The past is like smoke, but we'll meet again someday.
Due to Xiao Fu's strong request, today's dinner will be a meal that is good for physical and mental health, especially for the gut.
During his post-meal tea time, while enjoying chamomile tea, Goulson learned that some of the cats in Mori Lake City possessed superpowers.
“…It’s actually…” she uttered, as if she were biting her tongue, “How could this be…”
The fact that it was a few cats that prevented her from going home left her confused and helpless. To be honest, she would rather have aliens put that in the answer field.
“But as Sister Yanzi said, those cats also need to eat and drink normally.” Cheng Xiangwu thought of the orange cat police officer she saw that afternoon, which was obviously overfed. “And they are not usually aggressive, and seem to only target specific people.”
“But I’m not dead yet.” Golson also remembered the orange cat, his face contorted with rage. “Don’t you feel guilty seeing me, this cat?”
How could that be?
“It’s a pity I never get along with this mysterious race. But if they need to eat and drink, they need to excrete. If those cats don’t have any special digestive abilities, then this kind of energy that isn’t designed for carbon-based life forms is something they can’t consume.” Little Fu took a sip of tea. Tonight’s tea was jasmine tea, with herbs and honey.
"Oh!" Golson exclaimed excitedly. "So that means those that were eaten haven't disappeared yet, Sister Fufu?"
“Biology isn’t my specialty, but the human body is an exception. I think it’s the same principle as using the body to [do something],” Little Franz said with a smile. “What goes in comes out the same way. Humans have been interested in cat excrement for quite some time now.”
“…Okay.” Galson quickly agreed. “So what we need to find now is their litter box?”
"We need to find the one who used the shovel," Cheng Xiangwu said.
Diligent law enforcement officers are also working hard.
After a closed-loop investigation, the investigation team successfully found valuable results before residents began filming their daily routines. Using fingerprints and footprints around the cut fire alarm wires as clues, police dog Caramel identified a shy homeowner who had moved into his new home in the past six months and rarely went out or interacted with his neighbors.
After three unanswered knocks, police, armed with a pre-emptive search warrant, broke down the door and successfully arrested the suspect, Zhang. In his bathroom, they found a burning brazier, a covered smoke detector, and a cloak similar to the one described by Xiao Fu. Subsequent testing revealed gunpowder residue on his shoes, which, as evidence, led to Zhang's detention.
According to police records, Zhang was a tenant for six months. He had no prior criminal record and was an unemployed person with only a junior high school education. He made a living by doing short-term jobs such as installing air conditioners and repairing water pipes. He did not own a house or car, had no debts, was unmarried, and had never been outside of Senhu City.
Based on the investigation of the apartment's interior, the police confirmed that Zhang was the murderer who shot and killed Qin Zixi with a sniper rifle, and the whereabouts of the other armed accomplice are still unknown.
"We also found this." Jiang Ling, who was in charge of communicating with the two, also sent a photo. The background was a dark brown wooden floor covered in dust and evidence of a transaction. The focus circle was a yellow line, and the main subject was an unidentified round mineral placed in a stone bowl, with a misty frosted layer floating on its surface.
There were many pieces of evidence at the scene, but Jiang Ling only sent this one because they couldn't explain it with just this one piece, just as they couldn't explain how their captain's speculation could have happened.
Jiang Ling promised to bring the actual items to show them tomorrow.
"They didn't say what that guy surnamed Zhang said," Cheng Xiangwu said, looking at the round stone. "Do you recognize it?"
"There are too many targets to choose from; we need to observe them up close," Xiao Fu said thoughtfully, looking at the photo.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow." Cheng Xiang nodded five times. "Are you sleeping with her again tonight?"
“…Uh.” Golson burned his tea.
“Enjoy your dreams,” Little F sneered, “until the dreams themselves find you.”
The next morning, Cheng Xiangwu got up as usual, checked her injuries and changed the gauze as usual, braided her hair as usual, picked up her coat which was dry enough, and went out to buy breakfast as usual.
Today, Moriko City didn't give its residents a pleasant look. The sky was overcast and gloomy, the temperature dropped slightly, and the wind made a few raindrops drift down, a typical sign of early summer rain.
Last night, Cheng Xiangwu received a message from a colleague that someone was looking up her personal information.
“It could be a detective, or some strange person,” Cheng Xiangwu replied.
