CHAPTER 872: CHAPTER 871: ADMISSION

"Smack."

Zhang Xiaoshan mercilessly slapped He Qing hard across the face.

"Ah."

The pain jolted the unconscious He Qing awake with a scream.

"Who, ghost, ghost..."

Deep in the darkness, He Qing was already on the verge of a mental breakdown. Upon seeing a shadow swaying in front of her as she opened her eyes, she screamed in panic.

"Stop screaming, I’m not a ghost."

Light filtered in from outside, outlining Zhang Xiaoshan’s silhouette.

"It’s, it’s you..."

When she realized it was Zhang Xiaoshan, He Qing grew even more terrified.

Tormented to the point of being unrecognizable, she found Zhang Xiaoshan far scarier than any ghost.

"When, when are you going to release me? Please, release me, I beg you, let me go. I promise I won’t investigate your case anymore. I’ll stay far away, isn’t that enough?"

"Let me go."

He Qing changed her previously sharp manner of speaking, starting to plead humbly.

"Heh heh."

But Zhang Xiaoshan showed no sign of letting her go.

"You say this now, but what if you betray me once you’re out?"

"Then, then what do you want me to do?"

All He Qing wanted now was to leave as soon as possible.

Zhang Xiaoshan said with a smile.

"I do have an idea. You become my woman, submit to me, serve me, work for me, then I’ll feel at ease."

"You, you’re shameless."

Upon hearing Zhang Xiaoshan’s words, He Qing immediately felt an extreme sense of humiliation and anger.

"Heh heh heh, disagree?"

"Yes, I disagree. If you have the guts, kill me."

He Qing closed her eyes tightly, displaying an expression of facing death fearlessly.

Zhang Xiaoshan was neither angry nor anxious.

He sat on a big rock not far away, opened the backpack he brought, and began taking out the items one by one.

"What, what’s that smell..."

Immediately, a refreshing fragrance wafted into the air.

He Qing, who had kept her eyes tightly shut, opened them and saw a roasted chicken, wheat-scented steamed buns, and fried fish laid out in front of her...

"Gurgle..."

Since starting to track Zhang Xiaoshan until now, it had been two days and a night without a drop of water. She was dizzy from hunger, her mouth parched, lips already chapped, and she began to see double.

Now, she desperately wanted to eat and drink.

"Heh heh."

Zhang Xiaoshan smiled at He Qing.

He then tore off a chicken leg and waved it in front of He Qing.

"Mmm, it smells so good."

Zhang Xiaoshan began to relish it, even intentionally smacking his lips.

This was a native rooster raised on White Dragon’s vegetable leaves, with a superb taste. The aroma could be smelled from afar, and with He Qing already starving, Zhang Xiaoshan’s tempting weakened her resolve.

She couldn’t stop drooling.

"Here, have a taste."

Zhang Xiaoshan picked up a small fried yellow fish and brought it to He Qing’s lips.

He Qing initially wanted to refuse, but the temptation was too strong.

She opened her mouth and bit down, chewing.

It’s a delicacy beyond compare.

"Delicious, so delicious..."

She devoured the small yellow fish within moments.

Her eyes filled with longing.

One can stay in darkness indefinitely, but seeing the light makes it impossible to hold on.

"Do you want more?"

Zhang Xiaoshan squinted, assessing He Qing.

He could sense she was on the brink of a breakdown; gentle persuasion would make her surrender.

Indeed, He Qing, who had been simple in her stance, now showed signs of wavering in her gaze.

"You, you take it away, I won’t eat your food."

He Qing gritted her teeth in refusal, but her tone was unsteady and she couldn’t stop glancing at the food.

"Heh heh."

Zhang Xiaoshan chuckled and continued.

"Why be so hard on yourself? I’ve heard you’re already a vice captain at such a young age, the most promising female Security Officer. Your future is limitless. Why waste your life here?"

"Haven’t you been investigating my case all along?"

"Alright, I can tell you. Your suspicions are correct. Lan Dazhi, Liu Qingchun, I killed them. Oh, and Zhang Jian’s grandfather and father, too—they died by my hand."

"You..."

He Qing was stunned; she hadn’t expected Zhang Xiaoshan would confess so easily.

"You, shameless criminal, showing no remorse, still spouting off grandiosely, without a flinch. You’re practically a devil."

"Don’t rush, listen to me."

"I did kill them, but at least you should know some background to these events, right?"

He Qing looked at Zhang Xiaoshan, seemingly waiting for him to continue.