Chapter 45 Brave Child!
Today was a very tiring day for Fangfang.
Getting up early to go to school and playing silly games with other kids who seem to know nothing is pure torture.
The little genius villain has absolutely no interest in the lesson plan of sorting building blocks. How childish! Won't the other students protest?
Then, after lunch, going to the nap room for a nap was also a dilemma for the young master. The children's bed in the hillside villa was specially made by his father; lying on it felt like rolling on a cloud. The bunk bed in the pigeon coop at the Wong Chuk Hang Police Academy was a bit more basic, but having just reunited with his niece, he was the happiest child and slept soundly. As for his own home with Qingzai, it was even more wonderful; the blankets were sun-dried by Aunt Ping every day, smelling warm and cozy, and Qingzai's stories would drift into his ears…
Anyway, wherever you sleep is better than kindergarten.
The kindergarten children were very obedient. As soon as the teacher spoke, they obediently closed their eyes on their little beds. The young master observed each one and found that none of them were pretending to be asleep.
Why are you all so honest?
Fangfang spent the whole day observing. The unfamiliar kindergarten, the unfamiliar teachers, the unfamiliar children... He was like an Ultraman who had accidentally wandered into this unknown world, always feeling that he was different from them. He kept a straight face and didn't say a word to anyone.
A little prince, but with a lot of arrogance.
In the children's room, Fangfang's incessant baby chatter gradually subsided. His eyelids were already drooping, but his chubby little fingers were still stubbornly hooked around Zhu Qing's index finger.
Zhu Qing looked down at Fangfang's little hand.
Just like last time when she had a fever, she clung tightly to her arms like a little koala, and today, Shengfang is also very clingy.
When she picked him up from school in the afternoon, Teacher Ji specifically stopped her and added a few more words.
Ms. Ji is an experienced early childhood educator who can keenly perceive children's emotional fluctuations. When the principal reviewed Sheng Fang's application materials after the interview, she made a special mark on this child's file. The child was exceptionally intelligent, but children who mature too early often keep their feelings hidden deeper.
What is that child in the classroom who keeps looking at the clock worried about? Is Fangfang worried that his niece will be late, or that she will forget him?
Behind me came the sound of Aunt Ping gently pushing open the door.
Zhu Qing's thoughts were interrupted.
Aunt Ping held the constantly flashing pager in her hand and lowered her voice: "Qingqing, the police station is calling you."
Zhu Qing now has a mobile phone, but the police station's emergency notifications are still sent via pager, since the paging service can ensure that every officer receives the notification.
The melodious sounds of Cantonese opera lingered in her ears. Aunt Ping held a radio in one hand and handed a pager to Zhu Qing with the other.
"I was worried about waking the young master, so I immediately turned off the sound." Aunt Ping gestured towards the children's room. "It's still ringing, you'd better turn it off quickly."
Zhu Qing gently pried open Sheng Fang's loosely clenched hands and covered him with the blanket.
If it weren't for an emergency, the police wouldn't have called at this hour. More than a month has passed since the murder of Fong Chung-sing, the owner of a music store in Wan Chai. Even the sweltering summer heat has almost passed peacefully. But now, this tranquility has finally been broken by a late-night notification.
Zhu Qing returned the call, changed her clothes, and went out.
Aunt Ping quickened her pace and caught up to the door. When she heard a rustling sound, she immediately turned around. It was the curtains being blown by the wind and fluttering in the darkness.
The radio broke down at the worst possible time—
Even Aunt Ping, who is usually very steady, became easily startled.
Aunt Ping was a little flustered and couldn't even concentrate on listening to her favorite Cantonese opera channel anymore.
She asked, "Qingqing, you just said on the phone that you were going to 17 Mei Kok Street, Sai Wan?"
If she remembered correctly, that address was very ominous.
Zhu Qing didn't keep them in suspense: "It's the address from the radio broadcast."
Aunt Ping gasped.
"Aunt Ping," Zhu Qing patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Home can't be any scarier than a haunted house halfway up the mountain."
Aunt Ping was somewhat surprised; just as the young master had said, her niece was joking. But she couldn't laugh. Living halfway up the mountain was different; at least in the servants' quarters of the Sheng family mansion, she hadn't heard any strange noises, but just now…
She heard the water ghost speaking on the radio!
"It's alright, just close the doors and windows and take good care of Fangfang," Zhu Qing said. "I'm leaving now."
"Qingqing—"
Be careful!
