Public confession

[After finishing his statement, he will slit his carotid artery with a wineglass and die from excessive blood loss.]

Kannazuki closed the black notebook. His pen left the paper.

He slipped the notebook into the inner pocket of his outdoor jacket and zipped it shut.

He needed to test the notebook's ability to fill in the logical gaps in complex scenarios.

There would certainly be wineglasses at the banquet. That made the condition physically achievable.

If the notebook determined that the tool was missing, it might trigger the default heart paralysis instead. He had to make absolutely sure.

He climbed onto his electric scooter and started it. Kannazuki rode out of the abandoned alley.

Seven thirty that evening. The Grand Hyatt Hotel.

The third-floor banquet hall. Crystal chandeliers cast a cool white light.

Sun Jianguo held a Burgundy glass as he mingled among the crowd in suits and polished shoes.

The Construction Group had secured the South City Plot, and tonight was the celebration banquet. Linhai City's business elite exchanged toasts amid constant laughter.

Deputy Director Wang from the municipal police bureau sat at the main table. Chen Lei sat beside him.

Chen Lei was not formally dressed. His black jacket hung open over a gray sweater washed nearly white.

"Chen, put out that cigarette," Wang said under his breath.

"Several city officials are here today. Don't embarrass me.

I brought you here to investigate tax-related leads on the Construction Group, not to sit there scowling."

Chen Lei crushed his half-smoked cigarette into a bone-china ashtray. He did not look at Wang. His gaze passed over the table and locked onto Sun Ming opposite him.

Sun Ming wore a bespoke suit and leaned back in his chair, playing a mobile game.

The volume was turned way up, blaring kill sound effects.

Chen Lei had asked Wang for an invitation so he could come along. After the jumping death at No. 1 Middle School came to light, public outrage had erupted across the internet.

Chen Lei had keenly recognized that Sun Ming perfectly matched the victim profile in the X Files: heinous conduct, evasion of punishment, and widespread public outrage.

The ghost lurking in the shadows would never pass up such ideal prey.

Chen Lei was gambling. Gambling that the killer would strike tonight.

"Director Wang," Chen Lei said, "is that it for the case at No. 1 Middle School?"

"The law is what it is. He's fifteen. What sentence do you expect?"

Wang picked up his teacup and blew at the floating leaves. "The family took three million in compensation and signed a letter of forgiveness.

Don't go looking for trouble."

Chen Lei said nothing.

He picked up the glass of water before him and took a sip. His eyes remained fixed on Sun Ming.

Seven fifty-eight.

Sun Jianguo stepped onto the semicircular stage at the front of the banquet hall. The emcee handed him a microphone.

"Thank you all for coming. The Construction Group owes its success to your support." Sun Jianguo's face glowed as he raised his glass.

Thunderous applause rose from the audience.

Seven fifty-nine.

Sun Ming's fingers froze above his phone screen. "Defeat" appeared in the game.

He did not swear. He placed his phone facedown on the table. He stood.

The look in Sun Ming's eyes changed.

His defiant eyes instantly lost focus, then filled with overwhelming terror.

His eyes trembled violently, but his body remained ramrod straight as he walked toward the stage.

Chen Lei frowned.

He caught the stiffness in Sun Ming's facial muscles. He had seen that state before.

In the ground-floor lobby of the municipal hospital.

Zhang Wei had worn the same expression before kneeling. His body had been commandeered, his soul imprisoned.

"This is bad." Chen Lei sprang to his feet, knocking over his chair.

Wang turned. "What are you doing?"

Eight o'clock sharp.

Sun Ming stepped onto the stage. He shoved Sun Jianguo aside with such force that Sun Jianguo stumbled back two steps and nearly fell.

Sun Ming snatched the microphone.

The room fell quiet. Everyone watched the fifteen-year-old boy.

They thought he was about to give a speech.

Sun Ming opened his mouth. His jaw trembled uncontrollably, and tears spilled from his eyes, but his voice was piercingly loud.

"My name is Sun Ming. I drove Lin Xiao to his death."

Dead silence filled the hall. Even the light from the crystal chandeliers seemed to dim.

Sun Jianguo went deathly pale and stepped forward to grab the microphone. "Have you lost your mind? Security! Get him off the stage!"

Two bodyguards in black rushed onto the stage.

Sun Ming lashed out with a kick, striking the leading bodyguard in the knee.

Bone cracked. The bodyguard screamed and collapsed. The other bodyguard froze.

The absolute compulsion to obey bestowed by the notebook made the fifteen-year-old boy unleash strength far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Sun Ming held up the microphone and spoke rapidly, every word clear.

