Animal Detective-Chapter 68: I Want to Report

Feng Kaiwei had the tablet, so Shen Xin had no idea what was happening on it.

The First Cotton Mill had been abandoned long ago, and everything was shrouded in darkness.

However, on the road outside the workshop, a police car had been deliberately parked on the shoulder fifty meters away, its high beams blazing.

This illuminated the workshop exit, giving the sniper in the administration building across the way a clear shot.

The warehouse door was lost in the shadows, and Shen Xin couldn’t see it clearly.

Meanwhile, on the roof of the workshop, a SWAT officer was already facing downward. Secured by a rope, he slowly rappelled down the wall.

He stopped three or four meters above the main entrance, ready to drop at a moment’s notice.

Once everyone was in position.

About two minutes later, Shen Xin vaguely made out a silhouette.

"Watch closely! I have a detonator. The second I let go, it blows!"

A hand shot out from the workshop’s main entrance, gripping a detonator.

Utter silence fell over the area.

Chen Chao raised his handgun, his body half-crouched, ready to charge out at any second.

Shen Xin knew the explosive was a fake and that Li Shanjie was bluffing, but he couldn’t help but get swept up in the tense atmosphere.

’This one is fake, but what about next time? What if I run into a real one?’

’This isn’t a movie. One wrong move and you could be dead.’

"I’m coming out! All of you, back off! I told you, if I see anyone, I’ll kill Zhang Qin," Li Shanjie yelled.

There was no response.

A few seconds later, he wrapped his arm around Zhang Qin’s neck and slowly emerged from the shadows.

The SWAT officer above him was poised to strike.

Li Shanjie glanced around nervously.

It was dead silent, the only sound being the chirping of insects in the grass.

And in that instant!

Zhang Qin suddenly broke free from Li Shanjie’s grasp and bolted, screaming, "Help me!"

Her sudden move startled everyone.

Li Shanjie included.

In the distant glare of the police car’s headlights, Shen Xin was too far away to see the expression on his face.

But he remained motionless, as if he hadn’t anticipated this at all.

The opportunity was fleeting. No shot was fired. The SWAT officer on the roof made his move.

He yelled one word: "Drop!"

The next moment, the rope went slack. He kicked off the wall and dropped like a hawk, precisely tackling Li Shanjie to the ground.

A bloodcurdling scream rang out.

Beside him, Chen Chao burst from the tall grass.

"Move, move, move!"

"The hostage!"

Several voices yelled out at once.

The fastest officers immediately rushed to Zhang Qin’s side.

The rest charged toward Li Shanjie.

In mere seconds, Li Shanjie’s arms were pinned behind his back, and he was in handcuffs.

Lv Youwei rushed over as well.

So did Shen Xin.

Li Shanjie was hauled to his feet.

His face was bloody, likely from hitting the ground when he was tackled.

But he was otherwise unharmed. And strangely, once he was on his feet, he started laughing hysterically.

He laughed so hard he was gasping for air.

"You still have the nerve to laugh?!" Sun Zhao barked.

Kidnapping Zhang Jian, hacking Chen Zhongyuan to death... You’re in some serious trouble.

Li Shanjie paid him no mind and kept laughing. "Zhang Qin, you’re finished!" he cackled. "You’ve shown your true colors! Haha, this is hilarious! You’re not getting away this time!"

Shen Xin was right beside Zhang Qin.

She looked completely terrified.

Shen Xin finally got a clear look at her face.

Judging by her features alone, you could tell she must have been quite beautiful when she was younger.

But life had clearly taken its toll; her face was sallow and worn.

Especially her left eye.

Her blindness wasn’t caused by disease but by a traumatic injury, leaving a grotesque scar across her eyelid.

She couldn’t open it, which made her face look terrifying.

As Li Shanjie laughed and yelled, Zhang Qin visibly froze, then lifted her head to look at him.

Li Shanjie, still held firmly, kept laughing, then suddenly said, "Officers, I want to report a crime!"

His words stunned everyone.

Shen Xin was baffled.

’You’re a murderer. What could you possibly have to report?’

Li Shanjie’s nose was crooked and his mouth was full of blood, but he didn’t care. Still laughing, he yelled, "I have a video! I have proof! Proof that Zhang Qin ordered me to kill Chen Zhongyuan!"

"This woman is a venomous bitch! She blinded her own eye back in the day and then framed me for it!"

"Zhang Qin, you never saw this coming, did you? I spent all those years in prison thinking, and I finally fucking figured it out."

"You’re one cruel piece of work!"

"But I’m no pushover! I don’t give a damn about living anymore, but I’m dragging you down with me! Even if I’m going to hell, I’m taking you with me!"

His eyes were bulging, his voice hoarse with agitation. His expression was that of a madman, a demon.

It was the first time Shen Xin had ever seen a human face so contorted with madness.

It was a savagery no TV show could ever truly capture.

But the crucial part was what Li Shanjie was saying.

Everyone’s mind was reeling, unable to process what was happening.

Beside him, Zhang Qin’s body suddenly began to tremble.

She let out a piercing shriek.

"Li Shanjie, you’re a demon! A demon!"

She shrieked and struggled, her voice raw and shrill.

Lv Youwei finally snapped out of it and stepped forward, demanding, "Li Shanjie, what do you mean, a video?"

Li Shanjie stared sinisterly at Zhang Qin. "Inside the warehouse, I set up a video camera. Zhang Qin and I killed Chen Zhongyuan together. The camera recorded the whole thing."

"Li Shanjie!"

Zhang Qin completely broke down, screaming hysterically. The officer supporting her could barely hold on to her.

Li Shanjie started roaring with laughter again.

A terrifying chill suddenly ran down Shen Xin’s spine.

His mind was completely blown.

’What the hell is going on?’

When he saw Lv Youwei heading for the warehouse, Shen Xin hurried after him.

Sun Zhao was the first one to charge into the warehouse.

A thick, metallic stench of blood hung in the air.

This wasn’t the first time Shen Xin had smelled blood; there had been plenty of fights and brawls at the station.

But it had never been this thick. It was choking, nauseating.

"Find it!"

Lv Youwei ordered grimly.

The officers fanned out.

In no time at all, Sun Zhao found a small camcorder tucked among some junk on a shelf deep inside.

It was still on, recording.

"Play it back."

Lv Youwei said grimly.

This case had taken a completely unexpected turn.

Sun Zhao stopped the recording and selected playback.

Shen Xin craned his neck to get a better look.

The camcorder must have been set up in advance, as it captured Li Shanjie and Zhang Qin entering.

For a long stretch, it was just Chen Zhongyuan begging for his life.

"Fast-forward."

They didn’t have time to watch the whole thing.

Sun Zhao fast-forwarded. Figures flickered on the screen. Zhang Qin appeared to be saying something to Li Shanjie.

Then, at the 2:51 timestamp, Li Shanjie made his move.

He covered Chen Zhongyuan’s mouth and mercilessly slashed his neck.

Shen Xin instinctively squinted, a wave of nausea washing over him.

Then, unbelievably, Li Shanjie handed the knife to Zhang Qin.

Zhang Qin took the knife, hesitated for a moment, then copied Li Shanjie, bringing the blade down on Chen Zhongyuan’s neck.

One slash wasn’t enough. As if possessed, she hacked at him again and again in a frenzy.

Blood sprayed high into the air.

Shen Xin suddenly understood where all the blood on her had come from.

Everyone fell silent.

But it wasn’t over. Li Shanjie took the knife back and hacked Chen Zhongyuan’s face to a pulp.

"Fuck, what the hell is going on?!"

Chen Chao scratched his head fiercely, completely baffled.