Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 164

As Lin Chen kissed Xing Conglian hard, his fingers dug deeper into Xing Conglian’s hair, pressing his head down. It was pure emotional venting. At this moment, he didn’t need to care about Xing Conglian’s feelings or the ethics and morality of the world. He just wanted to kiss the person he had liked for a long time. He really couldn’t help it, because only Xing Conglian’s lips and the breath he sprayed onto his face could make him feel that there was warmth in this world. It felt as if he had walked on an ice field for a thousand years, and couldn’t help but pounce on the creature that made him feel warm, absorbing its heat.

He didn’t dare to open his eyes to observe Xing Conglian’s expression, but he didn’t hesitate to pry open Xing Conglian’s lips and teeth. The breath they exchanged was scorching; it was so hot that it could burn all his shackles; it was so hot that it could make him gradually float from the cold, deep sea.

The singing gradually became louder and filled his ears.

The sudden high notes seemed to heat up with the kiss. The pain that had penetrated deep into his bones was gradually broken by the scorching tingling. He kissed deeper and deeper, trying to draw the power that could keep him alive from Xing Conglian’s body. Their lips and teeth were glued to each other and couldn’t be separated. He raised his other hand and forcefully hooked Xing Conglian’s neck, holding him tightly.

The slow and lengthy kiss shattered the ice, blood, illusion, and pain on his body. The scalding temperature that was gradually rising seemed to evaporate all the tears. He wished that time would pass more slowly. It would be great if he could stay in this moment forever.

Lin Chen continued kissing Xing Conglian. He seemed to see a vision of Xing Conglian standing at the door frame the first time they met, smiling at him with bad intentions.

He seemed to have returned to that moment. He took the other party’s hand and gave him a light peck on Xing Conglian’s beautiful eyelashes at that time.

At that moment, he felt Xing Conglian move. Xing Conglian’s palm gently touched his cheek. Lin Chen could feel the rough calluses and hot temperature from his hands. Xing Conglian was wiping away the tears that were falling down his cheeks.

It was a gentle gesture, but Lin Chen really understood the meaning of it.

That’s enough. You can stop.

Lin Chen lowered his head and separated his lips from the other. He pushed Xing Conglian away, took a half step back, and gasped gently.

Only the sound of the two of them panting at different frequencies remained in the air.

At the moment he kissed Xing Conglian just now, he clearly saw the shocked look on the other party’s eyes, like an emerald that was green to the extreme when it shattered, but now, he could no longer find that look on Xing Conglian’s face.

Now, Xing Conglian had a calm expression, and he looked at him with deep and distant eyes, remaining silent.

The underground space was dark and quiet. The singing in his ears gradually stopped, and the previous hallucinations disappeared. Lin Chen’s heart started to become clearer, and because of the clarity, he could already foresee what would happen in the future. The relationship between him and Xing Conglian would change. With Xing Conglian’s personality, he wouldn’t pretend to be blind and deaf and whitewash this incident. Either he or Xing Conglian would leave. They would soon part ways, with no further communication.

But it was too good. Xing Conglian was just too good, which made Lin Chen reluctant.

Lin Chen raised his head, straightened his back, and said solemnly, “I’m sorry. It was a unique opportunity in my life just now, so please consider me. I’m a good candidate.”

After saying this, Lin Chen took another half step back, bowed his head sincerely, then turned and left.

……

Wang Chao was sitting in the police car.

The surrounding singing had stopped. For some reason, the sky had darkened inexplicably, and there were thick clouds covering the sun.

The fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances were pouring into the square one after another, while many cars were driving away from the fire. Those vehicles made beeping noises that resounded in the sky, causing his scalp to go numb as he sat in the car. There were water stains everywhere on the ground as the water kept flowing.

Wang Chao changed the direction of his cocked legs, but he still didn’t feel comfortable enough. He looked at the car’s air conditioning. It clearly showed that it was working, but the inexplicable suffocation was truly unpleasant.

He put down his laptop, leaned against the car window, propped his head with his hands, and tried to adjust to a more comfortable sitting position, but he still felt uncomfortable.

He inadvertently glanced away while adjusting his position. Through the dense crowd, he saw a figure coming from the other side of the square.

The man was wearing ordinary army green plastic rubber boots. His lower body wore the same style army green trousers and were pulled up high. There was a large area of dry mud at his ankle. Wang Chao’s gaze slowly moved up, seeing a blue and white striped T on the man’s body that looked to be from the 1970s, and he was carrying a red and white striped snakeskin bag. Then he finally looked at the man’s face.

He opened his mouth wide, thinking he was hallucinating.

In the next second, Wang Chao quickly closed his eyes, hoping to use the restart action to adjust his brain’s visual system. In short, anything was fine, as long as the illusion would quickly dissipate.

He counted down from three seconds, and when he opened his eyes again, that figure and that terrifying face really disappeared.

He breathed a sigh of relief, then hurriedly took out his phone and sent a text: [Fuck, A’Kang Ge, I just saw a person who looks very similar to you, and it almost scared the piss out of me. I should’ve taken a picture for you to see.]

The other quickly replied to the text message: [Really?]

[*Nodding vigorously like a pecking chicken!* If I didn’t know you were on a mission in Niger, Java, or some extraterrestrial galaxy, I would’ve thought I was in hell!]

[Hehe]

Another short reply came back without even punctuation. But soon, another text message came: [You know where the Boss is? I can’t find him.]

[Boss—the Boss and I have just experienced a test of life and death. It was truly enduring. You really should come to the scene and see our mighty figure!]

Wang Chao was eager to finish sending this message when he realized that he hadn’t answered the question in the text. When he wanted to send a follow-up, he focused on the last few words: [I can’t find him.]

It was as if he were at the scene…

Wang Chao muttered silently. He touched the phone screen and was about to reply when another text message popped up.

It was still short: [I’m here.]

The surrounding was silent for a moment, then Wang Chao felt goosebumps all over his body.

Tap, tap, tap…

At this moment, the slight sound of the car window being tapped was heard. Wang Chao shuddered and turned around slowly like a ghost.

Sure enough, the man wearing the 1970s shirt with a snakeskin bag was standing at the window, bending slightly and looking at him with a grin, showing a row of snow-white teeth that were so bright, they glistened.

……

Xing Conglian stared at Lin Chen’s distant back, gradually regaining his composure from his violent heartbeat. Until Lin Chen’s figure disappeared at the end of the corridor, he was still staring in a daze.

Lin Chen had just desperately kissed him. This was obvious. And he was completely shocked, which was also obvious.

Although he wanted to think about when Lin Chen had started to develop feelings for him beyond friendship, at this moment, his mind was full of Lin Chen’s expression when he kissed him; pure, hot, desperate, scorching like fire. He could feel the pain in Lin Chen’s soul, and he could also feel the deep love Lin Chen expressed in that kiss.

That kind of love actually made his heart burn, like honey flowing from a beehive with an amber-translucent luster that was both beautiful and sweet.

He also discovered in a very short moment that being loved by others was just like that beautiful and sweet honey.

However, Lin Chen actually pushed him away…

Xing Conglian sighed, realizing that kissing just once wasn’t enough. He wanted to experience it again.

But since Lin Chen kissed him, that meant he should like him. When he confirmed this, he was surprised to find that all the methods he had learned to deal with problems were useless. To make matters worse, he found that his turbulent life was such a mess that he hadn’t had time to learn how to deal with emotional problems correctly. He really wanted to grab Lin Chen and ask him if this was an emotional defect.

However, since Lin Chen made his statement, naturally, he must also make his own. Therefore, he was thinking about whether he should go up, grab Lin Chen, and kiss him again, or whether he should carefully consider their future and various risks after being together before making a decision.

Since Lin Chen had been by his side, he should be able to figure out these contents quickly. In short, he couldn’t let Lin Chen wait too long.

With such a happy thought, he walked slowly upstairs. The crowd at the scene of the fire had been evacuated. The next step was a series of heavy follow-up work. Whether it was to assess the damage, the follow-up investigation, or even the motivation mentioned by Meijing, all of these must be investigated again.

He raised his eyes and looked around. He didn’t know where Lin Chen had gone. The weather was a bit gloomy, and the sudden dark clouds brought a lot of dampness. He took a deep breath and felt the sudden coolness in the air. The next moment, he saw Wang Chao frantically packing things in a police car, looking like he was trying to escape. He didn’t know what was going on in that kid’s head.

Xing Conglian started walking towards Wang Chao’s position.

At this moment, he heard someone calling him. The voice seemed familiar. When he looked back with difficulty, it was as if he had been struck by lightning.

Not far behind him stood a young man dragging a snakeskin bag. The man’s skin was dark, but his teeth were as white as silver.

Xing Conglian turned his body around.

The man walked towards him and made a very standard salute.

Xing Conglian was just about to say something, when he saw the other party quickly took out a box of inferior ten-yuan cigarettes from his pocket and handed one out. The swift movement seemed determined not to give him any chance to react.

“Boss, Kang An, the door knocker, was ordered to ask you for help.”

His former subordinate said so.

Xing Conglian looked at the circle of fine gold threads inlaid on the edge of the cigarette under the sun. His first reaction was to turn around and leave.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 163

“The sudden fire at the Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center affected the hearts of all citizens. It’s reported that more than 3,000 infatuated fans who were originally going to attend Mr. Song Shengsheng’s memorial service are trapped in the fire, including the staff of the cultural center, who didn’t evacuate in time, and dozens of police officers who rushed to the fire to participate in the rescue.”

“According to the trapped personnel who fled the scene, they revealed to reporters that there were many fire points in the center, most of which were located around trash cans, and the fire protection system in the art center was damaged due to unknown reasons.”

“At the same time, relevant news said that the Lake Ludi Tunnel and Yongchuan Avenue were severely blocked, causing delays for rescuers to enter the Xining Development Zone.”

……

Countless messages spread through countless phones and calls. Many people were crying and asking for help, and some were hugging each other.

Lin Chen looked around from a distance. His phone hadn’t rung since the rolling gate fell. Many people around him were making calls, but it seemed no one could successfully connect them.

If it weren’t for the sound of him running while communicating with someone, getting into a car, then panting violently through the headset, he would’ve felt as if he were on an isolated desert island. All the surrounding scenes would be the same as those filmed in any disaster movie.

After the initial panic, the desperate cries for help came next.

Some people slammed on the door repeatedly, while others tried smashing windows. In the same way, some people continued to rush down from the second floor. Obviously, even though the windows were smashed, the escape speed couldn’t keep up with the flow of people.

What was more, the floor plan for the Christine Cultural Center once again appeared in Xing Conglian’s mind. Although they were now on the first floor, they were equivalent to the fifth floor of an ordinary residential building, so it was extremely dangerous to escape from the window.

Small explosions, fires, network disconnections, blocked communication, difficulties in escaping, and failures in the firefighting system were all the dilemmas they were facing…

Moreover, he looked at the performance information board that originally stood upright. The screen was completely black, and the scrolling subtitles disappeared, so now there was another problem… Power failure…

He quickly analyzed the situation. There were indeed many problems, but that didn’t mean that they were really in a desperate situation. There was always a source of all problems, and they could always be solved. He looked to his side and asked, “What’s wrong with the communication?”

Wang Chao was drenched all over. Water was dripping from his hair, but there was no despair in his eyes. He took his laptop out of his backpack energetically. The first thing he said was, “Fortunately, I bought a waterproof backpack. Comrade Xiao Wang is so smart.”

Although this was out of place, it was rare that Xing Conglian felt relieved.

The current situation was indeed more difficult to deal with than that of the Ansheng International Mall that day. The power failure and loss of wireless connectivity meant that they couldn’t use the broadcasting system to appease the masses. Looking at the phone screens that were lit up in the darkened space, Xing Conglian asked, “Can I send a group text?”

“Mass distribution is no problem. The key is who to send it to?”

Xing Conglian looked out the window and said decisively, “Use the base station to send text messages to all phone users in the signal coverage area.”

“Isn’t this the same as a spam text?!” Wang Chao’s eyes lit up. “Alright, easy-peasy.”

There were only sporadic, light drips of water coming from the ceiling. White smoke was faintly wafting out the window. The fire on the second floor was getting bigger. The captain of the Xining police station wanted to take people to rush upstairs against the flow of people.

Xing Conglian pulled him back and said calmly, “Wait a moment.”

“We have to go up and investigate the situation!”

Xing Conglian looked at the anxious faces of the captain of the Xinni police station and several police officers and nodded. He took out Wang Chao’s tablet, adjusted the floor plan, and said to them, “This is our current situation. This is the second floor. For convenience of description, the locations of the fire rolling gates and emergency fire hydrants are divided into areas A1–A10 from south to north. There must be a huge backlog of people. Be sure to pay attention to safety.” After he finished speaking, he took out four sets of wireless headsets from the backpack. “Sorry, I only have four. Also, this is my number. Please keep in touch at all times after communication is restored.”

He immediately entered a string of numbers into his phone, and several people nodded solemnly to him. Xing Conglian would never forget that kind of look without hesitation for the rest of his life.

……

When Lin Chen received the text message, he had just gotten out of a car. He passed by an anxious father holding his daughter as the owner of the car lowered his window and wished him luck.

He looked up at the skyscraper in front of him, then looked back at the towering cultural center in the distance. Wisps of green smoke began to surround the building. The fire brigade of Xining Development Zone had already driven the only two remaining firefighting vehicles to the scene, but compared to the giant building and the wide square in front of it, the two fire trucks looked like a drop in the bucket.

[The police have received the alarm. For the sake of smooth communication, if there is no emergency, please do not use your phone and do not make repeated calls for rescue.]

Lin Chen rushed into the elevator entrance, pressed the button, and managed to finally read the text he just received.

The elevator door opened, and he stepped into it.

[The fire situation is unknown. Please try to stay in a safe area. Because the floor is too high, please do not try to escape from the window. If you encounter thick smoke, please lie low and keep crawling away from it as you wait for rescue.]

The elevator was climbing rapidly as the scarlet letter kept changing.

[Don’t panic, don’t push. The police will do everything they can to protect everyone’s safety. Please trust us.]

Ding. The sound of the elevator arriving sounded.

……

Inside the rolling gate.

The voices of everyone else reporting the fire continued to ring from Xing Conglian’s headset, but there was no voice from Lin Chen.

