Translator: AnubisTL
Hu Biao didn't speak, merely raised the muzzle of his gun slightly, aiming at Hu Yue, who stood frozen in the doorway.
"Come here."
"I..."
Hu Yue bit her lip, her expression a struggle between conflicting emotions. After a moment of hesitation, she took a tentative step forward, approaching Hu Biao until she stood less than a meter away. Her eyes flickered with fear as she spoke in a trembling voice.
"Brother, I'm your sister, Hu Yue."
"Do you think my dress looks good?"
Hu Biao gazed calmly at the dress Hu Yue was wearing, pausing before replying, "I can't understand why you reported me. If you hadn't, you could have had a thousand, even ten thousand dresses like this, or even more expensive ones."
"I've already figured out how to make money."
"Our lives would only get better. Why would you do this?"
"Brother!" Hu Yue's voice trembled with fear and a hint of tears as Hu Biao's calm words rang in her ears. "Should I take you to confess? I know you don't like this life on the run either. Let me take you to confess, okay?"
"I'll do everything I can to plead for leniency, to get the federal government to reduce your sentence. Even if the final outcome is still death, at least we can die with peace of mind, right?"
"Has this life on the run been easy on you, brother? So many innocent people have died because of you. Don't you feel any remorse at all?"
"Brother, if you truly care about this family, please turn yourself in. I'm about to get into a good university and find a high-paying job. I can take care of all the family's expenses and repay Mother for raising me. I'll even visit your grave every year. That way, even if you die, you can die knowing you've done the right thing, right?"
"Tch."
Wang Jili leaned back in his chair, disdainfully brushed off his pant leg, then pulled out a cigar from his pocket and lit it. He gazed at the young woman before him with a mixture of admiration and amusement.
"Little girl, you're the first person I've ever met who tries to talk someone to death."
"If criminals should turn themselves in, the federation should issue a mea culpa right now."
"Why are you always siding with the federation?"
Hu Biao didn't reply, his expression remaining calm as he continued to stare at Hu Yue. "Tell me," he said, "I don't understand."
"Because the federation provides us citizens with education, makes sure we have enough to eat and warm clothes, and allows us to learn and climb the social ladder. Brother, the federation gave us all this! We should be grateful to the federation."
"Bullshit!" Hu Biao roared, leaping up from his chair and taking a step forward. He grabbed Hu Yue by the hair and slammed her head against the chair. "It was me who made sure you had enough to eat, warm clothes, and an education! Not that fucking federation you keep spouting about!"
"Without my mother, you'd have died in that stinking ditch long ago! The federation wouldn't have given you a second glance!"
"Does food cost money? Do clothes cost money? Does education cost money?"
"Every damn thing you have, I earned and bought for you! What the hell does that have to do with your precious federation, huh? You should be thanking me, not that fucking federation!"
"I paid into my pension for over a decade, and the federation hasn't paid a single cent! If they'd just given me what I was owed, would I have ended up on this path?"
"Breaking the law makes me a beast?"
"So the federation wants me to watch my mother die in bed? What do you call that? 'Isolated pockets of instability in a peaceful environment'?"
Hu Yue, her face covered in blood, forced her eyes open. She scrambled to her feet, her face twisted in a grotesque parody of her former cuteness. Staring at Hu Biao, she shrieked hysterically, "You lunatic! You inhuman monster! What do you want now? To kill me?"
"Go ahead, kill me!"
"You've already slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people. What's stopping you from killing me too?!"
"You're just like Mom—both of you are insane! Every time you said I was adopted, it was just to make me feel guilty and obey you, wasn't it?"
"You sent me to school so I could get into a good university, find a good job, and spend the rest of my life earning money for you, right?"
"You bought me clothes so I'd dress up, find a rich man, and give you money to spend, didn't you?"
"Do you think I don't know what you're really thinking?"
"Devils! You're all devils!"
"The hearts of the poor are always dark and twisted. I've dreamed of escaping this family, of escaping you two monsters—you devils who bind me with chains forged in the name of love!"
"Did I falsely accuse you? If I'm wrong, why isn't the federation hunting me down instead of you?!"
"Because I didn't kill anyone. You did!"
"..."
Wang Jili sat nearby, his legs crossed, staring in stunned fascination at the hysterical young woman before him. He hastily tossed aside his cigar and lit a cigarette, then leaned forward intently, listening to every word she uttered.
