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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Eleven
The report was swift, thanks to the team's recorder. The belongings left at the foot of the mountain were all retrieved. According to the captain, by the time the subsequent team arrived, the building had been completely vacated, leaving only some documents in the ruins that were currently under analysis.
“Copper Coin, originally named Xu Yiming, is unemployed. Ten years ago, he worked in a laboratory, but after it was shut down, he did not seek other employment. From the video analysis, he escaped during a scuffle with Xin Yi and Song Bunan, along with four others, and now we have lost his trail. As for those from the Zhang Family who were brought back, they were found to be hypnotized into an unconscious state, acting solely on the commands of their hypnotist. They have now regained consciousness.
They claimed that they lost consciousness in the car due to a strange fragrance and woke up here without providing any useful information. However, the insignia on their clothing is from the laboratory where Copper Coin worked—the one that was shut down.
We have reason to suspect that the laboratory was only superficially closed and has been secretly conducting experiments over the past decade. The items that Zhang Family was searching for are related to them, which is why they were targeted. Old Otter refused to provide information and thus became a victim. It can be inferred that the building in Mang Mountain is one of the secret locations.”
Everyone in the conference room understood what was being referred to regarding that experiment.
Over a decade ago, a laboratory announced it had discovered a method for achieving “eternal life,” even allowing for resurrection after death. They recruited many individuals as test subjects—mostly those who were terminally ill and had given up on treatment—hoping to take one last gamble before dying. The outcome was that these individuals became mindless beings; their previously broken bodies grew strong, causing quite a stir in society.
Under public pressure, the laboratory was shut down, and several high-ranking officials were held accountable. Over these ten years, people have largely forgotten what the laboratory had done, occasionally recalling it as a joke. No one expected that those who escaped capture back then were still pursuing this unrealistic dream and even using people for experiments.
“The higher-ups want us to prepare for a thorough investigation of the laboratory.” The captain slammed a stack of classified documents onto the table, stirring up clouds of dust. They had participated in shutting down the laboratory back then and had used Mighty Falcon’s identity to take away many documents that should have been destroyed for safekeeping. Now that they are reopening this case, it signifies their determination to conduct a thorough investigation.
After assigning tasks, everyone took their respective documents to prepare. Xin Yi looked at the paper bag before him, its name painfully etched into his mind. He could swear that before those names resurfaced, he had completely moved on from those matters. Yet reality always seemed to deliver blows just when one thought they had healed—like tearing open old wounds and shattering a heart that had just begun to mend.
“Are you sure you want me to handle this part?” Xin Yi cast an inquiring glance at the captain. A stunning woman was applying bright red lipstick, her gaze carrying an unexpected gloom that belied her appearance. She said, “This is a great opportunity for revenge.”
“Fine.” He tucked away the paper bag with all his might to avoid tearing it apart.
“Our collaboration with Song Bunan ends here; if he wants to leave, let him go.” The captain's voice echoed behind him as he closed the door.
By afternoon, when Xin Yi returned to Song Bunan’s hospital room, sunlight streamed through the window. Sitting by the bedside and listening to a nurse speak was someone with a slightly tilted head; his pale face shone like jade under the sun. Song Bunan held a cup in his hands, seemingly engaged in conversation with the nurse; his trembling hand caused steam from the cup to rise.
There were no other people in the room, but he could smell traces of medicine not belonging to Mighty Falcon, indicating one of the two who had visited yesterday was here again. Xiao Mei was more lively than during their phone call; upon entering, she rushed to check if Song Bunan had any injuries on other parts of his body, her movements skilled as if she had done this countless times before. She appeared quite young with light brown skin and a fit physique beneath her tank top; her eyes sparkled with youthful energy.
Following closely behind Xiao Mei was another young man in his twenties with delicate skin and handsome features. His shoulder-length hair was loosely tied back, and he shone brightly in his white suit under the light. When their eyes met, Xin Yi noticed his cold gaze—serious and sharp—giving off an air of unapproachability. He also caught a whiff of traditional Chinese medicine from him—a rather unique scent.
He didn’t like this person; however, he extended his hand first. During their handshake, he heard him say, “I’m Jiang Shui Su. Thank you for taking care of Song Bunan.” There was an aura of indifference surrounding him; his tone remained flat without much fluctuation, making one reluctant to engage further. After speaking without courtesy, there was no more exchange between them.
Yet from how this man looked at Xiao Mei, he sensed something unusual brewing beneath the surface. After checking on Song Bunan, he approached Xin Yi, leaning close to whisper something in his ear while tilting his head slightly so their gazes met—there was tenderness present there. Xin Yi keenly noticed that both wore matching rings on their left middle fingers.
“Xiao Mei and Shui Su just left, and they brought you some snacks.” The memory was interrupted by Song Bunan, who had just arrived. Adjusting his glasses, he held out a paper bag with both hands while casually saying goodbye to the nurse. His spirits seemed lifted, and he had remnants of food stuck to the corners of his mouth, looking adorably childlike.
“How are you feeling?” Xin Yi pondered. They were friends now, so it was natural to have a conversation between friends.
The person sitting on the hospital bed without a blanket nodded while swinging his feet, inviting him to sit down. The bag of snacks fell into his hands, releasing a sweet aroma. “These snacks were made by Uncle Meng himself; they smell so good. I feel like I’ll be discharged tomorrow. There’s a clinic right by my house where I can get my dressings changed and stitches removed.”