“Captain Xing, ahem… The fire situation in the A1 and A2 areas isn’t serious. Due to the fall of the rolling gate, we’re temporarily unable to reach A3 and A4.”

“The fire spread from the nearby fire escape, which made it difficult to evacuate the masses.”

“According to the people who escaped from A5 and A6 just now, the fire is most serious near the central hall, which has the densest flow of people, but the situation inside is unknown.”

Xing Conglian held down the headset and looked at Wang Chao. “Can you contact the fans in the central hall?”

Wang Chao pulled up the numbers from the ticket list of the fan club and dialed them.

……

Mu Wenhua’s phone suddenly rang.

At that time, she was sitting in the front position of the central hall and was writing a text message to her husband. After thinking about it, she deleted the words [Take care of our daughter.].

The screams all around had subsided, and there weren’t many cries. The people who were trying to find the exit also retreated. The surroundings were dark. Except for the green lights from the emergency exits, there was only the light of people’s phones. Looking down from above, it was like a sea of stars shining brightly.

Just now, the backpack of a certain girl in the front row exploded, and flames spread from there. Fortunately, another person next to the girl reacted quickly and happened to be sitting next to a fire extinguisher. They were able to protect the girl and the fire was successfully put out. Except for the few people nearby who had varying degrees of burns, it didn’t cause too serious injuries.

There was already a faint burnt smell in the air, and now the burns weren’t too serious.

Mu Wenhua looked around and pressed the answer button.

……

Lin Chen was still climbing up. The elevator didn’t go to the highest floor. Although Mr. Meijing could be anywhere in this high-rise building, in fact, in a practical sense, he would only be at the highest point, which was the rooftop.

The voice of Xing Conglian kept ringing in his headset. While comforting the fans in the central hall, Xing Conglian quickly grasped the fire situation and recounted it to him.

Firefighters had already started breaking through the door, and the rest of the area wasn’t a big problem. However, the fire started from outside the central hall, so all the fans attending the meeting were trapped by it.

“This is the most serious problem.” Xing Conglian paused. Lin Chen seemed to hear the sound of a cutting machine grinding on the rolling gate. “The building’s own fire protection system has completely stopped.”

“This is impossible. Didn’t the sprinkler system turn on?”

“I’m afraid that the first floor has run out of water from the reservoir, so the sprinkler system on the second floor can’t access it due to a lack of water. If I’m not wrong, there’s a power outage that caused the problem with the fire pump, which can’t pump in more water.”

“Impossible!” Lin Chen ran up the last floor, holding the handrail. The iron gate that blocked the roof was in front of him. “The fire protection system has two backup power sources, and power won’t be cut off even if the gate is closed.”

“Therefore, the intelligent control system of this building has been artificially destroyed.”

“You just said that because of the sprinkler on the first floor coming on, the water reserves of the sprinkler system on the second floor were used up. This means that the culprit didn’t intend to create a fire on the first floor. His target has always been the fans in the central hall on the second floor.” Lin Chen put his hand on the iron gate as his mind was turning. “Xing Conglian, there’s a problem here. Why must it be Song Shengsheng…”

Lin Chen wanted to say something more, but he felt a light pat on the back.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Chen drew his gun and loaded it. Then he turned and raised his hand, but the man behind him didn’t hide or dodge. At that moment, Lin Chen could only see a gentle smile hidden in the man’s eyes.

It was a middle-aged man in a gray suit and black backpack. He had a pair of earplugs in his ears, as if he were listening to some brisk music. Lin Chen aimed the gun at the man’s forehead, but the man didn’t waver and instead kept smiling at him. “Lin Chen, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Why did you come here?”

……

Lin Chen had never been called in such a way.

It was very intimate and kind, with a slight upturn at the end, as if it were a parent calling their beloved child or an owner calling their pet to go home.

His gun was firmly placed between the brows of the middle-aged man. The eyes of the middle-aged man were slightly bent, revealing a gentle smile. There was no fear; only harmony in those eyes. The next moment, the other party moved. Lin Chen’s hand pressed on the trigger, but he couldn’t fire. The middle-aged man stretched out his hand and touched his head gently, then pinched his earlobe. In the end, he felt no fear. He quickly moved his head away from the muzzle of Lin Chen’s gun, turned slightly sideways, and pushed open the iron door behind him. “Want to see? Let’s go together.”

There was a strong breeze on the rooftop. The closer one got to the sky, the more dazzling the sun became.

The sky was clear and blue. Lin Chen put away his gun. The other party’s meaning was clear. Even if you have a gun, I can do anything, and you still won’t dare shoot me.

He had to admit that the judgment of this gentleman in this situation was completely different from that of a pure pervert like Li Jingtian.

Lin Chen followed the other party and stood facing the cultural center.

The square was crowded with people. Looking down from the sky was like watching countless ants fight for their lives.

Under the blue sky, he couldn’t see any fires from the silver-white building in the distance, but there was vague white smoke floating above. Lin Chen knew very well that when the raging fire could be seen from his position, it was when the entire building would return to heaven.

The middle-aged man stood next to him, looking down at the chaos under his feet with relief. He suddenly seemed to think of something, retracted his gaze, and stretched out his hand to him. “Lin Chen, it’s our first-time meeting. Let me introduce myself. My name is Liang Meijing. You can call me Mr. Meijing.”

Lin Chen bowed to the other party politely and shook hands with him. “Hello, Mr. Meijing.”

The other party shook his hands, as if he were extremely happy that he was addressing him so politely. “In fact, after the last incident, I wanted to meet you, but I’ve been busy with a lot of things recently, so I didn’t come to greet you in time. I hope you don’t mind.”

“How could that be?”

Lin Chen turned the gun around for half a circle and stuffed it back into his pocket. Mr. Meijing seemed to appreciate this gesture. “Yes, it’s rare for us to have a chance to chat. It’s better to face each other with sincerity than weapons.”

Lin Chen nodded and asked, “Shall we sit down and talk?”

When he asked this question, the middle-aged man’s expression was slightly surprised, but he quickly recovered. “Where do you want to sit?”

Lin Chen answered his question through practical action. He sat down crossed-legged on the rooftop. Although the cement surface was scalding hot at noon, he still sat comfortably. Then he raised his hand and patted the area beside him, signaling the other person to sit with him.

Upon seeing this, Mr. Meijing smiled slightly. He took out a snow-white handkerchief from his pocket, spread it on the ground, then sat down. He looked at the fire scene from a distance. The fire was spreading quickly. In a short time, the orange-red flame had already burned through the glass curtain wall and was threatening to show its teeth and claws in mid-air.

“I remember at that time, your shimei jumped to her death?”

Lin Chen looked at the crow’s feet on the corner of the middle-aged man’s eyes next to him and said calmly, “Yes, the distance between me and her at that time was almost as close as we’re now, but I still couldn’t save her.”

“So when you saw Song Shengsheng’s body, did you feel the same way?”

“What does it feel like?”

Mr. Meijing’s eyes seemed to glow. “Like someone who wants to die. Someone who blames themselves. Why couldn’t I come sooner?”

“Yes, it’s a heart-wrenching pain, but that’s all.”

“I’m really sorry for causing you so much pain, but in fact, you shouldn’t blame yourself too much. Your shimei really died willingly. She even gave me a blowjob the morning before she died. A girl of that age, her father complex was too serious, even for me, so it was difficult to parry. You know, she was also pregnant with my child, but in the end, she miscarried. It’s a pity.”

Meijing gave a wry smile, but Lin Chen could see only ridicule in that smile.

“Why are you telling me this?” Lin Chen pointed to the earplugs in his ears. “This whole thing is being recorded. Can I treat it as a confession?”

“Of course you can.” Mr. Meijing smiled and said, “Lin Chen, my child. I just want to talk to you before you die.”

Lin Chen supported his chin with one hand, propped his knees, and easily pointed to the people around him, then pointed to himself. “Why do you think it must be me who will die between the two of us?”

“Because I have the ability to foresee. Later, you will willingly jump off this building and fall into a bloody mess. I have seen that scene with my own eyes. When you die, it’ll be beautiful.”

Lin Chen tilted his head slightly. The scorching sun was burning him all over. He asked earnestly, “But I don’t want to die yet. What should I do?”

“There’s no such thing as not wanting to die in this world.” Meijing laughed. “Song Shengsheng didn’t want to die either. He has lived like a dog for so many years. In order to survive, I don’t know how many people have raped him, but then what? He still died in the end.”

“Do you really think so?” Lin Chen raised his head suddenly, looking at Mr. Meijing’s helpless face, and said seriously, “If you really think so, I suddenly feel that I have a slight chance of getting out here alive.”

……

The fire spread faster than expected.

As the first member of the fire squadron to rush to the scene, Li Chongyuan felt despair in the face of the behemoth in front of him. The scene was constantly blocked by fire doors. He had been involved in more than ten years of fire rescue, and he would be able to retire honorably in half a month. In his more than ten years of firefighting experience, it wasn’t that he had never seen a fire that was more serious than the disaster in front of him, but at no point was there a shadow of death this intense than now.

He held the cutting machine and used all his strength to cut open the rolling gate in front of him. His teammates had already gone up to the more dangerous fire on the second floor to evacuate the crowd. The flames burned through the glass curtain wall, and there was a violent explosion. According to his experience, even if they gathered 30 firefighting vehicles, it was barely enough to contain the fire. Now that he looked back at the square full of desperate expressions, he continued to hold the machine in his hand tightly.

At the moment the rolling gate was cut open, someone kicked the door open, and a flood of people swarmed out.

He didn’t have time to help the people evacuate, but he looked at the gap in the door and saw two people who were calling non-stop in the corner. He remembered the emergency task assigned by the squadron leader just now and hurried over and saluted. “Hello, Captain Xing. Li Chongyuan of Xining Squadron. I have been ordered to assist you in dealing with the fire.”

The person didn’t pay attention to him immediately, but instead kept listening to the phone with his head down. After a while, he hung up the phone. His tone was calm, without any panic. “Let me briefly report the current situation of the fire to you. The trapped people on the first floor have basically been evacuated through the underground parking lot by the emergency exit. Only our area and the same area on the opposite side have no emergency passage for evacuation, but the main problem now is that it’s difficult to rescue the fire site on the second floor. All emergency exits are blocked, and because of the rolling gates, the fire areas got divided with sporadic people trapped between.” As the man spoke, he showed him all the fire points with his tablet. After he finished speaking, he drew a circle on the largest hall on the three-dimensional map. “The fire is surrounding the central hall. There are 3,000 people in it. Due to the failure of the fire fighting system, the smoke exhaust equipment stopped working. It’s expected that the trapped people will be able to persist for at most 10 to 15 minutes. They’ll die from smoke inhalation.”

Li Chongyuan raised his head suddenly. “It’s too fast. We have too little manpower. It’s impossible to evacuate 3,000 people in such a short time.”

“In your experience, what’s the only possibility for the 3,000 people in the hall to survive?” the man asked.

Li Chongyuan raised his eyes and filtered all the firefighting information from the Christine Cultural Center in his mind. He raised his head and said decisively, “Our follow-up squadron will arrive at the scene in 10 minutes at the earliest. The cultural center adopts an R-level intelligent linkage fire fighting system. We need the fire fighting system to resume operation to reduce the fire for a short time, but it’s not clear what the problem of the fire system failure is exactly.”

“Power distribution room.” Beside Xing Conglian, a young technician said, “I just calculated that the fire fighting system was never activated. There are many fire monitoring points in the building. No one can destroy all the monitoring points at the same time. The fastest way to make the fire fighting system of the entire building fail in a short period of time is to cut off the main power supply. I suspect that the power distribution room has been blown up.”

“Where’s the backup generator?”

He and Xing Conglian asked in unison.

……

The glass curtain wall was constantly cracking.

Everyone stayed away from the building to avoid being hit by splashes. Every small explosion caused the crowd in the square to scream. The turbulent flow of people was constantly pushing and shoving, and no one knew where the next cluster of flames would rise from.

Firefighters raised ladders to rescue the trapped people inside and continued to evacuate as many people as possible. In the end, only the police officers in the navy-blue uniforms continued to rush towards the fire.

Lin Chen looked at the purgatory-like scene under him. Xing Conglian’s voice, deploying on-site personnel, kept coming out of his headset. He gradually calmed down and listened to Xing Conglian’s voice.

As the wind blew across the sky, he pressed the headset and looked at the calm, middle-aged man beside him. “I didn’t hear what you just said.”

“I said, there’s no possibility that you can walk out of this building alive.”

“Why?”

“You’ll know soon.”

“You don’t need to hurry. Since you were waiting for me here and said that I’d be willing to jump off the building to commit suicide, you probably have the confidence to say this because you have many people’s lives in your hands.”

“Lin Chen, you really amaze me.” Meijing had a look of approval on his face. “So are you going to kneel down and beg me?”

“Didn’t you just say that I’d jump from here willingly? My life is in your hands, so there’s no need to kneel down,” Lin Chen said sincerely. “Then before I die, is there any room for redemption?”

“Hahaha.” Mr. Meijing laughed heartily. “Well, I’ll let you ask three questions, just like the game you played with Li Jingtian, but it’s a little more exciting than that.”

“I appreciate further details.”

“Look, we’re now very close to the edge of the rooftop. You can ask me three questions. Every time I finish answering one, you will take a step back. When I finish answering the last question…” The middle-aged man spread out his palm and breathed softly, “You’ll turn around, disappear from here, and go with the wind.”

“Very interesting.” Lin Chen patted the dust off his body and stood up from the ground somewhat casually. He turned his back to the distant fire and stared at the middle-aged man in front of him.

“You seem very confident?”

“Because I’m really good at guessing, so you must remember to hide your thoughts.”

As he said this, he took a step back. “My first question. Why Song Shengsheng?”

……

When Xing Conglian heard Lin Chen ask this question, he was wearing a heavy fire fighting suit.

According to the staff who escaped from the negative second floor, the fire there was also very large, and unless they passed through the fire, there was no way to enter the central control area to find the backup generator controls.

“There’s also an electronic door. I’ll give you the access control card. You must keep it safe and don’t let it get burned.”

A young man who claimed to be the secretary of the general manager of the Christine Cultural Center handed him an access card. He nodded and took it. The light voice from his headset made him hold the card tightly.

