Chapter 178: Digital Shadows and Deadly Cards

Chapter 178: A bunch of newbies?

Just a moment ago, you claimed you didn’t know about the others?

Yet when you spoke, you insisted they were number 3?

Xiao Yu glared coldly at Xia Xingchen.

“I really don’t know who they are,” he said.

Xia Xingchen shook his head. “But I can make a pretty good guess.”

“How did you guess?” Xiao Yu asked.

“Because I often browse the dark web, learning things ordinary people never know,” Xia Xingchen replied.

He continued, “For instance, the dark web I use to post missions is connected worldwide—people from other countries can log in. Loads of people love posting things there. Murder, for example. I suspected her as number 3 because from number 3 all the way to A, they’ve been operating abroad!”

“What do you mean?” Xiao Yu frowned.

“Not only are the card posters domestic, but there are also foreign ones. And numbers 3 to A only handle overseas assignments.”

Xia Xingchen’s face went white. “The domestic cases are handled by Little Ghost and his crew!”

I see… Xiao Yu nodded in understanding.

No wonder the file Wang Dong gave only recorded a few ‘accidental’ death cases.

“As for how I know number 3’s…”

Xia Xingchen grew agitated. “They run rampant overseas. Every time they complete a hit, they leave behind a card. Especially number 3—she loves to slit all the victim’s blood vessels, watching the blood drain as they die in agony… And number 9, as I mentioned, prefers to smash the victim’s head with blunt tools like wrenches or hammers. Ordinary people wouldn’t know these details, but they’re all posted on the dark web…”

Leaving much unsaid, Xiao Yu frowned and stormed out of the interrogation room.

When he first hacked the dark web server, he only focused on who was auctioning the cards, not the other details.

Later, he retrieved every trace of data from the server on his computer.

Sure enough, he found all the information Xia Xingchen had mentioned, along with some images and videos.

These images and videos were all posted on dark web forums—and they were indeed foreign.

In several of them, cards appeared.

But they weren’t from Little Ghost; they were from numbers 3 to A.

Their killing methods ranged from conventional to downright deranged.

Yet in Xiao Yu’s eyes, they stayed within the realm of ‘normal’.

At least, there were no ‘accidental deaths’.

However, every time these hitmen finished a job, they left behind a card.

These cards featured number 3, number 9, and other symbols as well.

Each card signified a life lost.

Likewise, each one represented a distinct method of killing.

For instance, number 3 liked to knock her target down using combat skills and then use a knife to drain their blood.

Similarly, as Xia Xingchen described, number 9 preferred to use blunt instruments like wrenches and hammers to smash his victim’s head, ensuring death.

Such cases happened frequently overseas.

Yet the foreign police have never managed to catch these hitmen.

Overseas, these killers have earned the chilling title… The Card Killers!

Xiao Yu contacted Wang Dong, instructing him to investigate foreign records.

Before long, an answer emerged.

“That’s right—it’s an organized killer group,” came the reply.

Wang Dong said grimly, “It appears they used to operate exclusively abroad and have only in the last ten years started taking hits here!”

“No, that can’t be,”

Xiao Yu shook his head, thinking of the female assassin. “Is it possible they were operating locally all along, only taking on foreign jobs before, and only in the past decade did they start local hits?”

At first glance, it might seem similar, but in reality, the difference is monumental.

One group developed overseas, with headquarters abroad.

The other had long been established at home, with a base right here.

They’re entirely different in nature!

“It’s impossible to be sure,” Wang Dong admitted.

His expression turned dubious. “The female assassin is dead!”

Xiao Yu was dumbfounded.

He glared at Wang Dong, nearly cursing, “Are you kidding me?”

Under these so-called security measures, how could she have died?

“She was already poisoned when you knocked her out,” Wang Dong explained.

Wang Dong managed a bitter smile. “She had a special false tooth that could bite through anything—inside, it concealed venom from a Belcher Sea Snake!”

“Hiss!” Xiao Yu exhaled sharply.

The Belcher Sea Snake is one of the deadliest snakes in the world—a true king among venomous snakes.

No exaggeration: a single drop of its venom can kill a thousand people.

And it acts incredibly fast; without immediate treatment, death is certain.

Of course, that’s not its most terrifying trait.

The real horror is that this venom leaves its victims numb, allowing them to die without any pain.

It’s earned the nickname… the Gentle Reaper!

Xiao Yu’s mind raced as he processed the information.

Is it really possible for a false tooth to hide venom?

It absolutely is.

It’s not a genuine tooth, but a false one.

A very special false tooth with venom concealed inside.

Doesn’t it worry you that it might break during a meal and poison you?

Some probably don’t understand how dental implants work.

The procedure involves extracting your old teeth, inserting a dental post, and then attaching the false tooth.

As long as it isn’t permanently fixed, such a false tooth can be replaced at any time.

Hitmen don’t normally wear their venomous tooth; they install it only during missions to avoid capture.

After all, it’s better to live one more day than to risk death if caught.

They must realize how horrific and painful the fate of a captured killer can be.

They’d rather die quickly than suffer…

“This is troublesome,” Xiao Yu murmured.

He groaned, “Even if we catch them, obtaining live suspects is nearly impossible!”

“Agreed,” Wang Dong replied.

Wang Dong nodded. “Unless we can render them unconscious at the first strike—leaving no chance for suicide!”

“How is that even possible?” Xiao Yu countered.

Xiao Yu shook his head. “As long as they’re cautious, knocking out people like them in one go is nearly impossible.”

Recalling the female assassin’s brutal methods, it seemed the only option was to knock them out instantly at first sight.

But here’s the catch.

You still don’t even know the identities of the remaining hitmen. No one has a clue.

By the time you figure it out and move in, it might already be too late—they could be dead.

They won’t give you a chance!

“It all comes down to luck,” Xiao Yu conceded.

Wang Dong understood. “One thing’s for sure—they’ve already entered our country!”

Xiao Yu narrowed his eyes.

Yes, number 3 has made an appearance, along with numbers 4 to A and Little Ghost’s crew.

There are secrets even about Xia Xingchen that he himself isn’t aware of.

So why did number 3 risk infiltrating the police’s investigation unit to carry out a hit?

Suddenly, Xiao Yu smiled—a strange, eerie smile.

Could it really be just as he suspected?

Are they just a bunch of computer novices?

Worried about something…

Xiao Yu returned to the interrogation room and looked at Xia Xingchen, asking every word carefully.

“In the past, how did you communicate with Little Ghost?”