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After a moment of contemplation, I said, "Well, I know it's not that simple. By the way, those red strings you had Jenny prepare seem to be just for show, right?"
Jiao Ba grinned and replied, "That's right. Those red strings are useless; a bit of vinegar would do the trick. Otherwise, how could they believe that something sinister has happened?"
But I still felt a bit puzzled and asked, "Even if there was some kind of toxin, why did I see the appearance of that female corpse?"
Jiao Ba looked at me and said, "It's simple. It's because she brought fear to your heart. That Wreck needs to be thoroughly checked; perhaps Li Xin knows what's inside that Wreck."
"Yes, that female corpse indeed frightened me. By the way, Lao Ba, do you think Li Xin could be that person in black? But judging by the voice and figure of the person in black at that time, it doesn't match at all." I extinguished my cigarette and asked with doubt.
"Yes, that's definitely inconsistent. For now, we can only say there's a possibility, but we can't be sure. Remember that night when we were analyzing things? I asked you if you could confirm that the note was left by the person in black. You said you couldn't. Later, we also analyzed that there might be another person behind this. I've been pondering this during this time: were we really the only three people who went to the Wreck that night? Could there have been someone else? As the saying goes, while the mantis stalks its prey, the cicada is unaware of the oriole behind." Jiao Ba said sharply.
After thinking for a moment, I replied, "That makes sense. Perhaps there really was another person hiding in the shadows. But who could it be? Let's say that the person in black we encountered that night was Li Xin; then who could the other hidden person be? Could it be Mai Lao?"
Jiao Ba glanced at me and whispered in my ear, "I have a feeling it's Shunzi."
His words startled me; I looked at him with disbelief and whispered back, "Don't say such nonsense. How could it possibly be Shunzi?" After saying this, I glanced at the sleeping Shunzi again, fearing he might overhear our conversation.
Jiao Ba seemed to notice my concern; he pulled me aside and suggested we talk outside. We made our way to the deck where Jiao Ba's expression turned serious as he said, "Do you remember? When you and I returned that night, Shunzi wasn't in the Rest Cabin at all. But just when we were about to go look for him, he came back. Isn't that suspicious enough?"
"Oh come on, what's so strange about it? Shunzi said he went to the restroom; that's perfectly normal. It's just a coincidence." Although I said this out loud, I had already begun to suspect something about this incident; I just didn't want to doubt Shunzi and hadn't mentioned it to Jiao Ba before. But now it seemed he had already sensed it.
"There aren't that many coincidences! Why would he go at such a specific time? Think about it, Brother Yi: the person in black ran away first. Theoretically speaking, he shouldn't have returned to the ship after us; he should have gone back before us. But if there really was another person behind this, it's very likely they were closely following our movements. So this person would definitely return to the ship after us."
Jiao Ba's analysis was indeed thorough, but these thoughts weren't new to me either. "Even so," I countered, "we can't suspect Shunzi just because of this."
"Alright, let's assume he's normal. Do you remember when Shunzi asked you where you went? You said you went for a midnight swim in the sea. Who goes for a swim at that hour? Given Shunzi's personality, he should have asked you more questions, but he didn't. He just brushed it off and hurried to bed. What does that indicate? It suggests he has something to hide. Brother Yi, think about it; doesn't that make sense?" Jiao Bayi said darkly.
His observational skills and memory were indeed impressive; such a minor detail had stayed clear in his mind all this time. Setting aside Shunzi, even now, I could hardly recognize the carefree, smiling Jiao Ba from before.
"Brother Yi, say something," Jiao Ba nudged me when I remained silent.
I sighed and replied, "Lao Ba, you know I've known Shunzi for years. We're good friends; how could he possibly be involved?"
Jiao Ba sneered slightly, "Oh, Brother Yi, you're great in many ways, but sometimes you're too emotional. Do you really understand Shunzi's past? Do you know what he used to do? You only met him while working as sailors; can that really be considered knowing him well?"
I found it hard to counter his words; he was right. I didn't know much about Shunzi's past. "But I've known him for several years; I know his character well enough. He wouldn't do something like this." I felt a bit anxious inside. If it really was Shunzi, what should I do? What could I do?
"Brother Yi, set aside your relationship with Shunzi for now. But regarding this matter, you've had doubts about him too, right?" Jiao Ba tilted his head and squinted at me as if he could see into my heart.
"Shunzi has no reason to do this. Why would he? What benefit would it bring him?" I didn't directly answer Jiao Ba's question.
Jiao Ba chuckled coldly, "Heh, that's something we'll have to watch unfold slowly. Perhaps only he knows why."
"And what about you? What are your motives?" I fixed my gaze on him and spoke in a calm tone.
Jiao Ba patted my shoulder and said, "Brother Yi, you don't suspect me too, do you?"
"Haha, how could that be? Just joking around; no need to take it seriously. We've been brothers for years," I forced a smile and pretended it didn't matter.
"Don't worry; I wasn't taking it seriously either. Until everything is completely clarified, we should be cautious of everyone," Jiao Ba said this, but I knew deep down he didn't truly believe that.
"Alright, let's head back, Lao Ba. It's pretty cold here." I shrank my neck and turned to walk into the cabin.
The next morning, I woke up early. I had a restless night; after being tossed around by Shunzi and the others, it was already late. Just thinking about what I said to Jiao Ba last night made my heart feel heavy. Shunzi had been through thick and thin with me, and now Jiao Ba was doubting him. Could these matters really be connected to him?
I turned to glance at Shunzi, who was supposed to be sleeping beside me, but the bed next to mine was empty. Where did Shunzi go? I suddenly sat up straight. Jiao Ba and the other sailors were still sound asleep, so I hurriedly got out of bed and called out to Jiao Ba, "Lao Ba! Lao Ba! Wake up!"
Jiao Ba opened one eye reluctantly and said, "Shunzi left early. It's fine; he won't get lost."
"What the hell? How do you know that?" I was a bit surprised that he knew Shunzi had gone out.
Jiao Ba lazily replied, "I saw him. If there's nothing else, don't disturb me; I'm trying to sleep." With that, he closed his eyes again.
This guy was surprisingly sharp. Just as I was about to head out, the hatch swung open, and Shunzi walked in with a plate in hand. "Brother Yi, you're awake! Time for breakfast."
He placed the food on the table, and his complexion looked much better; he wasn't as pale anymore. "How are you feeling? Better?" I asked him with a smile.
Shunzi handed me chopsticks and nodded. "I'm fine now, Brother Yi. I might have just caught a cold. Li Xin even said I was possessed; he was so serious about it—what nonsense."
"Good to hear you're okay. Hurry up and eat before it gets cold." I didn't directly respond to his words; I felt like there was a distance between us now, as if a barrier had formed…
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