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墨書 Inktalez
The Mighty Falcon Building welcomed an expected emptiness, with no one in sight except for the security guard on duty. Even the usual banter in the group chat, which was often filled with jokes and off-topic discussions, had come to a halt. The guard, who was idly playing Minesweeper on his computer, looked surprised when he saw him appear; his hand trembled, causing the screen to explode with colorful explosions.
"Any leads?" Outside, the rain poured heavily. Xin Yi shook his head and put away his umbrella without saying a word. The guard, not receiving an answer, turned back to his game and casually handed him a few letters he had grabbed from a drawer.
In this day and age, few people chose to communicate through the antiquated method of letter writing, aside from the occasional credit card sent by the bank. Xin Yi turned and walked into the building, which seemed somewhat outdated compared to its usual bright ambiance.
After escorting Song Bunan home, dawn had already broken. When they said goodbye outside the community, it was clear that Song Bunan was fighting off sleepiness, swaying slightly as he walked away and disappeared between the buildings. Xin Yi returned home and lay down on his bed, waking up in the afternoon for the first time in ages.
He wasn’t sure when it had started raining; the soft patter was somewhat irritating. Xin Yi brewed himself a cup of coffee and stood by the window, contemplating what to do next. His collaboration with Song Bunan and the others greatly benefited his investigation into the laboratory, but it also raised concerns about how to relay any information back to Mighty Falcon. If there were insiders with significant access within that organization, any form of communication could be monitored, making face-to-face meetings even more dangerous.
He had trustworthy individuals in mind who preferred not to communicate online. Once he received the latest news, they would need to meet in person to discuss it. The chat interface with his captain and boss had been left open since before he temporarily left Mighty Falcon; his phone, usually buzzing with notifications, remained silent. He glanced around his room before finally focusing on the makeshift gym.
The equipment was covered in dust; it had been ages since he had truly lived in this so-called "home." Each day felt like staying in a hotel—waking up and leaving without hesitation. He never regarded this place as home; after all, by traditional standards, he had never truly had one.
The rainy weather made the already desolate house feel even colder and damp. He decided to take a stroll around Mighty Falcon Building while waiting for news from Song Bunan.
The spaciousness of the gym brought him some joy. After completing a set of exercises, he took a break and decided to look at those letters. The brown paper envelopes only bore the recipient's address and name; they were sealed with wax featuring an unfamiliar emblem that even emitted a faint fragrance when held. In one corner of the back was a small date written in tiny letters.
Were there still families in the city that paid such attention to detail? He found himself puzzled. There were three letters in total, which he opened in chronological order. The first contained a business card printed on black textured paper with the name Jiang Lingkong embossed in gold that shimmered under the light. The second was a map; on yellowed paper was a floor plan of New Life Hospital, also bearing the emblem from the wax seal in the bottom right corner. The third letter contained his passport photo but had no relation to his previous work or life.
In this document, he was identified as a doctor specializing in mental health.
Given their discussions with Song Bunan and others about strategies, this was undoubtedly a false identity prepared for him by the Jiang Family. But why was it sent here to Mighty Falcon? If he hadn’t come by, he would have missed this crucial information entirely—or worse, someone else might have opened it and compromised their plans.
This wasn’t a mistake one would expect from a family of Jiang Family's caliber. He pulled out his phone and found Xiao Mei’s contact number that he had added last night. He took photos of all three envelopes and sent them along with a message asking how they ended up at Mighty Falcon Building. The reply didn’t come immediately; he guessed she was still asleep at that hour.
The heavy rain continued until nightfall, the city streets illuminated by lights that flickered erratically due to the downpour. Inside the Mighty Falcon Building, no one came or went; even those who were supposed to be on duty had turned off the lights and disappeared. As he changed out of his clothes and prepared to head home, he noticed a familiar figure leaning against a car in the darkness. The glow of a cigarette flickered, seemingly signaling him.
It was the Captain. Dressed in a pitch-black raincoat, she resembled a ghost, her eyes glinting with a faint smile as she watched him approach. Once he was close enough, she tossed her cigarette butt aside. "Looks like you had a good haul," she said, effortlessly sliding into the passenger seat and pulling out one of his cigarettes from the storage compartment to light it.
"Collaborating with the Jiang Family to investigate New Life Hospital," he replied as he drove out of the garage. The windshield was instantly covered in rain, and as the wipers moved back and forth, smoke began to fill the car. The Captain smiled, her expression one of satisfaction; her bright red nails were striking against the dim interior. "You're definitely making the fastest progress in the team."
The Captain was among those on the trusted List, but Xin Yi wasn't ready to discuss too many details with her just yet. He asked why she had come back to find him. She handed him her half-finished cigarette. "The missing people have been found; their bodies are in that building, with the same cause of death as Old Otter."
"So their disappearance..." He noted that the cigarette had been in the car for too long and had become dry, making it harsh on his throat.
