Chapter 127

Regardless, they finally pried the truth out of Xie Dongqin.

Song Wen quickly dialed Tian Ming’s number. “Lao Tian, Xie Dongqin is indeed lying. Xie Jianing isn’t at home; he’s planning to leave the port on the ship scheduled for 6:45 tonight. We’re rushing over now, but we might not make it in time. You need to contact the port authorities immediately, evacuate unrelated personnel, seal off the port, and conduct a thorough search. If the ship arrives, we must detain him at all costs! Also… the suspect may be armed, so be extremely cautious.”

After hanging up, Song Wen used the walkie-talkie to contact Fu Linjiang. “Linjiang, arrange for two people to take Xie Dongqin back to the police station for custody. Have the forensic team come here to collect evidence, move the body, and then the rest of us will rush to the Nancheng port at the fastest speed!”

Now that they had confirmed the suspect’s identity, a wanted order would soon expose Xie Jianing’s identity to the public. In the entire city of Nancheng, he would have nowhere to hide. However, if he managed to escape to the sea or reached another city by ship, capturing him again would be extremely difficult.

Lu Siyu’s eyelashes twitched slightly. Just a moment ago, he was ruthless, frenzied, and chilling. But in the blink of an eye, he seemed to regain his usual calm and composure. He whispered, “Captain Song, I want to go with you.”

Song Wen hurriedly walked towards the door. “Wait for me in my car. I have something to tell you.”

Lu Siyu glanced at Xie Dongqin, who was still sobbing in the corner, then quickly descended the stairs.

Downstairs, Fu Linjiang swiftly made arrangements, and Lu Siyu got into the car with Song Wen. It would take about twenty minutes to reach the port from here. After ensuring Lu Siyu was seated securely and had fastened his seatbelt, Song Wen started the car swiftly. The police car sped out.

After bowing his head for a moment, Lu Siyu whispered to Song Wen, “Captain Song, I’m sorry for earlier…”

Although they had extracted Xie Jianing’s whereabouts through interrogation, he felt a sense of guilt for his actions just now.

Song Wen’s gaze remained fixed ahead as he tightly gripped the steering wheel. He asked, “Where do you think you went wrong?”

Lu Siyu felt a bit guilty. “I… in the heat of the moment, I didn’t consider Xie Dongqin’s feelings.”

Song Wen said, “I don’t think you were wrong in that regard. We can consider Xie Dongqin’s feelings, but he lied to and deceived the police, covering up for Xie Jianing. He didn’t consider the feelings of the deceased and their families when helping Xie Jianing escape.”

Lu Siyu murmured, “My interrogation methods may have been a bit extreme.”

Song Wen said, “Having him identify the body to confirm the victim’s identity wasn’t a major mistake.” After a pause, he added, “However, if time permits in the future, try not to resort to such methods.”

As the team leader, Song Wen felt that Lu Siyu had crossed a line with his previous actions, but it wasn’t overly egregious.

Having Xie Dongqin face the body up close was something Song Wen couldn’t bring himself to do. However, that didn’t mean he thought Lu Siyu was entirely wrong.

Lu Siyu hadn’t caused substantial harm to Xie Dongqin, and the fright he experienced was well-deserved. Song Wen didn’t object to taking extreme measures when facing criminals under exceptional circumstances.

If Xie Dongqin delayed any longer, the ship might have sailed, making it even more difficult to capture Xie Jianing. Releasing such a heinous murderer was the greatest disrespect to the deceased and their identities.

Song Wen knew that Lu Siyu was different from others; to him, a corpse was just a state in the cycle of life, something he had grown accustomed to. As a forensic expert, examining bodies and being close to them was part of their job.

Having witnessed too much life and death, Lu Siyu had seen through Xie Dongqin. That’s why his indifferent demeanor and probing questions instilled genuine fear in Xie Dongqin.

Xie Dongqin’s lies had put the police in a very difficult position. In the absence of being able to use coercion, Lu Siyu’s methods were indeed the quickest and most effective.

Lu Siyu wasn’t a bad person; that’s why he felt guilty after his actions. If there had been another way, why would he have resorted to such measures? He wasn’t born this way; his past experiences had left invisible scars on his body.

Thinking about this, Song Wen felt a pang of heartache.

Regardless, the outcome was satisfactory. Now the key was to intercept Xie Jianing.

