Then he saw Yin Chen walking toward him, a hand chop landing on his neck. Before losing consciousness, he saw the person in the room standing quietly—neither sorrowful nor joyful, neither angry nor stagnant. He simply stood there in silence, as if carrying a lifetime of solitude within him, yet appearing to regard nothing in this world with importance, looking down upon those insignificant lives.
……
Yin Feng abruptly opened his eyes. He was still in You Mingxu’s office, still bathed in the streaming sunlight, yet he felt a deep, throbbing pain in his head, his entire body drenched in cold sweat.
The scenes from the dream were so vivid and familiar, as if someone had carved them into his mind with a knife. He remained seated, breathing heavily for a moment, then lifted his head and closed his eyes.
That was not a dream.
It was a memory.
He recalled asking Yin Chen during the pursuit of the Punisher in Guizhou, “Was the Punisher Organization founded by you?”
Yin Chen had smiled at that.
He smiled before answering, “Yes.”
It wasn’t Yin Chen.
Yin Chen might have been disillusioned with life, perhaps shattered by the incident involving You Ruixue, leading him to adopt a philosophy of fighting evil with evil. He was intelligent, cold-blooded, deeply understood human nature, and excelled at organizing attacks and retreats. He was like a general for the Punishers—a useful blade. But judging by the unwavering resolve of the Punishers and their former residence, which even reflected a tranquil way of life, it clearly revealed the preferences and thoughts of another person. Yin Chen was not capable of such things.
Yin Feng had sensed earlier that the Punisher Organization had remained hidden for many years, and for Yin Chen to reveal himself so easily last time, claiming to be the founder, seemed far too convenient.
What if there was another person, always lurking behind Yin Chen?
And from the scene in the dream, the relationship between Yin Chen and that person resembled that of partners or companions—spiritually and ideologically, Yin Chen even seemed subservient to that individual.
A chill suddenly ran through Yin Feng’s heart. If so, all of Yin Chen’s current actions might merely be under that person’s direction and testing.
What did that person want?
It was undeniable that, after multiple confrontations, the Punisher Organization had suffered heavy losses at the hands of Yin Feng and the police, its vitality severely damaged. Facing long-term pursuit, its influence had waned. If things continued this way, it would only gradually decline, fade into obscurity, and eventually be completely eradicated by the police.
But now, that person and Yin Chen clearly still held their final reserves of strength, capable of a desperate last stand.
That person had a very firm and well-developed philosophy regarding life, good, and evil. Yin Feng suddenly realized that this individual, unlike Yin Chen, did not care about winning or losing against him. He must be scheming for something far deeper.
So, did the emergence of the Apprentice Killer carry other profound meanings and intentions?
Would this confrontation be the final feast and expression in that person’s mind?
Yin Feng was grateful for today’s sudden dream and the fragments of memory it restored, as they at least allowed him to detect that person’s existence.
Only, they were in the light, while their opponent remained in the shadows.
Yin Feng’s brow furrowed even deeper.
That person must be someone he had met before.
He might even have appeared by his side.
But who could it be?
——
Unknowingly, You Mingxu had been busy at the bathhouse until the city lights began to glow in the evening.
Yet, uncovering that hidden pattern was no easy task.The police had obtained data from the computer systems of both bathhouse establishments, including all employee records and information on customers recently served by the two victims. They had indeed identified over a dozen individuals—either employees who knew both victims or clients who had sought services from both—since the two bathhouses were located close to each other and operated in the same industry.
However, these individuals' ages, heights, body types, and alibis had all been systematically ruled out.
You Mingxu had actually anticipated this. The killer was too meticulous and cautious—if it were as simple as a colleague or customer, the police would have caught them easily. The perpetrator wouldn’t be that foolish.
Still, following Yin Feng’s suggestion to investigate every potentially related person meant an even more extensive operation. You Mingxu inwardly grumbled: Yin Feng, as the expert, only had to offer advice, while they were the ones breaking their backs. Delivery workers, repairmen, cleaners—who could possibly know which of them had privately interacted with both victims? Or whether the killer was hiding among them, secretly observing the victims?
Fortunately, You Mingxu and her team were no pushovers. One by one, they observed, deduced, unraveled clues, and conducted logical interrogations. They even applied Yin Feng’s descriptions of the suspect’s behavioral traits as a reference, gradually eliminating each candidate. By that night, no one with clear suspicion had emerged.
