"Ask him who the killer is?" Piao Lin looked at Yan Junxun. "We already asked."

"And his mother." Water dripped from the ends of Yan Junxun's hair onto his pants. "The victim's information was all leaked from Yang Yu. The killer, like Cheng Lixin, is someone his mother is in frequent contact with. Her relatives, her friends..."

Yan Junxun didn't want to say any more. He could feel Piao Lin's displeasure.

"Jue is already investigating," Piao Lin averted his gaze. "We're not idiots, you know."

Right. Other people weren't idiots. Did they need him, Yan Junxun, to remind them every single time?

Yan Junxun remained silent until Piao Lin and the others left the interrogation room. The room offered a clear view from the outside. He knew the members passing by were all looking at him; he was a rare specimen trapped in a glass jar.

Yan Junxun pulled the towel down, using the motion of wiping away water to hide his face, not wanting to be so aware of what was happening outside the door.

"You unlocked Shi Shanyan's Restraint Lock," Jiang Lian typed on his keyboard. He was drafting a report and was at his wit's end over it. "Junxun, I told you, don't unlock his Restraint Lock."

Yan Junxun didn't answer.

"You need to give me a clear and concise report. Tell me, tell Fu Chenghui, what happened here, and what was with that lunatic. A stampede occurred tonight, many people were injured, the public reaction is intense, and I still have to deal with the media. 7-006 must be punished. He overstepped his authority and disrupted our procedure. If, and I mean if, if he hadn't turned off—"

"Huo Qingjun wouldn't have appeared?" Yan Junxun ripped the towel off. "You put your trust in an antisocial lunatic, but want 7-006 to be punished?" He looked at Jiang Lian, his eyes deep and dark. "7-006 executed the optimal solution. Even if he hadn't shut down the regional system, the lunatic would have put Huo Qingjun on the public light screens. That's what he came for. His phone call, exposing himself, was all just a prelude to tonight's events. Do you really think the Docking Area's Main Management System could have resisted this intrusion? Don't be ridiculous. Even if the Docking Area's Main Management System is a third-generation model developed from Artemis's remaining data, it's not Artemis."

The interrogation room was silent. The atmosphere was a little awkward.

"I can unlock Shi Shanyan's Restraint Lock anytime, anywhere," Yan Junxun said, clutching the towel as he stood up. "We are partners."

......

Shi Shanyan was sitting in a chair, about to fall asleep. The light from across the table shone on him. He said, "Turn it off. Don't make me say it a second time."

The inspector from Guangtong Prison turned off the light and sat opposite Shi Shanyan. He was just a projection, summoned late at night to check if Shi Shanyan was still 'normal'.

"I thought you did something here," the inspector yawned. "Turns out you just went for a joyride with a new friend."

"Tell them I'm normal," Shi Shanyan leaned back against the chair. "Let me out."

"We have to go through the procedure," the inspector gestured for him to be patient, tapping a finger on the report on the table. Following regulations, he asked, "Did you kill anyone?"

"No," Shi Shanyan looked at him. "The wound analysis can prove it was suicide."

"Mm... yes," the inspector said, browsing the report. "You were only responsible for driving."

Shi Shanyan wanted to end this idiotic questioning as soon as possible. He was annoyed, but it didn't show on his face; he could even smile. "I was only responsible for driving. My partner, 7-001, handled the main trouble. I'm just a lackey here." He fiddled with a lighter. "We were chasing a killer, not fleeing from justice."

"Your mood seems mediocre." The inspector's name was Xie Zhenshu. He had no particular skills besides his looks and had been stationed at Guangtong Prison for a long time, his main job being an inspector and his part-time job a prison guard. He glanced at Shi Shanyan and said, "It seems 7-001 is a good partner. He's got you concerned."

"Our bond is stronger than gold," Shi Shanyan stopped fiddling with the lighter. "Tell Fu Chenghui that I've felt a strong sense of friendship, and therefore, I'm no longer a pervert."

"I will report it truthfully." Xie Zhenshu took a pen and drew a few circles on the report. "How has your health been recently?"

"Healthy," Shi Shanyan turned his head to the side, listening to the footsteps in the corridor. He suddenly said, "...not sleeping too well. The room they gave me is just as trashy as the ones in the prison."

"Is that so," Xie Zhenshu continued to draw circles. He didn't smile much. "Still watching cartoons?"

"I am," Shi Shanyan propped his head up. "But lately, I've been wanting to read manga more."

