At twelve o’clock at night, the section chief of the forensic department rushed into the office of Criminal Investigation Team One with a DNA report, and his bright eyes shone with extreme excitement. “The identification results are out!”
The team members who were lying on the floor, desks, chairs, and sofa quickly got up and looked at him.
“It belongs to the suspect!” The section chief slapped the report on the table, his hoarse voice full of surprise. “The severe hand belongs to him! Xiao Li, did you notice anything unusual when you went to collect the sample today? Did he have both hands?”
Xiao Li nodded repeatedly and said, “Yes, of course he did, and they looked as normal as our hands. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to work. He’s an assistant chef who specializes in chopping vegetables.”
The section chief nodded and said, “That’s right, we also found that the sharp weapon used to cut off the hands was precisely a boning knife. The technique was very neat so the blood loss was relatively small, the work of a professional. This matches the suspect’s occupation, so he should have cut off the hands himself, hidden them in a trash can at the Sixi Hotel so they were buried under a pile of leftovers, and taken by Luyi Waste Treatment Plant.”
“Haa!” This was the sound of the director gasping after hearing the news. Sun Zhengqi and Hu Wenwen stood behind him, their faces as pale as paper. The scientifically verified facts were placed right before their eyes, so they couldn’t help but believe it now.
Everyone stared at the identification report with stiff expressions and dazed gazes, as if they were looking at something terrible.
It was the old director who reacted first and ordered, “What are you still waiting for, let’s arrest him!”
“Oh! Yes, now that we have evidence, we have to arrest him! Hurry up and put your equipment on!” Liu Tao hurriedly cleaned up the floor, and the rest of the officers scattered in a frenzy.
Catching thieves was not actually difficult. The most difficult part was finding evidence, because they often stole things and left the scene, and the channels for handling stolen goods were also very secretive, leaving very few clues. Moreover, experienced thieves also knew how to dodge surveillance cameras, so they left less evidence and were often acquitted in court.
Therefore, in the industry, catching thieves was considered a technical job, with a focus on taking back the stolen goods. Don’t look at how many police officers rushed forward during an arrest. It seems easy to arrest someone, but in fact, for this moment, the officers didn’t know how long they followed or secretly filmed the suspect. It was a tough process that an ordinary person couldn’t imagine.
In this case, there was still no way for them to obtain the stolen goods, and there was no tangible evidence. However, a single charge of abandoning human limbs was enough to send the suspect to prison, even if the limbs were his own.
While everyone was getting ready to leave, Liao Fang took out her cell phone and started making calls. The director saw her dawdling and couldn’t help but reprimand her, “Xiao Liao, what are you doing? Why are you making a call at this time? You’re breaking the rules! If the case is leaked, I’ll be the first to find you!”
Liao Fang hastily covered the phone’s microphone and explained, “Director, I am calling Mr. Fan. He said that the suspect is very dangerous, and asked me to be sure to tell him before we arrest him.”
The director’s stern expression instantly relaxed and his tone changed as he replied, “Oh, then you should call and properly ask him how dangerous the suspect is, and what we should prepare for.”
Liao Fang nodded and walked to a quiet corner. Everyone stopped preparing and looked at her with burning eyes.
A short while later, an extremely magnetic voice came from the microphone. It sounded lazy, as if they had just awoken from a sound sleep, “You’re ready to arrest someone?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Yes, yes, we’re ready to make an arrest. Mr. Fan, I’m really sorry to disturb you so late. You said he was dangerous before, so I just wanted to ask how dangerous he was. Is he still human?”
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“He’s really a human being?” Liao Fang asked doubtfully.
“Yes, he’s the same as you, except that he was driven by desire and has become enslaved by it, and has since lost his human nature. You send me his address, and I will act with you,” Fan Jialuo ordered as if it was a given, then hung up the phone.
Liao Fang sent the address without even thinking about it, and only when she was finished did she exclaim, “Oops, that’s not good, why am I acting stupid?”
“What do you mean by acting stupid? What did Fan Jialuo say? What exactly is the suspect?” the director asked the most urgent questions on behalf of everyone.
“I, I sent Mr. Fan the suspect’s address, and he said he would go too. What should we do, the arrest will be very dangerous!” Liao Fang said with a distraught expression, “He also said that we should bring all the equipment we have, preferably stab-proof, because the suspect is very dangerous……”
“He can go if he wants, and we can just let him wait in the car. You haven’t said what the hell the suspect is yet.” Liu Tao scratched his ears and cheeks anxiously, and everyone’s moods were similar to his. They were all looking at Liao Fang, an anxious light in their eyes.
“Mr. Fan’s words were—he’s the same as you, except that he was driven by desire and has become enslaved by it, and has since lost his human nature.” Liao Fang put away her phone and urged, “Okay, okay, don’t ask me again. I don’t know what he meant, that’s just what Mr. Fan said. Do you guys have your guns? Are you wearing stab-proof suits?”