The bathhouses cooperated fully, providing several rooms for the police to conduct interviews. You Mingxu had just seen off a particularly nervous and inarticulate repairman. After a full day of exhausting work, she felt dizzy and mentally drained. She slumped inelegantly across the desk, letting her mind go blank, and sighed.
What is Yin Feng up to now? she wondered.
Then she thought: Ever since he regained his memories and sanity, even though he still works cases with me, he’s become much more decisive—nothing like the follower he used to be. Last time, when we arrested Wei Lan, he outmaneuvered me and everyone else. Now he’s a man of unwavering determination, with depths I can’t easily read.
As she mused, she smiled. She knew very well that this version of Yin Feng actually suited her better.
Resting her head, she touched her nose, feeling a twinge of guilt toward You Yingjun.
Then she recalled how Yin Feng sometimes imitated his old tone, softly calling her "A Xu," and her heart melted completely.
Just as she was indulging in these random thoughts, she heard a knock at the door.
You Mingxu immediately straightened up, her expression hardening into that of a stern policewoman.
The door opened, and Yin Feng walked in. You Mingxu relaxed at once, leaning back in her chair. "What brings you here?" she asked.
Yin Feng pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down. "I’m here to pick you up after work."
You Mingxu replied, "I can’t leave yet. I still have to go back to the station and continue working. The team needs to meet and discuss tomorrow’s strategy."
Yin Feng said, "I’ll go with you."
You Mingxu didn’t argue further. She stretched her arms, let out a sigh, and yawned. Yin Feng watched her and smiled. "How did it go today?"
You Mingxu shook her head. "We’ve wrapped up here for now, but we haven’t found anything useful."
Yin Feng tapped the back of his chair and said, "Don’t rush. If it were that easy to find him, this apprentice wouldn’t have graduated. The pattern might be right under your noses—something very ordinary."
His words struck a chord with You Mingxu, and she nodded thoughtfully.Yin Feng added, "I've also made some important discoveries. I'll tell you when we get back." Seeing his serious expression, You Mingxu replied, "Alright," then asked, "Tell me first—is it good news or bad news?"
Yin Feng thought for a moment and said, "One is good news, and the other sounds like bad news, but we might be able to turn it into good news."
There he goes again, talking in circles and subtly showing off without batting an eye.
You Mingxu smiled and said, "Nonsense."
He looked at her and said, "Come here."
You Mingxu didn't move.
Just as he was about to stand up, she said, "Stay put. We're still outside—do I still want to save face?"
He laughed and sat back down, then grabbed her hand resting on the table. You Mingxu tried to pull it back but couldn't free it. He held it firmly, slowly stroking it, and said, "You just love defying me, don't you? Can't you be a little softer?"
With his deep voice and unhurried tone, You Mingxu actually felt her heart skip a beat. She yanked her hand back forcefully, packed her things into her bag, and said calmly, "If you want softness, go find those young models of yours." She strode straight toward the door. Yin Feng, a smile playing on his lips, followed her out and said, "Why bring up irrelevant things? I was young back then, didn't know any better."
You Mingxu laughed in exasperation, "Young!"
He stayed close behind her as they exchanged a few more bickering remarks, but eventually, they walked side by side again, with him wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they descended the stairs.
Behind them lay a quiet corridor flanked by rows of private rooms in the bathhouse. After they left, the hallway returned to silence—deep brown carpet, golden wallpaper, dim hanging lights, with nothing out of the ordinary. Occasionally, staff members passed through.
At the deepest end of the corridor, in a corner near the ceiling, a surveillance camera stood dark and gleaming. Behind the camera, in a room as bare as a construction site, a person sat in front of a computer screen, watching the footage from the surveillance camera—You Mingxu and Yin Feng leaving the bathhouse.
The person was still wearing the same black windbreaker, but without the hat and mask, revealing a pale, clean face.
He pushed the computer away and laughed as if talking to himself, "You Mingxu, Yin Feng, long time no see."
After laughing for a while, he turned around and saw several glass bottles placed on the floor opposite him. These were bottles he had carefully selected from stores—exquisite and unique. His "souvenirs" were preserved in those bottles, floating and sinking in the transparent formaldehyde solution.
He grinned and muttered, "So, killing is such an interesting thing."
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