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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Twenty-Three
Xin Yi arrived at Bunan's shop right on time. Inside, there were already people present, but Song Bunan was not among them. A boy named Xiao Mei sat on a stool, looking dazed and half-asleep. When Xin Yi walked in, he merely blinked and yawned, innocently saying, "Just wait a bit, I'm not awake yet."
To prove his point, the boy even pulled out his phone, showing a surveillance feed that seemed to be from Song Bunan's living room. A figure covered with a thin blanket was sleeping on the carpet, curled up between the coffee table and the sofa, making it hard to distinguish where the head ended and the feet began. Seeing that Xin Yi had no reaction, he casually started playing a game, suggesting that if there was an urgent matter, Xin Yi could leave first.
Not wanting to engage in conversation with someone he didn't know well, Xin Yi settled into silence, trying to imprint every detail of the shop into his memory. This time, however, his gaze fell upon a shelf that hadn't been dusted in ages; thick layers of dust had settled on it, and several wooden boxes were so faded that their original colors were unrecognizable. One box even had a half-burnt candle resting on top.
He didn't know much about antiques but could tell that those items were likely valuable. On the bottom shelf, there was one package that caught his attention. Wrapped in brown paper and tied securely with dark brown twine, it seemed to have been sealed with wax. What could it be? Curiosity piqued, he stepped closer and reached out to grab it when he suddenly heard Xiao Mei's voice from behind him: "It's better not to touch that thing; it's human skin."
That was something he hadn't heard before. He turned to look at Xiao Mei, who was still engrossed in his game and didn't spare him a glance. The voice continued, "Someone once asked him to do a favor and gifted him this. At first, we all thought it was a map, but then an old man who knew about these things came into the shop and said it was an old item—an unlucky one—it's a human skin map. Song Bunan almost burned it but then figured he could sell it for some money instead of just throwing it away."
Selling it for money—that certainly sounded like something Song Bunan would do. In their few casual conversations, this guy had expressed his love for money while also complaining about having to front cash for Mighty Falcon's intel. Xin Yi remembered how the captain's eyes had widened with excitement when he handed over an envelope filled with cash; it was a genuine display of what it meant to have stars in one's eyes.
As for his love of money, Song Bunan explained: "It's my bargaining chip with my parents. If I don't make money, they'll drag me back home to live with them—it's such a hassle."
It dawned on Xin Yi that for someone who grew up happily in a family environment, saying living together would be a hassle came so easily.
They spent a long time in quietude; during which Xiao Mei brewed tea for both of them using two large enamel mugs. After just a few sips, the boy slumped over the table and fell fast asleep, seemingly indifferent even if the shop were to be emptied out.
Opening the chat window with Song Bunan, Xin Yi sent a message asking what time he would arrive. The message lingered unsent for quite some time as he hesitated—wondering whether or not to disturb Song Bunan's sleep. This change surprised him; initially, he could only analyze that he had different feelings toward Song Bunan, but now he found himself willing to let him be—even if it meant being stood up for something important.
This shift would have been unacceptable to him just a month ago; if someone didn't show up at an agreed time, there would be no chance for future collaboration. Yet now, more than two hours had passed since their scheduled five o'clock meeting. Normally, this amount of time would have been enough for him to complete his daily workout routine and check on task-related information.
"You have such patience," Xiao Mei said as he lifted his head and yawned widely, finally appearing more awake. He refilled their mugs with hot water and glanced at his nonexistent watch on his wrist before stating that Song Bunan should be arriving soon.
"Something?" Xin Yi raised an eyebrow. The other boy nodded seriously and replied in a grave tone: "Song Bunan is just something!"
"You’re the something!" A voice suddenly chimed from behind them. Turning around, they saw Song Bunan entering with a cloth bag in hand, pretending to storm over angrily as if ready to devour Xiao Mei whole.
The boy wasn't backing down either; rolling up his sleeves and puffing out his chest, he charged forward while grumbling about how someone had made plans but slept through the night and refused to get up during the day—showing up late without wanting to face any consequences. "Get out of my way!" Xiao Mei shouted as he took off running and executed a flying kick towards Song Bunan. With practiced ease, Song Bunan dodged and moved next to Xin Yi while making silly faces at him as if saying he couldn't catch him because he was too slow.
Turning around, he was stunned to see Xin Yi beside him, his shocked expression seemingly asking, "What are you doing here?" The person who had come for the appointment met his gaze, and the energetic individual who had just wanted to spend another half-night with friends suddenly deflated, bowing deeply in apology and admitting his mistake.
Xin Yi intended to say he wasn’t upset but felt it was too ambiguous. He changed his words at the last moment, saying it was fine.
The shop owner, as if granted a reprieve, raised the bag in his hand and smiled, saying he had bought seafood for a big dinner that night. He invited Xiao Mei to help out while they ate and chatted. It felt like a kick to the gut.
