72: Chapter 72: The Single Act 72: Chapter 72: The Single Act “Virtual and reality are hard to distinguish, and in fact, humanity as a biological species is no longer unique.”
“As of now, about four hundred million photos are uploaded daily, and the 1.4 billion active users generate 3.2 billion comments.
This vast amount of information is not lost; Smart Brain collects and compiles it into unique and complex personalities.”
“These personalities are virtual surrogates that can be mistaken for real.
With them, we can even communicate with deceased loved ones.
In the game ‘Perfect Life,’ jointly developed by Deep Space Technology and Eternal Life Pharmaceutical, we use virtual surrogates as NPCs with the permission of the users.
Everyone in this world truly exists—they have their own memories and past, as well as their own distinct characters…”
At the main venue of Xinhu International Plaza, Kong Tiancheng, an executive from Deep Space Technology, was passionately giving a speech when suddenly, a commotion broke out in the middle of the venue, with many people exclaiming and shouting, causing the crowd to become chaotic.
Coughing, Kong Tiancheng was about to increase the volume of the virtual image when his assistant suddenly ran over.
“Something’s happened!”
Haven’t I told you to stay calm in the face of major events?” Kong Tiancheng shut off the public audio.
“A scar-ridden murderer has taken a few hosts hostage.
He says he’s Meng Chang’an’s brother, and also claims that Meng Chang’an is the killer in the Human-body Puzzle case from ten years ago!”
Where did you see this?!”
Kong Tiancheng glanced at his phone, then looked towards the seats of the Eternal Life Pharmaceutical executives on the stage.
Of the five seats, four were already empty, save for the one in the middle where a handsome middle-aged man was silently observing the virtual display.
His name tag hanging around his neck clearly read his name—Meng Chang’an.
With thousands of eyes on him, he had intended to use himself as bait to lure out Meng Changxi, but now he found himself the focus of a thousand stares instead.
To leave might seem like an admission of guilt.
To stay, who could say what might happen next?
“Is that Meng Chang’an?”
“The murderer’s brother?
No, the murderer says Meng Chang’an is the real murderer!”
“Meng Chang’an doesn’t look like it at all!”
People like that are good at hiding.”
“Report to headquarters immediately!”
Kong Tiancheng hurriedly left the stage, while music started to play in the venue.
But the sound of the music couldn’t suppress the buzz of conversation from the crowd.
Similar scenes were unfolding throughout Xinhu, in this age where information spreads incredibly fast, explosive news could instantly create a sensation.
At this moment, many people were staring at their smartphones, watching the man on the screen whose face was completely disfigured, with a torso full of scars.
“I want to tell you a story, a story about love and death.”
“There was a mother who adopted three unwanted children, of which two had psychological issues, and one was physically disabled.
The mother gave all her love without expecting anything in return, yet she was ultimately killed by her own children…”
In room 1044 of Happiness Residential Community, Han Fei was also intently watching the screen.
He knew the past of Meng Changxi, understood that the other party must have been preparing for this day for a long time.
“Is this the curtain call he prepared for himself?”
In the video, Meng Changxi divulged everything he knew without any concealment, even including the existence of Butterfly.
To Han Fei, Meng Changxi was clearly aware that even if Meng Chang’an and Meng Changshou were caught, Butterfly would remain at large.
So Meng Changxi gambled his life, publicly exposing the organization with a resolve to die if necessary.
Some believed him, others did not, but that didn’t really matter.
As long as people paid attention, those harmed by Butterfly might decrease.
To avoid facial recognition, Meng Changxi disfigured his own face; to prevent leaving fingerprints, he burned away his fingertips; he had evaded and hidden for a decade for this day.
He carved everything he had to say on his body, every scar a word—so even if the signal was interrupted, as long as the footage was ever public, those horrifying screenshots would be clues and evidence.
From the refrigerator cadaver case to the Human-body Puzzle case, Meng Changxi revealed everything he had experienced, known, and investigated.
He did not deny his crimes, confessing to burying bodies and personally killing He Shouye, but he only admitted to what he had done.
The protective network that Meng Chang’an had painstakingly set up, overtly and covertly framing others, was ripped apart by Meng Changxi in front of everyone!
The live broadcast was very brief, with the screen repeatedly fluctuating.
Afterwards, no one knew what had happened on site, only hearing Meng Changxi’s final roar.
“Do you need evidence for a crime?!”
The live broadcast was cut, but the videos and images from it began to spread massively online—the dissemination of information had hit a secondary explosion point.
After watching Meng Changxi’s video, Han Fei immediately called Li Xue, only to find the line busy.
He sent several messages to Li Xue in a row.
It took about ten seconds before Li Xue replied to Han Fei, “All three Meng Brothers have been taken into custody!”
“What are your next plans?” Han Fei trusted the Xinhu Police greatly, but chasing after an elusive entity like Butterfly would be difficult.
Meng Changxi’s public exposure of Butterfly might also serve to press the police force into a deeper investigation of Butterfly.
“We will thoroughly investigate both the refrigerator cadaver case and the Human-body Puzzle case.
The police force is prepared to go all out to capture the true culprit, including the Butterfly mentioned by Meng Changxi.”
“If you’re willing to chase Butterfly, I can help you.
I have a dossier on Butterfly.”
“Are you still at home?”
“I’m in the Xinhu Far Suburb, on my way to you now.” Han Fei was staying in a room full of paper figures and paper furniture, which he found somewhat eerie, and he wanted to leave.
“Give me the exact address, our superior has already set off.” From Li Xue’s words, Han Fei could sense a seriousness.
“Behind a chemical plant in the North Suburb, the place is called the Happiness Residential Community…”
Meng Changxi’s live broadcast had made Butterfly’s existence public, but he himself was not sure of succeeding, feeling that Butterfly was always watching him and that executing his plan would be incredibly difficult.
“Butterfly must have seen Meng Changxi’s live broadcast; this place is no longer safe.”
Han Fei did not linger any longer.
He took all the materials Meng Changxi had compiled, storing the thick file bags in his coat as he fled the apartment building.
Fortunately, Han Fei encountered no trouble on his way to meet up with the police force.
Protected by thorough security, he was taken straight to the Criminal Investigation Department.
Two authoritative-looking police officers personally “received” Han Fei, one of whom seemed to be Li Xue’s former superior.
The room was full of police, yet Han Fei did not feel intimidated.
He held nothing back about what needed to be said, and for things that shouldn’t be said, not even an ordinary lie detector could tell he was hiding anything.