Volume One, Chapter 121: Exposure.

“Time’s up… you’re supposed to let me out now,” Wu Gang said, lifting his head in the interrogation room, a rare look of anger flashing across his face.

The young officer glanced up at him. “I... can’t do that. I don’t have the authority to release you. We have to wait for my superior. He’s probably out having a meal right now. Please wait a bit longer.”

The officer’s casual remark infuriated Wu Gang to no end, though he kept his anger hidden.

Two hours passed swiftly before Wu Gang spoke again. “Your leader should be back by now, right?”

The officer stood up. “Please wait here. I’ll go get him for you.”

An hour went by after the officer left.

Outside, Jiang Chen had just ended a call with Liuli when the officer came out. “Boss, the guy inside is getting impatient.”

Jiang Chen patted him on the shoulder. “It’s fine. You can rest now. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Li Changsheng glanced at the clock. “Brother, it seems we’ve already broken the rules.”

Jiang Chen nodded. “The regulation states that for suspects without evidence, interrogation time can’t exceed 24 hours, right?”

“That’s right. We should’ve released him long ago,” Li Changsheng said.

Jiang Chen shrugged. “That won’t do. We haven’t extracted any evidence yet. We can’t just let him go.”

Li Changsheng stomped his foot anxiously. “But that’s impossible! Without evidence, we can only keep him for 24 hours. If he’s not released soon, I’ll be punished!”

“I’m not part of your organization; how does that concern me?” Jiang Chen replied coldly.

Li Changsheng was stunned by those words.

“Fine! You’re ruthless. If this case isn’t cracked, I’ll go to war with you.” Though angry, Li Changsheng was powerless and could only stew in his frustration.

Another ten hours later, Jiang Chen said, “Time’s nearly up. Let him go.”

Li Changsheng sat up with a start. “What? You want to release him with no clues? Then my punishment was for nothing?!”

Jiang Chen waved him off. “Don’t waste words. With your intelligence, I doubt I can explain it clearly. Just follow my instructions.”

Li Changsheng was tempted to give up, but the thought of making a breakthrough, gaining merit, and possibly connecting with the Qingyun Sword Sect cheered him up. Enduring Jiang Chen’s grievances seemed trivial by comparison.

Back in the interrogation room, Li Changsheng noticed Wu Gang’s eyes were bloodshot, his fingers trembling slightly. Yet his spirit remained vigorous, unlike someone locked up too long.

“Alright, time’s up. You’re free to go,” Li Changsheng said.

Wu Gang left and encountered Jiang Chen in the hallway. He stared at him intently for a full ten seconds.

Jiang Chen stood, patting Wu Gang on the shoulder. “Relax, buddy. You can go home now. Of course, if you choose to report me, you might get compensation.”

Wu Gang brushed Jiang Chen’s hand away. “I don’t have time for your nonsense.”

With that, he left, flagging down a taxi by the roadside before departing.

Li Changsheng sighed heavily. “No clues and I got punished for nothing.”

Jiang Chen beckoned. “Tell me, if a person runs faster than a car, is he still human?”

Li Changsheng looked puzzled. “Either a superman or a monster.”

“Here, take a look.” Jiang Chen handed over an electronic screen. On it, a black dot moved rapidly across a digital map, far outpacing any vehicle.

“What… is this?” Li Changsheng was baffled but then recalled Wu Gang’s swift departure. Suddenly, it clicked.

“Why was he in such a hurry? We already released him. And why was he so fast?” Li Changsheng asked three questions in a row.

“Don’t you already have your answer?” Jiang Chen retorted.

Li Changsheng jumped up. “Then what are we waiting for? Chase after him!”

…

After leaving in a taxi, Wu Gang got out halfway through. His feet touched the ground, and he moved swiftly, soon overtaking the taxi.

“Almost there! Almost! Still got time, I can hold on!” Wu Gang’s speed was incredible, but his eyes had turned blood red. His skin and tissue began to deteriorate, blood oozing from his surface.

“Ahhh! Damn it! Once I replenish my energy, I’ll tear them to pieces!”

“Human! Human blood! I need blood!”

“Give me blood!!”

Wu Gang’s expression twisted into madness, his body resembling a red bloodied figure against the cold wind.

“Chicken! Chicken here!”

About a kilometer from Jicheng, Wu Gang found an animal with blood. In a blink, he was in front of a chicken and snapped its neck, the blood flowing freely as he caught it in his mouth.

The chicken didn’t even cry out; it died instantly.

*Snap!*

Wu Gang tossed the chicken’s corpse aside and wiped his mouth, but it was no use—his mouth was still dripping with blood.

“Human! Human blood! I need more blood!” Wu Gang raved as he charged toward Jicheng.

But suddenly, his head felt like it slammed heavily against an invisible wall.

“Who! Who’s there!” Wu Gang sensed something was wrong, instinctively looking left and right.

Three figures inexplicably appeared before him—two girls and a man.

The man’s face was obscured.

“What are you doing? Why are you treating me like this? I haven’t committed any crime!” Wu Gang screamed, blood dripping from his body, his form pushed to its limit.

“Tsk tsk, do you really believe that? Your way of killing that chicken is exactly how you kill people. And you say you haven’t broken the law?” Liuli glared at him.

Shen Huaizhu added, “Besides… you don’t exactly look like a good person yourself.”

Wu Gang looked down at his constantly deteriorating body, a pitiful sight.

“You… you set me up, didn’t you? I’m just sick. Without concrete evidence, why did you arrest me?” he continued to protest.

Jiang Chen’s voice came from a distance. “Stubborn, aren’t you? Come on, Wu Gang, let me reveal the truth to you.”

“What?! What are you talking about? I don’t understand. I am Wu Gang! Let me go!”

Just then, another man in gray clothes stepped forward from behind Liuli and Shen Huaizhu.

It was another Wu Gang!