The footsteps were hurried, and then a "ding" sounded as the elevator doors opened.
Zhu Qing entered the elevator, and her footsteps faded into the distance.
At this time, the new car her uncle bought for her came in very handy.
Accompanied by the deep roar of the SUV engine in the dead of night, Zhu Qing steadily parked the car in front of No. 17, Sai Wan Mei Kok Street.
When she got out of the car, she put on her police badge.
At 11 p.m., Sai Wan Mei Kok Street looked deserted, with only a few shops on the ground floor, all of which were closed. The most eye-catching shop was a paper craft shop.
Madam walked with a brisk pace.
Haozai rushed to her car in one stride, his eyes shining.
"Wow, this is a great car! It's definitely an original part!"
"Please take me back to Yuen Long after work!"
"Sure." Zhu Qing adjusted her police badge, looked up at the building, and asked, "What's the situation here?"
"We just arrived. The on-duty police officer received an emergency call. A group of people were having a class reunion. Apparently, they were listening to a show called 'Yin Yang' while having a party, looking for some excitement."
"Unexpectedly, they heard their classmate's voice. At first, they just thought the voice sounded familiar, but after checking the listener's name, it matched perfectly. A group of them immediately called the radio station to connect. The atmosphere at that moment... wow!"
“You know, radio programs always have a fixed audience and high listenership. With such a bizarre incident, even sleeping listeners would probably be woken up! Inspector Weng will definitely send out our entire team, after all, we need to give the public an explanation.”
Zhu Qing: "Is the listener's name You Minmin?"
Haozai asked in surprise, "You also have a habit of listening to the radio?"
Mo Sir's deep voice came from the No. 17 residential building—
A female corpse was found in the bathtub in the bathroom.
Haozai, who had been speaking in a relaxed tone, suddenly caught his breath and his smile vanished.
"No way... this is so weird?"
...
17 Mei Kok Street, Sai Wan is an old tenement building.
Mo Zhenbang and his men knocked on the door outside. They could hear faint sounds coming from inside occasionally, but no one answered after a long time. So the police broke in.
The sounds echoing in every corner of the house were actually the sound of a radio broadcast.
The "Yin Yang" program had ended, and other programs were playing now, the cheerful music like the prelude to a spring outing. As Zhu Qing and Hao Zai went upstairs, Mo Sir happened to reach out and turn off the radio in the bathroom.
The broadcast stopped abruptly, and they followed the direction in which it was directed.
The restroom at the end of the corridor was small, with yellowed tiles on the walls and buckets and mops piled up in the corner; it was far from clean.
Zeng Yongshan stood at the door without moving.
Liang Qikai walked over and asked, "Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?"
“I’m fine,” she said. “I didn’t sleep well last night and went to bed early just now. I suddenly received a notification before I was fully awake.”
She involuntarily hugged her arms tightly: "Why does it feel so eerie, even colder than a morgue?"
Zhu Qing: "Autumn is almost here."
Perhaps it was because the night was too quiet, but even the sound of brakes coming from the street corner downstairs was very noticeable.
When Cheng Xinglang came up, he was carrying a scene investigation kit, with his assistant recorder following behind him.
When he saw Zhu Qing, he nodded slightly.
In the cramped restroom, several police officers were busy collecting evidence.
This is a typical old-fashioned residential bathroom, with a decor style that remains from over a decade ago. There's no modern bathtub; instead, an old wooden tub sits in the center. The paint on the tub's rim is peeling and chipped, and several empty medicine bottles and two wine bottles lie askew beside it. A strong, lingering smell of alcohol fills everyone's nostrils.
In the bathtub, the body of a young woman floats on her back.
The deceased had a youthful face, appearing to be no more than twenty years old. There were cuts on the corners of her mouth, and several obvious red marks were visible on her neck. Even more horrifying was that her wrists and ankles were bound with nylon ropes, the surface fibers of which were loose and covered with slippery limescale.
The forensic team members carefully collected every piece of physical evidence.
Medicine bottles, scattered powder, a wine bottle, undried alcohol stains on the deceased's lips, and wounds on her mouth and neck. Every piece of evidence that might provide clues to the case was placed into an evidence bag.
In addition, there was a hard-covered collection of essays on the ground next to the bathtub.
The water stains on the pages were obvious, caused by splashes of water from the deceased's struggles... The paper got wet and then dried, leaving wrinkles.
It is clear that the death occurred while the person was taking a bath.
