Chen Xiulian opened her umbrella, not to cover her head, but to hold it in her hand to block today's wind. She stood at the door and put on her Communicator, trying to call Snow in May, but no one answered.

Chen Xiulian switched to the new number Snow in May had provided, but no one contacted her. She wanted to ask for leave from the Steel Plant but had forgotten the Steel Plant's number. Finally, she turned on her light screen, wanting to see today's news.

After Liu Chen stopped posting updates, Chen Xiulian's source of information was Liu Chen's chatroom. She saw those familiar IDs fervently discussing last night's incident.

Someone sent a GIF. Chen Xiulian clicked on it and saw her own basement in the shaking footage. Her face gradually turned pale, and she flexed and unflexed her fingers, as if unable to understand how this footage could have appeared in the square.

'Did I record this?'

Chen Xiulian's anxiety crept into her heart. She couldn't help but bite her nails, growing more and more terrified as she browsed. She hadn't recorded it, so how could she have recorded it?

The sound of He Zhiguo clearing his throat reached her ears. Chen Xiulian's hands and feet went cold. She asked, "Was it you? You're the one who recorded it, right?"

There was also a short video in the chatroom. Chen Xiulian didn't click on it, but it started playing automatically, letting Chen Xiulian see her own rubber gloves. She neurotically threw away her umbrella, as if tossing away the murder weapon.

In the distance, a car horn blared. Chen Xiulian began to breathe faster, as if people were coming to catch her from all directions. She hastily backed away, stuffing herself back inside the door.

Chen Xiulian tried to lock the door, but her hands were shaking so much that she couldn't press the latch down after several attempts. The dogs gathered around her, wagging their tails happily. In her panic, she stepped on a dog, and then smashed her own fingers. The dog yelped in pain. Chen Xiulian made a "shh" gesture, signaling the dogs to be quiet, but they yelped and scattered in all directions.

"They're coming to get you!" He Zhiguo said, gloating.

Chen Xiulian ripped off her Communicator and shouted at it, "Was it you?!"

He Zhiguo's voice was cut off for a moment, then it appeared in Chen Xiulian's mind. His voice was inescapable, pressing on Chen Xiulian's nerves and making her lose control.

"The whole world is watching you," He Zhiguo said maliciously. "When the Supervisory Bureau breaks down the door and rushes in, the first thing they'll do is execute you!" He mimicked a gunshot. "You'll be dead in a second!"

Chen Xiulian screamed and threw the Communicator down. She hugged her shoulders, looked around, and asked tremblingly, "Where are you hiding? You're watching me!" She wiped the water from her cheeks. "This is all your conspiracy!"

He Zhiguo's laughter was rampant. He made a "bang" sound, which startled Chen Xiulian like a frightened bird. He continued speaking into her ear, "The Supervisory Bureau knows who you are now. Seen the video? It's all over the internet. They'll strip you of your gloves, strip you of your address, and finally, strip you bare and put you online for everyone to see."

Chen Xiulian's lips were pale and blue. She sobbed and gritted her teeth, "It's all a conspiracy, all a conspiracy!"

Chen Xiulian thought of her mother's face, thought of the past. She had been stripped bare long ago, standing naked under the sun, letting all those eyes scrutinize her.

"Don't blame others, blame yourself," He Zhiguo said. "I was a law-abiding citizen. I never broke the law; you're the one who broke the law. You killed someone, you killed that Teacher Huo. You knew he was framed all along, didn't you?"

"Liu Chen said he committed sexual assault, and you said it too!" Chen Xiulian took a few steps back, leaning against the wall and hitting her head in anguish. "I only killed you! You weren't framed!"

"But the Supervisory Bureau didn't arrest me." He Zhiguo was used to being arrogant and condescending towards Chen Xiulian, and it was the same even in death. His tone of voice was just like whenever he lectured her; he would slap her face, make her submit through violence, and make her cry and admit that his words were the only truth.

Chen Xiulian hugged her head as a conditioned reflex. She had to admit He Zhiguo was right, or the vicious beatings wouldn't stop. Her arm brushed against the table. The hard sensation seemed to give her courage. She picked up the bowl and chopsticks from the table and smashed them forcefully at the opposite side. The dogs fled in panic at the sound of the shattering porcelain bowl. Chen Xiulian tripped over herself and fell, her head hitting the edge of the table hard.