Mighty Falcon never engaged in conversation while eating; they were accustomed to exchanging information efficiently, believing that money should change hands at the same time as goods. Talking at the dinner table was seen as a waste of time. Xin Yi did not refuse Song Bunan’s suggestion and quietly waited at the table. After some playful banter in the kitchen, Song Bunan suddenly poked his head out, saying he had a small booklet in his backpack for Xin Yi to look at first.
Inside were all the messages related to the laboratory that Song Bunan had collected. Although it contained many random and nonsensical remarks, it did not detract from the other content. Comparing it roughly with the information he had gathered, Xin Yi found that their findings complemented each other, ultimately focusing on a place called New Life Hospital.
That hospital was a psychiatric facility in Rongcheng that had been thriving since its establishment. Many people chose to send those with issues there, claiming low fees and excellent care that put families at ease. However, according to the information gathered, many patients who were discharged after being deemed "cured" had worsened over time.
The hospital's explanation was simply that such illnesses were inherently unstable; just because someone was treated successfully at one point did not guarantee they wouldn’t have problems later. Recurrences were merely considered normal. Yet they offered very reassuring aftercare, promising that any patient who relapsed could return to their treatment center for free.
"Do you believe what they say?" After finishing his meal, Song Bunan sat across from him, smiling just as maturely as when they first met. Xin Yi liked this version of Song Bunan; he felt that only someone like him could be an equal partner.
Then someone interjected between them, telling Song Bunan not to act coy because that smile meant he was about to swindle someone out of their money.
Xiao Mei's words stripped Song Bunan of his facade; he instantly reverted to a youthful demeanor, rolling his eyes and speaking in a tone that sounded several years younger. Even his posture relaxed as he fiddled with a scallop in hand while waiting for a response.
"Based on what’s written in the documents, those so-called relapses are actually uncontrolled reactions post-experimentation. Bringing people back to the treatment center means they are being controlled. And those with families serve as a superficial support; no one pays attention to the homeless individuals they take away..."
"Even if it leads to death," they said in unison.
Xin Yi noted down information that didn’t overlap with what Song Bunan had written in the blank spaces of his notebook. He could see the reader's eyes lighting up with excitement over the content he brought. "Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!" Song Bunan exclaimed, giving him enthusiastic thumbs up.
Xiao Mei bluntly asked, "Did something happen internally?"
His smile appeared sinister in Xin Yi's eyes. Instinctively glancing at Song Bunan, he saw him peeling shrimp with a confused expression, mumbling about how everything had seemed normal just days ago—could there really be any issues? Had they been raided? After saying this, he swayed slightly as if kicked by Xiao Mei.
Xin Yi wanted to collaborate with Song Bunan again; aside from his dubious profession as a fortune teller, he was someone trustworthy. Now that Mighty Falcon's members were likely acting covertly, traveling together with him would be the best choice for their investigation's success.
He did not explain the specifics to the two of them, only stating that he was currently operating solo and was interested in collaborating with them on the investigation.
Song Bunan made an "OK" gesture and cheerfully said, "The more friends we have, the more paths we can take; with more brains, we can come up with more solutions. This big family welcomes your addition. Now we can discuss our first question: how to investigate New Life Hospital. That place doesn’t admit ordinary patients; even if we have some mental issues, we don’t seem serious enough to be hospitalized."
When speaking with familiar people, one tends to be more relaxed and humorous. Xin Yi couldn’t help but look up at Song Bunan’s face upon hearing his words; the serious expression clearly indicated he wasn’t joking.
"What about investigating in secret?" Xiao Mei chimed in. "They are already operating in the shadows; what more can we do covertly? Climbing over walls at night? We must first get inside that hospital to find a way to conduct a deeper investigation. Right now, all our intelligence is just basic knowledge, lacking any details about the internal workings of the laboratory."
Having just eaten, Song Bunan spoke rapidly. "Who’s leading them now? Who’s managing things? Who has joined their ranks? Is there any involvement from external forces? We don’t know any of this information. It’s nearly impossible to gather intel from outside. After all, I don’t believe there’s anyone with more information channels than Lin Mo Hui. As for Mighty Falcon allowing members to investigate the laboratory independently, I feel it’s because they’ve also detected a threat internally."
You sensed he was right. Xin Yi nodded inwardly. The laboratory had many long-reaching tentacles, and no one could guess how far they could extend. For those in plain sight to react, they could only delve deeper into the inner workings, using market information as support.
However, that hospital was not a place one could simply enter.
"Hmm..." Xiao Mei tapped on her phone, hesitating as she said, "The Jiang Family's hospital also has a Psychiatry department. If we propose a seminar with New Life under the guise of learning and exchange, would we have a chance to sneak in and investigate?"
Xin Yi immediately began analyzing the feasibility of this plan when he saw Song Bunan suddenly stand up, slam his hand on the table, and shout, "Let’s do it!"
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