Su Hui looked at the old man in front of him, his face showing no signs of fear, and his voice remained calm. “But now, you have already been caught by us.”

Dai Yuansheng was like a trapped beast, its claws taken away by a hunter.

Upon hearing Su Hui’s words, his expression twisted for a moment, then gradually eased, returning to a state of calmness.

Su Hui was right; his frustration and rage couldn’t change his current situation.

Having lost those tools for committing crimes, he was just an old man who could no longer kill.

Dai Yuansheng seemed like a deflated pufferfish, lowering his eyebrows and eyes, hunching his back, reverting to his former appearance.

Finally, he spoke, “I was born a bit strange. Some people are naturally suited to be doctors, some aspire to be scientists. Since I was young, I already knew that I would be a natural-born killer, finding satisfaction only when someone died. I derive pleasure from people’s deaths.”

Su Hui asked, “Have you ever been to Research Institute 372? When did you enter there?”

At this point, a slight change occurred in Dai Yuansheng’s expression, and he continued, “Mhm, now that I’ve been caught, I don’t mind cooperating with the police and telling you some truths. When I went there, I was already in my forties. I still remember a bit, that was more than a decade ago when my mother was still alive. She begged me on her knees to go.”

“What did they do there?”

Dai Yuansheng’s voice was hoarse, “At first, they made me believe that they were the ones who understood us, respected us, and didn’t treat us as anomalies. They made us cooperate with their work, registered my information, started asking me various questions, filling out all kinds of forms. Oh, they would give us money too, 200 each time, and more if we cooperated to do certain things.”

It sounded like information gathering. If they only did these things, it would seem like an ordinary research institution, albeit studying individuals with psychological anomalies.

Su Hui continued to inquire, “But their activities weren’t just limited to that, right? Were there any other special things?”

Dai Yuansheng paused and said, “Yes, those were just surface phenomena. I met a man there, and once we got familiar with each other, he started engaging in deeper conversations with me, encouraging me to further enrich my fantasies. He even showed me other pictures and cases. He would give me advice, telling me how to satisfy myself and release the emotions I had accumulated.”

This was manipulation…

“For example, how?” Su Hui leaned slightly forward, supporting his chin with his hand, and looked at the old man in front of him.

“For example…” Dai Yuansheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed, “they would provide us with rabbits, guinea pigs, and even cats, to observe how I killed those animals.”

Su Hui’s body leaned forward slightly, his hand supporting his chin, as he looked at the old man in front of him. “Would he encourage you to extend these behaviors to humans?”

Dai Yuansheng nodded. “For example, he made me give one of the rabbits a name of one of my loved ones, and then he made me execute it.” Then he continued, “He had a complete set of theories that seemed plausible, like… that nature wrote our DNA, and people like us, who lack emotions, are better suited for war and surviving in harsh environments. He believed that we are the ultimate direction of human evolution.”

“Do you believe in all of this?” Su Hui asked.

Dai Yuansheng shook his head. “He was persuasive and had good eloquence, but I didn’t believe in such childish and naive claims. However, I did believe in the money he sent. Because of that money, many parents would send their strange children to him. They would also provide us with free medication and give me information about other people. It was through them that I realized there were others in the world like me…”

Qiao Ze listened to these words, furrowing his brows slightly, finding it hard to imagine. Despite having audio and video recordings, he was still rapidly taking notes in his notebook.

“…They knew about my anomalies, what I had done, and what I wanted to do. After the fire at the research institute, I lost contact with them…” Dai Yuansheng’s tone suddenly changed.

“But many years later, they contacted me again, asking if I was willing to participate in a bombing case together and offering a large sum of money… I chose to agree at that time.”

Su Hui asked softly, “Your role was not just limited to that, right?”

Dai Yuansheng nodded. “Yes, I wasn’t just a participant. I was also Song Lan’en’s supervisor, responsible for monitoring his every move and reporting back to them. That person once mentioned some things to me.” Dai Yuansheng slowed down his speech. “He wanted to create a case where the truth couldn’t be uncovered.”

Under the overhead light, Dai Yuansheng’s complexion was pale, his skin aged, his fingers thin and eerie.

Su Hui narrowed his eyes slightly. He had never felt so close to those behind the scenes.

What were their intentions? To trouble the police and become their enemies?

Su Hui suddenly realized something. They were suspecting Song Lan’en.

Obviously, their control over Song Lan’en wasn’t that strong.

He continued his questioning, “How many people are involved in this?”

Dai Yuansheng shook his head. “I don’t know. We only had single-line contact each time.”

“Do you know the identities of the people behind all this?” Su Hui asked.

