Futile Devices Scans

In the desolate outskirts, at the abandoned No. 2 warehouse, the main gate was tightly locked with iron chains, and wooden planks were nailed over the window frames.

Zhou Ruo An found a snowdrift outside the warehouse door and stuck the long, slender firework stick into the snow.

Removing the cigarette from his mouth, he lit the firework fuse.

A single-shot firework shot into the sky, but lacked power, bursting midair with only a dull pop and thin colors.

Red, yellow, orange, green—taking turns dominating the sky for a few seconds. One firework cost thirty-five; on average, more than ten per second. Zhou Ruo An cursed under his breath and thought that when he had money someday, he’d build a fireworks factory.

The glowing ember of his cigarette lit the final fuse. Zhou Ruo An straightened and walked toward the warehouse gate. The distance wasn’t far—just as his fingers touched the icy iron chain, a firework exploded overhead.

The two iron doors were bound together by chains, leaving a gap less than a finger’s width—enough for a gaze to pass through, or for the fireworks’ light to shine inside.

Zhou Ruo An cleared his throat and called out, “Lin Yi, didn’t expect it was me who locked you in, did you? But I had my reasons. This is the last time we’re watching fireworks together. Since it’s the last time, it shouldn’t be something dirty—something that makes you sick when you remember it. Better to forget those moments. So if you want to remember anything, remember this one. As for the drunken mess from before—just throw it out of your mind.”

He took out the key and weighed it in his hand. “This time, I handled the electronics factory situation. Zhou Jing Tao gave me some money—not much, just enough to pay off what I owe you. I’ll transfer it to your account later. After that, we’ll be square. From here on, we go our separate ways—our own roads. Sound good?”

The night in the wilderness was eerily quiet. Zhou Ruo An could hear the faint breathing from the other side of the door, but the person inside remained silent.

White mist puffed from Zhou Ruo An’s lips, blurring half his face. For a fleeting moment, there was a trace of loneliness in his expression. “I once thought about working with you. But you’ve always treated me like a cash cow. If that’s the case, I won’t force it.”

He curled his lips into a mocking smile, masking the brief disappointment. “And Lin Yi, don’t think you’re invincible. Even lions take naps. Look at you now—you’ve been locked up here by me for three days.”

“It’s not easy to get to you,” Zhou Ruo An said, leaning closer to the iron door as if speaking directly into someone’s ear. “But it’s not impossible either.”

“I figured it was you.” The hoarse, dry voice sounded like cracked earth in a drought, scraping through the throat and out through the door.

Zhou Ruo An frowned slightly, instinctively recalling what Ren Yu had said about the side effects of starvation.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“At first, I thought it was Zhou Zhe. But when I saw the bedsheets inside, I knew it was you.”

Bright, colorful cotton bedding—noisy and lively. Zhou Ruo An thought back for a moment and realized he had chosen it according to Lin Yi’s preferences.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath.

“So what? Planning to kill me?” The voice from inside was rough, unpleasant to hear.

“If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have brought food. I got your favorite dishes from Third Alley. You’ve been hungry for three days—how about it, Lin Yi? Care to eat?”

“…Alright.”

“Then between us, from now on—”

“Pay back the debt, settle accounts. You are you… and I am me.”

Zhou Ruo An heard the answer he wanted. He unlocked the chain and slowly pushed open the heavy iron doors. Moonlight spilled into the warehouse inch by inch, revealing the tall man standing just inside.

He had grown thinner. His complexion was ashen, his eye sockets slightly sunken, stubble covering his face. Though still fierce-looking, there was now a hint of weariness.

Zhou Ruo An looked away, not sparing a second glance. Kicking a chunk of snow at his feet, he said, “Let’s go. We’ll eat in the car.”

“No rush.” Lin Yi stepped forward and leaned against the iron door, looking at the well-dressed Zhou Ruo An. “There are some debts between us that money can’t settle.”

Zhou Ruo An immediately sensed danger. His voice tightened. “What are you talking about?”

“For example, you cutting off my phone signal and locking me in here for three days.”

Zhou Ruo An took a step back, his voice sharp and urgent. “I didn’t mean to harm you.”

“Right. You just wanted to show me you can fight back too. Push you far enough, and you’ll bite.”

“You’re a smart man,” Zhou Ruo An said, glancing toward the car parked by the roadside as he subtly retreated another half step. “There’s no need to spell everything out between us.”

“Some things should be made clear. If we’re going our separate ways, then everything before this must be settled cleanly.”

The moment the words fell, Lin Yi suddenly straightened, moved swiftly, and wrapped an arm around Zhou Ruo An’s neck from behind. His hand clamped over Zhou Ruo An’s mouth, dragging him backward—man and shadow alike swallowed into the vast darkness of the warehouse.

The iron doors slowly closed.

The predator had completed a perfect hunt.

…

Inside the warehouse was a partitioned room, with a bed, new bedding, and a small electric heater beside it.

The heater’s dial was turned to the maximum, but it couldn’t suppress the cold air seeping through the room.

There was no table, so the food containers were placed on a broken cardboard box. Lin Yi had already finished two meal boxes.

At his feet stood four empty mineral water bottles. As his shoe shifted, he accidentally knocked one over. The uneven ground sent it rolling downhill for several meters—until it was stopped by another pair of leather shoes.

The room was so empty and silent that even a rat would sound loud. The rolling bottle finally drew his attention. His gaze followed it, stopping at a pair of elegant handmade leather shoes.

But the stance of those shoes was strange.

The toes touched the ground while the heels hovered slightly, making the person wearing them sway unsteadily.

His gaze traveled upward—slim trousers, long legs, a narrow waist, lean shoulders—and above that, Zhou Ruo An’s strikingly handsome face.

At this moment, his hands were crossed and bound behind his back, his wrists tightly wrapped with hemp rope. The excess rope was long, running out from beneath his arms, pulling his shoulders slightly backward, forcing his chest—covered in a thin layer of muscle—to arch forward.

The end of the rope was tied to a beam on the ceiling, pulled taut so that only the tips of his toes could touch the ground.

Lin Yi watched closely, chewing his food as he thought: Zhou Ruo An really does suit being tied up.

Previous

Main

Next