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墨書 Inktalez
Back on the surface, I noticed there were no guards around. Zhao Mingkun pulled me along as we hurried a distance before finding a manhole cover that led us back into the sewer. The most dangerous places are often the safest; they surely wouldn’t expect us to enter underground again. The darkness of the underground space was indeed an excellent way to escape.
However, one thing puzzled me: if Liu had brought even a couple more police officers, we would have had no chance of escaping. Yet, he hadn’t done so. He was waiting for us, confident that we would emerge from that spot. Given Liu's cautious nature, this could not have been an oversight on his part.
This meant Liu was deliberate in his actions.
Moreover, after our prolonged standoff with Liu, the police had not pursued us. As Zhao Mingkun pointed out, this was quite unusual. Upon reflection, there was only one conclusion: it wasn’t that the police couldn’t catch up; they simply had no intention of doing so.
This could only mean it was Liu’s directive as the newly appointed captain.
What exactly did Liu intend to do? At that moment of peril, I couldn’t think clearly, but looking back now, it seemed evident that Liu had intentionally let us go. Otherwise, he could have easily executed Zhao Mingkun. Was it because Liu had some connection with Wu Zui that he found it useful to keep both Zhao Mingkun and me alive?
After all, Zhao Mingkun was Wu Zui’s sister who raised him; it made sense that Wu Zui would prevent Liu from killing her. But what about me? If Liu were truly under Wu Zui’s control, why had Wu Zui repeatedly had opportunities to kill me yet never acted?
A massive enigma loomed over all of us. I sensed that Dongxing City was on the brink of turmoil.
I glanced at the silent and swift-moving Zhao Mingkun beside me; for a moment, I felt disoriented. The person I once thought was an enemy had become an ally, while those I considered allies now appeared as foes. Who among them could I trust? Who was lying and who wasn’t?
We wandered through the sewer for quite some time; Zhao Mingkun was like a living map. Although I had previously studied the sewer layout of Dongxing City and memorized it, in the chaos of fleeing through the pitch-black tunnels, I lost all sense of direction and couldn’t match my location with any map.
After what felt like several hours, Zhao Mingkun finally pointed to a manhole cover above and said, “Let’s go up; this place is definitely safe.”
With that, we climbed up in turn.
I surveyed my surroundings and realized we were in a courtyard.
Zhao Mingkun spoke slowly, “Have you heard of a cunning rabbit having three burrows? The owner of this house is away and won’t be back; I bought it at a high price. Come on, there are clean clothes inside, though it seems there aren’t any men’s clothes. You’ll have to check the wardrobe yourself.”
Entering the main room, I opened the wardrobe and found several pieces of clothing covered in dust. At this moment, I couldn’t be picky; finding men’s clothing was already fortunate enough. After changing into the clothes, I sat on the steps of the courtyard and looked up at the sky. The sun was setting, painting the clouds a brilliant red—a beautiful sight. A cool breeze blew by, making my ears tingle pleasantly.
Experiencing such thrilling events, sitting here doing nothing felt truly comfortable and pleasant.
Zhao Mingkun sat beside me, looking up.
“How would you choose?” After a moment, Zhao Mingkun asked slowly.
“Choose what?” I turned to Zhao Mingkun.
Zhao Mingkun didn’t look at me. “If we rescued your girlfriend, and she wanted you to kill me, how would you choose? According to that police officer, Guan Zengbin, the reason he became a cop was to catch me. And catching me is no different from killing me, right? Once I'm caught, the death penalty is certain.”
Zhao Mingkun simply lay back, his hands clasped behind his head as a pillow. “I’ve killed so many people. At first, I really couldn’t bring myself to do it; after all, it’s a life—a living, breathing life. But you know what? Once you kill someone, the rest doesn’t seem like much of a deal anymore. Eventually, you start to think, what’s the difference between killing and chopping vegetables?”
“I’ve never killed a child; I’ve killed both men and women,” Zhao Mingkun looked at me. “So if Guan Zengbin wants my life, it’s for the greater good.”
I felt some resistance to these matters. “But during the time I’ve spent with you, you haven’t killed anyone. Those previous incidents were all instigated by Shi Huacheng, weren’t they? If you could live a normal life, why would you resort to murder?”
I tried to defend Zhao Mingkun.
Zhao Mingkun looked at me and suddenly burst into laughter.
After a while, he spoke again. “Wu Meng, why are you so adorable? I am a murderer—an actual murderer. What’s there to defend about me? Aren’t you supposed to be an expert in psychology? Do you really think that if I hadn’t made up my mind myself, even if Shi Huacheng ordered me to kill someone, I would actually do it?”
I had no response.
Zhao Mingkun continued, “Wu Meng, after living for thirty years, I’ve come to understand myself. I know what kind of person I am. I can be kind to others but also cruel. I can donate my money to impoverished girls, yet I won’t allow anyone to interfere with my interests.”