This was a sham.

Chen Xiulian covered her face, gasping for breath. The sound of the rain pounded against her through the walls, and she couldn't breathe. Her palm pressed down on a shard, tearing the flesh, but she couldn't feel it. Her world was black, with He Zhiguo's face crawling everywhere. They surrounded her, stared at her, and taunted her.

She couldn't take it anymore!

"Don't look at me," Chen Xiulian wiped her face, scrambling to her feet and whispering, "Don't watch me..."

......

"Chen Xiulian repeatedly offered to take Lin Hui home, claiming it was 'on the way'. According to the information provided by Lin Hui, Chen Xiulian lives in the Old District near the Coke Plant by the mountains," Piao Lin's finger swiped across the light screen. "This place hides..."

Yan Junxun was pressing his Communicator, the rhythm erratic. He had his back to the investigation room, as if he were watching the weather forecast.

"Her professionalism is admirable," Shi Shanyan said, looking at the jumping images on the light screen. "It's not without reason that the madman found her."

The killer's performance within the framework laid out by the madman was nothing short of perfect. She didn't leave a single strand of her own hair at the victim's house, allowing the case to go undiscovered for a week.

"The madman didn't treat her as a person," Yan Junxun stopped his tapping fingers. "He saw her as a tool, a puppet for his own amusement."

On the light screen were icons for overcast and rainy weather, all information detected by the weather system. Yan Junxun had always felt they were like a queue, with each one jumping out when it was its turn. He closed them and looked forward.

The investigation room was reflected in the glass in front of him. Jiang Lian was listening to Piao Lin speak. They had their own well-coordinated team. Even without Yan Junxun—no, it would be better to say that if it weren't for Yan Junxun, this case would have been solved long ago. Things like the madman, the system, and the Black Panther would never have appeared to muddle the case into such a mess.

Yan Junxun was a fish out of water here. He was a fish out of water everywhere he went.

"I'm the one who brought the trouble," Yan Junxun said.

"According to the geographical profile analysis, we can basically confirm the killer is in the Coke Plant's Old District. She has a car and lives alone. The house provides her with a space to hold the victim, suspected to be a basement or an attic..." As Jiang Lian spoke, he glanced at the doorway, where he could only see Yan Junxun's shoulder. He continued, "The killer is emotionally unstable..."

Shi Shanyan rubbed his chin, worried about stubble. He found it difficult to understand Yan Junxun's feeling of not belonging. For him, existence was truth. He never thought about 'why'—there was no need. It wasn't like he planned to be a philosopher. He had a brutish understanding of emotions: happy, not happy, and that was it.

"Do you want to catch her with your own hands?" Shi Shanyan asked, but then answered the question himself. "You don't. You don't want to see her face. It would make you think of Huo Qingjun. You're overly concerned with Huo Qingjun and her. Why? Because you're understanding them. You want to empathize with them, and you've already felt their pain."

This was not a good sign for Yan Junxun. Emotions would affect his judgment.

The meeting in the investigation room had ended, and the Supervisory Bureau was taking action. Piao Lin and Jue printed out a list from the Steel Plant and also identified the key area within the Coke Plant's Old District. Liu Chen's identity was special, and adding to that the incident in the square last night, Jiang Lian had to ensure Liu Chen could return safely. Therefore, they adopted an encirclement plan that wouldn't startle the killer.

"The traffic system has helped us halt all vehicle traffic in the Coke Plant's Old District. The routes are sealed, and the operation team is about to set off," Jiang Lian said as he put on his jacket, asking Yan Junxun, "...Do you want to go with them?"

......

Liu Chen was semi-conscious. Chen Xiulian had stuffed something in his mouth, making it impossible for him to stay fully awake. He felt himself being dragged, his cheek scraping against the ground, brushing against some bloodstains that hadn't been washed away. Liu Chen's mouth was open, but his tongue was numb. He couldn't speak, only able to make strange noises, with drool trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Chen Xiulian had changed into old sneakers. They were He Zhiguo's, and the work clothes she was wearing were also He Zhiguo's. She had carefully tied her hair up and was wearing He Zhiguo's baseball cap. Because of her height, from certain angles she did look like a slender man.

