I led the way down, holding Huang Xiaotao's hand as we entered the cave. The stone steps were slippery from years of exposure to moisture. We trod carefully with each step!
The basement walls were covered in faded ceramic tiles. Their original colors were no longer discernible due to water stains. A single fluorescent light flashed intermittently overhead due to unstable voltage.
A plastic curtain divided the basement into two rooms. I caught a whiff of a strong, bloody odor from behind the curtain.
We've finally found the true culprit right under our noses after a long search!
Huang Xiaotao drew her gun, her expression becoming alert.
I flipped open the curtain and walked in with Huang Xiaotao. Rusty meat hooks hung from the ceiling - the kind butchers used to hang meat. Dried bloodstains were visible on the hooks.
A long, dark plastic bag lay on the table below. Judging by its shape, it seemed to contain a human body. Blood dripped steadily from the table's edges, already pooling on the floor.
Another huge circular butcher's block sat on a nearby table, covered in knife marks from heavy use. Its center had sunken in, filled with a pool of blood.
An array of knives lay next to the block - meat cleavers and bone knives. Their handles were greasy, and their blades emanated a chilling air.
At the bottom sat a manually operated meat grinder, bolted in place. It drained into a red basin filled with suspicious ground meat.
The scene sent a shudder down my spine. The hairs on my neck stood on end, and cold sweat dampened my back continuously.
This was nothing short of a chop shop!
Huang Xiaotao pulled out her phone and dialed headquarters. Before the call connected, I heard movement behind us - muffled footsteps, as if someone was sneaking up on us. We whirled around simultaneously.
A tall, indistinct silhouette appeared behind the curtain, wielding a thick club overhead!
In a flash, the club swept towards us from behind the curtain. Huang Xiaotao cried out as the club struck her forehead, sending her phone flying as blood trickled down her face.
Huang Xiaotao immediately took a step back, gripping her gun with both hands. "Drop your weapon, or I'll shoot!" she warned.
The curtain was slowly lifted by a long, thick rolling pin - easily over a meter long and hefty enough to be used as a weapon. Master Tang emerged from behind it, but his expression seemed to belong to someone else entirely. His face wasn't sinister or terrifying, but wore a faint smile as drool dribbled from the corner of his mouth. His eyes stared fixedly at us, like a starving man eyeing food.
My mind reeled in shock. How did Master Tang sneak up on us without our notice?
Only later did I realize our mistake. We had been distracted by the butcher shop and neglected to thoroughly investigate the rest of the basement. Master Tang had been hiding behind some baskets of potatoes and cabbages the whole time, cutting off our escape route.
"Meat, meat has delivered itself to me!" Master Tang mumbled, though it sounded nothing like his usual voice.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm Ma Jinhuo, the one you've been looking for!" he replied.
We were stunned. Master Tang was Ma Jinhuo? Could he have dissociative identity disorder?
I had considered dissociative identity disorder before, but believed Ma Jinhuo was just a mentally ill patient with split personalities. Never had I imagined that the Ma Jinhuo we sought didn't exist at all - he was merely another facet of Master Tang's psyche.
"Don't talk nonsense, you're Master Tang! I order you to put down your weapon. Don't try anything funny - I've stationed police around the neighborhood!" Huang Xiaotao shouted.
I immediately grasped her intention. She had deliberately raised her voice to inform the already connected call at headquarters, so the police could hurry over to provide backup.
Master Tang paid no heed to her words. He advanced step by step with a ravenous, hungry, deranged look on his face.
Master Tang suddenly swung the rolling pin overhead. At the same time, Huang Xiaotao fired her gun, which was sent flying as the bullet grazed Master Tang's left shoulder.
Master Tang glanced down at the gunshot wound on his shoulder and sucked in a pained breath through gritted teeth. "You dare injure me, you restless little lambs!" he bellowed furiously, before swinging the pin crazily.
Master Tang was tall and burly. The rolling pin in his hands must have weighed at least twenty kilograms. His powerful, heavy blows forced us to retreat continuously until we reached the tables.
As he flailed the pin, he accidentally knocked the lampshade. The bare bulb overhead swayed violently, casting his twisted face in intermittent light and shadow that made him appear even more grotesque and terrifying.
Only then did I notice Huang Xiaotao had been cradling her right wrist with her left hand. Her wrist had been smashed and was badly swollen. She said to me, "I'll hold him off, you run out and get help."
"No way!" I immediately refused.
"Don't argue, you're powerless here. Let big sister protect you!"
With that, she charged forward. Given the mismatch in size, Master Tang towered over Huang Xiaotao like a giant. I couldn't help but fret over her in concern.
Huang Xiaotao watched for an opening, then lashed out with a side kick aimed at Master Tang's fat belly. His body barely wavered before he grabbed her leg in one hand.
His drool dripped onto Huang Xiaotao's foot. With his other hand, Master Tang heaved the rolling pin overhead, aiming to smash Huang Xiaotao's head in.
In response, Huang Xiaotao used the momentum to leap gracefully into the air, spinning her body beautifully before driving her other leg viciously into Master Tang's neck.
Though Master Tang was strong, the kick still staggered him. He slammed a palm on the table to regain his balance. Then he discarded the rolling pin and yanked a heavy cleaver off the wall. Seeing the danger, Huang Xiaotao hurriedly retreated.
Master Tang slashed wildly with the cleaver, forcing Huang Xiaotao back towards the butcher block.
Huang Xiaotao groped behind her for a makeshift weapon, but the table held only meat wrapped in plastic bags.
Though petrified, I couldn't ignore Huang Xiaotao's plight. I steeled myself, grabbed the discarded rolling pin off the floor, and smashed it into Master Tang's head recklessly twice.
The dull thuds of wood against his skull reverberated through my palms and left them numb. It was the first time in my life I had struck someone's head with a club.
Master Tang turned back with gnashing teeth, blood trickling from his forehead down his nose, making him look even more grotesque.
"You're all so unruly!" he roared.
He slashed at me with the cleaver. The swooshing blade sheared a third off the rolling pin in my hands with that single strike - it was terrifyingly fast!
Stunned, I failed to react as Master Tang kicked me in the stomach. I reeled back several steps, feeling like I had swallowed fire. My hands ached from the impact, and I had no idea where the pin had flown.
Just then, Huang Xiaotao yelled and pounced on Master Tang from behind, wrapping both hands tightly around his neck in a chokehold.
Like a raging bull, Master Tang thrashed violently to shake her off, repeatedly smashing his body against the wall. I feared Huang Xiaotao would be smashed to death.
After several collisions, Huang Xiaotao went limp and slid off weakly.
Master Tang seized a fistful of her hair and yanked her head up painfully. Huang Xiaotao clawed desperately at his enormous hand, her face contorted in agony as he dangled her by her hair.
Master Tang held the cleaver high overhead.
Seeing the blade about to slash Huang Xiaotao's neck, I disregarded all else and grabbed a sharp boning knife off the wall. I charged Master Tang from behind. Sensing my footsteps, he tried to turn, but it was too late.
With a soft thunk, my knife pierced his lower back, sinking halfway into his body...