S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 4: Chapter 7

The Non-Human Killer 07 - Accident  

Akasha's studio was located on a commercial street in downtown District S. Because she frequently made sensational remarks and ran several online live-streaming shows of her own, she was quite well-known, making her easy to find.

Arriving in front of the two-story building on the commercial street—decorated remarkably like a witch's dwelling in a fairy tale—Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang stepped out of the car.

Pushing open the front door and stepping inside, they were greeted by a sharp, chiming jingle of wind chimes as the two of them stepped into the room.

This was a meticulously arranged room. The walls were completely covered with mirrors, and tall screens were scattered randomly throughout the space. The spotlights on the ceiling cast a dim, shifting blend of yellow and green light, and the windows were pasted with colorful cellophane, plunging the entire room into a murky, highly eerie atmosphere.

Once inside, no one came out to greet them. Logically speaking, upon hearing the wind chimes just now, anyone should have known a guest had arrived... Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged glances, a bad premonition washing over them.

Bai Yutang rested his hand on the holster at his waist, which he unfastened, while Zhan Zhao drew his gun. Moving one behind the other, they bypassed the screens and headed toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

Just as they reached the foot of the stairs, a loud crash echoed from above, sounding like a chair or something similar overturning onto the floor.

Exchanging another glance, the two of them hurried up the stairs.

As soon as they reached the second floor, they saw the studio door wide open, revealing a bizarre scene inside: a woman in her twenties was using both hands to grip a rope, tightly choking Akasha's neck. Akasha clawed frantically at her own neck with one hand while flailing the other wildly in the air. Her eyes were already rolling back, her mouth wide open, tongue protruding, as she let out a raspy, gasping rattle.

Bai Yutang rushed forward and grabbed the woman's arm, using thirty percent of his strength to leverage her elbow outward from the inside. The woman's grip loosened, and Zhan Zhao immediately yanked the rope away, pulling Akasha off to the side... Akasha coughed violently twice, gasping for air in huge, ragged breaths. It was a close call, but she had managed to hold onto her life.

Meanwhile, the woman suddenly let out a shrill scream, violently shaking off Bai Yutang's grip. With a murderous look in her eyes, she lunged toward the rope on the floor, attempting to charge at Akasha once more. Bai Yutang felt a jolt of secret shock—was this woman out of her mind? Where did she get such immense strength?!

Reaching out to capture both of her hands and twist them behind her back, Bai Yutang pinned the continuously struggling person to the floor and shouted, "Cat'er, this person isn't in her right mind!"

"Knock her out!" Zhan Zhao said. "She seems..." Before he could finish his sentence, a figure flashed abruptly in the pitch-black doorway. Someone retreated into the shadows, raised a gun, aimed it straight at Akasha, and pulled the trigger.

With reflex-like speed, Zhan Zhao shoved Akasha aside... A gunshot rang out instantly.

"Cat'er!" Bai Yutang had only enough time to let out a cry before he saw Zhan Zhao's body tilt and tumble to the floor.

Holding the struggling woman to the ground with one hand, Bai Yutang drew his gun and fired a shot directly toward the doorway... The fired bullet struck the target right in the shoulder area by the entrance. The person let out a muffled groan, spun around, and bolted.

"Cat'er..." Bai Yutang raised his hand and brought it down heavily in a chopping motion against the shoulder and neck of the still-struggling woman, and she immediately passed out.

Unconcerned with anything else, Bai Yutang rushed over to check on Zhan Zhao's condition, only to see Zhan Zhao sitting up and pressing one hand against his upper arm. "I'm fine, it's just a graze..." Catching sight of Bai Yutang's complicated expression, he urged with a hint of anxiety, "Go after him, Xiao Bai!"

Seeing that Zhan Zhao was alright, Bai Yutang felt his soul finally return to his body. Then, looking at the fresh blood seeping between the fingers pressing against Zhan Zhao's arm... Bai Yutang's brow furrowed instantly, the expression on his face turning ruthless and fierce.

Snatching up a chair from the floor, he smashed it mercilessly through the window, leaned out to look, and saw someone dash out from the doorway downstairs, holding a gun in their right hand, clutching a bleeding left shoulder, and running away in a panic. Bai Yutang braced his hands on the window frame, vaulted through the opening, leaped onto the roof of a delivery truck parked below, used that momentum to spring down to the pavement, and strode swiftly to catch up with the fleeing figure. The person whirled around to raise their gun, only to discover in a panic that there was nobody behind them. Just as confusion set in, their collar was grabbed and yanked back with savage force. The person instinctively pitched backward, and right afterward, a piercing pain flared through their right shoulder. Letting out a muffled shriek, their gun dropped to the ground with a clack.

