I said you are all war criminals

"Just now... the police... called... and said... they found it... this morning..."

The middle-aged woman spoke intermittently, each word coming out as if squeezed from between her teeth. "They said... Xiao Deng... her... her body... was... cut into two pieces..."

Deng's mother said in a voice full of resentment.

“…Deng was killed!”

23

Chapter 23 Police Station.

The atmosphere in the police station was dull and oppressive, filled with the unpleasant smell of cigarettes.

Shiina Ritsuki sat in the cold metal chair, not moving all day. Time passed by minute by minute, and the wall clock made a monotonous ticking sound, as if mocking her powerlessness.

She is neither a police officer nor a detective. Now, Lixi can only wait...wait for the result.

...can only wait.

Lixi hates waiting.

It always feels like she has been waiting all her life.

At home, she always waits for her sister to come back.

At Crychic, she always waited for Xiangzi to take care of everything.

In the present day, she waits for the police to catch Deng's killer.

The agonizing wait made Lixi feel as if the air in the police station had grown thicker, like a giant spiderweb enveloping her. The hands of the wall clock seemed to deliberately slow down, each tick ticking, jarring her nerves. She irritably pushed her hair behind her ear and glanced at the closed interrogation room door for the tenth time.

Finally, the door opened. A tall, stern-looking police officer walked out. His sunken eyes and tightly pursed lips were filled with fatigue. Seeing Li Xi, he sighed slightly and gestured for her to follow him.

"Ms. Shiina,"

The officer's voice was low and hoarse. "We have something we need to know from you."

In the small office, the police officer handed Lixi a glass of water, but she showed no intention of taking it.

"Ms. Shiina, the deceased was named Takamatsu Touma, a high school student,"

The officer paused, as if weighing his words, "The manner of death...was rather horrific."

Li Xi's fingers were clenched tightly together, and the knuckles turned white.

"I know...I identified the body."

"What were the deceased's interpersonal relationships like during his lifetime?"

The police officer's voice broke the silence, his tone so formulaic it was chilling.

Li Xi took a deep breath and tried hard to control his trembling voice.

"Deng... She's very popular and has many friends..."

The police officer raised an eyebrow, seemingly dissatisfied with such a general answer.

"Ms. Shiina, we need more specific information. For example, has she had any arguments with anyone? Or, is there anyone who might hold a grudge against her?"

"No, really not."

Li Xi's voice was a little hoarse, "Deng...she has always been kind and gentle, and never quarrels with anyone..."

"Has she shown any unusual behavior recently? For example, depressed or acting strangely?"

the officer pressed.

Li Xi bit her lower lip and hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking, "She has a boyfriend... in his twenties."

"...The deceased should be the same age as you, fifteen, right?"

The police officer continued to take notes.

"Yes, I also told Deng not to get involved with that guy...but they are very close, very close."

Li Xi grabbed the hem of her skirt.

"He...his name is Hakuno."

Li Xi's voice was as soft as a mosquito's, as if even a little louder would startle something. She looked down at her hands, her fingertips still tightly clasped together, her nails digging deep into her flesh, causing a stinging pain, but it was far less painful than the torment she felt inside.

"Baiye..."

The officer wrote the name down in his notebook, raised his head, and looked at Li Xi with sharp eyes. "What is your relationship with Mr. Bai Ye?"

Li Xi hesitated, "...a friend. Deng and I are best friends, so...I know him too."

"Can you tell me in detail how they met?"

"I don't know the details,"

Lixi continued, "I think we met at Live House."

"What's the name of that live house?"

The policeman took notes.

"Starry...why are you asking this? Are you saying..."

Li Xi suddenly raised his head, "Bai Ye is the criminal?"

"Ms. Shiina, the case is still under investigation, so we can't reveal too much."

The officer spoke in an official tone, "However, we need you to describe Mr. Hakuno's physical characteristics as detailed as possible, as well as everything you know about him. This will help us solve the case as quickly as possible."

Li Xi's heart sank suddenly. Could it be that Bai Ye was really the criminal?

In that case, didn’t Li Xi personally send the lamp into the tiger’s mouth?

"He...he's about 25 or 26 years old, about 1.8 meters tall, thin, and has very fair skin."