Since they couldn’t ask anything else, they hurried to the equipment storage to retrieve their gear. Concerned about their safety, the director gave them special permission, “I remember that a new batch of explosion-proof weapons came in recently. You all should bring one, just in case.”
After a burst of chaos, the heavily armed officers got into their police cars and drove away in a hurry. When the people on the roadside saw them prepared for a huge battle, they thought that the police team was going to enter a large drug den instead of catching a thief.
When they arrived at the suspect’s community, the convoy of cars had all turned off their sirens and grown silent. Fan Jialuo had been waiting downstairs a long time for the suspect. He stood in the dark stairwell where the voice-activated lights had long since been damaged. Light from the street lamps illuminated him through the snow-white walls, causing him to appear like a faint star, shadowy and hazy, but firmly attracting the gazes of bystanders who were also in the dark.
Liao Fang saw him from afar and her uneasy heart settled. Mr. Fan was here, great!
Fan Jialuo raised his slender index finger and pressed it against his red lips.
Liao Fang quickly closed her mouth, took out a car key, and handed it to him. She pointed to the police car parked nearby, then to herself and her companions behind her, before finally pointing upstairs.
Fan Jialuo nodded, took the keys, and turned to walk towards the police car.
Only then was Liao Fang completely relieved, and she let the property company’s administrator walk ahead and silently climb up to the seventh floor. The community was very old, the elevator had broken down a long time ago, the people coming and going were questionable, and the sanitation was poor, so the rent was particularly cheap. After nightfall, there were often the sounds of arguing, abuse, and cursing. People’s unsatisfactory lives were always vented in this manner.
The administrator knocked on the suspect’s door with shaking hands, but there was no response from inside. However, the lights were on and the sound of the TV could be faintly heard.
The administrator looked at the police officers hiding on both sides of the corridor with a somewhat panicked expression.
Liao Fang made a placating gesture, then squatted down and knocked on the door instead of her. Dududu, dududu. She continued knocking for about a minute.
The person inside finally grew impatient and cursed, “What are you knocking for, are you fucking done yet? Who is it?”
The administrator looked into the peephole and managed to put on a rude expression. “Did you throw cigarette butts downstairs today? There are balconies below you that people use to dry clothes. Don’t you know that throwing a cigarette butt down might cause a fire? This isn’t the first or second time you’ve done this, it happens every day! No one can stand you anymore, so I’m here to inform you: You can no longer live here, you have to move out tomorrow!”
“Bitch, what did you just say?” The suspect, who was originally on guard, immediately pulled the door open and asked aggressively, “I pay my rent on time every month, so why would you evict me? Who the hell dares to complain about me……”
At this moment, Liu Tao suddenly emerged from his blind spot, pushed the administrator away, and kicked the suspect into his apartment. He then raised his gun and shouted, “Don’t move!”
Police officers rushed forward, ready to capture the suspect alive.
The suspect’s eyes widened as he stared at the black barrel of the gun in horror, but he was not scared stiff. Instead, he slammed into Liu Tao. Liu Tao never expected him to react this way, so he was hit and staggered. He was surrounded by his colleagues, so he didn’t dare to pull the trigger. If he accidentally hit anyone, it would be a death sentence.
Everyone obviously thought the same, so even though everyone had a gun, they were useless, and they could only intercept the suspect while dodging Liu Tao’s gun barrel. The one who responded the fastest was Sun Zhengqi. He was tall with large hands and feet, and only needed two or three steps to catch up with the suspect as he ran out of the corridor. He then wrenched the suspect’s hands backwards and pressed him against the wall.
Sun Zhengqi knew how weird this person was, so he used all of his strength. The suspect’s face was almost pressed into the wall and the bones in his hands let out a cracking sound, as if they were about to dislocate.
“Quickly handcuff him!” Sun Zhengqi shouted loudly, not daring to loosen his grip at all.
Hu Wenwen hurriedly unfastened the handcuffs from her waist, but at this moment, a thin green-gray arm emerged from the suspect’s left armpit. Five fingers appearing like dead branches held a sharp knife tightly and aimed at Sun Zhengqi’s abdomen. Sun Zhengqi only felt that his abdomen was stabbed hard, and he sucked in a sharp breath, but he didn’t understand what had happened.
However, Hu Wenwen was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat and screamed, “Watch out! He still has another hand!”
What?! Sun Zhengqi hurriedly looked down, only to see another thin green-gray arm emerging from the suspect’s right armpit and attempt to gouge out his eyes. The short, sharp nails appeared to be poisoned, and flashed with a green ghostly light.
Sun Zhengqi’s mind was blank, and he was unable to process such a strange scene. Fortunately, he received the most rigorous training in the police academy, and instinctively avoided the unexpected attack. However, he also released his grip on the suspect, so he was able to take advantage of the situation.