Chen Xiulian dragged Liu Chen to the first floor. The back door opened to her crude parking area where the truck was. She first got Liu Chen onto the truck, using a makeshift slide she had built herself to save some effort.

There was still some leftover trash in the truck bed. Chen Xiulian swept it aside and had Liu Chen lie down. She shook out a tarp, intending to wrap Liu Chen in it, but then felt it was useless.

Useless. Whatever she did was on camera; everyone was watching her. That animal, He Zhiguo, was definitely ratting her out to the Supervisory Bureau.

The rain soaked Chen Xiulian's shoulders. In an instant, she changed her mind. She slapped Liu Chen's face to make him open his eyes. She said, "You're here to interview me. I want to expose He Zhiguo. I want to talk to the Supervisory Bureau. He Zhiguo is a monster. Hidden in this society, he's a ticking time bomb."

Liu Chen's face was covered in rain. He heard Chen Xiulian continue speaking.

"I can be executed, but He Zhiguo must be executed too." Chen Xiulian looked around suspiciously, then leaned down and whispered to Liu Chen, "We can start a live broadcast directly. You know how, right? Don't let He Zhiguo know. Start it right now."

......

Yan Junxun was squeezed into a corner by Shi Shanyan's shoulder. The car wasn't big enough, and they were practically pressed against each other.

Jiang Lian, in the front passenger seat, looked back several times before he couldn't help but ask, "Are you two okay?"

Not okay.

Yan Junxun was trapped behind Shi Shanyan's arm and was even feeling a bit carsick. He tried to breathe, but his nose and mouth were filled with Shi Shanyan's scent.

Jiang Lian didn't get an answer from Yan Junxun. His Communicator was ringing constantly. He would answer, say a few words, then hang up, only to answer again, repeating the cycle.

"There are also places the system's surveillance can't cover," Jiang Lian said into the call, turning back around. He had to raise his voice over the sound of the moving car. "Stop asking and get to work!"

Jue said, "He's been a bit irritable lately."

"His communication with Black Panther hasn't been going smoothly," Piao Lin replied, glancing at Shi Shanyan and Yan Junxun beside him. "Your deduction was right again. Impressive."

His tone was so normal that it was hard to tell he was giving a compliment.

"Mm," Yan Junxun's face was almost pressed against the glass. He looked out the window. "It was all your work."

"That's not it. No one wants to steal your thunder," Piao Lin said, glancing at Shi Shanyan again. "You could move over a bit."

Shi Shanyan was playing a game on his Communicator. It was one Su Heting had recommended, and he thought it was moronic. He said, "No need."

Jue chimed in, "Click the one on the left. I've played this game before..."

"Oh." Shi Shanyan poked the right side.

'What the fuck are they doing!' Yan Junxun's head was buzzing. He felt like he had a fever.

Jiang Lian's call was interrupted. He had merely opened Liu Chen's homepage and was already hit with an explosion of activity.

"Who's watching a live broadcast?" Piao Lin asked, leaning forward with a frown.

The sound of the live broadcast drew Yan Junxun's gaze. Jiang Lian had opened his Communicator and was speaking to Supervisory Bureau personnel, "She's pulling the same trick again! Shut down Liu Chen's homepage now! Don't let her start!"

Yan Junxun saw Chen Xiulian on the page. He finally saw her face clearly.

Chen Xiulian had taken off her cap. She stood in the heavy rain on a rooftop, tying up her hair. She was no longer young, and looked a bit awkward when facing the camera, but she adjusted quickly. The rain on her face looked like tears.

"Hello, everyone," Chen Xiulian's facial muscles were stiff. She imitated the interviews she had seen and continued, "My name is Chen Xiulian. I am the wife of the rapist, He Zhiguo." She paused, her gaze shifting away for a moment, but it quickly returned. She said, "I have killed four people."

The number of viewers on Liu Chen's live broadcast exploded instantly.