Chapter 410: Stars

2022-05-20

Zhao Mingkun lay motionless on the ground.

“Let’s go.” Shao Shilin said the single word and fell silent.

I felt like the most precious thing in my life had vanished—gone forever. Nothing mattered to me anymore.

Silence.

I held Zhao Mingkun’s body in my arms, watching her life fade right before my eyes, powerless to do anything.

“I hate you.” I glared at Shao Shilin.

He didn’t reply, but sadness flickered across his face.

“Is it more important to catch the culprit, or to comfort a heart that’s still alive?” Shao Shilin murmured to himself.

Numb, I trailed behind Shao Shilin with no desire to speak or act.

Climbing out of the sewer, everything was suddenly bright. Above ground was nothing like the darkness below. Up here, the light was dazzling—as if the people living here never schemed or saw evil.

One thing was clear: Shao Shilin was smarter than any of us. No matter how cleverly Wu Zui played his game, he was like Sun Wukong trapped in Buddha’s palm. He thought he’d reached the ends of the earth, but he never left Shao Shilin’s grasp. It was just that too many innocent people had gotten caught up in this massive palm—Gu Chen, Guan Zengbin, Xiao Liu.

They all put their lives on the line, but when faced with someone else’s death, it was impossible to truly let go.

“Team Leader Shao!” Suddenly, Wen Runzhi came running over. “Bad news, Teacher—Wu Zui got away.”

“What?” Team Leader Shao smashed his fist down on the car. “How did this happen?”

Wen Runzhi spoke quickly: “I’m guessing Wu Zui figured out it was a set-up while we were putting on our act. When the smoke poured out, we went down to grab Zhao Mingkun, but by the time we got back Wu Zui was gone.”

“Weren’t there people watching?” Team Leader Shao asked. “Did Gu Chen get away too?”

Wen Runzhi shook his head. “No, Gu Chen’s still under our control.”

“Guan Zengbin—again, it’s always Guan Zengbin.”

“Where’s Guan Zengbin?” Team Leader Shao slapped his forehead.

Wen Runzhi just shook his head.

I couldn’t let Wu Zui slip away again. If he escaped this time, who knew if we’d ever catch him? This was my last chance—I couldn’t let him go. Shutting my eyes, I forced myself to think: if I were Wu Zui, where would I go?

Pain split my head open. Every profiling session brought brutal headaches. But if that’s what it took, I’d go mad myself just to get Wu Zui. This was our game—I wouldn’t let him win, even if he was my brother.

I gritted my teeth, fighting through the agony that came with profiling.

A mental map of Dongxing City’s sewer popped up in my mind—I’d memorized it from Mary’s computer when we were hunting Zhao Mingkun.

If I were Wu Zui, I couldn’t risk the streets above. The main sewer routes were already blocked by Team Leader Shao’s men. Which meant the best escape was that little alley three blocks over—the same one Zhao Mingkun used with me last time.

That’s right. Back then, it was Sister Mao who led me there. Now, Wu Zui would surely pick the same spot.

With that, I sprinted toward the alley. I never knew I could run so far in one stretch. Turns out, people really do have hidden reserves. All I could think about was catching Wu Zui. Nothing else mattered. It was the only thought in my mind.

A familiar figure appeared up ahead—Wu Zui had just climbed out of the sewer.

I charged forward and kicked at Wu Zui. But as if he had eyes in the back of his head, he dodged to the side and wrapped his arm around my neck. Now I was facing the sewer shaft, where Guan Zengbin was watching from the rung of the iron ladder.

With a sharp kick, I knocked the manhole cover hard so it slammed shut, sealing the opening tight.

“You can’t run now,” I said to Wu Zui.

“I didn’t expect Shao Shilin to be this clever. No wonder he could go toe to toe with Shi Huacheng—he set a trap from the very start. If I hadn’t sensed danger just now, I’d be in custody by now. Still, little brother, you must’ve used your profiling skill to find this place, right?”

Wu Zui let out a booming laugh. “Did you know I can push you so far, you’ll end up completely insane—no different from those pathetic patients in the psych ward?”

“I know,” I said softly.

“Wu Zui!” At that moment, Shao Shilin appeared at the alley entrance. Looked like they’d followed me.

Shao Shilin stepped into the alley. “Look at you now—do you really think you can get away?”