“People are inherently contradictory; do you understand?” Zhao Mingkun closed his eyes. “Both good and evil can coexist within one person. A single thought can lead to kindness or malice. There are no purely good people or purely evil people; everyone has a mix of both. Human nature is always like this—it cannot be changed.”
I agree with this point. I consider myself not a particularly good person, but I am not a bad one either; I am just an ordinary person.
"Yeah," I said, feeling somewhat reflective. "At least when you're with me, you are kind."
Zhao Mingkun lightly curled his lips and continued, "Between the ages of twenty and twenty-two, to help Shi Huacheng, I killed too many people and did too many bad things. By the time I turned twenty-five, I suddenly grew tired of this life. But for Shitou, I had no choice but to persist. Now, everything has turned to ashes."
"Shitou?" I asked. "Shi Huacheng's daughter? What happened to her later?"
"She died." Zhao Mingkun's tone was casual, devoid of any emotion. "Shitou was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer at a young age; the doctors told her she only had a few years to live. To treat Shitou's illness, Shi Huacheng got in touch with a wealthy young man from the dark web. The young man provided the funds, and Shi Huacheng established a massive criminal organization."
I had heard this story from Guan Zengbin before, so I said, "The Domain Organization?"
Zhao Mingkun nodded. "To establish this organization, Shi Huacheng engaged in all sorts of heinous acts to satisfy his benefactor—human trafficking, torturing young girls, murder and arson—he committed every crime imaginable. At the same time, he used the money from his benefactor to conduct human experiments. No matter the method, Shi Huacheng would try it out. But none of those methods were effective. However, Shi Huacheng couldn't wait; he had no time left and resorted to using living people for experiments."
"But he was repeatedly unsuccessful." Zhao Mingkun shook his head. "At that time, even the most advanced technology in the world couldn't completely cure Shitou; at best, it could only extend her life by a few years."
I nodded in understanding.
Zhao Mingkun reminisced about events from seven years ago and continued, "Later on, Shi Huacheng was captured by Shao Shilin himself, and Shitou ended up living with Shao Shilin. Although Shao Shilin actively sought ways to treat Shitou's illness, her blood cancer only worsened."
"A year ago, Shitou died."
At this point, Zhao Mingkun shed tears and turned to look at me. "After seven years of struggle, Shitou still succumbed to blood cancer. I saw her body from afar; it was in such a terrible state. You could tell how much she suffered when she died."
Hearing Zhao Mingkun's words made me feel sad as well. I asked, "Did Shi Huacheng know about this?"
"I think he must have known," Zhao Mingkun replied. "No matter how much Shao Shilin hated Shi Huacheng, Shitou was still his daughter. But it's also good that Shitou lived seven years as a normal person. If she had been with us, who knows if she would have become another Wu Zui? In that case, at least she had seven happy years. That’s much better than hiding here and there with me."
I looked up at the sky, unsure of what to say.
"I thought that a criminal was someone like Wu Zui," I began. "Shi Huacheng was just doing it for a stone. That's why he went from being a police officer to a criminal."
Zhao Mingkun scoffed at this. "No need for those words. The people who died in Homicide had families too, and they would grieve for their lost loved ones. If you don't want to experience the Separation of Life and Death yourself, then don't make others go through it. No matter the reason, it's ultimately selfish, it's ultimately about oneself. No matter what kind of criminal it is, no matter how good or plentiful the excuses are, they are still criminals."
I had heard this line from Captain Shao before, but I never expected to hear it from the mouth of a criminal.
"So," Zhao Mingkun said seriously as she looked at me, "you need to understand that you are a police officer. If you sympathize with criminals, then who will catch them? Love or hate cannot justify a person killing another; do you understand?"
Hearing these words from a criminal left me at a loss for words.
"I only figured this out after living for thirty years," Zhao Mingkun's voice seemed lazy. "Unfortunately for me, I'm afraid of death. Sometimes I think maybe I should just get caught; isn't it just one bullet? Isn't it just a moment? But I'm still afraid—sometimes so afraid that I can't sleep. So I keep running, always running."
"I'm just that selfish of a person."
Zhao Mingkun tightened her grip around my neck, turning my face towards her. "So if there ever comes a time when you save your girlfriend and she tells you to kill me, don't hesitate. I wouldn't dare commit suicide, nor do I want to be caught; that process is too tedious. If it's you, then there's nothing to be afraid of. Do you understand, brother... Wu Meng?"
Zhao Mingkun's grip was strong; I could barely catch my breath.
"Then why are you still investigating with me to save Guan Zengbin?" I managed to ask.
Zhao Mingkun released my neck and pointed to her heart. "This is hell, and this is also the hall."
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