Detained until the afternoon for allegedly assaulting a police officer, I was finally released.
Instead of returning to Ting Tang Road, I hurried to a store, bought a fruit basket, and made my way to Old Mr. Huang's house.
I needed to take a look at the old man's belongings. He was different from Huang Guanxing—a wealthy playboy who thought only with his lower half. The elder Mr. Huang, on the other hand, had fundamental forensic knowledge and a keen sense for uncovering the truth—a "police academy student," so to speak.
"Hopefully, I'm not too late."
I knocked lightly on the door, and it was opened by an elderly lady in her sixties.
"I'm with the city precinct," I said solemnly. "We're all saddened by Mr. Huang's passing, so I've been sent here to pay my respects."
The house was steeped in grief. The elderly lady invited me to sit on the sofa and went to make me a cup of tea.
"My condolences," I said, ignoring the cup of tea on the table as I wandered around the room. "Could I take a look at Mr. Huang's room?"
"Feel free."
In his room, Mr. Huang had a two-square-meter partition filled with detective novels and police academy study materials. It was clear he was deeply passionate about solving cases.
I didn't touch anything randomly. My eyes scanned the bookshelves, picking out a few books he had recently read, judging from folded page corners and the way they were placed.
"There's nothing hidden inside the books."
Opening the drawers, I found a notebook with a few torn-out pages, a pair of reading glasses, a fountain pen, and ink—all neatly arranged and easy to spot.
I sat in the chair Mr. Huang used to sit in, pondering aloud, "If I were him and I discovered an intriguing secret, where would I record it?"
"Are you looking for something?" the elderly lady suddenly asked from the doorway.
I stiffened momentarily before quickly regaining my composure. "Nothing much. Did Mr. Huang show any unusual behavior recently?"
"Not much, except he kept mentioning something about murder live streams. Every night, he locked himself in his room, staring at his computer like he was waiting for some program. Oh, and…" She hesitated, studying me before continuing, "It's like he knew something was going to happen to him. This morning, before leaving for work, he left a letter behind. He specifically said that if anything happened to him, I should hand it over to the police."
"A letter?" I tried to maintain my composure. "What kind of letter would he leave for us? Could it be his reasoning on a case?"
"He didn't let me see it. Since you're here, you might as well take it." The elderly lady pulled an envelope sealed with glue from her apron pocket.
"Alright, I'll take it back to the precinct for my captain to review," I said, heart pounding wildly but keeping my expression neutral. "Take care of yourself, and don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything."
Leaving Mr. Huang's house, I didn't even make it out of the stairwell before tearing open the envelope in my hands.
"Murder Live Streams. The first stream took place at Peaceful Inn, involving five lives. The second stream happened at Xinhu High School, with an estimated death toll of over ten."
"This is not a simple puzzle-solving program. The corpses in the stream are real, and the scenes are horrifying and shocking. The streamer always arrives at the crime scene before the police, suggesting they might be the culprit."
"The same person hosted both streams. This individual has entered the police precinct multiple times, has close ties with the Criminal Investigation Division captain, and is highly intelligent, decisive, and skilled in reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance."
By the time I finished reading the letter, my face was dark as a storm cloud.
Luckily, I got here early. If this letter had made its way to Tie Ningxiang, the consequences would've been unimaginable.
Taking out my lighter, I burned the letter and envelope to ashes. Only after meticulously disposing of the remains did I leave the building.
Back at Ting Tang Road, I absentmindedly helped Xiaofeng sell clothes before locking myself alone in my room.
"Could 'Hell Show' truly be a way to collect souls, or is it all just coincidence? Or perhaps only the doomed can see its live streams?"
The causal relationships were unclear, but one indisputable fact remained: someone died during every stream.
"What should I do next?" Unable to think clearly, I decided to stop trying. Heading downstairs, I intercepted Xiaofeng, who was about to cook.
"Let's go out for a few drinks."
"Is this an official date?" she teased, changing into a tight-fitting skirt and T-shirt. The switch from her usual long dress made her even more attractive. Her long, fair legs glimmered, momentarily washing away my troubles.
"What goes on in your head all day? If you're not coming, I'll take Bai Qi instead."
Hearing its name, the dog perked up its ears and darted toward me, biting my pants leg as if it had smelled meat.
"Fine, I'll go!" Xiaofeng pouted, casting a reluctant glance at Bai Qi. "This dog clings to you but bares its teeth at me. I feed it every day, and yet you both bully me."
I chuckled and led both Xiaofeng and Bai Qi out the door.
At the Jiangbei night market, gazing at the gently flowing river, I downed bottle after bottle of beer, finally easing the gloom weighing on my chest.
"In two days, Hell Show will post another task. Life is hard enough; why make it harder for myself?" I mused, looking at Xiaofeng's slightly flushed face. The river breeze tousled her hair, revealing a deep pain and loneliness hidden in her expression.