The atmosphere suddenly froze, and some people subconsciously stepped back, turning their heads away, unwilling to look directly at each other.
Zhu Qing took a deep breath and forced herself to take a few steps forward.
Mo Sir noticed that her fingertips were trembling slightly.
This police academy's top graduate scored nearly full marks in the theoretical exam, but ultimately, the knowledge from books couldn't withstand the impact of facing corpses.
Dr. Cheng gestured to his assistant to hand Zhu Qing a pair of thick rubber gloves, then subtly turned to the side, his figure obscuring the corpse's distorted face.
He pried open the deceased's eyelids; the sound of his taut rubber gloves creaking was particularly jarring in the silence. The eyes were wide open, the corneas already beginning to cloud, the pupils dilated into two black holes.
The water reflected the bathroom ceiling tiles, casting eerie light spots in the deceased's eyes.
The recorder lowered his head and quickly wrote down the scene record.
The deceased was a woman, approximately 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing about 100 pounds. She was wearing a white cotton bathrobe at the time of death. The lacerations at the corners of her mouth had clean edges, there were three abrasions on her neck, and the wrists and ankles showed identical signs of binding.
Dr. Cheng gently pressed on the deceased's chest with his right hand to assess the degree of rigor mortis.
"The preliminary assessment is that it was a drowning." He turned his head, his voice steady and professional. "Due to the low water temperature, the cooling rate of the body was affected, and the time of death was between one and two hours ago."
As soon as he finished speaking, Dr. Cheng used tweezers to place the floating fibers into the evidence bag.
He added, "We'll have to wait for the autopsy to confirm."
"Does a water ghost pull your feet?" Zeng Yongshan's voice was very soft.
Suddenly, she felt a chill on her ankle, and jumped up in fright, staggering back a few steps. Just as she was about to hit the wall, Liang Qikai caught her.
Zeng Yongshan turned around and saw Xu Jiale squatting on the ground, poking her ankle with the corner of the evidence bag, with a triumphant smile on his face.
"Are you crazy?" Liang Qikai pulled Xu Jiale away.
Zeng Yongshan was so frightened that her face turned pale.
The other officers felt a tightness in their chests, as if something was blocking their throats, and they also lowered their voices.
"Could it really be a ghost call?"
"This building is an old house; the houses on either side have all been vacated long ago. There's a paper craft shop downstairs. Did you see the faded obituary posted outside the shop? I heard the owner only—"
"The radio was playing something, and the host of the paranormal program happened to be talking about water ghosts!"
"There were only the victim's footprints in the bathroom... How could someone have drowned in the bathtub with their hands and feet bound by nylon rope?"
"Enough." Mo Zhenbang tapped his notebook with his pen. "Ghost calls? I think it's a case of the living pretending to be gods but the ghosts being the ones to be fooled."
"Mr. Mo, you mean... murder?"
"Otherwise what?" Inspector Leung retorted. "If we believe the story of the water ghost claiming our lives, then we're the ones being led by the nose by the murderer."
...
The radio call from the unknown person allowed the police to quickly identify the deceased.
The deceased, Yau Man-man, was nineteen years old and had just graduated from Heung To Man Tak Secondary School last year. She worked as a shop assistant in a record store in Causeway Bay. She originally lived with her brother and parents at No. 17 Mei Kok Street. Two years ago, her brother got married and moved away. Recently, their child had been frequently sick with colds, and the elderly couple, feeling sorry for their grandson, decided to move to their son and daughter-in-law's house to help them take care of the child.
You Minmin was alone at home when she was found drowned in the bathtub.
At midnight, the police informed Yu Minmin's family of her death.
During the phone call, they clearly stated that the on-site evidence collection phase was still underway, and that we should go directly to the burial room to wait.
However, at 12:15, the deceased's parents still insisted on arriving at the scene downstairs.
Police are still collecting evidence at the scene and have cordoned off the area to prevent them from entering.
You Minmin's parents wept outside, collapsing to the ground, their hands gripping the police tape tightly.
As Zeng Yongshan came downstairs, the young police officer turned around and said helplessly, "Senior sister—"
"Leave it to me."
Zeng Yongshan stood in front of You Minmin's parents.
“Evidence is still being collected at the scene. Going up now would destroy the evidence…” Zeng Yongshan said gently. “Besides, you might not be able to accept such a scene.”
The deceased's mother clutched Zeng Yongshan's hand, crying out, "Let me see my daughter, let me see my daughter... How could Minmin..."
