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墨書 Inktalez
The noise faded into silence, leaving nothing but an overwhelming stillness.
The audio ended here, but the computer screen remained dark. Suddenly, a map appeared, and a red dot began to blink incessantly.
"What does this mean?" Several technicians were puzzled.
However, Jiang He and Old Shao quickly grasped its significance: "Location!"
This location was on Dahuai Tree Street, an old street surrounded by demolition sites, where hardly anyone would be present at night. The intention of the murderer in luring the victim there was clear; this had to be the next target. Moreover, the coordinates seemed remarkably precise—something even the Technical Staff at the police station could not achieve.
Although Old Shao had many questions swirling in his mind, the matter at hand concerned a person's life or death, and he couldn't afford to dwell on them.
He hurriedly began assigning tasks: "You all stay here and notify the nearby precinct officers to rush to the scene and find out who was in contact with the murderer."
Then he turned to Jiang He and headed outside: "Captain Li, take some people with us to Dahuai Tree Street immediately."
"Understood," Captain Li replied.
In the car, Captain Li kept glancing at his watch. It would take at least two hours to get from the police station to Dahuai Tree Street. By then, the murderer would have already fled. He could only hope that the nearby precinct officers would manage to locate the suspect. At that moment, Captain Li wished fervently that the hour hand could turn back from "two" to "twelve."
If only that were possible, he could prevent a murder.
The hands pointed to twelve o'clock—two hours earlier—when the special investigation team and criminal police were still in the storage room examining the body.
Meanwhile, someone received a phone call.
Shih Wenshan was a student in Class 8 at Anxiang District Fourth Middle School. As someone who consistently ranked at the bottom of his class, he felt that his life was a failure. His poor academic performance stemmed from his lack of effort in studying, which left him with an inexplicable feeling that if he just tried harder, he could succeed.
However, Shih Wenshan found it difficult to justify his situation.
His dream was to become someone who attracted everyone's attention. To him, being the center of attention was a neutral term; he didn't aspire to impress others through academic achievements. Instead, he wanted to be like Zhuang Ziming, a notorious troublemaker.
Every time Shih Wenshan saw Zhuang Ziming nonchalantly reading his self-reflection in front of the entire school, he wished it were him standing on that stage. There was nothing wrong with being a troublemaker; teachers and students were afraid to provoke him, and even some girls would throw themselves at him. Wasn't that wonderful?
Thus, Shih Wenshan became a devoted fan of Zhuang Ziming, quietly learning from his every move.
Yet, the harsh lessons of life made Shih Wenshan understand that every profession required skill; being a troublemaker was not as easy as it seemed.
Zhuang Ziming often casually grabbed a classmate from the street and forced them to call him "Dad." Most people, intimidated by Zhuang Ziming's reputation, would relent.
So, Shih Wenshan began his own training.
But he wasn't brave enough to practice on high school classmates; he doubted he could take them on in a fight. Instead, Shih Wenshan decided to start with younger kids. He took an afternoon off from school and went to the entrance of an elementary school, waiting for the students to be dismissed.
When the bell rang, students poured out of the school like wild horses breaking free.
Shih Wenshan stood at a distance observing them, silently calculating in his mind:
No good, this one has parents picking them up. This one won't work either; that student is too tall and strong. This one seems to be part of a group...
As Shih Wenshan contemplated whether to target a female student, a frail-looking student appeared before him.
Without hesitation, Shih Wenshan approached him.
He grabbed the student's arm and, with an air of self-importance, said, "Call me Dad."
The student turned his head and replied, "What?"
Shih Wenshan coldly insisted, "Call me Dad, or I'll hit you."
When he returned home that night, Shih Wenshan's clothes were covered in footprints. After he handed over fifty yuan, the students finally stopped beating him and let him go.
For a long time, Shih Wenshan kept a low profile, but he continued to quietly observe how Zhuang Ziming flaunted himself. He believed that as long as he worked hard and studied diligently, he too could eventually pull off an impressive act.
Eventually, he crossed paths with Zhuang Ziming. After that incident concluded, Shih Wenshan worried for a while, but nothing happened. Gradually, he became more confident.
Feeling bold enough to trouble the students again, he decided to head to a specific place.
The driver refused to take Shih Wenshan to Dahuai Tree Street. The area was a wasteland due to demolition, and going there in the middle of the night didn’t seem like the act of a good person. After paying the fare, Shih Wenshan felt good; his aura was strong enough to intimidate adults.
