Chapter 139: The Blood-Sucking Mosquito and Hao Qifu

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

A massive swarm of mosquitoes descended, filling the air and blotting out the light like a plague of locusts. Chang Yu swore he had never seen so many mosquitoes; there had to be tens of thousands of them, if not more.

The sound of their beating wings was low and deafening, echoing throughout the cellar and making one’s scalp crawl. They were like a shroud of darkness descending; wherever they passed, the already dim light dimmed even further. If someone with trypophobia or entomophobia were to witness this, they would surely be scared to death. To them, this would be a scene from the seventh layer of hell.

Unfortunately, Chang Yu was exactly the kind of person who suffered from both, the type who would have nightmares even in his sleep.

Chang Yu’s body, pressed against the iron pillar, couldn't help but tremble. The blood in his veins seemed to freeze at the horrific sight. His heart felt as though it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, leaving him struggling for breath.

"Damn it all," he cursed viciously. "This place is truly no place for a human to stay!"

Immediately after, the scene he witnessed left him too terrified even to curse. The black, churning cloud of mosquitoes descended like a whirlwind upon the four "cellmates" tied to the iron pillars. They landed in thick clusters, sinking their sharp proboscises into the men's bodies and beginning to feast without hesitation.

Almost visibly, the bodies of those four poor wretches shriveled up once again. Their already pale and lifeless complexions grew even more gaunt and haggard. Seeing this, how could Chang Yu not understand where the essence and blood of his fellow captives had gone? They, just like that swindler surnamed Hu, were being drained dry.

"Aaaargh!"

Just as the mosquitoes were feasting, one of the high school students happened to wake up. Perhaps it was the pain that roused him; from the moment he opened his eyes, his wails and screams never ceased. Faced with the boy’s frantic, agonizing thrashing, the mosquitoes continued to eat and drink, completely ignoring the suffering of their blood source.

Well... these mosquitoes were truly brutal when it came to their prey.

"Hiss!"

Chang Yu drew a sharp breath, a chill running through his entire body. "No wonder the old night watchman said he could always hear ghost screams in the school at midnight," realization dawned on him. "I suppose those screams were just these poor guys crying out in agony while being drained by the mosquitoes."

"Is this the real reason why rumors of hauntings have been circulating in this school lately?"

Perhaps, when a single mosquito bites, one doesn't feel much pain. But what if thousands of them land on you at once, sucking your blood and devouring your flesh? Wouldn't that be agonizing?

Soon, Chang Yu could no longer remain calm. He realized that after finishing with the others, the mosquitoes didn't seem... full. They rose from the bodies of the other captives and began to head in his direction. Like fighter jets leaving an aircraft carrier that had been stripped of its supplies, they swarmed toward the next one. They were a vast, undulating mass, like a plague of locusts.

"This is bad!" Chang Yu’s mind went blank, and he plunged into utter despair. He looked down at his own body, which was still normal and full of vitality. This was the only difference between him and the others; because he had just been thrown in, the mosquitoes hadn't had the chance to drain him yet.

Chang Yu began to panic. He didn't want to end up like the others. He struggled frantically, but the iron chains were like insurmountable barriers, unyielding no matter how much he fought. As the swarm of mosquitoes drew closer, heading straight for the tip of his nose, and as he watched them reveal their blood-stained, needle-like mouthparts, ready to drink his blood and eat his flesh, Chang Yu immediately channeled the internal energy within his body. A surge of immense power erupted from within.

For a fleeting moment, Chang Yu felt an inexhaustible strength flowing through him. He tensed every muscle in his body and gave a violent jerk. With a surge of raw power, he actually snapped the chains. One must realize that these chains were three fingers wide, capable of hoisting tons of steel dozens of meters into the air! Not even a cutting torch could sever them that quickly. Yet, in Chang Yu’s hands, he snapped them like twigs—more effective than any power tool.

With a crisp "snap," the chains surrounding Chang Yu fell to the ground. There was no time to save his fellow sufferers; his first instinct after breaking free was to run. Saving the world required capability, and when that was lacking, one had to prioritize personal safety. That was Chang Yu’s only thought.

The number of mosquitoes was simply too great. If he tried to kill them one by one, he would be at it until the end of time. Long before he finished, he would have been drained into a dried husk. And so, a bizarre and absurd scene began to play out in the dark cellar: Chang Yu ran for his life with all his might, while a massive cloud of black mosquitoes chased him from behind.

Because he was in such a frantic state, Chang Yu’s gait was unsteady, his body swaying like a branch in the wind. He couldn't care about anything else; his only goal now was to find the exit. Once he found the exit and escaped, things would be much easier. Even if he couldn't beat the mosquitoes alone, he could call for backup. After all, isn't there a saying? Unity is strength!