He could hear the sound of the wind whistling past the top of the high-rise building. Lin Chen’s voice was almost inaudible due to the wind, but he knew very well that Lin Chen was standing on the edge of the roof, and had taken a firm step towards the line of death.

At that moment, Xing Conglian wanted to get rid of everything and rushed upstairs to grab Lin Chen. He raised his head and looked up at the top of the building, which was more than 100 meters high. He then turned around, put on an oxygen mask, and walked towards the basement.

……

“Lin Chen, I’m really surprised that you used such a precious opportunity to ask why I chose Song Shengsheng.”

“I’m going to die anyway. It’s more important to untangle the knot in my heart.”

“Don’t you understand?” Mr. Meijing sighed softly. “I chose Song Shengsheng because I know exactly what kind of talent is most attractive to you.”

“What you mean is, Song Shengsheng is just bait to lure us, and the fire in the cultural center is to retaliate against us?”

“How can you say it’s revenge? It’s more appropriate to say it’s a gift,” Mr. Meijing said sincerely.

“Because we arrested Yang Dianfeng and disrupted your live broadcast. Why didn’t you target us directly?”

“Lin Chen, my child, you’re so naïve.” Meijing shook his head helplessly. “Turn around and look at those people who are crying so sadly below. The heart-wrenching pain you have tasted, they will soon understand. What do you think they will think when they see the charred corpses of their loved ones and hear that their loved ones are the victims of revenge?”

Lin Chen asked disapprovingly, “Why should I care what they think?”

“Then let me tell you. Many of them must feel that if the police hadn’t fought against us, these people wouldn’t have died. It’s you who they will blame for killing their loved ones.”

Lin Chen nodded. “Well, when these people speak out to condemn the police, you can contribute to making this voice gradually become the mainstream of society. In the future, law enforcers will not dare speak out and will start doing things with their hands tied. Is this the result you want?”

“Indeed. In fact, you should know better than me how easy it is to manipulate the public’s psychology. People are ignorant and follow the crowd. With a little manipulation, the innocent victims who died in this fire can become brain-dead groupies. Many people will say that they wouldn’t have died if they hadn’t chased stars, so they deserve it…”

“I see. Although I think you’re a little naïve and flustered, after hearing what you said, are Song Shengsheng’s fans dead?”

“Don’t cheat. Isn’t this a second question? You have to step back.” Meijing pointed his finger to the ground behind Lin Chen.

……

Mu Wenhua was sitting in the central hall, unaware that a discussion had been started about her regarding the social evaluation after her death. In fact, everyone may have considered this already. Being trapped and burned to death because of chasing a star didn’t sound glorious.

However, Mr. Meijing probably wouldn’t have thought that what she was thinking about now was similar to what Consultant Lin, who wanted to save her life, was. There were many idiots in the world. If one had to listen to every idiot’s words and remember them, it was better to just die early.

In life, it was more important to love yourself and your loved ones. These were almost the heartfelt words of a mother and groupie who were about to be choked to death by smoke. She completely maintained a posture of crawling on the ground, looking at the photos of her daughter, husband, and her favorite, Mr. Song Shengsheng, in her phone album.

She hummed a very light tune, and then she heard the girl who was lying next to her humming too.

The temperature of the air gradually increased, and a clearly visible flame was ejected from the emergency exit. Although the fire hadn’t completely burned through the walls of the hall, it looked to be coming fast.

……

Lin Chen took another step back.

He didn’t have eyes behind his head, but he could still feel the crumbling feeling caused by the violent wind and the 100-meter drop. Those weren’t hallucinations but real pressure.

Xing Conglian’s extremely heavy gasping sound came from his headset. Although he didn’t know where the other party was, he could tell that Xing Conglian should have entered the deepest part of the fire just from his breathing. It should be dark there, extremely hot, and it would take all the strength in his body just to breathe. Xing Conglian’s mask should be covered with water vapor. When he wiped them away, he should be able to see those dark, green eyes like a pool of water.

“Of course you don’t have to die.” Mr. Meijing sat on the ground and looked at his watch. “Lin Chen, in fact, as long as you jump off this building to atone for your sins, I guarantee that most of them will be able to survive.”

“1 life for 3,000?” Lin Chen felt incredulous. “That’s too good of a deal. Since when did you start making bad deals?”

“It’s not a loss at all. The legendary Consultant Lin is still very valuable. In fact, you see, it’s the same to me whether you die or those people down there.”

“I see. If I jump as you say, it will tell many people in this world that evil can prevail over those chicken soup for the soul words. People will have to succumb to a stronger party.”

Mr. Meijing stroked his hands and began to applaud. “So, Lin Chen, you still have 10 minutes at most.” Mr. Meijing took out a pack of small cookies from his backpack, unwrapped it, and stuffed a piece into his mouth. “But this should be difficult for you. After all, your indecision killed Song Shengsheng. You obviously had an entire month to save him, but what were you doing at that time? Grabbing tickets? If you used a tough attitude to demand a meeting with Song Shengsheng, perhaps he would have mustered up the courage to tell you everything. Our plan wouldn’t succeed, and the people below you wouldn’t have to die…”

“I’m dying, so don’t lie to me. Song Shengsheng was missing a tooth. You installed a bug on him, and you used the lives of his fans to threaten him, so he wouldn’t tell me about it.” The wind on the top floor was suddenly strong. Lin Chen sat down as he spoke helplessly.

“You know about the dentures?” Mr. Meijing finally showed some surprise on his face.

“Yes, I just asked you why Song Shengsheng. In fact, there should be some reason it’s him, right?”

Mr. Meijing took out a thermos and unscrewed the lid. Gurgling tea flowing into a cup sounded. He breathed in the tea and had a smile of reminiscence on his face. “Song Shengsheng, when I first met him, I thought he was like an expensive large dog with bright fur. When I go out, the little girls who love him would point and scream. I really love him as my own child.”

Lin Chen asked patiently, “Then why destroy him?”

“When he went to Xiang Ye for the first time, I happened to be there that day. I was very distressed when I heard he was being abused by Li Jingtian over and over again. But as you know, Li Jingtian is the grandson of Mr. Li. We operate in Xinni and still need to rely on Lao Li for our business, so Xiang Ye persuaded Song Shengsheng to be patient. But Shengsheng disagreed. I have seen the injuries on his body. It was terrible. He was so miserable, but he actually still had the strength to slam on Xiang Ye’s desk. His entire body was full of fighting spirit, as if he were inflamed.”

“What happened later?”

“He was really disobedient, so we had no choice but to tie him to a chair. Xiang Ye opened his mouth and took pliers and pulled out his teeth…” Meijing said as he leisurely took a sip of tea. “You should really see the scene at that time. He bled profusely, and his voice was broken from screaming so much. We also spent a lot of effort to stop the bleeding and install the fake tooth. But in the end, the way he looked at us was still burning, and he didn’t give in at all. It was quite interesting.”

“Since he’s that kind of person, how did you get him to submit?”

“You know, it’s most interesting to break a hound’s leg and watch him lie in his kernel.” Mr. Meijing bit off a piece of cookie. “Actually, in the beginning, he kept making small movements behind our backs, thinking we wouldn’t know, but in fact, we really knew everything. One day, he was looking through Xiang Ye’s bedroom when I walked in and caught him.”

“You punish him?”

“It can’t be called punishment. After all, the next day happened to be his record signing event. Before the meeting, Xiang Ye took him to stand on a high place, looking at the signing event, and showed him a piece of news. The news of two girls at Fengchun University being involved in a car accident. One of them, Song Shengsheng, knew. She was one of his female fans who had a heart attack. He donated a lot of money to that fan, and she was successfully saved and has gone back to college. Because of his risky actions, we had to kill two people overnight. It was truly exhausting.”

It was hard for Lin Chen not to follow Mr. Meijing’s voice back to that moment ten years ago. Everything that Song Shengsheng experienced was crueler than he imagined.

He couldn’t live or die. It was probably nothing more than that.

“He cried.”

“Yes, he punched Xiang Ye and cried. It’s said that was the first time he shed tears. He cried terribly, like a virgin who was preparing to cut her own throat to protect her chastity.”

“But you didn’t let him die?”

“Yes, we told him that if he dares die, I promise to kill many, many more of his fans.” When Meijing said this, his eyes turned to the fire in the distance. The white smoke had turned blue, and everything looked like hell. “I always keep my word.”

……

Mu Wenhua was singing—specifically—the girls in the entire central hall were singing softly.

[There’s no eternal love in this world, and no one can live forever, so let loose. Be wanton, be free. Fuck it! Let him go!]

She didn’t know why, but everyone chose the same song. They all gathered together as the fire raged. The mothers were keeping the younger girls in a place further inside, away from the flames, but everyone knew that they couldn’t escape today, so they started singing.

That was Shengsheng’s favorite song. Although the song’s lyrics were explicit, it had a wonderful name: <I’ll Be With You Forever>.

I’ll Be With You Forever.

She didn’t know if she was hallucinating, but when she turned her head, she seemed to see Shengsheng standing on stage. His body seemed to be glowing.

He was saying, “Because I’m more handsome, it’s better for me to protect you~”

……

Traveling in the underground space was more difficult than he imagined. The backlog of smoke made searchlights useless. Xing Conglian was sweating like rain, and it was difficult to breathe. Perhaps it was because the underground space was too quiet that he could clearly hear the conversation at an altitude of 100 meters.

He could hear the calm and joyful voice of Meijing, and he could hear the painful trembling in Lin Chen’s voice when he asked the last question.

But now, he had to drive those pictures out of his mind and listen carefully to the instructions in the headset.

“Captain, Captain Li, there should be a staircase 5 meters in front of you. Walk down the stairs and you will be able to see the central control room.”

“Copy that.”

“The girl in the central hall said that the fire has broken through the walls and the smoke is getting heavier. They may not be able to hang on for much longer.”

“I checked the information on the cultural center. The central control room adopts the RM5 electronic door. The back door should be automatically opened when the power is off to ensure the safety of the personnel. If it’s not opened, I’m afraid that the server has failed, so the access card won’t work, and you need to enter the code directly.”

“You must pay attention to safety, Captain. No one will give me my allowance if you die.”

……

Lin Chen pressed the headset. When he heard the last words of Wang Chao, he felt relieved.

The child raised by Xing Conglian was truly fearless.

It was almost time. He patted the dust off his clothes and stood up from the ground.

Seeing him get up, Mr. Meijing’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Oh, have they already reached the electronic door?”

Lin Chen shook his head. “Not yet. So you also tampered with the electronic door?”

Meijing smiled. “Is this the last question?”

Lin Chen shook his head but still took a step back. The strong wind blew against him fiercely as he suddenly sneered. “My last question is, have you ever heard this very famous saying?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Villains die because they talk too much.”

Mr. Meijing laughed. He covered his mouth to prevent the cookie crumbs from spraying out indecently. “What does that mean?”

Lin Chen didn’t hesitate to take out the gun. He pulled the safety, loaded the gun, and pointed it at the middle-aged man on the ground. “After talking so much, you’re actually just going in circles. You keep leading the topic to the argument that I’m the same as Song Shengsheng. Because we provoked you, that’s why you were forced to kill.”

“That’s a fact.”

“It’s not a fact. It’s a typical technique using motive A to cover up motive B. It boils down to the fact that your motive was never to take revenge on us. You just wanted to kill Song Shengsheng’s fans. You just said you knew about me grabbing tickets. It means you have been monitoring the voting system of the fan meeting, and the ticket grabbing rules at that time were very interesting. It shows that every fan in the venue is carefully selected. You deliberately selected the most veteran fans of Song Shengsheng. There must be a reason. Song Shengsheng gradually realized your actions and chose to warn us by committing suicide. The timing of his death couldn’t have been more appropriate. Xiang Ye was arrested, and we’re able to get here in time because of him.”

Meijing just smiled and shook his head speechlessly.

“Song Shengsheng is the toughest person I’ve ever seen in my life. Since you put that tooth on him, I’m afraid he hasn’t said anything for many years. Probably even you haven’t thought about it, but dead people do speak.”

“Lin Chen, I’m the one who has known Song Shengsheng for many years. Not you. Why do you think he didn’t want to meet you? Because he didn’t dare. His bones have been broken, and even his tendons were pulled out one by one. You don’t know how much he wants to return to the stage. Even if he had to kneel and crawl, he would. So he didn’t want to die at all. If he was as smart as you said, he would have known what we wanted to do, and he would have committed suicide. Why did it have to be today?”

“Yes, I also want to know why it must be today.”

The sky was clear, and the sun was blazing. Lin Chen glanced at the bright universe as he asked this solemnly.

Song Shengsheng, what else is there that you want to say but I haven’t heard?

……

In the underground space, in front of the sturdy electronic door, a tone indicating that the password had failed kept ringing.

Xing Conglian turned his head, and behind him was a flood of hot, black smoke, but he couldn’t see any flames. Beside him, the firefighter who descended into the fire with him was repeatedly trying to open the door with the access card.

But fail, fail, still fail…

Finally, Li Chongyuan threw away the access card and took out the tools from his toolbox that he was carrying with him and prepared to pry off the electronic control board directly.

“Wang Chao, is there any other way? The door can’t be opened. Is it possible to pick the lock? Or hack it?”

“Fuck me, Captain. It stands to reason that this kind of electronic door will automatically open after it’s powered off, and you don’t even need a password. Tell me, is the mode of the electronic display board fail safe or fail security?”

Xing Conglian looked at it immediately. “Fail security.”

Wang Chao roared. “What idiot put the door in fail security mode. Does he think the door to the central control room is a vault? Captain, tell Captain Li not to try to break the door. In fail security mode, the security level is the highest. If you break the door forcibly, it will automatically lock. I promise you, you won’t be able to open it again in a short time!”

Li Chongyuan stopped immediately. The voice in his headset was still talking, but Xing Conglian suddenly felt that the surroundings were very quiet, so quiet that he could only hear Lin Chen’s slow breathing.

“Lin Chen, we need a password,” he said to him.

……

Lin Chen raised his gun and took a step forward.

Probably discovering the change in his face, the middle-aged man sitting on the ground said, “The door isn’t easy to open, right? Well, leave me a number, and after you commit suicide, I’ll tell them the password. Don’t worry, I always keep my word.”