He glanced at his watch; it was nearly two in the morning. However, he had plenty of time since he planned to spend the night at a classmate's house. He wasn't in a hurry.
Walking deeper into the dark old street, the brightly lit main road gradually faded away as if he had stepped into another world. Tall buildings lined both sides, each in disrepair with doors and windows wide open. Shih Wenshan gazed into the emptiness—dark voids where nothing could be seen.
He held an umbrella, listening to the sound of raindrops hitting it.
"Pat pat, pat pat."
The wooden house swayed in the wind, creaking softly as if whispering in Shih Wenshan's ear. Occasionally, a flash of lightning would split the sky, illuminating the surroundings for a brief moment before plunging everything back into darkness. The streetlights behind him appeared as distant points, barely visible, and Shih Wenshan felt completely enveloped by the night.
Old Huai Tree Street, as the name suggests, was named after a massive old locust tree. The government had been embroiled in a debate over whether to remove the Big Huai Tree, and planning documents had yet to be finalized. This desolate area had existed in limbo for some time. Under the lightning's glow, the Big Huai Tree loomed in the distance like a giant.
Its outstretched branches resembled extended arms, while its massive trunk looked like the belly of a giant. The numerous hollows in its bark appeared as if the giant's body were covered in eyes, creating an eerie sight.
Shih Wenshan and Song You had arranged to meet in a house to the right of the Big Huai Tree.
Shih Wenshan's footsteps grew slower; he felt like a child lost in the dark. Though only separated from the bustling metropolis by a street, he felt increasingly cold and fearful.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him from the dark corners.
This sense of being utterly alone was terrifying. He took out his phone and dialed Song You's number. "Song You? Where are you? I've been waiting here for a while; it's pitch black and scaring me to death. Did Zhuang Ziming give you what you needed? Hello, Song You?"
But there was no response.
Shih Wenshan wondered if it was due to poor reception from the rain. As he walked toward the house, he continued calling out Song You's name.
In no time, Shih Wenshan arrived at their agreed-upon location.
He closed the umbrella and stood in the dark room, continuing to call out Song You's name, but no one answered.
The wind howled around him, and rain poured down in torrents, yet the other party remained silent.
Shih Wenshan felt that something was off. He looked outside at the pitch-black surroundings and just wanted to leave this oppressive place as soon as possible.
Suddenly, Shih Wenshan felt as if something was watching him. It was a chilling sensation that made him uneasy all over. He slowly turned his head and saw a figure in a Red Skirt. He couldn't believe his eyes; he couldn't believe he was seeing her.
His phone fell to the ground as Shih Wenshan stared blankly at the figure. No, to be precise, it seemed like this was not a person.
The figure in red slowly approached him, and Shih Wenshan collapsed to the ground. "You... how could it be you? That incident has nothing to do with us. There are debts to be repaid by those who owe them! Don't come closer! Ghost! Don't come closer! I didn't mean to harm you! Go away! Help! Help!"
But Shih Wenshan's words did not stop the figure in red. In the darkness, all he could see was this ghostly woman with disheveled hair, dressed in a Red Skirt, covered in blood, gradually drawing nearer.
Shih Wenshan recalled many things in his mind. He knew he shouldn't have acted that way in the garage, but it was too late; everything was already beyond saving. He lay limp on the ground, devoid of any strength, unable even to escape. The ghost slowly approached him, her head coming very close to his.
A flash of lightning illuminated the surroundings, and Shih Wenshan clearly saw her face—pale and filled with rage.
It was all too late.
"It's too late," said the police officer to the newly arrived members of the special investigation team and Captain Li. "When we arrived at Big Huai Tree, this body was already here. There's no saving her now."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Old Shao asked, 'Aside from this body, were there any other discoveries?'
A Veteran Officer replied, 'After receiving the notification, the on-duty officers rushed over here. I was one of them. When we arrived, my colleague Zhao saw a shadow in red clothing flash across the street. However, I didn't see it myself, so I can't tell if he was mistaken or if I just didn't catch it clearly.'
'The shadow in red clothing?' Jiang He inquired.
Zhao confirmed, 'That's right. The street was too dark. When we drove over with our headlights on, I saw a figure in red flash past and then disappear.'
He pointed towards the northern entrance of Dahuai Tree Street.
'It could be the murderer,' Jiang He suggested.
But Zhao shook his head. 'It looked more like a red dress or something similar, floating by. It didn't seem like a person...'
'Not a person?'
Everyone's hearts raced at the thought."
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