“Yep, that’s Lightwing’s mark,” Eugene said confidently, leaning back in his chair.
Fanny looked at him in surprise. “You recognize their symbol?”
“I know a few Omega folks,” Eugene said with a grin. “Heard about it in passing.”
A few?
More like hundreds of lurking terrorists waiting for their moment.
“Where did you find this?” Luo Hai asked coolly.
“It was at the scene of a murder case we were investigating a few days ago…” Fanny paused mid-sentence.
Luo Hai glanced at Eugene from the corner of his eye. The latter appeared completely relaxed, leaning against his chair and idly toying with a fork as if the entire situation had nothing to do with him.
“Go on, it’s fine,” Luo Hai said.
Fanny nodded. “Do you know the Duke of Goss?”
“The Duke of Goss who made a fortune by lending money at high interest rates to poor students, marked three Omegas, and looks down on everyone wherever he goes?” Eugene shrugged. “I know him.”
Fanny gave Eugene a complicated look and decided to ignore his offensive remark for now.
“A week ago, his wife was murdered,” Fanny said. “The method was extremely brutal—stabbed to death with a dining knife, blood splattered all over the scene. Next to the corpse, we found a piece of paper with this symbol drawn on it. The investigation revealed that the killer was actually one of their household’s Omegas—a timid and gentle young boy. No one who knew him would ever have imagined he’d do something so cruel. So we were wondering—could it be that the Lightwing Society brainwashed him, made him believe in some twisted ideology that drove him to this?”
“You said this happened a week ago?” Luo Hai asked.
“Yes.”
Luo Hai didn’t respond, simply staring in silence at the photograph.
A week ago, Eugene had already been arrested and imprisoned.
And yet, the Lightwing Society was still operating in the shadows. Could that be possible?
Perhaps it was just an impulsive act by an Omega.
But the Duke’s wife was too specific a target—too precise to be dismissed as coincidence. It seemed more like a premeditated, deliberate act of terror.
Luo Hai looked across the table at Eugene Oddis.
He still had that same lazy, nonchalant demeanor, a frivolous smile on his lips, but his eyes—like the deep sea under the night sky—revealed nothing.
“Prosecutor Luo Hai?” Fanny called out cautiously when he remained silent for too long.
“No, I don’t think this has anything to do with the Lightwing Society,” Luo Hai finally said, pushing the photo back to Fanny. His tone was light. “The culprit was probably just trying to mislead the police and shift suspicion away from themselves.”
“Really?” Fanny asked doubtfully. “But you both just confirmed this is the Lightwing Society’s symbol—”
“Any kid could scribble something like that. It doesn’t prove anything,” Luo Hai replied. “If you don’t believe me, just follow protocol and submit the case to the prosecution. There’ll be a public trial and a written verdict in due course.”
“Alright then.” Fanny let out a long sigh and put the photo away. “Thanks.”
Just then, their food started arriving at the table.
“Alright, enough talk about gruesome cases—let’s eat first,” Eugene said as he pulled his curry rice closer. “But hey, just out of curiosity, Officer Fanny, what’s your phone number?”
“Huh?” Fanny blinked in surprise.
Luo Hai, expression cold, smacked the back of Eugene’s hand hard with the blunt edge of his dinner knife.
….
That night, when Luo Hai returned to the apartment, Eugene was in the bathroom showering.
White steam seeped through the cracks in the door, accompanied by the sound of singing—someone was clearly in a very good mood.
The song shifted from O Sole Mio to Daddy’s Daddy is Called Grandpa, the melody exaggerated, rising and falling dramatically—utterly indifferent to whether the neighbors lived or died.
A pulse began to throb at Luo Hai’s temple, pain radiating through his head.
In just one second, he could think of a hundred ways to kill Eugene, and fifty ways to dispose of the body without anyone ever discovering it.
And yet, he still had to share this space with this devil—this living room, this dining room, and this bathroom.
Luo Hai pulled open the fridge, took out a bottle of red wine, and poured himself half a glass.
Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and answered the call. Before the other person could speak, he said, “I hope you’re calling with good news.”
Two seconds later, Colin’s nervous voice came through. “S-sorry, Prosecutor Luo Hai. They… they’re all dead.”
