S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 2: Chapter 17

The Killer Training Camp 17: Retribution (Case Closed) 

At 9:00 PM, outside a high-end apartment building in S City.

Zhang Long and Wang Chao had been keeping watch from their car for a day and a night.

"Has she not returned yet, or has she been sleeping the whole time?" Zhang Long asked Wang Chao, puzzled as he stared at the window on the twelfth floor, which remained dark.

"Or maybe the windows in her apartment are specially made?" Wang Chao shrugged.

At that moment, a luxurious black sedan drove into the residential complex and parked below the apartment building.

"Hey, hey! Look, who’s that?" Wang Chao immediately perked up.

"We’ve hooked a big fish!!" Zhang Long hurriedly took out his micro-camera to film.

The car door opened, and a well-dressed man stepped out. He went to the other side and opened the door, and Fang Jing stepped out, wearing a magnificent evening gown.

"Whoa~~~" Zhang Long raised an eyebrow. "What do you think they went to do?"

"Hmm~~~ maybe to celebrate Gongsun being harmed." Wang Chao opened his laptop.

The two quickly entered the apartment. Zhang Long stopped filming and imported the video he had just shot into the computer.

At S.C.I. headquarters, Jiang Ping received the video immediately.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang leaned in to watch.

"Cat, this Fang Jing feels strange," Bai Yutang frowned.

Jiang Ping agreed, "Yeah, in photos she looks quite plain, but in entertainment magazines, she feels very seductive~~~ yet in this video, she seems very noble..."

"Aren't all women like that?" Xu Qing asked.

Zhan Zhao remained silent. After watching the video back and forth several times, he suddenly said, "Zhang Hua said Fang Jing went abroad, right? Which country did she go to?"

Jiang Ping found the information he had just pulled on Fang Jing and said, "Her entry and exit records show she arrived in California, USA, six years ago."

Zhan Zhao asked again, "Where has Professor Wilson been during this time?"

Jiang Ping checked. "Ha, the same place."

"Cat, do you think they are related?" Bai Yutang asked.

Zhan Zhao nodded. "According to Zhang Hua, Fang Jing used to be a drug addict, right?"

"That's correct." Everyone looked at Zhan Zhao.

"As far as I know, Professor Wilson has always advocated using psychotherapy to break drug addiction." Zhan Zhao reached over, turned the keyboard in front of Jiang Ping, and entered the address of an overseas psychology website.

Soon, the webpage displayed, containing detailed reports on how Professor Wilson successfully used psychology to help addicts quit.

Jiang Ping took back the keyboard and typed rapidly.

"What are you doing?" Bai Yutang asked, puzzled.

"I'm looking for an American friend of mine. He might be able to help me find a way."

"What does that friend of yours do?" Zhan Zhao asked curiously.

"Oh~~~ he’s a hacker who specializes in attacking government websites. Maybe he can enter the networking system of psychological medical institutions and help me look up some hidden, unknown private treatment information." Jiang Ping continued typing. "Look, there's a reply. Good stuff."

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao leaned in to look at the screen. It was a brief registration document regarding psychological treatment. The patient was indeed Fang Jing, and her doctor was Professor Wilson.

"They really are related." Bai Yutang frowned. "Fang Jing is just Wilson's chess piece."

"No..." Zhan Zhao shook his head. "Perhaps it's even more complicated."

"What else is there?" Bai Yutang asked, confused.

"Look at the way Fang Jing stares at Pang Yu." Zhan Zhao pointed to a frozen frame in the video. "The eyes cannot be disguised."

The others all looked intently at Fang Jing in the frame. It was clearly a look filled with love; Fang Jing was staring at Pang Yu with intense focus.

Bai Yutang seemed a bit confused. "What does this explain?"

Zhan Zhao furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. "Jiang Ping, search for information regarding the International Psychology Association Annual Meeting. I remember it should be coming up soon."

"Alright." Jiang Ping typed on the keyboard, and the information appeared line by line: "It's in three days."

"Search for Pang Yu next." Zhan Zhao braced a hand on the desk, looking anxious.

"Ah..." The group stared at the search results in shock. "Pang Yu will be reading his award-winning thesis, 'The Evolution and Development of Personality,' at this psychology annual meeting."

"God~~~" Zhan Zhao sighed.

