S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 1: Chapter 25

The Digital Killer 25: Suggestion 

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang drove down toward the location of Professor Xu's private clinic that Chen Jing had provided. After winding their way around, they arrived near a relatively low-end bar street in S-City.

Because Bai Yutang's car was far too eye-catching, the two parked the vehicle some distance away and walked in on foot.

This district was a gathering place for hoodlums. The bars and dance halls were all sleazy establishments, and the people loitering here were mostly quite young and dressed in bizarre fashion.

Zhan Zhao was checking the address to look for the building number when Bai Yutang suddenly pulled him close, reaching out an arm to drape around his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Zhan Zhao gave his shoulder a shrug and squinted at him.

"Shh," Bai Yutang said softly. "Don't look back. Someone is following us."

...!... "We were discovered so quickly?" Zhan Zhao asked with a look of surprise.

Bai Yutang smiled slightly. "I estimate it isn't the same thing you're thinking of."

"What do you mean?" Zhan Zhao was puzzled.

"You'll understand in a moment." Bai Yutang held him close as they turned into an empty alleyway.

Footsteps suddenly echoed behind them. They were scattered and disordered, sounding like more than one person.

Bai Yutang stopped his pace. Just then, two people rushed up from behind, with another two following right after them. The four spread out, surrounding Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang right in the middle.

Zhan Zhao observed the four of them. They all looked like young men in their twenties dressed in punk styles, complete with tattoos and bizarre hairstyles—were they doing cosplay??

"You two look like wealthy gentlemen." One of the little hoodlums sized up Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang. "Lend us some money to spend."

Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang, desperately holding back a laugh. A criminal investigation captain being extorted—this was probably a first for Bai Yutang since the day he crawled out of his mother's womb.

"It doesn't matter if you don't have money." Another hoodlum suddenly gave a sinister laugh and reached out his hand. "Accompanying us for some fun works too..." His hand reached directly toward Zhan Zhao's chin.

With a crisp crack, before anyone could react, they saw Bai Yutang reach out and snatch the man's hand. That very hand was now twisted in an impossible position—it was broken.

"Argh~~" Holding his broken hand, the little hoodlum shrieked in agony and crouched onto the ground.

The other three immediately lost their composure in a panic.

Bai Yutang asked Zhan Zhao, "Do you still remember the few moves I taught you last time?"

Zhan Zhao nodded, a look of extreme eagerness written across his face. Real combat, actual combat! Opportunities like this were rare.

Bai Yutang shook his head helplessly and beckoned toward the three hoodlums.

The three hoodlums exchanged looks before the leader shouted, "Get them..." and charged over.

Bai Yutang took a step forward, letting one past while blocking the two behind.

The one who was let past charged straight toward Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao silently recited the formula Bai Yutang had taught him: "Watch for the right timing, rapidly step forward with the right foot, let the right arm naturally slide along the opponent's forearm, grab the opponent's left shoulder area with the left hand, step the left leg to the outside of the opponent's left leg, twist the waist, and pull downward to the front-right with both hands to throw the opponent forward from the side of the body."

With a heavy thud, that little hoodlum flew out solidly and took a nasty spill, faceplanting into the dirt.

Yes! Zhan Zhao made a small fist pump, turning back to look at Bai Yutang, only to see that he had already flattened the other two hoodlums and was turning back to look at him.

Seeing Zhan Zhao's cute expression that practically screamed "that was so satisfying, I really want to do it again," Bai Yutang really wanted to pull him over for a fierce kiss. But... forget it, lest he get beaten up.

He reached down and hauled up one of the little hoodlums. "Do you still want to keep going?"

"Cough, cough... don't... no, we don't dare to anymore," the little hoodlum pleaded while coughing.

"Take a look at this address." Bai Yutang lifted the little hoodlum up, and Zhan Zhao leaned in curiously as well. "Is it near here?"

The little hoodlum squinted his eyes to read the address, nodding as he said, "Yes... that's right. It's in that building just ahead."

Bai Yutang released his grip, and the few punks fled in panic. The two didn't care to pursue them either, heading straight toward the building the hoodlum had pointed out.

This was a small two-story building. A dilapidated rolling shutter door stood half-open, revealing a pitch-black stairwell inside.

Bai Yutang peered inside, pulled out a portable flashlight, and turned back to look at Zhan Zhao, whispering a warning: "Be careful!"

"Mm." Zhan Zhao nodded, following close behind.

The two walked into the stairwell. According to Chen Jing's description, the clinic was on the second floor.

They walked up the stairs with cautious steps. Unlike the darkness of the first floor, the second floor emitted a faint, dim yellow light.

Switching off the flashlight, Bai Yutang suddenly stopped and barred Zhan Zhao's path.

Zhan Zhao looked at him with some confusion. Bai Yutang drew his gun and pointed a finger toward his own nose. Zhan Zhao took a sniff and indeed detected a very heavy scent—the smell of blood.

