Chapter 35
Gong Yingxian led Ren Yi to another office area, a massive room with an entire wall covered in LED panels. Rows of desks were filled with computers and equipment Ren Yi didn’t recognize, and most of the employees were still working overtime.OHwSHeAkhDxluaKOxgFqcQvhljTjNM
qSGZYNnyowgMiWaGong Yingxian walked toward a desk in the corner and called out to a figure with a broad back, “Xiao Tan.”VNyNPkcsUNxAgLsByYNeKypaYvUxMF
JAiVzaiRtCEqYsGThe person jerked in surprise, spraying Coke all over half the keyboard. He quickly stood up, grabbing tissues to clean up the mess.MuDdeqLpOCAusebKRYTtqJKjiKKeaj
GLrfXszTQcaGLzKShaking his head, Gong said, “Work hours are over. If you want to eat, no need to sneak around.”LEqqlPOPhSEkYiWGbhnJViuBAzEXwP
PamGNVmYPRmxjtOThe man turned around with an embarrassed smile. “Dr. Gong, you startled me.”qVELGyYOXDkoeuggzytBAfPqlyanPp
LiUspijIjKbsxQBHe looked like he was in his early twenties, chubby with pale skin, large round eyes that were clear and bright, and skin so soft it seemed like you could squeeze water from it. He had a gentle, harmless smile—if he slimmed down, he’d probably be quite handsome.KtktGCktpNNDCPjmInRBdcvanvKVMy
fGeBDhSAmWVvafo“This is Captain Ren Yi of the Phoenix Squad. Captain Ren, this is Tan Haochun from our cybercrime division. He’s a very skilled hacker.”rWCHNoSJAJDVzFgeoXRWNMbCwLCALX
CNvMncpwKyfuUyu“I’m… I’m not that great,” Tan Haochun said shyly, offering Ren Yi his hand. “Nice to meet you, Captain Ren.”TkYRDcGgybPopNHPOdgOANhObwonEj
MvsPCYCdFBtMKJa“Nice to meet you.”DhojLpWEFOJownGLLupZgjBxkCoCRU
aIGIUxJkGNQdJjdAs soon as Ren Yi reached out, Tan Haochun flinched as if he’d been shocked, retracting his hand quickly. “Sorry, my hands are dirty. Let me wash them first.”SFzVehpTUUZlOmQZkliiHMBFNnJrsA
BnSfnhxRyavUBBUGong stretched out his long arm, blocking Tan’s face, and pulled out a bottle of hand sanitizer from his pocket. “Sit down and save some time.”njakMpvZOMRfuXXezONhxhNvwvABPc
rZeMJPtLQLtgCfwTan obediently sat down, extending his hands like a student awaiting punishment.QJxbhPYjuGvjlSOwfbcJbLmQLAPsXr
hNwhKrRkvZBJoMrGong sprayed the sanitizer onto his hands. Tan rubbed them together and wiped them clean with a tissue.ueQLagrRcJvpNKCqQYjjSxQILbvJtM
VIOQKluiRmjIzCcRen Yi stifled a laugh, clearing his throat softly.dbyyiHqyGKDyYCjGCGobSJOvGJNcOK
qVglicMmVIuKqzLThey shook hands again, and Tan blinked at Ren. “I’ve heard a lot of the female colleagues talking about Captain Ren lately. They were right—you’re tall and handsome.”yncMnuUIMZynBiuQxawgrQKNUkqVaa
ZprCFmHdqWTvwOsRen chuckled. “Really? Am I that popular at your branch? Maybe I should look into which pays more—being a cop or a firefighter. I might switch careers.”QgYgANBsSzdHNJkzbOPPQOEwzJJMCf
ahdUKFxElxXWJFwTan laughed. “Captain Ren, you’re so funny.”UdSBpjsOvqzCOXeyCTGaPAnaMizpvi
XSRWdHlWsaNCiscGong glanced down at Tan’s desk, which was littered with chips, beef jerky, sunflower seeds, and Coke stains.TKLmkSNvTnUHCFmLtmElaXHoWVkGYv
WEbplGktbYejFtOTan hurried to clean up what he could, wiping the desk nervously while stealing glances at Gong.RgZIgwtzdVJStBegbbhbNrKIVDjQpj
SpTcWBnfiSJPUSvGong pointed to the side. “Grab a couple of chairs.”JQBvYuwxrCZSIBHkkDZGgqowpWBAnd