Her father repeatedly left messages on his son's pager from a nearby public phone booth, but no one called back.
This was destined to be a turbulent night.
The officers of Major Crimes Unit B were suddenly jolted awake from their leisurely state and began their investigation according to established procedures.
Zeng Yongshan followed procedure and first took preliminary statements from the deceased's parents.
They slumped down on the steps in front of the paper shop, their cries echoing in the quiet alley, lingering for a long time.
“I’ve seen too many scenes like this, but every time I see parents lose their children, it still hurts…” Zeng Yongshan sighed.
The chaotic scene lasted until 1:30 p.m. before You Minmin's brother rushed to the scene.
He reeked of alcohol: "Sorry, I was at a business dinner just now. Dad, Mom, how's Minmin?"
...
They didn't leave the scene until the early hours of the morning, returning to the police station to continue processing case files. Newly reported homicides always involve numerous and complex clues, with too many details requiring filing and analysis.
The officers of Team B, now wound up again, gradually got into the swing of things, and by the time they finally finished their work and left the police station, it was just past 3 a.m.
Before leaving, Mo Zhenbang instructed Zhu Qing to go to the forensic office and ask Dr. Cheng to conduct a thorough examination of the alcohol concentration in the deceased's stomach.
When the work was finally over, peace returned to her ears, but her mind was still buzzing, like static from a stuck radio.
Cheng Xinglang's gaze fell on her unconsciously trembling fingertips.
He handed her a glass of warm water: "Don't drink coffee anymore."
Swelling skin, cloudy pupils... those images seem to be imprinted in my mind, and they are still vivid in my memory.
Dr. Cheng said that coffee can worsen hand tremors.
"And you?" Zhu Qing asked, holding a cup of warm water.
"I'm going out to buy a bowl of congee," Cheng Xinglang asked. "Want some fish congee?"
Zhu Qing moved here from the Huangzhukeng Police Academy, and when she has free time, she often goes out with Sheng Fang.
But she didn't realize that there was a porridge stall that was open all night near her home.
The aroma of rice mingled with the fresh scent of fish slices, carrying the unique smoky flavor of a roadside stall, wafting in the wind.
Zhu Qing thought that Aunt Ping's porridge was probably tastier.
"Yours." Cheng Xinglang bought an extra one and handed it to her.
They walked together, then stopped downstairs at Zhu Qing's house to say goodbye.
Cheng Xinglang walked a short distance away, then she suddenly turned back.
He continued walking towards the police station.
Zhu Qing remembered what Uncle Li had said: there was a folding bed in the forensic room, and he wasn't used to returning to that bloodstained home at night.
She looked away.
At the same time, something else came to mind—
She left her car at the police station!
She drove from Sai Wan back to the police station, and now she's left there.
I forgot to drive such a big car back; I'm going to get scolded by my elders again tomorrow...
Bathed in moonlight, Zhu Qing walked into the apartment building.
When she took out the key to open the door, she moved very quietly, afraid of waking Fangfang and Aunt Ping. She didn't even dare to turn on the main light in the living room, but turned on a small kitchen light, sat at the dining table, and opened the fish porridge.
The fish slices were very thin, and when the spoon was stirred, the tender white fish slices trembled slightly on the surface of the porridge.
This congee with freshly cooked fish fillets has a unique aroma that comes from slow simmering in a clay pot. Zhu Qing scooped up a spoonful, and the fish fillets were so tender that they hardly needed to be chewed. The rice congee, coated with spicy ginger shreds, burst with flavor on her lips and teeth.
She sipped it slowly, one sip at a time.
As my tense nerves relaxed, I caught a glimpse of a small schoolbag in the entryway.
I don't know when it started, but that place became my uncle's designated spot for putting his schoolbag. Every time he took the schoolbag to Aunt Ping's room, after a while, Aunt Ping would notice and bring the schoolbag back out.
They never seemed to discuss the "ownership" of the backpack, always going through this process in tacit agreement. It was unclear whether they were competing or simply confused.
It is now clear that Aunt Ping has won a temporary victory.
Zhu Qing's gaze fell on the small schoolbag, and she fixed her gaze on it for a moment in the dim light emanating from the kitchen.
Inside Fangfang's schoolbag were several small handkerchiefs embroidered with his name, which Aunt Ping had prepared for the little gentleman so that he could take care of himself at kindergarten.
Now, the small handkerchief is wrapped several times and tied to the pull tab at the top of the backpack.
The little boy is imitating his mother.