The suspect threw him off using his four hands and ran frantically, but he was blocked by several police officers who were waiting in ambush in the corridor. He turned around to change course without thinking, but was blocked by the tall Sun Zhengqi, Liu Tao, and others. There was no way forward, but he maintained a fierce expression without fear, as if he was ready to wield a sharp knife and slash a bloody path forward.
It wasn’t until now that everyone realized that he was holding four knives, one in each of his four hands. The blades were cold and shining, and obviously were polished often. However, the most frightening thing was not these murderous weapons, but the two hands that he had inexplicably grown, like two hands from hell. They were very thin and dry, but unusually strong. Due to the narrow corridor, he inevitably bumped into the walls when he wielded the sharp knives. His normal hands would tremble, go numb, and then pause whenever this happened, but his thin, gray hands could directly scrape off part of the wall and bricks.
“Stand down! Everyone get out of the way! I’m going to shoot!” Facing such a monster, Liu Tao could only take out a hot weapon.
The police officers who were within range hastily ducked into the stairwell, followed by the sound of two loud bangs. Liu Tao hit the suspect in both thighs.
The suspect had tough skin, and even after both legs were shot he didn’t say a word. He threw the knives in his hands and rolled to the side. At this moment, his black t-shirt was torn to shreds and an even more horrific scene appeared—from both sides of his ribs, his waist, abdomen, hips, and even thighs, dozens of thin green-gray arms grew out. They waved in the air and made tearing, scratching, and squirming motions, turning a normal person into a huge and ugly centipede.
Liu Tao and the others were scared to death, and even though they saw this terrifying scene happening right before their eyes, they still couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
Hu Wenwen was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, her legs so weak that she couldn’t stand.
The humanoid centipede quickly wriggled its dozens of thin arms and climbed up the wall of the corridor to the ceiling. The arms’ sharp nails made a clacking sound every time they were embedded deep into the bricks, causing debris to fly everywhere. You could imagine that if anyone fell into his hands, they would instantly be torn into pieces. His lethality was beyond everyone’s expectations!
“Shoot, don’t let him get away!” Liu Tao couldn’t help but shout after he saw the suspect burrow into the rental apartment’s ceiling, twist open the metal security screen, and prepare to climb downstairs.
Liao Fang hurriedly raised her gun and aimed it at the other party’s head. Yes, they were unable to capture him alive, so they had to kill the monster!
She shot it and hit a vital point, but the suspect didn’t seem to feel anything as if he was unconscious. He squeezed through the already deformed security screen and quickly disappeared into the dimly lit balcony. The gunshot seemed to cause very limited damage to him.
Liu Tao ran closer to take a look, and saw a humanoid black shadow wandering outside the building vertically, as if it was walking on flat ground. The scene was even more bizarre than a science fiction movie.
“Chase, chase, chase, we can’t let him run away!” Liu Tao knew very well what terrible consequences would result from letting this man get away. The public would panic, society would be in turmoil, and the Chengnan Branch would have to bear all of the responsibility.
Everyone hurriedly chased the suspect down the stairs, but they simply couldn’t catch up with the dozens of thin arms as they flew and writhed around. No one could catch a monster like that, no one!
Fear, anxiety, panic, and frustration were entangled in everyone’s hearts. They desperately ran and chased after him, and after three minutes, they finally saw the figure of the humanoid centipede. Although his thin arms were strong, his body was still that of a human, without the flexible joints of a centipede, so he would always bump into walls while going around corners, which greatly affected his speed.
“He’s running to the parking lot! Quickly, quickly, quickly! Quickly surround him!” Sun Zhengqi shouted while out of breath, but he was soon caught off guard and fell to his knees. He saw Fan Jialuo sitting in an open police car with a gun in his hand, shooting at the quickly approaching humanoid centipede.
“It’s useless! Bullets can’t hurt him! Hurry up and run away!” Sun Zhengqi scrambled to his feet and ran forward with all his might. No matter how dangerous the monster was, he had to block the strike, because it was his duty to protect innocent citizens.
However, in the next second, he fell to his knees again with an expression of utter disbelief.
It turned out that what Fan Jialuo was holding was not a gun, but an anti-riot net gun. It didn’t shoot bullets, but a wire net, which instantly captured the fast-moving monster. The others risked their lives all night long, but couldn’t match his idle wait. Everything that happened around him—visible, invisible, past, present, and future—seemed to be within his expectations.
Gross!! These officers should be so thankful that FJL is here
Oh god that imagery was so gross wth
Thanks for the chapter!
Ewwww disgusting💀though Fan Jialuo always coming in clutch✋❤god I love him
Thanks for the chapter!
I’ve caught up!
thanks so much for picking this up. I’m so curious to see where it leads.
as far as the ML, at first I was hoping it wasnt Song Rui but now I hope it is!