Chapter Ten: Astonishment

Twenty minutes later.

The shrill wails of police sirens echoed through the streets as two patrol cars pulled up beneath the Fast Fish Hotel in the LC District. The first car disgorged a middle-aged man whose face was etched with wrinkles, his nails and teeth tinged yellow, and his gaze sharp as a blade. Following him were a sharply efficient female officer of unremarkable appearance, and a young male officer, handsome in a modest way, just past his twenties.

“Who owns this hotel? Who was the first to discover the murder?” The middle-aged man, his face a tapestry of lines and his eyes piercing, asked directly.

Zhang Jianjun stepped forward. “I’m the owner. My wife was the first to find the scene.”

The man’s gaze settled on Zhang Jianjun. “What’s your relationship to the deceased?”

“The leader among the dead is my elder brother, Zhang Jianguo.” Zhang Jianjun felt the sting of that sharp gaze, but having done nothing wrong lately, he met it with calm fortitude.

“Very well. Take us to the scene,” the man said, withdrawing his gaze.

A minute later, they arrived. The middle-aged man led his two officers inside. The carnage stunned all three. The young officer, unable to contain himself, clicked his tongue. “Captain Xu, this killer is ruthless—he used disposable bamboo chopsticks to stab them through the throat.”

“Yes, this killer is exceptionally savage,” Captain Xu nodded, continuing his examination.

“And what’s even more shocking is his immense strength.”

“How can you tell, Captain Xu?” the young officer asked.

“Xiao Meng, look at this corpse’s chest. Six ribs are broken—humans have twelve pairs, twenty-four ribs total, so that’s a quarter shattered. Only extraordinary strength could do this. And this one—look at the impact marks on the chest. Judging by the traces, he was kicked from three meters away, launched straight into the wall, two meters off the ground. That’s a one-hundred-eighty-pound man, sent flying over two meters high and three meters across, smashing into the wall. That’s brute force beyond imagination.

“And this, the cheekbone is split, more than ten teeth knocked out. The skull is the hardest bone in the human body, comparable to steel, yet even the skull’s been cracked. Such violence, such power.”

“Captain Xu, hearing you talk, are we certain this was done by a human? It feels like the work of a black bear—a human-shaped beast. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Xiao Meng marveled.

Xu’s expression grew solemn. “Don’t think it’s just because you’re new. I’ve been a cop for over twenty years and never seen anything this extreme. How could a human possess such strength? The perpetrator was extremely careful, erasing all traces. I haven’t found a single fingerprint at the scene.”

Xu examined the evidence carefully again. “Xiao Meng, Xiao Lin, take a look at this cigarette butt.”

Xiao Meng inspected it closely. “What about it?”

“There are no fingerprints. If the victim had smoked it, he wouldn’t have bothered to wipe off prints. So, whoever smoked this must be the killer. Which means, after murdering all these people, the killer calmly lit a cigarette.”

Both Xiao Meng and Xiao Lin shuddered, chills crawling down their backs.

“So, we can confirm this: the murderer is vicious, possesses monstrous strength—an almost beast-like force. And he’s cold and composed. Such criminals are the hardest to deal with,” Captain Xu said, frowning deeply as he analyzed.

Xiao Lin, the plain-looking female officer, asked, “Captain Xu, can’t we check the surveillance cameras nearby to see what the killer looks like? Then we just arrest him.”

Xu shook his head. “There aren’t any cameras installed in the LC District. We can only ask around, see if anyone noticed anything suspicious. Also, check the victims’ identities—see who might have had reason to want them dead.”

While the police were still investigating the murder scene, Shen Ye had already returned to the old building occupied by the pyramid scheme group.

Killing Director Zhang hadn’t taken much time. The group’s internal monitor, Gaozi, had gone to fetch his parents to join the scheme, so no one paid any attention to Shen Ye’s comings and goings.

Soon, evening approached.

Within the pyramid scheme group, after dinner, came the customary singing session. Usually, Director Zhang sang first, followed by other veteran members. Then the newcomers were called up to introduce themselves and sing; only after singing could they return to their seats. They were required to shake hands with the morning meeting leader and say “Thank you for your hard work” before sitting down.

The songs were typically old favorites; if a newcomer couldn’t sing, the group would help, or sing a few lines together. If all else failed, they’d sing “The World Only Has Mom,” “Two Little Mice,” or even the national anthem. Regardless, everyone had to sing. When the host asked if the singing was good, the crowd would shout “Good!” loudly.

Singing was, in truth, a process to enhance group cohesion and brainwash the members.

As the singing began, Captain Xu, perpetually frowning, entered the old building with several officers. He took out his badge. “I am Captain Xu from the Criminal Investigation Unit of Quliqing City Bureau. I’m here to inform you: your group’s leader, Director Zhang, was found dead this afternoon at the Fast Fish Hotel. We will begin a routine investigation.”

“No one is allowed to leave this building for five days. You will cooperate with our investigation,” Captain Xu said gravely, intending to scrutinize the group for suspects. If none were found, they’d be released.

The crowd, hearing Director Zhang was dead, was stunned.

“Director Zhang is dead? Who will lead us to wealth? I was about to get rich!” This was someone whose brainwashing ran deep, still believing Director Zhang was bringing them fortune.

“So what if Director Zhang’s dead? We’ve learned the dragon-slaying technique—finding ways to make money won’t be a problem. How naïve.” This speaker saw through the nature of the pyramid scheme, but having already invested, figured they could keep playing the game and tricking others to make money.

Many had already seen through the scheme.

For example, Gaozi, Shen Ye’s university roommate, was a prime representative of this second type.