S.C.I. (Volume I) - Case 5: Chapter 29

The Doppelganger Killer 29 - Hypnosis 

The atmosphere inside the interrogation room was stiflingly awkward. Suddenly leaning against Zhan Qi, Zhao Jue let out a soft hum, a smile playing across his lips as he alternated between acting spoiled and deliberately teasing the other man.

Watching the expressions on Zhan Qi's face, Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao felt not a shred of sympathy, but rather a sense of schadenfreude. Zhan Zhao in particular found it immensely gratifying; watching his usually ice-cool, unflappable father suddenly display such a flustered, bewildered look gave him an inexplicable thrill.

Nuzzling against Zhan Qi twice more, Zhao Jue raised his head to look at the face inches away, smiled faintly, and reached out to poke the man's cheek as he murmured softly, "You really haven't changed at all, especially this face of yours."

Zhan Qi frowned slightly and took a step back.

Almost simultaneously, Zhao Jue straightened up, took a polite step back with a smile, glanced at Bai Yutang, and then eyed the sandwich lying on the floor. "I could smell the wasabi right through the wrapper."

Bai Yutang arched an eyebrow at Zhan Zhao—And yet he still ate it? Just taking the opportunity to take advantage of your old man!

Feeling helpless, Zhan Zhao shot Bai Yutang a glare before cautiously creeping over to Zhan Qi's side, obediently calling out, "Dad."

Zhan Qi gave a slight nod.

Zhao Jue, however, offered a cold laugh, turned around, and stared at Jie Jie through the one-way glass.

Zhan Qi beckoned lightly to Zhan Zhao, signaling him to follow outside so they could talk in private.

Obediently trailing after Zhan Qi toward the exit, Zhan Zhao cast a parting glance at Bai Yutang right before stepping out, only to find Bai Yutang making a comical face at him—Take care of yourself, Cat.

Seeing the two step outside and shut the door behind them, Zhao Jue tiptoed stealthily over to the door to eavesdrop.

Taken aback, Bai Yutang was about to speak when Zhao Jue shushed him with a finger to his lips, pointed at the door, mouthed, "I can hear them!", and beckoned for Bai Yutang to join him.

Hesitating for a second, Bai Yutang ultimately stepped forward and pressed his ear against the door alongside Zhao Jue.

Standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, Bai Chi had no idea what he was supposed to do.

Out in the hallway, Zhan Zhao didn't wait for Zhan Qi to speak and immediately blurted out, "Dad... do you know Zhao Jue? What's your relationship with him?"

Processing the question for a moment, Zhan Qi gave a subtle nod and answered flatly, "Roughly the same as the relationship between you and Yutang in the past."

Zhan Zhao's face flushed slightly, overreacting to the deliberate emphasis Zhan Qi placed on the word "past."

Not only Zhan Zhao, but Bai Yutang behind the door turned red as well, thinking: No way... if Zhan Zhao's dad knows, doesn't that mean my own old man knows too?! Originally, his greatest fear was his own father finding out about them; in his mind, given his dad's volcanic temper, upon learning the truth the old man might just pull out a gun and shoot him on the spot. Why wasn't he reacting at all?

Lost in thought, Bai Yutang suddenly sensed a rush of air approaching and instinctively jerked his head back, barely dodging Zhao Jue's leaning face.

Zhao Jue's lips practically grazed Bai Yutang's cheek. Stiffening, Bai Yutang cast a warning glare at Zhao Jue, who merely puckered his lips and muttered a low, pettish—"Stingy."

Ignoring Zhao Jue entirely, Bai Yutang refocused on eavesdropping on Zhan Qi and Zhan Zhao's conversation, though he kept a heightened guard against the man beside him.

"Then... what on earth did he do back then to warrant being locked away for twenty years?" Zhan Zhao voiced the perplexity weighing on his mind.

Without answering immediately, Zhan Qi stared at Zhan Zhao for a beat, reached out to tidy a lock of his hair, and asked softly, "What do you think?"

"What do you mean?" Zhan Zhao asked. "I don't know."

A faint smile touched Zhan Qi's lips as he shook his head. "Do you think he's a good person or a bad person?"

Zhan Zhao stayed silent.

"Don't go digging into things from twenty years ago," Zhan Qi stated abruptly.

Zhan Zhao paused, staring at his father.

"Some things belong in the past," Zhan Qi said in a low voice. "Do not pursue them."

Looking somewhat rebellious, Zhan Zhao opened his mouth to argue, but caught Zhan Qi frowning heavily as he sighed, "If you insist on investigating, I will forbid you from seeing Bai Yutang ever again."

Zhan Zhao started in shock, and behind the door, Bai Yutang's brow furrowed deeply as his eyes met Zhao Jue's, which wore an expression of mocking amusement.

"That is my bottom line," Zhan Qi declared. "Think it over carefully, and cut off all further entanglements with Zhao Jue." With that, he raised a hand to rap against the door, warning the pair inside, "And you remember this too—if you keep poking into the past, the two of you can forget about staying together."

Zhan Zhao looked mortified, while Bai Yutang scratched his head, thinking that the Cat's biological father was truly sharper and more cunning than a real cat.

Finishing his warning, Zhan Qi nodded at Zhan Zhao. "Take care of yourself." With those words, he turned and strode away.

Sighing, Zhan Zhao pushed the door open to find Bai Yutang standing by the jamb with his arms crossed. Exchanging a glance, they felt both deflated and deeply perplexed. Human nature was strange like that—the more someone forbade you from knowing something, the more obsessive your curiosity became. At that moment, their curiosity toward Zhao Jue eclipsed anything they had felt prior.

Zhao Jue, having heard every word clearly, crossed his arms as well and muttered under his breath, "Stubborn old log, giant block of ice, idiot!"

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao stared at one another in dismay. Just what kind of dark secrets existed among these old timers? It was maddeningly suspenseful.

"Let's begin." Letting out a long breath, Zhan Zhao turned to Zhao Jue. "You heard everything my dad said just now?"

Lifting his gaze to meet Zhan Zhao's, Zhao Jue curved his lips into a smile. "Planning to give up?"

Zhan Zhao smiled back. "It's not about giving up or not. We have much more important matters to attend to."

Shrugging, Zhao Jue chuckled. "Actually, Qi is being overly anxious. When it comes to certain lines, I still have a sense of boundaries."

Bai Yutang reached out to pat Zhan Zhao's shoulder. "Let's handle what's right in front of us first. We can deal with the rest later."

Nodding, Zhan Zhao looked at Zhao Jue. "Ready to start?"

"Whenever you are," Zhao Jue agreed.

"Clear the room." Zhan Zhao smiled, patting Bai Yutang's arm. "None of you can stay in here."

Looking like he wanted to stick around and watch, Bai Chi lingered until Zhao Jue grinned and sidled up to him. "Staying here might get you hypnotized, you know."

"Hypnotized?" Bai Chi looked up at Zhao Jue with wide eyes.

"Once you're hypnotized, you lose all control over your own actions," Zhao Jue continued with an amused smile. "You might start blurting out random nonsense, stripping off your clothes in the middle of the street, or confessing your love to someone you fancy..."

The more Bai Chi heard, the more terrified he became. Glancing back and forth between Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao, and seeing both of them nod grimly, he turned pale with fright, spun on his heel, and bolted out of the room.

Shaking his head, Bai Yutang exchanged a final look with Zhan Zhao, murmured a brief "Be careful," and left as well.

Once the door clicked shut, the interrogation room fell instantly silent, leaving only Zhan Zhao and Zhao Jue in the outer chamber.

Following a brief exchange of notes, the two men stepped inside the interrogation cell proper.

Minutes ticked away. Outside, Bai Yutang and Bai Chi waited, while the rest of the SI team cycled past to check in periodically. One hour passed, then two hours, then three...

Bai Yutang began to grow restless. The duration was excessive, yet he dared not intrude; hypnotherapy could not be disturbed, and even the slightest noise might render all of Zhan Zhao and Zhao Jue's efforts completely futile. Though burning inside as if standing over a frying pan, he forced himself to hold firm, standing guard by the door with unwavering patience.

Finally, as evening bled into deep twilight, the heavy door of the interrogation room swung open.

Zhan Zhao walked out.

"Cat?" Bai Yutang stepped forward instantly, while Bai Chi hurriedly handed over a cup of water—along with a second cup prepared for Zhao Jue, though Zhao Jue had not emerged.

"Where's Zhao Jue?" Bai Yutang asked.

Taking a sip of water, Zhan Zhao lowered his voice. "Let him rest for a bit." With that, he motioned for Bai Chi to look inside the room.

Carrying the cup, Bai Chi stepped inside to find Zhao Jue lounging against the sofa in the outer chamber, seemingly asleep or simply resting his eyes.

Walking over cautiously, Bai Chi held out the water and asked softly, "Are you thirsty?"

Lying on the sofa, Zhao Jue slowly opened his eyes, smiled at Bai Chi, and murmured, "Feed me."

Holding the cup, Bai Chi carefully helped Zhao Jue drink.

Being naturally attentive and caring, Bai Chi ensured that even something as simple as feeding water was done with utmost care, making sure Zhao Jue could drink comfortably without choking.

"Is hypnosis really this exhausting? You should do it less often," Bai Chi mumbled. "You're so skinny. Do you even eat properly?"

A warm smile surfaced on Zhao Jue's face as he looked at Bai Chi. "What about you? Can you cook?"

"Mm," Bai Chi nodded. "Pretty well. I can make basic homestyle dishes. If you have time, you should go visit Zhao Zhen. Aren't you two uncle and nephew? I can cook for both of you."

"Heh..." Zhao Jue chuckled softly. "You live with Zhen?"

"Mm." Bai Chi nodded, pulling out a tissue to gently wipe the corner of Zhao Jue's mouth. "He helped me out, so I take care of him. He's clumsy, can't do anything around the house, and gets muddled easily."

Zhao Jue chuckled again, shaking his head. "Silly boy, he can do everything—he just pretends he can't when he's around you."

Bai Chi blinked, looking as though he couldn't quite wrap his head around that statement.

"Take good care of Zhen." Zhao Jue sat up, reaching out to ruffle Bai Chi's hair gently. "He's the only family I have left."

Bai Chi nodded obediently.

"He's a rare kind of person," Zhao Jue said, giving Bai Chi's shoulder a light pat. "Cherish him well."

Suddenly, a phantom voice seemed to echo directly within Bai Chi's heart: Cherish him well...

Rising with a satisfied air, Zhao Jue gave Bai Chi's shoulder one final tap and kissed his forehead. "I'm leaving now. It might be a long time before we see each other again, so take care of yourselves."

Nodding, Bai Chi watched Zhao Jue walk away, feeling an inexplicable twinge of reluctance.

……

Strolling casually out of the police station just as night fell, Zhao Jue pulled out his phone, weighing whether to call a taxi or ring Eugene to pick him up.

At that moment, a vehicle pulled up right beside him, and a figure stepped out from the driver's side.

After locking eyes with the newcomer for a fraction of a second, Zhao Jue turned to bolt, but his arm was seized. Half-dragged and half-carried by the approaching assailant, the swinging Zhao Jue was shoved unceremoniously into the car.

"What is your problem?!" Zhao Jue shoved against the locked door panel, turning to glare furiously at the driver.

Ignoring him entirely, the man started the engine and sped away.

Zhao Jue reached for his phone to dial, but it was snatched right out of his hand.

"Give that back!" Zhao Jue lunged for it.

The man paid him no mind.

Frustrated, Zhao Jue yanked hard on the man's arm. Startled, the driver lost control of the steering wheel; after a perilous spin, the car swerved into a secluded, quiet side street and ground to a halt. Seizing Zhao Jue's wrists, the man snapped, "Have you lost your damn mind?!"

Glaring back at him, Zhao Jue refused to yield. "I didn't come looking for you—you tracked me down yourself!"

"Why on earth were you hanging out with Leonard?" The man lit a cigarette and demanded.

"None of your business." Zhao Jue shoved aggressively against the car door. "Unlock the door already, I don't want to sit here breathing your second-hand smoke!"

"You still refuse to give up?" The man extinguished his cigarette, fixing a piercing stare on Zhao Jue. "After losing so much, isn't it enough?"

"Not enough!" Zhao Jue's gaze turned glacial. Reaching out, he grabbed the man by the collar and hissed, "Look at me! I'm still the exact same as I've always been; time has no meaning over me!"

Maintaining a stony silence, the man let out a heavy sigh.

Zhao Jue sneered. "I'm not going to let this rest!" With that, he locked eyes with the man. "Unlock this door!"

"In your dreams!" Reaching into the back seat, the man grabbed a length of rope and bound Zhao Jue's hands and feet within seconds.

"You villain!" Struggling against the bonds, Zhao Jue tried to kick out at him.

"Heh..." The man chuckled, dodging the kick before reaching out to gently flip open the collar of Zhao Jue's shirt, leaning in to bite playfully at his collarbone. "Youth is truly wonderful, isn't it? Never aging, forever looking this breathtaking."

"You psycho," Zhao Jue spat with utter disdain. "What are you even trying to do?!"

"I am a psycho," the man agreed with a smile, patting Zhao Jue's shoulder. "To ensure you stop causing trouble, I've decided to keep you locked away! Right by my side, where I can watch you." With those words, he shifted into gear and drove off.

……

Massaging his temples, Zhan Zhao sat in the lounge, seemingly troubled by an unresolved thought.

"Cat, what's wrong?" Bai Yutang asked.

"Zhao Jue seems to know some of the specific details regarding the bearded man's experiments," Zhan Zhao murmured, rubbing his chin. "Logically speaking, those details shouldn't be known to any outsiders."

"Indeed bizarre," Bai Yutang sat down beside him. "Luo Wen saw Zhao Jue too, but didn't have any particular reaction..."

"Mm..." Zhan Zhao frowned.

"Chief!" Ma Han pushed the door open. "Everything is ready."

Nodding, Bai Yutang issued his final instructions: "Tonight's operation carries undeniable risks, so everyone needs to stay sharp! Play your parts convincingly, but prioritize your safety above all else."

"Understood!" Ma Han spun on his heel and strode out.

"Let's go, Cat. Time to flush out the snake. Let's wrap up what's in front of us first, and we can figure out the rest later!" Standing up, Bai Yutang took Zhan Zhao by the hand and headed out the door.