Chapter 1 Snapping

*Ka-cha. Ka-cha.*

Ji Lin’s wrists and ankles were locked with electronic handcuffs and anklets by the police.

"Ji Lin, although you have been acquitted, you still have an obligation to cooperate with our investigation during this period."

Officer Liu looked at Ji Lin, who was fitted with the electronic tracking device, and instructed:

"You are free to move around during this period, but only within Donghai City. If you go beyond this area, these electronic anklets with GPS will automatically alert us. We will know where you are at all times."

"So, don't run around. Just stay within Donghai City, and we won't interfere too much with your life. We still hope that if you have anything you want to confess or any clues to provide, please contact our staff in a timely manner."

Afterwards, Ji Lin stood up, yawned, and stretched.

He went out.

His driver had been waiting at the door for a long time. After opening the car door for him, they drove away from the Donghai City Public Security Bureau.

...

The next day.

The Donghai City Public Security Bureau issued a public announcement, declaring that the 00:42 serial murder case had been completely solved, and the mastermind behind the scenes had finally been captured.

The people of Donghai City cheered, and it was heartening.

Chu Shanhe sat in his living room, reading the Donghai Daily that had just been delivered that morning...

On the front page, there was a black and white photo of Ji Xinshui, detailing his series of crimes.

Including the murders of Xu Yun, Tang Xin, Dr. Pang Simai, and other unknown cases.

Academician Lyon's hypocritical face was also completely exposed. Everyone was shocked that this highly respected and great inventor was actually in cahoots with Ji Xinshui, with numerous academic fraud, academic scams, and academic theft.

Also publicly accused was Sergeant Sam, the executor of the murders.

According to the Donghai police announcement, this trio was the culprit behind the recent series of murders of scientists.

Only these three people were exposed.

Chu Shanhe looked at this report and fell into deep thought...

Ji Lin and Zhou Duanyun's crimes were not mentioned at all in the public report.

This was Lin Xian's intention.

He and Officer Liu didn't know the meaning of Lin Xian's actions, but they both chose to believe in Lin Xian.

This clever young man must have his own unknown plan.

All they could do was...

Wait silently... waiting for Lin Xian to once again bring surprises to this society and this world.

"Sure enough, new talents emerge from every generation."

Chu Shanhe shook his head and smiled, continuing to turn to the next page of the newspaper:

"I really can't accept being old; this world will still have to rely on young people in the future..."

The upper half of the second page was a large photo—

A handsome formal photo of Lin Xian.

The entire page was reporting on Lin Xian's "great achievements," recounting what he had done during his secondment to the Donghai City Public Security Bureau, from chasing the murderer's taxi alone to designing an ambush to arrest Ji Xinshui. They were practically blowing Lin Xian up to be Sherlock Holmes reincarnated, the real James Bond!

The report concluded by stating that Donghai City officials were considering holding a special commendation meeting for Lin Xian and awarding him the corresponding honors, as well as convening a city-wide spiritual study session.

Chu Shanhe nodded in satisfaction.

That's how it should be.

He had long felt that this should be the case; this was the honor that Lin Xian deserved.

It was just that Lin Xian had always resisted this before, declining several times, so the Donghai City officials had no choice.

And after this incident, Lin Xian finally reluctantly accepted.

"Donghai City needs more role models like you."

This is what Chu Shanhe told Lin Xian.

Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world. Promoting some positive energy for society and establishing some positive images for the majority of young people to learn from should also be an unshirkable obligation.

However...

These things will still have to be considered after Ji Xinshui's case is completely over and after Lin Xian's last plan, as he said, is successful.

Chu Shanhe closed the newspaper and placed it on the coffee table.

Then he leaned back, crossed his arms, leaned against the soft sofa, and frowned slightly:

"What exactly is Lin Xian's last plan...?"

"Hasn't he already let Ji Lin go? Is there still something else up his sleeve?"

...

MX Company, 20th floor, Lin Xian's office.

On Lin Xian's desk, there was also this morning's Donghai Daily.

