S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 4: Chapter 22

The Non-Human Killer 22 - The Mantis Stalks the Cicada  

"Come on out, Shang Luo!"

The moment Bai Yutang's words left his mouth, everyone present fell silent, holding their breath as they stared intently at the interior of the container. The trailer was utterly still, save for the pile of twisted, grotesque corpses emitting an eerie, chilling aura. After a brief moment, a cracking sound akin to splintering wood drifted up from the very bottom of the corpse pile... Next, a perfectly square wooden panel on the trailer floor was pushed up and swung open.

Only then did everyone realize that the transport container had been heavily disguised with a double-layered floor. As the wooden panel lifted, a hand reached out first, followed slowly by a person crawling out. Everyone strained their eyes to look—it was none other than Shang Luo.

"Ha!" Taber let out a chuckle from outside the vehicle. "I never would have guessed—this kid was planning to use us to make his escape."

Zhan Zhao nodded. "He wired the money to an overseas account beforehand. Since you couldn't possibly carry the merchandise away once received, you were bound to board a smuggling vessel and head back to Colombia by sea. By that time, he would have had countless opportunities to slip away."

Taber pondered this for a moment before saying, "What I'm more curious about, though, is how you figured it out."

Zhan Zhao smiled faintly and remained silent, lifting his gaze back toward the scene inside the container.

Shang Luo now looked thoroughly disheveled, his face covered in stubble, a far cry from his former glory. Glancing at Bai Yutang before him, Shang Luo nodded. "You're something else. How did you know I was here?"

"With your scheme exposed, you had to flee in the shortest amount of time possible," Bai Yutang replied unhurriedly. "Why were you in such a rush to sell the trunk corpses? It wasn't simply for the money—the primary reason was escape... And what's the fastest, safest way to run? Naturally, right alongside the cargo."

Shang Luo let out a strange, hollow chuckle. "Were you Bai family members born specifically to be my bane? The two of you have driven me into a dead end—what on earth does my surname Shang have against you?!"

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" Bai Yutang frowned. "We arrested you because you broke the law. What do I care what your surname is?"

"Heh..." Taber suddenly chuckled. "This is fascinating."

Zhan Zhao looked startled. "You can understand Mandarin?!"

Taber shook his head. "I only catch a very few words, but the Mandarin spoken by the Bai family seems effortless for me to follow."

"What do you mean?" Zhan Zhao gave him a cold look.

"Everything I don't understand is just empty chatter," Taber said indifferently. "The Mandarin those two brothers speak contains no empty words."

Zhan Zhao frowned, turning his gaze back to focus on the situation inside the container, though a faint sense of unease lingered in his mind—this Taber seemed to share some connection with Bai Jintang, and a rather deep one at that, deep enough to make him take an interest in anyone bearing the Bai surname.

"I've truly crashed and burned." Inside the container, Shang Luo laughed bitterly. "Someone is trying to do me in. I didn't kill those people."

Bai Yutang sneered coldly. "You didn't kill those people? Then what about these?" He pointed toward the trunk corpses on the floor. "How do you account for these?"

"Those people were scared to death by Tanaka!" Shang Luo said with a hint of agitation. "I was merely putting waste to good use! From start to finish, I never killed a single person! Leaving those corpses behind would only let them rot and stink, but I turned them into an everlasting legend to be passed down forever."

"Save that speech for the courtroom!" Bai Yutang interrupted in a cold voice.

Zhang Long and Wang Chao made to climb onto the truck to slap the cuffs on him, but Shang Luo abruptly whipped out a gun and pointed it at the crowd. "Nobody come any closer!" The police officers outside immediately drew their weapons and aimed at Shang Luo. Bai Yutang shook his head. "You only have one gun. If you don't surrender right now, you're going to be riddled with bullet holes. Shang Luo, it's not worth it!"

Shang Luo looked Bai Yutang up and down with a smile. "Heh, don't you believe me? Tusi really does exist."

Hearing this down below, Zhan Zhao paused slightly, took a few steps forward, and asked, "You've seen Tusi?"

"I've seen it! It truly exists—it can foretell life and death and manipulate human will!" Shang Luo panted heavily, speaking with a manic edge. "If you don't believe in Tusi, you'll incur the wrath of the heavens ~~~~"

Bai Yutang noticed that Shang Luo's demeanor seemed rather peculiar. His face flushed with an unnatural, feverish red; he was intensely agitated, and his breathing was severely irregular...

Zhan Zhao stared at him for a moment as well, then abruptly dropped a seemingly random remark: "Your judgment is correct. Time is running out."

Shang Luo and everyone present froze, save for Bai Yutang, who sprang forward in a single stride, kicked the gun out of the still-stunned Shang Luo's hand, and grabbed him by the arms, wrenching them behind his back. Ignoring Shang Luo's frantic struggles, Bai Yutang looked up and called out, "Cat, what now?"

