Kazuko was stunned; she blankly lifted her head and looked at him as he smiled, not showing any signs of disgust but rather seemed a bit flustered.
...
Seeing her reaction, Chen Xiao immediately plonked down on the ground with great flair.
"It's just killing a few people, what's the big deal?" he said casually.
Kazuko's mouth slightly agape as if she had heard something unimaginable.
"People are like this, you know, slaughtering a sheep, butchering a cow, and occasionally using a few criminals as lab rats for experiments," Chen Xiao spoke as if chatting about everyday matters.
"I killed people, many people!" She lowered her head, her eyes incredibly dim!
"It's just a few dead people. You kids are like this, crying and wailing over dead cats and dogs, yet you're all happy and excited when I say I'll take you out for a steak."
Kazuko was taken aback and didn't know what to say for a moment.
"Do you know why that is?" Chen Xiao asked.
Kazuko shook her head, how could she have ever thought about such a thing at her age?
"Because kittens and puppies are cute," said Chen Xiao. "We feel affection for cute things and can't bear to harm them, but get scared by insects and wish they were extinct. Everyone defines the goodness of life based on their preferences. What's bothering you so much?"
"But I killed people," Kazuko said. Although she was young, she wasn't bewildered by his twisted logic, but she had stopped crying.
Chen Xiao seemed very surprised when he heard this: "Ah? Killing people? Him?"
He pointed at a fat man nearby.
"A death row inmate, do you know how many lives he's taken? Do you know how many officers it took and how long they spent to bring him down? If you, a young girl, managed to handle him, wouldn't the relatives and friends of his victims thank you, perhaps even award you a 'Top Student in Bravery' or something?"
Kazuko was silent for a while...
"But... those classmates..." As soon as Kazuko thought about it, she was about to cry again.
"What does that have to do with you? Xiao Ming did that, he used you! He threatened you! You are a victim," Chen Xiao quickly said.
While speaking, he grabbed the gun in front of Kazuko and continued, "Look, this gun killed people, is it the gun's fault? Definitely not, it's the person who fires it, right?"
Kazuko nodded her head.
"You taking on the guilt for such a big mistake Xiao Ming made and even going to great lengths to create that classroom, you're seeking redemption for him, which is a very sacred act!"
Kazuko looked a bit dazed, as if she understood but also didn't, just nodding along.
This nod made the three bystanders break out in a cold sweat.
"Is this really okay? It seems like he's doing something evil," Bai Xiong whispered.
Jia Renliang nodded with a chill, "I wish I had his smooth talking back in my day!"
Just then, Chen Xiao, holding the gun and gesturing wildly, continued, "Don't mind the guards, they are trained to kill, they kill for money, for their job! How terrible! Yet you are redeeming someone who has hurt you, you are far more kind than them... at the worst, you could be considered acting in self-defense!"
The three men stood by, watching Chen Xiao brainwash the young girl with his twisted logic; they wanted to rush over and stop him multiple times.
"I can't take it anymore…" Liu Yi finally snapped, unable to listen further, and walked out of the room.
The remaining two also left the room feeling uncomfortable, leaving only Chen Xiao continuing with his chattering.
...
The three lingered outside the door, when suddenly, they heard Kazuko burst out laughing inside the room.
"Hey, hey, hey, what is he doing in there? Should we go outside and call those people to catch him?" Jia Renliang clamored.
Liu Yi and Bai Xiong touched their chins, deep in thought, as if they were seriously considering the suggestion.
Soon, Chen Xiao walked out holding Kazuko's hand. Although her eyes were still moist, her mood had clearly improved a lot.
The three were incredulous.
"Can this really work? If this were a novel, this scene would be the biggest toxic point!" they couldn't help but complain.
"What about now?" Bai Xiong asked, looking at Kazuko. Despite feeling frustrated by these developments, he still inquired.
And Chen Xiao, he flashed his signature smile.
...
...
Ten minutes later, outside the orphanage.
Mr. Zou sat in a makeshift office outside the orphanage, tightly frowning as he looked through Chen Xiao's medical file.
This was a somewhat special medical record: schizophrenia, mania, paranoia, delusions, and even an incident of a fatal biting. It was hard to imagine so many illnesses in one person.
Such a mental patient was terrifying, but Mr. Zou was concerned about something else.
He looked at the photo of Chen Xiao on the medical file.
Stiff, confused, his gaze not meeting anything in particular, Mr. Zou murmured to himself, "These eyes... something's not right…"
He recalled how Chen Xiao had suddenly gone crazy at dusk, along with that shrill, hysterical laughter, which made him think of certain things… but he knew it was absolutely impossible.
Those three, really too terrifying, if…
Suddenly, the emergency alarm of the whole temporary base blared, and the red emergency light began flashing rapidly!
"What's happening?" Mr. Zou rushed out of the office.
A staff member ran over in a fluster.
"A level D abnormal reaction is intense, they're out, and... they want to see you!"
Mr. Zou faltered, then seemed thoughtful.
...
