Chapter 742: Case Closed

In the interrogation room, Xiao Si had one leg up on the chair, his right hand resting on his knee, biting his nails like a defiant child. Lin Qiupu had to remind him three times to sit properly. Xiao Si coldly said, “I only want to talk to Officer Lin.”

“Why do you want to talk to me?” Lin Dongxue walked in. “Do I remind you of your sister?”

“Because you’re pretty,” Xiao Si replied with a smile.

The interrogation was conducted by Lin Dongxue and Lin Qiupu, but Lin Dongxue asked most of the questions. After the basic information, Lin Dongxue started verifying the case details. Xiao Si spoke slowly, and his story largely matched Chen Shi’s deductions.

The Plan

He had guessed it was Zhang Xiao when he saw the disfigured head in the group chat but didn’t want to get caught after the first murder. So, he followed his plan, killing Xiao Wei and Da Niu before Zhang Xiao. Only these three knew the exact time he joined the association.

“I originally planned to fake my own attack, cutting off my right hand to create a crime scene where I narrowly escaped. I bought painkillers and rope, but… I couldn’t do it. Maybe my will to live is too strong. I couldn’t bring myself to cut off my own hand.”

Motivations

“I’m curious. Since you knew their addresses from the start, why didn’t you kill them one by one?”

“That would be pointless. I needed to find the person who caused my sister’s death, look them in the eye, make them repent, and then slowly kill them!” Xiao Si’s eyes flashed with malice.

“Did Zhang Xiao repent before he died?”

Xiao Si sneered and shook his head. “No remorse at all… Officer Lin, I have a question for you. If you encountered a PUA, could you recognize them?”

“I don’t think I’d fall for that.”

“But my sister would. She was a naive girl, always dreaming of a Prince Charming. It was both her charm and her tragedy. Two sisters, both so innocent, making them easy targets for deception and exploitation. The world never protects the weak, until one day, the weak become wolves, striking back with claws and teeth.”

Reflections

Lin Qiupu frowned, disliking the blame-shifting, but Lin Dongxue didn’t plan to lecture someone facing the death penalty. Chen Shi believed behavior shapes beliefs, and a few words wouldn’t change Xiao Si’s mindset.

“No offense, but what did your original sister do for a living?”

“A regular worker.”

“But the police say she secretly did sex work, and the thug you killed was one of her ‘clients.'”

Xiao Si took a deep breath and didn’t react angrily. “They’re smearing her. My sister was the kindest, gentlest woman. She gave up her education to work in a small factory, making phone charms, stringing beads for a pittance, to support my schooling. She only got angry when I wanted to drop out and work because she didn’t want me to struggle like she did. She insisted I finish school to have a future.”

Lin Dongxue thought of her own childhood, where Lin Qiupu took care of her. They were also orphans, but luckily had relatives’ support, allowing them to go to school despite hardships.

“Did you know your sister had died?” Lin Dongxue asked.

“I found out a year ago, but I was in hiding and couldn’t return for her funeral. Then I met Duan Lin, who treated me like my sister did. I saw her as family. A woman can be a sister, a mother, a lover, and herself. They have unique value, but seeing my sister treated as a plaything, her suicide video shared for laughs, I couldn’t stay calm. To those people, women are just toys.”

“So you think you’re doing a public service?” Lin Qiupu couldn’t help but interject.

Xiao Si ignored him, continuing to Lin Dongxue, “Why did you save those people? When I slit their throats, you could’ve let them die by delaying the ambulance. Why save them? To you, a life is sacred, no matter how rotten the person is. If you knew what they did, you’d think they deserved to die. When I did it, I thought, killing one scum means fewer victims like my sister.”

“Xiao Si, Chen and I discussed this. Bad PUAs are indeed despicable. Eliminating them requires media exposure, public effort, legal protection, and most importantly, women’s awakening. The mindset of seeing women as objects is widespread, and PUAs thrive in this environment. It’s a long process, like curing a disease, but it’s the only solution. Killing a few people won’t solve it. We’re investigating those men for fraud and rape, and they’ll likely face justice.”

“Sister Lin, do you reject killing because you’re a cop, or is that your true belief?”

“It’s my belief. Everyone has value, even those seen as worthless. No one has the right to take away another’s life.”

“Even someone like me? I’m facing the death penalty, which means the law sees me as disposable trash!”

“Have you heard of a prisoner who invented a brushless motor the day before his execution and got his sentence commuted? Never give up on yourself. As long as you live, there’s endless possibility!”

Xiao Si covered his face, his shoulders shaking. He was crying. “I really miss my sister’s stir-fried tomatoes and eggs!”