S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 2: Chapter 4

The Killer Training Camp 04: The Band 

"Who are you people?!" The punk girl slammed the plastic bag in her hand onto the ground. Several cans of beer rolled out, making a sharp, scraping sound against the metal before rolling to a stop.

The girl had already bounded forward a few steps, staring vigilantly at Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang.

The two men standing at the door were also sizing the girl up. Although her style was quite mature and alternative, it was easy to tell that she was very young—likely no more than twenty. Her face, however, was pale, and with the exaggerated smoky eye makeup and dark purple lipstick, it was difficult to discern her true features for a moment. She was abnormally thin, and the tight-fitting black clothes made her frame appear quite small, with her head looking disproportionately large...

Bai Yutang frowned, staring at her for a moment: "Do you take drugs?"

Not only the girl, but even Zhan Zhao was taken aback. However, Zhan Zhao absolutely trusted Bai Yutang’s judgment in these matters. Looking more closely, he realized the girl indeed had a certain look to her—a sickly one.

"You... don't talk nonsense!" The girl became flustered. She reached out to pick up the beer on the ground, but her hand trembled unnaturally as she did so.

Zhan Zhao picked up a can that had rolled to his feet and handed it to her.

The girl snatched it away, glared fiercely at them both, then quickly stood up and turned to leave.

"What is your relationship with Qi Lei?" Zhan Zhao asked suddenly.

The girl froze. She turned around slowly and asked, "You know my brother?"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a glance; they hadn't expected this girl to be Qi Lei's sister.

"What's your name?" Bai Yutang asked.

Perhaps due to that unique aura peculiar to police officers, the girl seemed somewhat intimidated by Bai Yutang. She hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Qi Le."

Immediately after, she followed up with an urgent question: "Why are you looking for my brother? He... he isn't home."

"Where did he go?" Bai Yutang asked calmly.

"I don't know." Qi Le’s shoulders slumped dejectedly, "I haven't seen him in days. He didn't even go to band practice, and the interview with the management company fell through."

"You don't know where he went?" Bai Yutang pressed.

"Heh..." Qi Le looked up at Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, "Judging by how you two look, you don't seem like those debt collectors. What exactly do you want with my brother?"

"Can your brother shoot?" Bai Yutang ignored her question and continued his own.

"Huh??" Qi Le shrugged with a look of amusement, "Are you kidding? My brother only knows how to play the bass! Shooting?"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged another glance, both feeling hesitant.

"Is this your brother?" Bai Yutang pulled out a photo to show Qi Le.

Qi Le glanced at it with suspicion and nodded. Seeming to sense something, she opened her mouth, her voice trembling: "Who are you people? ...What... what happened to my brother?"

Bai Yutang showed her his identification.

"Police? You're police? I get it. My brother had another episode, didn't he?" Qi Le said, sounding anxious, "That’s his sleepwalking; it’s not intentional. Please, don't give him a hard time!"

"...Can we go inside to talk?" Seeing how agitated Qi Le was, Zhan Zhao gestured toward the open door.

Qi Le steadied her breathing, nodded, and walked into the room first.

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao followed her in.

It was a cramped apartment of less than forty square meters, with a simple layout: a narrow, rudimentary kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. The lighting in the room was poor, so Qi Le ran over to pull back the curtains and open the window to let the air circulate. The room was a mess, with beer bottles scattered all over the floor and moldy takeout boxes...

Qi Le tidied up a bit, feeling embarrassed: "It's very messy..."

Zhan Zhao looked around the room—the kitchen, the bedroom, the bathroom—his brow gradually furrowing: "You live here with your brother?"

"No." Qi Le shook her head, "My brother is ill; he can't live with other people."

"Is that the sleepwalking disorder?" Bai Yutang stared at several messy, blood-stained fist prints on the wall, "Did your brother do that to himself?"

