Chapter 203: Almost Disgusted to the Point of Vomiting

Xiao Yu strolled through the suspect Luo Fei’s house. His eyes carefully scanned every corner of the room. His nose discerned every scent and trace of air.

The person was already gone, so even if he found something or caught a scent, what was the point?

There was a lot of point to it.

Because in every place someone lives, they inevitably leave some trace of themselves behind. Even when someone leaves or goes on a trip, they always leave something behind.

For example, the last call made on a landline. Or the last thing viewed on a computer.

The funny thing was, Luo Fei’s computer hard drive had been removed.

It was obvious he was worried someone might find something in his home. From how prepared he seemed, it only indicated that Luo Fei was in the midst of fleeing. 

He wasn’t forced to leave.

Why did he have to run?

Did something happen?

Given that he had time to remove some traces before he left, it was clear Luo Fei made ample preparations.

At that moment, Wang Dong approached. “We’ve apprehended them.”

“Oh.”

Xiao Yu nodded, continuing his search.

Who did they catch?

The so-called clients mentioned by Song Wanyu. There were seven of them in total.

What were Luo Fei’s creations?

Human skin wax figures. Each one valued at ten million.

Were there really people who collect such things?

Yes, there were, and they were all wealthy individuals. They had seen enough of what normal people enjoyed. They disdained ordinary forms of entertainment. Some of these rich people, in their pursuit of thrills, developed a taste for twisted pleasures.

When such psychology took hold, and their inner depravity deepened, it evolved into something else. A fundamental wickedness.

Everyone has a dark side; from a psychological standpoint, this is true. It’s just that our rational minds keep these impulses well in check most of the time.

But when certain people are unsatisfied in terms of money, power, or desires. That darker side starts to surface, warping their minds into something evil.

And human skin wax figures? 

They were just the thing to feed some people’s evil desires.

It was as simple as that.

“They confessed to some things.” Wang Dong’s face was grim. “But I doubt you want to know.”

“Ha.” Xiao Yu moved to the bedside table and opened a drawer. “What?”

“Some of these people weren’t just collecting human skin wax figures, they were also researching something.” Wang Dong’s grim expression turned peculiar. “They were researching souls.”

“What?”

Xiao Yu stood up, looking at Wang Dong as if he were a fool. He asked, incredulously, “Souls?”

“Yeah, that’s what Luo Fei said,” Wang Dong nodded. “One of the clients has spoken with Luo Fei. Luo Fei told him personally that when someone is skinned alive but hasn’t died yet, they can see things that others can’t. Luo Fei claimed that the skinned person could see their soul going to certain places, like Heaven or Hell.”

“…”

Xiao Yu’s expression turned strange. “Do you believe that?”

“Only an idiot would,” Wang Dong responded, clearly frustrated. “But according to their conversation, Luo Fei said it with such conviction. He even told the client that if the skinned person saw Heaven, they would have a happy expression on their face at that moment. If they saw Hell, they’d have a terrified look instead.”

“Skinned alive and still making expressions?” Xiao Yu felt a shiver run down his spine and couldn’t help but twitch his lips. “Are they messing with me?”

Wang Dong didn’t say anything further but instead took out his phone and opened up the photo gallery, showing Xiao Yu two pictures. Both images were gory and blood-soaked, with faces stripped of skin, leaving behind nothing but raw flesh and bone, eyes nearly popping out, and a mouthful of exposed teeth.

Looking at those two mangled, skinned faces, Xiao Yu felt his scalp tingle, his head going numb.

It was clear that one of the bloodied faces had a bizarre smile on it, almost as if it was… happy.

The other photo showed a skinned face with an unmistakable expression of terror.

“Damn,” Xiao Yu couldn’t help but want to curse out loud.

He stood there, stunned, his chest tight as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart, ready to crush it at any moment.

“The client believed in the existence of the soul because of these two photos that Luo Fei sent him,” Wang Dong continued. “Supposedly, Luo Fei was preparing to conduct an experiment.”

“What kind of experiment?” Xiao Yu asked, his eyes still fixed on the photos, searching for any signs that they might have been tampered with.

But there were none.

Those were indeed two skinned faces—one in happiness, the other in terror.

After being a cop for so long, Xiao Yu once again felt his stomach turn. It was like he was back in his previous life, seeing a corpse for the first time—just a pile of mangled flesh. That time, Xiao Yu almost threw up. This time, he was nearly sickened by the sight of those two victims’ faces.

It took him a while to steady himself before he finally said, “Something’s not right. This Luo Fei guy definitely has some serious psychological issues.”

“No kidding,” Wang Dong rolled his eyes. “You think someone without issues could pull off something like this?”

“We need to find him, and fast.” Xiao Yu took a deep breath, “Otherwise, I have a bad feeling something big is going to happen.”

He couldn’t shake the sense of impending doom. There was no doubt in his mind that Luo Fei was up to something, otherwise, why would he suddenly vanish? But where could he be now?

Hmm?

Xiao Yu’s eyes suddenly locked onto something on the nightstand. It was a business card.

What was so special about a business card?

No, this one was special. It had a name, a phone number, and—more importantly—a description.

Wanhong Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy Manufacturing Plant.

Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy?

What does that make you think of?

Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up immediately. He recalled the photos of the skinned victims, those rooms with aluminum-magnesium alloy walls, the special aluminum-magnesium alloy bed, and the frame used to hang bodies.

He’d found a lead.

The police car sped through the streets, ignoring every red and green light, as Xiao Yu floored the gas pedal. With his Driving Expert skills, he wasn’t worried about getting into an accident.

A drive that should’ve taken forty minutes only took twelve as the police car screeched to a halt in front of a factory.

Xiao Yu and Wang Dong tracked down the person whose name was on the business card.

“Do you recognize this guy?” Xiao Yu pulled out a photo of Luo Fei and held it up to the person. “Did he order any special items from your factory?”

The person was first surprised upon seeing the photo, then nodded.

“Yeah, he did!”