"Girl, the second half of your post basically covers half the world's population," a colleague said, sending some messages. "If anyone asks again, just say you're a regular employee at our company, on leave right now, and we've already stamped your new file."
"Thank you for your hard work," Cheng Xiangwu replied, mimicking the captain's tone.
"...Who are you?" the colleague asked in confusion, and quickly made a video call.
Back at her apartment, as she turned the corner and went upstairs, Cheng Xiangwu noticed a shadowy figure at her apartment door before she turned out of the stairwell. It was a woman dressed impeccably in a suit, but rather rather casually, crouching against the wall next to her apartment door, looking like she was waiting.
That must be the highly suspicious person Zhou Mi mentioned. Her face was indeed pale, but she was definitely not someone Cheng Xiangwu knew. She paused for a moment and then stepped forward.
The moment she stepped into the corridor, the woman in the suit glanced at her and stood up at what she considered to be a swift movement, becoming perfectly upright from the inside out.
Cheng Xiangwu walked past her expressionlessly, without glancing to the side. Under her gaze, she took out her key, opened the door, and stepped inside as the other woman hesitated, letting the door close in the wind.
"Wait—" The man in the suit stopped the door in its tracks, which was now wide open. "You're ignoring me?!"
At the end of the entrance hallway, on the living room sofa, Xiao Fu smiled and looked over, while Gorson, hiding behind the wall, peeked out with his eyes.
“…Who are you?” Cheng Xiangwu turned around carrying breakfast, her shoes still on.
"Ahem." The man in the suit coughed twice and his expression became serious. "I'm looking for the owner of this house, Ms. Cheng Xiangwu."
Even so, her expression clearly said, "Yes, you're the one I'm looking for."
"What are you doing?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.
"Let's talk about some business dealings," the man in the suit said.
"...Business?" Cheng Xiangwu asked in confusion. She took a step back and looked the man in the suit up and down again to confirm that he was not her colleague and did not have that feeling.
“That’s right, a huge business with amazing influence and rewards.” The man in the suit put his hands behind his back, tilted his chin up, and let the person in front of him look him up and down. “If this person is indeed here, would you allow me to come in and have a seat?”
Upon hearing this, Gorson automatically locked himself in the study. Cheng Xiangwu didn't think this person was there to discuss business, but she still stepped aside to let him in.
Please bring a new driver and a suit of slippers.
The man in the suit entered the house, changed his shoes, thanked the lady, and stood in the entryway until Cheng Xiangwu changed his shoes and went in before following her.
Seeing the still-steaming plastic bag, the man in the suit said, "I'm so sorry to bother you so early in the morning."
It didn't matter that he didn't reply. Cheng Xiangwu threw the plastic bag on the dining table, turned around and saw that the person had already sat down on the single sofa and picked up a cup of tea to drink.
"Tell me what you're here for," Cheng Xiangwu asked as she sat down on the sofa.
"...I am Yao Shaoqi, the administrative secretary of Bai Bai Co., Ltd." Yao Shaoqi put down her teacup and proudly introduced herself. "My company appointed me to visit Ms. Cheng Xiangwu, the young master of Wuxianglou. As far as I know, she is not of mixed race, so I suppose you are the one I am looking for."
Neither the company name nor the title was anything new. Cheng Xiang didn't even realize what the prefix meant during the May Day holiday. She simply replied, "It is indeed me. You were looking for me?"
“Of course we’re here to see you,” Yao Shaoqi nodded. “You’ve probably heard that our company’s chairperson, Bai Langtao, will be celebrating her 60th birthday this month. Important partners from across the country and even abroad will be attending this grand event. Our company has been working to mobilize the public for this event since last month—”
“Just tell me what you want from me,” Cheng Xiangwu said. She noticed that recently, the guests who come here have been talking a lot, and they talk in long, drawn-out sentences.
Interrupted, Yao Shaoqi took a sip of tea, swallowed the rest of the event introduction and his attitude, and smiled again, "Then let me get straight to the point. You should know that your mother, Cheng Song, was once one of the head chefs of Senhu Grand Restaurant. Our company has decided to hold this grand banquet in this representative building of Senhu City to provide the best food, clothing, accommodation and transportation."
"Yes," Cheng Xiangwu replied, but she still didn't know what this matter had to do with her.