Dai Yuansheng laughed. “Someone like me, how could I possibly know? I don’t know his specific name.” He continued, “I only know that person, or should I say those people, have power, money, and influence. In their eyes, we, the people like us, are like ants, not worth mentioning.”

At this point, Dai Yuansheng looked at Su Hui and said, “Among them, there are people from your police force.”

His words overlapped with the recording of his conversation with Chen XueXian that Su Hui had found.

Su Hui’s thoughts connected with what Yao Fei had said, further consolidating the known information.

Indeed, there were some people in Huadu secretly nurturing these killers.

The people behind them held the secrets hidden deep in these killers’ hearts and hinted to them that reporting to the police was useless.

These serial killers became their puppets, serving their purposes.

They were also aware of the existence of the Behavioral Analysis Unit and even regarded them as adversaries, targeting their destruction

.

As Dai Yuansheng spoke these words, Director Tan sitting in the observation room was shocked.

Although Su Hui had already mentioned some of his speculations before, hearing it directly from Dai Yuansheng’s mouth left him extremely surprised.

As the head of Huadu’s police, he had taken over the Huadu Bureau seven years ago. How could he be unaware of such things?

Director Tan contemplated for a moment, his brows furrowing. Suddenly, he remembered something.

After Jie Qiu’s death in the Fine Sand Case, Deputy Director Wang had voluntarily requested to continue investigating that case…

Director Tan turned to the officer standing beside him and asked, “Where is Deputy Director Wang?”

“He said he wasn’t feeling well around six o’clock and went home.” Deputy Director Wang had a heart condition, and occasional leaves of absence were common knowledge within the bureau.

It was around six o’clock when they were pursuing Song Lan’en.

“Contact him,” Director Tan instructed.

“Yes!” The officer quickly left the observation room.

Director Tan frowned, wondering if Deputy Director Wang, who usually kept a low profile, could be one of the individuals hidden within the police force.

At nine o’clock in the evening, a black car silently stopped on the outskirts of Huadu.

This was an open space within a wetland park.

The park was open to the public, and during holidays, people would come here for leisure activities, and photography enthusiasts would capture migratory birds.

However, on regular work nights, due to limited transportation, few people would visit.

Currently, the area was pitch black and exceptionally quiet.

The driver parked the car and turned on an orange-red light, illuminating the surroundings. “Get out, he’s waiting for you up ahead.”

Song Lan’en opened the car door, feeling the night breeze chilling his body. He had no outerwear and felt a bit cold.

Song Lan’en placed his hands in his pockets and walked forward, reaching a streetlight.

The black car quickly drove away without any intention of taking him along…

A man stood there and, upon seeing Song Lan’en approaching, turned his head. “Song Lan’en, long time no see. Have you completed your mission?”

“I’ve managed to get Bi Shanyu infiltrated into the Bureau, but I haven’t received any further information,” Song Lan’en replied, looking at him.

“Bi Shanyu?” The man chuckled lightly. “You’re so naive. You’ve been deceived, and you’re still counting money for others. That person is from the police…”

“That’s impossible…” Song Lan’en’s initial reaction was to refute, but then he calmed down. No wonder he hadn’t received any updates.

The man sighed. “I gave you a chance, but you couldn’t succeed…”

Song Lan’en sneered. “I guess I’m of no use to you anymore, right?”

The man turned his head, took out a gun, and aimed it at him.

“I never intended to complete this mission! I just wanted to see you…” Song Lan’en laughed coldly, pulling up his shirt to reveal a bomb strapped to his waist. “I’ve had enough of this life!”

The device was identical to the one that killed Jie Qiu two years ago.

Trembling, Song Lan’en spoke rapidly, “In these past two years, I’ve figured it out. You never gave us an escape route. All those promises of sending us abroad were lies you fabricated! The Fine Sand Case was a meticulously arranged scheme. If I hadn’t been locked up, someone from your group would have solved this case. We were merely bargaining chips for your promotions and wealth…”

Though he may be a demon, he disliked the feeling of being used.

Jie Qiu died, and if he hadn’t been imprisoned by Lan An for two years, he would have died long ago.

He still remembered the first time he encountered the man before him. He was ten years old at the time, and his foster father had heard that Jie Qiu was seeking treatment at the 372 Research Institute. They accepted children with unusual behavior and no social connections, so he sent him there as well.

Those people weren’t saviors; they were demons who pushed him into hell.

He despised them because their existence had changed his life.

He reached into his pocket and took out a remote control, pressing his thumb down with force…

At this point, he couldn’t survive anymore. Neither side would spare him.

He had made so many bombs, but apart from testing, he had never witnessed an explosion.

