The cold handcuffs pressed against his wrist. The index finger under the black leather glove tugged the other side, forcing Sang Jue to take a few steps until they were face to face, extremely close.
Huo Yanji asked: “So what’s your status now?”
Sang Jue: “…Your prisoner?”
Huo Yanji’s lips curved slightly: “Correct, no reward.”
Shiwei on the side: “…”
She had a look of exasperation, as if she were watching someone fail to live up to expectations. It was one thing for Huo Yanji to bully people, but why did Sang Jue keep walking into traps?
Earlier, when she heard Sang Jue say “Huo Yanji is impressive during the day—even more so at night,” she hadn’t believed this highest executive officer would indulge in daytime pleasures. Now it seemed quite plausible.
Looked abstinent and proper on the surface, but wasn’t actually a good person.
He was like a fish in water when it came to bullying people.
Men, tsk.
The supervisors around them kept their eyes straight ahead. The gamblers crouching with their heads down kept their heads low, though a few bold ones would steal glances. The blue-green neon light occasionally swept across the young man’s neck, blindingly white.
The young man had a flexible, slender build, but his face was hidden by the protective mask, so they couldn’t see clearly—though he was probably stunning.
Combined with the very nightclub-like lighting, it really looked like a supposedly proper officer had come to sleep with his little lover.
The ‘little lover’ blinked, not very panicked despite being handcuffed: “How did you end up here?”
Huo Yanji looked around casually and replied: “To catch you.”
Sang Jue’s eyes widened immediately: “You found out?”
Huo Yanji turned back, his eyes flickering: “What, did you do other bad things behind my back?”
Sang Jue stopped talking, hanging his head and pretending not to hear.
Huo Yanji said: “I’ll interrogate you when we get back.”
“Don’t be too mean.” Sang Jue raised his handcuffed wrist and held up two fingers: “You only have two chances left.”
He still remembered from last time when Huo Yanji was mean to him—they’d agreed on no more than three times.
Shiwei looked numb: “…”
Damn, acting this obedient—who wouldn’t want to bully him?
Huo Yanji had only handcuffed one of Sang Jue’s hands. He loosened the other cuff: “Stand here and wait for me. Don’t move.”
After saying this, he turned to face the many criminals.
Sang Jue rebelliously took a small step, then innocently froze in place when Huo Yanji turned back.
Huo Yanji: “Stop misbehaving.”
Sang Jue hummed quietly: “I’m not.”
Huo Yanji seemed to be looking for someone, his gaze sweeping over everyone one by one.
They didn’t dare breathe, not knowing what Huo Yanji intended to do or how he would treat them.
Sang Jue took another small step and whispered to Shiwei: “Didn’t you say supervisors don’t care about underground boxing?”
Shiwei complained: “Regular supervisors do turn a blind eye, but General Huo doesn’t play by the rules…”
Usually, someone of Huo Yanji’s status wouldn’t personally handle small matters like underground boxing. They’d hit the jackpot today.
Many deviants had initially wanted to resist and escape, but seeing Huo Yanji’s face, they immediately gave up and obediently crouched with their heads down, afraid of having their skulls pierced by a bullet.
Shiwei could only hope that Huo Yanji wouldn’t hold it against her for bringing little sweetheart to this kind of place.
Footsteps echoed from the side corridor. Sang Jue turned his head to see Colin.
Colin said in a deep voice: “Sir, the other arenas have been confirmed. The person we’re looking for isn’t there.”
“Mm.”
Scarface kept his head down. Military boots stepped on the ground, making “tap, tap” sounds that gradually synchronized with his nervously slowing heartbeat. Finally, those military boots stopped in front of him.
The residents’ fear of Huo Yanji had penetrated to their bones, so in that instant, he instinctively closed his eyes tightly, his face flashing with deep unwillingness.
But all he got was a question: “Where is Shan Hongcheng?”
Scarface’s mind went blank for a moment, then he breathed a huge sigh of relief—Huo Yanji wasn’t specifically here to cause trouble for the boxing ring.
He answered instinctively: “How would I know…”
Unlike the flat tone when speaking to his ‘little lover,’ Huo Yanji’s voice was now nothing but ice-cold, like water from a frozen pool: “Think carefully before you speak.”
“I really don’t know where he is.” Scarface pulled at the corner of his mouth. “You overestimate me, sir. I’m just a money-making tool under Brother Shan—how would I be qualified to know his whereabouts…”
The sound of his excuses stopped abruptly.
The cold gun muzzle pressed against his forehead. Huo Yanji pulled the trigger and said: “How many people have died by your hands in the ring—enough for me to execute you?”