"At its peak, Senhu Grand Restaurant had seven head chefs, each possessing unique skills and secret signature dishes. Most of them later went their separate ways for various reasons. Now, to celebrate this grand occasion, our general manager has spent a fortune to invite those chefs who haven't retired to return to Senhu, to showcase their current culinary skills and recreate the sumptuous feast of yesteryear." Yao Shaoqi's voice rose with emotion as she spoke. "Originally, Chef Cheng Song, located in Senhu City, would have been at the top of our invitation list, but unfortunately, life is unpredictable, and her passing is a profound and irreparable loss for us."
"...So you want me to—" Cheng Xiangwu realized something and was incredulous.
“That’s right!” Yao Shaoqi faced Cheng Xiangwu and extended a hand in an invitation. “Ms. Cheng Xiangwu, on behalf of our company, I sincerely invite you, the young master of Wuxianglou, to assist us in creating the most important part of this important day as our youngest head chef.”
But this really won't work.
“…I stopped cooking when I was fifteen, and I’m not a chef now,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
“That incident also caused great grief to several of your mother’s colleagues at the restaurant, but we all understand that you, whom she regarded as her heir, must have inherited not only her will but also her recipes and skills.” Yao Shaoqi showed no sign of backing down. “We understand your difficulties. Senhu Restaurant has a large number of sous chefs to assist you. All we need is to present that original classic dish. I heard that you memorized that top-secret recipe when you were very young. We are by no means plagiarists. We just hope that you are willing to contribute to our company’s important day. Of course, we have also prepared substantial rewards.”
Whether Cheng Xiangwu remembered the recipe or not is another matter; the reason she couldn't accept the commission was more fundamental.
“Listen to me,” Cheng Xiangwu interrupted the other person’s performance. “I can’t take this job.”
Cheng Xiangwu knew a long, long time ago that she couldn't be a chef.
"...Won't you listen to the compensation before making a decision?" Yao Shaoqi's smile faded, and she turned to him with a cold, furrowed brow.
The pay is for those who are competent in their work. Cheng Xiangwu has not cooked since she was fifteen. In fact, before that, she had entered the kitchen as a chef, cooking, heating oil, preparing ingredients, adding seasonings, flipping the wok, and plating the food. Such moments were so rare that people outside the building could hardly imagine them.
Cheng Xiangwu has no sense of taste because she has never been able to taste anything since birth.
"I—" Cheng Xiangwu did not intend to explain, but only to refuse.
“Of course I will go.” Xiao Fu said, his smile as wide as a long sword bent after being heated. “Cheng Xiangwu will certainly participate in the preparation of Bai Bai Co., Ltd.’s important event as the head chef. She will enter the birthday person’s house a few days in advance to communicate with the event planner about the host’s and guests’ tastes and allergies. She will also enter your company as a collaborator to discuss the contract and remuneration, and communicate face-to-face with your company’s leaders. Am I right?”
"...The procedures are slightly different, but generally speaking, that's how it is." Yao Shaoqi turned her head in confusion. "May I ask who you are?"
“A middleman, huh?” Little F narrowed his eyes, his smile like he was waiting for a price to be paid. “He explains to her which parts of the contract are in her favor, so she can think more rationally about her decision, and helps her deal with all the things unrelated to the job—that useful thing.”
Yes, Cheng Xiangwu does need such an identity and such an opportunity to fulfill her true professional duties.
“…Yes,” she replied, “I will go.”
"Oh, oh!" Yao Shaoqi exclaimed with delight, then quickly composed herself. "Thank you so much! By the way, what is your current profession?"
“People who work in other places take leave to come back and visit when something happens in their hometown,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
"I see, then this is truly a rare and precious coincidence." Yao Shaoqi nodded.
“…Isn’t that right?” Cheng Xiangwu said.
Xiao Fu chuckled twice.
“Now that I’ve received your reply, I won’t disturb your breakfast any longer.” Yao Shaoqi stood up. “Thank you for the tea. I will take this good news back and discuss the travel arrangements with you as soon as possible.”
With the answer she had finally managed to get, Yao Shaoqi walked out with much lighter steps.
"So, what are Chef Wuxiang's thoughts on his new job?" Xiao Fu asked.
Upon hearing the door close, Golson popped his head out of the study and automatically went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
"It'll probably be messed up." Cheng Xiangwu spoke the truth and stood up to clear the table.
“That’s not necessarily true,” Little F said dismissively. “Now that you have the final say, no matter what kind of dish you serve them, with ‘authentic’ seasoning, they will endure the unpleasant taste and swallow the incomprehensible food.”
