Yi Beidou deleted the emails and all other data from the computer before shutting it down and stowing it away. He then turned his gaze back to the three bodies in the first-floor living room.
'These three bodies are a problem. Donghua is a society governed by the rule of law, after all. Even for me, disposing of them without a trace would be difficult. Getting the police involved is practically inevitable.'
'But that might be for the best. Given my circumstances, I need to make contact with the relevant authorities anyway. What I plan to do next is far more complicated than what happened today. I can use this opportunity to resolve some potential future problems.'
He recalled from some information Hong Datong had given him that a department called the "Special Security Bureau" existed within Donghua.
'But first, I need to eat. It's been seven days since my last meal.'
Paying no mind to the three bodies on the floor, Yi Beidou took a large quantity of pre-prepared meat from the refrigerator and placed it in the oven. He rehydrated some freeze-dried vegetables and mixed a large pitcher of honey water from a jar of honey.
By the time he had finished all the food, approximately forty minutes had passed.
After a quick clean-up of the scene and wiping away any traces in the basement, Yi Beidou picked up his phone and dialed the emergency number.
"Hello, I'd like to report a crime. Terrorists have broken into my home."
"How many? What's the current situation? ...Yes, there were three of them. They're all dead now. It looks like suicide."
...
...
Words like "terrorists" and "three dead" were highly alarming, so the police response was incredibly swift and forceful. Over a dozen police cars surrounded the villa, throwing the neighborhood into an uproar.
Soon, Yi Beidou was taken to the police station. Meanwhile, the medical examiner's preliminary inspection of the bodies and the crime scene revealed several anomalies.
The findings were quickly reported up the chain of command, eventually attracting the attention of the appropriate authorities.
Wencheng Criminal Police Headquarters, interrogation room.
Several tall, heavily armed officers stood before a one-way mirror, observing the scene inside the interrogation room.
In the center of the bare interrogation room, an iron table and chair were bolted firmly to the floor. Yi Beidou sat in the chair, his hands and feet cuffed to it, completely immobilized.
His expression was as placid as a still well, and his eyes were half-lidded as if he were an old monk deep in meditation. He showed none of the panic or helplessness typical of a suspect.
"Still not talking?"
The officer in charge was middle-aged, but he had a powerful build. His forearms were thicker than most men's upper arms, giving him a look reminiscent of Popeye.
Finger, grip, and wrist strength are all driven by the forearm muscles. This middle-aged officer was clearly an expert in hand-to-hand techniques, likely a master of grappling.
This was Fan Dongsheng, Captain of the Wencheng Criminal Police Division. He was a special forces veteran, known for being upright, incorruptible, and highly capable.
"So far, he's only demanded to see someone from the Special Security Bureau. He refuses to say anything else. We've tried everything—cranking up the AC, blasting him with bright lights—and he hasn't moved an inch. For five whole hours, he hasn't even shifted his posture. I was starting to think something was wrong with him," a young, square-jawed officer beside him spoke in a low voice.
Interrogations were now recorded from start to finish, and since the suspect had a complicated family background, they couldn't resort to torture. But for an ordinary person, even these "soft" tactics would be unbearable.
For example, blasting someone's head with the AC on maximum speed and minimum temperature for half an hour would leave most people disoriented. Combined with the harsh lights and the oppressive atmosphere of the room, the average person would have broken and said something.
But this man was different. It was as if he wouldn't waver even if he were in Purgatory.
"This guy is definitely not simple," another officer said in a low voice.
After investigating the scene, they had discovered an all-metal basement in his house. What's more, after the three men were dead, the suspect had calmly cooked and eaten a full meal before calling the police.
No normal person would do that. Only a hardened criminal with nerves of steel could be so composed.
"He's hiding a big secret. He's right that he didn't kill those three. The M.E. confirmed they were brain-dead. The cause was a chip implanted in their skulls that emitted an electrical pulse, destroying their brains."
"Five years ago, when I was still in the military, I ran into people like this. They were all vicious monsters, Death Warriors cultivated by certain international factions with ulterior motives. During a mission, if the chip detects that their brainwaves have entered an unconscious state, it instantly fries the host's brain, causing brain death," Fan Dongsheng said in a low voice, a sharp glint in his eyes.