“All dead?” Luo Hai repeated.
“I’m really, really sorry!” Colin sounded deeply frustrated. “I specifically told the prison guards to be careful, but the moment they turned around to open a window, all four of them died of poisoning. They had poison hidden in their back teeth—what kind of lunatic plans a suicide rescue like this?!”
“Did they say anything before they died?” Luo Hai interrupted.
“No. Nothing at all.” Colin’s voice was filled with frustration. “They were like mute prisoners. No matter how we interrogated them, they didn’t utter a single word.”
Luo Hai said nothing. The silence felt like a heavy iron weight pressing down on the air, making it difficult for Colin to breathe.
“I’m really sorry. This was my negligence,” Colin said quietly. “I’ll accept any punishment…”
“This wasn’t your fault,” Luo Hai said. “No one could have predicted these Omegas would go to such insane lengths.”
“I…” Colin started to say something, but Luo Hai cut him off.
“Drink some hot water and get some rest. There’s a lot of work to do tomorrow. I don’t want useless guilt affecting your efficiency. Understood?”
After a long pause, Colin finally replied, “Understood, Prosecutor Luo Hai. You should rest early too.”
Just then, the bathroom door opened. Eugene stepped out from the swirling steam, wearing a loosely tied bathrobe. Droplets of water still trailed down his bare chest.
“Tsk tsk tsk, late at night, and our dear Prosecutor Luo Hai is whispering sweet nothings to someone on the phone?” Eugene drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Luo Hai hung up the phone and placed it back on the table. “Are you jealous?”
“Of course,” Eugene said in an exaggerated tone. “Who’s the lucky bastard that gets to share late-night whispers with our beautiful and charming Prosecutor Luo Hai?”
“A tall, handsome guy with great stamina,” Luo Hai glanced at him coolly.
Eugene studied him playfully, showing no signs of believing him. Luo Hai ignored him and finished his glass of red wine.
“So, did that tall and handsome guy manage to get anything out of the captured Lightwing members?” Eugene leaned against the doorframe and asked.
Luo Hai’s gaze turned cold.
“You really think I wouldn’t figure it out?” Eugene propped his elbow on the table, leaning closer to Luo Hai. “The people who came to rescue me—your people caught them, didn’t they? You went to great lengths to pull me out of prison at this exact moment, just to set a trap for them. And now? Did your people manage to get anything out of them?”
Judging by Eugene’s expression, he already knew the answer.
“They’re all dead. Poisoned themselves,” Luo Hai said. “They didn’t reveal anything before they died.”
Eugene smiled like a gentle lover. “What a pity, Prosecutor Luo Hai. Your grand scheme has failed in the end.”
Seeing the frivolous smile on Eugene’s face, an unnamed fire ignited in Luo Hai’s chest.
“They were your subordinates—your people,” Luo Hai emphasized.
“And the one who killed them was you,” Eugene replied. “Sympathy won’t give me a strategic advantage. Facts will.”
As he spoke, Eugene leaned in, his tousled hair slipping forward, nearly brushing Luo Hai’s eyelashes.
“The fact is, you all think you’ve won a great victory, but in reality, you’re already at your wits’ end. You don’t know who the core members of Lightwing are, you don’t know our next move, and while we can always predict your actions, you know nothing about ours.”
“The ones at their wits’ end are you,” Luo Hai sneered. “Without an Alpha leading them, Omegas are just a scattered mess. No matter how smart they are, they can’t overcome their biological weaknesses. In a few days, they’ll collapse on their own.”
“How do you know I’m the only Alpha in Lightwing?” Eugene murmured.
Luo Hai was silent for a moment.
“You’re bluffing,” he said. “If there were other Alphas involved in the terrorist activities, we’d know.”
“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Maybe I’m just making things up to protect myself. Or maybe Lightwing really does have other Alphas, ones who can keep the organization alive even without me.” Eugene’s voice dropped to a whisper. “But if what I’m saying is true, then getting something out of me is your only hope.”
Luo Hai met his gaze steadily and spoke after two seconds. “You’re saying all this because I have the authority to execute you at any time.”
“Exactly,” Eugene laughed. “A dying man’s survival instincts are always the most reliable, aren’t they?”
