Chapter 25

"Baroque 5, The Butcher's Justice"

"In front of Mo Fei were An Ge'er's exceptionally beautiful eyes, clean pupils, a person seemingly gentle and tranquil, his words directly reaching Mo Fei’s heart…"

"Sometimes, a single sentence can change a person; at least Mo Fei felt so. Before hearing An Ge'er's words, he was the Mo Fei of the past, but after, he seemed no longer the same. At least, previously he thought he should be fierce, sinful, and not good at interacting with others. But An Ge'er's words were like nails, hammered into his heart, making him suddenly realize that he wasn’t really like that; he never wanted to be that person, it was just others who forced that belief on him... He also had a gentle side, he missed his family, did not initiate conflict with others, and took care of others... He didn’t have to exile himself to the edges of the world; he could frequently return home to see his family, occasionally make phone calls."

"Mo Fei instantly understood An Ge'er's reason for returning with him; perhaps the person before him simply sought the right moment to speak those words, to impart a truth, allowing Mo Fei to no longer feel sorrow."

"An Ge'er touched the stubble on Mo Fei's chin, then withdrew his hand to feel his own smooth chin before reaching back to touch Mo Fei's again, seemingly amused by the sensation."

"Mo Fei, gazing at An Ge'er, who had no idea how much his words had affected him, reached out and pulled him into an embrace."

"When Mo Fei released him, he felt a bit awkward, but upon looking at An Ge'er, he saw a slight, teasing smile on his lips."

"Mo Fei was surprised, suddenly unable to comprehend An Ge'er. His smile seemed to suggest either complete ignorance or... complete understanding of why Mo Fei had hugged him."

"'An Ge'er,' Mo Fei, staring into An Ge'er's eyes, finally asked, 'Do you know everything, or do you know nothing at all?'"

"Caught off guard, An Ge'er pondered for a moment, then smiled at Mo Fei, saying, 'I know what I need to know and remain ignorant of what I shouldn’t.' Then, picking a comfortable position, he leaned on Mo Fei's arm, 'Let’s sleep for another half hour, then get up, head back to S City, and call Os to track down the criminal.'"

"'Right...!' Mo Fei suddenly asked, 'Who is this criminal?'"

"After a moment's thought, An Ge'er replied, 'The incidents occurred in different back alleys of various bars.'"

"'Hmm,' Mo Fei nodded."

"'Different times,' An Ge'er added, 'You’ve worked in bars, right? What kind of person would be found in the back alleys of different bars?'"

"Mo Fei, taken aback, said, 'Part-timers! Each bar operates on different schedules, and they mostly use hourly workers, especially those collecting beer bottles. I used to work in several bars consecutively, fitting my shifts around their timings.'"

"'Hmm,' An Ge'er nodded, musing, 'Decapitating a head is no easy feat... using a knife is too strenuous, and an axe wouldn’t leave such a clean cut.'"

"The cut was really clean," said Mo Fei. "And why did the blood only start to flow after the body was moved? Why wasn't there any blood before?"

"It was done with a saw," An Ge'er murmured softly. "The blood didn't flow because it was probably frozen. It only started to flow after it thawed. Also, no one has found the body yet."

"Did the person dispose of the body? Or maybe they have a place to process it without being discovered," Mo Fei speculated, frowning.

"In that bar we visited, they sold burgers and pork chops," An Ge'er whispered. "Mo Fei, do you believe that the aroma of cooked human flesh is more enticing than regular meat?"

Mo Fei's eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth agape as he stared at An Ge'er. "Are you saying...?"

"I think we should check where the bar gets its meat patties for the burgers. Maybe the delivery person is doing a side job there," An Ge'er pondered. "The murderer might just be a kid."

"A kid?" Mo Fei exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, I mean, probably around seventeen or eighteen years old," An Ge'er explained. "Kids are the most sensitive and pure when it comes to emotions. Plus, he probably has a good appearance."

"You mean, he lured those people away and killed them using his own appeal?" Mo Fei asked.

"If he were strong enough, he would have intervened when he saw those evil deeds taking place. But he didn't; he waited until after they were over to kill... His actions, besides adhering to his own sense of justice, are largely driven by his own needs."

"His own needs?" Mo Fei frowned. "You mean, he needs to kill these people to satisfy himself?"

"Yes," nodded An Ge'er. "Os is just too lazy. Actually, there's a very simple way to lure the perpetrator out."

Mo Fei pondered for a moment before asking, "Are you suggesting we stage a scene of bullying at the same location and time?"

"Yes," An Ge'er nodded. "But, this person might be quite dangerous."

"Isn't he a stickler for justice? He wouldn't harm the innocent, right?" Mo Fei questioned.

"The butcher's justice?" An Ge'er raised a finger and gently swayed it, saying, "Do you know when a person is most powerful?"

Mo Fei shook his head.

"A painter is most powerful with a brush in hand, a chef in the kitchen," An Ge'er spoke softly. "A butcher with a cleaver in a slaughterhouse is formidable, and subduing him would require a significantly strong force."

After lying down for a while longer, Mo Fei and An Ge'er got out of bed. An Ge'er, too lazy to change, wore his loose clothes and let Mo Fei carry him to the car barefoot.

"Mo Fei," An Ge'er, looking out at the red brick old houses, said to Mo Fei in the driver's seat, "I like this place. We should come back when we have time."

Mo Fei nodded, started the car, and said, "Okay, but next time, remember to bring pajamas."