This approach might work for other dishes, but it's not so convenient for Wuxianglou's signature dishes.
Wu Xiang Lou's signature dish is pickled food, but unlike local cuisine, it features a special wax-sealing technique used in the pickling process. The final step in cooking is to apply wax, and when the flame is lit, the aroma can waft for five blocks. Even now, many residents near its former site still fondly remember that aroma.
"We don't need to wait until the final step; the basic tasting process is enough for them to realize that I can't even distinguish between sweet and bitter," Cheng Xiangwu said, not so optimistic.
“With me here, you can rest assured about any opinions expressed by anyone other than me. Trust your agent,” Xiao Fu said.
Seeing how confident this person was, Cheng Xiangwu became even less optimistic.
"How did that person know I was here?" Cheng Xiang asked five times, refusing to give her address, as she wasn't a permanent resident.
"That person was just sent to act as a human invitation, but the source of the information isn't hard to guess. You haven't been keeping a low profile these past few days," Xiao Fu said.
“Under special circumstances, I will not leave any trace of my existence,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
“That would be a non-special case, like that shopping mall. In short, there are many reasons that can be found in this regard.” Little Fu shook the tea box. “The defense doesn’t plan to speak on the less common aspects, such as the origin of the symbolic discount on my tea.”
Bai Langtao's 60th birthday celebration really provides a reason for many things.
“I don’t know her.” Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment and then said, “As far as I remember, my mother doesn’t know her either.”
"Let those who came before us explain this part," Little F said dismissively, putting away the tea box.
Before leaving after the meal, Gao Ersen was unwilling to say where she was going, so Cheng Xiangwu gave her cash and a spare key to the house so that she could run home by herself if needed.
"There's only one spare key," Cheng Xiangwu said after getting into the passenger seat.
"Oh?" Little Franz asked, surprised. "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
“I’m worried that you might suddenly want to run home by yourself, and then I might have to wait at the door,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
"Hmph." Little F chuckled.
The main gate of Senhu No. 2 Middle School is not wide. The rusty iron gate can only allow one car to pass through when fully open. Usually, teachers and students enter and exit through a small side gate. Next to the small gate is the security room, which is empty. The red landline phone in front of the window is still lit up.
There were some fallen leaves at the school gate, but no seals were placed on it. There were just two security guards standing there. The surrounding area was full of ordinary shops with residential buildings on top. The road had been repaired and patched up for many years, but it was still uneven.
Just stand at the school gate, look to the left and forward, pass the grocery store with a sausage grill in front, pass the stationery store with lollipop strings hanging on the glass door, stop at the noodle shop with its steaming pots at the intersection all day long, and finally disappear into the traffic. Anyone can understand the general route of students after school.
To the right of the school gate is a stone bridge that spans a small river, leading traffic to another intersection.
Shortly after the call was made, Xie Wuchang appeared wearing her dark sunglasses. The cold-blooded detective and the security guard at the door exchanged a few words, and the two were allowed to pass.
The three of them stayed away from the crowds along the tree-lined path.
"How's the investigation going?" Xie Wuchang asked in a tone reminiscent of a crime drama, which he had somehow picked up.
"I've made some progress," Cheng Xiangwu asked in a mafia-like tone, as if he'd heard it from a colleague. "How's the matter I was asked to handle going?"
“…Never mind.” Xie Wuchang swallowed his words. “The Information Office is holding a press conference tomorrow morning. The mayor will represent the municipal government to meet with some experts from other places, mainly from the Education and Sports Bureau and the Examination Institute, to discuss the next steps and implementation for the special situation in Senhu. There are some interview seats available. I asked someone to get two press passes. You can sneak in and ask questions.”
As she spoke, she pulled out two thin white cards with neck straps from her police waist pouch; they were the identification documents of a legitimate conspiracy theorist.
Cheng Xiangwu reached out to take it, but the white card swayed behind her.
"Now, can we talk about your progress?" Xie Wuchang asked with a smile.
Cheng Xiangwu looked at Xiao Fu, who had been staring blankly at the buildings in the distance ever since she entered the school. The task of explaining fell to her. She thought for a moment and then explained the scene of the cat attack that Qin Zixi encountered before his death.
"...Really?" Xie Wuchang was utterly astonished; her sunglasses had slipped down to her lips.
