Chapter 9

A male and female student living together off-campus met a gruesome end: the girl was boiled, cut into over a thousand pieces, and scattered throughout the campus, while the boy was nailed to a chair, disemboweled, and his organs and intestines were pulled out, with his abdominal cavity stuffed with water-filled condoms.

The manner of their deaths was beyond comprehension, extremely tragic, and seemed more like a religious ritual than an ordinary act of revenge.

As Liu He and Su Bai walked back together, Liu He almost clutched his chest the entire way, clearly shaken by the intensity of the scene.

Su Bai, on the other hand, seemed relatively calm, his composure different from Liu He's.

Suddenly, he thought about what Chu Zhao had said about the surveillance cameras. To completely avoid them and scatter so many body parts around the campus seemed impossible for a human being.

At this moment, Su Bai's phone began to vibrate.

"Liu He, go back to the dorm first, I'll be there in a bit," Su Bai said to Liu He, then walked toward the barbecue stand at the school gate.

"Hello, it's me. What's up with the late-night call?"

"I heard about what happened at your school, tsk tsk." On the other end, Xun'er seemed to be blow-drying her hair, and the buzzing sound was clearly audible through the speaker.

"You're well-informed." Su Bai walked to the barbecue stand, looking at the grilled meat, his Adam's apple moving. It didn't seem like a good day for barbecue. "Boss, two bottles of beer and some grilled vegetables, no meat, please."

"Hehe, what's wrong? Did it affect you too? Honestly, if it weren't for the extreme nature of the act, I would have thought you did it yourself, you serial killer."

Su Bai chuckled dryly and sat down at a small table.

"I'm not that far gone, and I wouldn't harm my classmates for no reason."

"You said it yourself, you're just not that far gone yet. I'm telling you, if your mental illness continues to develop, you won't be far from becoming a serial killer."

"Maybe I already am."

"At least the people we've killed in the club aren't good people."

"How does that make us sound like the Powerpuff Girls or Sailor Moon, saying 'I'll punish you in the name of the moon'?"

"Hehe, something like that. In reality, we're not much different from those who enjoy illegal street racing; we just play a bigger and more daring game. Anyway, I won't chat anymore. You know what I'm up to, right?"

"Chu Zhao told me, you're going to the British Embassy."

"Ah, how boring. I told my dad I wanted to go to Somalia or the Middle East, like Syria, but my mom started crying, and my dad threw cups around the house. In the end, I had to go to Britain."

"A girl should settle down a bit."

"I'm leaving, and the club will probably disband."

"Sort of. You know why Gu Fan joined the club. Without you, he won't be as enthusiastic."

"I have nothing to do with him."

"That sounds like you're saying you like me."

"Okay, stop being so full of yourself. I'm not about to fall for a serial killer. If you end up killing your wife when you're really sick, that would be too tragic."

There was a pause on the other end, and Xun'er's voice became serious. "Seriously, Su Bai, I'll find a hospital for you in Britain after I get there. You can come for treatment."

"Here's your beer and barbecue." The barbecue stand owner brought Su Bai his beer and food.

"Thanks." Su Bai thanked the owner, then picked up the beer bottle and drank directly from it.

"I think your condition can't be delayed any longer. Right now, we're just playing small games, killing scum. With our four families' connections, we can cover up any mistakes. But what about the future? If you really... I'm not worried about myself, I'm worried about you. You might destroy your life and your family."

"I know." Su Bai took another sip of beer.

He was very clear about his own situation and the future development of his mental illness, which he couldn't control. He should have gone abroad to be a mercenary, but his family connections made it difficult. Chinese mercenaries weren't very popular in the market, and Su Bai knew his own abilities. His free-fighting and amateur gun skills were enough to impress at small gatherings, but not enough to survive on his own. He was still too inexperienced.

"I'll find a hospital for you, and contact you when I do. I need your consent because it's your decision."

"Okay, sure. If you find one, I can apply for an exchange program to Britain. It shouldn't be a problem."

"Good, that's the best way to think about it." Xun'er finished blow-drying her hair, lay down on the bed, and let out a contented sigh. "By the way, what about your girlfriend? Didn't you say a girl from school was pursuing you, and you were developing a relationship with her?"

"It's been a while since we've been in touch."

"How is that a relationship? You're just ignoring her."

"You said it yourself, with my condition, it's better not to harm other girls in the future."

At that moment, Su Bai noticed two people walking toward him. One was leading a dog, which wasn't very large but was sleek and agile, with a distinctive quality that set it apart from ordinary dogs. It showed no interest in the leftover grilled meat on the ground. The man leading the dog wore a military camouflage shirt and looked strong and tough.

The other man was thinner, probably young, but wore sunglasses at night, which seemed... ridiculous.

The two men sat down at a table at the barbecue stand.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Xun'er was a very sensitive woman and could sense a lot from Su Bai's breathing.

"Nothing, nothing. Get some rest. Thanks for your help."

"Don't be so formal. Be careful. I just read the latest reports; there might be someone even more twisted and murderous near your school."

"Okay."

Su Bai hung up the phone but thought to himself, are they really murderers? Or is all of this the work of humans?

He quietly drank his beer, his eyes always on the man in camouflage and the man in sunglasses. For some reason, Su Bai felt an unusual aura from them.

Moreover, they didn't seem to be there for a casual night out; they seemed to be waiting for something, looking serious and solemn.

At that moment, the small black dog ran over to Su Bai and started circling him.

Su Bai, who wasn't afraid of killing, suddenly felt uneasy under the dog's gaze.

"Come back."

The man in camouflage called out, and the dog gave Su Bai one last deep look before running back to its owner.

The man in sunglasses whispered something to the man in camouflage, who nodded and gave Su Bai a meaningful look.

Su Bai put some money on the table and stood up, planning to leave.

As he passed the table of the man in camouflage and the man in sunglasses, the small black dog bared its teeth at Su Bai, looking fierce. The dog's aggression was deep and threatening, impossible to ignore.

The man in sunglasses, holding a bottle of alcohol, gently raised it. "Leaving?"

He was talking to Su Bai.

Su Bai was a bit surprised. They didn't know each other, so why would he greet him like this? But he nodded slightly.

"Yes, going back to school."

The man in camouflage grunted. "I suggest you stay a bit longer."

The man in sunglasses shook his head at the man in camouflage, and they continued drinking and eating.

Su Bai hesitated but decided to cross the street and head back to the campus.

Watching Su Bai's retreating back, the man in camouflage smiled. "Why didn't you stop him? Usually, if a new recruit can be saved, there's a reward."

The man in sunglasses sighed. "No need. He has a killer aura, and your little black dog sensed it. He's not an ordinary new recruit, at least not an ordinary person. Forcing him to stay before the story begins would cause unnecessary conflict.

Besides, he doesn't seem like someone who can be easily killed. We can find him later."

——

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