Chapter 32: Premeditation

The string of grisly, flaying deaths at the Huanye Villa had been under investigation by the city’s Major Crimes Unit for a very long time. As for the final outcome, neither Qi Yan nor the others ever learned what became of it, since midway through the process, both he and Li Ruoke had been officially cleared of suspicion.

Despite the sensational nature of the case, the police remained objective. Of the seven who attended the party, only the two of them had never met Wang Yudong or Shi Xiaoxue before; there had been no prior connection, no motive for murder, and not a trace of the victims’ DNA was found on them.

What the investigative team made of their unanimous “supernatural account,” no one could say. In any case, the details of the case were never made public by the media.

Whether the families of the victims would ever find peace, or come to terms with their grief, was a question left unanswered, and ultimately irrelevant to the official record.

It is worth noting that Cheng Ziyue remained in a coma in the hospital, her condition unchanged. Though her life was not in immediate danger, the hospital could offer no reasonable explanation for her injuries.

Perhaps Qi Yan had been too naïve, underestimating the mysteries of this world. The spirits lurking in darkness might remain invisible to most, but not everyone denied their existence. Among the ranks of police officers who outwardly upheld scientific reasoning, there were veteran detectives for whom such strange happenings were not unheard of. Cases tainted by otherworldly forces were quietly sealed away in hidden archives—never formally registered, never made public, and all witnesses were sternly warned to keep silent, lest unnecessary panic spread.

In the end, with the authorities opting for silence, the matter was laid to rest.

……

In the southern commercial district of Xinzhou City, at a bustling pedestrian street, a stylishly decorated café stood on the corner. Though it was midday, the crowd outside was sparse.

Yang Han hurried alone to the café, his expression clouded and severe. His left hand was bandaged, and dark bruises still marked his face.

“Damn Jap…” he muttered through clenched teeth, then strode inside. Even his footsteps betrayed his agitation and fury.

The main seating area was nearly empty. Yang Han found the private room where he had arranged to meet, barged in without hesitation, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

Inside, the room was hushed. Two men stood by the door, while a young man with strikingly handsome features lounged on the window-side sofa. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating his nearly flawless profile. His expression was tranquil—no, not so much tranquil as utterly devoid of emotion. He remained cool and indifferent, unperturbed by Yang Han’s angry intrusion, not even bothering to turn his head.

Had Qi Yan or Li Lan been present, they would have recognized him instantly as the red-haired youth who had forced them into the trap to lure the water corpse.

“Bastard…” Yang Han spat the word and, without another thought, snatched up a vase, intent on attacking. The two men in suits at the door quickly restrained him. Already injured, Yang Han stood no chance; in moments he was pinned, unable to move.

“Watanabe Shinji! What did you say to me before? You said your target was only that Qi Yan—so why did my friends Wang Yudong and Shi Xiaoxue have to die in such a horrific way? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through these past few days? Never mind my father’s shock and fury, it took endless police questioning before I was barely let off…”

Though restrained, Yang Han shouted at the top of his lungs, his eyes blazing.

He addressed the red-haired youth as “Watanabe Shinji”—clearly a Japanese name. Yet the man’s Mandarin was not only fluent, but revealed not the slightest accent or hint of emotion.

Casting him a sidelong glance, Shinji replied coolly, “Did you not escape with your life? Do you really think, without my help, the police would have so readily closed the case? Young Master Yang, don’t be so naïve. The fact that you’re standing here, free to curse me, means I kept my end of the bargain.”

With a flick of his hand, the two bodyguards released Yang Han. He shook them off, pointed angrily at his bandaged hand, and demanded, “You call this escaping unharmed? Do you realize the damage this has done to my family’s reputation? My girlfriend, Xiaoyue, is still lying unconscious in the hospital!”

Watanabe Shinji showed no haste in replying. He gestured for Yang Han to sit across from him, where drinks had already been prepared.

Only when Yang Han’s temper had cooled somewhat did he continue, “I admit… I wasn’t there to control things myself. The thing I sent was a little too aggressive. Heh—please understand, it was a vengeful ghost, after all. Once off the leash, how could it not cause havoc? As for the trouble this has caused your family, I can only apologize. But with the Yang Corporation’s deep resources, I’m sure you’ll manage.”

Yang Han drew a deep breath, ignoring the drink offered, and lowered his voice. “What I don’t get is—Qi Yan is just a poor nobody, right? If you wanted something from him, why not just take it? Or buy it? Why go to all this trouble and drag me into such a mess?”

“If I could simply take it, would I be wasting words with you?” Watanabe Shinji’s expression darkened, his voice sharp.

Despite his earlier fury, Yang Han seemed wary of this man. “Then… what exactly do you want from him? Is it really that important? That difficult to obtain?”

Watanabe Shinji’s face returned to calm as he looked out the window once more. “What I want, how important it is, by what means I must acquire it… these are not questions for someone like you, nor even for myself. Frankly, I’m no more pleased with the outcome than you are. In the end, I failed—utterly and completely.”

Setting Qi Yan’s matter aside for the moment, he leaned in, addressing Yang Han with emphasis. “Young Master Yang, I know you regret working with someone like me.”

“Of course I do! I never should have been foolish enough to get involved—let alone help you with something so terrifying.” Yang Han was deeply remorseful. After all, he had been the one to organize the party, never imagining it would end in death—especially not the deaths of two friends. He was devastated.

To soothe him, Watanabe took a sip of coffee and went on, “But it was worth it. Imagine if your father learned you racked up seven-figure gambling debts behind his back and secretly mortgaged two luxury properties under your name—what would he say then?

I helped you, and you helped me by facilitating a task. That’s only fair. Even though my plan failed, I did not breach our agreement. But there is one thing you must understand: our dealings must never be revealed to anyone. Otherwise… your loss will be much, much greater than it is now.”

Yang Han’s lips curled in a snarl. “Is that a threat?”

“No,” Watanabe replied, leaning forward, “it’s a promise.”