Chapter 10

“Hello, young man.”

An elderly voice woke me up. I groggily opened my eyes and saw a massive electronic screen in front of me.

In the center of the screen was a silver-haired old man, wrinkles spreading from the corners of his eyes. He was frail with age, yet carried an imposing aura that commanded submission. He sat on an antique wooden chair, his left hand resting on a dark gray dragon-headed cane.

“Who are you?” I shook my head, trying to shake off the dizziness.

“My name is Qin Wancheng. You’ve probably heard my name in the papers and on TV. You must be very curious why I would run such a bizarre experiment. Actually, I am looking for someone to inherit my ideals. I stepped into the underworld at fourteen and single-handedly built a commercial empire wealthy enough to rival nations. There’s an old Chinese saying: ‘At fifty, one knows the mandate of heaven.’ I am sixty-two this year, yet I feel I have only just begun to glimpse the mysteries of fate.”

The old man paused for a long time, his eye wrinkles trembling slightly, as if recalling something heartbreaking.

“I have two sons. My eldest went mad, my youngest died, and the heavens haven’t left me much time either. Perhaps a tall tree catches the wind. I have defeated countless enemies in my life, turning every disaster into a blessing, only to face this dead end in my twilight years. This is fate’s punishment for me. It turns out that all the brilliance I once had in my life must ultimately be paid back in desolation. So, in this final time, I want to find the right person to inherit all my ambitions and wealth, so that my life can continue in another form.”

The old man slowly opened his eyes, his gaze enveloping me like a cold blade.

“I’m not the person you’re looking for. I just want to live a normal, peaceful life.” I looked around and realized I was in a massive, empty hall. Zhang Zilong and Xiaodie were nowhere to be seen.

“Peaceful?” The old man let out a sneer filled with absolute disdain. “The most pathetic creatures in this world are those worms who have no desire to fight, yet console themselves by saying ordinary is true. Man is born to push past his limits. Now, let me show you where your limits truly lie.”

The screen faded to black, then immediately jumped to another image. My daughter lay coughing on a shabby bed, my wife wiping away tears beside her.

“This was your past life,” the old man’s low voice echoed.

“And this is your future life.”

The screen started rapidly flashing through images. Several of the hottest female celebrities, all naked, crouching on beds, smiling at me provocatively. Then, luxury mountain mansions, private yachts, limited edition sports cars, the Chairman’s seat in the Qinlian corporate tower, bank accounts with too many zeros to count…

Every frame delivered an indescribable psychological impact.

Desire was like an incomparably sharp blade, slowly slicing away what little conscience I had left.

“What do you want me to do?” My voice trembled with excitement.

“Good, my child. I knew I didn’t misjudge you.”

The old man on the screen nodded in satisfaction. The lights in the hall snapped on all at once, instantaneously bright as day.

“This girl is not as innocent as you think. She’s a junkie. She prostitutes herself for drug money, and lies are her lethal weapons. To make money, she even murdered a seventy-year-old lady in her room. So, killing someone like her carries no psychological burden. Those who achieve great things must first learn to distinguish truth from lies. I’ve been deceived before too, but I’ve never let a single liar escape.”

Xiaodie was tied to a chair. On her lap rested a loaded handgun.

Xiaodie shook her head frantically, tears falling like crystal drops. The look she gave me was filled with pleading and absolute despair.

“Alright.”

Trembling, I picked up the handgun and pressed it against Xiaodie’s heart.

The smell of gunpowder filled my nose. Even at the moment of her death, Xiaodie wore an expression I couldn’t decipher. Was what the old man said true or false? It was a secret that could no longer be verified.

“This cop isn’t as righteous as you think either. To solve a case, he even assaulted a civilian, and he only came here deep undercover to save his own job. He’s been using you the whole time. No matter how many high-sounding words he fed you, when real danger arrives, he would throw you away like a piece of used garbage. His sole motivation is power. So, dealing with this kind of person, we don’t need to be soft-hearted. Cops should be like the gun in your hand; what do we do if the gun is pointed back at ourselves?” The old man spoke like a wise mentor, patiently teaching me his life philosophies.

Zhang Zilong was tied up in another chair, his hands behind his back. He glared at me furiously.

“I know what to do.”

I pressed the handgun against Zhang Zilong’s throat, my hand shaking violently.

“Do you have any last words?” I asked him.

“Fuck you! Shoot me if you have the guts. If I blink, I’m your son, you son of a bitch…” Zhang Zilong roared at me, his body straining so hard with rage he nearly snapped the ropes.

But soon, the gunshot rang out, and his blood splattered across my face.

The blood was so hot, so hot it almost made me cry.

“Good boy. From this moment on, you are the acting Chairman of the Qinlian Enterprise. In the time to come, I will slowly teach you how to conquer this weak, pathetic world.”

The screen slowly faded, and the lights in the hall dimmed along with it.

Dr. Wen, wearing his gold-rimmed glasses, walked respectfully over to me. He held a custom-tailored suit. He was bowed over like a lapdog, a sycophantic smile plastered across his face: “Chairman, change your clothes. I will escort you out of this place immediately.”

“Right now… can I do whatever I want?” I asked him.

“Of course, you possess absolute authority to do as you please.”

I raised my hand and furiously slapped him across the face ten times. I slapped him until my hand was numb. Dr. Wen’s face swelled up like a pig’s, blood flowing from his nose, yet he remained respectfully bowed, without a hint of anger.

“Throw the bodies into the sea, and take me back.” I grabbed his tie, wiped the blood off my hands, and walked toward the bottomless darkness.

[Epilogue]

The TV broadcast the city news. The Qinlian Financial Group had welcomed a new Chairman, personally appointed by the old Chairman, Qin Wancheng. It was a young man returning from studying abroad, named Zhou Mo. After taking over Qinlian, Zhou Mo initiated radical reforms, launched several public welfare initiatives, and established corporate funds to assist low-income demographics. In one fell swoop, he reversed the negative societal impact previously caused by Qin Wenyou. Qinlian’s stock soared, and the shockwaves previously sent through the political sphere gradually subsided.

“Is there still no news about Captain Zhang?” a young police officer stared at the TV screen and asked his colleague.

“No. But yesterday, the station received a strange audio tape,” an officer wearing glasses replied.

“Play it for me.”

They held their breath for ten minutes, but not a single sound came out. The male officer couldn’t help but look up, an expression of confusion on his face.

Right at that moment, heavy panting began playing. It sounded like someone digging, followed finally by the clinking of a shovel hitting rock.

“Everyone who dared to stand off against the demon was a hero.”

“Why did you choose me?”

“Because you were the only person I saw who, even after taking that hallucinogen, still thought about protecting others. I believed that, when the very end came, you wouldn’t let yourself be stained black by evil either.”

“I promise you, no matter what I have to go through, I will absolutely stand on the opposite side of the demon.”

The tape finished playing. The male officer frowned. The first voice was, without a doubt, their old captain, Zhang Zilong. But whose was the second voice, and why did it sound a bit familiar?

“Keep investigating that experimental organization. See if there are any other recruitment channels. Captain Zhang might be in trouble; this time, it’s my turn to infiltrate.” The male officer grabbed the tape and sprinted out the door like a whirlwind.

On the television mounted on the wall, Qinlian’s acting Chairman, Zhou Mo, was being interviewed by reporters. Dressed in a high-end tailored suit, he answered their questions methodically. He never smiled, and his face perpetually carried a resolute expression that ordinary people couldn’t quite comprehend.

(End)