He drew his own gun as well, looking at Bai Yutang with a trace of anxiety.

The two separated, flanking the room from the left and right.

The door to the room wasn't locked; it was left slightly ajar.

Bai Yutang raised his foot and lightly kicked the door open. Inside the room, the lights were red, creating an exceptionally dark and gloomy atmosphere. A dense stench of blood assailed their nostrils. Zhan Zhao knit his brows; no matter who it was, it was impossible to still be alive after losing this much blood.

The two flashed into the room one after the other, only to be struck with shock by the scene before them the moment they stepped inside.

They saw Professor Xu lying stiffly on the floor with a bloody gash across his neck. The ground was virtually covered in blood. Judging by the color and degree of coagulation of the blood, he had been dead for at least 24 hours.

He was an old predecessor they had once worked together with, after all. Seeing Professor Xu in this state, Zhan Zhao still found it a bit difficult to bear, turning his face away, unwilling to look any further.

Bai Yutang inspected the room, then helplessly pulled out his mobile phone to call over the rest of the S.C.I. team.

Before long, this bleak little building was surrounded by police cars. Police tape separated the crowd of onlookers, and Zhan Zhao sat inside a police vehicle, staring blankly. Bai Yutang walked over to his side and popped open a warm can of coffee for him. "Are you alright?"

Zhan Zhao took the coffee, cradling it in both hands, feeling the warmth of the can to help disperse the surrounding chill. "What do you think?"

Bai Yutang let out a sigh, sitting down beside him. "Matters seem to have spun somewhat out of control."

"I originally thought that once we found Professor Xu, we could bring this to a close. I never expected him to be murdered." Zhan Zhao took a sip of the coffee. "It tastes terrible."

"That Doctor Zhang is the prime suspect." Bai Yutang took the coffee over. "Does it taste that bad?" He took a taste, then knit his brows and tossed the coffee away. "It's just like this cup of coffee. We bought it to drink, but who knew that compared to drinking it, using it to warm our hands turned out to be more effective."

Zhan Zhao looked down and smiled.

"What are you laughing at? You dead cat!" Bai Yutang scratched his head.

"Your method of comforting people is so lame!" Zhan Zhao looked up at the sky. "Reasoning with people doesn't suit you at all."

"Didn't you smile anyway?" Bai Yutang nudged him with his shoulder smugly. "I happen to be a master of both the pen and the sword!"

………………

"Boss, the forensic investigation of the scene is complete."

Bai Yutang nodded. "Are there any clues?"

Wang Chao shook his head. "Nothing was found, and there's no murder weapon either."

"How are things on Zhang Long's side?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"I just called to check. Doctor Zhang hasn't been found; they are still looking," Wang Chao said. "Xu Qing and the others are still near the campus... That guy seems to have vanished into thin air."

"Keep looking, and keep a tight eye out."

"Yes sir."

Just as they were about to pack up and head back, Bai Yutang's phone suddenly rang. He picked it up to look, freezing slightly. "It's from Chief Bao?"

He answered it, "Hello, Chief?"

...

The phone call lasted for only about ten seconds, yet Bai Yutang stood completely stunned, a look of utter astonishment written across his face.

"What's wrong?" It was very rare to see Bai Yutang at a total loss for words, giving Zhan Zhao a bad premonition. "What happened?"

Bai Yutang put down the phone, looking at Zhan Zhao. "Zhao Jue escaped."

"...What?!..." Zhan Zhao was so startled he nearly jumped up. "How... how is that possible?"

"Chief Bao wants us to head over right away. Let's go, Cat." Bai Yutang pulled Zhan Zhao along as he ran toward the car, turning back to call out to Wang Chao, "Bring the men and follow me."

A journey that originally should have taken three hours was unexpectedly driven by Bai Yutang in just one hour. Just looking at his driving style—treating the car like an airplane—one could tell how anxious he was right now.

Upon arriving at the research center, the group ran straight toward Zhao Jue's ward.

Bao Zheng stood by the doorway smoking a cigarette. Judging from the pile of cigarette butts on the ground, he had already been here for quite some time.

"How did this happen?" Gazing at the completely empty cell, Bai Yutang asked Bao Zheng.

"The surveillance footage caught everything." Leading the two into the monitoring room, Bao Zheng turned on the machine. The picture was clear: the person who had taken Zhao Jue away was unexpectedly Doctor Zhang.

"Zhang Boyi, forty-two years old, a renowned psychologist and a researcher at this research center. He has the authority to enter the ward." Bao Zheng put out his cigarette. "He understood the situation here and took advantage of the gap during the guards' shift change to take him away."

Bao Zheng looked at the tightly knit brows of Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao beside him, saying, "You don't need to be too tense either. Issue a wanted bounty to capture them. The reason I called you two here is that I wanted Little Zhan to take a look at Zhao Jue's room."