“You’ve changed the code on the electronic door?” he asked.

“Bingo. So, do you want to save those people or not?”

Lin Chen found this quite comical. “I just said, Mr. Meijing, villains often die because they talk too much. In fact, this is also a psychological problem. Villains like you are proud, arrogant, and think they are always in control of the overall situation, so when it comes to the final moment of victory, you can’t help but brag. It’s always so easy to talk so much shit. If you talk too much, you’ll lose. I suggest you shut up now. This was my sincere advice to Li Jingtian. Don’t give me any chances to guess the password.”

“Even if you want to guess, you’ll still have to know my biographical information, but you don’t even know who I am…” Meijing whispered softly.

Looking at Mr. Meijing’s arrogant and cunning smile, Lin Chen said calmly, “I don’t need to know who you are. You’ve already said so much to me just now. I know enough.”

“Really?”

“You’re cynical and have obvious antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders. You regard human lives as nothing and think all beings are evil. You look down on all ordinary people and treat human life as a joke. You always feel like this is some kind of game set up by you, and everyone is just a pawn in your hand. You ridiculed the fans’ stupid love for Song Shengsheng. Of course, you also think Song Shengsheng is stupid, and you look down on him very, very much.”

“He’s really a dog.”

“As I said just now, your biggest problem is that you think Song Shengsheng is a plaything under your control. I think it’s his hypocrisy and obedience to you that gave you this impression. Every day, he’s under your control, but he’s full of fighting spirit. This battle will not end until he reaches the end of his life, and since he chose death, it means that he has ushered in the final victory with his death.”

“I’m going to blush with you praising Song Shengsheng so much.”

“So, did you really set that password?” Lin Chen sneered as he took another step forward.

After he asked that question, he saw an obvious crack in the originally decent smile on Mr. Meijing’s face.

“No need to answer. Your expression has already told me the answer.” He gently pressed his fingers on his lips and made a quiet gesture. “People like you like to play those cruel human games the most. Let Song Shengsheng know that his resistance killed his fans or force me to commit suicide to save others. You will always have the greatest malice towards the world, but you like to play with meaningless and symbolic things the most. If you want to set up a password for a door that will never be opened and kill those fans who love Song Shengsheng, pray tell, who would you use to come up with it?”

After Lin Chen finished speaking, he took another step forward. He was getting closer to the malicious manifestation on the ground. “Your expression tells me that that person is Song Shengsheng. You wouldn’t be stupid to ask Song Shengsheng casually what number he likes so you can use it to kill the fans that love him the most.” Lin Chen didn’t give Meijing a chance to speak, because he finally knew why Song Shengsheng chose to die today. “Yesterday, he came here for rehearsal. Of course, he didn’t know your plans, but he’s a smart person. When he came here, he finally connected the dots. He knew what you were going to do. You were going to kill people—many, many people—so he had to use his own death to stop all this. He knew the password. He knew how evil you were and knew that you might not necessarily use the string of numbers he provided when you asked him that day. But if he committed suicide, you were more likely to use the number he was thinking of. After all, a password set by a living person will always have the possibility of being cracked, but a password thought up by a dead person wouldn’t, right?”

Mr. Meijing’s face turned ashen. Finally, there was no trace of humility or gentleness left on his face. He laughed cruelly. It was as if an ancient evil had been resurrected, mouthful of blood and devouring goodwill wherever he went.

Lin Chen knew he had guessed right. “Are you wondering what on earth you overlooked that allowed Song Shengsheng to pass on the password? But he obviously didn’t use words. You haven’t thought about it, have you? That old dog that you despise can stab you in the back even after death.”

Meijing grinned. “No, you guessed wrong. It’s a password I set up. The old dog Song Shengsheng doesn’t know anything at all.”

“No, that’s the number he wanted.”

The scorching sun was dazzling as the strong breeze blew through the sky.

Lin Chen spoke slowly. “Song Shengsheng entered showbiz too early. He hasn’t read too many books. If he set the password and wanted to pass it on, it wouldn’t be too complicated, but only those who love him can guess it. You should know that Song Shengsheng likes to paint the symbol & very much, but I didn’t see that symbol in the bathtub where he died. I’ve been thinking, why didn’t a person like him, who was full of faith, draw that symbol?”

“Why?”

“Because Song Shengsheng once said at a concert, if I die one day, please sing a song for me. It was a song full of explicit words, but the name was unexpectedly touching. This song comes from his beloved fairy tale, and only a veteran fan will know that in the lyrics of that song, there’s a decorative & after each line, except for one. That line of the lyrics is as long as a foot wrap, but because of a typesetting error, there was an & missing at the end.”

“So the password he set was in that line of the lyrics.”

Lin Chen didn’t know how the man who had his teeth pulled out, was blackmailed, and lived in the shadows of a hanging sword all day did all this. He didn’t even know what Song Shengsheng relied on to choose to commit suicide before taking the stage and realizing his wish.

But Song Shengsheng, who was rebellious, indulgent, and should have had a life like fire—was full of fighting spirit, and he never gave up.

Lin Chen once asked himself whether suffering and pain would make a soul humble, and he thought that Song Shengsheng had given him the answer.

He seemed to see the 18-year-old Song Shengsheng smiling heartily as he said to him, “Hey. I’m so proud. How can I bow my head to a shit like fate? I will never bow to fate.”

He took the last step and pressed the muzzle of his gun firmly between the middle-aged man’s brows. “Checkmate.”

……

The water curtain was overwhelming.

Mu Wenhua was helped out of the fire. Although she had been waiting inside for a long time, and her body was hot, the moment she walked into the sun, she discovered for the first time how warm the sun could be.

Separated from countless people, she saw the man she loved the most in her life rushing towards her with her daughter in his arms. Then she hugged her lover tightly with unprecedented strength.

She kissed her daughter’s soft cheek and wiped away the tears on her cheek with her smokey fingers.

……

There were people everywhere in the square.

Although Wang Chao had sent a text in advance to remind everyone to lay low, stay away from the fire source as much as possible, and pay attention to the high-temperature water vapors before the power was turned on, some people who were too close to the fire got burned by the heat, though it was just a minor injury that could be easily treated. Anyway, as long as people were still alive, there was hope.

At least this was what Comrade Xiao Wang thought.

Many long-legged nurses got out of the ambulances that started to arrive one after another, and they were doing simple bandages for the wounded.

He was finally able to sit comfortably in the police car with the air conditioning blowing. He looked at his laptop, guessing his boss’ roar would soon come out of the headset, telling him to go do this and that. In case his boss asked him to repair the server, repair the network, or something else, he felt he had to charge a high price. In short, he would go to Battle.net and buy the Digital Collector’s Edition of Overwatch.

……

Lin Chen didn’t know how he got down the stairs.

There was a scattered corpse on the ground. Just now, Meijing had jumped down from the high-rise building. He didn’t even have time to pull the trigger when the other party chose death.

It turned out that 1 was exchanged for 3,000, but the person who committed suicide by jumping off the building in the end became Mr. Meijing.

He walked around the body of the man on the ground and pushed away all the police officers who tried to help him.

Maybe it was because he had been in the sun for too long, but he only felt a splitting headache and severe pain in his eardrums, as if someone were constantly talking in his ear. For a while, it was Song Shengsheng singing, and for a while, it was Xing Conglian’s last “Okay”. The beeping sound of the electronic door failing to unlock kept ringing in his ears, which was incessant and desperate.

He felt that he could no longer tell the chronological order of things. Pictures all became blurred, but he clearly remembered the last scene before Meijing jumped off the building in his mind.

The gentle middle-aged man got up in front of the muzzle, moved his lips, and said to him with a smile, “Please give my regards to Captain Xing.”

After saying these words, Meijing quickly ran to the edge of the rooftop and gracefully jumped down.

For some reason, after he tried to call Xing Conglian, he got no response. He felt the gun in his hand was so heavy that he could barely hold it. If the two of them were the target of Meijing’s revenge, Xing Conglian might also be in danger. With his gun in his hand, any shots fired in the fire would be extremely dangerous.

He ran towards the square, surrounded by people clinging to each other. Men and women were hugging and kissing, with happy smiles on their faces after escaping death. There was water sprinkling in the sky. The fire had gradually extinguished, but there was still the sound of sporadic beeping and glass cracking.

But he couldn’t find Wang Chao or Xing Conglian. There was no familiar face as far as he could see. He kept asking everyone where Xing Conglian was but got no response. Some people even asked him strangely, “Who is Xing Conglian and who are you?”

Yes. Who is Xing Conglian, and what’s his relationship with him?

He stepped into the fire and saw the silver-gray security door that had been cut wide open. It was empty behind the door; the person he was looking for wasn’t there.

He wanted to yell, but found that his throat was too tense to make any sound.

The ground was wet—extremely wet—and everything was falling apart. He occasionally passed by some firefighters who were rescuing people. Someone asked him where he was going and who he was looking for, but he couldn’t answer. A lot of voices sounded in his ears again, as if someone was singing in the square. It was the same song—Song Shengsheng’s song. The singing was like a bright light penetrating the night, dyeing the surrounding chaos with a bit of color.

Someone sang, “There’s no eternal love in this world.”

He walked to the basement. There was only the green light of the emergency exit on. The surroundings were dark, and water was dripping from the ceiling.

He gradually heard the sound of footsteps. It was a firefighter with heavy steps. He grabbed him and asked the question again, “Where’s Xing Conglian?”

The other party scratched his head, then took off his mask and said to him, “You’re looking for Captain Xing? He’s just downstairs.”

He let go of the man and ran downstairs. He opened every door in the underground, but he didn’t find the person he was looking for.

The singing in the square seemed to have passed through the layers of concrete, but it might also be his auditory hallucination.

And no one can live forever…

Someone was harmonizing the song, “And no one can live forever…”

He was about to push open the last iron door at the end of the corridor, and at this moment, someone patted him lightly on the shoulder.

He suddenly turned his head, drew his gun, and pressed it firmly against the man’s forehead.

Then, he saw a pair of green eyes, as if they were the clearest spring water in the forest, or a very light wind blowing across the corners of his eyes and brows.

The man looked ashen. His face was blackened and covered in soot, but with a smile in his eyes, he said to him, “It’s me. Don’t be afraid.”

At that moment, Lin Chen suddenly heard the countless voices pouring into his ears. Many people were clamoring, “So let loose. Be wanton, be free. Fuck it! Let him go!”

There’s no eternal love in this world, and no one can live forever, so let loose. Be wanton, be free. Fuck it! Let him go!

So let loose. Be wonton, be free. Fuck it! Let him go!

Lin Chen dropped the gun, grabbed the man by his hair, and pushed him hard against the wall, then kissed him heavily.

---

The author has something to say:

I was born in the sky, grew up in the scorching sun. I soar in the wind, but never gone.

My dears, please don’t cry for me.

—Song Shengsheng

---

Kinky Thoughts:

This marks the end of the fourth arc. So many things I wanted to express, but I held out until the end so there wouldn’t be any spoilers.

First, the importance of Oscar Wilde’s work in this arc. Two of his works were specifically mentioned: The Happy Prince and The Nightingale and The Rose. There’s plenty of symbolism of self-sacrifice embodied by Song Shengsheng throughout this arc, as you can see, which reflects the theme of these two stories.

In both The Happy Prince and The Nightingale and The Rose, you have characters who give up everything in a selfless deed to protect those they love. The prince strips off everything he has to give to the poor, which eventually leads to his death. Likewise, the Nightingale sacrifices herself for a red rose so the one she loves can be happy. Song Shengsheng is very similar in this aspect, as he sacrificed his life to protect his fans.

Speaking of Song Shengsheng, it’s quite ironic that his name [Shengsheng] means sound, but he does not actually speak once throughout this arc (except for events in the past that’s recorded). This was purposeful on the author’s part.

I admit I struggled to get through this arc. The subjects were quite heavy and not to my taste (I really can’t stand rape), but it also has one of my favorite chapters: Lin Chen’s showdown with Li Jingtian, and the overall question about Song Shengsheng kept me anticipating.

I’m quite sad that Song Shengsheng died, which I have personal gripes about. I feel that his death felt forced by the author to make it seem more dramatic and tragic than necessary.

On my first read when I was translating it, I thought everything was too convoluted (including Song Shengsheng’s suicide) to push the tragedy that he will not live. When I read over this arc again for a second time during the proofread, I changed my opinions on the matter.

There’s a reason why Oscar Wilde is so heavily referenced in this arc. Song Shengsheng embodies the two stories that I mentioned above. To many people, the actions of the Happy Prince and the Nightingale might seem stupid (and likewise Song Shengsheng’s). I certainly couldn’t comprehend why he could put up with all this for a decade and still find no way to tell the police what’s going on without having to resort to a suicide, especially after the showdown between Li Jingtian and Lin Chen. He must have witnessed it and know how capable Lin Chen is and the fact that Lin Chen wanted to see him desperately would give him a chance to spill everything.

At least this is what I thought during my first read, but then after analyzing the arc after my second read when proofing, I factored in a few things. First, Song Shengsheng’s age. He was scouted at 16 and became a mega star at 18. At such a young age, he probably didn’t have the education and life experience yet to deal with such complicated issues that he was facing. Hell, probably even as an adult one probably would find it tough to make a decision. You can see this in real life where child stars go down a dangerous path without proper guidance from a caring and wise adult. Unfortunately for Song Shengsheng, the person he trusted the most, his first agent who brought him to his debut, was an evil person and manipulated him.

Second, due to his naiveness given his age, when faced with threats that his fans were going to be killed if he gets out of line, he resolved to suffer in order to protect them. To Song Shengsheng, his fans represent the student who was looking for the rose, or the poor, dying people in the Happy Prince. Seeing that their threat is very real and afraid of even a single one of his fans dying if he goes to the police, he chooses to submit. I would say this was where I had the most problem with as you can never trust an evil person to actually keep their word. However, Song Shengsheng couldn’t take the risk because he loves his fans too much and he knows that if he tries to tell the police, many fans will die before things get solved, and there’s also a fear that they won’t believe him (no evidence).

