Chapter 7
I was like a beaten stray.
Without a phone or navigation, I wandered for a week.
I didn’t know where I was. All I knew was that eating food from garbage bins had upset my stomach. I was in worse shape than a beggar.
I knew I couldn’t go on like this. So I stopped a woman beside the road and tied her up.
Threatening her with a brick, I demanded the password for the payment app on her phone.
The sight of me terrified her so badly that she wet herself. She looked as if she’d lost her mind.
It immediately reminded me of my sister.
Hatred welled up inside me.
I roughly tore off all her clothes and raped her.
In the end, I got the password. At last, I had a few thousand yuan to fund my escape.
As for the woman,
I killed her.
Because idiots who could talk were dangerous.
I bought a backpack and food.
Following the navigation on the phone, I headed for the border.
During that time, I saw the news online.
Jiang Cheng, the former student council president, and many of the rich boys from university who’d taken part in the rapes had all been detained on rape charges.
Other detainees were tormenting them until they wished they were dead.
The story had exploded online.
I was the one getting the worst abuse.
People called me cold-blooded, an animal, lower than a pig or a dog.
What did they know? I’d done it for my career!
Were there so few people in society who would sacrifice everything to get ahead?
What had I done wrong?
Looking at my photo on the wanted notice, I almost ground my back teeth to pieces.
Zhou Xiaoya, you short-sighted woman. You’d ruined me!
A few more days passed.
The woman I’d killed was found.
The police identified me directly through DNA.
The brutality of the crime sent another wave of outrage sweeping across the internet.
I suddenly found myself enjoying all the attention.
I threw the phone away again.
And started looking for my next victim.
I slipped into the nearest mountain village and hid beside a narrow, winding path, waiting for a chance.
Just as hunger had me doubled over and I thought I couldn’t hold out much longer,
a village woman walking alone finally came into view.
Her belly was slightly swollen. She was pregnant.
She was also pushing a homemade stroller.
Softly, gently, she was coaxing the baby inside to sleep.
I set my teeth lightly together. As she drew closer,
I rushed out and blocked her way.
I stepped toward her, ready to seize her throat and subdue her quickly.
But then she suddenly pulled out pepper spray.
The spray left me almost blind.
I turned and fled by feel.
I ran into a tree and struck my head.
I tripped over the grass, and a half-cut thorn branch pierced my shoulder.
I hated that pregnant woman.
One wrong step sent me into the water.
I hurriedly washed my eyes with river water.
As soon as I could open them, all I could think about was going back to find her.
I would rape her and then kill her.
I wouldn’t spare the child in her womb either!
But before I’d taken two steps, I realized the villagers had surrounded me.
They held shovels and hoes, their faces fierce.
I quickly raised both hands and smiled as I explained.
“I’m a hiker. I didn’t mean anything. I just wanted something to eat.”
“Fine. I’ll give you something to eat!”
Without warning, a middle-aged man raised his shovel and smashed it into my face.
“Eat my fucking shovel!”
I felt my nose cave in.
Blood sprayed out immediately.
He wasn’t finished with me. He came down, kicked me into the river, and forced my head underwater.
I struggled desperately, but after days without food, I had no strength.
Then I heard someone shout,
“Don’t kill him. Just teach him a lesson!”
Only then did he let go.
I came up gasping greedily for air.
He slapped me hard across the face.
“Get lost. Don’t let me see you again!”
Frightened, I nodded quickly.
You bastards. Just wait until I steal a knife. I’ll come back and kill every one of you!
I turned to leave.
But just then,
a boy on the bank suddenly pointed at me.
“He’s the fugitive from the internet! I can see him clearly. His name’s Zhou Nan. He’s a rapist and murderer!”