Both men in the car fell silent for a moment.

Then Song Wen turned to him and asked, “Are your hands still cold? You shouldn’t lean so close to the freezer.” Other mistakes could still be debatable, but on this point, he was wrong.

Lu Siyu’s fair face suddenly felt warm. Avoiding Song Wen’s gaze, he turned to look out the window and whispered, “I won’t do it again.” His hands were still cold, but hearing those words made him feel warmer inside.

There was still a bit of road left. Song Wen pressed the police siren, and the police car weaved through the traffic, rushing towards the port…

At 6:30 in the evening, Nancheng Port, this was the only coastal area in the entire Nancheng.

Nancheng’s terrain was unique; most of it was inland, and the climate didn’t have much of a maritime characteristic. Only on this side, where it curved inwards near the city, formed a small arc, creating a natural harbor.

From ancient times to the present, this had always been a vital passage for maritime traffic.

When Tian Ming arrived, he first found the person in charge of the port and briefed them on the situation. Upon hearing this, the port authority understood the seriousness of the matter and began communicating with the workers. They also summoned a few workers who had worked with Xie Jianing.

After inquiring around, Tian Ming didn’t get much information. He came out of the port office and discussed the next steps with Zhang Ziqi.

Standing at the door, with a faint smell of sea salt in the air, Tian Ming shielded his forehead with his hand, looking towards the setting sun, feeling somewhat worried. “It’s going to be windy; it might rain again tonight.”

Beside him, Zhang Ziqi nodded. “The recent weather has been continuous rain, one chilly autumn rain after another. Winter is approaching.”

As the sunset faded, darkness was about to descend, like a wild beast about to open its mouth and devour all light.

At that moment, Tian Ming’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced down; it was a call from Song Wen. Answering the phone, he heard Song Wen’s slightly tense voice, informing him about the possibility of Xie Jianing escaping by ship.

Tian Ming, who had been relatively relaxed before, was startled by these words. “Okay, we have six people here, in the port office. We’ll start preparing immediately.”

The port was vast, and six people were clearly not enough. They could only see if there were any security teams on the port that could help. With only fifteen minutes left until the ship departed, there was no time to request reinforcements.

Hurriedly, Tian Ming and Zhang Ziqi returned to the office. Upon hearing the new information, the person in charge of the port was also at a loss. “Hundreds of ships dock at this port every day, some for only a few minutes. With so many fishing boats, merchant ships, cargo ships, and passenger ships, we currently can’t determine which ship Xie Jianing will be taking…”

The vast sea area made it difficult to monitor, even now, maritime supervision remained a challenge.

Tian Ming leaned on the desk with his arms: “Xie Jianing is armed. Regardless, to prevent further casualties, you must now order all workers and relevant personnel on the dock to evacuate the area as quickly as possible. We will conduct a search at the port. If you have a security team or similar, please cooperate with our work and help us locate Xie Jianing. Regarding the fishing boats setting sail, we will also investigate here. Please contact the maritime police and be prepared to intercept at any time.”

The person in charge said, “We will send out the message immediately.”

Approaching 6:40 in the evening, as the sun set silently, hundreds of workers on the port began to evacuate one after another, turning the entire port into an empty city.

The sea breeze blew, and the clouds in the sky increased, brewing a storm in the heavens and earth.

The area of ​​Nancheng Port is equivalent to about ten standard 400-meter playgrounds. On this vast space, rows of containers nearly three meters high are neatly arranged. The highest point is nearly ten meters. Between the rows of containers, there are alleys for people and trucks to walk through, some about ten meters wide and others only a few meters wide.

Now, for those who seldom visit, these stacked containers are like a huge and quiet maze.

The police and the port security team quickly started to act, driving small patrol cars around the port, conducting thorough searches.

On one side of the port leading to the sea, there are more than a dozen gangways, each about fifty meters long. Next to the gangways, there are some large and small boats moored, gently swaying with the sea breeze.

Tian Ming quickly walked out of the office building and looked towards the sea. Xie Jianing was going out to sea, probably not on a large ship but on a medium-sized or small boat.

There are several gangways built on the port, with no guardrails on either side for the convenience of transporting goods, only some pillars standing underwater.

Civilian ships are classified according to length. Those less than twelve meters are small fishing boats, while those larger than twelve meters but less than twenty-four meters are medium-sized fishing boats.

