S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 1: Chapter 18

The Digital Killer 18: Chaos

By the time Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang arrived at the airport looking thoroughly windswept and travel-worn, it was already 1:00 AM. The entire terminal lobby was completely empty. The two made several rounds but failed to find any trace of Bai Jintang.

"Where is he?" Bai Yutang looked around in all directions.

"Could he have left on his own?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"Highly unlikely. In the past, he always waited until I arrived."

"Then have you ever been twelve hours late in the past?"

"...Well, no..." Bai Yutang scratched his head. "The previous record was eight hours."

"Then where could he go?" Zhan Zhao checked his watch. "I recall he doesn't own any property here, right?"

Bai Yutang shrugged. "He only comes back once or twice a year anyway. He mostly stays at my place."

"Could he have gone looking for you?"

"That's even worse. He has a terrible sense of direction—a total road-blind!"

"Call him?"

"He doesn't carry a cell phone... usually his subordinates hold on to it..."

"Subordinates?? I've never seen him bring anyone along."

"He doesn't bring his subordinates when he returns to the country."

Zhan Zhao felt helpless. "Then let's report it to the police..."

"It seems... I am the police..."

...

Just as the two were completely disoriented, Bai Yutang's phone let out a loud "meow~"—a text message?

Pulling out the phone, Zhan Zhao leaned in to take a look. The message was from Wang Chao, and it read: ">O < @@@@@@@ Help!!"

"Meow~" Another one?

Ma Han's read: "-O-~~~~~~~~~ Help!!"

Zhan Zhao found it utterly baffling. "What on earth does this mean?"

Bai Yutang let out a sigh. "I think we'd better step on the gas!"

The group, having finally stopped vomiting, ran out of the restroom to find Bai Jintang sitting on top of a massive suitcase in a daze.

Zhao Hu stepped forward helpfully and said, "Big Brother, come wait inside. I'll help carry your luggage in."

Bai Jintang stood up, and Zhao Hu reached out to lift the largest piece of luggage.

With a single hand, he couldn't lift it... With both hands, he still couldn't lift it!

"Better let me handle it. You carry that smaller one." Using just one hand, Bai Jintang effortlessly lifted the largest suitcase.

...

"Meow~"

Zhao Hu's text message: "@ O @................ Why??"

"What do you guess actually happened?" Zhan Zhao looked at the sequence of text messages on the phone with great curiosity.

Bai Yutang slammed his foot on the accelerator. "Hold on tight, Cat!"

...

The deeply demoralized Zhao Hu picked up a smaller piece of luggage, which was a rectangular black crate that seemed to have several small ventilation holes on it.

Suddenly, the crate shifted on its own.

??

Zhao Hu found it strange. What was kept inside here? He lowered his head to take a closer look... there seemed to be a latch. He reached out and slid it open...

With a sharp snap, a ball of fluffy fur bolted out from inside.

"Yagh!!!"

Accompanied by Zhao Hu's sharp scream, the crowd watched as a raccoon-like creature charged out of the crate.

"Quick, catch it!" Bai Jintang hurriedly ran out.

It must be said that Bai Jintang was truly worthy of being Bai Yutang's older brother, or perhaps he was simply accustomed to being the boss. With a single command, everyone except Gongsun threw themselves toward that "raccoon."

In an instant, the corridor outside the S.C.I. office descended into absolute chaos.

Right at this moment, the elevator opened with a sharp ding. Standing inside was a majestic, imposing middle-aged man with a dark complexion...

Bao Zheng took in the scene outside the elevator doors: Zhao Hu and Zhang Long were sprawled flat on the floor, Wang Chao and Ma Han were pinned against the wall, and Jiang Ping was holding a broom in his hands...

After ten seconds of dead silence, Bao Zheng calmly raised his hand and pressed the door-close button inside the elevator.

...

"Meow~"

Zhan Zhao held onto the ceiling handle of the car with one hand while checking the phone with the other. "Guess who it is this time?"

The screen clearly displayed the sender: Bao Zheng.

Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we shouldn't read it."

Zhan Zhao gave him a fierce glare and tapped it open: "╰╯╬╬╬╬ Get your asses back here!"