Scarface closed his eyes and gritted his teeth: “Betraying Brother Shan would make me die even more miserably. You might as well just kill me and get it over with!”
Huo Yanji put away his gun and said flatly: “Commendable courage.”
“Colin, take the others upstairs.”
“Yes.”
Colin waved his hand, and the supervisors behind him handcuffed and escorted people away one by one. These people were actually relieved—as long as Huo Yanji wasn’t handling them directly, anything was fine.
Someone who didn’t know Sang Jue thought he was also one of the criminals and walked straight toward him. Sang Jue took a small step back, not letting himself be touched: “I’m Huo Yanji’s private prisoner. You can’t arrest me.”
Colin hadn’t been paying attention at first, but hearing this voice, he immediately recognized it. He gestured for the supervisor to step back and came forward to ask: “Sang Jue? How are you here too?”
Sang Jue said: “I came with my colleague to find someone.”
Colin knew about Sang Jue’s work. He asked in a low voice: “Then how did you get handcuffed? What law did you break?”
Sang Jue said honestly: “Ji… I broke the general’s private law.”
Colin’s mouth twitched. He pulled Sang Jue aside and spoke in an extremely low voice that only the two of them could hear: “Did you bite the general’s neck?”
Sang Jue made an agreeing sound.
Colin said sympathetically: “I know you’re having a hard time, but you still need to bite more gently. Infection would be troublesome.”
Sang Jue looked puzzled: “I’m not having a hard time.”
Then he was too happy and couldn’t control himself.
Colin looked sick: “You don’t need to tell me that. Anyway, you still need to be careful. This isn’t a small matter to joke about, understand? If something happens to the general, you’ll be torn apart alive by others.”
He didn’t dare lecture Huo Yanji, so he could only nag at Sang Jue.
A few days ago he was still gloating internally about the general’s unrequited love, but now he’d gotten what he wanted so quickly.
Sang Jue thought about it: “Okay, I’ll be gentler next time.”
If there was a next time.
Huo Yanji’s Adam’s apple felt very comfortable to bite. It would be nice if he could hold it in his mouth and grind his teeth every night when sleeping.
In no time, all the people involved in gambling boxing were escorted away, and the man who’d been beaten half to death on stage was also carried down.
Only Scarface remained kneeling in place, his heart in his throat.
Huo Yanji kicked him with a “bang,” his arm hitting the ground along with his body. The hard-soled military boot ground against his pinky finger—ten fingers connected to the heart, his whole body cramping with pain.
“Ahhhhhhh—!!”
Huo Yanji’s eyes were filled with coldness: “Maybe betraying him would make you die more miserably, but if you don’t talk, you’ll suffer miserably right now.”
“I really don’t know where he is now…” Scarface curled up in pain, “But I can, I can take you to his secret office!!”
After a while, Huo Yanji lifted his foot and gestured for his subordinates to help Scarface up.
Shiwei gritted her teeth and shouted: “Wait!”
Huo Yanji glanced at her.
Shiwei bent down and pleaded: “Sir, can I ask him a few questions? Please.”
Sang Jue, who had walked over, tugged at Huo Yanji’s sleeve.
Huo Yanji nodded: “Three minutes.”
Shiwei stepped forward a few paces, staring into Scarface’s eyes: “Do you have a deviant boxer named Bobby here?”
Scarface, clutching his fractured finger, stiffened all over.
Shiwei immediately understood there was indeed a problem and quickly pressed: “How did Bobby die?”
“In the ring, I killed him.” Scarface’s fingers trembled slightly. “Three days ago he signed a life-and-death agreement with me.”
Scarface was also a low-level deviant, though his deviant characteristics weren’t obvious. But if you looked carefully at his head, you’d find that under his hair were densely packed tumors of all sizes, making one’s scalp crawl.
Shiwei demanded: “Was it voluntary or was he forced?”
This time Scarface stiffened for a long time: “…Brother Shan forced him to sign the agreement, then told me to kill him in the ring.”
Shiwei tensed: “Why? What was the reason?”
“I really don’t know the specific reason. I just follow orders.”
The pain from the bone fracture gradually numbed. Since they’d gotten this far, Scarface simply spilled everything: “But recently he suddenly started spending lavishly. I asked him if he didn’t want to live anymore and was spending all his money before dying… He said he saw a secret and wouldn’t have to worry about wealth for the rest of his life… I guess he saw something he shouldn’t have, and someone killed him to silence him… ha.”
Life-threatening sharp pain spread from his fingertips to his heart.
Scarface kept his head down, not looking at Huo Yanji, a flash of malice in his eyes.
Shiwei took a deep breath, took out the necklace from around her neck, and asked: “Have you seen this before?”
Scarface said impatiently: “No.”