“Really.” Cheng Xiangwu lifted the hem of her shirt to show the scar. “I saw it.”
"You're lucky to be alive," Xie Wuchang sighed, staring at the scar, before struggling to put away her sunglasses and her wandering thoughts. "Have you found its handler?"
“We advocate that cats should be free,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
"You've already made your proposal before the press conference has even started..." Xie Wuchang pursed his lips and asked again, "What about the gathering place?"
"This is the next step." Cheng Xiangwu held out her hand. "I have news to tell you."
So she received two name tags with "Senko News Agency" on them, with her name and photo left blank.
"Thank you for your hard work, and thank you for not telling the captain about us. She doesn't seem to care much about this, but I think it's necessary to investigate," Xie Wuchang said, frowning. "I hope we won't hear that you've been kicked out of the scene tomorrow."
“After all, that person is a fanatical believer based on evidence.” Little Fu finally came to his senses. “Generally speaking, the questions asked by reporters from local news agencies are like chewed gum. I hope Miss Gu Wanqiu won’t be too surprised this time.”
"...In short, keep in touch if anything comes up, whether it's good or bad," Xie Wuchang said with a sigh.
Passing through the enclosed green belt, added for the purpose of selecting a garden school, the four-story rectangular white-walled building in front is the teaching building of Senhu No. 2 Middle School. Except for the first floor, the outer layer of the corridor is covered with a green wire mesh that is hard to match with the wind. The fine grid pattern embraces the neatly arranged corridor space, and if you ignore the reflection, it is no different from a fishing net.
Up the stone wall base where grass sprouts from the crack, the words "Strive for Truth" are inscribed on the side of the building. It's the backdrop for the high school graduation photos that the school's teachers, students, and alumni love. Cheng Xiangwu looked up and saw that the blurred, three-dimensional golden carvings showed no signs of rusting after ten years of gentle wind and rain.
A yellow line encircled the building, surrounding people in police uniforms. The police officers were standing around several stone-paved walkways with signs posted on them. There were signs prohibiting people from stepping on the grass next to the walkways, and people were standing on the grass.
The first-year high school classrooms are on the top floor.
"Have you found the lucky first eyewitness yet?" Little Franz asked.
"The report says it was an anonymous firefighter, quite old, who has now retired early and gone to a mental hospital in another city. He won't answer questions, so he must have been prepared in advance." Xie Wuchang shook his head. "The report also said that this was an incident caused by highly infectious pollutants, so they dealt with the situation on-site immediately, it was very urgent."
"The term 'highly hazardous pollutants' should be handled by a professional. Who signed this report?" Xiao Fu asked.
"None of us recognized the signature. To be honest, the form looked brand new. We'll follow up on this, but it's unlikely, because the building is going to be demolished." Xie Wuchang pulled up the yellow line to let the people out. The two's mismatched attire also attracted the attention of some staff members on site, but no one came forward. They probably knew that someone would come to visit today.
This was Cheng Xiangwu's first time crawling inside the yellow line set up by others. She didn't even know why she was there, but she just had to come, almost like she was working overtime.
“That certainly qualifies as working overtime,” Little Franz nodded. “Did any of the people arrested yesterday provide anything of value?”
“…No.” Xie Wuchang’s expression turned serious. “When we arrested him, he barely reacted. After Dr. Lin did some simple tests, we also consulted a forensic doctor, who said the cause was unknown.”
"There's no such thing as a free lunch," Little Fu laughed.
The three of them went up the stairs and encountered Jiang Ling sitting on the steps typing when they passed the corner on the second floor. Her dark circles were not brightened at all by the screen light.
"Let's not talk about this morning." Her eyes never left the screen, and she pushed the aluminum evidence box next to her feet with her left hand. "The captain and Dr. Lin are upstairs."
Xiao Fu quickly stepped forward and picked up the box, but did not inspect the goods on the spot.
"Isn't she a psychologist?" Cheng Xiangwu wondered what this person was doing here.
“First, she is a psychological counselor and assessor,” Jiang Ling replied without looking up. “Second, based on the information and experience she has, she can also be considered a frontline worker.”
"Dr. Lin conducted psychological assessments on several firefighters at the scene, and some of them retired on the spot," Xie Wuchang explained.
"That made her sound more human." Jiang Ling finally looked up and asked, "Why aren't you leaving? Am I blocking your way?"
