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墨書 Inktalez
They were several extremely detailed portraits of children, each one vividly capturing their likeness. Xiaoshuang recognized these as the missing children from recent reports.
Next to the children's portraits lay several puppet design sketches, marked with precise measurements.
"My God... he is making puppet shells according to the children's appearances and sizes." Xiaoshuang forced herself to calm down, raising her camera to capture this evidence.
Fang Zigui continued to search, discovering a black leather case under the bed. Inside, neatly arranged, were several vials of substances and syringes.
"This should be some kind of anesthetic," Fang Zigui said, picking up a vial and bringing it closer to Xiaoshuang's flashlight for a closer look. "It's a complex formula that can keep someone awake but immobilize them. I've seen similar experimental reports at the German Medical School; this is definitely not something that can be produced domestically right now."
Ruan Xiaoshuang also took photos of the substances and snapped a few more shots around the room to ensure nothing was overlooked.
After confirming there were no other clues, the two quietly made their way downstairs, preparing to leave the same way they came.
Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs, they suddenly heard a door opening upstairs, followed by footsteps descending—it was Xu Ruicheng's apprentice!
Fang Zigui quickly pulled Xiaoshuang behind the counter. The space beneath the counter was very cramped; Xiaoshuang and Fang Zigui were pressed tightly together, and she could distinctly smell the faint scent of traditional Chinese medicine on him.
The footsteps grew closer, and a beam of flashlight swept across the counter as the apprentice mumbled to himself while rummaging through something on it.
Xiaoshuang was so tense she almost wanted to scream, but Fang Zigui gently held her hand. They both held their breath, remaining completely still.
After what felt like an eternity of tense seconds, the apprentice finally found what he was looking for and turned to leave the counter, heading back upstairs.
"Whoa—" Xiaoshuang exhaled deeply; in that brief moment, she had already broken into a cold sweat.
"Wait a bit longer," Fang Zigui whispered.
A few more minutes passed without any noise before they carefully crawled out and quietly exited through the back door.
In the police station's interrogation room, the light was dim. Xu Ruicheng had remained silent all night. He sat calmly on a wooden chair across from them, his hands resting quietly on his knees as if the police in front of him were merely ordinary customers looking to buy woodwork.
"Xu Ruicheng, I’ll ask you again," Lin Mingchang leaned forward, his voice lowered significantly, "who commissioned you to make these Wu Mian Puppets?"
Xu Ruicheng raised his bloodshot eyes. "I’ve already told you; it was that foreign customer who spoke with an accent. He offered a good price and requested finely crafted puppets without facial features. I’ve been making puppets for decades and have seen all sorts of strange people and things; though this request is odd, he paid well."
"Then why did you tell me during my first visit that you had never made faceless puppets?"
Xu Ruicheng swallowed hard. "It's all the request of that Foreign Guest; I have to keep everything a secret."
"Who is that Foreigner? What's his name?"
Xu Ruicheng shrugged, looking helpless. "I really don't know. They all look pretty similar to me, and he didn't tell me his name."
Lin Mingchang was infuriated by Xu Ruicheng's nonchalant attitude. He grabbed Xu Ruicheng by the collar, ready to explode, when suddenly there was a knock at the door.
Then, Xiaoshuang's fluffy head peeked through the crack in the door, signaling Lin Mingchang to step outside for a moment.
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