Zhou Xiao said casually, "Hiring someone to kidnap your wife for a ransom – You’re really not afraid of losing your wife as well as one’s soldiers?[1] Were the three of them trustworthy? If it’s really for money or revenge, it’s most direct to just kill her. If you get her inheritance, you will have no money troubles to worry about in your life."

The fat uncle lowered his head in thought. Tao Yueyue, who was hiding in the bedroom and peeping, saw that his heart was shaken. She thought that he really was a bad person and he might as well die.

The fat uncle licked his lips and asked in a low voice, "What are your methods like?"

Zhou Xiao leaned forward. "You should have heard of the name Zhou Xiao, right?"

"You’re the wanted criminal?!" The fat uncle was shocked.

"Yes, I’m a serial killer. If I kill her, this account goes to my shoulders and the police will never suspect you. You can enjoy your inheritance without any worries."

The fat uncle couldn't hide the joy on his face. "This... this... it's not good. She's my wife after all! How can anyone hire someone to kill his wife... How much do you normally charge for this business?"

"One million."

"Tsk, it's a bit expensive... Can I pay a deposit of 300,000 yuan first, and then pay the balance of 700,000 yuan later?"

"Pay five hundred thousand first." Zhou Xiao's expression looked completely undisputable.

"Then how can I be sure that you’re not a liar? How can you prove that you’re the wanted criminal?"

"This is the risk you need to take, but it's nothing compared to the risk I’ll be taking. I never fail to kill, and I will not leave evidence behind."

"Listen, this is the demeanor of a great god!" The fat uncle was very excited. "Oh, if I had known you were a great god, why would I have gone to those three little thieves? It seems that God is really helping me! I'll give you one 1.2 million, with half of it paid to you first. However, there’s one condition. This Saturday, she and her lover will go to the villa for the night. Make them die naked in bed. I want the world to see her lewdness."

"Hmph!" Zhou Xiao sneered. "Killing two people?"

"If this doesn't work, I'll still ask you to kill her as per the one million you mentioned."

"No, I accept this condition. Bring the deposit tomorrow. I want the cash to be put in a small school bag."

"No problem!"

The fat uncle stretched out his hand excitedly, wanting to shake hands with Zhou Xiao, but Zhou Xiao ignored it and slumped on the sofa with a grin. "See you tomorrow."

The fat uncle retracted his hand and rubbed his clothes awkwardly. "Okay, see you tomorrow."

Tao Yueyue came out of the bedroom only when the fat uncle left. She pretended to praise, "Uncle Zhou is so great. You negotiated a 1.2 million yuan in business at once."

"Hmph, this is already discounted. Who told us to be short of money right now... are you hungry?"

Tao Yueyue nodded.

All the money on the deceased went to buying medicine. The two had no money to eat. Zhou Xiao searched the house and obtained some dried noodles and eggs. Tao Yueyue watched TV in the living room while Zhou Xiao went to the kitchen to cook. Tao Yueyue felt like the atmosphere was a little weird. The most evil person in Long’an was actually cooking some noodles for her. She wondered if the noodles would smell like blood.

Suddenly, there was a violent roar and the sounds of smashing coming from the kitchen. Tao Yueyue ran to take a look and saw Zhou Xiao throwing the pan on the ground and stomping on the eggs vigorously. "Why won't it turn over?! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Tao Yueyue turned pale with fright. Zhou Xiao used his hand to brush his hair back. "You should continue watching TV. I will make the noodles right away."

"Uncle Zhou, why don’t I do it?!"

"You know how to?"

"Kinda…"

Zhou Xiao stopped insisting and gave the kitchen to Tao Yueyue. Tao Yueyue saw that the pot with a handle was dark. She didn't know how much soy sauce and vinegar Zhou Xiao had put in it. This man really didn't know anything about cooking.

Tao Yueyue washed the pot, boiled some water, put noodles in, and then cracked two eggs into the water, which looked alright.

She remembered that Chen Shi was busy in the kitchen every day. Cooking was his leisure. His generous hands could cut out beautiful things and make delicious pork rib soup, which forcibly nourished Tao Yueyue's taste buds until she was a picky-eater.

She swore silently in her heart that when she got home, she would never pick and choose again, whining for takeaway every day.

Tao Yueyue brought the two bowls of noodles to the living room. Zhou Xiao picked it up with chopsticks and looked at it in disbelief. Seeing that he hadn't eaten them for a long time, Tao Yueyue said, "Don't worry, I didn't poison it."

Zhou Xiao actually laughed, but it was still a ferocious kind of laughter. It seemed that he was in a good mood.

That night seemed long and boring. Zhou Xiao was smoking a cigarette, rubbing and sharpening his knife, and waving it around in his hand. After fiddling with it for a while, he collapsed on the sofa and let out a sigh of boredom.

He was like an addict. Killing people brought him great excitement. The time outside of murders were boring. Games, music, movies, and books didn’t exist in his world, and his spiritual world was extremely empty.

Tao Yueyue, who had nothing to do, found a book in the cabinet. After reading a few pages, she threw it down, frightened. It was an extremely obscene novel. The women in it all seemed to be genital appendages without any character to them.

Looking out the window, she thought that tomorrow would be the junior high school entrance examination. What are the other students doing at the moment?

Zhou Xiao had just recovered from a serious illness. Although the inflammation had subsided thanks to the medicine, his body was still weak. After 11:00, he fell to sleep on the sofa. Tao Yueyue stood by the bedroom door, her heart beating wildly. There was now an opportunity to subdue him.

She could create a rope with the bed sheets and pull it vigorously around his neck from behind. Zhou Xiao would wake up, but as long as she persisted for over 20 seconds, the lack of oxygen would make him unconscious. Then, she’d tie him up.

No!

Not to mention the strength of the rope made with bed sheets, it was dangerous to compete with Zhou Xiao based on strength. Tao Yueyue had seen Zhou Xiao's body. It wasn’t as full and greasy as a bodybuilder, but it had amazing explosive power.

Or perhaps gas poisoning?

That won’t do either!

Zhou Xiao would jump up immediately when he smelled the peculiar smell. Even if it caused him to pass out, it would be difficult to prevent him from being poisoned to death.

If only she had handcuffs...

Tao Yueyue suddenly thought that she could make two nooses to hold Zhou Xiao's arms, and then suddenly tighten them. When Zhou Xiao woke up, he’d already be bound.

It was best to restrain his hands and feet at the same time. Then this fierce beast wouldn’t be able to resist.

She opened the bedroom closet gently, found an old bed sheet, and then bit the bed sheet with her teeth. She tried to keep the sound as soft as possible, and then weaved the three strands of cloth into a rope like a braid. She pulled it with her hands to test its strength.

Tao Yueyue was worried and thickened the rope. It took two full hours to make two pairs of cloth handcuffs.

The next step was the most dangerous part. Tao Yueyue tiptoed to the living room, fearing that her heartbeat would reveal her whereabouts. Zhou Xiao leaned on the sofa with his head tilted back, almost purring as he slept.

After careful observation, Tao Yueyue decided to put them on his feet first. She squatted down in the space between the sofa and the coffee table, and carefully grabbed Zhou Xiao’s feet and lifted them up. She was so scared that she almost screamed during the whole process. Every subtle change in the sleeping Zhou Xiao's breath made her heart tremble.

Finally, she raised one of Zhou Xiao’s feet. When she was about to stuff the cloth handcuffs on, Zhou Xiao suddenly stomped and stepped on the cloth handcuffs.

Had he woken up?! Tao Yueyue raised her head in fright...

1. Paying a double penalty.