The reason he'd left active duty was because of them. His squad had encountered these people during a mission and suffered heavy losses. He himself had been seriously injured, which led to him leaving the military.
This time, he was determined to get some answers out of this man.
It was official business, but it was also personal.
"There are really brutes like that?"
The other officers looked horrified. They knew full well how capable Fan Dongsheng was.
"These people are highly trained, every one of them savage and ruthless. I've also heard that some of them have been enhanced with the world's most advanced drugs and body modification technologies, giving them abilities beyond those of an ordinary person. This is all classified, and I shouldn't be telling you this. But now that these brutes have appeared in Wencheng, there's a chance you'll run into them. I'm telling you this so you're prepared. If you encounter them, do not engage. Your top priority is to protect yourself. The best course of action is to run," Fan Dongsheng said, his expression grave.
"If these brutes are that strong, then this guy..."
The other officers couldn't help but look through the one-way mirror at the meditative Yi Beidou.
Three such vicious brutes had been subdued, bare-handed, by this young man. And he was completely unscathed. During the crime scene investigation, they still couldn't figure out how the two daggers had been broken.
"The man is certainly more than he seems," Fan Dongsheng said calmly. "But it doesn't matter. No matter who he is, now that he's here, he'll talk."
'So what if he's strong individually? The power of the state can move heaven and earth, and part the seas.'
CLACK CLACK CLACK!
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from outside the observation room. Led by an officer, a group of three entered.
The person in the lead was a striking woman with her hair in a high ponytail. She stood nearly 1.8 meters tall, with healthy, tan skin. Even her loose camouflage pants couldn't hide her long, straight legs, and a tight black top accentuated her perfect curves.
She wore no makeup, yet her eyes were bright and spirited. Her complexion was rosy, her skin smooth, her lips red and teeth white. These were all natural signs of a powerful inner vitality, a manifestation of vigorous Qi and blood that outshone any cosmetic.
Cosmetics were merely props used to conceal a person's waning Life Force.
"Zhou Baiwei, Deputy Captain of the Wencheng Special Security Bureau. Here are my credentials."
Zhou Baiwei saluted Fan Dongsheng and presented her credentials.
Fan Dongsheng examined them and returned the salute.
"Captain Zhou, the suspect specifically asked to see someone from the Special Security Bureau," Fan Dongsheng said.
"I've been briefed on the situation," Zhou Baiwei said, getting straight to the point. "Have you run a full background check on him?"
"Yi Beidou, male, twenty-seven years old, a Wencheng local. At the age of seven, he was abducted by a human trafficking ring. By the time he was rescued, all five traffickers were dead. Their deaths were horrific. According to testimony from the other rescued children, a mysterious person killed the traffickers. The killer was never identified, but it was suspected to be a revenge killing."
"After the incident, he developed severe autism, possibly from the trauma. At fifteen, his parents died in a mudslide during an earthquake in Bai Chuan Province, and guardianship was transferred to his mother's younger sister, Xu Yao. His file notes that at age ten, his autism began to improve and he started formal schooling. Due to his condition, his grades were initially poor, and he was held back two years. Later, as his autism gradually receded, he achieved good enough grades to be admitted to the philosophy department at Dechang University here in Wencheng. He just graduated a month ago."
"Aside from that, there's nothing else unusual in his record," Fan Dongsheng concluded.
The lack of anything unusual was, in itself, the most unusual thing.
'A young man with a history of childhood autism took down three vicious, professional brutes without a scratch?'
"By the way, we haven't notified his family yet," Fan Dongsheng added. "His background is a bit complicated. He's connected to the Wencheng Xu Group."
"I understand. Leave him to me," Zhou Baiwei said with a nod, her face calm. "Since he asked for the Special Security Bureau, he should be willing to talk."
'Fan Dongsheng's team might have to tread carefully around the Wencheng Xu Group, but the Special Security Bureau didn't need to show them any deference. She was curious to see what this man was all about.'