Tie a silk scarf to the expensive handle of a designer handbag?
Zhu Qing couldn't help but laugh out loud, then quickly covered her mouth.
If I wake Fangfang up, I'll have to tell him idiom stories again.
...
As the morning sunlight streamed into the house, Aunt Ping had already prepared breakfast.
Two breakfasts were prepared entirely according to Zhu Qing and Sheng Fang's preferences. She smiled and said that these were their work meals and study meals.
In fact, Zhu Qing doesn't usually take the initiative to coax Sheng Fang to sleep.
Last night was a special case; it was the first day of school. She didn't know if Fangfang would throw a tantrum, and if he didn't want to go to kindergarten, it would take a long time to persuade him.
Madam Zhu wasn't so free; she was chasing after the young master, coaxing him to go to school.
The spoon accidentally hit the bottom of the bowl, making a crisp sound.
When the children finished their breakfast and washed up, they came out with water droplets on their faces, already changed into their school uniforms.
He slung the small water bottle over his shoulder and ran quickly into the kitchen.
"Young master, do you need to drink water?" Aunt Ping quickly followed up, "Let me help you."
Shengfang turned her little head away: "Do your own things yourself."
The whole process went incredibly smoothly. When Fangfang, wearing the limited-edition sneakers that Aunt Ping had queued up to buy, stood by the door and knocked on the door with her little hand, urging everyone to hurry up—
Zhu Qing almost didn't react.
Is this the same baby she dragged onto the school bus yesterday?
"No more fuss today?"
The young master, carrying his "designer" little backpack, slung it over his shoulder and said, "I'm not some timid, shy kid."
The second half of her sentence was swallowed back by Shengfang, but her sparkling eyes said it all.
He's a brave kid!
Qingzai has to go to work, and Baobao has to go to school.
They are all very busy.
The uncle and nephew encouraged each other at the school bus stop.
"Take it easy, you need to study hard."
"Qingzi, put your heart into your work!" Sheng Fang clenched his fist to encourage Zhu Qing, "Hang in there!"
Aunt Ping stood to the side, chuckling to herself. She helped the young master put his schoolbag on his back and saw him into the car.
My child is three and a half years old and doesn't need family members to accompany him to and from school.
The kindergarten school bus stopped in front of Fangfang. He took his short legs, grabbed the handrail by the door, and got on the bus, thus taking his first step to go to school alone.
On the school bus, the children sat obediently in their seats.
There were no seats by the window today, so the young master stood in front of a little girl.
"Can we switch seats?"
"OK!"
The children were able to sit by the window as they wished, their little faces pressed against the brightly clean car window, their features squashed flat.
"What are you looking at?" the little girl asked.
Shengfang: "My niece is a police officer."
No one asked his niece what she did for a living.
At this moment, Zhu Qing walked towards the Yau Ma Tei Police Station, but in fact, he could not see the police station's main entrance from where he was sitting.
Fang Fang just wanted everyone to know that his niece is a police officer!
Niece?
The little girl seemed to understand, but not quite, and peeked her head out: "Are they police officers solving a case?"
Shengfang remained silent, only gesturing with her small hand as if she were holding a gun.
"It's from the Major Crimes Unit." Sheng Fang put away his "gun," his tone arrogant. "He was out handling a case last night."
Of course, the baby didn't see it with his own eyes; he was sleeping very soundly.
It was his informant, Aunt Ping, who told him.
"Wow—Major Crimes Unit!" the little girl asked. "What case?"
Fangfang, with a mysterious expression, said, "This is a police internal secret, and I can't disclose it."
"Oh, so you didn't know either."
Fang Sir: ?
This little girl was the first person I met in kindergarten.
They weren't really friends. She was too young, and Fangfang and she didn't have much in common. They just exchanged names.
"My name is Shengfang." He imitated an adult, stretching out his chubby little hand.
The other person extended their equally chubby little hand.
What's your nickname?
This gets right to the heart of the matter.
He proudly announced the nickname his niece had given him: "Fangfang".
"My name is Little Coconut Flakes," the new friend said in a sweet, friendly voice, "like the coconut flakes in coconut mochi!"
Qingzai is right, the second day of school is more interesting than the first day.
Shengfang has adapted to the silly games arranged by the teacher and can barely play with them for a while. However, the little master is used to being unrestrained at home, and when playing with beads, he didn't sit up straight. Instead, he lay on the clean floor, turning into a human mop and dragging it around.