"The room?" Zhan Zhao was puzzled.

"Heh." Bao Zheng gave a light chuckle. "Didn't you discern some clues last time?"

"..." Zhan Zhao turned his face to glare at Bai Yutang.

Bai Yutang quickly waved his hands. "I wasn't the one who said it."

Bao Zheng shook his head. "Even though I'm getting up there in age, I'm not blind yet. The two of you acting so secretive—anyone could figure out there was something going on."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a look, lowering their heads in embarrassment.

"In addition, you two be careful, especially Little Zhan." Bao Zheng called out to stop the two who were about to head out. "And your older brother."

Bai Yutang instantly grew tense. "You think Zhao Jue will target the Cat and my brother?"

Bao Zheng nodded.

"My brother discovered his secret back then, which I can understand. But the Cat has absolutely no involvement with him, right?" Bai Yutang seemed to be getting a bit heated. "Why would he want to harm the Cat?"

Zhan Zhao pulled at Bai Yutang. "Yutang, don't get so worked up."

Bai Yutang broke free and continued, "What exactly happened back then? Why won't anyone say it? What is there that can't be spoken of?"

Looking at the angry Bai Yutang and the worried Zhan Zhao pulling at him from behind, Bao Zheng suddenly smiled.

He let out a long breath. "Twenty years ago, I witnessed a scene just like this one."

...?... Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a look, gazing at Bao Zheng with some confusion.

Bao Zheng simply pulled over a chair and sat down. "Back then, Yunwen and I were just like this, very easily irritated. Zhao Jue would always pull us back and then help us think of a solution. It isn't because the events of back then are some secret... but rather, because we truly do not wish to bring them up again." He lit another cigarette. "Do you know why Zhao Jue wanted to kill so many people?"

Seeing the two shake their heads, Bao Zheng said with a wry smile, "Because back then, everyone relied on very traditional methods to solve cases. The psychological profiling theories Zhao Jue proposed were frequently criticized by others. He had proposed multiple times to establish a specialized department for psychological analysis and recruit psychology researchers to engage in psychological profiling... Unfortunately, it was all viewed as a fantasy."

"He committed murders just to prove the utility of psychology?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"Mm." Bao Zheng took a drag from his cigarette. "He used psychological suggestion to kill people, and then used psychological analysis to save people... playing those who had once mocked him entirely for fools."

Bai Yutang had already calmed down. "He wants to harm Zhan Zhao because of jealousy?"

Bao Zheng nodded. "Do you know what the last words he spoke were before he was fitted with the acoustic dampener?" He took a deep breath of smoke. "He said he was jealous. Jealous of me, jealous of Yunwen, jealous of everyone... He said that a genius absolutely must find a stage; otherwise, a genius will live a life even more painful than those fools. Everything he did was merely to create a stage for himself."

Listening to Bao Zheng's narration, Zhan Zhao fell into a bit of a daze. "If a specialized department like a psychological analysis center had existed back then..."

Bao Zheng nodded. "Then he would have been just like you."

....Subsequently, Bao Zheng fell silent, seemingly plunging into a long-lasting memory. What Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao saw in his eyes was boundless regret and sorrow. This kind of expression was very familiar to Bai Yutang; he had looked at it for nearly twenty years. His family's old man would be like this too, staring blankly while smoking... full of boundless sorrow and regret. When he was a child, he even thought this looked incredibly manly, but thinking about it now, he was truly fortunate.

"Smoke a bit less," Bai Yutang told Bao Zheng. "It's bad for your health." After saying that, he pulled Zhan Zhao along to leave.

The two returned once more to Zhao Jue's room. Zhan Zhao walked inside and began to meticulously inspect the area. He sat down on that red chair and began to flip through the sketch manuscripts left behind by Zhao Jue page by page. Bai Yutang sat outside, staring blankly at Zhan Zhao's figure within. Time quietly slipped away bit by bit just like this, and the sky outside the window gradually turned white.

Zhan Zhao stood up and walked out of the cell.

"Cat?" Seeing that Zhan Zhao's face was deathly pale and that he seemed to be highly uncomfortable, Bai Yutang took a step forward, only to see Zhan Zhao's body sway. "Cat!"

He hurriedly reached out his hands, catching Zhan Zhao's collapsing body. "Cat, what's wrong?"

Bai Yutang held Zhan Zhao tight, reaching a hand out to touch his cheek. "Where does it hurt? Are you tired?"

"No..." Zhan Zhao pulled at Bai Yutang with a trace of weakness. "Lock... lock up the room. Don't look at those drawings."

"Why?" Bai Yutang asked in confusion.

"Gather... gather all the personnel of the research center together. They need psychological treatment." Zhan Zhao steadied his breathing, the color gradually returning to his face. "Zhao Jue wrote subconscious suggestions into the drawings... People who look at these drawings for years on end are highly likely to commit suicide, or commit murder…”