Only then did the others snap back to their senses, realizing that Zhan Zhao's previous remark hadn't been addressed to Shang Luo, but to Bai Yutang. Its underlying intent had been: Your assessment is right—Shang Luo's condition is abnormal, and time is running out. Move in now!

With a single sentence, he had not only answered Bai Yutang's doubts but also thrown Shang Luo completely off balance—the onlookers couldn't help feeling a prickle of goosebumps. Sharing space with someone who could practically read minds was truly terrifying.

Zhan Zhao instructed Zhao Hu to call an ambulance. However, Shang Luo, pinned down by Bai Yutang, grew increasingly frantic, his breathing sounding louder and harsher by the second as everyone present recognized the clear signs of distress.

Right at that moment, Taber, who had remained silent until now, offered a low reminder to Zhan Zhao: "You might want to cool him down first..."

Zhan Zhao snapped to his senses. In the panic of the moment, he had temporarily forgotten that Shang Luo's current state was most likely digitalis poisoning. This drug could dramatically accelerate cardiac output and induce fatal heart attacks in healthy individuals, meaning cooling him down could provide some stabilization—perhaps enough to keep him alive until the ambulance arrived. He quickly activated the air conditioning inside one of the police cars to its lowest setting, then motioned for Bai Yutang to bring Shang Luo over.

Shang Luo's condition was looking extremely dire; his face was flushed so red it seemed on the verge of bursting, and he was gasping heavily.

As the group helped him down from the truck and onto the ground, Shang Luo raised his head and suddenly froze, as if laying eyes on something that caused his eyes to bulge to their absolute limits, filled with stark terror.

At that exact moment, Ma Han's voice rang out over the walkie-talkie. Having never received Bai Yutang's stand-down order, he had continued keeping watch from his high vantage point, shouting frantically, "The gate! The front gate!"

Several officers had their radios turned on, making Ma Han's words crystal clear—the gate?

Snapping their heads toward the entrance, they saw a figure standing right at the doorway clad in a grey robe resembling religious vestments, and most terrifying of all was his face... It wasn't human, but rather—a Hawk King.

"Seize him!" Bai Yutang shouted. The officers stationed at the front snapped out of their shock and lunged forward toward the figure, who seemed somewhat flustered, taking a few steps backward before being instantly cornered and stripped of the mask he wore...

"Isn't this Old Man Zhang who guards the scrapyard?" Jiang Ping blurted out.

Old Man Zhang looked equally bewildered. "You... what are you arresting me for?"

Meanwhile, by the container, a rattling sound escaped Shang Luo's throat... followed by a sharp, ragged gasp. His eyes flew open wide, fixing into that expression of extreme terror everyone had just witnessed, before his breath finally ceased entirely.

"Shang Luo? Shang Luo!" Bai Yutang shook him a few times, but received no response whatsoever—he had breathed his last.

Zhan Zhao gave a sharp start and bolted toward the transport truck, followed closely by Bai Yutang. As they reached the vehicle, a commotion sounded from within, and upon throwing open the door, they found Fu Yishan frozen in the passenger seat, wearing an identical expression of horror.

Bai Yutang reached out to check his carotid pulse, then shook his head at Zhan Zhao, who let out a sigh.

Zhao Hu grabbed Old Man Zhang by the collar. "Old man, are you out of your mind? Playing spooky ghost games in the middle of the night."

"What are you on about? Didn't you people tell me to do this?" Old Man Zhang looked deeply aggrieved. "Can't have police officers roughing up an old man, my bones are fragile."

"Let him go first," Zhan Zhao stepped forward, asking the old man, "What did you mean just now when you said we told you to do this?"

The old man rubbed his bruised shoulder and replied, "I get off shift at midnight. I've seen that guy before—he's the one who asked me how these gates close." He pointed straight at Jiang Ping as he spoke.

Bai Yutang turned his head to glare at Jiang Ping.

Jiang Ping nearly jumped out of his skin, waving his hands frantically. "I told him I was a new mechanic, I never said I was a cop!"

The old man arched a brow. "It wasn't him who said it. It was another police officer wearing a uniform... that kind of black police uniform... uh..." The old man trailed off, scanning his surroundings before looking perplexed. "Not here... How strange!"

Hearing this, everyone knew instantly that it had to be an impostor. They were all familiar with the black police uniforms worn by local station officers, but the personnel deployed on this operation were strictly undercover agents and SWAT.

"What did that police officer say to you?" Zhan Zhao pressed.

"He handed me this outfit and this mask, told me to hide by the gate, and instructed me to make sure a certain person caught sight of me the moment you guys helped someone out of the container. He claimed the police needed local citizens to cooperate in neutralizing terrorists." The old man patted his chest proudly. "An old fellow like me might lack a lot of things, but my civic awareness is top-tier!"