He looked at the front-page news and Ji Xinshui's photo.

Currently, it seems that Ji Xinshui's death sentence is a foregone conclusion, and he has no objection or desire to appeal, so the death penalty will be carried out very quickly. At most, in ten days or half a month, he will be executed by lethal injection.

This report not only erased Zhou Duanyun's name and crimes but also made no mention of Zheng Chenghao's name at all.

Because, first of all, Zheng Chenghao has no criminal facts, and because the tire tracks have obvious braking evasion marks, he did not cause substantial casualties.

What's more, Zheng Chenghao has no prior convictions, abides by the law, and even Ji Xinshui did not confess any evidence of his involvement in the crime. After much consideration, and also taking into account the pitiful background of their brother and sister and Zheng Xiangyue's unstable physical condition, the report made no mention of Zheng Chenghao's matter at all. As for the fact that he did have a motive for murder at the beginning, it will no longer be pursued.

"Good will be rewarded with good, and evil with evil."

Lin Xian muttered to himself the words that Zheng Chenghao often said to Zheng Xiangyue:

"Maybe this can be considered good rewarded with good for you."

He closed the newspaper.

Lin Xian's mind was filled with the kind, polite, and gentle man.

Although his entire right face was covered with hideous scars, he didn't give people a scary feeling at all; he really seemed like a reliable and gentle older brother.

Lin Xian guessed...

Ji Xinshui must have believed that Zheng Chenghao had experienced such a tragic childhood, and had watched his parents be beaten to death with his own eyes, and was bitten by a dog to protect his sister... So such a person must be cynical, full of resentment, pessimistic, and irritable.

That's why he recruited Zheng Chenghao as his subordinate and raised him as a hitman.

Such a desperate person with a tragic life and a weakness should be the best tool, the most loyal dog, and he could do anything that violated morals and laws for his sister.

Ji Xinshui must have firmly believed this.

Therefore, he arranged for Zheng Chenghao the title that symbolizes ruthless violence among the Seven Deadly Sins—

【Wrath】.

According to common sense.

Zheng Chenghao is indeed the most suitable person to be Wrath. His life, his experiences,

His hardships destined him to be an angry person.

Even...

Everyone can accept his wrath, everyone can understand his wrath, even if he really picked up a hammer and avenged his dead parents with anger, it was within Lin Xian's expectations.

Unfortunately.

Ji Xinshui underestimated human nature after all, and Zheng Chenghao also underestimated the conscience in his heart.

The most unfortunate person who should have become Wrath, under the gentle influence of this world, became kind and peaceful.】

Perhaps, this is the power of being friendly to others.

Zheng Xiangyue's smiling face, Xu Yun's usual care for their brother and sister, the birthday Lin Xian gave Zheng Xiangyue and the Rhine cat he gave her... all became the panacea that purified Zheng Chenghao.

Lin Xian was very grateful for this result.

At least... in Zheng Xiangyue's mind, her beloved brother is still that stalwart hero.

Now, thinking back to when Huang Que deliberately led him to the hospital to see Zheng Chenghao, what was her purpose?

Was she trying to tell him that Zheng Chenghao was the murderer who was about to kill him?

Or...

Was Zheng Chenghao the only good person among the Seven Deadly Sins who still had a conscience? Was she hinting that if he wanted to win this cat-and-mouse game, he could start with Zheng Chenghao?

Lin Xian scratched his head.

From the current God's perspective, with hindsight, it seems that if he had realized this earlier, this cat-and-mouse game could have been won more easily and beautifully.

But!

"You always talk in such riddles, who can guess what you mean!"

Lin Xian couldn't help but complain about Huang Que.

Sister, can you be more direct if you want to do good deeds in the future?

Mysteriously, she almost led him down the wrong path.

*Ding ling ling, ding ling ling, ding ling ling, ding ling ling, ding ling ling—*

At this moment, the phone rang.

The caller ID showed Donghai City Funeral Home.

