The Same Fate Awaits All Sins Chapter 29

Worship – 14

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Blinding lightning accompanied by deafening thunder split the sky as the long-awaited downpour finally burst forth in torrents. Lin Feiyu was already soaked but paid no mind to it. A minute earlier, he had received a message from the criminal using his wife's phone, instructing him to go alone to a specified location. The suspect didn't demand ransom and directly exposed his whereabouts, a clear indication of his unorthodox methods. However, Lin Feiyu, desperate to save his wife, had no time to overthink and drove straight to the destination.

The heavy rain poured relentlessly, drastically reducing visibility. Sweat mixed with rainwater streamed down Lin Feiyu's face, unable to spare even a glance at his constantly lit-up phone screen.

"No one's answering, I've called over a dozen times." Gu Yanta put down his phone helplessly. In this weather, he and Lu Zheng could only crawl along the highway at a turtle's pace in the battered Jeep.

"I have a bad feeling that Chief Lin is likely the killer's second target. He's exploiting Chief Lin's desperation to save his wife, luring him to a designated spot to coerce them into the so-called game," Lu Zheng's voice revealed a hint of anxiety, "For the killer, this is a ritual, a perfect replication of previous crimes. To him, surpassing those who came before requires completing what they couldn't. If Chief Lin and Dr. Lai fall into his trap, the killer definitely won't let them leave alive."

"The problem is that we don't even know if Old Lin has taken the bait yet. I've already sent Ma Qin, Liang Shan and the others to set up an ambush near the abandoned warehouse," Gu Yanta said, "But in this weather, there's no chance for a sniper shot. That bastard sure knows how to pick his day..."

"What's the only route from Chief Lin's house to the abandoned warehouse? We can intercept him there. Without a second target, the killer can't complete his ritual, and Dr. Lai's life won't be in immediate danger."

"That would be this highway we're on. But look at this weather, if Old Lin slapped me in the face, I probably wouldn't even recognise him!"

As Gu Yanta finished speaking, a white Camry with its hazard lights flashing roared past them, spraying water nearly as high as a person and drenching their windshield, momentarily blinding their view.

"Fuck!" Gu Yanta cursed as the Camry overtook them, only to be blocked by a large truck ahead. The driver seemed frantic, repeatedly switching lanes and craning their neck out, constantly trying to overtake. "Driving like that in this weather? Lu Xiaozheng, write down  the plate number, I'll have the traffic police deal with this idiot..."

"Yu... wait, no, that looks like Chief Lin's car!" The busted Jeep's wipers were very inefficient. When he regained his vision, Lu Zheng realised that it was actually Lin Feiyu's car in front of him.

"You've got to be kidding! Has Old Lin lost his mind, he's going to get himself killed! How do we even stop him?"

"We'll have to find a way to force him to stop!"

"Alright, Lu Xiaozheng, today I'll show you what speed and passion really mean!" Gu Yanta whistled, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Lu Zheng rolled his eyes and firmly gripped the handle above the passenger door with both hands.

Amid the torrential rain, a life-or-death chase unfolded on the G5001 national highway. A white Camry and a battered Jeep raced, with the white Camry weaving back and forth, trying to shake off the military-green Jeep following close behind, its hazard lights still flashing. After a tense struggle, the Camry's manoeuvrability failed against the Jeep's sturdiness. It skidded and slid into a drainage ditch. The Jeep immediately closed in, screeching to a halt horizontally in front of the Camry.

Lin Feiyu, furious, stormed out of his car and yanked Gu Yanta out before he could even speak.

"How do you still have time to fight at a moment like this?!" Lu Zheng shouted, helplessly watching the two men grapple with each other in the pouring rain...

Lin Feiyu, a man who wielded a scalpel, was no match for Gu Yanta, who fought with criminals daily. Within seconds, Gu Yanta had pinned him to the backseat of the car.

"Let me go, I have to save Jingjing!" Lin Feiyu roared at the top of his lungs, his eyes bloodshot.

"I know! But can you calm down and listen to us first?" Gu Yanta held Lin Feiyu down firmly.

"Chief Lin, you must calm down and hear me out! If you don't, not only will you fail to save Dr. Lai, but you might even endanger her further!" Seeing this, Lu Zheng had no choice but to yell.

Lu Zheng recounted his analysis to Lin Feiyu in full detail. "If you go alone now, you're falling right into the killer's trap, and both of you could end up in danger!"

Hearing this, Lin Feiyu began to regain his composure, no longer struggling to break free. Gu Yanta released his grip, and Lin Feiyu sat in the backseat, panting heavily.

"Then tell me, what should we do to save Jingjing?"

Lu Zheng gestured for Lin Feiyu to come closer, and Lin Feiyu nodded after listening. "Alright, I'll follow your lead."

The rain had lessened to a steady drizzle by the time the three of them arrived near the woods. Ma Qin, Liang Shan, and the others had already set up an ambush around the perimeter. Lu Zheng and Gu Yanta retrieved a steel pipe from the car's trunk, while Lin Feiyu walked ahead alone.

