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墨書 Inktalez
I caught a glimpse of Zhao Mingkun's fingers as she slowly squeezed the trigger.
"Look," Zhao Mingkun's cold voice whispered in my ear, "this is the back of the mental hospital. There are no cameras in this alley. Do you know what lies beyond? It's what they call Mental Hospital Area A. It houses individuals who pose a significant threat to society, people who could take a life at any moment."
I had no words, only staring at Zhao Mingkun.
"I'll tell you a story," Zhao Mingkun said with a smile, revealing a few white teeth. "The zoo built a shelter for the kangaroos. At first, the fence was three meters high, but soon enough, the kangaroos escaped. So they raised the fence to five meters, yet again, the kangaroos got out. Frustrated, they constructed a twenty-meter fence, but still, the kangaroos managed to escape."
Zhao Mingkun seemed amused by her own joke and continued with a grin, "So guess what happened next?"
I shook my head.
"The kangaroos started discussing: 'Do you think they'll raise the fence again?'" Zhao Mingkun pinched my chin and added, "One kangaroo replied: 'Only if they remember to close the gate.'"
Zhao Mingkun pointed at the wall. "Look at this wall; it's over ten meters high, topped with an Electric Fence. Ordinary people can't get in here at all. But there are always multiple paths to choose from in this world; this is Old Town District. Beneath our feet lies land without any protection; it would be easy to dig a way in."
I glanced down; the ground was still dirt, not even paved with bricks. This place was dark under the light; hardly anyone would think of doing anything here. If someone were to dig a tunnel into this area, it wouldn't be impossible.
I said expressionlessly, "It seems no one has thought of that."
Zhao Mingkun nodded. "Exactly."
"So why are you pretending to be that mental patient?" I looked at Zhao Mingkun and voiced my thoughts. "Once you enter Area A, you still need to get into the Mental Ward, which has only one main entrance guarded by someone. You have to impersonate a mental patient; you've chosen one who killed her child, haven't you?"
I continued, "If I'm not mistaken, you're going in to find someone—the person at the very back on the third floor."
Zhao Mingkun touched her head and replied, "That's right."
"What do you want?" I asked, my tone heavy and my voice slightly hoarse. "You clearly know that Captain Shao is in Dongxing City, so why are you here stirring up trouble?"
Zhao Mingkun's previously cheerful expression suddenly turned icy. "Dongxing City is a big place. Sometimes I don't want to run into you all, but there's no choice. I can only tell you that I'm looking for the old man just to find someone, and this person is a bit terrifying."
"You have someone you're afraid of?" I raised an eyebrow. "Who is it?"
Zhao Mingkun didn't answer. Instead, she chuckled softly, brushing her fingers against my face before slowly saying, "I didn't expect you to care about me so much. But that won't stop me from taking action. When it comes to doing things, one must be ruthless. This place has no surveillance; after a gunshot rings out, you'll be on the ground."
I cut straight to the point. "Is that so? Compared to that, I think you care about me more. When I entered the room, you were actually on the other side of the third floor. When you saw my colleague frantically banging on the door, knowing that I must have been hypnotized by that old man inside, you hurriedly pressed the alarm."
I looked into Zhao Mingkun's eyes without flinching. "So if it weren't for you, I'd probably be in serious trouble. Besides, you've never loaded bullets into your gun."
"Want to try?" Zhao Mingkun maintained her nonchalant demeanor.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the handgun and pulled the trigger. The sound of a firing pin striking empty echoed; nothing happened.
"If I could guess the ending every time, it wouldn't be fun," Zhao Mingkun said with a resigned expression as she tucked the gun back into her waistband. "That's why I dislike dealing with smart people like you and your Captain Shao; you're all the same."
"Is that so?" I asked.
Zhao Mingkun pulled out a lady's cigarette from her pocket and lit it, offering one to me.
I waved my hand, indicating that I didn't smoke lady's cigarettes.
She smiled and said, "On the second floor, when your so-called wife was talking, I recognized her voice immediately. In an instant, I knew your identities. You two aren't some grave robber couple; you're clearly undercover agents. What I don't understand is why you let me go back then when you had the chance to capture me in Linfen."
I didn't know how to answer that question. I couldn't just pretend that I felt a connection with this woman in front of me; we were of the same kind. That would only lead others to think of me as a fool without any benefit at all.
"I seem to do things without any particular reason," I said.
