S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 1: Chapter 6

The Digital Killer 06: Prison 

Prisons never leave people with a good impression, regardless of whether you are a permanent resident or just visiting occasionally.

In the special interrogation room, Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao waited until Wu Hao was brought in, tightly wrapped up in a straightjacket like a rice dumpling.

Wu Hao did not look like a down-and-out taxi driver who was nearly fifty years old, let alone a psychiatric patient. Wearing near-sighted glasses, he appeared refined and composed. If he had not been wearing a specially made straightjacket, he would have looked more like a teacher or a scholar.

He walked slowly into the special interrogation room, first scanning his surroundings before walking straight over to seat himself at the table. He then raised his head and began to size up Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang before him.

His gaze landed first on Bai Yutang. After lingering for a brief moment, he opened his mouth and spoke at an extremely slow pace, "...You are a rather good cop."

After locking eyes with him for a moment, Bai Yutang nodded and replied, "And you are certainly not a good driver."

Wu Hao let out a soft chuckle and turned his face to look at Zhan Zhao. His gaze lingered on Zhan Zhao for a very, very long time. Finally, he shook his head in admiration and sighed, "...What a flawless piece of art. You are the most perfect living being I have ever seen in my life."

While Wu Hao was scrutinizing him, Zhan Zhao was also closely observing him. Hearing his words, Zhan Zhao smiled slightly and said, "Thank you for the compliment. I would be even happier if you could view me as a human being instead."

Wu Hao leaned slightly forward, peering intently into Zhan Zhao's eyes. "They are just like two premium cat's-eye gems, the exact color of amber..."

"Hey!" Sitting nearby, Bai Yutang extended his hand and snapped his fingers right in front of Wu Hao's eyes, cutting him off. "Sit back!"

Wu Hao shifted his eyes to look at him, but his body did not move. "You carry the scent of a predator on you."

Bai Yutang pointed at the chair behind Wu Hao. "You had better sit right back down this instant and hold still in that position! Otherwise, I will show you what a real predator looks like!"

The corner of Wu Hao's mouth twitched slightly, but he still sat back down.

Bai Yutang opened the folder on the table and placed the photographs inside right in front of Wu Hao's eyes. "Take a look at these."

Maintaining a perfectly upright posture, Wu Hao lowered his gaze, swept his eyes over the photographs, and gave an inscrutable smile.

"You don't seem surprised at all!" Zhan Zhao suddenly spoke up.

Wu Hao raised his eyebrows indifferently. "Surprised? No... they are just ordinary tattoos, that's all."

"Who told you they were tattoos?" Bai Yutang asked with a smirk. "Why didn't you assume they were painted on with pigment?"

The smile on Wu Hao's face stiffened slightly, and he immediately asked with a face full of confusion, "Is there a difference?"

"Of course there is." Zhan Zhao lightly tapped his fingers on the tabletop and said, "Tattoos cannot be washed off, while pigments can. These numbers are located in very specific areas, and the style is completely identical. Anyone seeing them for the first time would absolutely not think of tattoos right off the bat."

Wu Hao remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly again, "My apologies. In my mind, any blue patterns drawn on the body are considered tattoos..."

"Patterns??" Bai Yutang stared intently into Wu Hao's eyes. "Why did you call them patterns instead of numbers?"

The flash of panic that instantly darted across Wu Hao's eyes did not escape Bai Yutang. He turned back to look at Zhan Zhao, and Zhan Zhao looked back at him. The two of them quickly exchanged a knowing glance.

Bai Yutang turned back around, staring grimly at Wu Hao as he said, "I heard you have been receiving treatment for a split personality disorder. In a couple of days, the judge will consult with psychiatric experts. If they determine that you truly have a psychological disorder, you won't have to spend the rest of your life squatting in a prison cell. Instead, you will be treated in a mental institution."

Wu Hao did not seem to understand why Bai Yutang had suddenly shifted the topic, and for a moment, he failed to react.

"You seem very afraid of going to prison?" Zhan Zhao asked immediately, without waiting for Wu Hao to give any response.

"...Heh." Wu Hao seemed to find it amusing. "Life imprisonment, who wouldn't be afraid?"

"You are different!" Zhan Zhao said with a smile. "To make someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder go to prison, it would be better to just let him die, wouldn't it?"

The color drained from Wu Hao's face instantly.

Zhan Zhao leaned back against his chair and said, "You are highly meticulous; rules and order are incredibly important to you. But there is none of that in prison! There are only cramped spaces! Filthy air! Germs absolutely everywhere! Surveillance cameras! You will be forced to live together with a crowd of people..."

Listening to Zhan Zhao's words, Wu Hao suddenly grew agitated. He began to tremble slightly, shaking his head continuously. "They can't... I won't spend my whole life in prison! I'm sick! I need treatment..."

"You are indeed sick!" Zhan Zhao pressed on relentlessly. "You have severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, which triggers extreme mysophobia, anxiety, and panic attacks... You can constantly hear a voice speaking in your ear, every single corner feels as if someone is watching you, and you can even see the bacteria all around you eating away at your health..."

"No... No... I can't go to prison... I'm sick!" Wu Hao screamed somewhat hysterically and began struggling to stand up. Bai Yutang stopped the prison guards who came rushing in with electric batons, and instead raised his foot to kick the table in front of him. The table slammed into Wu Hao's chest, throwing him right back into his chair. The sharp pain in his chest forced him to slump over the table, coughing violently.

"Spill it!" Bai Yutang commanded coldly.

"Cough, cough... Spill what?" Wu Hao was still making his final struggle.

"Did you know?" Zhan Zhao suddenly leaned in close. "I am one of the top psychologists in this country. If I present a pathological certification stating that there is absolutely nothing wrong with your sanity, do you think the judge will be influenced by it?"

Wu Hao looked up at Zhan Zhao in near-total terror.

Bai Yutang slid the photographs back in front of Wu Hao. "You have two choices. Either honestly tell us everything, or spend the rest of your days inside a prison cell..."

Appearing completely despairing, Wu Hao shook his head in agony and whispered, "I can't... I can't betray them... Betrayal will be punished…”