"I made him eat chalk dust from the blackboard eraser. I poured cold water with ice cubes into his bed.

I stripped him naked, filmed him, and posted the video in the group chat.

Yesterday afternoon, on the roof of the school building, he knelt and begged me to leave him alone."

Sun Ming's tears flowed into his mouth, his face contorted beyond recognition. His soul struggled desperately while his flesh faithfully followed its instructions, tearing him apart from within.

"I told him, jump, and I'll delete the video. He jumped. I recorded the whole thing."

The audience erupted. Wang's face turned livid, and he slammed his hand on the table.

Chen Lei had already rushed to the foot of the stage. He did not look at Sun Jianguo. Instead, he stared fixedly at Sun Ming's hands.

"Restrain him! Now!" Chen Lei roared.

It was too late.

Sun Ming finished his statement. He threw away the microphone and turned toward the champagne tower at the edge of the stage.

He took the stemmed glass from the very top.

Crack.

Sun Ming smashed the glass against the edge of the stage. All that remained in his hand was half a stem tipped with sharp shards.

Sun Jianguo lunged toward him. "Son! Don't move!"

Sun Ming looked at his father.

His lips moved soundlessly. He was crying for help.

But his right hand rose without hesitation, driving the sharp glass deep into the carotid artery on the left side of his neck.

He dragged it hard.

Skin and flesh peeled open.

Blood sprayed.

The red liquid splashed onto Sun Jianguo's expensive suit and the gold lettering on the stage backdrop: "Achieve great things."

Sun Ming toppled stiffly to the floor. His body convulsed in the pool of blood.

Chen Lei vaulted onto the stage. Dropping to one knee, he clamped both hands over Sun Ming's neck.

Blood surged between Chen Lei's fingers, warm and metallic-smelling.

"Call an ambulance!" Chen Lei roared.

Sun Jianguo slumped on the floor, trembling all over, meaningless howls rising from his throat.

Chen Lei looked into Sun Ming's eyes. The life in them was rapidly draining away, until they settled into an unfocused gray-white.

There was no saving him.

With that much bleeding from the carotid artery, not even a god could save him.

Chen Lei released his hands. He stood, his hands covered in blood.

Screams broke out throughout the banquet hall.

The rich and powerful scrambled for the exits, overturning tables and chairs and crushing plates underfoot.

The privileged class lost every shred of its dignity in that moment.

Chen Lei ignored them.

He turned, sweeping his gaze over the chaotic crowd, the private rooms on the second floor, and every surveillance camera.

Zhao Gang. Wang Hu. Zhang Wei. Liu Qiang. Sun Ming.

The fifth.

Chen Lei took out his phone and called Lao Liu, the forensic examiner.

"Bring the crime scene kit. Third floor of the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Bring cardiovascular testing equipment." Chen Lei's voice was hoarse.

"What kind of case?"

"Serial murder." Chen Lei hung up.

He walked over to Sun Jianguo. Sun Jianguo was still holding his son's body and wailing.

"Mr. Sun." Chen Lei looked down at him.

"The video your son just confessed to recording. Where is it?"

Sun Jianguo raised his head, his eyes bloodshot. "My son is dead! And you're asking me about the video?!"

"He's dead. His crimes aren't." There was not a trace of warmth in Chen Lei's voice.

At the same time.

Across from the Grand Hyatt Hotel stood an unfinished, abandoned building.

Kannazuki sat on a glassless windowsill on the twenty-seventh floor. The night wind made his outdoor jacket flap noisily.

A tablet rested on his legs.

Its screen showed a live surveillance feed from the Grand Hyatt Hotel's third-floor banquet hall.

He watched Sun Ming slit his throat, watched the crowd scatter, watched Chen Lei stand at center stage with blood covering his hands.

"The timing was exact. The actions were carried out completely." Kannazuki took a bite of the steamed bun in his hand, which had already gone cold.

He opened Excel.

Record number: 005.

Name: Sun Ming.

Crime: School bullying resulting in death.

Execution time: 20:01.

Behavior before death: Public confession and suicide.

Kannazuki pressed Enter. Saved.

He unplugged his portable Wi-Fi device and shut down the tablet.

This time, he had left no online traces.

He had heard Sun Ming's name and crimes firsthand on the street that afternoon. There had been no need to look up information on Cape Community.

Chen Lei's online surveillance trail ended here.

Kannazuki stood and brushed the dust off his trousers.

He picked up the yellow helmet hanging beside him and put it on. He snapped the visor shut.