Zhao Mingkun nodded and replied, "Well, since that's the case, you let me go last time, and I saved you this time. We're even now. Next time we meet, I won't let you off so easily, Officer. Of course, you can choose to arrest me now, provided you can catch me."
"You wrote the note, so it's definitely you," I said. "If I were to catch you, you'd probably already be in custody."
Zhao Mingkun suddenly fell silent. After a moment, she coldly remarked, "But I advise you to keep your distance from me; being involved with me brings no good luck."
I asked, "Do we have some kind of connection?"
"What?" Zhao Mingkun looked at me.
"I just feel an inexplicable sense of familiarity between us," I said seriously. "I noticed it back in Linfen; otherwise, I wouldn't have let you go."
Zhao Mingkun burst into laughter, almost to the point of tears. She said, "Brother, you’re not actually falling for me, are you?"
I didn’t answer but pressed on, "Zhao Mingkun, do you know something about me? Since returning from Linfen, I've been pondering this question. Your tone and manner seem somewhat ambiguous. Captain Shao is Shi Huacheng's adopted daughter, so you've always lived in Yuzhou City, which isn't far from Qingcheng."
Zhao Mingkun stopped laughing and said, "Your imagination is quite rich. Back in Linfen, it was just for fun; it had nothing to do with who you are. And I'll warn you again: you'd better not get involved in my matters with Shao Shilin; otherwise, you'll definitely regret it."
"Regret?" I replied. "Regret comes after things happen; curiosity is a feeling that comes before regret."
After a pause, I continued, "Back in Linfen, you were looking for Lai San but couldn't meet him due to a case. This time you're here; it must be to find that person again."
Zhao Mingkun said, "No, it's even crazier than looking for Lai San."
Suddenly, the image of the masked young man flashed through my mind—the one who called himself Wu Zui—the one who had bested me twice in our encounters.
Thinking of this, I slowly spoke, "That person wearing the mask, is he called Wu Zui?"
Upon hearing the name, Zhao Mingkun's expression changed noticeably. She asked, "Have you already met this person?"
I nodded and replied, "He got away from me."
Zhao Mingkun's expression turned serious as she quickly said, "I still stand by what I said; this place is not suitable for you."
I inquired, "Are you looking for that old man just to find Wu Zui?"
Zhao Mingkun looked at me intently for a long time before finally saying, "That's right. It seems you are not aware. Before Wu Zui put on the mask, he studied psychology and criminology with that old man. In other words, the old man is Wu Zui's mentor."
I couldn't believe that this old man was actually Wu Zui's mentor. No wonder Head Nurse was such a dangerous figure. Yet, even we in the police force were unaware of this; how did Zhao Mingkun know? What else did she understand about Wu Zui? Why was she searching for him?
"You seem to know a lot," I said to Zhao Mingkun. "How about we collaborate?"
"Collaborate?" Zhao Mingkun looked at me in confusion.
I nodded earnestly and said, "I want to work with you on a personal basis. You know my identity; I can be of great help to you."
"What do I need to do?" Zhao Mingkun seemed intrigued by my proposal.
I replied, "Help me investigate a case, look into my background, and investigate Wu Zui."
"You have quite a few requests," Zhao Mingkun said while playing with a lighter in her hand.
I nodded and tilted my head slightly to the side. "But it's worth it."
Zhao Mingkun nodded, wanting to say something to me, but the words lingered on his lips before he swallowed them back down. Finally, he said, "I can agree to this condition, but if you have any news about Wu Zui, you must tell me. How does that sound?"
"Deal," I replied.
"Talking to a smart person isn't too bad," Zhao Mingkun said, lightly touching my face. "If I get any news, I'll naturally contact you. Don't worry; I'll come to bother you from time to time, haha!"
I said, "Since that's the case, I have a case that needs your help."
"You're asking for my help so soon?" Zhao Mingkun crossed his arms.
I replied earnestly, "I need you to investigate something for me."
"What is it?" Zhao Mingkun asked.
I handed him a note and said, "I wrote this in the car earlier; take a look and observe the surroundings while you're at it."
"Cunning," Zhao Mingkun remarked as he took the note.
I clasped my hands together in a gesture of mutual respect.
As Zhao Mingkun walked away, he turned back with a look of disdain and said, "Sometimes I feel like people like us really wouldn't be missed if we were gone."
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