"Was planned," she replied coldly.
This was a scandal waiting to happen. Anyone could laugh at it if it got out. After all, Mighty Falcon had dealings in various cities, and many questioned their operations. Fortunately, their roles were clearly defined; each of the three departments had its responsibilities, and there hadn't been any major issues over the years. He was part of the ground department—essentially the worker ants of the organization—tasked with carrying out assignments and reporting back upon completion. The Renbu served as middle management, handling personnel statistics and registrations, with plenty of clerical staff. As for the Heavenly Department, few knew who was actually involved; it was shrouded in mystery.
Based on what the Captain had shared, they could analyze that this issue stemmed from higher up and that there were many informants within their department. While their motives for sabotaging investigations remained unclear, it was evident that actions against them had already begun in earnest at the laboratory. Perhaps they aimed to exploit them or foster some alternative collaboration. In plain sight, any retaliatory strategy they devised would likely be discovered.
Why dispose of bodies so openly? One could only speculate that these individuals' value had been exhausted.
The Captain gazed at a puddle outside the pavilion before handing him an old mobile phone without internet capabilities. "Use this to contact me if you encounter any issues." They were like lice on a bald head—vulnerable and exposed at any time and place to targeted actions; being careless meant only one outcome: defeat. Xin Yi understood her concerns well and knew that their forthcoming actions would not go smoothly.
"Even though those above us are neglecting their duties, we still need to conduct ourselves properly. Be careful during your recent activities; let me know if you need anything." After lighting her third cigarette within half an hour, she donned her raincoat hood and walked into the rain without looking back, disappearing among the dense foliage of the park. Xin Yi stared at the now pitch-black sky and took out his vibrating phone; it was a message from Xiao Mei.
【Let’s take a gamble.】
【Gamble?】
The content of the letter was intricately linked to the messenger. If there was nothing wrong with the letter, any incident would surely reveal the messenger as the source of trouble. As for the recipient, their true nature would only become clear once actions were set in motion. Xin Yi stopped replying and, on his way home, bought several related books at a bookstore, deciding to thoroughly prepare his identity before taking action.
Song Bunan collapsed onto the sofa and fell into a deep sleep. When he opened his eyes again, it was already night. His parents had arrived at some point, chatting and laughing in the kitchen, the aroma of meat soup filling the air, making his stomach growl. He got up and immediately grabbed his phone to check messages. Xiao Mei had sent dozens of texts, detailing how they would pretend to be interns at the hospital in two days, down to how to report symptoms to patients.
However, his work ID clearly stated: Intern Nurse. He gritted his teeth in frustration, questioning why they were all attending physicians while he had to settle for an intern nurse title. A barrage of laughing emojis from the group chat drowned out his complaints. Xiao Mei pointed out that they actually knew a thing or two, while he was completely clueless and might not even manage to be a good nurse.
Thanks to the invention of emojis, Song Bunan could launch a merciless "attack" on Xiao Mei in their group chat, though it only made her laugh even harder.
To his parents, he looked like a middle schooler engrossed in mobile games as he furiously tapped away on his phone. His father snatched it away without hesitation and slapped him on the head, scolding him for being an adult who stayed up all night and slept all day just to play on his phone. The bewildered young man rubbed his head and stared blankly at his father, momentarily contemplating whether he should attend evening classes.
“Dad, I’m not a student…” This argument seemed like blasphemy; the older man glared at him with furrowed brows and raised his hand high, clearly aiming for his backside. Startled, Song Bunan jumped up and quickly knelt on the ground, tightly hugging his father's legs and pleading for calm. He was promptly smacked on the head again, and his phone was completely confiscated into his father's pocket while he was sternly told to eat.
He obediently washed his face and hands and set the table, hiding a can of cola he had planned to drink today behind some vegetables in the fridge, fearing another smack for that. His mother had made Carp Soup; white tofu floated in the milky broth as Song Bunan held the bowl and ate without looking up, listening to his parents’ stern criticism of his erratic schedule. He remained silent like a quail under their scrutiny. Since moving out after graduation, he had faced more scolding for staying up late than he ever did during his school years. His parents wished they could engrave a clock in his brain to monitor his routine at all times.
The topic shifted when a news notification popped up. His father frowned deeply while reading about unscrupulous scientists conducting experiments on living subjects, angrily declaring that such people deserved to be executed without mercy. Curious, Song Bunan leaned over to see that the article was indeed about a laboratory. It detailed how the lab had been shut down and even included photos from years ago showing some of the victims’ tragic conditions—some were blurred but still conveyed horror. The article concluded by questioning how such experiments could be dealt with so that ordinary people could live peacefully.
“Once caught, they should be executed immediately!” His father slammed the table with righteous indignation, claiming that if he ever encountered those people, he would surely make them pay dearly. Song Bunan glanced at his mother’s helpless smile and thought to himself that they should never meet anyone from there; they were all strange individuals.
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