Chapter 85 - 84: I Don’t Mean Anything Else, I Just Want Them to Die

October 24th, 8:00 AM.

Linlan City.

Xu Huo got out of bed. He sat there in a daze for a long while, staring blankly ahead.

The memories, a chaotic tide, washed over his mind, making it impossible to think clearly.

’This is...’

’The memories of Zhang Cui... no, of Han Shi.’

’Her entire life’s memories.’

’What is there to say...’

Xu Huo fell silent. Her clean face and her dreams for the future flashed through his mind.

In the end...

He said nothing. Expressionless, he got up and walked out.

He was staying in a hotel. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Chu Xi across the hall.

"Hm?"

Chu Xi tilted her head as she watched Xu Huo push open his door.

After thinking for a long moment, she asked,

"Want to get something to eat?"

Xu Huo shook his head and started to walk away, but he returned after just a few steps.

"What’s wrong?" Chu Xi asked, puzzled.

Xu Huo wanted to shove her back into her room and lock the door. But after a moment’s thought, he said nothing, simply grabbing her by the sleeve to keep her by his side.

Chu Xi was lost in thought.

’I don’t really get it, but it’s not a big deal. He must have a reason for this.’ So, she didn’t ask, instead pondering what to do for lunch.

A while later, the two arrived at the Linlan City Municipal Police Department.

The station was much more somber than usual.

Officers were rushing about everywhere, their faces unreadable.

A heavy atmosphere permeated the entire department...

Xu Huo quickly got to work, making sure, of course, that Chu Xi never left a five-meter radius.

Li Jianye was smoking, and Qian Hua’s hair was thinning more and more.

Wang Hu was in his office, constantly processing files. Zhang Jian was nowhere to be seen, likely having gone to the provincial department to beg for help.

In the parking lot were several unfamiliar cars. Xu Huo remembered who drove them.

When the bombing case occurred, the people from the team sent from above, the ones who had personally come to the murder scene, had driven cars just like these.

’They’re a bunch of...’

’...Plague Gods.’

Sure enough, as soon as Xu Huo entered the lobby, he saw several young men with crew cuts in black suits standing ramrod straight. Noticing his arrival, they subconsciously glanced at him.

Then, their eyebrows twitched. As if realizing something, they showed a flicker of interest.

But it didn’t last long. Their eyelids drooped again as they turned their thoughts to other matters.

Xu Huo ignored them.

The atmosphere in the station was tense.

But it wasn’t all bad news.

The moment he walked into the office, Li Jianye’s face appeared before him. He started, then spoke.

"There’s good news."

"What is it?" Xu Huo said, his face impassive.

"The missing person posters we put up have a new lead."

Li Jianye sat in his chair and took a deep drag from his cigarette. White smoke filled his lungs before he slowly exhaled.

"Who’s the family member?"

"A man."

Li Jianye stubbed out his cigarette, took a sip of water, and continued.

"A man in his twenties. He’s been homeless in Linlan City for a long time."

"His name is Sun Jingyun, looks to be twenty-five or twenty-six, but I didn’t recognize it at first. I thought he was in his thirties or forties."

’Sun Jingyun?’

A smile appeared on Li Jianye’s face. "He knew Zhang Cui. Said her real name was Han Shi. Following that lead, we found Han Shi’s file."

"And, we arranged for the two of them to meet."

’A meeting?’

"When is this happening?" Xu Huo asked.

"Right now. It’s scheduled for right now. Want to go see?"

Li Jianye let out a breath and stood up, a smile on his face.

"Let’s go take a look."

Xu Huo nodded. Without objecting, he got up and followed him out.

The police’s attitude toward Han Shi was decent enough. They weren’t treating her like some unpardonable criminal, but as a semi-victim.

Well, or rather, a complete victim.

She should have had a bright future...

She should have been a recent college graduate, enjoying her youth, living her life, buying a house, being with the person she loved, forever.

But no one could have imagined it would turn into this...

So, not only did they not give her a hard time with food, drink, or lodging, they even gave her preferential treatment.

Han Shi, however, hadn’t eaten much.

When they arrived at the designated location, Xu Huo got his first look at the so-called Sun Jingyun.

And it was at that moment he finally understood why Li Jianye had thought the man was in his thirties or forties.

Sun Jingyun looked world-weary.

His features were rough and weathered, his eyes cloudy and tired. His hair was a mess, and his stubble was patchy. He looked every bit the part of a vagrant.

His clothes were dirty and tattered. They were likely either pulled from a dumpster after he’d spent all his money, or they were just old clothes.

They were in an interrogation room.

Sun Jingyun sat in a chair, facing an empty space, his face a mask of nervousness and fear.

Xu Huo didn’t approach, watching silently from the side.

After a long moment...

CREAK~

The sound of a heavy door opening echoed.

Han Shi appeared. She was in a stupor, her crazed state leaving her appearance much the same, the only difference being that she was slightly cleaner.

"Don’t move! Don’t move! Be still!"

Han Shi was acting as usual. Her eyes were wild, her movements erratic. She fought against everything, against the police, trying to break free from the handcuffs binding her wrists.

She was a madwoman.

It’s unknown when she lost her mind. Perhaps it was in Zhang Family Town, or perhaps in a dog cage at the dog meat restaurant.

But in any case, she was mad.

However...

"Han... Han..."

Sun Jingyun suddenly shot to his feet. He faced Han Shi, wanting to say something, but he felt a suffocating pressure. It was as if he was using all his strength, but to no avail.

