"Have you heard? The Rainy Night Fiend has been caught!"
"What the fuck, really?"
"Really! I heard the Rainy Night Fiend is only eighteen years old, a senior at No. 1 High School in Mingcheng!"
"Only eighteen and already so depraved?!"
"What's that little bastard's name?"
"Sounds like... Ye Xuan!"
...
"Name!"
"Ye Xuan."
"Gender!"
"...... Male."
While dealing with the police interrogation, Ye Xuan figured out his situation.
He had been reborn!
The year was 2004!
This was the year the school belle's mother sought him out, telling him he wasn't good enough for her daughter and demanding that he stop ruining her future.
This was the year he stepped forward to do a righteous deed, only to be framed as the Rainy Night Fiend responsible for three consecutive serial rape-murders.
Although he was eventually cleared of suspicion, he missed the Gaokao as a result.
Any ordinary person, facing the double blow of romantic rejection and a missed exam, would have completely broken down.
Yet Ye Xuan was stubborn! He refused to lose!
Ignoring his parents' dissuasion, he gave up the chance to retake his senior year. Carrying a heavy grudge, he plunged headfirst into society to make his way.
Against everyone's expectations, relying on sheer drive, brains, and nerve, he carved out a name for himself and became a young boss worth hundreds of millions.
Yet the regrets left from his youth still lingered like a thorn stuck deep in his heart.
So, last night, he called up his best friend to drink at a roadside food stall.
Stories go down with wine, and the more they drank, the more flowed.
By the end, he completely blacked out.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself undergoing interrogation.
"Beep. Second Life System loaded successfully."
"The current system is in a standby state."
"Please change the course of your life as soon as possible, acquire causality points, and activate the system."
Just as Ye Xuan was lost in memories of the past, a synthesized electronic voice rang in his mind.
He was stunned at first, then excitement surged through him.
In his past life, during his leisure time, he used to read web novels, so he was naturally no stranger to the concept of a system.
He already knew the trajectory of the world for the next nineteen years.
Now, with a cheat like the system, there was so much he could do!
Redeem the regrets of his youth?
Take his career to the next level?
Or even... become a titan whose mere stomp would make the world tremble?
Just as Ye Xuan was daydreaming about the future, the younger of the two interrogating police officers snapped, "What are you spacing out for? Confess honestly!"
Ye Xuan quickly reined in his thoughts and said with a helpless sigh, "I really was just doing a good deed..."
Tonight, he had gone to his grandmother's place to deliver dumplings, and it had started pouring rain shortly after he arrived.
By nine o'clock, the rain showed no signs of stopping, so he threw on a raincoat and hurried home.
When he passed Liuqiao Lane, an open red umbrella at the entrance caught his eye.
As he reached the mouth of the alley, he noticed someone deep inside. Pitch black as it was, he could only vaguely make out that the figure was dragging something along the ground.
Out of curiosity, he clicked on his flashlight and beamed it down the alley.
In the glare of the light, a woman in a dress was being dragged by someone in a black raincoat!
His scalp had instantly prickled with terror!
Before he could even process it, the person in the black raincoat bolted.
After a fierce internal struggle, he plucked up the courage to walk over to the woman and bent down to check on her.
Only then did he realize she was about his age. Her dress was soaked through by the rain, clinging tightly to her and outlining her fine figure.
He checked her breath. Unconscious, but breathing.
So, using first-aid knowledge he had learned from television, he began administering artificial respiration to the girl.
Right in the middle of the rescue, the girl's parents rushed over...
A rainy night.
A dark alley.
An unconscious daughter.
And the only male present had been "kissing" and "pressing on the chest" of their child.
No matter how desperately he tried to explain, they restrained him on the spot. The girl's mother even used her cell phone to call the police.
In 2004, the Sky Eye surveillance system was far from complete.
It was pitch black, and he hadn't seen what the killer looked like. Heavy rain was falling during the incident, washing away any potential clues.
Who would believe him when he claimed he wasn't the killer?
The crucial point was that the girl had been knocked out from behind and never even laid eyes on the culprit!
Thus, in his past life, he had been detained as the prime suspect for over a month, only having his name cleared after the real Rainy Night Fiend was finally caught.
"If I want to change the course of my life, I have to get the Rainy Night Fiend captured ahead of time..."
Ye Xuan's eyes flashed as a plan formed in his mind.
"Bang!"
At that moment, the young police officer slammed his hand on the table and barked, "Let me tell you, we already have preliminary evidence of your crime! If you confess voluntarily, you can still hope for leniency!"
Ye Xuan chuckled. "Got a cigarette? Hand me one."
Both police officers stared in surprise.
This kid had looked panicked just a moment ago. How had he suddenly regained his composure and started smilingly asking them for a cigarette?
Outside the interrogation room, the entire leadership team of the Mingcheng Branch Bureau had gathered.
On April 27, 2002, a rainy night rape-murder had shocked the entire city.
Back then, the branch bureau had deployed massive police resources to solve the case, but the culprit had struck during a heavy downpour. The crime scene was severely compromised, leaving almost no usable clues, which brought the investigation to a dead end.
Just as the Mingcheng Branch Bureau was at its wit's end, a second rainy night rape-murder occurred in July of that same year!
In June 2003, a third one happened!
Superiors were furious! The public panicked!
Because all the victims were young women wearing floral dresses, young women and brides across Mingcheng didn't even dare wear floral dresses for the next few years!
The bureau leaders had worried themselves until their hair turned white!
And today, a fourth case with the exact same modus operandi had taken place—and the suspect had been caught red-handed at the scene by the victim's family!
Upon receiving the news, the bureau leaders couldn't sit still. Even the deputy director, who was waiting at the hospital for an appendectomy, ignored the doctor's warnings and rushed right back!
Right now, standing behind the one-way mirror, they were watching Ye Xuan inside the interrogation room.
"Is this kid really a high schooler?"
"Look at his demeanor, he's acting like a total veteran!"
"With psychological fortitude like that, doesn't it make it even more likely that he's the Rainy Night Fiend?"
"Old Li, give him a cigarette!"
Amid the murmurs, the director pressed the intercom button and issued the order.
Old Li hurried to his feet. Stepping over to Ye Xuan, he pulled out a pack of Red General cigarettes.
"Red General. Haven't smoked these in a long time." Ye Xuan glanced at the pack and smiled, raising his handcuffed hands.
Old Li chuckled. "You're just an eighteen-year-old punk, how long have you even been smoking? Open wide!"
Ye Xuan cooperatively opened his mouth.
Old Li pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips, then pulled out a lighter to help him light it.
"Uncle, thanks."
Ye Xuan took a deep drag and blew out a ring of smoke with a look of enjoyment.
Old Li chuckled. "If you really want to thank me, confess to everything honestly and save me from pulling an all-nighter."
During interrogations, one played the bad cop while the other played the good cop—it was a standard routine. He was just trying to play the emotional card and didn't hold out much hope.
To his surprise, Ye Xuan nodded and said, "Sure, no problem. I guarantee I'll help you win a merit!"
Everyone instantly perked up!
Old Li hurried back to his seat!
Xiao Zhang, the young police officer, straightened his posture!
All the bureau leaders held their breath!
Ye Xuan took another puff of his cigarette before slowly saying, "I just suddenly remembered—the behavioral traits of the Rainy Night Fiend sound a lot like someone I know."