Compared to her, I was far luckier—I had experienced happiness and lived recklessly.
Resting my hand on her slender shoulder, she startled like a frightened rabbit but, seeing it was me, leaned her head against my chest, her eyes tinged with confusion and tenderness.
Two lonely souls sat by the riverside, one side a hubbub of nightlife, the other quiet as the horizon.
"My sister and I were deemed unlucky women. Since childhood, our foster parents cursed us as doomed wretches. Neighbors could remember their license plate number but couldn't recall our names. To them, we were labeled as 'worthless,' 'money-draining curses,' and 'monsters.' Everyone pointed fingers at us. At first, I didn't understand why. It wasn't until my sister was murdered by Lu Xing that I realized we were nothing more than livestock in our foster parents' eyes—raised like pigs to be slaughtered when the time came."
This was the first time Xiao Feng voluntarily opened up about her childhood. It was devoid of any color, filled only with deep gray despair.
"The day I met you, seven steel needles had already been embedded in my back. That night, I was planning to pay tribute to my sister before taking my own life. But then you appeared. Your eyes were so clear, as if you had seen through everything. And in truth, you saved me."
"Since leaving the precinct until now, these days have been the happiest of my life. I know you probably won't marry me, but can you let me stay by your side? I don't need any title or recognition."
Xiao Feng spoke earnestly, her tone resembling the quiet river beside us—enduring silently, never expecting anything in return.
"Who says I wouldn't marry you?" I tipped the bottle back, finishing my drink. At that moment, I must have been drunk. Just as I was about to say the next sentence, a punk with spiky hair and a cigarette in his mouth sauntered over.
"Hey, buddy, got a light?" His lecherous eyes lingered on Xiao Feng. "Your girl's got guts, dressing like that. Wanna join us for a drink?"
Clearly, he thought I was too drunk to defend her.
"Don't make me say it twice—scram!"
"Well, well, big man's got an attitude. Guess I need to teach you some manners!" Spiky Hair swung a bottle opener at my face.
I kicked the table aside, leaned back to dodge, and smashed an empty beer bottle over his head without hesitation.
I didn't hold back. Blood streamed down instantly.
"Next time you pick a fight, get a haircut first. Looking like a porcupine—how's the doctor supposed to stitch you up?"
Already in a foul mood, this guy couldn't have picked a worse time.
"What's going on here?"
"Xiao Wei! Damn it, you touched my bro?"
"Make that chick come over and apologize to Brother Wei!"
Four or five men from the neighboring table jumped to their feet, shirtless with faces full of menace.
"Gao Jian, let's just go," Xiao Feng tugged at my sleeve, her voice anxious, clearly worried.
"You said you wanted to stick with me, right? That makes you my responsibility now. How could I stand by and let someone bully you?" I grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it against the bridge column, leaving only jagged glass shards. "Come on! One against five. If I take even a step back today, I'm not Gao anymore."
"Get him!" The biggest of the five grabbed a chair and charged. He stood nearly 6'3" with a belly like a general's and plenty of momentum.
I narrowed my eyes. I had drunk a lot, and my head was spinning, but it didn't affect the outcome.
"Making all that noise—what's that move called? Wild Boar Charge?"
Lifting the table, I blocked his view and, as he hesitated, bent my leg and drove a knee straight into his most vulnerable spot.
As he clutched himself, screaming, I grabbed his hair and slammed his head to the ground. "Four left. Who's next?"
I scanned the remaining men, my gaze locking on one with a scorpion tattoo on his chest.
"Wait a second. Haven't I seen you on surveillance footage?"
The alcohol slowed my thinking for a moment, but then I remembered. "You're the guy who trashed my shop and flipped off the camera. Perfect! Let's settle old scores and new grievances tonight!"
The tattooed man seemed to be their leader. "You two block him. The others, grab the chick. She's a real catch—looks like she doesn't know a thing."
"You people really have no shame." I pressed the jagged edge of the bottle against the neck of the guy on the ground. "Looks like this is going to get bloody tonight."
"Don't get cocky, kid. There's four of us, and just one of you."
"No, you're wrong." I sneered, "I've got one more—my dog!"
The punks glanced at Bai Qi, who lay lazily by the riverbank, and smirked disdainfully. "You're joking, right? That mangy mutt?"
I laughed coldly, anger seething beneath the surface. "Bai Qi, did you hear that? These fools just called you a mangy mutt."
I had never seen Bai Qi lose his temper. He usually acted like he didn't care about anything—a simple, laid-back stray.
But tonight, he showed a different side.
His fangs bared, Bai Qi exuded a predator's aura. It wasn't the air of a house pet but a primal killing intent that sent chills through the body and made jaws clench.