Monster - Chapter 20
Chapter 20: A Performance
After getting an update on Lin Sandie from Yang Dongyang, Yan Ting hung up and rubbed her brow, annoyed.
The look of frustration didn't last. By the time she lowered her hand, her usual sharp, composed, and detached expression had returned.
At that moment, Yan Ting was seated before the vanity in her room. The mirror reflected a flawless woman. Her makeup was so exquisite that not a single imperfection could be found. Her jet-black hair was swept up, and a brilliant diamond necklace adorned her long, fair neck. A perfectly tailored black evening gown accentuated her incomparable beauty.
"Knock, knock." Two knocks came from the door. Yan Ting closed her eyes for a moment, let out a soft breath, and then rose to answer it.
The man at the door was in his late thirties. He was tall with his short hair slicked back, giving him the air of an elite. He was quite handsome, with thin lips, a high-bridged nose, and sharp, piercing eyes. However, at first glance, one couldn't help but feel a sinister aura about him.
Matching Yan Ting's attire, the man wore a navy blue suit with a matching vest over a white shirt, and a blue tie with a white floral pattern. A silver, plum-blossom-shaped brooch was pinned to his left lapel, adding to his elegant and distinguished appearance.
Seeing the well-dressed Yan Ting, the man's lips curved into a slight smile. "Let's go," he said in a low voice.
As he spoke, the man raised his left arm.
Yan Ting nodded and took the arm of her husband, Zhang Jun, following him out the door.
They were attending a party hosted by high society tonight, but it could also be described as a performance.
This wasn't their first time attending. Every time one was held, Zhang Jun, who was an avid spectator of such performances, would insist that Yan Ting join him.
Because she hadn't expected Lin Sandie to run into danger back in her hometown, Yan Ting, having already promised Zhang Jun she would go, had no reason to refuse and had to stick to their original plan.
After all, watching this kind of performance was an opportunity to network with people from the Upper House, laying the groundwork for her own future ascent.
After arriving by car at Leviathan's most magnificent skyscraper, the Salai Building, Yan Ting and Zhang Jun presented their invitations. Someone immediately led them to an elevator that descended into the building's sublevels.
Inside the elevator stood an attendant wearing a golden mask. He had an imposing build, and his face was hidden, but he was dressed in a well-tailored black suit. After welcoming the couple into the elevator, he immediately pressed the button for "-7."
Yan Ting silently watched the floor numbers change above the door, while Zhang Jun, whose arm she held, seemed excited and expectant.
Upon reaching the seventh basement level, another man in a black suit and golden mask was waiting at the elevator doors. He bowed respectfully to the couple before handing each of them an exquisite card marked with a number. On the back of the card, in the bottom right corner, was an imprint of a golden longsword.
After completing this task, the attendant continued to guide the couple. He led them down a long corridor to a room, swiped a card to open the door, and after they entered, he stood waiting outside.
The room wasn't large, but it was decorated in a simple yet luxurious style. A large cabinet by the entrance held various alcoholic beverages. As soon as Zhang Jun entered, he poured himself a glass of whiskey and downed it in one go.
In this lavish room, the most eye-catching feature was the two exquisitely crafted masks placed neatly on the coffee table opposite the door.
One mask was a gradient purple, its upper half adorned with white feathers. The surface was painted with symmetrical, ornate patterns. The outer corners of the eye slits swept upwards like a fox's, and a seemingly priceless red, diamond-shaped gemstone was embedded between the brows.
The other was more understated. The lower half was a lifelike replica of a chin and lips, while the upper half was covered in intricate, beautiful golden filigree. Pearls of various sizes were embedded at the ends of the golden patterns, giving it an air of immense luxury.
Yan Ting glanced at the two masks, then, looking preoccupied, took her phone out of her bag and saw that it was already in airplane mode.
"Relax a little," Zhang Jun said with a smile. He picked up another glass and poured one for Yan Ting as well. "You're always so wound up."
Worried about Lin Sandie, Yan Ting picked up the amber whiskey and drank it all in one gulp. She let out a soft breath. "The northern district police are investigating Feng Li's death?"
"That's all the serial killer's fault. I've seen some internal files. The woman who killed Feng Li… the evidence she left behind has some overlap with the scenes of the serial killings, but they can't confirm it's the same person yet." Zhang Jun didn't drink his second glass as quickly, instead starting to chat idly with Yan Ting.
The alcohol temporarily eased Yan Ting's worries about Lin Sandie, and she began to reflect on the events of the past few months.
"The woman who killed Cheng Lina at the Dunerxi Hotel—her fingerprints match those from the serial killer's crime scenes, and they're the same as the ones left in the car when Feng Li was killed. Why can't they determine it's the same person?" Yan Ting asked.
"Who knows? The official answer from the higher-ups is that they can't be certain it's the same person." Zhang Jun raised his glass and drank slowly. His malicious eyes looked down on Yan Ting, who was deep in thought, and a smile touched his lips.
As someone with access to the police investigation, he had naturally seen the photos Cheng Lina took of that woman, Lou. And this Lou looked identical to his wife's mistress, Lin Sandie. Zhang Jun knew perfectly well what a priceless expression he would get if he dropped this news on his wife.