aaSthvbljMAOafMBoth of them turned to get chairs at the same time.fgZzCnOSVWvbphGjkxgniifPcidwva
GXRXgiPVcRdLtiLGong sat down. “Xiao Tan, you mentioned earlier that there’s been some progress. Since we’ll be interrogating Zhou Chuan tomorrow, I need some useful information now.”fwLevERjrRTCPOMJHAYMIWPbZkIIed
NoUwSVBPRlmQLyG“Exactly.” Tan Haochun switched the screen, revealing a webpage with a dark red background and flame patterns in front of them. The page was entirely in English, and at the top, there was an image of a serpent with six wings wrapped around a sword, flames engulfing it.fupSBtTMtUqQehNmRQQTGHUxHDSsFA
xEXHLwoilldxcmEBelow that, in small text, was the word: *seraph*.pVPmIJJEGZHOkfRQhbBUhFZYXgYGhJ
RlSxDfFwJqccpCeIt wasn’t what Ren Yi had expected. The dark web homepage was incredibly simple. He had imagined the dark web to be like those pop-up-heavy porn sites, overloaded with eye-catching content on a single page. But this site had no images, just a logo, name, and a few selection boxes.HdwyfpVRxFisfYKibyPxmHADgRrhch
NiNfQZOyJtNJdAzThe first option listed was “live.”PXvdnSRvSVeHXalYvtAsUMPkhAbwcX
iAXMPotdxfQJaNM“This is *Seraph*.” Just looking at the site made Ren Yi feel a sense of suffocation. “This site… is it specifically for arsonists?”RebdUOvYTJfUhPRsHDeJtkxGyJBAvw
XUpGLltPQjSYylw“More accurately, it’s for pyromaniacs,” Tan Haochun explained. “Not every pyromaniac has the guts to commit a crime. Everything on this site revolves around fire—things you can and can’t imagine. There are live streams of people playing with fire, arson, photos, videos, tutorials on how to start fires or make explosives, and discussion forums. If it’s about fire, you can probably find it here.”xvziCbWbLNQkMEAtxCVaoYwFoblLTz
YkKUrNMjJFMxujm“Are there many people like Zhou Chuan?”lXhQNyftYcBKShKdQRfajdbeaHBZSJ
kOriLhvUXrTJdANTan Haochun nodded. “People like Zhou Chuan are called bounty hunters on this site. They make money by satisfying the desires of pyromaniacs. For instance, a set of photos or videos from a fire’s aftermath, shot from something like a fourth perspective, can sell for at least 10 ‘quarks’.”XpEqPaOsnGANuEzneydXCCTPiDACuV
KpfWkbUBNVjbJfw“Quarks?”FBgiXubywNBYKWNmUgawYbCOxWfZPj
jGRgMLItnlLFWwe“A quark is the smallest known particle in physics,” Gong Yingxian chimed in.RXSnevTyBHMpoMXrMTDCCtuUEFRVcp
tvIcDJuilOpNhWgTan Haochun nodded again. “Yes, but here, ‘quark’ is the name of a virtual currency. It’s like Bitcoin or Ethereum, though not as valuable. One quark is worth about… 20 to 25 US dollars.”AdqvagFvPWtqtEXrjisyxHECgOmFPz
ZpGheqOrjXRjYKA“So Zhou Chuan could earn a couple thousand yuan just for taking those photos?” Ren Yi scoffed. “And he thought it was worth getting detained for 48 hours?”dxGJrhexQSEWsnMBcWbJROqQInnuxC
ozaQYHajCdVqMlw“Yes, but live streams are much more expensive,” Tan Haochun continued. “A live stream of a post-fire scene starts at $200 for five minutes. But the money usually isn’t paid by one person—it’s crowdfunded by everyone watching. If someone makes special requests, the price goes up.”vbYDYmkcifEgGWqVgOIaYkpgVzueus
