S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 1: Chapter 7
The Digital Killer 07: Martyrdom
The rest of the interrogation went very smoothly. According to Wu Hao's confession, he worked for their "God," and everything he did was under "God's" instructions.
Bai Yutang felt utterly lost as he listened to this, and he could not help but glance at Zhan Zhao. "Are you sure he's sane?"
Zhan Zhao knit his brows and asked Wu Hao, "You just mentioned your 'God.' Aside from you, who else works for this 'God'?"
"There are also... priests, angels... and many children of God like me," Wu Hao replied, his face filled with yearning.
Bai Yutang could not help but laugh out loud. "Are you saying you work for Jesus?"
"No!" Wu Hao shook his head. "I don't believe in Christianity!"
Zhan Zhao pondered for a moment, then asked, "You seem to have a very strict hierarchy. What is the specific division of labor?"
Wu Hao hesitated for a moment. "God hands down the orders, the priests handle rewards and punishments, the angels are responsible for liaison, and the children of God execute the orders."
"And the task they gave you was to use your car to run people down?" Bai Yutang could not resist asking.
Wu Hao nodded.
"I need the names of the other members, including your names." Bai Yutang took out a pen and paper, preparing to take notes.
"We don't have names, only numbers."
"Numbers??" Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a look. Bai Yutang stood up, walked behind Wu Hao, flipped his ear over to check, and then shook his head at Zhan Zhao—there was no number behind Wu Hao's ear.
"Through what channels do you receive your instructions?" Zhan Zhao continued his questioning.
"An angel will find me and leave behind the mission and relevant materials."
"Where are those materials?" Bai Yutang asked.
"They all have to be destroyed after viewing..."
"With your personality, you probably kept them as a collection, didn't you?" Zhan Zhao picked up on Wu Hao's hesitation.
"Whew..." Wu Hao let out a dejected sigh. "I... hid them on the bookshelf at home."
"One last question. What is your number?" Zhan Zhao asked.
"...114..."
By the time the two of them finished the interrogation and left the prison, the sky had already turned dark.
Bai Yutang dialed Bao Zheng's number and gave a brief overview of the case. Bao Zheng immediately issued a search warrant, and Wang Chao took a team to search Wu Hao's house. Following Bai Yutang's request, they were to bring all paper items back to the Special Crime Investigation bureau.
"Cat, want to grab some food?" Bai Yutang asked as he closed the car door.
"Mm..." Zhan Zhao seemed a bit distracted.
"Hey!" Bai Yutang reached out and waved his hand in front of Zhan Zhao's eyes. "Snap out of it! What are you thinking about?"
Zhan Zhao frowned. "Wu Hao's behavior resembles a form of faith dependency. This case isn't simple."
"To me, his mind doesn't seem sane at all. That organization of theirs might just be a club for lunatics." Bai Yutang started the car. "What do you want to eat?"
"Mm... I want to eat curry," Zhan Zhao emphasized. "The kind you make."
"...Is your stomach issue cured??" Bai Yutang sized Zhan Zhao up with slight surprise. "Don't end up in the hospital right after eating! You gluttonous cat!"
"Nutmeg macaroni then." Zhan Zhao thought about it and emphasized once more, "The kind you make."
"You damn cat... you're buying the groceries!" Bai Yutang said fiercely.
"No problem! Chef Bai!" Zhan Zhao adjusted his seating posture with great satisfaction, deciding to take a nap first.
Both Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao had dormitories, which were high-end single apartments assigned by the police department. Their common ground was that they were both geniuses when it came to work. Their difference lay in the fact that in daily life, Bai Yutang was still a genius, whereas Zhan Zhao was an absolute, certified helpless child. In Bai Yutang's words, Zhan Zhao would walk into walls, drive into trees, explode pans while cooking, and burn the house down while boiling rice... Therefore, besides relying on the cafeteria and takeout, Zhan Zhao's meals mostly depended on Bai Yutang. Who could blame Bai Yutang for inheriting Mother Bai's excellent genes, allowing him to cook dishes on par with a five-star chef??
The two arrived at the supermarket below their dormitory building. While Zhan Zhao was enthusiastically picking out vegetables, Bai Yutang's phone suddenly rang. He answered the call and hung up thirty seconds later. Taking the vegetables out of Zhan Zhao's hands and putting them back in place, he said, "The macaroni is ruined!"
Afterward, Bai Yutang bought some bread and drinks, stuffed a thoroughly displeased Zhan Zhao into the car, and sped off back toward the prison.
At the prison entrance, they ran into Gongsun Ce, who was just getting out of his car while carrying a tool kit.
The three of them walked into the prison, only to see Wu Hao lying stiffly on the floor of the sealed special isolation ward. Blood was trickling from his nose, eyes, ears, and mouth; he had already stopped breathing. Yet, there was no expression of pain on his face. With his hands clasped over his chest, he looked like a peaceful martyr.
Gongsun stepped forward to examine the body, while Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao questioned the prison guards outside about the situation. Suddenly, they heard Gongsun calling them from inside the cell.
Rushing inside to look, they saw Gongsun lifting the deceased man's head and flipping over his left ear for them to see. A clear, blue "114" had appeared behind the ear.