Answering the phone, the staff on the other end told him that he could come and collect Zheng Chenghao's ashes. The deceased's body had been cremated and placed in an urn.

Lin Xian hung up the phone, went downstairs, and took a taxi to Donghai City Funeral Home.

In the past six months, this was the third time Lin Xian had come to this place, bidding farewell to too many deceased people and friends. It had actually made him accustomed to and insensitive to the unique smell of oily smoke in the funeral home.

The first time he came here was to attend Xu Yun's memorial service. He felt uncomfortable all over from the smell and crying in the entire funeral home.

The second time he came here was with Tang Xin's parents and younger brother to collect Tang Xin's ashes. He was very angry at the time... but he no longer felt anything special about the smell and crying.

And this third time.

Lin Xian got out of the taxi, came to the ashes storage and collection area with ease, skillfully completed various procedures, and walked out holding Zheng Chenghao's light urn...

He felt nothing.

He was at ease.

It was as if he was going home.

"It's so light..."

Lin Xian held Zheng Chenghao's urn in both hands, but it was indeed very light, far less than the weight of life that Lin Xian thought it should be.

This was the first time in his life that he had held an urn.

He recalled Zheng Chenghao's robust body, the muscles he had built to protect his sister, his broad shoulders and back, and his solid build.

And now...

It was just a light handful of ashes.

The weight of life, it turned out, was only this little.

Lin Xian had originally planned to bring Zheng Xiangyue with him, thinking of letting her see her brother's last face.

However, the attending physician at the Donghai University Affiliated Hospital refused, saying that Zheng Xiangyue could not be subjected to such a big stimulus, and her heart could not bear it.

"So, don't tell her such detailed things. She is a child and can't understand. Just tell her that her brother died in an accident, and it will be easier for her to accept it."

That's what the doctor said.

Lin Xian originally intended to pay for a cemetery for Zheng Chenghao to be buried in, but Zheng Xiangyue refused. She insisted on putting her brother's urn in the ward, next to her bed:

"I don't want to be so far away from my brother..."

Zheng Xiangyue, who had always been strong, burst into tears at that time, looking at Lin Xian with tears in her eyes and biting her lip:

"If you bury him... I will never see him again."

Later, the doctor agreed.

After all, for patients with heart problems like Zheng Xiangyue, emotional stability is more important than anything else, so Lin Xian was allowed to send Zheng Chenghao's urn to Zheng Xiangyue's ward.

He arrived at the inpatient department.

He pressed the elevator button for the 17th floor.

Lin Xian arrived at Zheng Xiangyue's ward and carefully placed the urn, which felt a lot heavier at this moment, on Zheng Xiangyue's bed.

Zheng Xiangyue didn't say a word. She squatted down and hugged the urn in front of her tightly.

She didn't cry.

Lin Xian had heard that when people are too sad, they can't cry. Instead, they are very calm. This is a kind of emergency protection mechanism of the brain.

Everyone thinks that Zheng

Xiangyue, a little girl of this age, doesn't understand anything.

But actually...

Lin Xian didn't think so.

He felt that Zheng Xiangyue actually understood everything.

She is very smart.

She understands everything.

The reason why she pretends not to understand, pretending to be naive and simple, seems to be just to keep others from worrying about her.

Her well-behavedness comes from her understanding.

Zheng Xiangyue got off the bed, tidied up the bedside table next to her, and cleared everything on it.

Then, she held the urn on the bed with her delicate hands, wanting to put it on the bedside table.

However...

With a force.

The urn did not move at all and was not lifted.

Zheng Xiangyue looked up at Lin Xian, and tears could no longer be held back, dripping down:

"Brother Lin Xian, it's so heavy..."

Lin Xian was about to step forward to help, but Zheng Xiangyue shook her head.

She gritted her teeth, held her breath, and lifted the urn in one breath, placing it on the bedside table tremblingly.

She carefully straightened it.

Only then did she turn her head, wipe her tears, and squeeze out a smile:

"Look..."

"I can hold my brother now."