Asu Hell

He had an enemy. One he must kill.

Murder is undoubtedly a form of art. Beyond the method itself, the true mastery lies in making oneself invisible afterward—leaving no trace behind. The ultimate assassin is one who can “kill in ten steps and walk away unseen for a thousand miles.”

He wasn't a professional killer, but he had spent ten years meticulously preparing for this murder.

A decade is a long time in a person's life. For him to devote ten years solely to planning a single act of vengeance shows just how deep his hatred ran. His enemy—once a sworn brother—had not only stolen all his wealth, but had also married the woman he loved most.

The past was too painful to revisit. Now, the only thing keeping him alive was the hope of one day ending his enemy’s life with his own hands.

As for how to kill him? He hadn't given it much thought. What he did focus on during these ten years was crafting an airtight alibi—proof that he wouldn’t be anywhere near the crime scene. Any detective knows that a case begins with the evidence left behind and the victim’s personal relationships. If you have an alibi, they can’t touch you.

Later, he realized that even that wasn’t enough. The perfect crime would be one where no connection to the victim existed at all. If there’s no motive, you’re not even a suspect.

But his rivalry with the victim was widely known. Everyone knew how their brotherhood had turned into bitter enmity. If the police began to investigate, it wouldn’t take long before they came knocking on his door.

He was a clever man, and he quickly devised a solution.

First, he had to erase his past completely. While that might be hard for most, it came surprisingly easy to him. Once hailed as the youngest and most promising entrepreneur in Haicheng, he was later sentenced to three years in prison for economic crimes. After his release, he didn’t return home—instead, he wandered north to a major city. During his sentence, both of his aging parents had passed away. His remaining relatives, once fawning over him during his glory days, had long since abandoned him.

While he was in prison, his so-called brother claimed all his assets and even sent a wedding invitation—to marry his lover—right into his jail cell.

It was then he realized that the person who betrayed him was the one he trusted most. The betrayal had been premeditated all along.

Regret turned to rage, and vengeance became his only reason to live.

He never returned to Haicheng again. He intended to sever all ties with his past.

In China, it’s not impossible to live under a false identity. He once met a man who had been on the run for seven years after committing murder, hiding in a remote western village, even starting a family. But one day, a local cop happened to spot his wanted poster online. He was dragged out of bed in the middle of the night by a SWAT team.

So no, disappearing wasn’t enough.

The only real way to vanish was to become someone else.

He’d once read about a fugitive who became a top chef in another city. He might have lived in peace—until he entered a national cooking contest, won the championship, and got his photo in the papers. That’s when the police caught on.

His lesson? If you change your name, you must change your face.

He was not the type to live quietly. Without revenge, he could have rebuilt his life. But hate had consumed him.

Over the next ten years, everything went according to plan. He met a man who looked like him—similar height, facial features, and, crucially, someone who had no remaining family ties. The man came from a distant mountain village, and his parents were long dead. He’d left home over a decade ago, and no one had heard from him since.

He was perfect.

They exchanged identities.

With blurry ID photos and their close resemblance, no one could tell the difference. He now had a new name—and a new life. He would rebuild from here.

Ten years later, his business had grown tremendously. He even appeared frequently in various media outlets.

By then, he was convinced—even if his enemy stood face-to-face with him, he wouldn’t be recognized.

In the past decade, he had "lost" his ID card four times. Each time before renewing it, he underwent minor plastic surgery. The changes were subtle, but for a successful entrepreneur, replacing an ID was never difficult. Over time, these four procedures had altered his appearance significantly, though the gradual process meant no one around him noticed.

The man with whom he had swapped identities had vanished from the world. Two years earlier, he had still been living a quiet, prosperous life in the northern city—a life he had traded for. He ran a clothing store, had a wife, and a daughter. He rarely spoke of his past, though people eventually learned he had once been in prison. No one knew why.

Two years ago, he was killed in a sudden car accident. His body was cremated soon after.

It was an accident—abrupt and unavoidable. His wife later discovered his savings account, with enough money to support her and their daughter for the rest of their lives.

No one ever linked his death to anyone else.

Now, finally, he could carry out the murder. No one on earth knew who he truly was. Still, he waited another two years.

Two years later, he returned to Haicheng in secret.

Using a fake ID, he checked into a shabby motel. No one would believe someone of his status would stay in such a place. He followed his soon-to-be-dead enemy and waited until the man was home alone. Then, he knocked on the door of the 11th-floor apartment.

His enemy looked confused when he saw the stranger at his door. Once inside, he revealed his identity. Caught off guard, the man panicked. But he told him he wasn’t here for revenge anymore. Ten years had passed, and he just wanted a bit of money to live in peace. He even pretended to be embarrassed and downcast, giving the impression that life had been hard on him.

Everything played out just as expected. His enemy’s expression softened, and when he handed over the check, there was even a touch of old camaraderie.

“If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come to me. We’re brothers, after all. I’ll help you,” the man said.

Just as he raised his head to hand over the check, he was struck hard on the forehead. He blacked out. In that final moment of consciousness, he could sense death looming.

He didn’t know how long he was out. When he opened his eyes, the man who had stolen his wealth and wife was smiling at him.

Before he could speak, his body was suddenly falling backward.

He had been pushed out the window.

Thus ended the ten-year murder plan. Throwing his enemy from the window was unexpectedly satisfying. Death had occurred—there was no turning back. Now, all he had to do was leave Haicheng and return to his own city.

The head wound on the corpse clearly pointed to murder. But he and the victim had no known connection. In a country of over a billion people, it was impossible for the police to find him.

He had left no fingerprints or identifying traces at the scene. After a quick glance around the apartment, he walked out. Downstairs, a crowd had already gathered—focused entirely on the body. No one paid attention to the stranger leaving in a hurry.

He had to leave before the police sealed off the area.

The crowd was thick around the body. As he passed by, he caught a strong scent of blood.

What a perfect murder. One worthy of academic study. It was a shame no one would ever know the truth.

He was leaving Haicheng for good. He would never return.

And leaving was easy. He did it.

Two days later, he was already back in the northern city, a thousand miles away. He was now the CEO of a famous private enterprise, with no business ties to Haicheng—not even a footprint in that coastal city in northern Jiangsu.

His life remained unchanged. His heart was calm. Over the past ten years, he had killed his enemy in his mind countless times. In a way, the murder had become a habit. It would not affect his current life.

Until three months later, when the police knocked on his door.

They had a warrant—and a sketch.

He was dumbfounded. He didn’t even feel fear. How could this be? That was a perfect murder, planned for ten years. How had they found him so quickly?

Eventually, he learned the truth.

No one survives a fall from the eleventh floor.

Except… his enemy did.

He had landed on a boy.

The boy was only thirteen. He had been walking beneath the building when the falling man struck him square on the head.

The victim lay in a coma for over two months before finally waking up. He gave the police a detailed account of what happened. Based on his description, they created a composite sketch that looked just like him.

The boy, meanwhile, still lay in a hospital bed.

Doctors said his chances of waking were slim, but not impossible. And as long as there’s a chance, there’s hope.

So, the boy remained there—for years.

Years later—