As indicated by the author, Song Shengsheng is kind and I think this kindness is to the extreme to the point where his love for his fans supersedes everything else, including himself. While Li Jingtian and Meijing think this is stupid, I think it does match his personality. We know he grew up watching Oscar Wilde’s works and regards those stories as his inspiration. His favorite is The Nightingale and The Rose and so after thinking about it for a while, I did find that it does make some sense in why Song Shengsheng acted the way he did.

Personally, I think the author made Song Shengsheng’s character way too altruistic, but it is backed up by the things mentioned in the arc. On my first read, I was too annoyed to really analyze these factors because I just find Song Shengsheng’s action inexplicable, but after letting my emotions settle, I came to a more rational conclusion.

Anyway, I could probably go on and write an entire thesis on this, but I’ll spare you. At the end of the day it is a work of fiction so not everything has to be sensible as they are in real life. Perhaps I’m just being too critical (but common, I’m still pissed that Shengsheng died).

I would say the arc is good but I didn’t enjoy it because of the heavy subject in it and the fact that the one person you wish to have his redemption… kinda did but like died in the process… was just too painful (and I had to read this arc at least twice!).

However, don’t let my thoughts influence your opinions on the story. You’re welcome to join my Discord server to discuss or leave a comment.

At least we finally have movement in Lin Chen’s and Xing Conglian’s relationship.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 162

Yongchuan, Xining Development Zone, Christine Cultural Center.

Just when Wang Chao was frustrated trying to connect to the wireless network, a middle-aged man with a gentle temperament had just pressed the elevator of the cultural center. The basement was filled with a gloomy coolness that was completely different from above ground. The middle-aged man smiled slightly at the surveillance camera, as if he were greeting the people in the surveillance room.

The elevator went straight to the negative second floor and stopped.

Carrying a backpack, the middle-aged man walked out of the elevator entrance and walked towards the entrance of the central auditorium.

The flow of people attending the fan meeting—ah, no—the memorial service was constantly crowding towards the cultural center’s central auditorium.

The central auditorium could accommodate nearly 5,000 people. In the public area at the entrance of the hall, there were many girls who hadn’t entered yet with particularly sad expressions. Some of them were squatting on the wall and crying, and some were gathered in small groups to comfort each other.

The middle-aged man passed between them. His backpack happened to scratch a pendant on one of the girl’s backpacks. The two became entangled, and the middle-aged man was forced to stop.

“I’m so sorry.” He apologized to the girl first.

The girl wanted to take off her backpack but was stopped.

“It’s okay. I’ll just do it myself.”

He asked the girl to turn her back, and he slightly unzipped the girl’s backpack, then undid the tangle and gently restored it to its original form.

Perhaps it was because the voice of the middle-aged man was clearer and more melodious than the violin music playing on the speakers, or perhaps it was his casual outfit that gave off a strong artistic temperament, but the girl suddenly really wanted to talk to the man in front of her, who looked like he could be her father’s age. But before she could speak, the middle-aged man bowed to her in advance, showed a modest and polite smile, then turned and left.

The girl reluctantly turned her head and thought, with some regret, that it was probably someone from the orchestra who was about to perform in the center.

……

At the entrance of the Christine Cultural Center.

Mu Wenhua hurriedly ran up the stairs. Her hair was a mess, but she didn’t have time to comb it. When she went to bed last night, her daughter gave her a sweet good night kiss. She fell into a deep sleep with a beautiful vision, but when she got up in the morning to make breakfast, it was as if lightning had struck her.

After broadcasting today’s weather, there was breaking news that was said in a serious and sad tone by the anchor.

When Mu Wenhua heard the news, she almost knocked over the pan on the gas. He committed suicide because of depression? How is this possible?

In the living room, her husband and her daughter were laughing at the dining table, but the laughter stopped quickly because of the news. She was incredibly happy that she managed to get tickets for that day. Her husband was also considerate and said he would take care of their daughter so she could rest assured and go to the fan meeting, but now, Shengsheng was dead. What was she going to see?

Mu Wenhua squatted on the kitchen floor in a daze. She didn’t cry at first, until the sound of footsteps and the gas being turned off came. Then she broke down.

A pair of wide palms touched her back. She was tightly hugged by her lover as she let her tears fall. She sobbed loudly.

She remembered that she cried for a long time. She had experienced the pain of being awakened just as her dreams were about to come true. She had experienced it many years ago. Now it seemed like she was back to that summer when she was 18 years old. The same cicadas and the same hot summer, but this time, the people who once scolded her changed and instead was now her lover.

Her husband said to her, “Let’s go. I’ll accompany you. No matter what, you still want to go, right?”

Mu Wenhua wiped away her tears and nodded vigorously.

They drove from Yongchuan Ave to the Xining Development Zone. The traffic was heavy along the way. The car radio announced the cancellation of the meeting and talked about depression for a while. Feeling uneasy, Mu Wenhua used her phone to log in to Be With You. She saw the discussion post at the top and replied resolutely: [Even if the meeting is canceled, I want to go.]

Later, she received a text message from the fan club confirming that the meeting would still be held as scheduled. There was a bitter sense of satisfaction in her heart. In any case, the wish she had failed to achieve during her summer vacation when she was 18 could only be fulfilled today.

Her husband sent her to the entrance of the cultural center and told her he would take their daughter to the bookstore nearby to play for a while. He asked her to rest assured and finally gave her a soothing kiss.

She quickly ran up the steps. Because she was too eager, she didn’t notice  a person passing in front of her and found it too late to stop, so she slammed into him.

The other party took two steps back, supported her, and said softly, “Be careful.”

Only then did she realize that she had just bumped into a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. The middle-aged man was carrying a black backpack and had gentle eyes. Sad violin music was playing in the hall. She stood up straight and watched the middle-aged man walk away into the darkness in the distance, amidst the sounds of strings.

……

Heng Xiao was an ordinary secretary who worked for the general manager of the Christine Cultural Center. When he received a call from the police, he was still secretly chatting with his girlfriend on WeChat.

Before putting down the phone, his last reply was: [Don’t join the fun. The main hall can’t fit anyone else.]

He picked up the phone as the sound of the violin suddenly became passionate.

The person on the other end of the phone claimed to be a criminal police officer and had received a report that someone had installed a bomb at the cultural center. Although it may be a false alarm, for safety concerns, he still needed to understand the relevant situation at the center and required that the cultural center immediately start their emergency protocol. The plan was to start evacuating the crowd in an orderly manner.

When he first heard the news, Heng Xiao panicked, but he still couldn’t help but think this might be some kind of prank. There were lots of news stories about bomb claims that turned out to be false alarms. Perhaps this was one as well.

“I’ll call our general manager’s office.” He stood up and looked at the densely packed flow of people downstairs as he said this.

……

The middle-aged man carrying a backpack walked for a long time until he finally sat down slowly in the rest area at the end of the corridor. To his left was the last emergency exit on the entire floor. Compared to the scene in front of the hall, there wasn’t a person here.

He put down his backpack, took out a sandwich, and patiently ate it.

The auntie in charge of cleaning looked at the man eating his sandwich inexplicably as she dragged a mop towards his feet.

The middle-aged man moved his feet good-naturedly and took another bite of his sandwich, revealing the bright red ham inside.

The cleaning auntie asked, “Did you send your daughter to the concert?”

The middle-aged man laughed and showed a warm smile. “Yes.”

“But isn’t the singer dead?”

“My daughter likes him, so I can’t help it.” He stood up helplessly, took a last bite, and threw the sandwich wrapper into the trash can. Then he walked down the emergency exit passage.

……

A reminder that the train was about to arrive at Xining Square Station was broadcast in the subway train.

Lin Chen raised his head and glanced at the indicator light. They were two stops away from the Christine Cultural Center.

Just now, news came from Jiang Chao that most of the police force at Lake Ludi had been mobilized to deal with a series of accidents caused by spontaneously combusting vehicles in the tunnel under the lake. The leader of the squadron said that to transfer another squadron, there must be sufficient evidence to prove that there may be an attack. Otherwise, the random deployment of firefighting forces was detrimental to fire safety in other areas of the city. What if this was to lure the tiger out of the mountains*?

*(调虎离山) Idiom referring to tricks used to make the other party leave the original place in order for them to take advantage of the opportunity (AKA a diversion).

This was what the other party said.

Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian.

Xing Conglian had just finished his phone call with the general manager of the Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center. The general manager on the other line had similar sentiments. Of course, the bomb attack was just something he made up, but he couldn’t think of another reason that would make the other party relatively nervous without causing them to panic too much.

The manager had a relatively good attitude. He said in a cooperative tone, “Yes, I understand. I will report the traffic data you want immediately, but I really don’t know you. Do you have any way to prove your identity? Or can you ask any superiors in the development area to give me a call? I will quickly act if I receive a call from a superior.”

After he finished speaking, he hung up.

While looking at the floor plan of the cultural center, Xing Conglian couldn’t help but dial Jiang Chao’s number again.

“Can you contact the leaders of the Xining Development Zone? Ask them to call the manager of the cultural center and help me confirm my identity.”

“Lao Xing, Lao Xing, are you seriously using me as a secretary? I’m currently divided in 18 pieces right now. Do you know how many superiors have called me to ask if my brain is broken? If nothing happens in the end, I’m sure we’re not escaping this with just a warning. They might even force us to resign.”

“Where are you now?” Xing Conglian asked.

“Laozi just got on the subway, and I just notified all levels of the city, but the opinions of the superiors are unified. You have to have evidence. It’s not sufficient to speculate that the dark web will do a live death broadcast twice based on Song Shengsheng’s suicide. As long as you have sufficient evidence, the power of the city will be deployed by you!”

Lin Chen heard these words in his mind. Wang Chao had been searching for live content on the dark web non-stop since they stepped on the Jeep. Lin Chen glanced at the time. It was 15 minutes before the meeting started, which made it impossible to confirm and collect evidence within this short time.

“You once said that you’re very familiar with the source code of the app that Royal One uses. Have you compared that code to the live broadcast website?”

Lin Chen couldn’t help asking Wang Chao. Although he also knew well that it was most likely impossible for Wang Chao not to have done so, at this critical moment, he could only ask this.

“Of course I have compared A’Chen, and I even compared it with Yang Dianfeng’s foot-binding system. It shouldn’t be written by the same person.”

Xing Conglian hung up the phone and continued to look through the drawings before asking, “Consultant Lin, with your understanding of these people, how will they act this time?”

“Our last operation destroyed their stronghold, so it’s impossible for them to organize enough manpower in a short period of time, so this operation is more like revenge. If you’re not wrong in your judgment of that bug, then the power they possess can’t be underestimated. What we’re facing isn’t a small criminal organization, but more like a medium- or large-sized crime syndicate.”

“In other words, our opponent’s technological power may be above us, such as the ability to control cyber networks?” Xing Conglian asked.

“Captain, although it’s urgent now, I’m still very upset when you say that!”

Xing Conglian held down the tablet with two fingers and zoomed in on the drawing of the culture center. “When you were looking for evidence in the Li Jingtian case, did you look at the management system of the Christine Cultural Center?”

Wang Chao took a sharp inhale. “I seem to have seen it once or twice!”

“Holy shit, Captain!” The teenager wanted to hack into the network system of the cultural center while talking, but for some unknown reason, he couldn’t open the homepage of the cultural center’s website.

“I want to get off this train. I want to get off!” Wang Chao smacked his laptop out of irritability and almost dropped it.

“What’s wrong?” Xing Conglian asked.

“I can’t connect to the cultural center’s intranet anymore.”

“The firewall is too great?”

“No, no…” Wang Chao said in extreme panic, “There’s only one possibility for this situation…”

“What?”

“Someone manually disconnected the network, either by cutting the optical cable or destroying the telecommunication distribution box.”

……

In fact, it wasn’t Wang Chao who first discovered there was a problem with the cultural center’s network, but Heng Xiao, the secretary of the general manager’s office. He found that the last message on WeChat he wanted to send to his girlfriend failed to deliver.

The sound of many employees desperately clicking the mouse immediately sounded in the office and whispering gradually followed.

Mr. General Manager rushed out of the office and said to him, “Notify all the staff to take up their posts at once and prepare for emergency protocol. We need to start evacuating the audience.”

Heng Xiao looked at his boss and was stunned. “Did you say, evacuate?”

Mr. General Manager glanced around the office and asked, “What’s the matter? Why are you just standing there blankly? Do you not have ears?”

“Manager, our network is disconnected…” Heng Xiao said timidly.

“What’s the use of telling me our network is down?” After the manager finished speaking, he suddenly thought of something, and his face turned pale. He quickly took out his phone and called the police officer back just now.

“Mr. Police Officer, our network is down, and we can’t get traffic data for the time being. I’m going to the surveillance room now.” The manager rushed out of the office while speaking. The moment he ran out the door, he didn’t forget to yell at his subordinates. “Get to work! We have people to save!”

The violin music in the hall was about to reach its climax, giving an ominous feeling of a turbulent sea rolling in.

……

Mu Wenhua finally squeezed into the main auditorium and found her seat.

There were three floors in the performance hall. It was said that only half the floor was open to the fan meeting, but now, Mu Wenhua saw that even the corner of the third floor was filled.

She put down her bag and sent her husband a text that she had arrived safely, then she opened her bag where she kept an old CD that she planned to get Song Shengsheng’s autograph.

At this moment, a broadcast sounded. “Due to circuit failure and other reasons, the Christine Cultural Center is about to close. Please find the nearest emergency exit and leave the venue in an orderly manner.”

Mu Wenhua couldn’t help clenching her purse strap tightly. She suddenly thought of her daughter.

……

Lin Chen followed Xing Conglian and Wang Chao and rushed out of the subway entrance. The towering Christine Cultural Center appeared in view.

The people from the Xining Development Zone police station had arrived. The captain was giving orders to his team. When he saw Xing Conglian, the sweaty police captain hurriedly said, “Lao Jiang has already told us the situation. We came as soon as we received the news. Now the first step is to evacuate the crowd, right?”

Before his voice fell, there seemed to be a muffled sound from inside the cultural center not far away.

People in the venue had already followed the instructions of the staff and started to evacuate one after another, with a steady flow of people rushing out. However, the sudden noise caused them to settle on the spot and look back.

Following the sight of those people, facing the dazzling sun, Lin Chen looked in the direction of the cultural center. If he heard right, it was a dull sound just now, which sounded like a small explosive device.