At this time, besides several small fishing boats, there are also four or five medium-sized cargo ships and fishing boats quietly moored on the shore. Some ships are too large, some too small, and some are completely empty.

There are only two ships where workers are still working.

As the time approached 6:45, no other ships docked. Tian Ming quickly made a decision and said to another police officer under him, Qiao Chu, “We two will each question one ship, register the name of the ship’s captain, and temporarily prevent them from sailing.”

Qiao Chu asked somewhat worriedly, “But we don’t have enough manpower now. Can we stop them?”

Tian Ming replied, “The more difficult it is to stop them, the more suspicious it becomes. Even if we lack manpower, we still have to ask and investigate.”

Qiao Chu nodded and ran towards another ship, while Tian Ming approached one of the ships and took out his credentials. “Police, please verify the ship’s documents.”

A smiling chubby man ran over. “Hey, what do you want to check? Our ship is law-abiding.”

Tian Ming glanced at the fishing boat, where three or four workers were working. He asked, “What kind of ship are you?”

The chubby man smiled, “It’s a fishing boat, going out to sea to fish. The fishing ban has just ended, so we’re going out to try our luck.”

Tian Ming frowned. “Then why aren’t you going during the day? What are you preparing for here late at night?”

The chubby man said, “Well, we’re just following the boss’s orders… Officer, you’re still on duty late at night, it must be hard.”

“Hunting down a murderer,” Tian Ming looked towards the cabin and asked, “He wouldn’t be hiding on your ship, would he?”

The chubby man laughed, “Officer, you’re joking. There are only a few old sailors on our ship.” Then he made a gesture of invitation, “Thank you for the reminder, officer. Would you like to come up and have a smoke?”

Tian Ming didn’t have time for that now, and he couldn’t figure out how many people were on the ship. He dared not act rashly and frowned, saying, “Enough with the nonsense. We’re busy here. Your ship’s documents, the owner’s identity information. When do you plan to sail?”

The chubby man still had a smile on his face, “Officer, you might have to wait a bit. Let me go down and ask the boss.” After saying that, the chubby man disappeared into the cabin.

Tian Ming stood with his hands on his hips, waiting under the ship. Unlike regular traffic management situations, these fishing boats are controlled by the agricultural department, so inspections are usually more lenient.

At this moment, the other sailors on the ship were busy. A young sailor shouted to an old sailor beside him, “Grandpa, it seems like the tide is rising.”

The old sailor, called Grandpa, said, “You don’t come here often, so you probably don’t know. The old workers call this the dusk tide. In this area of Nancheng Port, it can rise up to more than three meters…”

The young sailor sat on the side of the boat and wanted to reach the seawater with his foot.

The old sailor pulled him up, “Be careful, don’t go into the water. The sea is cold now, visibility underwater is very low, and there are various cables and ropes crisscrossing here at the port. Even experienced workers need to be extremely careful.”

The young sailor thought for a moment and said, “I seem to have heard that a few years ago, there was a case of someone falling into the water and disappearing at this port.”

The old man said, “That’s true. The salvage team searched for half a month, but no one was found alive or dead… Well, let’s not talk about it. Just be careful.”

At this time, Qiao Chu had already checked another ship and ran over, “Captain Tian, there’s no problem over there. After I explained the situation at the dock, the crew showed their documents and then disembarked.”

So, the problem with the ship in front of them might be even bigger. Tian Ming glanced at his watch. It was almost 6:45. The people on this ship were calm, but he was anxious. Unable to bear it, he looked up and asked the young sailor, “Hey, where’s that chubby guy? Hurry up and ask him to show his documents!”

The young sailor responded and also disappeared into the cabin.

At this moment, Tian Ming’s walkie-talkie crackled, “Captain Tian, we found the suspect’s box next to a container.”

Tian Ming couldn’t wait to find that chubby guy anymore. He asked, “Is it opened and confirmed?”

“Confirmed. It’s definitely Xie Jianing’s. Inside are some men’s clothes. He was indeed planning to escape. This beast even stuffed two pairs of stockings in the box.”

“Very good. The box is found, and there’s a high chance the person hasn’t escaped yet. He should be nearby.” Tian Ming spoke into the walkie-talkie. They were getting closer and closer to that crazy murderer.

Blocking the ship from leaving and catching Xie Jianing was their current task. Even if the captain didn’t cooperate, Tian Ming would stay here and absolutely not let Xie Jianing board the ship.