Children this age love to imitate. If one falls down, three or five will follow suit.
Of course, Teacher Ji couldn't let them do that, otherwise, if everyone was lying down during class, she would have a hard time managing it.
Teacher Ji clapped her hands and asked everyone to sit up straight.
"You have to sit down and string the beads," the teacher said softly.
“You can string them while lying down,” Sheng Fang said.
Teacher Ji patiently explained, "Lying down while stringing beads will affect your child's concentration. Simply put, it will be easy to make mistakes in both the color and the number of beads."
Shengfang handed the beads to Teacher Ji: "There are no mistakes."
What an impervious little brat!
What's frustrating is that this game, designed to improve a baby's hand-eye coordination, is played so smoothly and quickly by the child, it's practically flawless. But you can't just let him lie there playing like that, right? It's class time!
Teacher Ji was quite troubled, completely at a loss for words.
"Teacher," Sheng Fang asked, "can I take this bead home?"
The strung beads together make a small bracelet.
He remembered that Qingzai's wrist was bare, so he could give her a string of beads.
“These are kindergarten teaching materials, used in class, and you can’t take them away.” Teacher Ji coughed lightly and whispered in his ear, “Unless you can sit up.”
He rolled over on the floor and sat up.
Okay—I'll play along with her.
Teacher Ji breathed a sigh of relief, then sighed again.
She was happy during the first week of the class, as all the children were well-behaved and easy to manage. Unexpectedly, a week later, some children who had asked for leave returned to school.
He turned out to be a rebellious kid.
With this child in the class, the difficulty of the lessons increased several times over.
However, rebellious young masters also have their advantages.
While other children spill food all over the floor, he eats slowly and methodically, which makes things easier for the teacher.
However, during the lunch break, the young master still sat on the upper bunk and acted as a patrolman.
He blinked, looked around, and counted. Including him, there were thirteen children in the class.
The other twelve are all sleeping. Are they that tired?
Children should go to bed early at night so they won't feel so sleepy at school during the day.
Each time I looked around to the end, my gaze would always meet that of Teacher Ji.
At this moment, Teacher Ji stood up, walked to his bedside, patted his back, and gestured for him to lie down.
Teachers don't lull children to sleep, otherwise their hands would go numb from clapping.
The blossoms were suppressed, then rose again; suppressed, then rose again…
Finally, Teacher Ji gave up and dragged her tired body back to her seat.
Sheng Fang thought that Teacher Ji's eyelids were drooping, she must be very sleepy.
Actually, he could go down to work as a patrol officer, and it wouldn't be a problem for her to sleep in this bed.
Unfortunately, Ms. Ji was very responsible and she was unwilling.
Fangfang understood; she also wanted to be a patrol officer.
The daily life in kindergarten is divided by the lunch break.
When the children wake up from their afternoon nap and have a snack, it's almost time for school to end.
In addition to Teacher Ji, there are two other childcare workers working with her in the class.
Shengfang had fed herself until she was full, and her little hands tapped on the table, the tapping sounds light and cheerful. School was about to end, and no one was happier than her.
When school was over, Shengfang was the first to put on her little schoolbag. Not every child takes the school bus home; some parents pick them up in person, just like Fangfang yesterday, whose niece waited at the door.
But things were different this time. His niece was busy with work and couldn't spare the time, so the young master stopped indulging in yesterday's joy and walked happily out of the school.
The little girl he had just met that morning was walking with him.
Standing at the kindergarten gate, Shengfang waved: "Nuomici, bye-bye."
"My name is Little Coconut," Little Coconut said. "Bye-bye."
After they finished speaking, the two children boarded the school bus together.
So we haven't said goodbye yet.
...
The radio station's newly launched paranormal program, "Yin Yang," was originally intended as a niche program airing late at night. However, on its premiere day, it coincided with a "ghost call" incident, which garnered extensive media coverage, making the program an overnight sensation and sparking citywide discussion.
"I went to the restaurant to buy milk tea just now, and Sister Xiao asked me if I was a vengeful spirit seeking revenge."
"Ming, the kitchen staff member, said that he took the bus to the police station in the morning and heard many people say that it must be a water ghost looking for a substitute."
"I heard that during the phone call, there was a loud sound of water, as if the deceased was trying to break free of the water but was being held up."
Uncle Li laughed: "A water ghost is so weak, it can't even hold the dead person back by itself, so it has to use nylon rope to tie her hands and feet?"
Regardless, public opinion has continued to ferment.