They didn’t have time to breathe and ran against the flow of people to the top of the steps.

Xing Conglian’s phone rang again, as if with some kind of reminder. Lin Chen had never felt that running nonstop could be so exhausting.

As soon as they rushed into the hall, the deafening sound of the alarm bells ringing echoed. He couldn’t see any fire, but the bell slamming into the eardrums was enough to make their vision dazed. There were terrified faces and crazy screams. A girl with long hair was throwing up while a boy’s gray sneaker lay on the floor. Everything was like a palette that kept stirring, making Lin Chen so dizzy that he had to stop and gasp for breath.

“What’s the situation inside?” Xing Conglian grabbed a boy who didn’t look too flustered and asked.

Perhaps it was because his extraordinary calmness was contagious that the boy followed his instructions and replied clearly, “As soon as the staff started to evacuate us, a trash can exploded on the second floor. I heard people say that there’s a fire somewhere inside!”

The slight sound of the violin came from the building. The strings trembled and the music was high, as if flames were spewing out.

The police officers of Xining police station rushed into the hall against the flow of people. Lin Chen was about to follow but was pulled by Xing Conglian. “Where do you think that Mr. Meijing will be?”

“It’s definitely not in this cultural center.” Lin Chen stood up straight and quickly understood the meaning of Xing Conglian’s words. His heart suddenly became clear. “If I was deliberately trying to create a tragedy, I would definitely not be far from it. I would watch the turmoil happen with my own eyes.” He looked around. The Christine Cultural Center was surrounded by construction sites, and there were only three completed buildings nearby. Then, from the building with the best view, someone might be looking at the chaos with a gratified smile.

“Wang Chao, do me a favor and calculate which of the three buildings has the best view here.”

The teenager’s gifted space imagination was once again exerted to the extreme. He looked at the three high-rise buildings around him, then pointed to one of them and said, “That one.”

While they were talking, water suddenly poured down from the ceiling. Many people screamed again when they were sprayed by the cold water. Lin Chen looked up and found that the automatic sprinkler at the cultural center was still working, but there was no fire in the lobby of the first floor. The firefighting system in place at the Christine Cultural Center was top-notch. However, he suddenly remembered that the network had just been disconnected, and he could only become more worried.

Whether it was the fire-fighting system or a building intelligence control system, these weren’t his areas of expertise.

“I’m going there.” He pointed to the high-rise building outside and said to Xing Conglian decisively.

“Lin Chen!” Just as he turned around, Xing Conglian called out to him.

Lin Chen turned around suddenly, and an explosion sounded. The violin abruptly stopped as the water splashing from the ceiling reached its end. Lin Chen was shocked to find the fire-proof rolling gate that was originally used to separate the large space beginning to lower slowly.

The crowd started screaming again.

Everyone frantically wanted to run out before the rolling gate descended, but at that moment, Lin Chen found that the faces of everyone around him had disappeared, and he could only see Xing Conglian.

Even though the crowd was pushing like waves hitting the shore, Xing Conglian still stood firm, like an unwavering rock.

Lin Chen watched him take something from his waist and throw it hard. He stretched out his hand to catch it. When he touched it, it felt cold. He lowered his head only to find that Xing Conglian had thrown him a gun.

When he looked up again, the rolling gate fell. The cold and ruthless silver-gray separated them.

The screams around him were still the same, but he could no longer see Xing Conglian.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 161

What he asked was, if their hypothesis was true, what was the real reason Song Shengsheng chose to commit suicide a few hours before the fan meeting started?

He couldn’t continue to bear it and wanted to get rid of Xiang Ye’s control and use his death to expose these shady things?

The more he learned about Song Shengsheng’s experience, the more Lin Chen believed that he would not easily choose to die.

Although he and Xing Conglian had no evidence in their speculation on many past details of the case, such as the tooth or the reason why Song Shengsheng was unable to speak, it was even more likely that their reasoning was fundamentally untenable. There was no bug in that tooth, and no one threatened the lives of Song Shengsheng’s fans. Song Shengsheng just didn’t want to live anymore, and he died of world weariness.

But what if they were lucky enough to guess it correctly?

Song Shengsheng, who lived under the shadow of Li Jingtian, didn’t commit suicide, nor did he do it despite all the grievances he suffered and went to prison. He was monitored every day and didn’t choose to commit suicide on any of the days he was being monitored. Then why did he commit suicide nine years later?

Why was it on the early morning of June 1^st?

Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian. “Apart from Xiang Ye threatening Song Shengsheng with the lives of fans or some other person so he couldn’t seek help from the police, is there any other reason he couldn’t go to the police?”

“I can’t think of any other reason,” Xing Conglian said bluntly.

Lin Chen thought that if even Xing Conglian couldn’t figure it out, then the people behind the scenes most likely couldn’t either.

Lin Chen said, “According to what you said, he lived to protect those whose lives might be threatened. Then he chose to commit suicide. Did he give up protecting those people? Are we ignoring the most fundamental problem?” There was a very terrifying speculation in his heart. Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian and continued to ask, “If he’s not dead, what will happen next?”

“What will happen?”

“Yes.”

“Nothing. Everything is the same as arranged before. Later, his fan meeting will be held, and he will return to the stage to meet with people who have insisted on loving him for many years…” Xing Conglian suddenly paused as if he thought of something.

Lin Chen nodded and continued, “Song Shengsheng didn’t hesitate to cut his throat. It happened to be in the early morning hours before the fan meeting. It was neither too early nor too late, so Xiang Ye had to cancel the meeting at the last minute. Song Shengsheng is strong. He survived to protect certain people. Then, I think he chose death to protect those people. If my analysis is correct, his death is most likely to prevent something terrible. The fan meeting was to be held on June 1^st. That’s to say, a terrible thing will happen at the fan meeting, and he could only use his death to stop it.”

Lin Chen suddenly had a realization. “Song Shengsheng won’t suddenly give up on his beliefs. He chose to commit suicide, which meant that the chips that were threatening him with had been upgraded. Please tell me, what does this mean?”

Xing Conglian replied, “People will die at Song Shengsheng’s fan meeting. Therefore, after he knew this, he could only prevent the worst from happening by committing suicide.”

This was simply a fantasy hypothesis. However, the analysis that was often regarded as fantasy was truth. Even if Lin Chen didn’t want to think about it, he still quickly captured another possibility—Xiang Ye didn’t want to make Song Shengsheng popular again because he wanted to use Song Shengsheng to make money.

Lin Chen turned around, pushed open the door of the autopsy room, and rushed in.

Just as Song Shengsheng’s body was about to be put in the freezer, he grabbed the medical examiner and shouted, “Wait!”

The oncoming cold air chilled him. Song Shengsheng’s eyelashes drooped, and his face was serene. There was no trace of despair, grief, or unwillingness in his death. He sat in the bathtub, looked up at the vast starry sky outside the window, and didn’t hesitate to slit his throat.

It happened in the early morning hours before the fan meeting. It was neither too early nor too late, so Xiang Ye had to cancel the fan meeting at the last minute.

This wasn’t due to depression, world-weariness, or a last-resort resistance. This was the most sober choice, the most precise calculation, and the most magnanimous death.

Because he only had this path and no other options.

Lin Chen wanted to touch the terrible wound on Song Shengsheng’s neck but was stopped by the medical examiner. “What are you doing?”

Song Shengsheng had done so many things with his death that he must have also used it to point out the real culprit.

Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian and asked in an extremely calm tone, “Suicide, mass murder. What does that remind you of?”

Xing Conglian frowned and pondered, then suddenly opened his eyes wide and stared at him. “The dark web live broadcast?”

After Xing Conglian finished speaking, they both rushed out the door at the same time.

Xing Conglian ran down to the first floor and shouted in the hall of the police station. “Wang Chao! Wang Chao!”

He shouted so loudly that everyone around him turned their heads and looked at him. Finally, the teenager’s depressed voice came, “Here, Captain.”

Wang Chao’s voice floated out from some random office.

“Get out and go to the parking lot, now!”

Xing Conglian was running towards the parking lot outside while he was speaking. Lin Chen could understand his anxiety, but he couldn’t understand why his first reaction was to go to the car under such circumstances. But he still trusted Xing Conglian’s determination and followed him out.

12:30.

Under the scorching sun, the interior of the Jeep was so hot it was difficult to breathe. Xing Conglian didn’t even hesitate to start the engine. When he turned the car around and returned to the entrance of the police station, he happened to catch Wang Chao, who was rushing out.

Wang Chao climbed into the car panting, and before he could close the door, Xing Conglian had already stepped on the gas and driven out.

“What the hell, Captain…”

“Shut up and listen to me,” Xing Conglian interrupted. “We now suspect that the reason Xiang Ye planned Song Shengsheng’s fan meeting is to carry out a new round of live death broadcasts. First, tell me the latest news of Song Shengsheng’s fan meeting progress.”

Wang Chao was so shocked that it looked like his body would explode. He grabbed the back of his seat and asked, “Captain, this is a motherfucking god unfolding*. Why is Xiang Ye planning a live death broadcast? This is impossible. He took the initiative to cancel the fan meeting!”

*Term used to describe when there’s a huge leap in the plot that develops in an extremely fast direction.

“He wants to cover it up,” Xing Conglian said coldly. “Just check on whatever I ask you to check, and cut the crap.”

Lin Chen suddenly came to his senses. He thought of Mr. Meijing, who had disappeared without a trace. From the beginning, Xiang Ye was just an illusion to attract their attention. Because he canceled the fan meeting on his own initiative, it was difficult for them to realize the problems behind it. Xiang Ye also actively cooperated with the police investigation, and he was already detained. It was easy for them to relax their vigilance due to being tired of investigating the case.

But, fundamentally speaking, if this was a live death broadcast, then Xiang Ye couldn’t do it alone. Including Mr. Meijing, who was still at large, anyone else could appear at any time.

But this time, where did Xiang Ye find so many brainwashed students?

Wang Chao quickly began tapping the keyboard, and after a while, his hands suddenly stopped.

“Captain, it seems that Song Shengsheng’s fan meeting was never canceled.”

“Finish speaking in one breath,” Xing Conglian said coldly.

“Song Shengsheng’s website, Baidu forums, and individual websites have all collectively issued a new announcement.”

Wang Chao quickly dragged the mouse and handed the laptop over. “This is a joint statement issued by 7 major fan websites.”

Lin Chen turned his head and quickly glanced at the content of the statement.

The joint statement of the 7 major fan websites stated that even though Xiang Ye and the Yansheng Performing Arts Group had canceled the meeting, the 7 fan websites had discussed with Yansheng Performing Arts after collecting fans’ opinions and decided to temporarily change the fan meeting into a memorial service and would hold it as usual.

The statement also said that although Shengsheng committed suicide due to depression, it was his wish to return to the stage. Even when he was suffering from depression, he wanted to come back and see them again. So, although Shengsheng had fallen before the concert, the fans couldn’t. Besides, many girls flew from other provinces and even abroad, and there were even more fans who didn’t manage to get a ticket, camping outside the performing arts center early. Whether it was for Shengsheng or these girls, the meeting had to continue. This was for Shengsheng and the wish of everyone who loved him.

In order to realize everyone’s wishes, the 7 major fan websites discussed it with the person in charge of the Cultural Center and the Yansheng Performing Arts Group and made a new decision. As long as all fans abided by the order, they would arrange for as many people as possible to enter the venue.

Lin Chen couldn’t help but sneer. This seemed to be the result of a joint discussion between fans, but it was most likely Xiang Ye’s will. Xiang Ye was Song Shengsheng’s first agent, so naturally he had all the publicity resources related to Song Shengsheng, which of course included the relevant account numbers of the initial high-level managers of all of Song Shengsheng’s fan sites.

He didn’t need to call on Song Shengsheng’s fans through mass media platforms. As long as he controlled the high-level accounts of influential fans, he could, of course, control most of Song Shengsheng’s fans.

Xiang Ye had no intention of giving up the plan from the start.

Just as Lin Chen was thinking, Xing Conglian had already driven them to the subway station.

He quickly stopped the car and said to Wang Chao, “Take all your things and get three sets of wireless headsets out.”

Wang Chao hurriedly opened his backpack. “Captain, where are we going now?’

“The subway.”

Wang Chao shook out three miniature headsets from the pile of scraps in his backpack, spread out his palm, and handed it to them. “Why?”

“There’s a traffic jam in the Lake Ludi Tunnel.” Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian and connected all the details again.

The Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center was located in the Xining Development Zone, surrounded by water on all sides. It was a huge island in the inner lake. Except for the tunnel at the bottom of Lake Ludi, there was only one access channel to Yongchuan Ave, and Yongchuan Ave was the main road of Yongchuan that was always jammed day and night.

Xiang Ye’s choice of the Christine Cultural Center was premeditated. Even the current traffic jam in the Lake Ludi Tunnel was probably Xiang Ye’s handiwork. Song Shengsheng used his own death to make things clear, but they didn’t think about it earlier.

Xing Conglian sensed his anxiety. He stretched out his hand and pressed his neck, then leaned in front of him and said slowly, “We’ll take care of this matter together. Trust me. Believe in yourself and also believe in Song Shengsheng.”

Lin Chen suddenly came back to his senses. “Okay,” he said.

In fact, he didn’t know where Xing Conglian’s transcendent confidence came from when he told him this. On a normal day, Xing Conglian would walk and gossip with him with squinted eyes, but deep down in his heart, he knew very well that Xing Conglian wasn’t an ordinary police officer who liked to drink beer and eat peanuts.

After learning that Xiang Ye might attack the cultural center, Xing Conglian’s first reaction wasn’t to stop and investigate the problem first, but to go there; after learning that the fan meeting would continue on a larger scale, Xing Conglian didn’t waste time investigating Xiang Ye’s motives, gathering related evidence, or calling his superiors to report the situation, and instead called Jiang Chao first.

As Xing Conglian was running, Lin Chen could hear his breath through the headset, which wasn’t disturbed at all.

They descended into the subway station through the turnstiles, and the long wind howled from the far end of the tunnel.

After giving a brief overview of the situation, bright train lights soon appeared from the distance of the tunnel.