Tian Ming glanced at the ship again. He realized that the old man had disappeared too. For a moment, everyone had retreated into the cabin.

He realized there was a problem and said into the walkie-talkie, “Ziqi, there’s something wrong with this ship. I’ll keep an eye on it. Get two more people over here, or see if you can contact the maritime police to cooperate in intercepting the ship.”

Zhang Ziqi replied, “Captain Tian, I’ll do my best, but the dock is too big. We haven’t finished searching here yet… Xie Jianing is especially familiar with the dock. Who knows where he might be hiding.”

The schemes of Xie Dongqin and Xie Jianing had, to some extent, succeeded. The police were caught off guard by their diversionary tactic.

Their biggest problem now was the lack of manpower. With only a few people and such limited time, whether it was requesting backup or waiting for reinforcements from Song Wen’s side, it was too late.

At this moment, Xie Jianing was hiding on top of a container, anxiously watching the two police officers sitting not far away in their patrol car.

The boat he intended to board was by the side of the gangway. However, he was trapped by the police at the moment. In the distance, two police officers were questioning near the boat…

Xie Jianing tried to hold his breath, but couldn’t help emitting heavy breathing sounds. There was no way around it; his throat had been ruined by his own biological father. His throat felt like it had scales, making every pronunciation extremely difficult. Even a shallow breath carried a heavy sound, as if something was rustling inside.

Fortunately, the place he was hiding was still some distance away from the people, so the police had not yet noticed his whereabouts.

After being discovered at a small restaurant at noon today, he dared not take the bus on the main road anymore. Instead, he spent some time taking a detour back. He first went to see his uncle, Xie Dongqin.

Xie Dongqin had always taken care of him, and this time was no exception. When Xie Jianing suggested that his uncle report him, Xie Dongqin proposed a plan for him to escape by boat. After discussing it, they decided that Xie Dongqin would go to the police station to report, buying him some time.

Xie Jianing packed up some things and came to the dock, carefully avoiding his colleagues and people who knew him. He was just about to board the ship when he saw those bothersome police officers from a distance. Xie Jianing could only put down the obstructive box and chose a narrow alleyway, climbing up onto the top of the container.

Now, he didn’t know if it was the police who had tracked his movements or if something had gone wrong with Xie Dongqin.

Currently, Xie Jianing was lying on top of a high container. He was on the second level of these containers, about six meters above the ground.

He silently looked down at the busy police below. As dusk approached, the temperature at the port dropped, and a chill spread from his chest.

As the sun set and the shadows shifted, the shadows cast by the higher containers enveloped him.

Xie Jianing knew he was now locked in by the police, at a dead end. He wasn’t afraid of death or pain, but he still felt somewhat unwilling.

He was born different, not a complete man. As he grew up, he learned a term: eunuch. He suffered greatly because of this, ridiculed everywhere. And what caused him even more pain was his own biological father.

His father constantly insulted and beat him, as if growing up like this was a colossal mistake.

Xie Jianing couldn’t understand. Half of his DNA came from this old beast, half of his blood flowed from his father and mother’s genes, shaping him into what he was, with a body different from ordinary people. He was the victim. But that culprit kept on cursing and hitting him, treating him as a disgrace.

To prevent his delicate voice from being noticed, his father went to a shaman to get a mixture of sour and spicy liquid mixed with incense ash, forcibly pouring it down his throat. It felt like there was a fire burning in his stomach. At that time, Xie Jianing wished he could die, but he survived, only to have his throat completely ruined.

When he was in his teens, his mother, in order to protect him, was hit in the head by his father’s liquor bottle. At that moment, his mother collapsed like a butterfly whose wings had suddenly been broken, softly falling to the ground. Xie Jianing rushed over, but his mother never got up again.

It was at that time that another self was born, like a small seed, dormant inside him.

The incident was classified as a family dispute, an accident. His mother died, his father was sentenced to prison, and at that time, his uncle took him in. Those were three quiet years in Xie Jianing’s memory, much better than at home.

Unfortunately, those days didn’t last long. His father was only in prison for three years before being released on parole.

Afterward, his father married a woman who had previously been a prostitute, his stepmother.

This little stepmother was as beautiful as she was vicious. Her fingers had long nails, and she loved to pinch Xie Jianing’s arms while kicking him with high heels. She would also pour cold water over him from head to toe in the dead of winter, making him wash the entire family’s clothes with ice chips strapped to him, without allowing him to eat.

