A Complete Madman

"Wen Wenyu, the psychological counselor Consultant Luo found. He woke up once, and he mentioned that same person."

Lu Yanjin pondered for a moment. "...I don't think it was him."

Although every fragment that flashed through Lu Yanjin's muddled mind showed Lu Changfeng's face, something about it felt off to him.

Lin Xinluo: "Why?"

Lu Yanjin: "Intuition."

Lin Xinluo: "?"

"You're all going to drive me to death sooner or later. Investigations are about evidence, evidence, do you understand? One of you is always acting like it's life or death and wanting to shoot people, and the other talks to me about intuition? Ha ha!?"

Xu Shenzheng had just arrived when he heard Lin Xinluo's somewhat deranged laughter, and he couldn't help rubbing his arm.

But he had already pushed the door open. Under her deadly stare, Xu Shenzheng spoke.

"Sister Luoluo, Wen Wenyu is awake."

Shen Yu was out of options.

When he tore up the photo to provoke Bai Xiaofan, he had been prepared to become his target.

He had originally planned to get close to Bai Xiaofan and see if he could pry something out of him. After all, Bai Xiaofan had even found someone to take the fall, so he must have wiped away every trace, and he hadn't stayed out of it himself.

He had gotten involved as a victim caught up in it by accident, exposing himself for the thrill.

But this man was completely insane!

With everyone's attention focused on him, how did he dare kidnap Shen Yu in broad daylight? Hadn't he still been at the police station that morning?

If Shen Yu didn't get him killed, he really wouldn't be able to rest easy this time.

And then there was Wen Wenyu.

Shen Yu had only realized halfway through that Wen Wenyu was on the other side too. Couldn't Luo Ningsang open his eyes when choosing people?!

Damn it, damn it.

The coffee flavor was extremely strong. It must have been a concentrate chosen specifically to mask the taste of Feimikaki. Shen Yu had dealt with it often in his previous life, and he knew what drug it was as soon as he saw the state the two of them were in.

Feimikaki (made up, totally made up, just go with the setting) was a control drug that clouded self-awareness. Those who took it usually entered a state resembling false sleep, with dilated pupils, relaxed limb muscles, slower breathing, and so on. The method of control was simple too: the sound that stimulated them most strongly at the first moment, such as Bai Yin's finger snap plus a command.

It was harmless to the human body, though it caused persistent weakness until the body recovered.

Tsk.

Still, it was a fairly advanced drug. Where had Bai Xiaofan gotten it?

Shen Yu sighed.

Little did he know that a certain Brother Luo had gone mad after seeing the message Shen Yu hadn't managed to send and had already stormed the Bai Family's headquarters.

When he opened his eyes, he found his vision hazy, as though something were covering it.

Shen Yu raised a hand and took it off. The light was a little harsh, and a thin mist veiled his vision. He blinked twice before he could clearly see his surroundings.

Beneath him was a large, soft, comfortable bed. Well, calling it a bed wasn't quite right, because transparent glass enclosed it on every side, without a single gap.

It was more like a large display case.

Shen Yu stood up and raised his hand, only to find it enclosed overhead as well.

The only thing that could be called an exit was a rectangular "door" to his front right, with a clear boundary separating it from the surrounding glass. It had a lock, but it was very small, probably only big enough to pass a dinner plate through.

Rows of shelves held all kinds of liquids in many colors, as well as containers holding various organs. Shen Yu didn't know whether they were human or animal, and the sight sent a chill through him.

And his wasn't the only display case. There were even more deformed and unusual creatures: a two-headed snake, conjoined wolves... all manner of strange forms. Most were very quiet, showing no reaction to the outside world.

Shen Yu still clutched the dark blue silk ribbon he had removed from around his eyes.

Shen Yu: "..."

Had that damned pervert really taken him for a collectible?

Still, there were some living creatures here, so Shen Yu didn't find it quiet.