QOOvXwOTwddHCGSGong Yingxian’s voice grew serious. “Streaming fire aftermaths is probably considered low-tier content on *Seraph*, right?”plyRwGcnHktBHkvopLUGfbhtJXUMyx
WWwJAxmltNiudYj“What’s considered high-tier?” Ren Yi clenched his fists instinctively. “Live broadcasts of arson?”JFGxUJVXoDIjwGpdEBTsdLyIOmwZOm
hLIlHYZpdkpegiVTan Haochun’s face turned grim. “There are… all kinds of live streams on this site. Some of them… are beyond what any human should do.”bajSvBcZzwhvkJkFJrUuvcGuQxBChP
uIyufUidQwxtcNIWith an expressionless face, Gong said, “There are streams of people burning various objects, and… also, people.”SLgjhcLOaLQwjbFIYqwZDFmPqHtaIZ
kyRVLhyrQdtBRXsRen Yi gasped, his voice trembling. “How can a site like this still exist?”JVyyFffDaLtWEHdQfAZBeDqzTNpQdF
HMsyzMhKDJyoQfXTan Haochun gave a bitter smile. “Because it’s almost impossible to shut down. Their servers are scattered across the world. Taking down a dark web site like this would require law enforcement agencies from multiple countries to cooperate, which is nearly impossible. Unless the key personnel, like the programmers, are caught. But the site’s coders are top-tier hackers. I spent three days trying to breach their firewall, and I was detected within three minutes.”xHBekVBdxWwzxoMAnJJNwWOKNiCqti
JPtpuCaSFKwvSgN“What useful information have you found?”ISfJISrOyBOwDNPTLVsNTctjDMkjcL
guLuTSqQDvOrnchTan Haochun scratched his head. “I’ll show you a video first. Be prepared—it’s not easy to watch.”DynHaBgYqWuCUFNhJzPIxfKWGVkNTU
THoQKSVyQXiVwBz“…What’s this?”ieGQEfQnMaHBVstgCLEUUfyzANgVsf
lfvMCLDaYeRsucw“This video is currently among the top three most viewed on *Seraph*, and it even hit number one at one point,” Tan Haochun hesitated, glancing at them.NvvDdAQIoHQCDqOVSorZTsJJWBLtbi
kPGByXEykPOWMbM“Play it,” Gong Yingxian commanded.AqrnGHmLrIzyIRylBRuIaxJeIHhOFe
JkIGpoEfYETJmpqTan switched to another webpage, and the frozen frame that appeared on the screen already looked eerily familiar to Ren Yi and Gong. A bad feeling crept over them.mIvwEcMXYsyZdnoGcPzTrMESEJlByW
RZnhkcUAZjlHGUgWhen the play button was pressed, the dark background slowly came into focus, revealing a yellow sedan—*a car they would never forget*.LNxdxLJYctwPtRQUfqZOsinbIDVgeo
mvxRQwqhkjBqZikWhat followed was something they both knew all too well, because they had been there. The chilling coldness gripped their bodies as they heard their own voices in the video. Then, the black-clad man set the car ablaze. The fire reached Zhou Chuan, who collapsed to the ground. The camera shook.pCzAaupNiQciFwgfPMubJmTtsESKzu
ElBVOMNfQLwnOQARen Yi vividly remembered the tripod-mounted camera pointed directly at the car. The tripod had burned for some time before it eventually fell over. Which meant… which meant that both he and Gong Yingxian had been captured on camera *before* it fell!KMnPbSmMSDwipYCgwInxexBtzPPMxA
TTMcsTDvxuAUPEvAt the time, they were too focused on saving people, rescuing cats, and putting out the fire. The chaos of the scene made them completely overlook the camera. But that camera had been silently recording, live-streaming the burning car.CnsFAhNzmJttGwkLTSVqhDJcoCPbRr