Gradually, the seed began to sprout and grow strong…

One time, Xie Jianing woke up in the middle of the night and heard strange noises. He peeked through the door crack and saw his father and stepmother embracing each other. His father wanted to drive him away and casually threw a few pieces of discarded clothing over, “You mongrel, get out, don’t look!”

Xie Jianing thought to himself, “I am a mongrel, then what are you?”

At that time, a piece of clothing happened to fall on his head, as if his mother’s hands were covering his eyes, shielding him from his father’s abuse. When his father used to beat them, his mother would make such gestures, “Don’t look… Don’t look…”

He didn’t look, but the sound was still there. He smelled a scent and felt a silky touch. He reached out and touched it, only to find it was a pair of stockings thrown out by his father along with the clothes. The texture was smooth, as thin as silk.

Xie Jianing listened to the sounds in the bedroom, greedily sniffing the scent on them. His life twisted from that moment on…

From that moment on, he began stealing his stepmother’s stockings, stealing from the neighbors, and even searching through his mother’s belongings for stockings…

He fell in love with this feeling. When no one was around, he would secretly use his stepmother’s cosmetics to practice makeup. Until one day, his stepmother found what was in his closet.

“Pervert!”

His stepmother spat at him, “Not only are you a perverted little beast, you’re also a coward. Just like your dead mother. You shouldn’t even be alive in this world.”

After scolding him, his father took a stick and chased him around the yard, hitting him wherever he could. The stick strikes left scars.

At that young age, he became stubborn. “You call me a pervert, then I’ll show you what a pervert is.”

That seed from years ago grew bigger and turned into a tree, even blossoming…

Unable to find a job, Xie Jianing was taken in by his uncle again. He was silent and spoke little, but he was strong and willing to do any work. When others asked him to work overtime, he was willing to help. With the help of Xie Dongqin, he managed to live quite well for a few years.

Xie Jianing was grateful to Xie Dongqin. During those years, he lived like a human being. Those strange hobbies gradually faded into the background, only to be indulged in during the occasional nights.

His father went to jail again for hitting someone while drunk. Only his stepmother and he were left in the house. He was busy with work and slept during the day, only occasionally at home at night. The two of them basically lived separate lives without interfering with each other.

Xie Jianing didn’t like electronic gadgets, and he had no hobbies in his spare time. He liked to go to a faraway small restaurant to eat. Every time, he ordered the same dish because it tasted just like the one his mother used to make.

He thought his life would continue to be peaceful and comfortable like this.

Until over half a year ago. Suddenly, the dock began to automate. Xie Jianing put in all his effort but couldn’t learn the complex operations. Suddenly, he felt a fear of being abandoned by this world.

“Could it be that he’s mentally handicapped?”

“Definitely brainless, how can he not even know how to use a phone? Poor boss, still have to support such a deadweight relative.”

“Tsk tsk, the way he looks at people, so scary.”

“I hate his voice, sounds like there’s something stuck in his throat, makes me sick.”

“Sigh, didn’t you often ask him to cover for you at work before? Why say such things about him now?”

“That’s because he’s stupid. He covered for me without me paying him, and he still smiled at me foolishly. Such a good deal, can’t let it slip.”

“Why does the boss still keep someone so dumb?”

“Don’t you know? The boss seems to have had something with his own sister back in the day. Maybe he’s not actually the boss’s nephew, but his son instead…”

“No wonder…”

He inadvertently overheard his coworkers’ conversation. Those words were like knives, stabbing him all over, whether true or false, he felt like his world was collapsing…

So that’s how those people saw him…

This world was filled with malice toward him.

But why criticize him and also involve his kind uncle, and even his deceased mother?

At that time, Xie Jianing learned to empty himself. Whenever he emptied himself, he felt a strange sensation, as if his body was being controlled by another soul…

He knew, the other him had awakened.

He knew, the awakened him was completely different from him; he was weak and timid, while the other him was incredibly powerful and calm.

Those coworkers started avoiding him. He couldn’t hear those harsh words anymore, and he didn’t need to deal with those annoying things anymore.

One day, he returned home from work, and his stepmother suddenly came out of the house, complaining about him not handing over last month’s wages.

Then, his stepmother disappeared.