"How could that be? Sister Ling, you're busy." Xie Wuchang led the way upstairs. "Shall we find you a place to view the evidence first, or should we go upstairs first?"
"Let's go upstairs and find a place to look," Cheng Xiangwu said.
Senhu No. 2 Middle School has four classes per grade, each with a front and back door, a large window at the front and back along the corridor, and six lattice windows along the exterior wall, providing excellent lighting and ventilation. However, this does not apply to the top floor of the senior high school building. Perhaps due to the weather, the three of them noticed that the surroundings were somewhat dark as soon as they went upstairs.
The wind was howling, the lights were off, and all eight large windows on the top floor facing the corridor were gone.
"It seems like government officials sprayed some kind of chemical on the walls here a month ago to remove the smell of blood," Xie Wuchang said, pointing to the grayish wall with his thumb. "I don't know how much the smell has gone away since then, but the paint on the walls and floors is really badly fading, especially the white paint on the classroom walls. Someone cleaned it before, but when we came, the floor was still covered in debris."
Small white spots, left by the cracked white paint, appeared in the three people's line of sight as if for a fitting occasion, and there were also traces of paint fading on the inside of the green net.
"At the same time, they've decided to completely solve this odor problem," said Xiao Fu.
"I might not be the best way to put it, but I don't think it smells bad here anymore. Letting the students come back to class now wouldn't make them uncomfortable," Xie Wuchang said, shrugging. "But the team leader said there's a smell here, and the people from the city government think so too."
She has no right to comment on the sense of smell, but she genuinely didn't think there was any smell at all.
"Where are the police dogs?" she asked.
"Look." Xie Wuchang pointed to the inside of Class 1. Han Lingfeng was trying to communicate with a brown German Shepherd stuck to the floor. This attempt had probably failed. She reached out and picked up the fluffy donut wrapped in a vest and walked out of the classroom.
"Xiao Xie." Han Lingfeng lowered his head and walked out of the classroom, placing the police dog on the ground. "Please take Caramel down and let it run a couple of laps on the playground."
The police dog Caramel was puzzled by the sudden drop in perspective. After standing on the ground for a while, it bent its hind legs and sat down.
"Yes, Captain." Xie Wuchang pulled on the short rope on his vest, and Caramel stood up again. She and Caramel nodded to the two of them, then turned and went downstairs.
"How is Miss Caramel feeling?" Little F watched the drooping tail disappear into the distance.
"Don't you understand?" Han Lingfeng patted the fur in his hand and asked.
“Let me reiterate,” Little Ferguson cleared his throat, “no animal other than humans, those pathetic creatures, possesses the logical constraints called language, understand?”
Upon hearing this, Han Lingfeng smiled and said, "It seems you've simply separated yourself from humanity."
"No one has the right to criticize me on this point," Little Fran said dismissively, shaking the evidence box in his hand. "Don't stand there, find this guy a seat."
"Go to the faculty office, Dr. Lin is there too. I'll show you around this floor while I'm at it." Han Lingfeng led the way, her steps steady and quick. "We already searched the campus with Caramel this morning, but we didn't find anything particularly special. However, when we brought it to this floor, or rather, after we came out from the corner of that stairwell, its behavior became abnormal."
It is obvious that Caramel, the police dog, only takes on a donut shape when she is sleeping.
“I’m not an expert in zoology, and I don’t have much experience with healthy non-human organisms, but I will give you as much reliable advice as possible,” Little F said confidently.
“You’ve seen its performance too.” Han Lingfeng nodded the back of his head. “Normally, after arriving at the crime scene, it will patrol and search according to our instructions, but after reaching this floor, its movements become noticeably slower, and it prefers to walk close to the wall, or simply to shrink close to the wall.”
She paused, then said, "I checked, it's not an illness, it sounds more like seasickness."
"You said there was a lingering smell here, could that be the reason?" Little Fran asked.
“I did smell the blood and the smell of pickling liquid mixed with chemical reagents, but that shouldn’t be the reason for the abnormality in the caramel. What haven’t the police dogs smelled?” Han Lingfeng looked down at the white debris by the wall. “These have also been tested; they’re just ordinary paint.”
Aside from the damaged parts, the classroom was as usual. Looking in through the fully ventilated windows, a few wooden desks and chairs were forgotten in the corners, the dark green blackboard still had chalk marks left behind, the timetable was still faintly visible, and the incandescent lights and fans on the ceiling were still intact, ready to work at any time after being plugged in and switched on, but now no one needed them.