Today, in his final moments, he wanted to see it.

It was the perfect combination of fire and power, enough to tear a person’s body apart.

The decision between life and death was made in an instant.

At this moment, he thought of Jie Qiu.

Although he had prepared himself for a long time, when it came to the last moments of his life, he realized his heart was empty, incredibly calm.

But when Song Lan’en pressed the button…

The night sky was peaceful, the moonlight radiant, and nothing happened.

Song Lan’en widened his eyes in disbelief, his expression frozen on his face.

“Song Lan’en.” The man called out his name and approached him. “Did you really think that Dai Yuansheng, that old man tirelessly searching for you for two years? The materials you used were provided by me, so naturally, I knew what you intended to do with them.”

Song Lan’en understood. “You switched the ingredients?!”

He had been walking around Huadu with an explosive that couldn’t detonate. In that instant, he felt like a jumping clown.

“I only changed a small component. If you didn’t use a timer and instead switched to a remote control, you would have needed that component,” the man explained. “Your spare ignition bottle is empty too, right?”

Song Lan’en instantly lost all strength. He had come here today to go down fighting, to perish together with this man.

But unfortunately, he had overlooked one step…

The man looked at him coldly. “We’ll take your gift, and someone will replace that component.” Then he raised the gun in his hand. “Now, you can die…”

Song Lan’en hesitated for a moment, then lunged forward…

Bang!

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the night sky, startling the birds in the wetlands.

Soon, the darkness returned to tranquility, as if nothing had happened.

The man took out his phone and dialed a number. “Hello, I’ve taken care of Song Lan’en.”

The voice on the other end said something.

The man said, “Good, let’s meet later.”

After saying these words, he carefully wiped away his footprints, put on gloves and shoe covers, and knelt beside the body. He took out a knife…

In the outskirts of Huadu City, several police cars were still searching the area.

“Captain, there’s a report of gunshots not far from your location, at the Wetland Park.”

“Understood!” Lu Junchi quickly turned the vehicle around.

The police arrived promptly and discovered a male body deep within the park.

Lu Junchi walked briskly over to examine it. Song Lan’en lay on his back, his eyes still open, his chest covered in blood with multiple messy wounds.

Such a death was too merciful for him.

Looking into his eyes, Lu Junchi remembered the moment of confrontation they had before.

He hurriedly reported to the headquarters, “Confirmed, the body is Song Lan’en. It appears to be a gunshot wound, but the body has been damaged by a knife, possibly to prevent ballistic testing. The bullet has been removed, as the body has been dead for over twenty minutes. The bomb is not here; it’s likely that someone took it.”

The main suspect in the Fine Sand case was confirmed dead, and the trail for the mastermind behind it was once again cut off.

Director Tan in the command center suddenly seemed to age several years.

Su Hui sat silently with his head bowed, his fingers rubbing the cane, overwhelmed by exhaustion.

He couldn’t determine whether they had won or lost this battle.

Combining Dai Yuansheng’s testimony, Su Hui could roughly guess what Song Lan’en had been up to.

It wasn’t the goodness of human nature that compelled him but the truth behind the scenes and his own dissatisfaction.

Regardless, the death of that demon was something to be celebrated.

He could no longer create those deadly bombs.

After 10 pm, Lu Junchi finally returned to the headquarters, concluding a day of work.

Director Tan announced the immediate start of a special investigation into the 372 case.

All unresolved matters from the Fine Sand Case would also be incorporated into this investigation.

As Yao Fei was also connected to the case, Director Tan detained him for the purpose of cooperating with the investigation. They arranged accommodation for him and had him sign some temporary confidentiality agreements and work documents for the investigation. They wanted him to join the investigation as an informant for the 372 case.

After a thrilling day, when they reached downstairs, Su Hui’s legs weakened, nearly causing him to kneel on the ground. Lu Junchi supported him from behind, and he managed to regain his balance, but then he covered his mouth and coughed repeatedly.

Lu Junchi didn’t drive and instead called a taxi at the entrance of the headquarters.

After a brief pause, Su Hui spoke, “What if we never find that bomb?”

He had experienced an explosion firsthand, and now, recalling it, he still felt a lingering fear.

Lu Junchi reassured him, “We’ll do our best to find it.” He paused and added, “We’ll uncover all the truths.”

Although it was late at night, there were still many busy people coming in and out of the headquarters. Su Hui looked at the hurried figures and felt weary.

The bomb they hadn’t found yet hung over him like a dark cloud.

They had not yet found the mastermind behind the theft of the bomb.

TN:

Now what kind of deranged psychopath would want to breed serial killers? As if there wasn’t enough bad sh*t going on in the world *sigh*