A desperate Yang Xingdong screamed in panic, "You laymen will never understand."
"Understand what? That eating human flesh is an elegant art?" I scoffed contemptuously.
Yang Xingdong threw his head back in laughter. "After tens of thousands of years of human evolution, human beings are the best ingredients in the world. This is what I, the Crazy Six Tao Chef, believe. One day, all mankind will accept the fact! My only sin is that I was born at the wrong time."
"Crazy Six Tao Chef?” I stared at him in disgust. “That’s enough bragging!"
"I am the Crazy Six Tao Chef! I am the Crazy Six Tao Chef!" With arms raised, Yang Xingdong shouted hysterically.
"Why bother reasoning with him!"
Xiaotao waved her hand, commanding the team to slowly shrink the encirclement. Although the special team was given the authority to kill criminals on the spot, catching them alive was still the better option. As we slowly approached, Yang Xingdong realized it was the end of the road so he fell to his knees with his hands in the air.
When Wang Yuanchao finally slapped the handcuffs onto Yang Xingdong’s wrists, Xiaotao declared, "It's over. Case closed! Let’s all go for hotpot, my treat!"
As we all cheered, a wisp of peculiar fragrance floated into my nose. Having smelt it as well, the others wondered out loud, "What is it?"
"Hold your breath!" ordered Song Xingchen.
As soon as the words left his lips, each and every officer fell to the ground like corpses, except for one man who stood unwavering–it was Louis Liu. His lips were bent in a hair-raising smile as the strange fragrance floated from him.
"Who the hell are you!" demanded Xiaotao.
Song Xingchen pulled out his Tang Sword, but at this moment, two lasers shot through the dust, locking onto Xiaotao and my head.
"Don't move,” said Louis. “I’m not here for you, but if you try to stop me, my friend will shoot."
Gritting his teeth, Song Xingchen stopped right in front of him.
"Song Yang, my master has asked me to say hello to you!" Louis turned to me.
"And who is he?"
A card sliced through the air and landed in front of me. It was just like the one I found on Yang Xingdong's desk.
"The Crazy Six Tao Chef!" announced Louis.
"It's him! My idol!" Yang Xingdong shouted. "I knew he would come to me. All I have done is to pay tribute to him. Hahahahaha, you’ll never arrest me!"
Louis slowly sauntered towards Yang Xingdong and gently patted him on the shoulder before abruptly sinking a dagger into his abdomen in a rude awakening.
The rest of us watched in horror, while Yang Xingdong's expression was frozen in shock. Xiaotao roared for Song Xingchen to stop him, but the latter kept his sword sheathed, unwilling to interfere.
In the face of my safety against the suspect’s certain death, he would choose the former without any hesitation.
"Why... why..." Yang Xingdong’s widened eyes were brimming with tears.
"Yang Xingdong, do you know what sins you’ve committed?" Louis raised three fingers, "You have three charges against you! Firstly, you impersonated someone else and sneaked into the Six Tao banquet. Secondly, you stole the Unfettered Wine that’s meant for the master’s guests and used it to commit your meaningless crimes.
Last but certainly not least, you impersonated the master and ruined his reputation."
Yang Xingdong shivered, "Doesn't the Crazy Six Tao Chef approve of me?"
"Your understanding of food is extremely vulgar. You’re not worthy of entering the hall of gourmets. This is the master’s evaluation of you!"
Louis turned to me, a smile rising to his lips. "This must have come as a surprise. My master has always cherished his reputation. For fear that you might confuse this vulgar man for him, he sent me to clean up this mess. He also has something to say to you, Great Detective Song. The master appreciates your talent. If you don't die in the hands of the man who smells like copper, you’ll be invited to attend the Six Tao Banquet on March 3rd of next year. Only those who are appreciated by the master will have the opportunity to attend. I hope you’ll grace us with your presence."
With one hand on his chest, Louis made a respectful salute, while his other hand remained tightly wrapped around the hilt of the dagger.
The unexpected developments left me at a loss for words. Never in my wildest imaginations would I have anticipated a situation where a criminal sends one of his lackeys to clean up the mess left by his imposter.
Louis returned his attention to Yang Xingdong, his expression taking on a gloomy undertone. "And as for you... Despite the fact that you’re trash, you’re not entirely useless. The master would like to taste a part of you."
With that, Louis ruthlessly embedded the dagger into Yang Xingdong's abdomen and carved out a bloody liver that was still beating from within.
"Thank you for the liver!"
Throwing the dagger aside, Louis pulled out a piece of paper and carefully wrapped the liver. Before leaving, he tossed a small bottle in Song Xingchen’s direction and instructed, "This is the antidote. Just give them a whiff of it."
At this point, the laser beam aimed at our heads disappeared.
"Catch him!" ordered Xiaotao.
"Nevermind!" I sighed helplessly. "Let him go. We’ll have another chance in the future."
A sudden burst of laughter reverberated around the room. Yang Xingdong, whose abdomen was cut open and internal organs exposed, stretched out his bloody hands and kneeled at Louis’s feet. "Please let the Crazy Six Tao Chef know that it is my honor to be eaten by him. Hahaha, I will be integrated with the Crazy Chef. My humble self will live on eternally."
Xiaotao and I glanced at each other in consternation. I had never come across such a fanatical admirer in my life.
Although Yang Xingdong was sent to the hospital half an hour later, he soon died from ineffective treatment. Even in death, his lips remained frozen in a contented smile. This was a man so crazy that insanity had seeped into his bones.
At about six in the evening, the members of the special team were gathered in the conference room, the air heavy with gloom. Although the events that transpired during the day put a damper on our enthusiasm, we weren’t idle at all.
The police put out an arrest warrant for Mr. Mu. Meanwhile, the driver who transported the bodies for the club was arrested and the identification of the victims was still ongoing. Additionally, Wang Yuanchao found the real Louis Liu bound in a room in an airport hotel.
Louis was a Chinese-American who couldn't speak a lick of Chinese. After being rescued, the first words he uttered were, "What the fuck!" I had to admit, my impression of the FBI was greatly impacted.
"Who would’ve thought!" Xiaotao shook her head wryly. "The Dog Trainer, the Infernal Bone Trader, and now the Crazy Six Tao Chef. The big players of the organization are being delivered to us like a gift pack!"
"There may be another four. It seems these people have their own characteristics. When the man said, ‘If I didn't die at the hands of the man who smells like copper,' he probably meant the Infernal Bone Trader. Looks like their division of labor is very clear. At present, it’s not the Crazy Six Tao Chef’s turn to deal with us yet."
“Thinking of what we’re about to face, I can’t help but feel afraid!" Xiaotao's words had us staring in disbelief. How could our team leader voice such a dismaying thought?
However, Xiaotao opened her sparkling eyes and clenched her fists, "But, at the same time, I’m filled with energy. When I think of going up against such an opponent, my blood boils with excitement!"
"Yes,” I nodded. “No matter how they embellish themselves, they’re just criminals who will end up being arrested by the police."
Rising to her feet, Xiaotao held out a hand. The rest of us huddled together, folding our hands on top of hers. "We can do it!" she shouted.