Chapter Three: Walking Into the Trap, Coming and Going at Will (Part I)

Yi Beidou deleted the emails and all other data from his computer, shut it down, and stowed it away. He then turned his gaze back to the three corpses lying in the living room on the first floor.

These three bodies were a nuisance. Donghua was a society governed by the rule of law, and disposing of corpses without leaving a trace was a task that even he found difficult to execute.

It was virtually inevitable that the police would come knocking.

That was fine, though. Given his current situation, he needed to interact with the relevant authorities anyway; after all, what he intended to do next would be far more complex than the events of today. He might as well use this opportunity to resolve some of the potential trouble he would face down the line.

He recalled some information provided by Hong Datong: there should be a department within Donghua known as the "Special Security Bureau."

But before that, he needed to satisfy his hunger. He hadn't eaten in seven days.

Ignoring the three bodies on the floor, Yi Beidou took a large quantity of pre-prepared meat from the freezer, roasted it in the oven, rehydrated some freeze-dried vegetables, and mixed a large pitcher of honey water.

It took him about forty minutes to finish the food.

After tidying up the scene and scrubbing the basement of any traces, Yi Beidou picked up his phone and dialed the police.

"Hello, I’d like to report a crime. Terrorists have broken into my home."

"How many people? What is the situation now? ...There are three of them in total. They are all dead now. It appears to be a suicide."

...

...

The words "terrorists" and "three dead" were enough to set off alarm bells. The police response was swift and heavy. Over a dozen police cars surrounded the small villa, throwing the surrounding neighborhood into an uproar.

Soon, Yi Beidou was brought to the police station. After a preliminary examination of the bodies and the scene, the forensic team discovered something unusual. The report was escalated immediately, eventually drawing the attention of the relevant authorities.

Wencheng Criminal Police Headquarters, interrogation room.

Several tall, heavily armed officers stood before a one-way glass window, observing the room. In the center of the vast, empty interrogation room, an iron table and chair were bolted to the floor. Yi Beidou sat in the chair, his hands and feet shackled, completely incapacitated.

His expression was as calm as still water, his eyes half-closed like a monk in meditation. He showed none of the panic or disorientation typical of a suspect.

"He still won't say anything?"

The lead officer was middle-aged but robust. His forearms were thicker than the upper arms of the other officers, giving him the appearance of a real-life Popeye. With such grip and wrist strength derived from his forearm muscles, this officer was clearly a master of hand-to-hand combat.

This was Fan Dongsheng, captain of the Wencheng Criminal Police Division. A veteran of the special forces, he was known for his integrity and exceptional capability.

"So far, he has only asked to see someone from the Special Security Bureau. He hasn't uttered another word. We’ve tried every method—adjusting the air conditioning, using high-intensity floodlights—but he hasn't moved an inch. It’s been five hours, and he hasn't even shifted his sitting posture. I almost thought something had happened to him," a young officer with a square jaw said in a low voice.

The interrogation was recorded in full. Given the young officer's prominent family background, they couldn't resort to torture, but for the average person, these "soft" tactics were usually unbearable. Turning the air conditioning to its lowest setting and blasting the suspect with high-intensity light for half an hour would normally leave a person disoriented. Combined with the oppressive atmosphere of the interrogation room, most people would eventually crack.

But this man was different. It was as if he wouldn't be shaken even if he were standing in the middle of purgatory.

"This person is definitely not simple," another officer remarked.

After investigating the scene, they had discovered an all-metal basement in the house. Even more bizarrely, after those three men died, this person had calmly cooked and eaten a full meal before calling the police. A normal person couldn't do that; only a sociopath with nerves of steel could.

"He is hiding a great secret. The three men were indeed not killed by him. The forensic report indicates they died of brain death caused by a pulse current from a chip implanted in their brains, which destroyed their neural tissue."