Soon, Mr. Zou arrived outside the orphanage. At that moment, the gate of the orphanage was wide open. A little girl stood outside, crying softly, while inside stood Chen Xiao, holding a standard-issue shotgun.
Seeing Mr. Zou arrive, Chen Xiao waved enthusiastically, "Hey... I'm sorry to disturb your rest, but I think we've handled her!"
Mr. Zou glanced at the little girl and yelled across the yard, "What are you talking about? Who is this little girl?"
Chen Xiao showed a look of helplessness. "Come on, the alarm hasn't stopped since she came out. We're all smart here, let's not talk about meaningless things."
...
"Alright, bring her over. Your mission is complete, and we will honor our contract!" Mr. Zou declared.
Chen Xiao seemed to hear an unbelievable joke, "Me, go over there? Stop joking. The moment I step half a meter out of this house, my head will explode."
Mr. Zou said nothing, just stared at Chen Xiao.
"Enough, stop thinking, come here! To my side! Now!" Chen Xiao shouted.
"Alright, I'll listen to you!" Mr. Zou displayed anger and helplessness but still quietly asked a staff member, "Is there no way for the sniper?"
The staff member shook his head, whispering, "No angle!"
Mr. Zou sighed. He had many times used death row inmates as guinea pigs, but this was the first time such a situation had arisen.
He raised his hands high, like in the movies during a hostage exchange, and slowly walked towards the building!
"Stop dawdling, get inside!" As Chen Xiao spoke, Kazuko slowly retreated back into the shadows inside the building.
And Mr. Zou followed, with no other choice.
...
Inside the orphanage.
Mr. Zou looked around at the people before him in surprise, then at Kazuko standing quietly beside Chen Xiao. He suddenly understood.
"It seems your mission is not only complete, but done exceedingly well," he remarked.
Chen Xiao shrugged, not denying it.
However, Mr. Zou shook his head and said, "I don't know what your plans are, but you certainly don't know what you are up against."
Chen Xiao made an impatient face, "Stop preaching, a hostage should look like a hostage, now I ask, you answer!"
As he spoke, Chen Xiao frowned. Looking into Mr. Zou's eyes, a very bad thought instantly appeared in his mind.
"No way!" he thought.
"First, I won't answer your questions," Mr. Zou lifted his head, his glasses reflecting the flashlight).
"Second, I... am not a hostage!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a gust of wind blew, and Mr. Zou seemed to vanish into thin air. Then there was a clang, and Bai Xiong's robust body lay sprawled on the ground.
...
Nobody had expected this scenario, even Chen Xiao was stunned. Mr. Zou's frail body had just exhibited a strength he surely couldn't possess, like a home-kept fat cat suddenly running into the street one day and punching a hole through a specially modified armored van.
But nobody knew how Chen Xiao managed it. Yet, in a moment of distraction, it seemed as if some part of his consciousness was still functioning.
With mechanical precision, he checked the chamber and loaded the gun. In theory, he should have never touched a gun before, but he executed these actions without hesitation, as if he had done them countless times before. At the same time, a suppressed madness seemed ready to burst from his eyes.
"Hey, buddy!" he aimed the gun at Mr. Zou and shouted, "Please don't move!"
Mr. Zou looked at Chen Xiao indifferently. In that instant, Liu Yi, Jia Renliang, even Kazuko had been knocked out and lay on the ground.
It was hard to imagine Mr. Zou's speed could be so terrifying, but Chen Xiao was not afraid, instead, he found it... quite interesting!
"Why didn't he take me down first when I have the gun?" Chen Xiao wondered, a smile beginning to split his face. The madness in his eyes grew more intense.
He started to laugh, the sound sharp and piercing.
"Hehehehe~~"
Mr. Zou frowned, the idea from earlier in the office surfaced again, but then he dismissed it, as dead people cannot come back to life. The physique didn't match, and what's most essential, his body was preserved at the safest place by the organization!
"But this smile... those eyes! Am I being paranoid?" Mr. Zou thought.
While Mr. Zou pondered, Chen Xiao's mind was a chaos.
He wasn't afraid of guns, he could dodge them, should he shoot, aim for the foot, the head, there was a sniper outside, only 3 hours till dawn, rain in two days, Kazuko, earpiece, Bai Xiong, laugh, countless thoughts jumbled in his mind, but he only found it amusing and felt an urge to laugh.
"Maybe I should shoot, blow his head open, that would be fun..."
"No no, he would dodge. He's watching my fingers. If he really dodges, hahaha, that would be even more fun!"
Chen Xiao thought, but those were just fleeting thoughts; meanwhile, Mr. Zou still pondered the body sealed at the world's safest place.
"Bang!" A gunshot rang out, Chen Xiao had pulled the trigger, breaking into hysterical laughter, the madness in his eyes no longer containable, ready to burst out...
He knew he had missed Mr. Zou. The bespectacled little old man had dodged the moment he pulled the trigger, but Chen Xiao kept laughing, unable to control himself!
This was just too interesting!
Suddenly, everything went dark before him, and he lost consciousness.
...
...