Chapter 871: Confrontation

As the crowd set their guns down, the lights in the mall went out, enveloping everything in silence. The building felt like a box housing two coiled vipers, creating a palpable tension.

After a minute of waiting, the main entrance lights flickered on. Lin Qiupu couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted through a megaphone, “We’ve put our guns down. Now show us the hostage.”

“Come in!” came Ling Shuang’s voice from inside, this time not through the speakers.

Lin Qiupu pushed open the door, with everyone following behind. Inside, it was vast and empty, covered in dust and scattered debris. Between two rows of columns stood a glass display case with something inside, barely discernible to everyone except Chen Shi.

A cigar cutter!

Just as he had suspected, Ling Shuang intended to settle an old score by exacting revenge. She took a deep breath.

Suddenly, lights overhead illuminated Ling Shuang standing on the edge of a second-floor balcony. Xu Xiaodong was bound to a chair with a noose around his neck, the other end tied to a steel rod in the ceiling.

Xu Xiaodong’s mouth was gagged, and his eyes were covered. The chair’s front legs dangled over the edge, while the back legs rested precariously on the balcony’s edge. Ling Shuang held the chair’s back, maintaining a terrifying balance.

With a gentle push, Xu Xiaodong would face execution by hanging, his neck possibly snapping from the sudden fall.

“What are you doing!” Lin Qiupu growled softly. “I’m warning you, there are SWAT teams outside…”

“Of course, I know,” Ling Shuang grinned. “Before we negotiate, there’s an old issue we need to settle first…” She raised her left hand, revealing a rubber finger cover on her thumb.

“What do you mean?” Lin Qiupu demanded.

“I understand her meaning,” Chen Shi stepped forward. “Miss Ling, you’re someone who settles scores.”

“Mr. Chen, you’re a discerning man. Do you know how to satisfy me?” Ling Shuang asked.

Glancing at the cigar cutter on the counter, Chen Shi proposed, “Since we have old grievances, why not use me to exchange for Officer Xu?”

“Haha!” Ling Shuang chuckled coldly. “Trading hostages? Sorry, you’ll have to follow my script!”

“What about Zhou Xiao?” Chen Shi looked around. “The lights here keep going on and off. Is that his doing?”

“Do you arrogantly think I’m ignorant of negotiation psychology? Delaying tactics are a specialty of negotiation experts. Ask one more question, and I’ll push Officer Xu off!”

“After he falls, won’t the SWAT team rush in and turn you into a sieve?”

“Do you intend to cut this?” Chen Shi raised his pinky. “It’s inconvenient without a thumb. I cook and drive normally.”

Ling Shuang’s face, like a mask, first revealed a smile. Three seconds later, the smile faded. Suddenly, liquid poured from above and splashed on everyone’s heads and bodies, filling the entire space with a strong gasoline odor.

Everyone turned around to see someone standing on the platform, holding a lighter. The flame illuminated his face—it was “Song Lang.”

“Song Lang” spoke with a grim voice, “I’ll ask once: who the hell killed Zhou Tiannan?”

Was this their hostage-taking purpose!?

Seeing this face, Lin Qiupu’s heart tightened. He had imagined countless times the scene of their reunion, but never in such a dangerous, confrontational setting. He said, “You really are Song Lang!”

“Miss me, Lin Qiupu!” The lighter only lit up his nose and eyes, his mouth unseen.

“You…you…” Lin Qiupu gasped for breath, conflicting emotions colliding within him. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

“Don’t be fooled!” Chen Shi said. “Look at his eyes. That’s a human skin mask. It works well on surveillance, but it’s obvious face-to-face. You’re Zhou Xiao!”

Zhou Xiao abandoned the gloomy voice, adopting his usual arrogant tone. “Someone has seen through me. I’m not Song Lang. So where is the real Song Lang?”

Ling Shuang also burst into laughter, playing with her prey like a cat.

Clamping his teeth, a voice in Chen Shi’s heart urged him to speak out, to let it out here! But he couldn’t take that step—it wasn’t just a sentence; it was a hard shell he had worn for four years, now too thick to push open from within.

Chen Shi’s breath became irregular, recalling the night of confrontation with Zhou Xiao, where the scent of blood from his lover and mentor lingered in the air. His world shattered from that moment on, never to return to its former state.

Enraged, Chen Shi walked over and grabbed the cigar cutter, snapping it forcefully. His scream echoed through the building. Lin Dongxue covered her mouth, watching a finger drop into a pool of blood. She rushed over.

“No, I’m fine!” Chen Shi gasped, pushing her away to avoid exposing his wound. He looked up, “Use me to exchange for Officer Xu. Treat me however you want. I don’t care anymore!”

“Oh, Chen…” Lin Dongxue called out sorrowfully.

“Hahaha!” Zhou Xiao laughed loudly. Ling Shuang joined in, their laughter echoing madly, disturbing the air above everyone’s heads.

“This guy thinks he’s so important. He thinks he’s the protagonist,” Zhou Xiao laughed. “Oops!” Zhou Xiao was too engrossed in his laughter, and the lighter slipped from his hand. Everyone froze.

But it was just his prank. The lighter fell a short distance before he caught it with his other hand, fancying a few spins on his fingers. He tossed it high, the bright spot making everyone’s heart race up and down. Finally, Zhou Xiao caught it, placed it on the railing, and burned it like a candle.

He continued the topic from earlier, “You must have investigated. Tell me what you’ve found. Who was there that day, whose fingerprints and DNA are on Zhou Tiannan? Tell me everything!”

“We haven’t found any definite clues,” Lin Qiupu said.

“You’re lying!” Zhou Xiao roared. “The police must have found something, but you think he’s guilty and won’t report it!”

“That’s your idea. Even if Zhou Tiannan did many wrongs, in our eyes, he was just a regular victim. We’ve investigated everything we can, but many things about him remain a mystery. If you can provide information, it might be helpful.”

Bent over, covering his bleeding hand, Chen Shi said, “I was the last person to see him!”

Lin Dongxue added, “So was I!”

“Mr. Chen, you’re eager to sacrifice yourself!” Ling Shuang said. “In your mind, death isn’t frightening; it’s the exposure of secrets that truly terrifies. What’s that called? Learned helplessness!”

Eyes of doubt turned toward Chen Shi.

Zhou Xiao said, “We already know this. What we want are the things you haven’t told us, the things you’re hiding!”

“Paranoid maniac, we haven’t hidden any clues!” Lin Dongxue yelled angrily.

Zhou Xiao’s gaze turned cold. “Ling Shuang, take action!”