Shiwei clenched her fists. Now she was almost certain there was something wrong with her partner’s death.
She had originally thought Bobby killed him, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case. Bobby had very likely just witnessed her partner being pushed off the Supervision Building, then taken the necklace from the body to threaten the real killer, only to be silenced in return.
After Shiwei finished asking, Huo Yanji uttered two words: “Lead the way.”
Scarface pointed in a direction: “This way.”
Shiwei quickly said: “Can I come with you?”
Meeting Huo Yanji’s cold gaze, Shiwei silently stepped aside: “…I overstepped.”
Seeing Sang Jue nearby, her mind stirred: “Sir, Sang Jue is now my colleague, and we still have a lot of work today. Could you…”
Huo Yanji’s gaze swept over the top of Sang Jue’s head: “He’s my prisoner now.”
Sang Jue grabbed Huo Yanji’s sleeve and nodded to Shiwei, obediently agreeing: “I’m his prisoner, I have to follow him.”
Shiwei: “…”
He deserved to be bullied.
She looked at Scarface with unwillingness, but with Huo Yanji present, she could only endure no matter how much resentment she felt. Maybe after Huo Yanji caught Shan Hongcheng, she could apply for an interrogation.
Shiwei took Bobby’s box of belongings and Sang Jue’s work backpack, saluted, and turned to leave.
The corridor was dark. Huo Yanji held a flashlight in one hand and the handcuffs in the other, with the other end cuffed to Sang Jue’s right wrist.
Huo Yanji asked: “Why are you so well-behaved today?”
Sang Jue blinked: “Am I not usually well-behaved?”
Huo Yanji raised an eyebrow slightly: “Are you?”
Sang Jue said with certainty: “I’m usually very well-behaved too, I listen to you.”
Huo Yanji: “Really haven’t done any other bad things?”
Sang Jue: “…There shouldn’t be any.”
Wrecking the house wasn’t intentional, so it couldn’t count as a bad thing.
Shan Hongcheng’s secret office was also on this underground level, but the route was very winding.
If not for the fact that they hadn’t repeated any paths, one would suspect Scarface was deliberately leading them in circles.
Sang Jue asked quietly: “Why do you want to find that Brother Shan?”
Huo Yanji said flatly: “He’s a suspect in Yu Ren’s murder.”
Sang Jue’s mind turned, analyzing: “Brother Shan wants to kill you to get a new highest executive officer, but Yu Ren wanted to report it, so he was killed?”
Huo Yanji casually ruffled his hair and said flatly: “A bit smart today.”
Sang Jue thought to himself: I’m always smart.
Ji Ji has no discerning eye and doesn’t recognize talent.
Scarface stopped walking and said hoarsely: “We’re here.”
In front of them was a dark double door. A supervisor pushed it open. Seven or eight meters away was a row of dark mahogany desks, with a bald man sitting in an office chair facing away from the door, his reflective scalp visible over the chair back.
He held a cigarette in his left hand, took a deep drag, and exhaled a ring of smoke. After a while he said: “The great Executive Officer Huo graces my humble abode—what an honor.”
A team of supervisors entered, and after eliminating security hazards, they approached Shan Hongcheng, saying coldly: “Shan Hongcheng, you’re suspected of illegal profiteering, leading underground criminal organizations, seriously endangering public security, and murdering residents. You are hereby under emergency arrest.”
Shan Hongcheng scoffed: “I didn’t expect that lowly life of Yu Ren, a low-level deviant, could actually draw the great Executive Officer Huo here.”
He slowly turned around, and the moment his body became visible, all the supervisors drew their guns, aiming at his body.
Shan Hongcheng’s body was actually strapped with bombs—enough to collapse the entire underground level!
Shan Hongcheng gripped a remote control, threatening: “Don’t come closer.”
Huo Yanji’s expression didn’t change at all. He skipped over Yu Ren’s death and went straight to the point: “Did you cause the explosion on Highway 128?”
Shan Hongcheng admitted: “Yes.”
Huo Yanji asked: “Who instructed you?”
“Does this need instruction?” Shan Hongcheng mocked, “Just go out and ask—how many people outside don’t want you to die!? But you have nine lives, you actually came back alive.”
“Blowing up Highway 128 requires at least one ton of TNT—” Huo Yanji gestured for Sang Jue to sit on the sofa if he was tired, coldly raising an eyebrow, “Just you?”
Shan Hongcheng gritted his teeth: “You really underestimate me. Military supplies are hard to get, but I’ve been stockpiling for five years! Just to watch you die!”
“Five years of preparation for such a stupid plan?” Huo Yanji raised his arm with a mocking smile, “I’m still alive now. What, are you planning to press the bomb and let the residents in the buildings above die with me?”