"Phew～～～" Qi Le sat on the bed, pulled a cigarette out, put it in her mouth, and reached for a lighter. "Sometimes he just can't stand it anymore. He becomes very irritable and makes himself look like this—neither human nor ghost..." She tried several times, but the lighter wouldn't spark.

"Does your brother live with anyone else?" Zhan Zhao asked again.

"No!" Qi Le glared at Zhan Zhao, "I already told you, he sleepwalks. He can't live with others!" She tossed the faulty lighter aside.

"Let's be direct. Has something happened to my brother?"

...

"He was a suspect in a serial murder case, and he is already dead," Bai Yutang said slowly.

Qi Le froze, looking up at them in a trance. Neither Zhan Zhao nor Bai Yutang could bear to look at her.

Quickly lowering her head, Qi Le took the cigarette out of her mouth and threw it away. She took out the cigarette pack, pulled out another, and put it in her mouth. Then, she searched for the lighter she had just thrown away. Head down, large tears began to fall. After finally picking up the lighter, her makeup was already ruined. Sitting on the floor, Qi Le sobbed uncontrollably, "I expected this day would come sooner or later. It’s all because of his illness!"

"If he was ill, why didn't he see a doctor?" Bai Yutang asked.

"He did! He’s been taking the medicine the doctor prescribed for his sleepwalking, but it hasn't helped at all!!" Qi Le gritted her teeth, holding back her tears, "He was becoming more terrifying every day! I couldn't even tell if he was a bad person to begin with, and just pretending to be a good person during the day!"

"Your brother..." Zhan Zhao crouched down, gazing at Qi Le, "Did he ever say that he felt as though there was another person living inside him?"

Qi Le looked up in astonishment: "How did you know?"

"What exactly were his symptoms?" Zhan Zhao continued, "Which doctor diagnosed him with sleepwalking disorder?"

"He... after he fell asleep, he would wake up and be like a different person. It wasn't my brother at all... The next morning, he would be back to normal. My brother often told me he felt like there was another person living in his body." Qi Le wiped away her tears, "My brother saw many doctors, and they all said it was sleepwalking."

"Cat, what's wrong?" Bai Yutang noticed Zhan Zhao's expression was darkening and asked with concern.

"What kind of doctor did your brother see?" Zhan Zhao asked again.

"At first, it was just the school clinic doctor... later, he saw a psychiatrist..." Qi Le asked, puzzled, "What’s wrong?"

Zhan Zhao sighed: "Have you ever seen a psychologist?"

Qi Le thought for a moment and shook her head: "Where would we go for that?"

Zhan Zhao stood up, remained silent for a moment, and then, staring at the bloody handprints on the wall, said slowly: "Your brother didn't have a psychiatric disorder; he had a psychological condition. To be precise... he had dissociative identity disorder."

"Dissociative... identity disorder?" Qi Le looked up at Zhan Zhao in confusion, "What... what does that mean?"

"It means there really was someone else living inside your brother," Zhan Zhao said, looking at Qi Le. "The one who came out at night wasn't your brother, but another person. Your brother's subconscious created him, but he developed into an existence that your brother could not control."

"I... I don't understand," Qi Le shook her head in confusion.

"Your brother wasn't a bad person; he just shared a body with one," Bai Yutang summarized simply.

...

"Are you alright?" Zhan Zhao asked Qi Le, who was sitting there blankly.

Qi Le looked up, "How did my brother die?"

...Zhan Zhao was caught off guard by the question. He opened his mouth, not knowing how to answer.

"I shot him," Bai Yutang said calmly.

Qi Le looked at him in shock.

"Uh... your brother, at the time, was using a sniper rifle..." Zhan Zhao said, anxious to explain.

Qi Le cut him off: "Was it at night?"

"Yes," Zhan Zhao nodded helplessly.

"In other words, you killed the bad guy living in my brother's body, right?" Qi Le asked.

Bai Yutang remained silent.