During the meeting, Mo Zhenbang assigned tasks, and Zhu Qing and Uncle Li went to the radio station to record a statement from Situ Peiling, the host of the "Yin Yang" program.
Situ Peiling's voice was not sweet; instead, it was low and hoarse.
In the radio station's guest room, she said that her voice was not originally popular, but the newly launched paranormal program needed that kind of tone, as if it was tailor-made for her.
Unfortunately, the show was canceled shortly after it was launched.
After such an incident, I'm afraid the radio station's superiors will no longer allow the program to continue.
“Usually, the listener calls are arranged in advance. We made a script related to the theme of water ghosts... I’m not afraid of being laughed at by the officers and madams. After all, it’s the first episode, and the higher-ups are very concerned about the show’s effect. Even the listeners who call in are our internal staff pretending to be people. Of course, the hotline number I gave is real, it’s just that you might not be able to get through.”
"But yesterday, the program had just started and the equipment wasn't fully set up yet, and somehow real listeners called in."
"This situation really tests the host's ability to react on the spot."
There was a delay of a few seconds between the broadcast of the program and Situ Peiling receiving the phone call.
She recalled that when she heard the sound of water on the other end of the phone, she thought it was a prank by a colleague. But gradually, she realized that something was wrong. The breathing on the other end was very light, and the other person was repeating that they had died in the bathtub. Just thinking about the scene made her skin crawl.
“That person—” Situ Peiling frowned and spoke cautiously, cold sweat beading on her forehead, “the deceased? After she hung up the phone, I felt something was off, but the show still had to continue recording, so I answered the next call.”
But the staff who arranged the connection were also startled. In their haste, they forgot to switch lines, so the second call that came in was from a listener.
"They said it was You Minmin's classmate, and they confirmed the voice was You Minmin's," Situ Peiling said. "They also said that You Minmin isn't a person who likes to joke around, so could something really have happened to her?"
"At that time, our viewership ratings set a new high for recent programs."
"But it was really too scary... I was so distracted that I took the stories I had prepared and read some urban legends about water ghosts to everyone, and then I ended the show abruptly."
"Later, the police informed me that the phone call might have been made by the deceased... I still get chills when I think about it now."
The radio station provided the police with the original recordings from last night.
"Keep it safe," Uncle Li said to Zhu Qing. "Take it back to the police station and let the technical department do a complete and accurate data analysis."
...
The most crucial thing in the early stages of a case is to maintain a clear mind, calmly analyze the situation, and eliminate irrelevant clues.
The officers from Major Crimes Unit B thought they would have to work overtime tonight, but Inspector Mo's arrangements were well-organized, compressing all the work into the daytime and completing it efficiently. As soon as it was time to leave work, he sent everyone home to rest.
"We stayed up until 3 a.m. last night, and everyone's eyes were as red as rabbits'."
"Go home and get some sleep right away! Your health comes first."
Of course, you cannot leave directly through the police station gate.
To avoid being surrounded by Inspector Ong, Mok Chun-pong instructed everyone to pass through the back alley, a method he was very experienced in.
The police officers, who were perfectly normal, were acting suspiciously on their way home. Several young men were so nervous they were shaking with suppressed laughter.
Where can you find such a considerate supervisor? Since the previous inspector was transferred, Team B has continued to operate normally, but Mo Zhenbang is only a sergeant after all, which is not high enough. If he does not take the inspector's exam, a new inspector will be transferred sooner or later.
“When that time comes…” Haozai said, “our good days will be over.”
"Zhu Qing," Zeng Yongshan asked out of the corner of her eye, "what's that bag in your hand?"
Zhu Qing was carrying a packaging bag.
I bought it at the chain electronics store when I came out of the radio station with Uncle Li.
"Aunt Ping's radio is broken," Zhu Qing said. "I was just passing by, so I bought her a new one."
Last night, Aunt Ping was so frightened that her hands were trembling. I guess she won't dare to listen to Cantonese opera for a long time.
That familiar singing voice no longer echoed in the house at night.
She and her uncle might not be used to it yet.
...
Aunt Ping quietly put the old-fashioned radio into the cabinet, and even removed the batteries.
She still felt lingering fear when she thought about what happened last night. It was bad enough that it scared her, but what if the young master, who was still a child, got another "ghost call" on the radio in the middle of the night?
And then there's Qingqing. As a madam, her job involves dealing with vicious criminals. If she doesn't get enough rest, things could get really bad.