Shan Hongcheng raised the remote control, showing a strange smile: “Pressing this won’t make what’s on my body explode, but another 0.1 ton of TNT—where 30,000 residents live. As long as I press this red button, those people will be reduced to ashes instantly without pain.”
Huo Yanji remained unmoved: “So?”
Shan Hongcheng suddenly looked at Sang Jue, the corners of his mouth pulling into an increasingly sinister smile: “You kill him, and I’ll spare those 30,000 ordinary people.”
Sang Jue, who was playing with the handcuffs: “…”
What did this have to do with him?
Colin, who had just returned after escorting people, heard this and his face immediately darkened.
Sure enough, once someone in high position had a weakness, it would give those with ulterior motives ideas of rebellion.
Huo Yanji said flatly: “I thought your lives have been better than before these years. After all, there are still some people who hold hope and wouldn’t want me to be replaced by others.”
“You actually forgot…” Shan Hongcheng suddenly pounded the table, hatefully reminding him, “Five years ago, at District A No. 1 Supervision Bureau, you personally killed my wife.”
Huo Yanji said without emotion: “I’ve killed too many people, it’s hard to remember them all.”
Shan Hongcheng suddenly stood up, the chair behind him directly knocked over with a bang. He hunched over, as if enraged to the extreme, his hand gripping the remote control showing bulging veins: “I’m telling you to kill him! Then I’ll spare those 30,000 people!”
The pain of losing a wife—he wanted Huo Yanji to taste it too.
Another fool who thought of himself as Huo Yanji’s partner. Although humans could be with the same sex, he and Huo Yanji still had species isolation.
Sang Jue turned his left hand behind him. In the dim light around them, transparent green slime spread at his fingertips. His five fingers seemed to dissolve, quietly crawling toward Shan Hongcheng behind the desk through the sofa crevices.
“Don’t think about shooting me! The remote will explode if it hits the ground too!”
“Your acting is quite poor.” Huo Yanji asked, “Does the person who instructed you know you buried bombs under the residential building with 30,000 people?”
“You shut up—”
Colin behind them tried to mediate: “You endured the revenge for your wife’s death for five years without acting, which shows you know some of the general’s policies have been helping improve the situation for low-level deviants. If someone else sat in this position, you might not have better circumstances—”
Shan Hongcheng stared at Huo Yanji indifferently: “I’ll give you one minute to consider.”
“What benefits did they promise you?” Huo Yanji remained composed throughout, “You suddenly want to act against me, probably because the future they promised far exceeds the benefits of me being in office. —Related to the ‘failed genetic testing’ deviant plan?”
Shan Hongcheng’s face changed.
Huo Yanji looked down, saying calmly: “To end the discrimination and conflict between deviants and ordinary people, there are only two possibilities: either low-level deviants or ordinary people disappear entirely, or deviants occupy an overwhelming position of power—
Did they promise you that deviants would become mainstream humans in the future, while ordinary people would be reduced to useless waste?”
Shan Hongcheng’s hand trembled, his face looking even worse.
The last sentence Huo Yanji said was word-for-word identical to what those people had told him.
Huo Yanji suddenly smiled, but his eyes were ice-cold: “After all these years, some people’s methods still haven’t changed. They still love to deceive and bewitch people’s hearts to kill with borrowed swords.”
And it worked every time.
The masses were inherently foolish.
Shan Hongcheng became somewhat frantic. He suddenly kicked, and the seemingly heavy desk instantly crashed down.
“You shut up!!” He raised the remote high, sneering: “Didn’t you claim deviants are all monsters, aliens, not the orthodox path? Then why haven’t you acted yet? Are you reluctant? Is this little thing so good to fuck that he’s more important than the 30,000 ordinary people with pure human genes you value!?”
Huo Yanji looked down, lifting that pale chin with his gun barrel.
Sang Jue was startled, thinking his small movements had been discovered.
The green slime had already climbed up Shan Hongcheng’s pants—just a little bit more.
“Sang Jue.” Huo Yanji said deliberately, “He wants me to kill you. What should I do?”
Huo Yanji pressed upward, the cold gun barrel tight against the delicate skin. Sang Jue was forced to look up, lightly biting his red lips: “You can’t bear to.”
He was Ji Ji’s number one best friend after all.
Those pure eyes were filled with trust. Huo Yanji watched for a moment, then asked softly: “What if I pull the trigger?”
Sang Jue thought seriously: “Then I’ll kill him first, then eat you.”
Sang Jue had a matter-of-fact calmness, as if certain he wouldn’t die and definitely had the ability to kill Shan Hongcheng and eat Huo Yanji.
**
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