"You can watch some if conditions permit," Xie Zhenshu glanced at the time, intentionally or not. There was one minute left. He paused, then said, "Do you need me to give you some advice?"

Shi Shanyan said, "No need."

"Try to sleep early," Xie Zhenshu answered his own question. "Your index finger's training load has exceeded the limit. Sleeping early will help you return to normal. At the same time, communicate more with your partner." As he spoke, Xie Zhenshu put the pen back in its place, looked straight ahead, and said in an official tone, "The inspection is over. Goodbye."

The timing was perfect, not a second more or less. Xie Zhenshu wasted no words, nor did he need a reply from Shi Shanyan. He directly turned off the projection and disappeared.

......

Yan Junxun was sitting on a bench, drinking a beer, but he stopped after two sips. The beer reminded him of tonight's experience, especially the lunatic's face.

"Excessive drinking is bad for your health." Shi Shanyan reached out from behind, took the beer from Yan Junxun's hand, and brought it to his own nose to sniff.

Yan Junxun didn't turn around. "You can ask Jiang Lian to get you a different dorm room."

"What difference would it make?" Shi Shanyan sat down next to Yan Junxun and tossed the beer into the trash can. "All the rooms in the Segregation Zone are mine, and I still have to sleep with the system every night."

There was hardly anyone on this floor. They sat with their backs to the lobby's light screen, able to see the glass window at the end of the corridor. The night sky outside the window was silent, holding only a lonely moon.

"Have you ever slept with someone?" Yan Junxun looked at Shi Shanyan, asking it as casually as if he were asking, "Are you hungry right now?"

Shi Shanyan looked back at him and retorted, "What do you think?"

Both of them were covered in stinking sweat, sitting together like brothers in misfortune, neither disgusted by the other. But Shi Shanyan was strange. It seemed difficult for others to perceive him as being in a sorry state. Unless he wanted them to, even if he were wearing rags, he would make others think he was just experiencing life.

"You have," Yan Junxun said.

Shi Shanyan turned his body slightly to get a better look at Yan Junxun. He rubbed his cheek with his index finger and said, "Are you envious, or do you want to try?"

Yan Junxun observed Shi Shanyan. After a long moment, he said, "Liar. You haven't either."

"Discussing this matter with an adult is very dangerous," Shi Shanyan's gaze was not aggressive. It was as if he had turned over a new leaf and was concentrating on being a good person. "You need a hug more than you need to have sex."

Artemis would not hug Yan Junxun. Only Panda would. But most of the time, he needed to be alone. After he passed a certain age, he was the only one left in his world; everyone else lived on the outside.

Shi Shanyan raised his hand and placed it on top of Yan Junxun's head. He moved closer and said, "You can long for the warmth of others, but don't have too high expectations, because most people possess a cold and cruel nature. They can pop your fantasy."

Yan Junxun was pressed down, making him shorter. He frowned, staring at Shi Shanyan.

"Walking down the street, you're like a little lamb," Shi Shanyan's hand slid down. He used his two index fingers to gently push up the corners of Yan Junxun's mouth, whispering, "Having sex is not a simple matter."

Yan Junxun was forced into a stiff smile. He turned his head and moved his face away, avoiding Shi Shanyan's touch. Shi Shanyan was like a devil trying to lead him astray, always carrying delicious candy.

Unwilling to show weakness, Yan Junxun let his fierce gaze sweep over Shi Shanyan's face and said, "I know."

Shi Shanyan withdrew his hand and asked, "So, can we go now?"

"No," Yan Junxun looked towards the stairwell. "No one can explain why the deceased looked like me."

Shi Shanyan replied, "He complimented you on being pretty."

Yan Junxun said, "To hell with pretty."

"To hell with pretty..." Shi Shanyan laughed out loud, draping an arm over the back of the bench. "Can I smoke here?"

"No." Yan Junxun glanced at the "No Smoking" sign not far away.

"Then give me a lollipop." Shi Shanyan was unaware of how he was pushing his luck. After getting the candy, he unwrapped it. "Tell me your thoughts," he put the lollipop in his mouth. "I guess they don't really want to communicate with you for the time being."

"The 'lunatic' who died tonight isn't the same 'lunatic' from the recording." Yan Junxun smelled the sweet scent of lychee. His hand felt his pocket and found it empty. He couldn't help but look at Shi Shanyan; the one in Shi Shanyan's mouth was the last one.

Shi Shanyan took the candy out of his mouth and asked earnestly, "Want it back?"

"No need," Yan Junxun replied.