A yellow sign warning of slippery floor was placed blocking the toilet door.
"We've collected all the necessary evidence." Han Lingfeng knocked on the door. "Dr. Lin, we're coming in."
The two arrived at the faculty office. Lin Che'an was wearing gloves and flipping through the pages of a blue folder in his hand. Hearing footsteps, he turned around, waved to the three of them, and greeted them with a smile, "You've arrived."
Cheng Xiang nodded five times. Xiao Fu placed the evidence box in the gap on the table and glanced at the pile of documents lying on the table. The documents were of different types and were not dusty. They had just been standing in the glass cabinet, which did not need to be exposed to wind and rain.
"It's not my place to remind you of that, but the teaching materials you're looking at now are obviously outdated," she said, without any intention of flipping through them to learn anything.
"How's the lesson plan coming along?" Han Lingfeng asked.
“As Ms. Fu said.” Lin Che’an sighed, closed the book in his hand and placed it on top of its kind on the table. “I don’t think there is anything suspicious or excessive in the teaching content, or even if there was, it’s gone now.”
After saying that, she pulled out a stack of light yellow A4 notebooks tied together with rubber bands from the bottom of the plastic board. "But I haven't looked at the students' part yet. These are composition practice notebooks. If there's anything else I can do, it's to nitpick from here."
"Thank you for your hard work." Han Lingfeng nodded.
"You too, Captain Han." Lin Che'an nodded with a smile and took the documents to the room next door, which the students called the "little dark room".
While the two of them were chatting and laughing, Xiao Fu couldn't wait to open the evidence box, and Cheng Xiangwu also went over to take a look.
After removing the plastic wrap from the display screen, the surface of the stone bowl and the round stones inside wasn't much clearer. It was still like it was covered with a layer of dust, neither rough nor smooth, densely porous. It was far from being a frosted stone, but it didn't quite qualify as a foot scrubber.
Little F put on gloves, took the evidence out of the box, examined each item several times with a flashlight, and then tossed the round stone in his hand.
Cheng Xiangwu thought that the stone bowl looked like a tool for chiseling spices, but obviously the round stone was not suitable to be used as a pestle.
The stone bowl was not a perfect circle, and there were obvious signs of hand-carving on the outside. Although it had no special patterns, its uneven surface might appeal to some collectors. The inside, whether it matched the round stone or not, was recessed and could be considered a semi-perfect oval, but the material of the bowl was not similar to that of the round stone; it was simply rough.
The bottom of the round stone fits almost perfectly into the stone bowl, like an egg lying inside.
"We've done all the necessary tests, but it will take time to get the results, and some tests require the evidence to be present." Han Lingfeng leaned against the window with his arms crossed. "The people in the laboratory think the bowl is just ordinary stone. The outside is hand-carved and the inside is machine-polished, but the composition, hardness, and purpose of the round stone are unknown. They speculate that it is an alloy and it needs to be sent to the laboratory."
"How long did those three to five business days take?" Xiao Fu asked while testing the translucency of the round stone.
“Just like you said,” Han Lingfeng spread his hands, “it seems you’ve gotten used to those machines.”
"I'm used to the way you law enforcement officers treat everything except your colleagues as evidence," Little F said, putting the evidence back in its recently forced new home.
"At least you acted quickly. How was the result?" Han Lingfeng asked.
“Now that we’ve narrowed down the selection line, it’s time to talk about the points.” Little Fu took off his gloves. “Tell me what you all did to that Zhang.”
“When we entered his apartment yesterday, he was lying on his side in the kitchen, unconscious. This piece of evidence was placed on the floor near the kitchen, but we suspect it may have fallen from the countertop next to the stove.” Han Lingfeng pointed to the evidence box. “The suspect showed no signs of waking up under various stimuli. His pupils and vital signs were normal. Dr. Lin determined that psychological arousal was ineffective, so we tentatively diagnosed him as being in a vegetative state and brought him back. However, the forensic doctor determined that he had no brain injury and did not exhibit the common physiological reflexes of vegetative state patients, such as closing or opening his eyes. An EEG test will have to wait until he is sent to another institution, but the police station said that he occasionally makes sounds at night.”
“It’s like she’s asleep,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
“Yes.” Han Lingfeng nodded, “but no one can sleep that soundly.”
"Where's the sniper rifle?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.
