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墨書 Inktalez
Perhaps this captured Madwoman was merely a distraction; in reality, there were two people executing this plan from the very beginning. An idea about this escape farce had formed in my mind, but I needed to examine this person's information. I took one last glance at the wires outside; the cut was sharp, and the wires were three meters high on the wall.
Looking down, I noticed a sharp knife embedded at an angle into the ground near the wall. I pulled the knife from the ground and examined it closely. There was a tiny bit of black rubber on the edge of the knife, which was the insulation layer of the Wire.
"Support me for a moment," I said to Gu Chen. "I want to take a look up there."
Gu Chen nodded, crouched down, and gestured for me to stand on his shoulders. I nodded in agreement and climbed up.
From this vantage point, I could observe the marks on the wall. It became apparent that there was a groove on the wall, with signs of something having scorched it.
"Did you find anything?" Gu Chen asked as I climbed down from his shoulders.
I brushed off the dust from his shoulders and replied, "A timing device. You know, many things like incense can be used for timing. When the incense burns out, the knife resting above will drop, cutting through the aged wires."
"So," Guan Zengbin looked up and said, "everything was premeditated."
I nodded and tucked the knife away. "That's right, and there's one more thing I realized."
"What is it?" Guan Zengbin asked.
I slowly said, "There must be only one person orchestrating this. If there were others involved, there would be no need to set up such a timing device. However, there's still one question."
I raised a finger and continued slowly, "That is how this woman managed to enter Area A; perhaps it was Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell."
When we returned to the Mental Ward, the Head Nurse was standing at the entrance directing security personnel to check each patient inside. If even one person managed to escape, we couldn't rule out the possibility of others doing so as well—especially those four on the third floor, particularly that old man.
If that old man got out, it could lead to serious consequences.
I asked, "Who exactly is the Madwoman? Was there such a person before?"
The Head Nurse shot me a disapproving glance and replied, "Of course there was. She was brought in a month ago, suffering from severe schizophrenia. She killed her own child, mistaking them for chicken, and made soup out of it. When she arrived, she was completely deranged, seeing everyone as someone who had harmed her child..."
I said, "I want to see this person's records."
The Head Nurse crossed her arms and squinted at me, saying, "Comrade Wu Meng, you shouldn't push your luck. The situation is chaotic enough as it is; we don't have the time to cater to you. Why aren't you back investigating your case instead of coming here?"
I turned to Guan Zengbin and asked, "Is there any news from Mary? Has the Third Story appeared?"
Guan Zengbin waved his phone and replied, "No, if there were any updates, Mary would notify us immediately. Moreover, based on the time intervals, the Third Story won't show up until at least this evening. We still have a few hours left, but we don't have a single clue about the Murderer..."
I shook my head and told Guan Zengbin, "After listening to that old man, I feel like I'm starting to understand the psychology of this Criminal."
At this point, I turned back to the Head Nurse and said, "Since we're both idle here, don't you think something is off? This woman went through great lengths to escape from the Mental Ward, yet she was caught before even leaving Area A. Don’t you find that suspicious?"
The Head Nurse glanced at me and then at the security personnel checking the Mental Ward for missing patients in the distance. With concern in her voice, she said, "Could there be a Traitor involved?"
I shrugged. "A Traitor seems unlikely. Who would collude with a mental patient? If a mental patient said to me, 'Let me out and I'll give you ten thousand bucks,' would you believe that? I doubt anyone in their right mind would. So she probably opened the door herself."
Then I shared my thoughts with the Head Nurse.
After hearing me out, the Head Nurse scratched her head and asked, "So what exactly are you trying to achieve?"
I didn't respond to her question but turned to Captain Shao. "Captain Shao, are you sure the person you caught is the same one?"
Captain Shao furrowed his brow, seemingly understanding my confusion, and asked, "What do you mean?"
I nodded, realizing that the person who ran out and the one who was brought in were likely not the same individual.