Directly opposite him was a large table, with some familiar-looking chemistry equipment on it, along with works on pharmacology and biology. There was also Bai Xiaofan's handwriting on sheets of white paper, recording his understanding of those subjects.

He knew biology too?

Shen Yu moved close to the glass and cupped his hands around his eyes, trying to make out the writing.

Beep—

Identification successful.

The pitch-black iron doors opened to either side, and Bai Xiaofan came in looking almost respectable, having traded his extravagant, ostentatious designer clothes for a white lab coat and a pair of lensless glasses.

Yet those narrow, alluring fox eyes still warned of the danger he posed.

He approached until he stood before the glass, silently surveying Shen Yu as though appraising and admiring him.

Shen Yu clicked his tongue.

He didn't speak either.

"...Xiao Yu." Bai Xiaofan suddenly called to him.

Shen Yu couldn't be bothered to respond.

His braid had been undone, leaving his hair loose over his shoulders. With his right leg propped up and his arm resting on it, hanging down, Shen Yu lowered his eyes, his lashes concealing his expression.

He idly fiddled with the ribbon in his hand, refusing to look at Bai Xiaofan.

"I know you don't like it here. Don't worry, this is only temporary." Bai Xiaofan chuckled at some thought, clearly in a good mood. "You'll definitely like the place I've prepared for you."

"But..."

Having announced the news, Bai Xiaofan fixed his gaze on the ribbon Shen Yu had removed and was holding. His displeasure was plain to see.

"You shouldn't have taken it off."

"That was wrong."

Shen Yu looked up at him, bewildered.

He saw infatuation and reluctance that seemed almost ready to spill from Bai Xiaofan's eyes.

Shen Yu: "?"

"When you do something wrong, you have to be punished, Xiao Yu." Bai Xiaofan walked over to a control panel and pressed one of the buttons.

Click—

The sound of gears engaging came from beneath Shen Yu, followed by a faint suction noise that stirred the air in the small space.

"Since this is your first mistake, Xiao Yu, it'll only be an hour this time."

Shen Yu paid no attention to what he said, but he heard the suction beneath him, especially distinct in the quiet laboratory.

What was that bastard trying to do?!

He tried lifting the bedsheet to find exactly where the air was being sucked out and destroy the device.

The display case was neither particularly large nor particularly small, but with the air being rapidly sucked out and Shen Yu moving so vigorously, there wasn't enough oxygen.

Knowing it was futile, Shen Yu slowly sat down against the glass and adjusted his breathing, trying to reduce his need for oxygen as much as possible.

The suction stopped.

Time slowly passed. Air still flowed inside the glass case, but nausea gradually welled up. His chest tightened, his heart pounded, and his breathing involuntarily grew faster and deeper.

Shen Yu unconsciously raised a hand against the icy glass wall, his fingertips pressed to its transparent surface as he gasped for air. But no matter how he breathed in, the crushing sense of suffocation didn't ease.

His clear blue eyes quickly misted over, his pupils growing slightly unfocused. A few strands of blue hair, damp with cold sweat, clung to his pale temples. His limbs began to go numb and weak, and his slender body trembled uncontrollably.

With a thud, he collapsed to the floor, revealing only half of his pale profile, his eye reddened at the corner and his mouth wide open as he gasped.

Bai Xiaofan seemed very excited. An unnatural flush spread across his face as he raised a hand to stroke Shen Yu's head through the glass. The sight of him struggling on the brink of death fascinated him, made him reluctant to look away, and thrilled him.

He pressed his face against the glass, wishing he could engrave the scene in his mind. His whole body trembled violently, his excitement reaching its peak.

Especially since it was Shen Yu.

Bai Xiaofan pressed another button, entered the glass case, and scooped the limp Shen Yu into his arms.

Their faces pressed close together.

He looked anxious, utterly entranced.

"...Xiao Yu, you really look so beautiful right now."