"My brother wanted to die for a long time." Qi Le lowered her head and said no more.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exited the apartment and headed toward their car.

Throughout the walk, Bai Yutang didn't say a word, with Zhan Zhao following behind.

Once in the car, Bai Yutang adjusted the rearview mirror and started the engine, "Next, let's go to the activity room and find the band members."

He received no reply from Zhan Zhao.

Turning his head, he saw Zhan Zhao sitting quietly, looking at him intently.

Bai Yutang smiled bitterly: "What's wrong?"

Still silent. After a moment, Zhan Zhao asked earnestly: "Xiao Bai, how many people have you killed?"

Bai Yutang froze, turned his head back, and stared straight ahead, "Qi Lei was the seventh."

Zhan Zhao continued earnestly: "You remember all of them?"

Bai Yutang did not reply. He looked ahead somewhat blankly and nodded.

"Then how many people have you saved?" Zhan Zhao asked.

...Bai Yutang turned his face to look at Zhan Zhao. As their gazes met, Zhan Zhao reached out to smooth Bai Yutang’s hair: "You don't remember any of them, do you?"

Bai Yutang grabbed Zhan Zhao’s hand and whispered: "Cat..."

Zhan Zhao’s gaze never wavered as he said slowly: "Yutang, you are truly kind."

Releasing Zhan Zhao’s hand, Bai Yutang leaned in close and smiled: "Are you not afraid I’ll let my primal instincts run wild?"

Zhan Zhao still met his gaze openly, "If I must kill to save someone, I will kill as well."

"Cat, are you comforting me?" The blank look in Bai Yutang’s eyes had faded, and he became his usual self again.

Zhan Zhao sighed in relief and smiled at him.

Gently stroking Zhan Zhao’s chin with his fingers, Bai Yutang leaned down and kissed him tenderly...

This time, Zhan Zhao didn't curse at him or hit him. He simply sat there obediently, closing his eyes and allowing Bai Yutang to weave the kiss into something winding, deep, and endlessly lingering...

Although he wasn't as good at fighting, and although he had always been the one being protected, Bai Yutang understood that this cat was trying his best to protect him in his own clumsy, endearing way.

And why wouldn't he? Everyone has a devil living inside their heart. One day, it might grow so strong that you can't handle it. But the key is that there is always an angel by your side willing to save you... With such tenderness, how could one not fall in love?

As the long kiss ended, Bai Yutang, though still yearning for more, released Zhan Zhao. It was rare for this cat to be so docile; it was a miracle he hadn't been punched, so he knew not to push his luck.

Zhan Zhao turned his head to look out the window. Without even checking, he knew the mouse must be feeling so smug that his tail was likely wagging in the air... It was just that... his own face felt so hot.

Bai Yutang started the car, watching Zhan Zhao’s profile in the rearview mirror. This cat—even his ears were red.

In the confined car, the air was filled with a subtle, ambiguous tension. Neither spoke, yet their hearts were racing and turbulent.

When they arrived at the entrance of the three-story red building Teacher Jia had mentioned, they heard music coming from the second floor. It sounded like someone drumming and playing guitar; it was messy, not pleasant to listen to, just noisy.

The two followed the sound upstairs and found the last activity room on the west side of the second floor without any trouble. The door was slightly ajar, and the plaque on the door clearly bore the two characters "Boiling Point."

Bai Yutang pushed the door open. The people inside all looked up at the same time, staring in surprise at the sight of Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao walking in.

The room was filled with all sorts of musical instruments.

There were three people in the room: a woman sitting in front of the drum kit, dressed similarly to the Qi Le they had just met, though she was taller. Beside her was a tall, thin boy with long hair holding a guitar. The third was none other than the middle-aged man who had been beaten by Qi Le in the Japanese restaurant earlier.

"...Master Bai?"

Before Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao could speak, the middle-aged man shouted out, stepping forward to greet Bai Yutang enthusiastically.