"It was found in the room where the sniper position was located and sent to the forensic department. I've seen it; it's an old rifle that hasn't been maintained in a short period of time. But no matter what, he shouldn't know how to assemble, disassemble, and store it, nor should he know how to aim and fire." Han Lingfeng patted his broad shoulder. "For example, Zhang doesn't have any of the characteristics that a typical sniper should have, whether physiologically or psychologically, but the evidence is conclusive, and I have to find a way to explain the evidence."
This is a well-worn topic. Cheng Xiangwu recalled that many of her colleagues were snipers who liked to pretend to be honest, but they had a common problem: they liked to run away after firing their shots, and run very far away. This was clearly the opposite of the person in front of her who found a nearby place to sleep after firing his shot.
“This can’t be considered a common problem,” Little F laughed.
"Thank you for your understanding." Han Lingfeng nodded.
“The person who fired the shot had good aim, but his counter-surveillance skills were average, or he didn’t intend to do it at all,” Cheng Xiangwu recalled. “There was a certain distance between the kitchen glass and the person’s head, and at that time the glass would reflect light and affect the field of vision, and the timing of the shot was also strange.”
Aside from the limited field of vision, the sniper's decision not to fire the moment Qin Zixi peeked out likely stemmed from seeing someone behind him. Cheng Xiangwu was able to ensure he entered the building from Qin Zixi's blind spot, made possible by the unexpected appearance of the tabby cat.
“No,” Little Franz said lightly, “to a sniper, you’re the surprise in the scope.”
Cheng Xiangwu had nothing to say.
"I won't ask what you're going there for," Han Lingfeng said considerately. "Do you consider yourself one of the targets?"
"Yes." Cheng Xiangwu said, touching her fur collar. Luckily, she hadn't worn this yesterday.
"...I will share Zhang's updates with you." Han Lingfeng nodded thoughtfully. "We only kept a photocopy of that check, but from a legal point of view, there is no fault in the act of making it for nothing."
If Qin Zixi's death is related to that check, then this group of door-knockers has a new direction, but that direction is currently locked by a procedural barrier.
"Does Zhang have fingernails that grow longer than his fingertips?" Xiao Fu asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, but only a millimeter or two beyond the fingertips, and also on the feet. There are also normal-sized work calluses," Han Lingfeng said.
“Now I can offer some professional advice.” Little F raised his palm and spread it out in the evidence box like he was introducing a product. “The individual functions of these two things are not yet clear, but when combined, they are like a megaphone.”
"You mean—" Han Lingfeng frowned.
“That’s right.” Little Ferguson affirmed his conclusion, ignoring any doubts. “This is the hypnotic device that makes the victims daydream.”
When expressing her opinions, her tone lacked the dramatic flair that usually accompanies the atmosphere. Without that spice, her words became more palatable to the average person, but this made it all the more important to consider the attitude of the listener.
Cheng Xiangwu turned his head and saw Han Lingfeng, the taster, looking puzzled and thoughtful. He then smiled subtly and nodded.
"Although this has only created more problems, logically I can accept the outcome, and I appreciate your suggestion," she said. "Do you have any supplementary information or evidence to support this explanation?"
“It will be available soon,” Little F said confidently. “It would be even faster if you were willing to hand it over to me directly.”
“That won’t do.” As a law enforcement officer, Han Lingfeng naturally couldn’t feel much at ease with testimony without evidence, and she reserved her opinion.
Xiao Fu didn't insist.
“Alright, let’s use this as a basis. I have some, or rather, many questions.” Han Lingfeng held up his index finger. “Judging from the marks, this is clearly a homemade tool. Just like with sniping, Zhang had no way of learning or understanding the relevant techniques.”
It is known that Zhang does not fire a gun or do stone carving, and there are no relevant records in his past.
Then came the middle finger: "As far as I know, all non-electrically powered megaphones work on the principle of reflective resonance, but the apartment on site and the evidence do not have a similar structure, and the sound wave frequency should not be able to cover two buildings."
It is known that Zhang is an ordinary person and does not possess magic.
Then came the ring finger, along with the little finger. "Is the situation you described related to the mass suicides at Senko No. 2 Middle School?"
It is known that Zhang is still alive.
Finally, the little finger was raised, and the question was shifted to the next person: "And, Ms. Cheng, why weren't you affected?"
The police can find an explanation for the other issues through investigation.
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