stop at nothing to trip up.
When you meet such a person, don't get too close to him.
Otherwise, the other party will not only be unable to add icing on the cake for you, but may also push you into the mire.
▽
As Matsushita Konosuke said in "The Way to Make Friends", relatives are given by God, and friends are chosen by themselves.
What kind of friends to choose, it is really important, we must see through people's hearts and understand human nature.
For ungrateful villains, stop losses in time.
Give it a thumbs up, polish your eyes, and recognize who your true friend is.
Author: Insight Xu Zhaohui