Bai Yutang dislocated the person's shoulder, shoved them forcefully against the nearby wall, picked up the gun from the ground, and looked at the person sliding down the wall to sit on the pavement. Bai Yutang was stunned... "How could it be you?!"

Sitting on the ground, clutching his shoulder and gasping heavily, was none other than Qu Yanming—Bai Yutang's former subordinate whom they had seen at the museum that day.

Gritting his teeth, Bai Yutang grabbed Qu Yanming by the collar and hauled him up. "Are you out of your mind, kid?! You came here to commit murder?!"

Qu Yanming's face was ashen. He pressed his lips tightly together and remained silent.

Without wasting any more words, Bai Yutang snapped handcuffs onto his wrists, dragged him upstairs with one hand, and pulled out his phone to call back to S.C.I.

Qu Yanming was tossed onto the floor. Zhan Zhao had already managed to stand up by this time and looked at the person on the ground: "You... are?"

Bai Yutang pulled a chair over for Zhan Zhao to sit on and lowered his head to inspect his injury... Fortunately, the wound wasn't severe; it was just skin deep. Looking at the glaring, bloody gash on the snow-white arm, Bai Yutang's expression grew even uglier.

"Why did you want to kill her?" Zhan Zhao didn't pay much mind to his own injury and asked Qu Yanming with a hint of puzzlement.

Qu Yanming remained stubbornly silent.

As for Akasha, the old woman had been scared out of her wits earlier, but now seemed to have snapped back to her senses. Pulling at her raspy throat, she shrieked, "It's a curse... It's a curse..."

Already in an extremely foul mood, Bai Yutang kicked a table away and said coldly to Akasha, "Shut up!"

Even Zhan Zhao was startled by Bai Yutang's sudden outburst, staring at him with wide, uncomprehending eyes. Bai Yutang lowered his head, walked over to the window, and gazed outside with a heavy frown.

Akasha proved sensible enough to sit quietly off to the side, not daring to make another sound.

Before long, police cars and ambulances arrived. After handing the suspects over to Wang Chao and Zhang Long, Bai Yutang pulled Zhan Zhao along to the hospital without a second word.

Even though it was just a graze, a gunshot wound still required a couple of stitches. Terrified of pain to the extreme, Zhan Zhao scrunched up his brow, gritted his teeth, and endured and endured... Fortunately, the young intern stitching him up possessed good hands and exquisite technique. Quick, neat, and efficient, it was practically over before the pain even truly began.

While bandaging the wound, the young woman glanced back at Bai Yutang, who was standing outside the door with an icy expression, and smiled as she asked Zhan Zhao, "Is that Captain Bai? My older brother always says what a great guy he is, but why is he so terrifying~~"

Zhan Zhao blinked and glanced at the work badge pinned to the young doctor's chest: "Intern... Ma Xin..." This name sounded vaguely familiar somewhere.

Looking more closely at the playfully smiling girl before him... her brows and features carried a hint of familiarity...

"Oh~~" Zhan Zhao suddenly remembered. "You're Ma Han's younger sister!"

"Hehe..." Ma Xin smiled as she snipped the gauze and applied two strips of adhesive tape at the end. "Remember not to let the wound get wet, and come back in a week to get the stitches removed~~ Dr. Zhan~~" With that, she called out toward the doorway, "All done."

Bai Yutang walked in, picked up Zhan Zhao's jacket, and pulled him up, preparing to leave. But Zhan Zhao tugged at his sleeve and said, "Xiao Bai, look familiar?" With that, he pointed at Ma Xin. "Ma Xin, Ma Han's younger sister."

Pausing slightly, Bai Yutang glanced at Ma Xin, gave a polite nod, and remained silent.

Packing up her supplies, Ma Xin shook her head and muttered, "...Sigh, my brother was completely right..."

Zhan Zhao looked at her, puzzled. "What did your brother say?"

Picking up the metal tray, Ma Xin walked toward the door while saying, "My brother said~~ Captain Bai is usually as gentle as can be, but making him lose his temper is also remarkably easy~~" Casting a glance at Zhan Zhao, she added, "Just let anyone dare lay a finger on Dr. Zhan try it out~~ Whichever finger touched him, that's the finger getting chopped off..." With a beaming smile, she walked out.

Left behind in the room, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang stood in place with matching expressions of awkwardness.