"Five years ago, while I was still in the military, I encountered people like this. They were all vicious, die-hard agents cultivated by hostile international forces. During their missions, if the chip detected that the host's brain waves had entered a state of unconsciousness, it would directly stimulate the brain to cause death," Fan Dongsheng said, his eyes flashing with intensity.

His own resignation from the military years ago was linked to these people. His squad had suffered heavy losses when they encountered such individuals, and he had been severely injured, forcing him to leave the service. This time, he was determined to dig out some leads. This was a matter of duty, but it was also a personal vendetta.

"There are such thugs?" The other officers looked on in horror, knowing full well of Fan Dongsheng's prowess.

"These people are highly trained, ruthless, and vicious. I've heard that some of them have undergone the world's most advanced pharmacological and physical augmentation. They possess abilities beyond the norm. These are classified secrets that I shouldn't be telling you, but now that these thugs have appeared in Wencheng, you might run into them. I’m telling you this so you can be on guard. If you encounter them, do not engage. Your priority must be your own safety—it's best to flee immediately," Fan Dongsheng said sternly.

"If these thugs are so powerful, then this man..." The other officers couldn't help but look through the one-way glass at the meditative Yi Beidou.

Three such ferocious thugs had been subdued by this young man with his bare hands, and he had come away without a scratch. During the site inspection, they still hadn't figured out how those two broken daggers had been destroyed.

"This man is indeed very unusual. But it doesn't matter. No matter who he is, once he’s here, he’s going to talk," Fan Dongsheng said calmly.

No matter how strong an individual is, what does it matter? The power of the state can change the heavens and the earth, and turn the tides of the sea.

*Clack, clack, clack.*

At that moment, footsteps echoed outside the interrogation room. Led by an officer, three people walked in.

The leader was a woman with a high ponytail, looking heroic and spirited. She stood nearly 1.8 meters tall with healthy, wheat-colored skin. Even the loose camouflage pants couldn't hide her long, straight legs, and her black tight-fitting top outlined a perfect figure.

She wore no makeup, yet her eyes were bright, her complexion rosy, and her skin delicate. This was the sign of a robust internal constitution and powerful life force, far superior to any cosmetic. Cosmetics were merely tools to mask a weak vitality.

"Zhou Baiwei, Deputy Captain of the Wencheng branch of the Special Security Bureau. This is my identification."

Zhou Baiwei saluted Fan Dongsheng and handed over her credentials. Fan Dongsheng checked them and returned the salute.

"Captain Zhou, the suspect has specifically requested to see someone from your Bureau," Fan Dongsheng said.

"I have already been briefed on the situation. Has his background been fully investigated?" Zhou Baiwei went straight to the point.

"Yi Beidou, male, twenty-seven, a local from Wencheng. At age seven, he was abducted by a human trafficking ring. When he was rescued, all five members of the ring were found dead, having suffered horrific fates. According to statements from other children rescued at the same time, a mysterious person had killed them all. The culprit remains unknown; it is suspected to have been a revenge killing."

"After that, perhaps due to the trauma, he developed severe autism. At fifteen, his parents died in a mudslide during an earthquake in Baichuan Province. His guardianship was transferred to his mother’s sister, Xu Yao. By age ten, his autism had improved, and he began formal schooling. Due to his condition, his grades suffered, and he was held back for two years. Later, as his condition improved, he was admitted to the Philosophy Department of Wencheng Dechang University with decent grades. He graduated just a month ago."

"Other than that, there are no other anomalies."

"No anomalies—that is the biggest anomaly of all," Fan Dongsheng noted.

A troubled child who suffered from autism his whole life had subdued three professional, vicious thugs without a scratch?

"By the way, we haven't notified his family yet. His background is a bit complicated; he has ties to the Wencheng Xu Group," Fan Dongsheng added.

"I understand. Leave it to me from here on out. Since he wants to see us, he should be ready to talk," Zhou Baiwei said, nodding calmly.

The Wencheng Xu Group might be a concern for Fan Dongsheng, but the Special Security Bureau didn't need to show them any face. She wanted to see for herself exactly what was so strange about this man.