Shi Shanyan put the candy back in his mouth and asked, his words muffled by it, "How did you discover he wasn't the 'lunatic' from the recording?"

"When he was on the call with me," Yan Junxun leaned back slightly, tilting his head up a little. The light from above made him dizzy. "He sounded more agitated than the one in the recording, and his choice of words was different... and yet he was very calm when he saw us in the parking garage."

"And then you noticed he wasn't wearing a ring," Shi Shanyan summarized. "What a boring idiot."

That's right, tonight's "lunatic" wasn't wearing a ring. When he had grabbed Yan Junxun's arm, Yan Junxun had noticed that there wasn't even an indentation on his finger from ever having worn one. He wasn't like the one behind the scenes; he was more like a bomb that had been thrown out, successfully muddying the waters.

The lunatic had just had dinner when he called; that must have been his last meal. He didn't live in the commercial district at all. He was being aggressive and conspicuous on the phone just so his location would be discovered. From the carefully selected murder victims to tonight's riot, it all formed a complete circle.

"Public opinion will explode tomorrow morning," Yan Junxun felt drowsy amidst his dizziness. "He mentioned Black Panther and Fu Chenghui in the plaza, and also said the system will rule the world."

These were all trigger points for the Docking Area. The key was that he had also copied Yan Junxun's appearance, which made Yan Junxun recall the recent information leak.

If Su Heting hadn't shut down the system surveillance in time tonight, the lunatic might have let that face get on camera, and Yan Junxun would never have been able to escape the accusations from public opinion. Because the three terms—Black Panther, antisocial, and system—had been linked together. Even if Fu Chenghui and the Supervisory Bureau could prove the lunatic had no connection to Yan Junxun, it would be seen as an excuse to placate the masses. The fear of Black Panther and Fu Chenghui in The Alliance's developing regions was not something that could be changed in the short term, and Fu Chenghui's consistent political image was not approachable enough. At this point in the case, Yan Junxun already sensed that it had exceeded his jurisdiction.

More than Fu Chenghui, Yan Junxun was concerned about the words the lunatic had shouted. He said, "I'm not the first, and I won't be the last." What did that mean? There could be a second, a third of these maniacal bastards.

"He knows something about Artemis," Yan Junxun closed his eyes, replaying the lunatic's appearance before his suicide over and over. "And he knows something about me."

Fake, gutter, pretentious.

The sound of rain echoed in Yan Junxun's ears. This sound had been occurring too frequently lately, as if hinting that he was losing control. He tried to drown out the rain with the sound of writing on a blackboard, but the information in his head was too vast and complex, pressing down on him and preventing him from properly processing his emotions.

This is your end.

The lunatic, pressing the gun to his head, repeated it like a nightmare.

Yan Junxun, this is your end.

"Bang!"

A glass suddenly shattered in the lobby. The sound exploded in Yan Junxun's ears, instantly waking him from his semi-conscious state. The shock of suddenly waking up jolted his chest, making his heart beat a little fast.

Shi Shanyan bit down, crunching the candy, and looked toward the lobby.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Lian came out of a door and asked.

The video on the central light screen zoomed in, showing a familiar basement.

"Why did you lie?" A hand in a rubber glove pressed down on Liu Chen's head, forcing him to face the camera. It was a woman's voice. "How could you lie on the news!"

"Ten minutes ago, this video was leaked from Liu Chen's chatroom and has been reposted by various accounts," Jue said to Jiang Lian. "We need to take immediate action to stop the video from spreading further and find Liu Chen before his attacker makes another move."

The camera was blurry, the same effect as in Huo Qingjun's video. Liu Chen's face was pushed up to the camera. He had just woken from unconsciousness and was not fully aware.

"You killed Huo Qingjun," the woman lifted Liu Chen's head, aiming it at the camera. "You're the worst. You, you and He Zhiguo," her incomprehensible rage poured out in this moment, "you ganged up to kill me, kill my daughter, and then you killed Huo Qingjun! You're not human!"

The camera shook and fell to the ground. The video ended abruptly, as if it had been stomped on and broken.

Yan Junxun saw the shoes in the frozen frame. They were old sneakers, not stain-resistant, and hadn't been washed much. The shoe size was larger than that of an average woman; they looked more like a man's shoes.

The steel balls in Yan Junxun's head rolled all over the place. They collided with each other, then linked together, forming a clear path.

His deduction was completely correct. It was this woman!

"Wake up Cheng Lixin," Yan Junxun stood up. "He definitely knows this woman."