“Stay back,” Wu Zui warned. “Being the one getting played isn’t fun, huh? Now I get what Wu Meng felt back then. The only difference is I react faster. My idiot brother here’s always one step behind. Take another step, and I’ll kill him. You believe me?”

Wu Zui wasn’t like Zhao Mingkun. He meant every word, and he’d kill without warning—his mood swinging on a whim.

“I only need ten minutes, so I won’t waste words,” Wu Zui continued. “Stay right there and don’t move, or he dies. Shao Shilin, yeah, you’re smart—maybe even smarter than me. But you’re not as ruthless. For all I care, you could frame a crime with Wu Meng and me as accomplices, kill us both. Want to give it a try?”

Wu Zui spoke as he dragged me slowly backward.

“No one is to move without my order!” Shao Shilin’s voice rang out.

Maybe Shao Shilin always knew Zhao Mingkun wouldn’t kill me. But Wu Zui absolutely would.

“Brother,” Wu Zui pressed his head tight against my neck, his body pressed to the wall to avoid being surrounded. He really was clever.

“You’ve lost,” I whispered. “The moment you targeted me, you stepped right into Shao Shilin’s trap. You can’t escape.”

Wu Zui shook his head, his mouth right at my ear. “Lost? No way. As long as you’re here, Shao Shilin won’t dare do anything. Gu Chen got caught? Doesn’t matter. Guan Zengbin? Doesn’t matter. You really think Shi Huacheng is the only teacher I’ve got?”

Suddenly, I remembered that dangerous hypnotist at Dongxing City’s Psychiatric Hospital—Wei Demian, the old man in his sixties.

“Wei Demian?” I asked.

Wu Zui burst out laughing. Just loud enough for me, he whispered, “Exactly, little brother. That’s why you’re always a step behind. Once I break Wei Demian out, I’ll learn hypnosis from him and reach our final goal. Wu Meng, you keep missing the most trivial details—but those are the crucial ones.”

A memory hit me—back at the Psychiatric Hospital, someone secretly slipped me a note. I’d thought it was just a madman’s prank, but maybe that was one of those vital little details. If I’d checked it then, everything might have turned out differently.

Wu Zui really was terrifying. He was only in his twenties. If he mastered Wei Demian’s hypnosis, who could stop him then? If Wu Zui made it to thirty, forty—would another Shao Shilin appear, cold-blooded and just, someone crafty enough to bring him down?

I doubted it.

“As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn.” Wu Zui dragged me toward the exit of the alley. “You really think I don’t have a backup plan? Even if I killed everyone who helped me, there’d still be someone left for later. Wu Meng, this loss is just temporary—I’ll meet you again, one day.”

“Brother,” I suddenly blurted.

“Brother?” Wu Zui said, “That’s the first time you’ve ever called me that and actually meant it. Wu Meng, next time we meet, your life will be even worse than death. You have nothing—your friends, your family, all fake. Everything is a lie. Only pain and injury are real. Deep down, you’re alone, Wu Meng. Stop fooling yourself. You and I are the same. Sooner or later, you’ll walk my path.”

I ignored Wu Zui’s crazed rambling. “Brother, let me tell you a story. Some say when people die, they turn into stars in the sky…”

“And the more people who miss them, the brighter that star shines, right?” Wu Zui replied impatiently. “Zhao Mingkun was my sister too. She told that story more than once—nonsense. Zhao Mingkun’s dead for sure. Doesn’t that hurt you?”

“But you never truly understood,” I said seriously. “I was arrogant before, then I got lost. Now I have nothing, but suddenly I figured out the answer to one question.”

“What answer?” Wu Zui asked.

I replied, “People always asked why this job mattered to me so much. I could never answer that—until now. Now I know the reason.”

As I spoke, I snatched Wu Zui’s hand, then slammed it down without hesitation.

Both of us crashed to the ground together.

We had less than a minute left to live.

I gazed at the endless blue sky and drifting clouds. There were no stars. All the people I’d met, places I’d seen, things I’d done—they flashed through my mind like scenes in a film.

Because of the stars, the night sky isn’t just darkness.

Some people are born into darkness, yet still manage to become shining stars—lighting up even a small patch of sky.

Zhao Mingkun was a star. And so was I.

Everything around me got blurrier and blurrier.

I felt night falling, but in that haze, a single star burned bright ahead.

I was tired.

I was finally home.