Xie Jianing lived like that, and one day, he remembered the lamb that had been frozen in the freezer for a long time and didn’t know if it was still edible.

He opened the freezer door and found his little stepmother lying inside.

Startled, Xie Jianing hastily closed the cabinet again. Even when frozen, a corpse still emitted a smell. He was afraid of being discovered, so he went to the supermarket and bought several boxes of activated charcoal, placing them in the freezer.

His little stepmother’s relationship with her family wasn’t good, and no one noticed her disappearance. Gradually, Xie Jianing relaxed.

A few months ago, on an ordinary night, he took a bus to the city and wandered until after ten o’clock. He walked with his head down on the side of the road and unknowingly followed a woman in front of him.

The woman was about the same age as his stepmother and had a similar figure. She was wearing stockings, and as she walked, under the moonlight, she emitted a kind of dark sheen like a subtle wave. Xie Jianing walked with his head down toward the bus stop, and there was a segment of the road that happened to be the same as hers.

On the quiet road, only the footsteps of the two of them could be heard. The woman noticed him and turned back to question, “Why are you following me?”

Xie Jianing, in panic, said, “Ah, I’m not, I’m heading to the bus stop ahead. I didn’t mean anything.”

The woman frowned and cursed, “Pervert!” Her face was full of disgust, reminding him of her stepmother.

In that instant, Xie Jianing suddenly erupted. Years of resentment burst out all at once. The person in front of him instantly became the person he hated the most. He violently knocked the woman to the ground, slapped her, and struck her body. At first, the woman begged for mercy and cried for help, but later her struggling became weaker…

That was the last image in Xie Jianing’s memory. There were flashes of scenes in his mind, but not a complete memory. When he woke up, he felt empty and pleased.

Suddenly, he gained a strange sensation, a sense of satisfaction pressing heavily on his heart. Although he couldn’t recall what it was, he still felt wonderful.

It was like suddenly tasting delicious candy, like suddenly getting a desired toy…

Then he discovered that the woman was already dead. She had been strangled, with several marks around her neck. Her face still had a beautiful makeup, lying quietly on the ground, like his deceased mother, and also like the stepmother who had once insulted him.

Xie Jianing panicked. He threw the woman’s body by the riverbank, covered it with weeds, and turned to flee.

Then he found, in his pocket, the woman’s compact powder, eyebrow pencil, a tube of lipstick, and even a pair of the woman’s stockings.

He took the stockings in his hand, buried his nose in them, and childhood memories flooded back. Yes, it was this texture, this scent…

He knew, there was a devil living in this body…

Since the world had abandoned him, he would abandon the world too.

There were thousands upon thousands of people in the world, and he was just the wrong piece of code, a blot left behind by the painter’s brush.

He was detestable, abhorrent, and feared by people.

He gave up on himself, accepted this side of himself, compromised with the devil, and coexisted with it.

From then on, when he couldn’t sleep at night, Xie Jianing would go to the city and follow those women, beating them up in deserted places to vent his frustration.

To relive that wonderful feeling, he emptied himself and let the devil appear. He knew… Several women died at the hands of the devil…

He watched legal programs on TV in the small restaurant. He was called Night Owl by people, while the other him was called Night Butterfly…

In the darkness of the night, a terrifying beast, a bloodthirsty butterfly.

Now, Xie Jianing held a gun, trembling all over. He was afraid. Finally, the police had come looking for him. He was alone, but the police had so many people. He had a gun, but everyone else had guns too. If he was discovered, he might be shot by stray bullets.

The hand holding the gun suddenly stopped trembling, firmly gripping it. A voice came out, and after a moment, he realized it was his own laughter.

“You are not alone, coward. If you are afraid, hand over this body to me.”

“Board the ship… we must board the ship to escape…” Xie Jianing muttered to himself.

“If you don’t rush out, you’ll never reach the ship!”

In just a moment, Xie Jianing’s expression completely changed. He calmed down and looked into the distance.

He was waiting for darkness to fall, waiting for the darkness to envelop the whole world. That would be his world.

As long as he got on the ship, as long as the ship started… He raised the gun in his hand, aimed at the police officers below with a smile. The gun contained tear gas rounds, although not very lethal, it could cover a large area.

The time was up. Do you think you can catch me with just a few of you?

His finger gently pulled the trigger, and a gunshot shattered the tranquility of the harbor.