He stared blankly, unable to breathe, unable to make a sound.

"Han... Han... Shi..."

His mouth formed the words, but no sound came out.

Until...

"Han Shi!"

A voice suddenly rang out. It wasn’t loud, but it reached everyone’s ears.

In that instant, Han Shi, who had been struggling just moments before, froze in place. Her eyes grew vacant as she looked around.

Sun Jingyun’s body trembled. His legs felt weak. He tried to walk forward but felt as if he would collapse.

His lips quivered ceaselessly. His eyes, which had cried themselves dry, now seemed to tremble.

Han Shi noticed him and turned to look. And when she saw him...

Her frenzy ceased.

Her gaze fixed on Sun Jingyun, she fell still. Her eyes watched him silently, the cloudy look in them gradually fading.

Sun Jingyun suddenly pulled her into a fierce embrace, his arms locking around her. His face was a mask of agony and relief, tears and snot streaming down.

His grip was immense, as if he were trying to merge their two bodies into one.

Han Shi’s eyes were vacant for a long moment, then it was as if she suddenly realized something.

Clarity suddenly returned to her eyes. She pushed, separating them until there was a person’s-width of space between them.

Trembling, Han Shi raised a hand—a hand that was calloused and no longer fair—and caressed Sun Jingyun’s face.

The two looked at each other in silence, unable to speak, as tears streamed down their faces.

Until...

In a daze, Han Shi looked at herself. She looked down at her body, at her hands.

Confusion filled her eyes, quickly followed by shock.

She turned again, looking at her wretched reflection in the window. She looked at her body, then down at herself. In that moment, she completely froze...

"AHHHHHH!!!!"

Han Shi suddenly went berserk, letting out a piercing shriek.

The next second, she tried to flee, as if some terrifying beast was in the interrogation room with her.

"Something’s wrong! Get her out of here!"

Qian Hua ordered in a low voice. He separated the two, hurriedly pushed the door open, and had someone take her away.

Sun Jingyun stood there, stunned.

He said nothing. Even after Han Shi was gone, he remained standing in the same spot.

Xu Huo walked out and, very rarely for him, lit a cigarette.

HSSS... Phew...

Nicotine and tar circled in his lungs before dissipating as a plume of smoke.

Xu Huo frowned, gazing melancholically into the distance.

Li Jianye was beside him. The two men sat on the steps, saying nothing.

They smoked in silence, one drag after another.

Before long, they stood up and left as if by unspoken agreement.

...

「3:30 PM.」

A piece of terrible news came through the phone.

"Chief, there’s a problem with the suspect!"

"What happened to Wang Jinyuan!?"

"Not Wang Jinyuan! It’s... it’s Han Shi!"

"Ever since she went back this morning, Han Shi’s mental state has been off. After being lucid for a few minutes, her condition suddenly became more extreme!"

"We were watching her 24/7 in the holding cell, not taking our eyes off her for a second, but we still couldn’t stop it. Han Shi... she..."

"...committed suicide."

’Suicide?’

By the time Xu Huo, Li Jianye, and the others rushed to the hospital...

...they were met with Han Shi’s cold corpse.

She had rammed her head into the wall, a full three times. She was a bloody, mangled mess. Even though she was rushed to the hospital immediately, they couldn’t save her.

And before they could even process it...

「5:00 PM.」

Another suicide occurred.

The police pulled a body from the river. According to security footage, the person had jumped into the river to commit suicide.

’It’s...’

"Sun Jingyun."

In the hospital morgue, Xu Huo stared silently at the two gurneys before him.

On the gurneys lay two bodies, one male and one female: Sun Jingyun and Han Shi.

They still looked the same, but now, free from sorrow and trouble, they appeared incredibly peaceful.

"They’re... both dead."

Qian Hua swallowed, his throat dry, and repeated the words.

He wanted to say something, but nothing would come out.

’Just this morning, they were both alive. They had just reunited...’

’If the department had fought for her, Han Shi wouldn’t necessarily have gotten the death penalty. She was only involved in the Zhang Family Town incident, and even then, she was a victim of trafficking and coercion. If we had just waited for the department to work things out, she most likely would have gotten life...’

But now she was dead.

One committed suicide.

The other died to follow his love.

Suddenly, a rage of unknown origin filled everyone’s chests.

Xu Huo tried to suppress it with his breathing, but no matter how he exhaled, it was like fanning a raging fire. The wind only made it burn hotter.

’Why...’

’Why did this have to happen...’

’They were fine this morning, and the next second, they’re gone...’

’Debts must be paid. A life for a life.’

’Whose life were these two paying for?’

’What crime did they commit?’

Xu Huo didn’t know if they had truly done anything wrong. All he knew was that his expression was ugly, his face utterly grim.

All he knew was that his rage...

...was immense!

He found Wang Hu and handed him a string of information.

"Look into this."

"What is this?"

"Some human traffickers. From ’99. The ones who abducted Han Shi."

Xu Huo took a deep breath, having written down the information he’d gotten from the memories.

"Don’t ask where the lead came from."

Debts must be paid. A life for a life. It was a simple principle.

And since he was burning with rage, he needed to vent it!

As for how to vent it...

He had no other thoughts. Right now, he just wanted these people...

...to DIE!!!

"Find them..."

Xu Huo’s gaze turned incredibly dark, his eyes seething with fury. He forced the words through clenched teeth.

"...and DRAG them out!!!"