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墨書 Inktalez
A few people were dozing off at the City Bureau until around five in the morning, when news finally came from Captain Liu. Through a joint investigation with the criminal police of Yuzhou City, Captain Liu had finally pieced together the origins of this batch of dogs. The investigation revealed that these dogs had been purchased through official channels at the dog market in Yuzhou City.
The name of the buyer, however, left everyone stunned.
"Are you saying that the person who bought those dogs is Zhang Zong?" Old Shao looked at the name on the document, genuinely surprised.
"Yes," Captain Liu nodded. "That's what the Yuzhou City police found out. All the paperwork is in order, but the owner was dressed entirely in black, wearing a black hat and mask, so his face wasn't clearly visible. However, they didn't raise any suspicions; many people dress like that in winter."
"Sounds like a Criminal Consultant's style," Shao the Elder remarked. "What about the timing?"
"It was shortly after that video was leaked," Captain Liu replied. "Around seven or eight o'clock."
"Seven or eight o'clock," Old Shao mused, stroking his chin.
"According to several vendors at the dog market, this man in black picked out quite a few dogs," Captain Liu said as he sat down and took a couple of sips from the hot tea Old Shao had prepared for him. "He selected a number of large, robust adult dogs."
"Adult dogs?" Jiang He asked.
Captain Liu nodded. "The vendors at the market found this puzzling as well. From a market perspective, newborn puppies are the easiest to sell. When dogs first come into this world, they are the cutest and most likely to bond with their owners. After all, people want a blank slate rather than a dog that's already seen some life."
Xu Yiman suddenly laughed and said, "Buying newborn puppies and taking them away from their mothers only for them to see humans as soon as they open their eyes—only to be abandoned later for various reasons."
Captain Liu sighed. "Pets are merely playthings for humans. While humans domesticate pets, pets also rely on humans. Compared to wild animals, at least these domesticated ones have food and shelter during their years with us; it's somewhat of a mutual choice. However, adult dogs are indeed less desirable, so those vendors sold nearly all their adult dogs to that man—over twenty in total."
"By the way, there's one more thing," Captain Liu continued. "We've already contacted Zhang Zong's wife. After being bitten by a dog, Zhang Xixi stayed in the hospital for a week for observation and then went directly to her family's home. Aside from her hospital stay, Zhang Zong accompanied both of them; after they were discharged, he didn't return to her family but instead has been living alone in Peony District. It's been quite some time since anyone has heard from him."
"Zhang Zong really has gone missing," Old Shao slammed his hand on the table. "It's basically confirmed that he must have been taken by the Criminal Consultant. The Criminal Consultant must have some ulterior motive for wanting those dogs. Captain Liu, with over twenty dogs confined together as such a large target, haven't we found anything yet?"
Captain Liu shook his head. "It's hard to find them; those dogs have likely been muzzled and can't make any noise. Otherwise, how could over twenty dogs be silent when gathered together?"
"This place must be far from the city center," Jiang He suddenly spoke up. "After that dog transport vehicle entered Jing'an District, it vanished from surveillance footage. But it's not easy for a Criminal Consultant to switch vehicles midway; moving twenty dogs isn't a simple task—he must have hidden even the vehicle."
"In the underground garage, an abandoned space served as the best hiding place for these dogs." Jiang He slammed his hand on the table.
Old Shao paused, his hand stilling on the teacup. Suddenly, he stood up and addressed everyone, "Do you remember in the last case how we struggled to find Li Erdan? In the end, we discovered he was hiding in an underground garage turned casino. After it was shut down by the police, that underground casino became just another abandoned garage."
"The Criminal Consultant knows about Li Erdan, so naturally, they would know about that underground parking lot. We need to send officers from the nearby precinct to check it out immediately," Old Shao said seriously.
Captain Liu finished his tea in one gulp. "I'll take care of it right away, but it's just past midnight. They might all be home sleeping. I'll contact them quickly."
Before Captain Liu could step out the door, his phone rang with a WeChat notification. Soon after, several other phones chimed as well.
"This isn't good," Old Shao said. "We need to act immediately."