After a long silence, Bai Yutang—who had remained uncharacteristically quiet—suddenly spoke up. "That brat, I'm putting him on overtime duty for the whole week!"

Zhan Zhao raised his uninjured hand, gave Bai Yutang's hair a thorough, rough tousle, and pulled the dejected white mouse along. "Let's go~~ Captain Bai!"

The two of them first made a trip back home so Zhan Zhao could change his clothes. After struggling to put on his shirt, his right arm remained immobile, leaving him standing helplessly before the wardrobe as he looked at Bai Yutang. "Xiao Bai, help me button my shirt... and do my tie too~~"

Bai Yutang sat on the sofa without moving, gesturing to Zhan Zhao. "Come here."

Zhan Zhao walked over and stood right in front of Bai Yutang.

Instead of standing up, Bai Yutang reached out, patted his own lap, and flashed a provocative, sideways smirk at Zhan Zhao.

At that gesture, Zhan Zhao felt a slight flush creep up his face—this rat... As he hesitated in place, Bai Yutang reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling him in close. Reaching up to cup Zhan Zhao's waist, he hoisted him up to sit right on his lap.

With his knees sinking into the soft cushions of the sofa, Zhan Zhao sat straddling Bai Yutang's lap, lowering his gaze somewhat self-consciously as his face flushed red while letting the other button his shirt.

Bai Yutang raised his hands, fastening the buttons one by one from bottom to top... Moving at a leisurely pace, Zhan Zhao watched his slender fingers work with agile dexterity, and unexpectedly felt a wisp of a thrill ripple through him. His face grew even redder of its own accord...

When the final button was secured, Bai Yutang didn't reach for the tie Zhan Zhao was holding out. Instead, he wrapped both arms around Zhan Zhao's waist, pulling him in tight for an embrace. He gently stroked his spine and pressed soft kisses along the smooth, flowing lines of his neck.

Zhan Zhao offered no resistance, simply letting Bai Yutang hold him closer and tighter.

"Cat'er... you scared the life out of me..." After a prolonged silence, Bai Yutang finally let out a soft sigh. "You're making white hairs grow out on my head."

Zhan Zhao smiled, raising his left hand to ruffle and massage Bai Yutang's hair: "No they aren't... They're all still black!"

Bai Yutang said in a low, reproachful tone, "Next time, don't pull stunts like that anymore... I'm not like you; I don't have nine lives for you to scare away!" With that, he leaned in...

An hour later, they finally finished changing clothes. Bai Yutang led a steaming, flushed Zhan Zhao out the door. Downstairs, however, they saw a black car pull up and stop right before them. The door swung open, and a figure stepped out.

Both of them paused in surprise.

Looking at the person who had walked up close, Zhan Zhao called out with a trace of nervousness: "Dad..."

Zhan Qingtian looked at Zhan Zhao, then at Bai Yutang, seemingly bewildered as to why the two of them looked so nervous. He handed a thermal flask over to Zhan Zhao. "Your mother asked me to bring this."

"Oh..." Zhan Zhao reached out to take it.

Noticing Zhan Zhao's right hand jerk back abruptly and switch to his left hand to receive the flask, Zhan Qingtian frowned slightly. "What happened to your hand?"

"Uh... small injury..." Zhan Zhao replied while holding the thermal flask.

Nodding without pursuing the matter further, Zhan Qingtian turned to open his car door. Suddenly, Bai Yutang spoke up: "Uncle, why didn't you have a servant bring it? No need to run the errand yourself..."

Zhan Qingtian seemed momentarily stunned by the question, freezing in his tracks. Zhan Zhao froze as well.

"...It was on the way from work..." After a long silence, he answered.

"On the way?" Bai Yutang looked up at the sky, puzzled. "The courthouse is so far away from here..."

Glaring at Bai Yutang with a trace of frustration, Zhan Qingtian got into his car and sped away.

Bai Yutang sauntered smugly over to Zhan Zhao's side. "Cat'er, what kind of soup is it? I can smell the fragrance right through the bottle."

Zhan Zhao shot him a blank look. "There's none for you!" With that, he turned and walked away, though the corners of his lips couldn't help curving upward.

Behind him, Bai Yutang wore a similarly cheerful, contented smile. Just as he hurried to catch up, his phone rang.

Walking over to the car, Zhan Zhao watched as Bai Yutang answered the call, then bolted over with a look of eager excitement: "Cat'er, Jiang Ping says Morris has important intelligence to provide!"