The internet, as an integral part of modern society, is both a powerful platform for information dissemination and a breeding ground for criminal activity. Just months after the "Death Livestream" incident had begun to fade from memory, a new, terrifying livestream teaser appeared online. This time, the perpetrator employed more advanced encryption technologies, presenting unprecedented challenges for cybersecurity experts. Once again, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou joined forces to face a new, malignant case.
"It's happening again." Lu Chenzhou's expression turned grim as he read the news. On the screen was an anonymous livestream teaser—blood-red text over an extremely blurry image, accompanied by a menacing countdown that was about to end. It hinted that a new fatal event was imminent. "We can't afford to wait any longer."
A few months prior, a death livestream had shocked the internet. The killer forced victims to make life-or-death decisions on camera. Although the police had responded swiftly, this new teaser proved to be far more complex. There was no clear information about the victim—only a string of encrypted code.
"This encryption isn't simple," cybersecurity expert Bai Yu said sternly from the tech room. "Last time, the killer used basic disguise and concealment techniques. But this time, all streaming signals have been fully encrypted. Even our most advanced decryption programs are struggling to trace it."
"Can we crack it?" Su Wanqing asked, her brow furrowed.
Bai Yu's expression was grave. "It'll take time. This isn't something an amateur could've done. Based on the encryption style, the killer is likely a skilled hacker. However, embedded in the code is a personal tag—possibly an identifier."
Lu Chenzhou mulled it over for a moment before speaking. "If he's a hacker, he knows how to dodge all our tracing systems. But if he's also a serial killer, there must be a consistent pattern—some clue he leaves behind."
To solve the case quickly, Lu Chenzhou and Su Wanqing plunged into the digital world, working closely with Bai Yu to decode the livestream's encrypted signals. Gradually, Bai Yu extracted some key clues: every livestream had a specific time window, during which victims would vanish and only reappear when the stream ended.
"This timing and the consistent disappearances suggest something," Su Wanqing deduced. "The killer isn't just murdering people on livestream—he's deriving pleasure from manipulating their fate. He has a strong obsession with control and timing."
Digging deeper, Bai Yu found that the killer operated from a hidden virtual platform called "Final Countdown," using it to select and control victims. Each livestream was associated with a specific "virtual tag," and there was a clear pattern linking these tags.
"It seems like these virtual tags not only represent victim identities—they're also how the killer chooses his targets," Lu Chenzhou reasoned. "If we crack the tags, we might be able to identify the next victim."
But it wasn't easy. Every victim's tag was tied to a unique digital footprint—subtle traces hidden across the internet. The killer deliberately used these to create an aura of mystery while feeding his growing desire to kill.
Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou knew that only by compiling all the scattered clues could they hope to track down the killer in time. The countdown to death had already begun.
As they continued working on the encryption, a system alert suddenly sounded. Bai Yu's voice rang out again: "I found something! In the latest teaser, there's a faint background noise—a male voice with specific audio distortions. It's likely the killer's audio signature."
This was the breakthrough they needed. Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou immediately focused on analyzing the audio, and gradually identified a suspect with a hacker background—Zhao Yingjie, a tech genius previously investigated for cybercrimes.
Zhao Yingjie was once a brilliant programmer, but had evaded legal consequences using his skills. The deeper the investigation went, the clearer it became: he was more than a hacker—he was a deeply disturbed serial killer.
Zhao's methods were twisted. He murdered through livestreams, savoring each victim's despair and struggle. Every livestream death followed a detailed, manipulative script he had meticulously designed.
Tracking him further, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou finally located his hideout—an abandoned factory. There, they discovered his computer, filled with encrypted programs and recorded livestreams—the very tools he used to control and kill his victims.
"You can never escape," Zhao sneered after being arrested. "Everyone in this digital world is my plaything. I just wanted to watch you squirm, to see you break in the face of death."
His words chilled everyone present. Zhao Yingjie's crimes revealed a darker side of the internet—a space where progress and horror coexisted, and where demons lurked in the shadows.
Though the case ended in heartbreak, Su Wanqing and Lu Chenzhou took with them a hard-earned lesson: in the digital world, every second of silence and apathy can open the door to evil. Their duty was to safeguard justice—no matter where it hid or what form it took.
As the case came to a close, they stood at the finish line, knowing that new threats would always emerge. The depths of the internet still held countless unknown dangers—but together, they would continue to face them, side by side.