Xu Yiman pulled out her phone; she had also received the WeChat message. It was from the Criminal Consultant, following the same pattern as before:
In a darkened background, a mask that nearly blended into the shadows appeared on screen, accompanied by a tone that seemed indifferent to everything: "Hello friends, we are old acquaintances now. Previously, we held a vote where the result was that Wang Yedan needed to die, and you all saw what happened."
"This time, we're voting again." A face marred by blood and tears appeared like a black hole, seemingly ready to consume everything: "You should all have seen a video from half a month ago where Zhang Zong brutally killed a pet dog in front of its owner in Peony District, causing the owner to faint from grief."
"Same rules apply: Should Zhang Zong die?" The Criminal Consultant's voice was languid. "You can reply 'yes,' 'no,' or choose not to participate. I will tally all results by seven o'clock this morning. Zhang Zong's fate lies in your hands; remember to delete your response afterward—no one will know your choice or who received this WeChat video."
"It's time to act."
The video ended.
Jiang He glanced at his phone. "It's already six o'clock; we only have one hour left."
"At this hour, those who need to go to work or school should be getting up," Old Shao remarked. "Many will participate in this vote, but we all know that the specific results won't be disclosed. No one will know how many chose death; I only know one thing: from the very beginning, the Criminal Consultant never intended for these people to live."
"Guan Deng, how far is it to that underground casino? What's the fastest time we can get there?" Old Shao asked.
Guan Deng raised a finger, marking the hour.
The winter morning arrived late; the sun had yet to rise at six o'clock in this northern city. Two vehicles sped down the already bustling road, their sirens piercing the silence of the dark.
"Have the officers from the precinct arrived?" Old Shao asked Captain Liu.
Captain Liu shook his head. "Like us, they need time..."
"Time is Zhang Zong's life," Old Shao sighed. "I hope we haven't bet wrong."
Zhang Zong regained consciousness, rubbing his head as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He remembered brushing past a figure clad in black just moments before, and now he found himself enveloped in darkness. Slowly, he stood up, feeling the vast emptiness beneath him; he sensed that this place was undoubtedly large.
A wave of fear washed over him as he touched his body and realized he was completely naked.
"What on earth happened?" Zhang Zong looked at himself, terror creeping into his heart.
His clothes were gone, along with his wallet and phone.
"Could I have been robbed?" Zhang Zong thought to himself.
The room was pitch black, devoid of any light. Unfamiliar with his surroundings, he hesitated to move quickly. He heard faint sounds coming from a distance but couldn't make them out clearly. Following the noise, he felt his stomach rumble; Zhang Zong was puzzled—he distinctly remembered having a large bowl of knife-cut noodles not long ago. Why was he hungry now?
As he rubbed his belly, he continued toward the source of the sound. His immediate concern was to understand where he was and how to escape. He listened intently to the distant noises as he moved forward, wondering what had happened and how his daughter and wife were faring.
He stumbled upon a door and felt a surge of hope; without hesitation, he pulled it open with all his strength.
Behind the door lay more darkness, but unlike before, Zhang Zong could sense something lurking within it.
He dared not move until two green lights suddenly flickered in the pitch-black ahead. Then there were four, six, eight—until his vision was filled with a dense array of green dots.
The sound of heavy breathing came from in front of him, and those previous noises had originated from this very spot.
"What... what is that?" Zhang Zong muttered as he stepped back.
At that moment, things in the room surged forward like arrows released from a bow, knocking Zhang Zong to the ground. A foul stench emanated from these creatures, and Zhang Zong felt as if he were being torn apart. He heard the barking of dogs: "Woof woof woof."
Zhang Zong struggled desperately, but in the darkness, it seemed there were more and more dogs. He finally understood why he was without clothes.
More and more dogs pounced on Zhang Zong, and suddenly he recalled the dog he had skinned; perhaps today, he would be devoured alive by these very dogs. He gave up struggling, feeling utterly hopeless. If given another chance, he would still do these things for his daughter.
"Just ahead," several people got out of the car. Yuan Jun hurriedly said, "Captain Liu, make sure you have the tools; that entrance might be locked again."
"Did you hear that?" Jiang He suddenly stopped and said decisively, "Dog barking."
The group exchanged glances, and Old Shao shouted, "You all go now!"
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