He had intended to ask why he didn’t stay a few more days, but realizing they weren’t close enough for casual chit-chat, he refrained. Instead, he thanked him for the snacks and offered that Mighty Falcon could give him a ride home if needed.
“I’m not that delicate.” The person sprawled comfortably on the bed, sticking out his tongue to lick the crumbs from his mouth before turning to look at him with a relaxed expression. “You guys must know what I used to do, so don’t worry about such minor injuries; it’s no big deal.”
Seeing his lively demeanor reassured Xin Yi that everything was indeed fine. He pulled out an envelope from his pocket containing a thick stack of cash, with Song Bunan's name written on it. “The captain said this is your payment; it’s all in cash as requested.” The person on the bed stretched out his hands to take it, grinning with a shrewd expression before kissing the envelope.
Xin Yi thought their relationship would probably remain limited to this payment; they would only nod at each other when they crossed paths in the future. Friends in life always come and go, especially in such cooperative relationships where both parties work together for their own interests and part ways at the crossroads. However, he wouldn’t deny that Song Bunan left a deeper impression on him than previous collaborators, not just because of his looks.
“Mighty Falcon is really great.” The person pressed the envelope under his pillow and looked back at him, his glasses slightly askew on his nose. “We’ve had such a good collaboration; it wouldn’t be too much to add each other as friends.”
Breaking through Xin Yi’s gloomy thoughts, he presented a QR code for their communication channel, featuring a hamster munching on cilantro in the center. Xin Yi inexplicably associated the person in front of him with the hamster in the image and found them surprisingly similar. He agreed and accepted the gesture, adding him as a friend.
Compared to his own circle of friends, Song Bunan’s life seemed vibrant and colorful. Just half an hour before entering the room, he had updated his social media with a picture of opened snacks and a thumbs-up indicating how delicious they were, stating that he could devour three bags without catching his breath.
“Maybe take a breather?” Xin Yi thought to himself. Looking up, he saw Song Bunan also checking his social media feed. Faced with content consisting only of gray lines, he looked at Xin Yi with a puzzled expression and incredulously asked if there was truly nothing posted at all. Xin Yi nodded in response. This earned him an exasperated shake of the head from the person on the bed along with an exaggerated thumbs-up.
“Impressive,” Song Bunan agreed.
After sitting silently for a moment, Xin Yi felt compelled to say something. He straightened up, catching Song Bunan's attention as their eyes met. “Thank you for saving me.” He had been thinking about how to express his gratitude during the journey here and even asked his boss if he should bring something as a gift. His boss had given him a perplexed look and said he didn’t owe such favors before agreeing to inquire about it.
That inquiry led to being tagged hundreds of times in their group chat while he climbed the stairs. His teammates offered various suggestions—treating them to dinner or sending fruit baskets were popular recommendations; some more niche ideas included gifting jewelry or even jokingly suggesting offering himself in return. He paused over the screen, sincerely grateful for his boss’s help.
Now empty-handed after arriving at the hospital without any useful information and having received only a bag of snacks from someone else, all he could muster was a dry thank you. After living for over forty years, Xin Yi felt for the first time how difficult it was to repay kindness.
Surprisingly, this simple thank you made Song Bunan blush. He suddenly became shy, an unusual flush spreading across his face and ears as he covered his face with one hand and mumbled something inaudible about not needing any thanks.
“I…” Xin Yi stammered awkwardly for once. “I don’t know how to thank you properly; why don’t you make a request? I’ll do my best to fulfill it.”
Little did he know that this statement sparked an internal struggle within Song Bunan’s mind; he had already thought through everything imaginable—appropriate or inappropriate—and ultimately turned away bashfully while vigorously waving his hand in denial, saying it was nothing special and that it was what he should do.
"Since you can't think of anything, just remember, if there's anything I can help with in the future, feel free to ask." Xin Yi didn't want to owe anyone a favor, but such kindness wasn't something that could be easily repaid. At that moment, if he hadn't reacted quickly, it would have been his own life at stake; if he hadn't dodged, it would have been him who died.
Song Bunan completely covered his head with the blanket, sighing and refusing to speak further. Xin Yi couldn't understand this reaction and said he would take his leave, promising to come back tomorrow to help him with the discharge procedures. It wasn't until he reached the door that he heard a voice behind him; Song Bunan said, "Don't forget to eat the snacks!"
That bag of snacks became his dinner. After many years without sweet treats, Xin Yi felt as if he had been marinated in flavor while sleeping at night, turning into a crispy peanut candy, quietly lying in the oil paper bag.
What he didn't know was that Song Bunan, also unable to sleep in the hospital room, was silently screaming at his phone screen, telling Xiao Mei and other friends about what had crossed his mind when he heard Xin Yi mention making a request.
【Dark Penguin Emperor: I almost told him to touch my abs! But I want to keep my dignity and couldn't say it!】
【Endless: First of all, hesitation leads to defeat.】
【Hua Shu Ming: But being decisive means facing rejection.】
【Dark Penguin Emperor: It's okay, I've added him as a friend; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.】
【Endless: Really? I don't believe it. You think you still have a chance? Not happening. Unless you ask him for a picture of his abs.】
【Hua Shu Ming: Take it step by step (shrugs).】
【Endless: I would fast forward right there!】
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