“Yes, mobilize the police and rush to the Christine Cultural Center. Abandon the use of police cars and take the subway. At the same time, notify fire and medical staff that there’s a traffic jam in the Lake Lidu Tunnel and be sure to take Yongchuan Ave. Please cooperate with the traffic police department to divert traffic and set out as soon as possible. The sooner, the better.”

He didn’t know what Jiang Chao said on the other end, but it was probably along the lines of “Lao Xing, won’t this create a big fuss without clearly investigating?” or “If nothing happens, we have to take responsibility.” These words would be what anyone would say in front of a conspiracy theorist who lacked evidence. Xing Conglian aggravated his tone and said mercilessly, “Shut your mouth. Now, we are worried about the lives of thousands of people at the cultural center. This is a great responsibility that we can’t afford, so tell your boss and your boss’ boss exactly this.”

The subway train door opened, and they stepped into the carriage and sat down side by side.

Lin Chen glanced at the road map. Their location was 6 stops away from the Christine Cultural Center, which would take them about 15-20 minutes.

“Wang Chao,” Xing Conglian shouted.

“Yes!”

“Give me the floor plan of the Christine Cultural Center.” At this moment, even the 18-year-old Wang Chao showed extraordinary calmness. He took out his spare tablet and handed it to Xing Conglian and added, “The internet speed on the subway is too poor, so it will take a while.”

Soon, a floor plan of the original construction of the Christine Cultural Center slowly unfolded. The picture was slightly stuck when it was rolling out. Taking this opportunity, Xing Conglian took the tablet and said, “Before calling the cultural center to evacuate the crowd, we must first come up with a plan. Otherwise, the crowd will panic, and a stampede could easily occur.”

Lin Chen realized again that a similar situation had happened before.

Perhaps the Ansheng International Shopping Mall incident itself was a rehearsal at that time. Xiang Ye planned the accident to calculate the reaction time of the relevant police forces. If this speculation was true, then he was afraid they would encounter a more detailed plan this time.

And when they began to evacuate the masses, it would alert Xiang Ye. This was why Xing Conglian didn’t call the cultural center first, but it was simply impossible to evacuate everyone quietly.

“Wang Chao.” Lin Chen said to the teenager, “First, adjust the surveillance cameras so we can grasp the flow of people inside and outside the cultural center.”

The teenager said with pain, “I tried just now, but the internet on the subway is really bad, so I can’t tap into the surveillance.”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 160

Some people could always talk non-stop, while others were unable to speak due to bad luck.

Although Lin Chen didn’t know exactly what means the other party used to prevent Song Shengsheng from going to the police, there were dark forces at play that had many ways to make them shut up obediently.

Xing Conglian put his hand on Lin Chen’s shoulder and gently pressed it. Then he asked Li Jingtian, “Li Jingtian, was it really your idea to ask Liu Ying to trick Xu Ran into doing those things?”

Li Jingtian raised his head suddenly, seemingly inexplicable, but the shock hidden in his eyes couldn’t be concealed.

Lin Chen couldn’t grasp Xing Conglian’s question, so he turned to look at him.

“Answer me.” Xing Conglian slammed his hands on the iron table, leaned forward, and stared at Li Jingtian.

After a while, Li Jingtian pinched the cigarette butt tightly and casually said, “It’s really interesting for you to ask that.”

“Consultant Lin, does his answer represent ‘yes’ or ‘no’?” Xing Conglian asked.

“No direct denial means acquiescence.” After Lin Chen finished speaking, he suddenly came to a realization and was frightened. “What do you mean?”

Xing Conglian nodded and spoke to Li Jingtian with a sneer. “Nine years ago, your grandfather was the ambassador here. CA Entertainment might have shut Song Shengsheng up to protect you, but nine years have passed now. Your family is just at the end of its strength in Xinni. Have you ever thought that this time, the abandoned son has become you, and the person who is replacing your high position is Song Shengsheng?”

Li Jingtian’s face showed uncertainty.

However, Xing Conglian didn’t plan to let him go. “You know, Xiang Ye asked Song Shengsheng to work in a bakery near our place as early as three months ago. He did this just to let us relax our vigilance. He had been planning Song Shengsheng’s comeback as early as three months ago. Looking back now, in those three months after you raped Xu Ran, all you needed to do was calm down and keep your mouth shut. You can still be a big star and enjoy the admiration of passersby and the screams of fans. But you planned that throat-slitting case at Hongjing Ansheng International Mall and bumped into Consultant Lin.”

Li Jingtian suddenly pushed the table and chair away frantically and yelled at Xing Conglian. “Shut up! Shut up!”

“Sorry, the person who could shut me up hasn’t been born yet.” Xing Conglian smiled and took out a cigarette, lighting it. He took a puff and narrowed his eyes as he blew out the smoke. “You have chosen a good meeting place and a good candidate. Where did you find that girl who was superb at acting and looked like Xu Ran? It also happened in Hongjing… Tsk, it’s a suicidal attack.”

Li Jingtian’s hideous face finally appeared to crumble.

With a cigarette in his hand, Xing Conglian walked step by step toward Li Jingtian. “No matter who the person behind you is, they just need to give you a little guidance that even you won’t notice was guiding you into an abyss of self-inflicted crimes. Then, they just needed to gently push you. For example, they could just give us some tips in time, then it wouldn’t be difficult for you to not die.” Xing Conglian paused, pinched the cigarette butt, and said to Li Jingtian, “Of course, this is all my personal speculation. So, does this person really exist, Mr. Li Jingtian?”

Li Jingtian raised his head violently. Aroused by fierceness, he actually reached out to grab Xing Conglian’s neck but was easily kicked to the ground.

Xing Conglian seemed to think he was too dirty to even touch, so he lightly kicked Li Jingtian’s leg and feet. “Someone has done a lot of harm to you. If I were you, I wouldn’t make that person feel better. So, tell me, who is that person, okay?”

……

When they walked out of the airport interrogation room, the narrow room was filled with Li Jingtian’s screams. The cry was like the wailing of a wild boar that had been grabbed by the neck at the last moment of its life. With a strong sense of unwillingness and resentment, the escorts wrestled with Li Jingtian in the room.

Lin Chen walked out of the airport with Xing Conglian amidst the sounds of those screams and tables and chairs colliding.

The sky was blue and still high, and the scorching sun made people unable to keep their eyes open.

In fact, things were simpler than they thought. Although simple, they completely grasped Li Jingtian’s true feelings.

According to Li Jingtian, that person was one of his ardent fans. By chance, the other party added him on WeChat and sent him nasty and fanatical confessions every day, sometimes praising his songs and sometimes scolding the occasional attacks on him online. After Xu Ran’s incident, the other party made it clear that no matter what he thought, she would do a great thing for him, so the bitch who dared wrong him would taste the feeling of being reviled to death, and she would use this method to help clear his grievances.

A fanatical fan with unspeakable reverence. What Li Jingtian did was just simply push the boat along the water and let Liu Ying deceive Xu Ran to come to Hongjing.

“What the hell can I do? If I can’t get Xu Ran here and she pretends to be her on stage, those stupid mad dogs online will say I made it all up!”

Similarly, Li Jingtian wouldn’t have anything to lose if the rabid fan hadn’t come on stage and slit his throat. Besides, with a great opportunity to attract everyone’s attention, Li Jingtian was obviously tempted.

In the whole plan, the only thing Li Jingtian didn’t expect was that the other party planted a nightingale in the bouquet of roses.

Lin Chen stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the airport. The sunlight shining on him was hot, but he actually had a cold, biting feeling.

The roses left at the scene of the crime were nothing more than clues created by those behind the scenes for him. One hinted at the wandering warbler, Xu Ran, and the other hinted at Li Jingtian’s psychological condition. If he guessed correctly, the other party simply induced him to track down Li Jingtian’s rape on Xu Ran, and they were sure if he had followed the trail, he would stumble upon Song Shengsheng’s old case back then.

If so, it was no accident that Xu Ran walked into that room; someone deliberately arranged it through the prostitution app.

After that, with Li Jingtian’s reputation in ruins, the effects of a short-term news outbreak would be terrifying, and Song Shengsheng could naturally recover his reputation quickly. Lin Chen remembered the public opinion data that Wang Chao had summarized. The second information outbreak was far more terrifying than the first.

And the person behind the scenes wasn’t afraid that he would find out someone was behind Li Jingtian’s instigation, because if Song Shengsheng wasn’t dead, Lin Chen would naturally suspect all this was planned by him for revenge.

At that time, Song Shengsheng, under the control of others, could only remain silent again.

Proficient in the media, hype the entertainment industry, and have a possible vested interest in this case; it seemed it could only be Xiang Ye and not CA Entertainment. CA was already exposed to being involved with Royal One in this case and compromised two of their big names, Li Jingtian and Mu Zhuo. Song Shengsheng, who hadn’t been in the news for ten years, wasn’t worth this kind of loss at all.

Lin Chen clenched his fists tightly. The question now was, how did Xiang Ye control Song Shengsheng. Who was he and why did he plan these series of events for Song Shengsheng’s comeback?

And the only way they could make things clear was to ask Xiang Ye himself.

Xing Conglian bought two cans of iced coffee from the vending machine. He opened one and handed it to Lin Chen and asked, “Do you regret it?”

Of course, this regret was referring to whether he regretted clearing Song Shengsheng’s name and bringing Li Jingtian to justice, just as Xiang Ye had hoped.

“I don’t.” Lin Chen found that he didn’t hesitate when he answered Xing Conglian’s question. He would never regret this kind of thing.

“Isn’t this the end?”

Xing Conglian pressed the iced coffee to his cheek, and the sudden cold and refreshing feeling made Lin Chen raise his head.

“It may be cruel to say these things to you now, but it’s not over. Please keep your chin up, Consultant Lin.”

Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian’s calm and resolute eyes and nodded. “I understand.” He turned and leaned on the floor-to-ceiling window and said to Xing Conglian, “This is almost an exhaustive plan, and even the retreat has been thoroughly thought out. If it weren’t for Song Shengsheng’s suicide, Xiang Ye’s plan might not have been exposed.”

Lin Chen once again remembered the man who ended his life with a blade in the bathtub. Only then did he realize that the deeper he investigated the case, the more reluctant he was to let Song Shengsheng leave.

But as Xing Conglian said, it wasn’t over yet. Xiang Ye still hadn’t faced the law, so now wasn’t the time to reminisce.

They quickly rushed back to the police station.

While on the road, Xing Conglian called the Yongchuan police officers and told them that Xiang Ye was a suspect and they had to detain him, but when they arrived at the police station, Xiang Ye wasn’t there.

“What happened?” Xing Conglian asked with a frown.

“Our people are with Mr. Xiang and have detained him, but the entire line at the Ludi Lake Tunnel is blocked by traffic, and the road development in that zone isn’t smooth, so they haven’t arrived yet.”

Lin Chen’s heart was slightly relieved. At this moment, the police officer said, “The autopsy of the deceased, Song Shengsheng, has been completed. Do you want to go and have a look?”

……

Lin Chen walked to the front of the autopsy room with Xing Conglian.

He was about to push open the door, but Xing Conglian held his hand.

“It’s okay. It’s not the first time I’ve seen a corpse,” he said as he was about to enter.

“Lin Chen, this isn’t the crime scene. You going in now will just be purely torturing yourself.”

This was probably one of those rare moments when Xing Conglian called him by his name.

Lin Chen couldn’t think of any words to refute Xing Conglian. He quickly woke up, took a step back, and said to Xing Conglian, “Then, let’s ask Mr. Medical Examiner to come out and talk about it in detail.”

He sat on the bench outside the autopsy room and watched Xing Conglian’s figure enter the door. When the door panel closed, it made a soft squeak.

Song Shengsheng’s cause of death was obvious. At that time, the medical examiner had already stated it clearly. He slit his throat without hesitation with a blade.

The reason he committed suicide was to let them find Li Jingtian and tear off Xiang Ye’s mask, but deep down in Lin Chen’s heart, he always felt that Song Shengsheng’s death wasn’t that simple.

Song Shengsheng… Song Shengsheng…

You have persisted for so many years. None of them have been able to make you succumb. You have said so many things with your death. So, is there anything I haven’t heard yet?

After Xing Conglian entered the autopsy room, he walked out again shortly after. Lin Chen could smell the scent of formalin floating on him.

Xing Conglian walked quickly towards him. Lin Chen stood up and asked, “How is it?”

“There are not many suspicious things about the autopsy. It was suicide.”

Lin Chen thought, ‘Sure enough.’ Before he had time to think of what to say, Xing Conglian said, “But there’s a problem.”

“What?”

“Song Shengsheng is missing a tooth.”

Lin Chen suddenly raised his head. “What do you mean?”

‘The second molar tooth of his lower jaw. According to the medical examiner, he could have lost it more than ten years ago. It was pulled out from the root. At the same time, there are obvious signs of dentures installed there.”

Lin Chen still didn’t know what Xing Conglian meant by this. Xing Conglian said, “I know a little bit about this kind of device. If I’m not mistaken, this is why Song Shengsheng couldn’t speak.”

“I don’t understand.” He couldn’t help but grab the cuffs of Xing Conglian’s uniform.

“This method is commonly used in espionage. Many things can be installed in a small denture, such as bugs, positioning devices, and the like. More than ten years ago, this technology had already matured.”

Lin Chen felt as if lightning had struck him. “You mean, Xiang Ye pulled out Song Shengsheng’s tooth and installed an eavesdropping device on him, so no matter what he said, he would be monitored, and he couldn’t take off this tooth because Xiang Ye would find out? So, are you telling me that Song Shengsheng has lived under 24-hour, non-stop surveillance for nearly ten years?”

“I’m afraid it’s more than that. Because even so, there’s still no way to avoid other forms of communication.”

“You mean writing?”

“Yes, Song Shengsheng has a lot of time to be interrogated separately at the police station. He could write on paper and tell the police what happened. So, how on earth could Xiang Ye make him obedient when he’s unable to write?”

“I can’t think of it. Please tell me.”

Every word that Xing Conglian was saying was so cruel that Lin Chen couldn’t imagine the experience behind this cruelty.

“In fact, the tooth itself is meaningless, but it’s like a sword of Damocles* hanging high on top. It’s telling Song Shengsheng, don’t step out of line. This is all I know. To find out how he could control a person to the point of no resistance, you still need to go from here.” Xing Conglian raised his finger and poked his heart.