ZbslJEFAnbqcYIXTheir faces grew darker with each passing second, even though the video didn’t show their identities clearly. Yet, they remembered shouting each other’s names during the chaos.mcxrqnSKEqMQLvSiXNOMjUzZNWWBDG
vVpeAfUikpKAsfmThe video continued until Gong dragged Ren away from the front of the burning car, and then the camera toppled.evGUBOJZKQaShlVvPqBkgoFeApDAsP
IFdxSBYJSXPHEZlRen felt his throat dry up, his emotions tangled in a mess he couldn’t define. Gong’s expression was grim, exuding a cold, lethal aura.vSjqPEyqRylyWHrqCyssMPwsLudXHe
JFFOSDQcVTMUwfgTan Haochun stole a glance at them and suggested, “I’ll open the comments, but… you might want to prepare yourselves…”vJsKxdmegNWMPlRPKRudfrmMJyXsBb
IbEanBXNeQxNFDw“I don’t need any preparation,” Gong said icily. “Don’t waste time.”iuQHNJWAlXEjeWNLEKwaQRUcCSwoke
yGOOkNJCEjqDeuqRen Yi quietly muttered, “Don’t be like that. Xiao Tan is helping us.”WjLcPiapnmzJupcKjEBRMfnYEqYjNy
yzGXdtkROfFjcewTan waved it off. “It’s fine.” He clicked to open the comments.mUjGZNSrFvfKEAsrGqbQRSdshhAXBx
kOaOXAfLSHCaWBWIn an instant, the video was flooded with scrolling comments, most in English.sOUdxXrPtLDRqKqBItBxFcpSsnfHdl
OJWPzBrkteeEyrGRen’s English wasn’t great, but he had at least passed the required exams, so he could understand bits and pieces. Some comments praised the video, saying it was amazing. Others pointed out that one was a cop and the other a firefighter. Someone even wrote that they wanted to hear them scream inside the car, and another said that their handsome faces turning to charred remains would be the most beautiful sight in the world.lnnUIIUAPzltDzzUYqjKdnjbOhHaLe
oSilorBhvGhlBRRThen Ren saw his own name, age, phone number, location, address, job title, and firefighter ID appear in both English and Chinese in the comments—followed by Gong Yingxian’s.gBYAGHFRNpZgGosoffnBGaptmNQqFV
OdErzTCXcZoOqimHis skin crawled.SBAvcJlvShCAuZRvIOhmTiKYJyUCVq
dtqaWGgJjOAZZHzGong narrowed his eyes. “They found all that from just this video?”JQsaHJFtIhIckdLteYhwLNryACkJhM
jJTXgZkkrHWzUhr“This video revealed quite a bit,” Tan explained. “For hackers, it’s not hard to dig up more info. But don’t worry too much. Even if people overseas have your details, it’s difficult for them to harass you from afar. And most people within the country wouldn’t dare risk exposing themselves. Have you received any harassment calls lately?”WHnWpRCfnyoRwFJoNLPwALoyPrUmWz
PzDzAxvgxZSNkcn“None.” Gong sneered, “I’m not worried. Most arsonists are timid and weak. In society, they act quiet, shy, and reclusive. They use fire to conceal their insecurities and build themselves up. Deep down, they think the bigger the fire, the more powerful they seem—classic coward mentality. Most of them wouldn’t dare go near cops or firefighters.”WtZxYuMKsabythSCjWaSZXorMENFoO
wYfkAOJaApVQtaI“They may not, but the bounty hunters making money by catering to them are a different breed. Many of them aren’t pyromaniacs at all. Some are genuine criminals. You still need to be cautious,” Tan said quietly. “Someone has already put a high bounty on anything related to you two.”mkPVsbifNyvJIncbfOOSJHbwiOAwzl
DCpKCSOJMPLlXWARen clenched his teeth. “I’ve been itching to catch these bastards. If they’ve got the guts, let them come.”HjwHDNtCisbeTaUuTrMYToYUcuOOqY