...

"Ding-dong!" Katerina’s phone chimed. She quickly picked it up and began reading the file Zhen Youcai had just sent.

Hao Qifu, male, 17 years old. Parents are divorced; he currently lives with his father. His father has no source of income and is a gambling addict, having squandered all the family’s meager assets in just three months. Because there was no money, Hao Qifu had to scavenge for bottles and cans on the streets every day after school to survive.

By chance, a few classmates from his school spotted him scavenging. They immediately began to mock and insult him with utter contempt, a torment that lasted for over half an hour. Shortly after, rumors about Hao Qifu being unable to afford food and having to pick up cans to survive spread throughout the entire school. Every student knew that in Class 1 of the second year, there was a "beggar" wearing patched-up clothes who attended the same school as them.

Children of this age are often rebellious, lawless, and arrogant. Having never suffered the harsh realities of the world and being pampered at home, they foolishly believed they were the center of the universe. They acted recklessly, never considering the feelings of others, and caused harm without a second thought. More and more students joined in on mocking Hao Qifu, even those who had never met him. In their subconscious, bullying their peers and the weak was a way to manifest their own maturity and strength.

Hao Qifu was a timid, self-loathing boy. Growing up in that kind of dysfunctional family, such personality defects were inevitable. He was used to being submissive and silently enduring the harm inflicted upon him—a habit formed through his daily life with his father. Whenever his father lost money gambling, he would come home drunk and vent all his rage on the boy, beating him black and blue. Over time, he developed a submissive personality when faced with exploitation and oppression.

Yet, this very nature of being non-confrontational and long-suffering made him a soft target in the eyes of his classmates. When someone never resists oppression and bullying, people subconsciously learn to look down on them. Human nature is such that the easier you are to bully, the more people will take advantage of you, because only by bullying the weak can they feel powerful.

Finally, one evening after school, a group of bullies—jealous of Hao Qifu’s academic excellence—cornered him in the restroom. They subjected him to an hour of bullying. During this time, they inflicted severe physical and psychological trauma upon him. Their methods were extreme, insulting, and frankly appalling. It was hard to imagine that these children, who acted like little angels in front of their parents, could bare such vicious fangs against an innocent classmate. Surely, their parents would never have imagined that their "precious sons" were capable of such horrific acts in secret.

When the bullies finally left, Hao Qifu lay on the floor, covered in injuries. Crying, he struggled to crawl up and stumbled his way home. He had hoped his father would notice his wounds and stand up for him. But to his utter disappointment, his gambling-addict father was only thinking about how to win money at the table, completely ignoring his son’s condition. This made the young Hao Qifu realize that his father saw him as a burden, not as a part of his own flesh and blood. Otherwise, how could he be so indifferent?

The bullies, who had expected to be scolded by teachers or called in by parents, were surprised to find that nothing happened. Hao Qifu’s father never came to school to confront anyone. This emboldened them further. Realizing they could bully people without fear of retribution from teachers or parents gave them a twisted sense of satisfaction. They began beating Hao Qifu every few days, even burning him with cigarette butts and throwing toilet paper at him. In short, they did everything they could to make his life miserable.

That was the entirety of the investigation report Zhen Youcai had gathered on Hao Qifu. In addition to the text, he had attached several photos of Hao Qifu being bullied, which were truly wretched to behold. These were photos captured by the school’s surveillance cameras that Zhen Youcai had managed to track down and send to Katerina.

"Young people today really have no sense of boundaries," Katerina said, her face flushing with anger after reading the file. Even someone like her, who was adept at managing her emotions, could not suppress her fury. "They are all spoiled brats. For them, this kind of coddling upbringing has only disadvantages, no benefits. At home, their parents spoil them, but what about in the real world? Who else is going to accommodate them when they aren't family? Instead of letting them suffer in society later, it would be better to teach them to be reasonable and disciplined early on. It would keep these spoiled kids from causing trouble and getting hurt."

Even Shi Chengjin couldn't stand it anymore, feeling that the kids had gone too far. "What kind of grudge is this? They’re trying to drive the boy to his death!" he lamented. "Everyone is born to parents, isn't every child someone’s treasure? Aren't they all the apple of someone’s eye? Don't parents usually fear that their children might melt if they hold them in their mouths or break if they hold them in their hands? How did this boy end up like a weed on the side of the road, unloved and uncared for? If this child’s mother knew he was being bullied like this, she would be heartbroken. Perhaps before the divorce, she couldn't even bear to hit or scold him once. There’s no reason for him to be treated like this by some random thugs. And what about the teachers at this school? Are they blind? How could they let this happen right under their noses without doing a thing?"