*Commonly used as an allusion to imminent and ever-present peril faced by those in positions of power.

“So, Xiang Ye was threatening Song Shengsheng with someone.”

Lin Chen thought about this issue, but he thought about it for a long time and couldn’t come up with a correct conclusion. How could Song Shengsheng have so many important people worth caring about? At that time, he couldn’t figure out this question. It was simply too evil to think about.

Besides his fans, who else did Song Shengsheng care about?

Lin Chen raised his head, and Xing Conglian was staring at him with clear eyes.

Xing Conglian was one step ahead and said the most difficult thing on their minds. “If I were Xiang Ye and wanted to control Song Shengsheng, I just need to install a bug on him and tell him as long as he dares take it out or disclose any information to the police, I’ll kill one of his fans. There are thousands of fans out there. Please believe me and the forces behind me that we have ways to kill many fans before the police can act.”

Lin Chen really wanted to deny Xing Conglian’s guess, but he searched his guts and found that it was the most suitable shackle for Song Shengsheng. The other party could even tell him that as long as he dared to die, he would kill his fans as well, so he could certainly try it.

Anyone under such torture either would become a lunatic or would choose to die, but Song Shengsheng even lost the right to die freely. He had an arduous psychological struggle and may have been on the verge of collapse, but he was still sober and alive until he died.

Song Shengsheng remained silent. He walked into prison and gave up any chance that anyone would like him again, and Lin Chen finally knew what kind of belief was behind the symbol Song Shengsheng drew.

He looked at Xing Conglian and asked solemnly, “If you guess right, why did he choose to commit suicide today?”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 159

“Song Shengsheng is the stupidest person I have ever seen.”

Li Jingtian was finally able to sit down properly. He asked Xing Conglian for a cigarette, which Xing Conglian handed over, although his face was full of displeasure.

Lin Chen always felt that he had seen evil in the world, but the story told by Li Jingtian still made him unable to feel any light.

According to Li Jingtian, the first time he saw Song Shengsheng was at a global concert tour. At that time, Song Shengsheng sang high on the stage, tore off his shirt, and then winked in his direction. Li Jingtian felt that Song Shengsheng was seducing him.

What happened later was that one party was deliberate while the other was unaware.

For Song Shengsheng, Li Jingtian joined CA Entertainment as a trainee, but his status was far from Song Shengsheng. At that time, Song Shengsheng was the darling of the media, blessed by the gods. He was chic and willful and even dared to kiss female models directly at cocktail parties. Seeing these things every day, Li Jingtian had the urge to cut Song Shengsheng’s throat directly and watch him lie in a pool of blood and bleed to death, but he knew he couldn’t, not because of his conscience, but because he hadn’t gotten Song Shengsheng yet.

Later, Li Jingtian was able to make inroads into the company and was about to make his debut. He finally got a little closer to Song Shengsheng’s circle of friends. Their singing practice room was downstairs from Song Shengsheng. He could always see Song Shengsheng talking or laughing with someone, but occasionally, when passing in front of him, he never glanced at him once. He even deliberately tried to walk up to Song Shengsheng once, bending over and bowing, greeting “Senior Song”, but Song Shengsheng just nodded slightly at him, said nothing, and didn’t even ask his name. This was the most unbearable thing for him. Song Shengsheng had completely touched his bottom line.

Li Jingtian couldn’t bear it anymore. He inquired about an underground bar that Song Shengsheng often went to. It was a place that the paparazzi didn’t even know about. It was secretive. Li Jingtian used some methods and started working at the bar. He slowly observed and understood Song Shengsheng, knowing that there were always different girls around him, knowing that although he liked to play with girls, he was always alone when he went home, and knowing that he liked to drink a lot and would black out after getting drunk.

Sure enough, the roles of a bartender and customer were the easiest to cultivate. He and Song Shengsheng slowly became familiar. Song Shengsheng sometimes would get tired of playing and would sit down alone in front of the bar, squinting in the dim light while drinking ordinary soda water, and would chat with him. When they first met, he unabashedly told Song Shengsheng that he was also an artist at CA Entertainment. Because he couldn’t accept the company’s unspoken rules, he had a hard time, and it was difficult to make a living, so he was forced to work in a bar.

“He actually believed the story I made up casually and said he admires me very much.” Li Jingtian laughed. “Don’t you think he’s stupid?”

“What happened later?” Lin Chen asked.

“Later, later on, he started to work hard for the company’s senior management to let Mu Zhuo and I make our debut as soon as possible. He also recorded a video with us. He actually helped me.” Li Jingtian narrowed his eyes. When he recalled that time, he actually showed a sarcastic smile on his face. “Then I thanked him, and we became friends. Sometimes, when he gets drunk at the bar, I will send him home. He was defenseless against me. He thought I was poor and would often secretly bring me delicious food. Why do you think there are such innocent and lovely people in this world?”

Lin Chen sat opposite Li Jingtian, unable to restrain himself from imagining the scene at that time.

Maybe at the bar, maybe under the streetlight, Song Shengsheng would confidently talk to Li Jingtian from the bottom of his heart and take care of him like a junior brother in class. He would pat Li Jingtian’s head, looking casual about it, but he actually cared about Li Jingtian’s feelings. He protected him and took care of him, but he never knew what kind of beast he was facing.

“Then one day, Song Shengsheng got drunk in the bar again. He hugged a woman and refused to let go. He would always ignore it when he drank happily. I took him away from the woman and sent him home. I think that time was simply given to me by God.” Li Jingtian hooked the corner of his mouth proudly and looked at them. “Consultant Lin, you’re smart. Can you guess what happened after?”

Lin Chen took a deep breath and said slowly, “For a person like Song Shengsheng, it’s impossible for you to imprison him in chains, because even if you break his legs, he will desperately climb out as long as he’s still breathing. Then, to control such a person, you can only use his kindness.” Lin Chen didn’t know how he could maintain such a calm tone. “He was drunk that night, and you made him mistakenly believe that he hurt you. Only in this way will he be firmly controlled by you. Am I right?”

Hearing what he said, Li Jingtian suddenly choked on the smoke and burst into tears of laughter. “Consultant Lin, you’re really the smartest person I have ever seen. The next morning, I deliberately made a lot of noise and spread blood everywhere. I sat on the bed and cried and told Song Shengsheng that he had raped me. I desperately said no, but he forcefully held me down and inserted it. I didn’t expect he would actually believe it. Don’t you think he’s an idiot?” Li Jingtian wiped away his tears from his laughter and continued, “Actually, as long as he turned me around and looked at my ass, he would know it wasn’t blood that came from my anus, and the bruises were done by me knocking into things, but for a dumbass like him, how could he know to check?”

Lin Chen didn’t dare stop and think about the scene at that time. As long as he thought of the deception Song Shengsheng had suffered, he wished he could go back decades ago, dragging Song Shengsheng from back then to look at exactly who Li Jingtian was…

But now it was decades later, and he didn’t have the ability to travel through time, so he could only ask coldly, “Then, I think if a person like Song Shengsheng found out he raped you, he might actually impulsively go to the police station and surrender himself. How could he obediently be controlled by you?”

“I praise you for being smart just now, yet you’re being stupid again? At that time, I begged him not to call the police. I still wanted to make my debut. An undoubted trainee who was sexually assaulted by a big star would definitely be abandoned by the company.”

Lin Chen lowered his head slightly, then raised it and stared at Li Jingtian. “Continue.”

“Consultant Lin, it’s not easy for you just now. This is just the appetizer. The content behind is quite heavy.”

“I pretended to be recuperating and lived in his house for a while. I faked having a mental illness, and sometimes I started to self-harm or lock myself in my room all day without saying a word. He was very worried and afraid that I had developed psychological issues, so he sent me to a psychiatrist. In fact, this was just ordinary acting. The me who saw him for the first time was the real me, but he thought I was crazy. I pressed him against the tiles of the bathroom. He resisted desperately, but he didn’t dare to hurt me. I said to him over and over again, ‘I love you’ as I entered him again and again. His body was really soft and hot. His blood dripped on my feet and his eyes—you should’ve seen it—it was so sad and heartbreaking.”

The cigarette in Li Jingtian’s hand had already burned out, but he still took a puff through the filter without tobacco.

“You made him mistakenly think you were mentally disturbed because of his violation, so he felt guilty and let you do whatever you want?” Lin Chen was a little suspicious.

“Yes, after I fucked him, I hugged him and said I was sorry. I left him disappointed and started to self-harm. I told him the psychiatrist said it was post-traumatic stress disorder. I asked him to stay away from me, and he softened again.” Li Jingtian chuckled. “How can there be such a soft-hearted and easy-to-deceive person in this world?”

“There’s a problem,” Lin Chen said.

“What problem?”

“Since you completely controlled him, why did you frame him for raping Mu Zhuo and send him to jail later? Did you get tired of him?”

“That’s him looking for death by himself, okay? If he obediently listened to me, there wouldn’t be any problems. I still ‘love’ him well…”

“How was he looking for death?”

“He went to seduce others in front of me. He was lewd and went around making waves. At that time, he was on tour, and the news was all about him getting a room with someone else. He had the smell of another woman on him. He also provoked me and said that if I can’t get him up, he’s going to find another man.” Li Jingtian smiled cruelly. “Don’t you think he’s courting death?”

“He noticed something was wrong, and he was testing you.”

“Do you think Song Shengsheng’s IQ is that high? You can say whatever you want.”

“I’m pretty sure he was testing you, and you did expose your crazy nature under his persecution at that time. He knew what kind of person you were, and he said he was going to the police, but you did it first.”

Li Jingtian shrugged. “At first, I didn’t think much of it and took some videos and warned him that if he said anything, I would put them on the internet and let all his fans know what a slut he is. But then, suddenly one day, he had the guts to tell me I could make it public, and he didn’t want to play with me anymore. He was really courting death~”

“So, you acted ahead of time, and together with Mu Zhuo, falsely accused him of rape?” Lin Chen spoke slowly, word by word. “You used the same method to frame him twice.”

“Aren’t I amazing?” Li Jingtian asked with a smile.

“It’s still wrong.” Lin Chen looked up at Xing Conglian. “If he already knew your true face at that time, he would have no reason not to tell the police what kind of person you are.”

“Maybe he wanted to go to jail and get fucked by more men?” Li Jingtian said.

Lin Chen ignored him and glanced at Xing Conglian, then continued, “Li Jingtian, let’s sort out the clues. First, Song Shengsheng mistakenly believed he hurt you and was controlled. Then, after a period of patience, he realized that you have a problem and noticed your true face by testing you. Then, you threatened him with a sex video and the like, forcing him to submit to you. Finally, he couldn’t stand it anymore and expressed his desire to go to the police, but before he could, you conspired with Mu Zhuo to get him ahead of time. Am I right?”

“Basically.” Li Jingtian smiled again. “I’m taking the initiative to report the crime and have a good attitude. Can I ask for leniency?”

Xing Conglian frowned and said, “Two questions. First, why didn’t he call the police immediately after he noticed your true face, and even gave you a second chance to coerce him. Second, when he finally couldn’t stand you anymore, he still gave you the opportunity to turn yourself in, and even didn’t tell the police what you did to him in the end.”

“Yes, it’s very strange, which is why I said he loves me, but you don’t believe it.”

“What do you think?” Xing Conglian asked Lin Chen. “Why did Song Shengsheng do this?”

Song Shengsheng tested Li Jingtian for the first time and discovered his true face, but in the end, he didn’t go to the police. Something must have happened during this time that forced him to give up this idea.

The only possibility was that Song Shengsheng’s idea of calling the police was known to someone, and the other party used some method to stop him, and that person was most likely Xiang Ye, who brought him to his debut and whom he had always trusted deeply. Assuming Xiang Ye represented the will of CA Entertainment and forced Song Shengsheng to give up the idea of calling the police in order to protect Li Jingtian, who had a powerful family background, then Xiang Ye was truly terrifying.

Lin Chen pondered for a moment and drove all emotional thoughts out of his mind. He asked Li Jingtian, “In fact, there’s another question. When such a big thing happened, CA Entertainment protected Mu Zhuo and gave up on Song Shengsheng. Was it your family that put pressure on CA?”

Li Jingtian said, “Consultant Lin, use your brain. Song Shengsheng raped Mu Zhuo. What does that have to do with me?”

“This is strange.” Lin Chen’s mind turned. “CA has no reason to give up a superstar to protect a pawn, unless…”

Xing Conglian said, “Unless, Song Shengsheng’s imprisonment is what CA Entertainment wanted to see, and they are the ones who silenced him.”

“But this still doesn’t make sense,” Lin Chen said. “The proportions of the two sides are too different. If I were a senior executive of the company, I would definitely put Mu Zhuo, who dared to make trouble, to death. Why would I abandon Song Shengsheng?”

Xing Conglian said, “If it weren’t for the power behind Mu Zhuo, there could be only one possibility.”

“What?”

“Song Shengsheng was out of control,” Xing Conglian replied.

Lin Chen suddenly woke up.

That’s right. They always regarded Song Shengsheng as being weak and easy to deceive. Since Song Shengsheng dared to test Li Jingtian, he wasn’t a soft persimmon who could be squeezed by others. Indeed, Song Shengsheng was too kind, but that didn’t mean he was really stupid. Smart and kind were not contradictory words.

Looking back at all this, the motivation behind Song Shengsheng’s deliberate provocation of Li Jingtian for the second time and causing him to go to jail was completely different.

Lin Chen suddenly realized that if he were in Song Shengsheng’s situation, he would have to face a perverted rapist and a company that firmly controlled him. If he wanted to get rid of this terrible darkness, he could only choose to die or hide in a place where their tentacles were difficult to reach, such as a prison.

It was even very likely that he was provoking Li Jingtian and also his own company at the same time in order to force both parties to the extreme and see what they would do. If he still wanted to survive, then going to jail was his best choice at the time.

Lin Chen thought that if he were Song Shengsheng and lived in such a hopeless and painful situation, he might have chosen to commit suicide much earlier, rather than insisting on looking for a ray of freedom in the darkness of despair. Lin Chen suddenly felt so uncomfortable that he couldn’t help it. Song Shengsheng, I think I have started to respect you even more. I really want to talk to you.

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