The Head Nurse then became aware of the issue and showed me the information on the Madwoman. According to the records, this Madwoman was in her thirties and appeared quite attractive in the photo. However, compared to the person I had encountered earlier, this woman seemed a bit plumper, indicating that she was definitely not the same as the one lying inside.
I glanced at the photo and turned to the Head Nurse, asking, "Are you sure there’s no mistake with this woman's information?"
After carefully reviewing the data, the Head Nurse affirmed, "That's right; it's this woman."
I pointed at the photo and said, "Don't you think this woman looks different from the one we saw in the Mental Ward?"
"Different?" The Head Nurse replied, "How could that be possible?"
With that, she stopped wasting time and headed directly to the second floor. She paused in front of the room where the recently captured Female Patient was held. Peering through the iron bars, we saw that the woman was tied up on the bed and struggling vigorously.
The Head Nurse observed for a long while before speaking again, "Yes, it's definitely her. How could it not be? Stop being so paranoid."
I pointed at the woman and said, "Earlier in the surveillance footage, this woman was asleep the entire time, which is why no one noticed anything unusual. You all failed to realize that this woman is not who she claims to be; someone is impersonating her."
I then asked, "Do patients in Area A get to go outside for fresh air?"
The Head Nurse nodded with an expression that suggested it was obvious. "Patients have rights too; they need fresh air and can't just stay locked up inside. Every morning, patients on the second floor are allowed out to use the restroom. You must have seen that they don’t have restrooms in their rooms."
"Why is that?" Gu Chen asked.
The Head Nurse pointed at the woman and said, "The people locked up on the second floor tend to be quite violent. There was an incident where someone stuffed their underwear into the toilet, causing a mess everywhere. So, we had to change the rules. Now, everyone lines up for the restroom every morning; it makes management easier..."
Her nonchalant tone belied the troubled expression on her face, indicating that there must have been some serious chaos back then.
"Was anyone watching while they were in the restroom?" I asked again.
"No!" the Head Nurse replied helplessly. "Everyone has their own... issues."
I could almost piece together what had happened during that time. A woman had infiltrated the building, incapacitating a female patient who had gone out to use the restroom with some sort of sedative. Then she donned the patient’s clothing and returned to the Mental Ward after the outdoor time ended.
Upon entering the Mental Ward, this woman had set up a timed device at the surveillance line. After she got inside, she kept marking vertical lines on the wall to synchronize with the timer outside.
Once the circuit was cut, she would begin her escape.
Clearly, this woman had a purpose for coming in; it wasn’t just to enter and exit.
Analyzing this situation, there was only one possibility for her presence in this psychiatric hospital: she wanted to meet someone inside. The first person that came to my mind was that old man on the third floor.
Someone was looking for that old man.
Was our encounter a coincidence or intentional?
Just as we pondered this matter, I received a call from Mary on my phone.
It was already evening.
I understood that the Third Story should have appeared.
"Mary," I asked.
Mary replied, "Wu Meng, what are you all doing? Liu has found a lead."
"Isn't the Third Story appearing?" I was somewhat surprised.
Mary said, "No, the Third Story hasn't appeared yet. Li has found that man, and Liu has obtained some useful information from him."
I nodded and said to everyone, "Liu has found a lead; let's head back."
Gu Chen frowned and said, "What could Liu have found that concerns us? I suspect he needs us to solve something for him. Let's wait and see."
I didn't comment on that; I simply said, "Let's go back and see what happened. Head Nurse, I advise you to investigate this matter thoroughly; it might not be as simple as it seems. Especially concerning that old man on the third floor; I'm afraid this matter is related to him."
The Head Nurse waved her hand dismissively and said, "Nothing happened while you were gone. Every time you come back, there's bound to be trouble. You should focus on your case and leave the matters here to me. I know more about that old man than you do."
I smiled lightly and said nothing.
As I exited Area A, I noticed the brand-new buildings outside, which made everything feel refreshing. Just as I was about to turn a corner, a woman came around it and nearly bumped into me.
She didn't apologize and walked straight past me. I glanced at her back and felt an odd sense of familiarity.
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