But he had no intention of doing so. Just getting a priceless expression out of his wife wasn't interesting enough.
He had a more interesting plan in mind—for instance, sending that woman, whether she was called Lou or Lin Sandie, into one of these performances they were about to watch.
Downing the rest of his drink, Zhang Jun's expression remained unchanged. He turned, took out his phone, placed it on the coffee table, and then picked up the mask with the golden filigree and put it on.
"Did you know? I heard these masks have some kind of scanner inside. If they detect any electronic devices for secret filming or recording on a guest, that person gets thrown onto the performance stage on the spot," Zhang Jun said while adjusting his mask, looking eager for the show to begin.
"Would anyone be that foolish?" Yan Ting placed her bag, which contained her phone, on the coffee table and bent down to pick up the remaining mask.
She wasn't as enthusiastic about these performances as Zhang Jun, but she wasn't entirely uninterested either.
"You're even more beautiful," Zhang Jun said, moving closer to Yan Ting to adjust her mask.
The two masks concealed both their faces, leaving only their eyes visible.
"You're very handsome, too." Yan Ting reached out to straighten his tie. For some reason, after putting on the mask, her mood suddenly became calm and cruel.
Just as they finished their adjustments, a knock came from the door.
"You may enter now," the attendant at the door said politely and humbly.
Zhang Jun smiled again and offered his left arm to Yan Ting, who immediately took it.
Now, the only things they carried were the exquisite cards imprinted with their numbers.
The two left the room promptly, not keeping the attendant waiting long. He respectfully led them in a certain direction.
Yan Ting and Zhang Jun passed by one room after another, seeing impeccably dressed men and women emerge. They too wore all sorts of exquisite and expensive masks, hiding their faces. But from their attire and accessories, it was easy to tell they were all powerful and influential people with a certain social standing.
Everyone was kept at a certain distance from each other, and there was no interaction between them.
Following their guide, they soon arrived at a viewing gallery. It was a two-tiered structure; the audience sat on the second level, with a clear view of the stage in the center of the first floor.
On the first floor, the central circular stage was enclosed by thick, sturdy iron bars, forming a cage. There were only two doors, set diagonally opposite each other. The performing "guests" would enter from these two doors and walk to the center of the stage, inside the cage.
Yan Ting and Zhang Jun took their seats according to the numbers on their cards. The previously silent audience began to murmur.
Above the center of the stage hung a holographic display. It showed the photos of two men, and next to their pictures were their names, weights, heights, ages, and betting odds (Note 1).
Yan Ting turned her gaze to the screen and saw the two men's details:
Sun Zhou, Weight: 81 kg, Height: 175 cm, Age: 41. Left, 1:5 odds.
Zhao Xiang, Weight: 79 kg, Height: 180 cm, Age: 38. Right, 1:5 odds.
Zhang Jun, sitting beside her, also saw the performers' information. He stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment, then turned to whisper to Yan Ting, "Who do you think has a better chance of winning?"
As he asked, he took a small remote from a compartment under his seat. It had "Left" and "Right" buttons, as well as some number keys, with a small display screen above them. It was a device for placing bets.
"The younger one?" Yan Ting wasn't very interested in betting, but she offered a perfunctory reply. She had already turned her attention to the stage on the first floor, where the two diagonal iron doors had opened. Two cowering men walked out from them.
The middle-aged man named Sun Zhou was wearing a white shirt so filthy it was unrecognizable and a pair of black trousers. Part of his shirt was untucked, his hair was a mess, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He looked utterly wretched, and Zhao Xiang didn't look much better. He wore a ridiculous long-sleeved T-shirt, worn through in places and stained with drops of blood. His long face was black and blue, as if he'd been found while on the run, beaten, and then dragged here by force.
Now, both Sun Zhou and Zhao Xiang held gleaming silver daggers in their hands.
"I think that Sun Zhou fellow looks like a better fighter. He seems to be in better shape, too."
"You decide." Yan Ting saw that Zhang Jun had already quickly keyed in his bet on the remote: 200,000, Left.
"You know, I heard that to make the performance more exciting, they're injected with stimulants before they go on. It helps them reach their full potential!"
Zhang Jun said excitedly. After placing his bet, he immediately fixed his gaze on the stage. The two captured men were standing silently, neither making a move. But they understood the rules before coming on stage: once you're on this "performance stage," only one can survive. Or both will die!
"Bang!" Just then, a gunshot echoed through the venue. For the two men on the stage, it was both a warning and a command. For the audience in the stands, it was the signal.
The murmuring audience instantly fell silent. Since everyone was wearing a mask, their expressions were hidden, but from the sudden collective intake of breath, the faces beneath the masks were surely filled with anticipation and excitement!
"Aaargh!!!" Sun Zhou, in the center of the stage, let out a roar. With bloodshot eyes, he raised his dagger and lunged at the stranger he had never met before.
This was a gladiatorial arena for the pleasure of the powerful, a stage play where one performed the act of survival. It was also the just sin and punishment for the "dissidents"!
Author's Notes
Note 1: Betting odds. For example, at 1:5 odds, a winning bet of 100 would yield a payout of 500. A losing bet forfeits the original 100.
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