Aunt Ping closed the cabinet door, withdrew her hand, and looked somewhat reluctant.
However, to everyone's surprise, when Zhu Qing came home from get off work, she brought back a new radio.
"Aunt Ping, bring me the old one to take a look," she said.
Fangfang knew that his niece was very capable; she could not only catch thieves, but also repair machines.
She immediately figured out the cause of the radio malfunction: the tuning knob was not flexible enough and was stuck on one station.
This is an old relic, it's been with Aunt Ping for who knows how many years, there's no need to repair it anymore.
She turned on the brand-new radio: "I'll use this from now on."
Aunt Ping stroked the packaging box, reluctant to open it.
She had seen this brand with a string of English letters; it looked very high-end. Actually, any radio will do. Her previous one, which she'd picked up casually at the pharmacy cashier, was cheap and she'd listened to it for years.
“It’s different,” Sheng Fang said. “The sound quality is much better!”
Aunt Ping's nose tingled, and her eyes welled up with tears.
She touched the machine's casing: "I won't encounter ghosts anymore..."
"There are no ghosts." Zhu Qing opened the instruction manual and taught Aunt Ping how to tune the radio, casually saying, "The public opinion is in an uproar; people are scarier than ghosts."
It's just that someone is using the guise of "paranormal events" to cover up the truth.
...
"Qingzai—"
Before going to bed that night, Shengfang discovered another small box inside the packaging bag of the chain electronics store.
The box had four words written on it—
The Magic Sound Box.
The box was empty; the contents had been removed. Shengfang asked Aunt Ping what it was, as she was examining her new radio, completely captivated by it.
"I don't know, young master."
Qingzai's door was closed.
Whenever she began to seriously study the case, the door would be tightly closed, and the young master would walk quietly, his ear pressed against the door.
“Hello, hello, hello—” A strange male voice came from the room.
Fangfang froze, even the strands of hair sticking up on her head froze, and she shrank her neck.
They even held their breath.
Zhu Qing was trying out her newly bought voice changer in her bedroom.
The detailed forensic report is not yet available, and the case is still in the initial investigation phase; no clear direction has been identified yet. She never believed in superstitions, but how did You Minmin's voice appear during a radio interview?
The notebook was still open, covered with dense writing. Zhu Qing considered several possibilities.
First, at that time, You Minmin was still alive and struggling.
But she had listened to the radio recordings several times, and it was clearly wrong. The deceased's voice didn't sound panicked at the time; it was as if they were deliberately creating an eerie atmosphere.
It felt like being truly possessed by a water ghost.
Or perhaps the murderer impersonated You Minmin and called the radio station?
Voice changers can indeed alter a person's voice, but Zhu Qing only realized how simple it was after buying one and trying it out at home.
The voice altered by the voice changer has obvious electronic noise.
Stiff and cold, it's absolutely impossible to create the atmosphere of a radio interview.
Moreover, how could You Minmin's classmates possibly recognize her based solely on the distorted voice from the transformation device?
Zhu Qing lowered her head and fiddled with the "Phantom Sound Box".
"Hello—" She switched modes back and forth, the voice changer distorting her voice into a rough male voice, "I bought it for nothing."
The sound of the door being gently pushed open came from behind.
Fangfang tilted her head, her round eyes staring at her intently.
"Where's Qingzai?" he asked.
The young master's lips curled down, and his clear black and white eyes showed confusion.
Zhu Qing suddenly felt playful and said through her voice changer, "I'm the big monster, and I ate Qingzai—"
After all, he's only three years old. No matter how clever he is, he's still very easy to fool.
Zhu Qing thought again, it would be too much trouble if she scared the child and then had to comfort him.
She put down the voice changer and decided to end the joke.
"Then you can eat me too!" Sheng Fang said, hands on his hips.
Now it was Zhu Qing's turn to not know how to respond.
Her hand tightened around the edge of the voice changer.
The baby wasn't scared at all; having watched many cartoons, he genuinely believed this claim.
Even if Qingzai is eaten by a monster, he will still stand up for her.
Fangfang didn't even try to fight the giant monster; he was just a baby and didn't have that kind of ability.
"I want to go inside your belly and keep her company!" Fangfang grinned, showing her tiny teeth, and said fiercely.
"Eat..."
"Come and eat!"
The "big monster" never came to eat him.
I was a little touched because the "giant monster" stood there dumbfounded.
Shengfang, however, wore a pained expression that came too late, tears welling in her eyes: "You spilled it?"
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