Chapter 25: Class A Wanted Criminal-Desafio de transmissão ao vivo: Cem vezes entrando por engano em cenas de crime(Gato de rua)

Xu Xinghui, nicknamed A-Hui—along with Lao Gao, Da Bei, and the Captain—was one of Lu Xingzhou’s best friends back in high school. Since graduation, they had drifted to different corners of the world, reuniting only during holidays.

Lu Jiangying glanced at Lu Xingzhou, turned the steering wheel to the right, and pulled the car up to the siomai shop near No. 3 High School.

A look of joy spread across Lu Xingzhou’s face. "Thanks, sis! I’ll sing 'There’s No One Better Than My Sister' to express my gratitude. There’s no one better than my sister, there—"

"Thump!"

Before he could finish the first line, Lu Jiangying kicked him out of the passenger seat.

"Get lost! Stop doing those things that make my skin crawl!"

"Bang!" The car door slammed shut, and Lu Jiangying sped away.

Lu Xingzhou stepped into the siomai shop, where Xu Xinghui had already ordered four or five dishes, with a crate of beer tucked under the table.

"You’ve been gone for over half a year without a word. I thought you’d bring a girlfriend back, but you’re still alone."

Xu Xinghui put down his chopsticks and grinned. "Pfft, a girlfriend? Am I crazy? With a salary of just over 10,000 a month, why would I want a girlfriend? Spending money, spending time, and getting nothing in return? With that money and time, I could go get a graduate degree."

Lu Xingzhou sat down opposite Xu Xinghui, and the two began to talk freely about their lives over the past six months. Mostly, it was Xu Xinghui venting about his boss, his coworkers, and his job. As for what Lu Xingzhou had been through, it remained confidential—he couldn't utter a single word.

For two young men just stepping into society, there was always plenty of dissatisfaction and grumbling about the world.

By the time they finished eating, it was ten o'clock at night, and the students at No. 3 High School had just been dismissed. The moonlight was like water, the stars shimmered, and students pushed their electric bikes in twos and threes, leaving the school gates. The air was filled with a vibrant, youthful energy, their laughter and arguments brimming with anticipation for the future. Amidst the chaotic noise, the dry heat of the summer wind seemed to blow from reality back into memory.

Xu Xinghui handed Lu Xingzhou a cigarette, lit one for himself, and exhaled a long puff of smoke. "I don’t know if I should envy them or if we should envy ourselves. Come on, let’s go play some billiards, shall we?"

Lu Xingzhou handed the cigarette back to Xu Xinghui. "The billiard table by the river was torn down."

After the incident at the 'Mexican Flair' restaurant, Lu Xingzhou had decided to quit smoking; smoking had almost gotten him beaten to death by his sister. Damn, smoking really is bad for your health.

Xu Xinghui wheeled out the little electric scooter he’d ridden back in high school and glanced at Lu Xingzhou. "We’ve graduated, nobody goes to the river to play pool anymore. Get on, I’ll take you to a proper billiard hall to broaden your horizons."

Lu Xingzhou sat on the back seat, and the old scooter, which had been running for over a decade, let out a creaking groan.

After winding through a few streets, they stopped in front of a building with a touch of European Baroque style.

"Let’s go, my treat today!"

Lu Xingzhou looked up at the towering neon lights. "Wait, A-Hui, is this place legitimate? Why don’t we just go to an internet cafe? They have a billiard section too."

Xu Xinghui pulled the key from his scooter. "Relax, it’s just billiards. What could possibly be illegitimate about it? We’re not going for a foot massage."

Lu Xingzhou thought about it for a moment and concluded it made sense; what could be suspicious about a game of pool?

They entered the lobby, and Lu Xingzhou was struck by the opulent decor: the five or six-story high ceiling, the gorgeous lighting, and the… alluring head hostess. Although she wore a gray women’s suit that perfectly outlined her exquisite figure, she possessed a captivating charm.

Xu Xinghui walked to the front desk, opened a private room, and signaled for Lu Xingzhou to come play.

Lu Xingzhou asked curiously, "So, A-Hui, how much is it to play here for an hour?"

"Not expensive, 3,000!" Xu Xinghui waved his hand nonchalantly.

Lu Xingzhou gave a thumbs up. "Big spender!"

Just as Lu Xingzhou and Xu Xinghui were being led to their room by the hostess, Lu Xingzhou caught a glimpse of a familiar face. The man was walking while on the phone, saying, "I got it. I’ll leave as soon as I pick up my things."

Lu Xingzhou frowned in thought, suddenly realizing where he had seen this man before. He was in the *Police Wanted Search Manual* that Lu Jiangying kept in her glove box.

A-level wanted criminal! A walking 100,000 reward!

Lu Xingzhou secretly pulled out his phone, snapped a photo of the wanted man's profile, and sent it to Lu Jiangying along with his location.

Twenty seconds passed. Lu Jiangying didn't reply.

Her silence stemmed from the impossible choice she faced. If she let a killer of seven escape, she couldn't answer to the people. If she let Lu Xingzhou follow him into danger, she couldn't answer to their parents.

Lu Xingzhou hadn't brought his drone or gimbal, but his smart glasses were equipped with a pinhole camera for live-streaming, which was usually impossible to detect. Lu Xingzhou didn't intend to go live; he simply turned on the recording function. After all, this was a pursuit of a fugitive; he had to be as low-profile as possible. They could slice up the footage after the arrest was successful.

"You go ahead and play. I’m going to the restroom; I’ll be right back!" Lu Xingzhou whispered in Xu Xinghui’s ear before heading toward the staircase to the second floor.

Xu Xinghui looked confused. "But the restroom is on the other side? What is he up to?"

The hostess seemed to notice something and smiled softly. "Perhaps your friend is looking to see if there are any other 'projects' available."

"Other projects?" Xu Xinghui raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Lu Xingzhou followed the man, desperately trying to recall the records from the file. Yao Haichuan, 28 years old, from the East District of Shanhe City, junior high education. At 16, he was arrested for hacking someone, marking his first recorded criminal history. Later, he committed various offenses, ranging from brawls and conflicts to theft, gambling, and drug use.

His most recent crime occurred half a month ago. During a fight at an abandoned factory, he used a truck to hit and kill five people, injuring seven more. After stepping out of the vehicle, he hacked four of the injured to death; only three with minor injuries managed to escape.

The motive for the murder? Fighting over trash.

In the southwest corner of the East District, there were two waste recycling companies, and Yao Haichuan worked as a driver for one of them. On the day of the incident, he found a truck from the other company stealing his trash, so he blocked them and a verbal altercation broke out. On his way back to the company, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He drove to the other company, killed five people, and then hacked four others, with only three slightly injured survivors escaping.

Killing over trash—it sounded absurd.

While Lu Xingzhou was recalling the details, a woman in a short skirt blocked his path. "Sir, excuse me, do you have a membership?"

Yao Haichuan, standing at the top of the second-floor stairs, looked directly at Lu Xingzhou.