"Cat, what does this explain?" Bai Yutang asked, his face full of bewilderment.

"It explains that a poor woman has become a chess piece in a contest between two psychological lunatics." Zhan Zhao’s expression was grim. "Xiao Bai, do you remember Jon King saying his lover died after receiving treatment from Professor Wilson?"

"I remember." Bai Yutang nodded. "They said it was suicide... you mean."

Zhan Zhao nodded. "What if Fang Jing commits suicide too?"

"Ah~~~" Bai Yutang said. "I understand. Killing Jia Zhengyan, Zhang Hua, including Gongsun—it's not because they're afraid of people knowing Fang Jing was involved in this case, but because they don't want people to know Fang Jing used to be a drug addict and had received Wilson's treatment. Besides, once Fang Jing is dead, everything related to the 'Killer Training Camp' can be blamed on her, because all the evidence we have points directly at her."

"In that case, neither Professor Wilson nor Pang Yu would have any involvement." Bai Chi, who had been listening intently from the side, was filled with anger. "She really is a complete sacrifice."

"Is there any way for us to stop it?" Bai Yutang asked Zhan Zhao.

"I need to see her," Zhan Zhao said. "As soon as possible."

Bai Yutang took out his phone and called Zhang Long.

"Boss, Pang Yu just left," Zhang Long said upon answering the phone.

"Which means Fang Jing is home alone right now?" Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao. "What do we do?"

"Don't worry." Zhan Zhao said, "She shouldn't be in danger right now because Pang Yu just left. If she commits suicide now, it would inevitably implicate him."

"Let's go!" Bai Yutang grabbed his jacket and said to Zhan Zhao, "We're going to relieve Zhang Long and Wang Chao."

"I'm going too," Bai Chi said immediately.

The three quickly drove to the vicinity of Fang Jing’s residence and swapped with Zhang Long and Wang Chao.

"Cat, what’s the plan?" Bai Yutang asked.

Zhan Zhao looked up at the pitch-black window of Fang Jing’s home and said, "I highly suspect that Wilson used illegal treatment methods."

"What?" Bai Yutang was puzzled.

"Fang Jing looks very wrong," Zhan Zhao explained. "It’s like she’s on the edge of something; she’s very unstable and very fickle."

Bai Chi and Bai Yutang exchanged glances and shook their heads, confused. "We can't tell."

Zhan Zhao looked helplessly at the brothers. "Do you remember that paper Professor Wilson wrote about personality splitting?"

"I remember." Bai Chi nodded.

Bai Yutang looked at both of them. "I remember a little bit~~~"

"Hoo~~~" Zhan Zhao sighed. "Actually, the research currently being done by the Killer Training Camp, or rather the research Pang Yu’s paper is about, feels just like something Wilson discovered decades ago."

"And then?" The Bai brothers tilted their heads in unison.

"Which means Wilson’s research should be even more advanced now. It’s very possible he can induce personality splitting." Zhan Zhao stroked his chin and said slowly, "Fang Jing’s situation is like having a second personality awakened, a personality that she herself cannot control."

Bai Yutang had a flash of realization. "Ah~~~ you mean Pang Yu and Wilson are each controlling one of her personalities? This would also explain what we discussed this morning about the differences between the first two types of victims! The victims Yang Feng and Qi Lei chose were random, selected by Pang Yu for academic research. The latter type was selected by Wilson for the purpose of drawing our attention to the 'Killer Training Camp'."

"Smart!" Zhan Zhao agreed. "I think when Fang Jing received treatment in the past, Wilson discovered she met the requirements for one of his experiments, so he triggered another personality in her, and he has maintained control over that other personality ever since... He only utilized it after he learned of Pang Yu’s research and the 'Killer Training Camp' affair. These two men seem to be trying to compete in the academic field..."

Bai Chi and Bai Yutang both fell silent. This behavior was too insane. Human beings were like a pyramid, yet the relationships between people were the most primitive ecological food chain... The organisms standing at the top easily fed on the organisms at the bottom or used them as objects for their games~~~ How cruel.

Time ticked away second by second. By dawn, Bai Chi had quietly fallen asleep on the backseat. Bai Yutang was, as always, full of energy. What was rare was that Zhan Zhao, who was usually fond of sleep, had also stayed wide awake until dawn... Bai Yutang could feel a sense of compassion in him; this person always sympathized with all the unfortunate people in the world.

