"He first took me to a place that looked like a training camp. There were many people in black robes practicing various skills like shooting, combat, and survival. At first, I thought it was a special forces training camp, but later I found out that what these people were doing was a bit strange. They liked to hunt animals in the surrounding areas, kidnap women, and capture all sorts of people, imprisoning them and forcing them to join, and then continue with the aforementioned activities."
"Of course, I was scared at first, but when I saw that the people who came here lived like tycoons within a few days, I began to compromise. From mere compromise, I gradually came to enjoy this kind of life."
"After I became familiar with the environment here, I realized that I was in a deep mountain. The person who brought me back was always very busy. I rarely saw him after that one time, but I heard his name was Pierce from others, and he, along with a group of people, had established a criminal organization called Polaris."
"However, they wouldn't call it a criminal organization. In their words, it was a concentration camp for salvation, where countless criminals were trained, more than could be counted. I could see hundreds of people arriving almost every day, and I found this place to be very secret and remote, as if it were not on Earth's coordinates, making it impossible for anyone to find. But when we wanted to leave, it was surprisingly easy. After I gained some standing internally, I began to manage the internal technical department and collaborated with those people to manufacture some harmful machines. For example, the tongue-pulling machine that almost ripped out your tongues earlier, and some others, but you probably won't have the chance to see them again!"
At this point, I finally asked, "Kong Xingchang, according to you, you were actually a little reluctant, is that right?"
"Strictly speaking, I had no other choice. If I could, I would naturally want to be like an ordinary person, to get married and have children. That is my true inner desire."
"I can assure you that there are definitely some people inside who were forced. I don't believe there's any place in the world that can't be found. It's probably because the organization uses some special methods. Alright, Kong Xingchang, you've said it very well. The police will record all of this!" I said, standing up, approaching him, and patting his shoulder, thus concluding the interrogation.
That day, I found a relatively spacious side room in the courtyard and turned it into my laboratory. I was there, holding several distillation flasks, conducting some chemical experiments.
When I have free time, I usually conduct complex chemical experiments and have also set up an independent room in the courtyard for breeding insects.
These experiments and insects are not for passing the time out of boredom; they are helpful for autopsies. For instance, chemical experiments can enhance my investigative skills and knowledge, which is crucial for anyone working in criminal investigation.
Just as I completed a corrosive assay experiment, a familiar doorbell rang. Someone must have arrived. I left the lab bench, opened the door, and went into the courtyard. Before I even stepped out, I saw a Chevrolet parked outside through a gap in the wall.
It was my friend, Liu Yuning.
I immediately opened the door and welcomed her in. She was actually holding a case file. I wondered what was going on.
Before she even entered, she forcefully punched my chest and said, "Why haven't you replied since the last case? Do you think the case is over? You're wrong! On the same night Kong Xingchang was executed, a similar case occurred. And you, you came back here alone, closed the door, and pretended nothing happened. He Sheng, I really misjudged you!"
"Don't get worked up. I've been a bit busy lately, wanting to research some new experiments, and I've also bred some interesting creatures."
"You've locked someone up again to research these strange things? It's been years since I've seen you do this. Have you relapsed?"
"No, when I was in university, I was almost successful, but due to various obstacles, I had to stop my research."
"So, have you made any breakthroughs now?"
"Yes, the Cassia Seed Chili Spray is almost ready."
"Cassia Seed Chili Spray?"
Upon hearing the name, Liu Yuning stared at me with her breathtakingly beautiful eyes.
I briefly explained the function of the spray, and Liu Yuning gave me a thumbs-up, saying, "Sounds good. For a fighter like you, it's just right."
Uh...
"Are you always so direct when you're being sarcastic?"
"Alright, my great detective He, let's talk business. I think you'll be interested in the popsicle corpse, won't you?"
Popsicle corpse?
With a question in my mind, I took the case file from Liu Yuning and read it carefully. It documented a case that occurred half a month ago, on the very night Kong Xingchang was executed. On April 8, 2022, at 9 PM, I had returned to the courtyard and turned off my phone to sleep. In an ice house on Ningchang Street in Fuming City, a completely frozen corpse was discovered.
The corpse was found by the ice house chef, who was looking for ingredients. To his surprise, upon opening the freezer, he discovered a frozen male corpse inside.
The body was curled up, its back arched, its head tilted upwards, its face pressed against the metal plate above. Its hands had been severed, and there were numerous signs of frostbite on its body.
"Ice Mountain Hell?" That was the term that came to my mind at the time.
"Yes, if we go by your previous speculation of the eighteen layers of hell, this deceased person corresponds to the eighth layer, Ice Mountain Hell. I investigated, and this man was a compulsive gambler in life, unfilial to his parents, and inhumane. His punishment corresponds to his actions in life."
"It seems there are others in the Death Livestream group. They are quite audacious, daring to act directly after Kong Xingchang's death. This is clearly a deliberate slap in the face to our police."
"Exactly. I was looking everywhere for you at the time, and you wouldn't answer your phone. I even thought of going to the courtyard later, but I had too many missions and couldn't. So, I had to put this matter aside. He Sheng, don't think you're Sherlock Holmes just because you've solved a few cases. Do I really need to invite you out?"
"No, I've really been quite busy lately, but I've had results. Didn't I say? The Cassia Seed Chili Spray is ready!"
"Hmph, I order you to return to the bureau with me immediately. Let's go see the male corpse first!"