Ye Sangsang rolled down the car window halfway and flicked the cigarette butt out of her hand.
Feeling the icy chill of the rain splashing in, she sighed, "It's been years since it rained this hard, hasn't it?"
Wang Shun glanced at the driver, his voice steady, "Yeah, it's been a long time since we've had such a heavy downpour."
Outside the window, the streetlights grew sparse, and the traffic thinned out.
In 2004, Jiang City still had many underdeveloped areas.
The city's road infrastructure was far from what it would become decades later. As Ye Sangsang watched the water pooling on the road, her mind wandered elsewhere.
"Driver, you look a bit familiar to me…" Wang Shun paused before speaking.
Ye Sangsang's eyes flickered, but she didn't respond to the remark.
They were about ten minutes away from Tianjia Dam when Wang Shun started making small talk, offering Ye Sangsang another cigarette.
Ye Sangsang chuckled, grasping at straws to keep the conversation going. "Maybe you’ve ridden in my cab before, so I seem familiar? If you're from Tianjia Dam, I know a couple of drivers there. We hang out sometimes."
Wang Shun let out an "Oh," his lips curling into a sly smile.
He enjoyed chatting with his prey before the kill, and he began sharing bits of his own story.
Wang Shun did live in Tianjia Dam, but he had moved there later.
Before that, he had lived in Lin City but had to leave after some trouble.
Ye Sangsang feigned surprise, mentioning that she was also from Lin City and asking which part Wang Shun was from.
The two continued trading stories back and forth.
[Honestly, Ye Sangsang is really not cut out for this. She hasn’t even thought about how to fight back yet?]
[They’re almost at Tianjia Dam. She should save her breath and gather her courage!]
[All this pointless chatter is really boring.]
The barrage of comments in the live stream began anew, with some viewers finding the conversation and driving scenes dull and exiting the stream.
Meanwhile, the conversation continued.
"You’re from Lin City too? What a coincidence," Wang Shun said, his curiosity piqued but his guard still low.
After all, Ye Sangsang was just a driver he had flagged down on the street.
An ordinary cabbie posed no threat to him. He was strong and experienced; there was no way she could escape.
He was happy to chat, rambling about this and that.
The topic gradually shifted toward death, and Ye Sangsang spoke boldly about scenes of violence she had witnessed. In the early 2000s, after a crackdown on crime, new gangs had begun to emerge, and such stories were all too common.
Wang Shun followed her lead, recounting a few cases he claimed to have heard about in passing.
Casual conversation was the easiest way to relax someone, and Wang Shun even began sharing details.
Ye Sangsang listened quietly, her mind recalling the details about the driver.
The driver was thirty-four years old, his face weathered with a touch of hardship. His name was Sun Bin.
The rest of the information was about the methods he used to kill, the tools, the location, and the possible struggles during the act.
To complete the mission perfectly, she needed to replicate the murder method and ensure that, just like in reality, no one would know it was her and the police wouldn’t find her.
In the photo, Sun Bin had killed Wang Shun with a hammer.
After knocking him out, he had smashed his head to a pulp, leaving it unrecognizable. He then cleaned up the scene, dumped the body in a desolate greenbelt in Tianjia Dam, and drove away.
Achieving that level of precision would be a challenge for her.
As Ye Sangsang thought about the photo she had just seen, she glanced at the seemingly ordinary man through the rearview mirror, while also keeping an eye on their location through the window.
Multitasking, she tilted her head slightly and replied, "You’ve seen a lot, brother. I only know bits and pieces about those cases. You must be someone who’s done big things to know so much."
"The kind of work I do, you couldn’t handle," Wang Shun said with a mix of disdain and intrigue.
Ye Sangsang kept driving, her tone casual. "I’m tough and fearless. How about you take me under your wing, brother? I’ll follow your lead."
"I’ve killed people!"
Those five words instantly changed the atmosphere in the cab.
Wang Shun’s hand slowly moved toward the inside of his jacket, his cold, dangerous gaze fixed on Ye Sangsang, ready to slit her throat at any moment.
Sensing the shift, Ye Sangsang quickly said, "I know you’re not an ordinary man, brother. I just want to make a living with you."
Her tone was sincere, as if she genuinely wanted to join Wang Shun’s ranks.
"Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?" Wang Shun’s voice was icy.
Ye Sangsang hurriedly pledged her loyalty. "I admire you, brother. And look, I don’t have any money. I really want to do big things with you!"
[??? Joining the gang?]
[Is she planning to turn the tables? But what’s the point of joining? It’s not easy to get a good ending that way.]
[Maybe she’s just trying to save her skin. I’ve always said people like her are cowards.]
The comments section was ablaze with discussion.
Wang Shun, however, realized that the person in front of him truly knew he was no good and wanted to "do big things" with him.
Things were slipping out of his control, but after months of working alone, he did want a partner.
This person even had a car, which would make certain tasks easier.
His eyes darted back and forth as he weighed the decision.
"I’ve killed someone too. A little girl, so pretty. When I killed her, she grabbed my pants and begged… The police are still looking for me. That’s why I had to come to Jiang City to make a living." Ye Sangsang’s voice took on a nostalgic tone, her eyes brimming with a twisted longing, her body trembling slightly with excitement.