The figure that appeared at the apartment entrance caused the hearts of Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao to relax. Both men energized, staring at Fang Jing as she walked out. They watched her walk into a convenience store in the residential complex. Zhan Zhao immediately got out of the car and turned back to Bai Yutang, who was about to follow. "Let me go myself. I want to talk to her alone."

Nodding, Bai Yutang watched Zhan Zhao run toward the convenience store.

……………………

About ten minutes later, Fang Jing walked out alone and returned to her apartment.

Bai Yutang watched the convenience store entrance anxiously. A moment later, Zhan Zhao walked out, looking exhausted, and returned to the car.

"How are you?" Bai Yutang pulled Zhan Zhao to his side, letting him lean on his shoulder.

"Hmm, Fang Jing should..."

"I’m asking about you!" Bai Yutang interrupted fiercely.

Zhan Zhao paused for a moment and rubbed against Bai Yutang’s shoulder comfortingly. "I'm fine. Get ready for the chaos at noon. We still have to act out one more scene. This time, we’re really going to hook the big fish."

"Alright, you rest for a while. I’ll arrange what comes next." Bai Yutang reached out and gently rubbed Zhan Zhao’s hair.

Zhan Zhao smiled. "You know what I’m thinking again?"

"Heh," Bai Yutang said triumphantly. "Whatever you’re thinking never escapes my eyes. You’re an expert in studying people; I’m an expert in studying you." The final words were drowned in a light, shallow kiss. In the backseat, little Bai Chi kept his eyes tightly shut, his small face flushed red, his eyelashes fluttering~~~

On the S City midday news: "Famous film and television agent Fang Jing was found dead in her home by a close friend. According to preliminary police findings, it was a suicide by poisoning. In her suicide note, Fang Jing specified that she was the mastermind behind a series of recent serial killings. Police also found a large amount of relevant evidence in her home."

The person in front of the television looked at the chaotic scene on the screen with satisfaction, sipping the fine wine in his glass. He laughed, looking completely self-satisfied, and swirled his glass slightly in the air, as if inviting someone to share a drink.

In the S.C.I. office, everyone was busy. Lu Fang walked in with someone and said, "Xiao Zhan, someone is here to see you."

Everyone looked up and saw, to their surprise, Pang Yu carrying his luggage.

Pang Yu greeted Zhan Zhao with a smile. "Dr. Zhan, we meet again."

"Hello." Zhan Zhao shook his hand politely.

"I’m going to attend the psychology annual meeting," Pang Yu said with a smile. "Have you read my thesis? I’d really like to hear your opinion."

Zhan Zhao shook his head. "Sorry, I’ve been busy lately, I haven't read it."

"Oh, I hope you have time to take a look. I really crave your opinion." Pang Yu turned to leave. "By the way! Why have you never attended psychology conferences or participated in award selections? With your attainments and status, you should have plenty of opportunities." Pang Yu looked back before leaving.

Zhan Zhao glanced at him and shook his head, saying, "You will never understand."

Pang Yu shrugged regretfully, nodded, said "Bye," and left.

Jiang Ping gave the chair beside him a fierce kick. "Damn it, let him off too easily."

Zhan Zhao’s eyes remained fixed outside the door. He said slowly, "There will be retribution."

"Cat, aren't you the type who never believes in these things?" Bai Yutang put on his jacket and asked curiously.

Zhan Zhao nodded in a way that carried an ambiguous meaning and asked, "Is everything ready?"

"Of course!" Bai Yutang shook the car keys in his hand. "We can leave at any time."

"Is Bai Chi coming too?" Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Chi, who had an eager look on his face.

"Mm... mm." Bai Chi nodded timidly, his face blushing~~~

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao exchanged glances—what is wrong with this kid??

"Has my wife taken her medication?" In a luxurious villa, Wilson stood looking out of the floor-to-ceiling window at Laura, who was sunbathing in the middle of the courtyard, and asked the nurse.

"She has." After the nurse replied, she left.

Wilson poured himself a glass of vodka. The strong liquor stimulated his nerves, and he felt wonderful. He stared affectionately at his wife outside the window, who wore a peaceful expression. "Laura, my darling, you are my last Son of God..."