DGqstbKVUAasoWU“Let me see it,” Gong said, “We might be able to use this to catch someone.”vJlghVglKetSdqIoXuxYANdovHAbAr
HIrUvkwiJvSztcd“Right, the guy in black.”BnNnAlDLmEwBlhJFoXYQXjLIGqymVR
aXOCmhpfsDoXJUKTan switched the page again. “The bounty is right here. The top one has raised nearly $40,000—just for anything about either of you. But don’t worry, it’s been days, and no one’s dared to take it.”ffRoeuNdQjfCBJMRocCatbUCGkJkSI
hcDQKyVtIAURUnlGong studied the bounty list carefully, saying, “That guy in black… it was his first time. He wasn’t working with Zhou Chuan.”kRAbVoDbgxIvBoJUCxdvSzxRIglgJK
oRyJhOPcAKOzjMn“How do you know?” Ren asked.xbLKrirIAvgxlgRLMMwdhsWtVaMPwM
TssEsAlLOuDEJms“I’ve rewatched the videos we took on our phones. The guy was clumsy, hesitant, nervous, and scared. From his body language, it was clear he didn’t want to be there. He just wanted it to end quickly. And he never once looked at the live stream. He wasn’t interested in the tips, only in hiding his face and features. He wasn’t in it for the money; it seemed more like he was forced to be there.”DgnJvRTANDOtjaSptugiAlxRKwYnqI
iIwShWcUeeANhKpRen Yi recalled something. “But he didn’t hesitate at all when he set the car on fire.”GItCyKPGqJnuOSiGhSSYCUXxBakKSW
CklRBXCVozHBwsw“He burned the car to create chaos and make his escape,” Gong Yingxian replied. “As for the bounty on us, no one has taken it.”cAjIgGSULzBqhbRmFupalUjqZBExzn
iTLFmvkFAZdNPHo“Yeah, there aren’t that many Chinese users on this site, and with how well the authorities manage public safety here, it’s too risky to target a public official. Even though $40,000 is a significant bounty,” Tan Haochun added. “Still, you should be careful, just in case.”gQCwJYTKqvUkaDnJigLrdLYkDmUDgy
VkRprQfUbIQXRXlRen asked, “What’s usually the target for bounties this high?”TqxXlCBQLukQYCKRdjCvNsmiSjVnLq
oojGCSOmRCZCczu“Burning people alive, or setting fire to large, important, or well-known objects. Human targets are more common. Buildings, even with high bounties, are less appealing, especially in developed countries. Too big a target makes it easy to get caught.”LvahsAKBonkKrSDSkICOprtgeTaEZz
eFTVrYWzetmyVaT“Freaking psychopaths,” Ren Yi cursed.CWIFCqoyvqPijsCImqDNvcSaTuDzJn
QhXLgLmqkrcZbWVGong cut in, “Did you find any useful clues? Or is it just our video?”jtsmDIxIsozILkAyamTiZIXrCwgAso
nCNrnlTSQbzyYCc“No, there’s more. I found information about that live stream, and I dug up some things from the site itself,” Tan replied. “There’s something in particular that caught my attention—a type of post I found on their forums.”fWfakOYxiVolMOOVcFzhjSTtBfrpYM
aLCXbcjhlwhbcqG“What kind of post?”XrtrAPaUclCeqJCUmetxVkxJawMglS
tydqMbCmcsJpRmR“Dr. Gong, do you remember the famous fast-food bathroom murder case in Utah a few years ago?”MVdPuAzjQNMxFJoSblyuDaQQNCFWfL
dJPBYejqyreJgKN“I remember. Two high school students exchanged victims for murder.” Gong’s eyes widened in realization. “Are you saying they’re arranging to swap arson targets on the forum?!”CYgiJTLDYjspAbLAZmqTLLCtpJBvzh
bKpGJMgxmEPtesL“Exactly,” Tan said gravely.kZFzDMbUJohdCsVzvLAkxWSgBIXYwZ
DMMNsQBcbxfduvmmdWbsqHSInuXwSzHaPFRUnjsYJGmLm