With a soft sound, the person sitting at the tunnel’s opening dropped something that rolled to Fan Jia’s feet. She picked it up to find two steamed buns in a plastic bag, still steaming hot.

“Hungry?” his voice was gentle. “This is all I have for now. I bought them just at the street corner, couldn’t go far. The police are looking for me everywhere.”

Fan Jia ate the buns in silence. When she instinctively looked up afterward, her whole body trembled in fear. Chen Zhaoci was lying prone at the opening, his face visible through the iron bars. He still appeared to have that usual withdrawn, wooden expression.

But Fan Jia knew he was nothing like what he appeared to be. He was the one who held a camera, recording videos of company members abusing a young girl. He was also the one who mercilessly dragged her into darkness just as she was about to escape. He even managed to evade everyone’s notice and now kept her imprisoned in this sunless underground chamber.

Chen Zhaoci gazed at her, his eyes clear and somewhat yearning. He stared quietly for so long that it made her scalp tingle with dread.

But at this moment, stronger than fear in Fan Jia’s heart was a desire for truth. This very desire helped her overcome her fear. She said, “I saw the video on Zhou Rongfeng’s computer. Liu Yisha’s death was accidental, it wasn’t your fault. Afterward, did they put her body in a box and dump it by the river?”

Chen Zhaoci stared at her and replied, “They dumped her on me to handle. After they played with her to death, nobody wanted to take responsibility, so they gave her to me.”

Fan Jia said, “You could have refused. Could they have forced you?”

Chen Zhaoci smiled and answered, “Refuse? If the body was discovered, I couldn’t have escaped involvement anyway. Besides… ultimately, Liu Yisha brought it on herself. Sleeping with them to cover one month’s interest – that was her own choice. She’s not like you. Such a depraved, worthless girl. She deserved it!”

Though Fan Jia was still inexperienced, she sensed something excessive in Chen Zhaoci’s attitude. As if divinely inspired, she blurted out, “What about the others? The other girls who owed money – did they all become depraved, or did some refuse to submit?”

Chen Zhaoci gave a light snort and said, “Most of them willingly degraded themselves. In their minds, sleeping for money seemed like an easy thing. They could abandon their shame, and betray their lovers, some even did it again and again! Then some refused but were stupid – they got drugged and ended up complying anyway. Only you – you’re the only one who hurt Zhou Rongfeng and escaped. You’re unique.”

He spoke calmly, with his usual steady and methodical manner. But looking at him, Fan Jia couldn’t help but shiver.

She had never really dealt with a psychopath before. Even after Gu Tiancheng’s arrest, Fan Jia had only participated in the interrogation. Besides, Gu Tiancheng had been completely deflated then, looking no different from other criminals. Fan Jia thought anxiously to herself: Chen Zhaoci’s behavior wasn’t normal, right? She had studied some criminal psychology at the police academy – with psychopaths, you had to analyze their behavior, and understand their psychology to turn the tables!

He said she was unique.

He cursed those girls for being depraved and betraying their lovers.

He called those who couldn’t escape stupid.

Then he took such a big risk to bring her here. The fact that You Mingxu and others still hadn’t found her showed his expertise and strong counter-investigation abilities.

Fan Jia asked, “If I’m… unique, what about Zhao Feier? Wasn’t she your unique one?”

If Yin Feng had been present, he would have smiled knowingly, for Fan Jia had asked an excellent, unexpected question.

Fan Jia watched Chen Zhaoci’s face intently.

However, his reaction frustrated her calculations. His eyes showed no emotional response; he merely furrowed his brow slightly: “Who?”

“Zhao Feier. Killed a year ago, another client of your company, the girl found in a box.”

Chen Zhaoci gazed at Fan Jia: “I did copy that case when disposing of Liu Yisha’s body. But I never even met Zhao Feier, and she wasn’t my client when she was alive. You think I killed her? Is that the kind of person you think I am? I’ve never killed anyone!” He slammed his palm against the iron bars, making them clang loudly.

For some reason, Fan Jia felt his reaction was genuine.

If Chen Zhaoci wasn’t Zhao Feier’s real killer…

Then why had he kidnapped her?

Fan Jia was naturally bold and straightforward, and once she realized this fact, she suddenly lost her fear of Chen Zhaoci. She stood up again, hands on her hips, and looked up to ask, “Tell me, what do you want to do with me?”

Chen Zhaoci was taken aback, surprised by her sudden vitality. He stared at her for several seconds, then smiled faintly and said, “Initially, I wanted to save you, afraid you’d fall into their hands. Who knew you were the police? Now what am I supposed to do with you?”

Fan Jia could hardly believe her ears – this person who had shown signs of being psychotic initially wanted to save her? Yet somehow it made sense. But this person who alternated between being extreme and rationally clear-headed was difficult to handle.

However, once Fan Jia’s fighting spirit ignited, she wouldn’t rest until achieving her goal. In this way, she was similar to her two teammates, and even to everyone in Old Ding’s entire criminal investigation team. Her mind turning, she asked again, “Was your previous lover harmed by campus loans in the same way?”

The girl’s gentle, clear question hit Chen Zhaoci’s ears like an explosion of thunder. Looking into her clear, round eyes, he seemed to see that girl from many years ago, lying in a pool of blood, staring at him with those innocent, childlike eyes. Eyes that had since haunted his every dream, penetrating deep into his soul.

—

Chen Zhaoci’s mother passed away when he was very young, and he could no longer remember what she looked like.

He only remembered their cramped home filled with people. The coffin sat in the living room with a black and white portrait hung above it. Because of the funeral, they had bought some rarely-seen candies. A package sat on the table above the coffin.

Chen Zhaoci wanted to eat them badly, but everyone was busy talking and wiping tears. No one paid attention to him. Finally, when his father was alone, he tugged at the adult’s sleeve saying, “Papa, I want candy!” His father looked up like a wild beast, with bloodshot eyes and heavy alcohol breath. His father slapped his face, cursing, “You heartless little beast!”

He was tiny then, knocked to the ground, with people trying to calm his father, and others watching him. Chen Zhaoci’s lip trembled, and he began wailing loudly, which only earned him an even more savage beating from his father.

…

From then on, Chen Zhaoci hated funerals, and everything and everyone associated with them.