Bai Yutang drove the car into the parking garage, and the two quickly closed the car doors and bolted into the building.

The elevator opened on the 17th floor. Just as they were about to step out, a fluffy mass flew straight toward them.

Zhan Zhao instinctively reached out and caught it. Taking advantage of the moment, the creature burrowed directly into Zhan Zhao's arms, picked a comfortable angle, and let out a soft "meow~"

Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang. "Another text message?"

Bai Yutang pointed at the creature in his arms. "It seems like this thing is the one making the noise."

Zhan Zhao lowered his head and saw a cat that looked exactly like a raccoon curled up in his arms—"A Ragdoll cat?"

"Meow~" The cat seemed to take an immediate liking to Zhan Zhao, nuzzling affectionately against his neck and even sticking out its tongue to lick Zhan Zhao's chin.

"Hey!" Bai Yutang grabbed the little cat by the scruff of its neck and hoisted it up.

"Meow-agh!!!" The cat kicked its paws fiercely, trying to scratch him.

"Boss! Hold onto it, don't move!" Zhao Hu yelled from outside the elevator, clutching the crate.

Bai Yutang lifted his head only to see that the S.C.I. office was in a state of complete devastation, with team members scattered about in a total mess... He roared, "What is going on with this cat?!"

Holding the cat, he was just about to step forward when a highly magnetic voice echoed down the corridor: "That cat is named Lu Ban, a Burmese Ragdoll. It's a gift for Little Zhao."

Bai Yutang's footsteps came to an instant halt.

Just from the voice alone, he could tell exactly how furious Bai Jintang was right now. That tone... he had endured an eleven-hour flight today, waited at the airport for twelve hours, and things had clearly been an absolute mess just now in the S.C.I. office... Which meant his older brother had gone a full twenty-four hours without any rest. A lack of sleep made him exceptionally violent...

"Cat, catch!" Bai Yutang retreated swiftly, tossing the cat back into Zhan Zhao's arms, and reached out to close the elevator doors. Only one thought occupied his mind: Flee!

However, at the exact split second the elevator doors were about to meet, a pair of hands slammed against them with a loud bang, forcing them back.

Zhan Zhao clutched the cat tightly and retreated to a corner of the elevator, while Bai Yutang frantically mashed the door-close button. It was just...

Those powerful hands had already forced the elevator doors wide open. Poking his head inside, Bai Jintang's face carried a sinister smile. "Yutang... it's been a long time."

"Brother... calm down..." Bai Yutang backed away until he was right next to Zhan Zhao. "Cat, say something!"

Zhan Zhao scrambled to the opposite side holding the cat, pointing his finger at Bai Yutang as he spoke to the uncontainably furious Bai Jintang, "This has nothing to do with me! He's right over there."

"You dead cat... no loyalty at all!" Watching Bai Jintang step into the elevator with that smile, Bai Yutang realized with absolute horror that this scene looked exactly like something out of a horror film...

"Little Zhao, you step out!" Bai Jintang trapped Bai Yutang in the corner of the elevator, clearing a path for Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao bolted out of the elevator holding the cat, turning back to say, "Big Brother! I'll help you close the door!" With that, he slammed his hand onto the door-close button.

"Cat! Don't leave! Yagh!!!" As the elevator doors sealed shut, every single person in the entire police bureau could hear Bai Yutang's tragic shrieks.

The entire S.C.I. team stood turned to stone on the spot, while Gongsun leaned against the frame of the forensics lab door, swallowing the very last piece of rib.

Zhan Zhao stroked the cat, listening as the tragic shrieks inside the elevator shaft continued. He felt a tiny prick of guilt... Rat, may you rest in peace.

Inside the Director's office, Bao Zheng rubbed his tightly knitted brows and shook his head helplessly. He reached out to open the drawer of his office desk.

Inside the completely empty drawer sat nothing but a weathered, old picture frame.

Bao Zheng lit up a cigarette and lifted the frame to look at it closely.

Amidst the swirling curls of smoke, the four young men captured in the photograph were smiling ever so radiantly…