Two Puddles of Flesh

“Hello, hello! Welcome to the stream, everyone!

Since this is our first time meeting, I should warn you that the upcoming content might be a bit bloody and violent. If you are faint of heart, please make sure you have a parent or guardian watching with you!

Also, because I exploited a system loophole to force-push this stream, it's technically a violation of the platform's rules. It'll probably only stay up for about ten minutes or so. If you're interested, you might want to start screen-recording now!”

In front of the camera, a man wearing a casual gray hoodie spoke to the viewers in a gentle, warm voice.

The young man's face bore a sickly pale complexion, as if he had just finished some intense exercise, and his gentle voice trembled slightly.

Yet despite this, a polite smile remained fixed on his face.

“What the hell is this? I was watching a gaming stream!”

“Wow, he's so handsome! I want his contact info so we can hang out offline!”

“Damn it, what is this platform doing? I was happily watching some 'balls'—big, white, bouncy ones—and suddenly it switched channels on me! What's with the streamer's background? Is he filming a movie?”

“Shame on the guy above! Were you really watching sports? Where's the justice? Where's the morality? Where's the link?!”

“Cough, cough, bro, I have a friend who's a sports fan and also wants...”

Watching the bullet comments scrolling across the screen and the rising viewer count, Xia De breathed a sigh of relief, his mind settling slightly.

He was terrified that this final curtain call would end in cold indifference. If he couldn't get more people to see it, then everything he was doing now would be completely meaningless.

“Alright, my dear friends. Without further ado, let's get down to business.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he flipped the phone's camera. A middle-aged, balding man bound in hemp rope appeared on screen.

The man wore a luxurious suit, his face greasy and shiny. His bloated belly protruded like that of a pregnant woman. His out-of-shape, short, and stout physique made him look utterly ridiculous.

At this moment, the viewers in the stream could clearly see the man staring in sheer terror at the youth in the casual hoodie. He was writhing constantly, making muffled, unintelligible noises through the cloth stuffed in his mouth, desperately trying to say something.

“Is this a movie? The acting of the actor the streamer hired is god-tier!”

“Exactly! This acting totally puts those old-timers to shame!”

“Hahaha, no, bro, the term is 'veteran actors'!”

“Wait, I know this guy! Isn't that the president of Shenghai Group and the richest man in our City C? How does the streamer dare to have someone play him? Isn't he afraid of getting sued or ruined by the richest man?”

“Just a quiet thought... am I the only one who thinks this might not be acting? Could the streamer actually be a kidnapper?”

Meanwhile, several police officers were rapidly making their way through the stairwell, trying to reach the rooftop terrace as quickly as possible. The officer leading them received a message from command through his earpiece.

“Captain Chen, the suspect just started a live stream. He mentioned at the beginning that the stream would only last about ten minutes, so we estimate he will make his move within that timeframe.

I also believe this might be a window of time he intentionally left for us, though the reason remains unknown!

Furthermore, the suspect chose the rooftop—a place with no escape. Unless he has some other means of fleeing, he likely has self-destructive tendencies.”

“Understood. I'll keep an eye out, and if he shows signs of self-destruction, I'll do my best to stop him.

Keep monitoring his movements. Make sure to watch his every action closely. Do not let your guard down!”

“Roger that!”

Hanging up, Chen Hai felt a headache coming on as he led his team up the stairs without stopping.

This was a high-IQ crime. The suspect not only possessed excellent technical skills but also outstanding counter-reconnaissance abilities. He had committed five crimes so far, escaping every single time.

But what gave Chen Hai a headache wasn't just that; it was the suspect's motive. Every person he killed was a corrupt official, an unscrupulous merchant, or a greedy landlord.

Having been a police officer for over a decade, Chen Hai could tell at a glance that this was a suspect with a childish mindset, acting on impulse out of a self-righteous sense of justice.

However, if his motives were reported and handled poorly, it would inevitably spark massive public outcry and threaten social stability.

To be honest, after gathering information on the victims, Chen Hai also felt the young man's targets deserved to die. Calling them beasts would be an insult to beasts.

Yet, as a police officer, maintaining social stability was his sacred duty. He could not let his personal feelings sway him.

Therefore, Xia De, a criminal who had committed multiple murders, had to be brought to justice.

“Hurry up! Move, move!”

The officers following Chen Hai didn't say a word. They simply pushed themselves to their absolute limits, quickening their pace to keep up with him.

The rooftop door was kicked open with a bang. Chen Hai saw a handsome young man in a gray hoodie talking to his phone's camera, a gentle smile on his slightly pale face.

Just then, a gentle breeze blew, rustling his slightly curly hair. The warm sunlight washed over him, making him look remarkably radiant.

Had they not known the context, no one would have guessed this was a kidnapping scene. One might have thought he was just out on a casual trip.

The arrival of the police seemed to bring hope to the richest man of City C, who had been carelessly tossed onto the ground at Xia De's feet.

His eyes widened, and his obese, rope-bound body struggled with all its might to crawl toward Chen Hai and the others inch by inch. His bespoke suit was covered in dust, making him look incredibly pathetic.

