Chapter 67: Farewell

“That’s just a normal photo pose!” Li Cheng sobbed, tears mingling with streams of snot as he desperately pleaded, “I swear, I’m innocent! If I’ve wronged you, then kill me! But I honestly know nothing about this so-called Genius Club!”

Lin Xian regarded him with a cold, unyielding gaze. He knew Li Cheng well; their paths had crossed many times. Li Cheng was unmistakably a coward.

Yet, his mistress displayed fierce loyalty to him, repeatedly risking her life to protect him. Despite this, Li Cheng never once reciprocated her sacrifices, staunchly adhering to the belief, “Each bird flies its own way in times of trouble.”

Extracting information from Li Cheng proved straightforward. A threat to his life was all it took for him to divulge everything he knew, often preempting the questions. His current state of terror suggested he was genuinely clueless.

Suddenly, Li Cheng’s face lit up with recollection. “I remember now! There was a whole set of photos! A renowned international photographer took them. There’s an entire album! Do you want to see it? It’s in that cabinet, bottom drawer! I swear, I’m telling the truth!” His voice was laced with genuine fear as he pointed frantically toward the wardrobe.

...

Lin Xian approached the cabinet, opened the drawer, and discovered the album Li Cheng had mentioned. It was elaborate, adorned with gold and silver threads, and featured an indecipherable signature on the title page.

As he flipped through it, each page revealed Li Cheng in various ‘boss’ poses. Li Cheng hadn’t lied—the photos matched the one in the frame in terms of clothing, background, and lighting.

Photos depicted him seated, standing, arms crossed, hands in pockets, standing straight, and even pointing skyward. Were they professional photos? Headshots? Portraits? Lin Xian wasn’t sure what to call them, but they resembled the types of photos typically used by sales consultants—real estate agents, car dealers, insurance brokers, credit card agents—all had them.

Lin Xian turned to the page where Li Cheng pointed to the sky. Indeed, within the context of the entire album, that pose looked completely normal.

“What do you hope to learn from this?” At that moment, Big Cat Face, covered in dust, entered the room.Reêad latest novels at noov/e/l/bin(.)com

“Let me handle this.”

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Four shots consecutively struck Li Cheng’s legs.

“Ahhhhh!!!” Li Cheng’s screams filled the mansion, the carpet quickly staining red.

“Will you talk now?” Big Cat Face aimed the gun at Li Cheng’s forehead.

“I—I—I really don’t know! I swear, I’ve never even heard of any Genius Club!”

Bang! Without a moment’s hesitation, another shot rang out, the white bedsheet turning red, and silence ensued.

“He really didn’t know,” Lin Xian confirmed, understanding Li Cheng better than Big Cat Face did. If Li Cheng hadn’t confessed by now, he truly was ignorant.

“Take care.” Lin Xian waved.

Vroom— The van rumbled to life, its engine roaring as the tires slowly started to turn.

“Hey!” Lin Xian called out.

“Huh?” Big Cat Face hit the brakes and leaned out the window. “What’s up, brother?”

Lin Xian stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Just one last question. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Hey, we’re brothers! Ask away!”

In the background, midnight cicadas sang their mournful tune, while the courtyard pond rippled quietly.

Lin Xian fixed his gaze on Big Cat Face. “Do you remember... exactly when your father and daughter were hit?”

...

Big Cat Face’s smile vanished, replaced by a somber expression. He pulled out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and lit it. Taking a deep drag, he exhaled a cloud of smoke.

After a long pause, he spoke, his voice breaking, “I’ve watched the surveillance footage at the intersection over and over.” He clenched the cigarette tightly. “So, the exact time of the accident, the moment they died... I will never forget. Every minute, every second.” He exhaled another swirling cloud of smoke and glanced at his watch. “It’s just about now.”

Lin Xian raised his watch, and in unison with Big Cat Face’s solemn tone, “00:42”

Boom!!!!!!

A blinding white light engulfed everything.

...

...

In a corner of his bedroom, Lin Xian opened his eyes.

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation