S.C.I. (Volume II) - Case 6: Chapter 21

The Innocent Killer 21 - Magic

Zhan Zhao's single sentence startled not only Luo Yang, but also Luo and Bai Yutang.

Luo looked at Luo Yang in astonishment and asked, "Yangyang... you..."

Luo Yang stared with a blank expression at the three adults looking intently at him, and asked, "What is it?"

"Where did you learn to ask a question like that just now?" Zhan Zhao pressed on, "Who taught you?"

Yangyang shook his head and said, "No one taught me. I learned it myself..."

"Who did you learn it from?" Zhan Zhao asked.

Luo Yang hesitated for a moment, stretched out a finger, gently pointed at Zhan Zhao, and said in a soft voice, "I learned it from, from Uncle Zhan."

As soon as Luo Yang's words fell, the few of them froze on the spot.

"Me?" Zhan Zhao was also somewhat taken aback, and asked Yangyang, "From my books?"

Bai Yutang shook his head, squatted down, reached out to pat Yangyang's head, and said, "Yangyang, do you often watch this cat talk to people, so you unconsciously started imitating him?"

Luo Yang nodded, "Um... I feel like, although everyone in the Special Investigation Unit is amazing, Uncle Zhan is still the most amazing." As Luo Yang spoke, he hid behind Luo and said softly, "Dad also said that when Uncle Zhan talks, it's like he has magic, and he told me to learn more from him about how to talk."

Zhan Zhao was completely dumbfounded, while Bai Yutang sat down on the nearby sofa and burst into hearty laughter. Luo couldn't help smiling either and asked Luo Yang, "Then what about your behavior just now? Explain why you asked questions like that?"

Luo Yang nodded and said softly, "When Uncle Zhan talks to people, he always looks into their eyes, giving you the feeling that he is really listening to what you have to say. Then, Uncle Zhan will say some things that guide people to think... Many times, it's not about teaching others how to remember, but about bringing people back to that environment, making them want to remember unconsciously. Also, when Uncle Zhan talks, sometimes he will pat the person being questioned on the hand, which feels very intimate... So I..."

After laughing his fill on the sofa, Bai Yutang turned to look at Zhan Zhao, who was sitting blankly in front of Yangyang, and smiled: "Cat... you made a blunder."

Zhan Zhao's face turned beet red in an instant, and he looked at Luo Yang with some guilt. Yangyang hid behind Luo and stuck his tongue out at Zhan Zhao, teasing, "So fierce."

"Yangyang, where's your manners?" Luo looked back at Luo Yang, who pouted in response.

Bai Yutang walked over, picked up the embarrassed Zhan Zhao, and said to Luo, "You stay and sit with the kids for a little while, we'll be right back." With that, carrying Zhan Zhao—who wanted to bury his face inside his collar—he walked out of the ward and into the stairwell at the corner.

Stepping into the quiet stairwell, Bai Yutang gently set Zhan Zhao down on the steps, squatted down to look him straight in the eyes, and reached out to pinch his chin. "What's wrong, Cat? You're impressive. Yangyang is your fan, you win over all ages!"

"Go on with you." Zhan Zhao glared at him, said nothing more, and lowered his head in silence.

Bai Yutang applied a little force, lifting Zhan Zhao's chin slightly, and said, "And another thing, what did you say earlier? That our genes are exceptionally good?"

Zhan Zhao nodded.

Bai Yutang chuckled, "You run slower than a tortoise, what's good about that?"

Irritated, Zhan Zhao raised his uninjured leg and kicked Bai Yutang. Bai Yutang dodged it, sat down beside him, and said, "What is it, Dr. Zhan? Feeling anxious lately?"

"You're the one who's anxious." Zhan Zhao glared angrily at Bai Yutang.

"Cat..." Bai Yutang rubbed his chin and said, "You know very well in your heart that no matter how good your genes are, without subsequent hard work, you would never achieve what you have today."

Zhan Zhao raised his face and looked at Bai Yutang.

"And," Bai Yutang continued, "There are countless people with good genes in this world... but not all of them achieve success."

Zhan Zhao nodded.

"You're scared." Bai Yutang smiled and lowered his voice, "Afraid that it has something to do with Zhao Jue... And ever since the first time you met Zhao Jue, you've been extremely sensitive to anything involving him."

Zhan Zhao thought about it, nodded, and looked at Bai Yutang. "Then what does this prove?"

"It proves... that like you, he is a person of immense influence," Bai Yutang replied.

"Do you think... there's something wrong with us?" Zhan Zhao asked.

Bai Yutang rubbed his chin. "So what if there is? In this world, who is entirely without problems?"

Hearing this, Zhan Zhao fell deep into thought. Then, the tense expression on his face vanished, and he muttered under his breath, "Damn rat, you're too sharp."

"Didn't I say so earlier?" Bai Yutang said with satisfaction, "You're the expert on studying people, and I'm the expert on studying you."

Zhan Zhao shot him a sidelong glance, then suddenly let out an "ah" sound. "I just thought of something else!"

"What?" Bai Yutang asked. "Is it about Lu Liang and Zhao Jing's parents knowing each other?"

"No." Zhan Zhao waved a hand. "Just now, Yangyang said he learned to ask questions like that by watching me, and there was also a shadow of hypnosis in it, right?"

"Mm." Bai Yutang nodded. "Like I said, you have a strong influence... Ah, Cat, I get it." Bai Yutang nodded and said, "You mean that if Yangyang could learn to do a convincing imitation after spending just a short time with you, then back in the day, it's inevitable that someone around Zhao Jue would have imitated him in that exact same way."

Zhan Zhao nodded. "And what attracts people to imitate him isn't so much the crime scenes or an obsession with psychology, but rather an obsession with Zhao Jue himself."

"So, we just need to check if anyone in this current case has a connection to the Zhao Jue of back then... Wait, Zhao Jue sent a message telling us to be on guard against Yan Li... Putting it another way, we should first check if anyone among Yan Li's connections has ties to Zhao Jue from the past, right?"

Zhan Zhao smiled and shook his head. He turned his face, reached out to gently touch Bai Yutang's cheek, and whispered, "Bai, do you know? When it comes to genes... My older brother, Bai Chi, all of us only excel in one aspect... Only you are the most perfect."

Bai Yutang caught Zhan Zhao's hand, leaned in, and kissed him. "No matter how excellent I am, aren't I still completely wrapped around your finger?"

...

When the two returned to the ward, Luo Yang was still playing with Zhao Jing, and Luo was sitting on the sofa reading a magazine.

"Luo, take Yangyang home first," Bai Yutang said. "The Cat and I are going to find Lu Liang."

"Alright." Luo thought for a moment and said, "I'll take Yangyang home first, and then go wait for you downstairs at Lu Liang's office." With that, he glanced down at Zhan Zhao's injured foot.

Knowing that Luo was worried it would be inconvenient for him to move around alone while taking care of the injured Zhan Zhao, Bai Yutang nodded in agreement. The four of them split up, and Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang drove to the building where Lu Liang's office was located.

"Hoh..." Bai Yutang tilted his head back to look up. "This research studio looks quite upscale."

Zhan Zhao smiled. "Lu Liang is considered a nationally renowned psychologist, and he runs a private clinic to boot, so of course his income is substantial, plus he has so many students under him."

"Let's head up and take a look." Bai Yutang took a wheelchair out of the trunk and wheeled it over to Zhan Zhao's side.

"This... is a nursing home wheelchair?" Zhan Zhao asked in surprise. "Where on earth did you get this?"

Bai Yutang shrugged. "I'll return it to them once your foot heals."

Zhan Zhao wrinkled his nose. "Thieving rat!"

...

The two of them entered Lu Liang's clinic, and the receptionist hurried over to receive them, asking very politely, "Do the two of you have an appointment?"

Bai Yutang showed her his identification and said, "We're here to see Lu Liang on some business."

"Oh..." The receptionist hastily nodded, picked up the internal telephone to call Lu Liang, and shortly after, Lu Liang came downstairs himself. The moment he caught sight of Zhan Zhao sitting in the wheelchair, he was startled. "Dr. Zhan, what happened to you?"

"Oh..." Before Zhan Zhao could answer, Bai Yutang chimed in, "Wasn't paying attention while walking and sprained his ankle."

"How careless of you." As Lu Liang spoke, he invited the two of them to sit down in his office, poured them tea, and brought out fruit, showing an indescribable warmth. "Come to think of it, I haven't had the chance to thank the two of you for saving my life yet."

Bai Yutang smiled faintly and said, "Let's skip the formalities. By the way, Dr. Lu, there are a few things I'd like to ask you."

"Oh." Lu Liang sat down as well, nodding. "Is it about the Ripper case?"

"No." Zhan Zhao shook his head and asked, "Do you know a couple named Zhao Qi?"

Lu Liang paused for a moment. "Zhao Qi?" He nodded. "I know them. They were my patients, but they haven't been in for a long time. Did something happen?"

"They were your patients?" Bai Yutang countered with a question of his own. "Both of them? What kind of illness?"

"Oh..." Lu Liang stood up, searched through a bookshelf for a moment, pulled out a file, handed it to Zhan Zhao, and said, "Their condition is very rare, but not serious."

"Intermittent memory confusion?" Zhan Zhao glanced over their medical records, raised his eyes in surprise, and looked at Lu Liang. "This case history is indeed quite rare."

"Right," Lu Liang nodded as well. "That's why I even took the two of them as a special research topic and treated them earnestly. But unfortunately... they suddenly disappeared without a trace."

"What kind of illness is intermittent memory confusion?" Bai Yutang asked.

"Well... how should I put it." Lu Liang thought for a moment and said, "The manifestation of the condition is... for example, a couple: in the morning, the husband tells his wife that he went to the supermarket and then ran into some interesting thing. By the evening, if you ask the wife, she will tell you that she went to the supermarket in the morning and then ran into that interesting thing."

"Such a strange thing?" Bai Yutang was startled. "In other words, mixing up other people's memories with one's own?"

Lu Liang was stunned for a second, then burst out laughing. "Captain Bai has very strong verbal expression skills! I explained a whole paragraph and you summed it up in a single sentence—much easier to understand than mine."

Bai Yutang glanced at Zhan Zhao. "You're too kind, just habit. You have to practice this kind of thing more often..."

Zhan Zhao shot him a withering look.

"Do both husband and wife have this same illness?" Zhan Zhao asked Lu Liang.

"That's right," Lu Liang nodded. "That's the strange part."

"Pardon my frankness," Zhan Zhao said, "Memory-related disorders are actually caused in large part by brain damage, and might not involve very deep psychological problems."

Lu Liang smiled and nodded, saying, "I suspected that as well at first. But what's interesting is that the two of them underwent comprehensive brain scans, and there weren't any abnormal findings whatsoever."

"Is that so..." Zhan Zhao sank into deep thought, only to hear Lu Liang continue, "Also, I feel that when two people simultaneously contract the exact same illness, it proves it's not hereditary, but rather driven by some specific cause. Given how close their relationship was, this cause was likely something they both experienced together. Because of that, I even lived with them for a period of time, wanting to find the root cause, but I never succeeded."

"Is that how it was." Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao exchanged a glance. That explained why Zhao Jing had such a profound impression of Lu Liang.

"That's right," Bai Yutang said. "Since you lived together, you must know their daughter, Zhao Jing, right?"

" Oh... Jingjing? Of course I know her. The couple adored that daughter very much," Lu Liang replied.

"Do you think there's anything unusual about Zhao Jing?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"Well..." Lu Liang hesitated for a moment before nodding. "That child also has problems in this area."

"You mean she also displays symptoms of memory confusion?" Bai Yutang asked in surprise.

"The early manifestations weren't very obvious," Lu Liang said. "However, she suffers from severe forgetfulness."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged glances—that settled it. No wonder she drew a complete blank when questioned; she had forgotten everything.

Zhan Zhao was about to ask more when someone suddenly knocked on the door. The receptionist pushed it open, stepped inside, and asked Lu Liang, "Doctor, Officer An is here with his wife. Should I have them wait for a moment?"

Lu Liang checked his watch and said, "Ah... Is it this late already? I forgot to notify them to push back their appointment..."

However, Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao exchanged a look, and Bai Yutang asked Lu Liang, "Officer An?"

Lu Liang nodded, sighed, and said, "Sigh... That police officer's life is simply a tragedy of the human world."

"Have them wait for just a little while," Lu Liang instructed the receptionist. "Just tell them I have an important appointment..."

"No need," Zhan Zhao suddenly interjected. "We're not in a hurry. Let Officer An come in first." With that, he asked Lu Liang, "Why is Officer An here, and why did he bring his wife along?"

Lu Liang shook his head. "Once they come in, you'll see."

Suspicious, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked toward the door, just as a desolate sound of a woman crying drifted in from the hallway. Her voice was hoarse and aged, crying out, "My child... Oh, my child..."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang felt a constriction in their chests. A moment later, they saw Uncle An supporting a trembling, elderly woman as they walked in.

Their eyes met, and Uncle An gave a violent start as he looked at Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang. "You..."

"Uh..." Bai Yutang stood up. "We came to ask about some matters related to the case... Uncle An, you..." With that, he looked at the white-haired old woman by Uncle An's side.

"Hah..." Uncle An let out a bitter laugh and said, "My wife."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang opened their eyes wide—Uncle An was certainly no spring chicken, but this old woman looked old enough to be his mother.

"The white-haired person sending off the black-haired person," Uncle An shook his head. "There's nothing to be done... She couldn't take the shock; her hair turned white overnight."

Neither Zhan Zhao nor Bai Yutang knew how to react. Uncle An's wife had been crying ever since she entered the room, pausing briefly only to call out for her child in a self-soothing ramble, creating a deeply miserable atmosphere.

"Mrs. An is suffering a mental breakdown caused by excessive grief," Lu Liang explained. "I'm just doing my best to help her calm down."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang nodded. The situation was too oppressive to remain in, so the two of them bid farewell and left. Fleeing as if escaping, they stepped outside the clinic to find Luo already waiting by the car.

Seeing the two of them come out, Luo hurried over and said, "Captain, Officer An just brought an elderly woman upstairs..."

"We know," Bai Yutang nodded, helped Zhan Zhao into the car, climbed in himself, fastened his seatbelt, and let out a long breath.

After a long silence, noticing that Zhan Zhao hadn't made a single sound beside him, Bai Yutang turned to look at him. Expecting Zhan Zhao to wear a look of sorrow, he saw instead that Zhan Zhao's brows were tightly knitted, as if he were wrestling with something he couldn't figure out.

"Cat?" Bai Yutang asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhan Zhao hesitated for a moment, looked at Bai Yutang, and said, "I don't know if I'm just overthinking it..."

"What is it?" Bai Yutang was puzzled.

"Well... I feel," Zhan Zhao turned his head to glance back at Lu Liang's clinic, "Uncle An's wife... doesn't look like she just went crazy."

"You mean..." Bai Yutang thought about it and nodded. "That's true too. Looking like that, I'd believe it if you told me she'd been out of her mind for over a decade."

While the two of them were deep in puzzlement, Bai Yutang's phone rang.

Glancing at the caller ID and seeing it was Jiang Ping, Bai Yutang pressed the speakerphone button, and Jiang Ping's voice came through on the other end: "Chief... We've gone through all the footage: the one from the banquet, the one you brought back from the parking lot, and the one from the police station."

"Any discoveries?" Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao asked in unison.

"You guys had better hurry back. We've got some very interesting findings..."