“Hey, hey, hey! Who gave you permission to move on your own?”

Feeling offended, Xia De stepped on Shi Peng's pig-like head. As if feeling that the sole of his shoe was getting dirty, he rubbed his foot back and forth against the man's face.

He forced the richest man of City C's face into intimate contact with the concrete repeatedly, only stopping when a few smears of bright red blood stained the ground.

This action, witnessed by everyone in the live stream, was like a massive boulder dropped into a calm lake, stirring up huge waves of shock.

“This... this is too realistic! No way, is this actually real??”

“A kidnapper! It's a real kidnapper! Streamer, don't do anything foolish! Turn yourself in quickly. You're so handsome and young, with such a bright future ahead of you. At worst, when you get out of prison, this big sister will take care of you!”

“Holy crap, a stream like this can actually stay up? I respect the streamer's skills!”

Of course, his actions also immediately put Chen Hai and the other officers on high alert.

Everyone drew their sidearms and aimed them at Xia De. Leading the way, Chen Hai cautiously approached Xia De while calling out:

“Son, don't do anything rash! Put him down and surrender. It's not too late! You still have a future!”

However, these words didn't affect Xia De in the slightest. There was no panic from being cornered, nor any remorse for his actions. There was only a very ordinary, everyday calm.

To him, killing someone like Shi Peng was as natural as breathing. Would anyone stop breathing just because of what someone else said?

Officer Chen's other words of persuasion echoed in his ears—chirping and buzzing like static from an old radio. It was noisy and failed to move him in the least. He could tell Officer Chen was trying to distract him while slowly closing the distance.

But he didn't care.

Grabbing the gap in the hemp rope, he lifted Shi Peng's bound upper body and dragged him step by step toward the edge. In truth, they were already at the very edge of the rooftop, only half a meter away from a plunge.

“Son, don't do anything rash! You still have a future, and you have family and friends. Don't do this! If something is bothering you, tell me. I'll do my best to help you resolve it! Just don't do anything rash!”

Seeing that Xia De indeed seemed to have self-destructive tendencies, Chen Hai's tone grew increasingly urgent. He didn't care what happened to Shi Peng; he just didn't want a young man with a sense of justice like Xia De to keep going down the wrong path.

Nor did he want Xia De to lose his life over a piece of human trash like Shi Peng.

Family? Friends? A future?

A mocking smile curled on the corner of Xia De's lips. Still ignoring Chen Hai, he dragged the man while speaking to his phone's camera:

“My dear friends, time is running out. The loophole I set up is probably about to be patched. So, let me briefly introduce this scum!

As you can see, this is Shi Peng, the president of Shenghai Group and the richest man in City C. And I am a kidnapper.”

At this point, as if remembering something, he smiled at the live stream.

“Shi Peng, forty-five years old, president of Shenghai Group, with a net worth of over a hundred billion and tens of billions in personal assets.

Yet, he maliciously withheld employee wages, used dirty tactics like intimidation and hiring hitmen in business, and traded money and sex with over a dozen officials in City C in exchange for protection.

Under his command, there are several mature criminal operations, ranging from child trafficking and forced prostitution to drug smuggling.

He has ruined countless families.”

“Mmph! Mmph!”

With every charge listed, Shi Peng's eyes widened a fraction more. Cold sweat poured from him like an open valve, and his obese body writhed violently like a maggot, desperate to break free from Xia De.

Staring at the rapidly approaching edge, he realized what Xia De was planning to do!

“Stop squirming! You damn, filthy maggot, go to hell with me!”

Kicking Shi Peng twice more in annoyance, Xia De stood at the very edge of the building. The hundred-meter height made him feel slightly light-headed, his chest tightening as if he couldn't catch his breath.

“Son, don't do anything rash!”

The middle-aged officer's voice rang out again, but Xia De continued to ignore him.

“A friendly tip here: if you have loved ones, I don't recommend following my example. In this society, you still need to rely on the law. See? These police officers are still the ones we can trust the most. If you run into trouble, going to them is absolutely the right call.

Of course, I can do this because I have nothing left. When you have nothing, instead of silently wallowing in self-pity and dying with resentment, it's better to drag your enemy down with you. After all, I have nothing left to lose!

If I'm going to die anyway, I might as well tear a chunk of flesh out of my enemy first!”

A gunshot rang out. A spray of bright red blood erupted from Xia De's right leg. The intense pain instantly contorted his face, making his pale complexion look even more deathly.

Fortunately, he was already standing at the edge of the roof. Gritting his teeth against the agony in his leg, he turned to look at the middle-aged officer rushing toward him. A slow smile spread across his pale, sickly face.

From the beginning until now, he finally spoke his first words to the officer who had been trying to convince him to stop.

“Thank you.”

And then, from the top of this hundred-meter-tall building, he took the trembling, terrified Shi Peng and leaped into the air.

A few seconds later, two splattered puddles of flesh lay on the ground below, emitting a foul stench of blood and decay...

“Lord Kanas, Madame has given birth to a young master!”

Before Xia De could break free from the darkness, the voice of a man reached his ears.