Zhao Hu asked, "Old man, do you still remember what that guy looked like? Come back to the station with us and put together a composite sketch."

"Don't remember. It was pitch black, and he was wearing a police cap anyway—who could see a thing?!" The old man even shot Zhao Hu a glare. "Composite sketch? I'm getting on in years, my eyes are shot, I don't have time for your kids' games."

Several officers present were left half-laughing in exasperation. Bai Yutang glanced at Zhan Zhao, silently asking, What do we do now?

Zhan Zhao shrugged, though his face bore no sign of genuine vexation. He pulled Bai Yutang aside and whispered a few words to him. Bai Yutang nodded, then instructed everyone to wrap things up for the night and head back.

The officers let out long breaths. Tonight had truly been a rollercoaster of twists and turns, and while they had secured some success, it was a pity Shang Luo had died.

Taber, who had been watching the spectacle with keen interest, suddenly asked Zhan Zhao, "Shang Luo used the tactic of sacrificing a rook to save the king on me, and you used 'all is fair in war' on me—so what strategy did the party playing you use this time?"

Zhan Zhao smiled faintly. "This tactic is called the mantis stalking the cicada."

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind." Seeing Taber's puzzled look, Zhan Zhao added with a soft, knowing smile, "Though, exactly who is falling into whose trap remains to be seen."

"I'd be quite interested in staying right here to watch the rest of your little performance," Taber chuckled in English. Yet the instant the vehicle door clicked shut, he suddenly spoke another sentence to Bai Yutang—not in English, nor in the Spanish Zhan Zhao had used earlier.

Once the vehicles pulled away, a bewildered Bai Yutang asked Zhan Zhao, "What did that whale just say?"

Zhan Zhao seemed somewhat preoccupied. "He wants to watch us finish playing out the show..."

"Not that English part," Bai Yutang started the engine. "The part after that—all that mumbo jumbo. What was it?"

"Uh... nothing much, just some parting pleasantries like 'until we meet again'..." Zhan Zhao evaded, urging Bai Yutang to drive.

Bai Yutang dropped the questioning, though he knew well enough that while this cat could do practically anything, lying straight to his face was not one of his talents. After all these years, when had he ever managed to hide anything from him? Seeing him panic like this meant something was definitely up.

Zhan Zhao's cheeks felt somewhat warm. With Bai Yutang driving in total silence beside him, could he be angry?

As the car halted at a red light, Zhan Zhao felt an unbearable wave of tension and finally tugged at Bai Yutang's sleeve. "Xiao Bai, I..."

Bai Yutang reached out to pinch his chin, leaned in to press a quick kiss to his lips, and murmured softly, "It's fine. I couldn't care less what the whale said; I only care about what my cat has to say." With that, the traffic light turned green, and Bai Yutang drove forward while Zhan Zhao sat beside him generating clouds of steam ~~~

He truly didn't want to speak aloud what Taber had said. Taber's words had been in Italian, translating to: Say hello to your older brother for me, cute little leopard. Driven by some instinctual intuition, Zhan Zhao caught the scent of danger and instinctively wanted to shield Bai Yutang from getting drawn into these affairs. Besides, this mouse belonged to him and him alone! What leopard? Damn that wretched whale!

When the police cruiser pulled back into headquarters, dawn was nearly breaking. Bao Zheng could hardly believe who was locked inside the interrogation room, let alone the massive cache of seized weaponry... A clean sweep with zero casualties on their side left the old man speechless, reduced to panting as he caught his breath.

"This operation was brilliantly executed!" Lu Fang showered the team with congratulations, equally giddy with excitement.

Yet the SCI members themselves all looked thoroughly listless.

"What's wrong with everyone?" Gongsun arrived bearing midnight snacks for the team. "Why are you all pulling long faces?"

"What a waste, falling short at the very last hurdle," Zhao Hu grumbled, still annoyed about the old man earlier.

"Who says we fell short at the last hurdle?!" Zhan Zhao countered. "If anything, everything is going according to plan."

Everyone raised their heads in astonishment, looking back and forth between Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang with eyes full of anticipation.

"All of you go get some proper sleep," Bai Yutang instructed. "When evening comes, we still have the main event to stage."

Seeing the enigmatic expressions on their two supervisors' faces, the team's gloom vanished instantly. Sleepiness rolled over them in waves, and they began yawning uncontrollably as they scattered to find places to rest.

Zhan Zhao scribbled a note, handed it to Lu Fang, and instructed him to read out the listed points during the police press conference scheduled for after dawn. Lu Fang took the slip of paper, scanned it, and asked Zhan Zhao with a wry smile, "Xiao Zhan, what kind of play are you two putting on this time?"

Bai Yutang smiled. "Everything will become clear by tonight, won't it, Cat?"

"Indeed!" Zhan Zhao nodded. "Let's see just who turns out to be the mantis, and who is the oriole!"