Her expression carried a dark smile that sent shivers down anyone’s spine.
In an instant, she had transformed into the image of a deranged criminal.
[Ahhhh! I’m so scared! Ye Sangsang suddenly stared at the screen and spoke, and I wasn’t prepared for it!]
[Damn, is this for real? It sounds so convincing!]
[That expression is terrifying. Even Wang Shun looks spooked…]
The tone of the comments shifted instantly, filled with fear and speculation.
Ye Sangsang hit the brakes and turned sharply to face Wang Shun, her intense expression unchanged.
Wang Shun instinctively leaned back, swallowing hard as he stared at Ye Sangsang. "...Alright… I guess…"
"Really?" Ye Sangsang’s eyes lit up with excitement and admiration for Wang Shun.
Wang Shun nodded.
He now fully believed that the person in front of him was just like him.
Perhaps even more twisted.
Rather than killing her, teaming up seemed like the better option.
Having received his answer, Ye Sangsang bent down as if searching for something.
Wang Shun tensed, wary of any sudden moves.
A moment later, Ye Sangsang pulled out some small bills. "Let’s go grab a drink! It’s just too late to find a place now, or I’d swear brotherhood with you right here."
Wang Shun didn’t trust her entirely and shook his head, pointing to a red-brick house barely visible through the rain. "Pull over there. Stay the night at my place, and I’ll agree to take you under my wing."
His home was his territory, and it would be a good way to test her courage.
As for her joining him, he believed her now.
Because of that look in her eyes.
It was the same as his—ruthless and cruel. No ordinary person could fake that.
Ye Sangsang eagerly nodded, stepping on the gas and heading toward the red-brick house.
On a rainy night like this, the roads were deserted, especially in this remote area.
When they reached the house, Wang Shun grabbed a raincoat and got out of the car.
Ye Sangsang didn’t have a raincoat. As she opened the door, she discreetly slipped a hammer into the large left pocket of her pants, the wooden handle hidden by her hand. With her other hand, she tucked something else into her right pocket.
After that, she began to slowly remove her jacket as she walked, tying the sleeves into a loose knot and soaking it thoroughly in the rain.
[Oh my god, she’s really going to do it.]
[I’m waiting to see her get killed instead.]
[So arrogant, trying to ambush a seasoned criminal. You’ve got to admire her guts.]
The viewers of the *Criminal Files* game live stream were a mix of the curious and the bold.
They had seen Ye Sangsang’s physical limitations—even killing a chicken took effort for her.
Pulling off an ambush would be nearly impossible.
Unless, like Wang Shun, she was a seasoned criminal…
But that couldn’t be possible.
The audience continued to argue, but Ye Sangsang had already closed the car door and was walking toward Wang Shun.
He was trying to open the door, but in the dim light, the rusty old padlock was difficult to locate.
He tried three times but still couldn’t find the keyhole. He shifted his body and bent down, hoping to use the car’s headlights to illuminate the lock and open the door.
Ye Sangsang stepped closer to Wang Shun, who was still bent over.
The distance between them kept shrinking until it was only half a meter apart.
This was a dangerous distance. As a seasoned criminal, Wang Shun’s instincts immediately kicked in.
He quickly stood up, pulling a knife from his coat.
His gaze fell on Ye Sangsang’s hand, which was clutching something. If there was even the slightest hint of trouble, he was ready to strike—white blade in, red blade out.
【Ahhh, she’s been discovered! She’s going to get killed!】
【As expected, her little trick was noticed by Wang Shun.】
【This is the first time I’ve seen a beauty get killed. I wonder if there’ll be more chances later.】
The comments were buzzing with excitement, and some timid viewers even covered their eyes.
In the next moment, Ye Sangsang pretended to be startled and took two steps back. She quickly raised her right hand, which was holding a flashlight, and said, “Brother, wait! I’ve got a flashlight. I’m just holding a flashlight!”
The silver, old-fashioned flashlight appeared in Ye Sangsang’s palm.
She casually turned it on, shining a beam of light onto the padlock.
The coat she had taken off earlier was now draped over her head, shielding her from the rain.
Everything seemed perfectly natural.
“Alright…” Wang Shun stared at Ye Sangsang, whose expression remained calm.
After confirming she posed no threat, he put the knife away and began unlocking the padlock with one hand while holding the key in the other, using the light from Ye Sangsang’s flashlight.
“Click.”
The sound of the padlock opening echoed.
For a brief moment, Wang Shun felt a sense of relief.
But in that very moment, the heavy, rain-soaked coat was thrown over Wang Shun’s head, and the sleeves’ toggles were yanked tight, trapping him.
Before Wang Shun could react, he stumbled back two steps, instinctively reaching to pull off the wet coat.
By the time he realized he should have drawn his knife first, a small hammer, hard as a rock, struck him squarely on the temple.
His brain shook violently, and a loud ringing filled his head.
Overwhelmed by dizziness, Wang Shun struggled to stay on his feet.