"Sir." A maid knocked on the door and said to Wilson, "These two police officers say they have something important and need to see you."

Outside the room, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang nodded politely to Wilson.

"...Oh! Zhan, and Officer Bai, why are you here?" After a moment of shock, Wilson immediately regained his usual enthusiasm. Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a knowing look.

"Professor Wilson, we have a list here." As he spoke, Bai Yutang handed a list to Wilson. "Everyone on this list suffered from personality splitting and committed suicide after your treatment. We have reason to suspect you are engaged in illegal treatment and using patients to commit crimes, among other things."

"Hehe~~~" Wilson shook his head helplessly. "I don't understand what you’re talking about at all."

Zhan Zhao smiled. "Doctor, we have already submitted the case to Interpol and have been granted authorization to arrest you and implement a judicial handover."

Bai Yutang took out a document. "Need to see the arrest warrant?"

The smile on Wilson’s face faded. "You have no evidence. On what grounds are you arresting me?"

Bai Yutang smiled. "If you want evidence, I think the best piece is right here." As he spoke, he gestured to the door. Bai Chi walked in with a gaunt and haggard Fang Jing.

Wilson looked at Fang Jing in disbelief. "How can you... you should have..."

"She should be dead, right?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"Zhan! It was you, wasn't it? What did you do to her? How could this happen?" Wilson shouted, losing control.

"It was just hypnosis," Zhan Zhao said. "Short-term, rapid, conducted through language."

"What, you, you actually managed to do that... how is that possible?" Wilson shook his head in disbelief. "How did you do it?"

At this time, Bai Yutang had already walked over and put handcuffs on Wilson, but Wilson was clearly more interested in what Zhan Zhao had done and kept asking incessantly.

Zhan Zhao found him laughable, shook his head, and said, "In your heart, what exactly is psychology? Is it medical science, or magic? Or is it some sorcery used to manipulate others?!"

"Tell me! I need to know! Tell me! How did you do it!" Wilson struggled, staring at Zhan Zhao.

"The prompt was the colored pill, the command was sleep," Zhan Zhao said. "As long as she sees the colored pill, she will enter a deep sleep. I give the command, and only then will she wake up."

"Haha..." Wilson suddenly burst out laughing. "Genius! Genius... You really are a rare psychological genius in this world... Zhan! Zhan, you truly are the Son of God... Zhan..."

Bai Yutang fiercely pushed Wilson toward the officers outside. "Take him away."

Wilson was hauled away, still shouting. A famous psychologist, a man who controlled others, now looked like a true lunatic himself.

"Are you okay?" Bai Chi walked to Zhan Zhao’s side with concern. "Don't take it to heart."

Zhan Zhao smiled and patted his head. "It's fine." His gaze, however, fell on Laura outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

"What's wrong, Cat?" Bai Yutang asked Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao slowly turned back and asked Bai Yutang, "Do you remember me telling you that if killing a very bad person could save many good people, I would also kill..."

Bai Yutang stared at Zhan Zhao for a long time and said, "Cat, you can just do whatever you want."

Zhan Zhao nodded. Bai Yutang pulled him toward the exit. As he left the room, Zhan Zhao looked back at Laura one last time. His eyes were full of pity.

Laura sat there quietly, stroking a miniature pistol in her hand, mechanically repeating, "I am your Son of God... the last Son of God..."

The next day at noon, the S.C.I. office was bustling with activity.

Mahan and Zhao Hu had returned from their mission, and word had come from Interpol that Wilson had been indicted. This case could be considered successfully closed.

The Ding twins brought champagne and food, and everyone began to celebrate.

"Sigh~~~" Mahan took a sip of champagne and sighed, "Too bad for that brat Pang Yu."

"Not necessarily~~~" The door was pushed open, and Lu Fang walked in with a CD. "Let me show you all something."

It was a news video. At the International Psychology Annual Meeting, a shooting occurred. The young psychologist Pang Yu was shot and killed. The person who fired the shot was Laura, the wife of the famous psychology professor Wilson Brown. Doctors later confirmed that Laura suffered from severe personality splitting. She had been controlled by her husband and needed to be hospitalized for treatment.

Everyone in the S.C.I. fell silent. Lu Fang turned off the video and turned back to ask, "Do you believe in retribution? Whether it's Wilson or Pang Yu, retribution!"