Li Xi's voice trembled slightly. "Her hair is that kind of blue, a little long, often covering her eyes. Her eyes are... a very light golden brown, a bit like... like a cat's eyes."

She paused, then added, "He always loved to joke around."

The police officer took notes quickly, looking up at Li Xi from time to time.

"He also has some...some tattoos,"

Li Xi's voice gradually lowered. "I'm not sure what the specific pattern is. I heard Deng mention it."

"Under the clothes?"

The police asked again.

"I don't know, I didn't ask in detail..."

"Anything else? Like his occupation, the places he frequents, etc."

the officer pressed.

"He often goes to Starry,"

Li Xi almost blurted out, "He...he seems to be a bassist there."

"Starry…what is that?"

“It’s a live house.”

Lixi said.

Starry.

The officer circled the name heavily in his notebook. "We'll investigate as soon as possible. Miss Shiina, thank you for your cooperation. That's all for today. Please keep your communication open so we can contact you at any time."

Li Xi nodded woodenly, stood up and left the office.

She walked in the corridor of the police station in a daze, and everything around her seemed so blurry.

...Could Hakuno be the culprit?

Could Hakuno, who said, "For the sake of the lamp, I can kill 100 million people," be the criminal?

Li Xi slumped onto the cold bench in the police station corridor, her stomach churning. She pressed her forehead, her fingertips cold. Everything before her seemed shrouded in a fog, and the pungent smell of disinfectant in the police station made her almost nauseous. Bai Ye's face lingered in her mind, those golden-brown cat-like eyes, now filled with a mocking smile, pricking her nerves.

Is it really him?

A shrill voice pierced Li Xi's chaotic thoughts.

"Excuse me, how is Takamatsu Deng-san doing now? Is she here?"

Li Xi raised his head abruptly, his sight gradually focused. At the police station's reception desk, a pink-haired girl was anxiously questioning the receptionist.

Who is she?

Li Xi's mind went blank and he could only stare blankly at the girl.

"Takamatsu Touma? You mean the... the victim?"

The reception police officer's tone was full of sympathy. "I'm sorry, miss, the case is still under investigation and we can't disclose any information."

"Is he really dead... Deng..."

The pink-haired girl also looked a little dazed.

Li Xi stood up as if possessed by a ghost and walked quickly to the pink-haired girl.

She asked in a dry voice.

"Hey, who are you?"

24

Chapter 24 Abandoned Channel.

"Hey, who are you?"

Li Xi's voice was as hoarse as sandpaper rubbing against iron.

The pink-haired girl was startled by the sudden question, "I'm Chihaya Aine!"

Chihaya Aine?

Li Xi felt that he had heard this name somewhere, but he couldn't remember it for a moment.

"I'm asking, who are you to the lamp?"

Compared to these... Lixi almost reached out and grabbed the other person's collar, but she staggered and almost fell.

Instead, Riki stared fiercely at Aine.

"I'm Deng's classmate."

Chihaya Aine answered calmly and confidently, her eyes clear as she met Riki's gaze without any hesitation.

"I just heard from Deng's mother..."

She paused, took a deep breath, and seemed to be trying to control her emotions. "I heard that Deng...she..."

"Dead, right?"

Li Xi's voice was dry, like the noise made by two pieces of sandpaper rubbing against each other.

A trace of sadness flashed in Aine's eyes, "So, the light really is..."

"How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? The light is dead!"

Li Xi was about to take another step forward, but the police quickly grabbed her and said, "Student, this is the police station! Please be quiet!"

Two policemen held Li Xi, one on each side, and dragged her out of the police station. Li Xi was still struggling, like a wild cat caught in a trap, shouting hoarsely: "Let me go! I want to know the truth! Light...light her..."

"Student, please calm down!"

One of the policemen shouted impatiently, "Your making such a fuss is of no help to the case! Please cooperate with us!"

Another police officer added: "The case is still under investigation and we cannot disclose any information. Please remain calm and go home and wait for notification."

Li Xi was forcibly dragged out of the police station. Ai Yin hesitated for a moment, but still followed him.

Li Xi stumbled along the street like a puppet without a soul. Ai Yin followed silently behind her, keeping a distance between them.

"Hey!"

Aine finally mustered up the courage to call out to her.