He never really liked cigars; cigarettes were his true indulgence. But a scene as captivating as this deserved a cigarette to enhance the moment.
It was simply too extraordinary.
He doubted he'd ever hear such a speech again in his lifetime. He had to savor every moment of it—it was utterly mesmerizing.
He couldn't fathom how a sentient being could utter such words, words that would fail even the Turing test.
Though he'd initially resented having to drop his work and rush here, witnessing this spectacle made the trip more than worthwhile. He'd not only gain favor with Jiang Cheng Company and forge connections with them, but also witness this theatrical masterpiece—a true win-win situation.
"Absolutely brilliant!"
Caught up in the moment, Wang Jili couldn't help but applaud enthusiastically, his face beaming with admiration. "Truly magnificent! I'm almost tempted to buy you from your brother and keep you in my office, just to hear you tell these darkly humorous jokes every day."
Hu Biao stared at the hysterical Hu Yue before him, his eyes bloodshot with disbelief. His body remained frozen in place, his calves trembling slightly. The last time his legs had shaken so violently was from nervousness; this time, it was from pure rage.
He had never realized that extreme anger and despair could cause such violent tremors.
He had never imagined that Hu Yue saw him and their mother in such a light.
So all the familial affection he had believed in was merely a facade, maintained only until she could become financially independent?
"Heh."
He shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. After taking a deep breath, he grabbed his pistol, strode forward, and violently shoved the barrel into Hu Yue's mouth. Staring into her eyes, now wide with terror and pleading, he rasped,
"The poor?"
"Why do you look down on the poor so much? It was these two poor people who raised you to adulthood. What right do you have to despise them?"
The next moment—
Bang.
A gunshot rang out.
A bullet, trailing a spray of blood, tore through the back of Hu Yue's head. The light in her eyes rapidly faded as her body crashed heavily to the ground.
Her pristine white dress was quickly stained crimson, becoming a gruesome mess.
A life had been extinguished from this world.
Hu Biao stood frozen, staring at the corpse lying on the ground, unable to process what had just happened.
He had killed Hu Yue.
Yet there was no sense of satisfaction, only a suffocating emptiness. He couldn't understand what he and his mother had done to make Hu Yue view them with such contempt.
"Is it over?"
Wang Jili glanced regretfully at the corpse lying in the pool of blood, then shook his head. "Don't let such trivial matters trouble you. Your mental fortitude is too fragile. A man may show temporary weakness, but his mind must remain strong."
"Senior..."
Hu Biao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his emotions before turning to Wang Jili and asking hoarsely, "Are you mentally strong?"
"Hmm, I'd say I'm decent."
"How did you achieve that?"
"Through deliberate training."
"Can something like that really be trained?"
"Naturally."
Wang Jili replied casually, his expression nonchalant. "Wild grass that grows from ashes is often more resilient. But enough of these trivial matters. We can discuss them later. Right now, we have more important business to attend to."
"Mm."
Hu Biao nodded slowly, his expression conflicted. He raised his pistol and emptied a clip into Hu Yue's head, which lay in a pool of blood. Then he grabbed the family photo hanging on the wall and strode out.
Wang Jili glanced around the room, suddenly struck by an idea. He casually took down the two silk banners hanging on the wall and tossed them onto Hu Yue's corpse. Satisfied with the scene before him, he strode out.
The two gold-edged, crimson banners fluttered lightly as they landed in the pool of blood.
Righteousness Over Family and Three Good Student shone even more brightly against the crimson backdrop.
This world is far from peaceful.
Or rather, the federation had enjoyed peace for too long. Just as food stored in a greenhouse for too long breeds bacteria, the overly peaceful cradle of the federation had nurtured its own parasites, leading to pockets of unrest in various regions.
The official explanation was that it's perfectly normal for components to malfunction in such massive vehicles, and we are actively addressing these issues.
But the people who were crushed to death understood it differently: You crushed me, then claim it's not your fault, but some malfunctioning part? I just want to curse you with every foul word I can think of.
Across the federation, peace still prevailed. Residential stars like this one dotted the galaxy, countless in number. Even the explosion of a planet would only spark localized discussions, failing to ignite widespread outrage.
As for Hu Biao's ordeal, it was utterly insignificant—so trivial that even federal politicians, who thrived on public speeches to boost their popularity, couldn't be bothered to focus on such a minor incident.
(End of the Chapter)