Everyone turned their gaze toward Zhan Zhao.

"What?" Zhan Zhao shrugged, looking bewildered. "It is indeed retribution~~~"

Following this, the S.C.I. celebration went even further. Everyone’s faces were filled with joy. Little Bai Chi held a wine glass, his face flushed red, rubbing back and forth on the sofa, mumbling something about popcorn and cantaloupes, which made all the older brothers drool and feel a surge of primal desire—so cute~~~

In the chaotic office, no one noticed that a few people were missing.

In the prison visiting room, Fang Jing looked at the Gongsun in front of her and smiled sadly. "I'm sorry..."

Gongsun shook his head. "Pang Yu is dead."

Fang Jing paused, tears welling up in her eyes. "What a failed life, isn't it?"

Gongsun looked at her quietly and reached out to wipe away her tears. "It wasn't your fault. To love and to be loved are never wrong, even if there is hurt, forgiveness is possible if the starting point was love."

Walking out of the visiting room, Gongsun saw Bai Jintang standing outside, waiting eagerly.

Bai Jintang opened the car door for him, but Gongsun shook his head. "I want to walk."

"Yourbody..." Bai Jintang just started to speak, but was interrupted by Gongsun’s gaze.

Gongsun glared at him fiercely and smiled. "Who was it that said they would listen to me from now on?"

"Okay~~~ okay~~~ Walk! Walk!" Bai Jintang followed him joyfully.

The twins, who were following from afar, continued to mourn for their boss—he’s been subjugated! Their boss has been completely tamed by Gongsun~~~

In front of the prison, Jon King prepared to get into a car. He was to be transferred back to his country to serve his sentence.

Zhan Zhao walked to the car and handed Jon a file. "Your friend’s treatment records."

Jon took it and opened it. The smile in the photograph was as bright as it had ever been.

Zhan Zhao said, "I’ve read his treatment report. The reason he committed suicide was because he wanted to protect you. His other personality had been ordered to kill you... He didn't commit suicide because he was weak; he did it because he loved you."

Jon held the file tightly, sitting in the car with a blank expression, unable to stop his tears any longer.

Zhan Zhao walked slowly out of the prison gate, looking back at the giant cage. It was like hell, layer by layer, locking up countless unforgivable evil spirits. However, just like the definition of hell in the Divine Comedy, the significance of its existence did not lie in whether it caused the evil spirits to suffer punishment, but in allowing those murdered souls to find peace. More importantly, it was to save those souls wandering on the edge of hell.

At the bottom of the long stairs, Bai Yutang was leaning against his magnificent sports car, looking up at him with a smile. Some people believe that a country can change, but a person’s nature is hard to alter. But some believe that one thought can make a person a demon, and another can make them a Buddha. The key is that you can see the people around you who truly love you and are worth loving.

Zhan Zhao ran down the stairs quickly and came to Bai Yutang’s side.

"Want to go see a concert?" Bai Yutang took out two tickets.

"Qi Le and the others'?" Zhan Zhao asked, looking at the tickets with pleasant surprise.

"Just left." Bai Yutang pointed to the distance. "Dropped the tickets and left. They also said they wanted to quit drugs and wanted you to treat them."

"You put in a good word for them, didn't you?" Zhan Zhao got into the car and asked Bai Yutang. "Letting them join the tryouts."

Bai Yutang shrugged. "Who knows?" He started the car. "The other day, Pang Yu asked you why you never attend those international conferences or participate in award selections, and you said he would never understand."

Zhan Zhao thought for a moment. "In general, I think psychological doctors are doctors at the end of the day. What is the fundamental duty of a doctor?"

"Ah~~~" Bai Yutang nodded. "I understand. A person like him would truly never understand in his whole life~~~ A cat is worthy of being a cat."

"You're doing it again. I said there was no logic, didn't I?"

"Who said there’s no logic? If you’re not a cat, what are you?"

"Dead mouse!"

"Why are you hitting people?"

"I'm hitting a mouse!"

"……Okay!" Pulls him over for a kiss!

"What are you doing?!" Wipes mouth!

"What am I doing? I’m kissing a cat!"

"I'll beat you to death!"

"Cat! I'm driving~~~"

"I don't care!!"

The car continued to zigzag forward.

Who was it that said, "When everything is over, everything is still far from over…”