An Ge'er laughed, found a comfortable position, leaned back, and tucked his feet into his trouser legs.

As Mo Fei drove off, he dialed Os's number and put it on speakerphone.

From Os's voice on the phone, it was clear he was quite frustrated.

Mo Fei briefly conveyed An Ge'er's deductions to Os. After hearing them, Os, while instructing his team to investigate, hopped around cursing An Ge'er, "I knew he had clues but wouldn't tell me, making me stay up all night! That's really unfair of him."

"Oss was complaining to Mofei on the phone, not realizing Mofei was driving with the speaker on. Anger, overhearing everything, discontentedly said into the phone, 'Oss, you're dumber than a pig!'"

"Shocked, Oss quickly hung up the phone, thinking to himself how unfairly he was being treated, and resigned to only grumbling behind their backs."

"When Mofei was nearing S city on the highway, Oss called back, reporting they found out that the three bars had been ordering hamburger meat and fried pork cutlets from a private pork processing plant. The deliveries were made by a part-timer who also helped with cleaning and bottle recycling. His work schedule coincided exactly with the times of those incidents. Oss and his team were already preparing a small assault team to catch the suspect at the pork processing plant in the suburbs."

"Oss asked Mofei if they wanted to come, but Anger shook his head and said, 'No, don't go.'"

"After hanging up, Mofei drove back to the gallery, asking Anger, 'Why not go?'"

"After a moment of thought, Anger replied, 'There's nothing to see. The end result will surely be a kill.'"

"Mofei fell silent for a while, then asked, 'Isn't there a possibility of capturing them alive?'"

"Anger shook his head and asked, 'Do you think murderers are usually very bold?'"

"Unsure of how to respond, Mofei said, 'Well, probably.'"

"'Actually, they are very cowardly,' Anger said softly. 'I've helped Oss catch some serial killers before... They all lack a sense of security and use the power to control others' fates to prove they can protect themselves.'"

"Mofei remained silent."

"'Mofei,' Anger suddenly said, 'your tendency towards violence is also a form of self-protection. I think it's triggered by certain factors, not an innate violence in you.'"

"Triggers..." Mofei frowned.

"If we can identify the triggers, we'll know what sets off your defensive impulses," Anger said calmly. "That way, you can control yourself. But from what I see, you're actually doing quite well."

"I don't feel those impulses when I'm in your studio!" Mofei explained. "The first time I saw your paintings, I felt a sense of calm, which is why I entered the studio in the first place."

"Hmm..." Anger gently stroked his chin, nodded thoughtfully, and fell silent, lost in his thoughts.

After the two returned to the gallery, Anger went upstairs to change his clothes, while Mofei headed to the kitchen to cook. Soon, Anger came downstairs, elegantly dressed in his usual attire, and sat at the table, crossing his legs and reading the newspaper.

Shortly after, Anger's gaze drifted from the newspaper to the kitchen, watching Mofei cook from the side. Setting down the newspaper, he sipped his tea while observing, then turned and went upstairs to paint.

By the time Anger came back downstairs, Mofei had finished preparing the meal. Just as they were about to sit down to eat, they noticed a car pulling up at the door... it was Oss's car.

Anger wrinkled his nose and commented, "He's here to freeload a meal!"

Mofei, somewhat amused, saw Oss rush in and immediately ask, "Hey Mofei, is there any food left?"

Mofei went to the kitchen and served a bowl for him too. Oss sat down to eat, praising while eating, "Wow... this cooking, if you opened a takeaway shop, my lunch problems would be solved."

"What brings you here?" Anger looked up at Oss.

As Oss took another bite, he said, "Well, I came to tell you that we took down the murderer and saved someone. Apparently, he lured in a guy who was harassing people in an alley last night, but that guy got his arm sawed off alive."

Mofei and Anger simultaneously furrowed their brows, sensing something off about the taste of their food.

"Wow!" Oss was oblivious to the discomfort he caused, continuing, "That guy was insanely twisted. He lived in that pork processing plant, originally just a worker. But after slaughtering the owner's family, he started butchering living people for meat. Imagine the bar patrons' reactions if they knew they were eating human flesh."

"Do you know why he killed?" Anger asked.

"Oh... I spoke to a neighbor near the pork processing plant," Oss replied. "They said the worker was adopted by the plant owner, who abused him both physically and sexually from a young age... a very tragic child."

Anger nodded, put down his bowl, and turned to look at Oss, who was biting into his second piece of pork cutlet. Due to the case details Oss had just shared, both Anger and Mofei had avoided the pork cutlets.

"Oss," Anger suddenly said, "those pork cutlets are from the bar we visited the other day."

"Cough, cough..." Oss choked, pounding his chest and coughing. Mofei quickly handed him a glass of water. Oss gulped it down, clearing his throat, and then gasped for air, looking at Mofei.

Mofei shook his head helplessly, saying, "They're from the market, keep eating."

Oss looked at Anger, clearly dissatisfied.

Anger stood up, walked over to the sofa, sat down, and chuckled, "Even if it's from the market, we can't be sure of its source. That processing plant isn't exclusive to one customer... The key is, it smells the same to me."

Oss, stunned, covered his mouth and rushed out, squatting in the corner to vomit.

Mofei, frowning, picked up a piece of the pork cutlet and sniffed it. Not detecting anything unusual, he turned to Anger and asked, "Anger, is it true?"

Anger raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile on his face, "Just fooling him. He was ruining my meal."

Mofei shook his head, looking somewhat sympathetically at Oss, who was outside, violently sick.