Chapter 72: 72
“When the virtual and the real have no difference, the human construct is no longer that unique. Every day, there are 4 million pictures uploaded and 32 millions status updates posted to the web by at least 14 million active users. This sea of information is not lost, the photon computer collects them to manufacture unique and complex human character models.
“Boss, we have an ergency!”
“Chill down, haven’t I told you that we have to be calm even in the most dire situation?” Kong Tiancheng lectured as he turned away from the mic.
“There is a murderer who has held a whole broadcast studio hostage. He claims to be ng Changan’s elder brother and ng Changan is actually the killer for the human jigsaw case that happened 10 years ago!”
“What the fuck! Where did you see this?!” Kong Tianchang glanced towards his phone and then whipped his head towards the location where the higher-ups from Immortal Pharma were seated. 4 of the 5 seats were vacated. A middle-aged man with dashing good looks was staring at his phone silently. The natag on his lapel identified him as ng Changan.
Thousand pairs of eyes at the convention stared at him. ng Changan thought he could use himself to lure ng Changxi out but he was now put under the spotlight instead. If he left, that would suggest guilt but if he stayed, who knew what else his brother would reveal.
“That is ng Changan?!”
“The murderer’s younger brother? No, wait, the murderer is ng Changan!”
“But he does not look like one!”
“What do you know? These kinds of people hide themselves very well.”
“We need to report this to the main company imdiately!”
Kong Tiancheng left the stage in a hurry. The speakers broadcasted music in his stead but the music was barely loud enough to overwhelm the exchange among the crowd. Similar situations were happening all over Xin Lu. In this information era, any hot topic would be known by all in a matter of seconds. At that mont, many people were tuned into their phone, staring at the man with the ruined face and scarred body.
“I wish to regale everyone with a story, a story about love and death. A mother took in three orphans, 2 of them had ntal problems and 1 had physical disfigurent. However, the young mother still loved them with everything she had, but the repaynt she got? She was brutally murdered by her own sons…” Inside Room 1044 at Happiness Neighbourhood, Han Fei was tuned into the stream as well. He knew about ng Changxi’s past and he understood how long the man must have planned for this day. ‘So this is the swan song you’ve prepared for yourself?’
ng Changxi revealed everything he knew on video. He did not hide anything, not even the presence of the butterfly. ng Changxi knew that even if his siblings were apprehended, they would not give up the butterfly. Therefore, with his own life on the line, he decided to expose the butterfly. So believed him and others did not, but that did not matter because the na, butterfly, was now out there. That alone might cause people to be more alert, thus lowering the number of potential victims.
To avoid facial recognition, ng Changxi ruined his face; to prevent himself from leaving behind any fingerprint, he burned off his fingertips; for this day, he was in hiding for 10 years. He carved his speech on his own body. Every single scar was part of a sentence. Even after the stream was taken down, people could continue to find evidence on his body via captured stills. From the frozen body case to the human jigsaw case, ng Changxi admitted everything he experienced, knew and investigated. He did not deny his wrongdoing. He admitted to the murder of He Shouye and the tempering of evidence but that was all he would confess to. He’d not take the fall for things that he did not do.
ng Changan had laid down an elaborate plan with both surface and hidden evidence to fra his brother. However, he underestimated ng Changxi, for he was outplayed. Instead of entrapping ng Changxi, his elder brother tore down the protective web that he had constructed around himself for the past 10 years before everyone’s eyes!
The livestream did not last long and by the end, the stream started to flicker. No one knew what happened before the image went down but they did hear an angry growl by ng Changxi. “Does a lack of evidence really an a lack of sin?!”
The stream was cut off but its captured stills and highlights began to flood the internet, it sent the news once more to the top of online discussions. After watching ng Changxi’s video, Han Fei imdiately called Li Xue but her line was busy. So he sent her a few ssages. Several seconds later, Li Xue replied. “All 3 ng Brothers are now in detention!”
“What is your next plan?” Han Fei trusted Xin Lu police but it was hard to have them investigate an elusive butterfly, that alone sounded so preposterous. ng Changxi’s public exposure of the butterfly was probably also a asure taken to instigate public opinion to pressure the police to open this investigation.
“The police will pour all their resources to investigate the frozen body and jigsaw puzzle case, including this butterfly ntioned by ng Changxi.”
“If you’re starting an investigation into the butterfly, I can help you. I have so information on the butterfly with .”
“Are you still at ho?”
“I’m in Xin Lu countryside, I’ll et you at the station.” Staying inside the room filled with paper furniture, Han Fei felt uncomfortable and he wanted to leave.
“Give your address, we will go get you.” Han Fei caught the seriousness in Li Xue’s tone.
“I’m at a neighbourhood behind a chemical plant in the Northern countryside, the place is called Happiness Neighbourhood…” Han Fei actually had no idea whether he could help bring down the butterfly or not. If anything, he felt like the butterfly was already onto him and it would be hard to put his plan into action. “The butterfly would have seen ng Changxi’s stream as well, this place is no longer safe.”
Han Fei hurried and left. He grabbed all the information collected by ng Changxi. He hugged them to his chest and ran out the building. Luckily, Han Fei did not run into any accident and soon he t up with the Xin Lu police.
Under heavy protection, Han Fei was directly sent to the investigation unit’s office. Two imposing officers personally ca to ‘welco’ Han Fei, one of them appeared to be Li Xue’s forr superior. Sitting in the room filled with cops, Han Fei felt no fear. He would reveal everything he should; but what he couldn’t, he’d keep to himself. Han Fei was confident no lie detector in the world was going to detect his omission.
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