Pushing open the creaky warehouse door, Lin Feiyu was hit by the rancid stench of decay. He switched on his flashlight, and the beam quickly fell upon his wife, hands and feet bound, lying beside a pile of debris. Because the body was unearthed earlier in the day and they hadn't had time to fill it in, there were still mounds of dirt across the floor, partially covering Lai Jingjing's body, and making it hard to tell whether she was alive or dead.

"You're here?" A slightly immature male voice came from the corner. "Did you come alone?"

"Yes, I'm here to exchange myself for her, can you release my wife now?" Lin Feiyu shouted in the direction of the voice.

A pale-faced teenager stepped from the shadows, slender and wiry, his features obscured by the dim light. An unsettling aura hung about him, which made people feel uncomfortable.

"I didn't say anything about exchanging yourself for her, I called you here to play a game," the teenager played with a knife in his hand and gestured toward a rope nearby. "Come on, tie your feet up first."

Feigning submission, Lin Feiyu moved as instructed. He sat beside Lai Jingjing, binding his ankles with the rope. Lin Feiyu glanced at his wife on the ground and confirmed she was still alive but unconscious, easing his heart somewhat.

"What's next? What game do you want me to play?"

"It's very simple, rock-paper-scissors, everyone knows how to play. When she wakes up, you two will compete. Whoever wins can leave, whoever loses stays behind to die with me!" The teenager smirked, speaking of death as casually as discussing eating and sleeping.

The teenager was resolute in his death wish! Lin Feiyu was momentarily at a loss. Faced with someone who wasn't afraid to die, he couldn't be sure if Lu Zheng's plan would still work.

Lai Jingjing gradually regained consciousness, her face filled with confusion. It was evident she had no idea where she was. "Where is this? Feiyu, why are you here?"

Moments later, she noticed her hands and feet were tied, and immediately became alarmed, "This!!! What's going on? I was just in the office, finishing with my last patient!"

"It's me, Dr. Lai," the teenager sneered. "Sorry to disappoint you. I'm indeed sick, very sick."

"Don't be afraid, Baby, I'm here. As long as we play a little game, you'll be free to go," Lin Feiyu hugged his wife's trembling shoulders as he tried to comfort her.

Clap, clap, clap... The teenager clapped a few times, mockingly. "Not bad. Soon enough, I'll see who betrays who first."

Bang!

Bang! Bang!

The clanging of a steel pipe suddenly echoed from outside. Hearing it, the teenager reacted as if he'd stepped on a hot iron plate, jumping up and shouting manically, "Who's there?! Who is it this time?!"

This sound was etched deeply into the teenager's memory. Whenever his sister had gone crazy and abused him, it would always end with banging a steel pipe against the radiator. Later, he learned that this sound had saved his sister's life, though it also plunged her into endless madness, leaving her to vent her own suffering by tormenting others.

He hated the person who had saved his sister. As a child, his body had been bruised and scarred, left hungry and cold. Sometimes, he wished his sister had died that day. In his young mind, the figure of the person who almost killed her grew to an incomparably grand stature. Only that person could make the deranged woman cower in fear! That person was a god! A hero!

One day, I'll be that kind of hero too!

Bang! Bang!! Bang!!! The clanging sound grew louder and faster, moving closer...

"Who is it?!" the teenager hissed madly, gripping the knife and charging out, "I'm not afraid of you! No one can stop me!"

With a loud bang, the teenager collapsed to his knees, a bleeding wound in his left calf. Officers lying in ambush swarmed in and pinned him to the ground.

Despite this, the teenager kept shouting incoherently, but his cries were drowned out by the blaring police sirens and the wailing of ambulances.

Gu Yanta watched the ambulance as it sped away, his heart filled with complex emotions. He glanced at Lu Zheng, who stood nearby, still wearing his usual calm and composed expression. "Hey, tell me something... You're both victims, and both suffered severe psychological trauma as a kid, so why did Pei Jing end up on the verge of collapse of harming themselves and others, while you're able to stand here so composed? Got any wisdom to share, Lu Xiaozheng? I would love to hear it."

"Not really, some people always seem cheerful and resilient, not because everything goes their way, but because they're better at facing their problems, good at forgetting their misfortunes, and brave enough to embrace joy." Lu Zheng's gaze fixed on the distance and he spoke indifferently.

"In that case, give me a hug," Gu Yanta suddenly got playful.

"What? What's wrong with you?" Lu Zheng shot him a glare.

"Didn't you say to embrace joy! My surname's Xin and given name Xi, come on, hug your brother!" Gu Yanta opened his arms. (Angel: Joy can be expressed as 欣喜, or xinxi.)

"Fuck off, I need to head home and sleep! Don't pester me to go to the bureau tomorrow, I've got my thesis defence in two days!" Lu Zheng turned around and climbed into the passenger seat of the battered Jeep.

"To your place or mine?" Gu Yanta got into the car as well.

Lu Zheng didn't reply, already having closed his eyes to rest. Seeing this, Gu Yanta smirked, revved the engine, and sped off toward his own place...

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: January 2, 2025 by Angel

Edited: January 14, 2025 by Angel