Bai Yutang was stunned; in all his years, this was the first time someone had ever called him "Master."

Zhan Zhao, standing behind him, also wore a curious expression.

"Forgot to introduce myself." The middle-aged man took out a business card, "My name is Zhang Hua, and I am the manager for a record company under the Bai Group. I saw Master Bai at the banquet last night."

"Oh." Bai Yutang understood—so he was his older brother's employee. "I have no connection to the Bai Group. You don't need to call me Master Bai. I'm here to investigate a case."

Bai Yutang replied in an indifferent tone.

Watching the music manager, Zhang Hua, turn pale and then red with embarrassment, Zhan Zhao almost injured himself trying to hold back his laughter. That was Bai Yutang for you—he didn't like using any tactics when he spoke. He said exactly what was on his mind, usually simple and blunt, which was often impossible for others to handle.

Before Zhang Hua could reply, Bai Yutang looked at the two band members behind him and asked, "Are you both from the Boiling Point band?"

The two glanced at each other and nodded.

"Police," Bai Yutang produced his ID, "I want to ask you some questions about Qi Lei."

"Qi Lei?" The drummer girl jumped up, "Where did that brat die? He’s been out of touch for so many days!" The boy playing guitar next to her was clearly much calmer. He patted the agitated girl and turned to Bai Yutang: "My name is Cai Jie, the guitarist. She is Chen Yu, the drummer. Qi Lei is the bassist, and his sister Qi Le is the lead singer. Did something happen to Qi Lei?"

Zhang Hua also chimed in: "Exactly. We were just waiting to sign the contract, but two people are missing from the band."

"Signing a contract?" Bai Yutang looked at Zhang Hua, puzzled.

"Oh! Because their talent and image are quite good, the record company wants to sign them and produce an album for them. It’s just that they were supposed to sign today, but the team isn't complete."

"Earlier, you and Qi Le seemed to have an argument at the Japanese restaurant," Zhan Zhao asked Zhang Hua, "What was that about?"

"Uh, well..." Zhang Hua hesitated.

"Hmph, he definitely wanted Qi Le to sign a solo contract," said Chen Yu, the drummer, "The record company only had their eyes on Qi Le's good voice, not us second-rate musicians."

"Xiao Yu!" Cai Jie stopped her, then turned to ask: "What exactly happened to Qi Lei? Even the police are here?"

"My brother is dead."

The door was pushed open once more, and Qi Le walked in.

"What?!" The three people in the room who hadn't heard the news were stunned in unison.

Qi Le ignored them, walked straight to Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao, and said: "I was too emotional earlier; I forgot to mention one very important thing." She handed them a laptop, "My brother had been receiving emails recently, emails that said they could 'liberate' him."

"Emails?"

After investigating the crime scene, Ma Han had gained significant leads. He rushed back to the S.C.I. in a flurry of activity, ready to report to Bai Yutang. As he stepped out of the elevator, he saw a young officer in patrol uniform lingering at the entrance of the S.C.I.

"Who are you looking for?" Ma Han sized up the young officer, certain he hadn't seen him before.

"Uh... I..." Seeing Ma Han, the policeman looked very nervous.

"What's the matter?" Seeing him at a loss, Ma Han asked again.

"I... I want to find..."

"Finding someone? Who?"

"Find... Bai... Bai."

"Bai?" Ma Han frowned, "Are you looking for our Captain?"

"No... never mind, forget it..." The young officer turned and ran.

"Hey! Hey..." Ma Han was left feeling bewildered.

"What's wrong?" Behind him, Gongsun walked out of the forensic lab, holding a thick stack of documents.

"Oh～～ there was just a very strange little policeman."

Gongsun looked in the direction Ma Han was pointing but saw no sign of anyone. "By the way, how was the investigation today?"

"Oh! We made great progress!" Ma Han immediately perked up.

"What a coincidence?" Gongsun smiled, "I also have some very promising results here.”