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墨書 Inktalez
"This hospital doesn't look very legitimate," I said as I caught up with the two ahead of me. "I can't believe they allow smoking inside; it really has that Mafia vibe." Zhao Mingkun glanced at me, then at the Italian Handsome Guy, and replied, "Would I bring you here otherwise? There are rules, but not too many. You get it?"
As we exited the hospital, a bodyguard approached and handed a car key to Zhao Mingkun without saying a word before walking away. It seemed the car had been prepared in advance; these people shared a common trait: they always planned ahead. Considering all possible worst-case scenarios was the only way to ensure survival.
We then went to a restaurant and had Italian pasta. To be honest, it wasn't as delicious as I had imagined. As a member of one of the world's culinary powerhouses, I was quite picky about flavors. Back in the car, Poplar, sitting in the driver's seat, asked, "Where to now?"
Zhao Mingkun smiled lightly and raised an eyebrow. "Back."
The car stopped in front of our rented house. Just as I was about to get out, Zhao Mingkun pulled me back. My brow furrowed; I was about to ask what was going on when I saw Zhao Mingkun's gun pressed against Poplar's head. Poplar immediately raised his hands and quietly asked, "Queen, what do you mean by this?"
"What do I mean?" Zhao Mingkun seemed to find it amusing, unable to suppress a laugh. "That’s a question you should be asking yourself."
Poplar remained still, the atmosphere tense. From Zhao Mingkun's demeanor, it was clear he wasn't just putting on a show; if Poplar slipped up even slightly in his response, Zhao Mingkun would blow his brains out. It seemed Poplar understood this too and raised his hands immediately. After a moment of contemplation, I realized Zhao Mingkun was seeking an explanation for today's events. While I understood this internally, I couldn't show it outwardly. In this organization, being smart could sometimes be a disadvantage—especially when you displayed that intelligence openly. Feng Tang Song, who suffered from multiple personalities, once told me that fools might enjoy playing with other fools, but smart people often couldn't tolerate having someone equally clever around them.
Poplar forced a smile and whispered, "What do you mean?"
"Interesting, very interesting," Zhao Mingkun chambered a round and placed his finger on the trigger, slowly applying pressure. At that moment, I could almost hear everyone's heartbeats echoing in the confined space of the car. Zhao Mingkun continued, "So tell me how they found us."
"I have some leads; it's the fastest information available," Zhao Mingkun said while still aiming at Poplar. "They found us just one second after we appeared; that means someone tipped them off. Who could that person be? Me? Him? Or you?"
Poplar took a deep breath and looked at both of us through the rearview mirror before slowly saying, "If it wasn't you or this newcomer, then it wouldn't be me either. We went there as four people; there's no rule saying that informants won't get killed by the other side. Of course, I don't think that way."
I gently placed my hand on Zhao Mingkun's arm, signaling her to lower the gun first. Although she didn't comply fully, her finger slipped off the trigger—an indication she was willing to ease up a bit. Realizing this was already a concession on her part, I said to Zhao Mingkun, "I know you have the fastest information network, but the other team isn't exactly weak either. If they were that incompetent, why would they be sent to participate in the competition?"
A brief silence followed. Finally, Zhao Mingkun lowered her gun and engaged the safety mechanism. "Maybe I'm being paranoid," she said, "but if I get evidence of betrayal, death is the kindest gift for some people—and I'm not known for my mercy."
With that, Zhao Mingkun exited the car first, leaving me alone with a serious-looking Poplar. I patted Poplar on the shoulder; anyone in such a situation would likely wear a grim expression. When Poplar turned to me with a smile, he said, "Paranoia increases as you climb higher in this world. Trust no one; however, it seems she has taken quite a liking to you."
I shook my head without replying and walked into the house.
Pushing the door open, I saw someone whispering something into Zhao Mingkun's ear. They were clearly discussing something secretive again. Ever since we set foot in this place, it had been shrouded in mystery every day. Then I heard Zhao Mingkun say, "Good. Remember, whatever you do, keep a low profile, understand?"
"Got it!" The person said as they brushed past me and exited the room.
I shrugged and casually picked up an apple from the table, taking a bite as I said, "What grand conspiracy are you planning now? Murder and arson, or maybe robbery?"
Zhao Mingkun lightly stroked his arm and replied, "Murder and arson—robbery too!"
"This is the first time I've met such a straightforward villain," I remarked. "You admit it so openly; if I ever catch you, don't cry foul."
"That's why we won't give you a chance to go back," Zhao Mingkun winked at me. "Since you're going to be a bad guy, you might as well embrace it fully. There are always people in this world who can't be called good but still act like bad guys without clarity—it's too hypocritical."
I shook my head and said, "You're mistaken. Good and evil can sometimes hinge on a moment's decision. In one thought, you might be a good person; in another, you could commit a crime. If the world only had black and white, everything would be much simpler. But often, we are part good and part evil; where is the clear line between them?"
Indeed, how can crime in this world be so easily defined? We often hear people say someone is a good person who turned to crime out of desperation, while others claim that someone's death benefits everyone—that they deserved to die long ago. So who is truly good, and who is truly bad?
Right and wrong, good and evil have never been opposites; they are intertwined and blended together.
"So what do you think?" Zhao Mingkun asked as he hopped up and plopped down on the table. "According to your theory, am I a good person or a bad person?"
I chuckled and replied, "If you're willing to confess and reveal what your organization is up to, then I'll let you be considered a good person. How does that sound?"
"Haha!" Upon hearing my words, Zhao Mingkun laughed heartily and said, "Then I should thank you! But in this world, I want to be many things—just not a good person. Sorry, but does being a good person lead anywhere? I won't do it; you can continue being your good person."
Just then, Zhao Mingkun's phone rang with a text message. He glanced at it before turning to me and the silently observing Poplar. "I've received news that someone has discovered a new body. This body was found in the sea; by the time it was discovered, it had already started to decompose. However, they found a large letter 'I' on the body; they've sent over photos."
As he spoke, Zhao Mingkun handed me the photos to look at. The body appeared to have been submerged for quite some time; its limbs were swollen like a giant sponge with pockmarks all over as if some animal had gnawed at it—clearly dead for several days.
Zhao Mingkun continued, "This is a newly discovered body; we can't yet determine if it's related to our case. Although the wounds on the back look like they were made by a dagger, we can't confirm it's related to the letter since that 'I' could just be a scratch made by something."
I carefully examined the disfigured corpse, which had been submerged in water for too long. It was impossible to discern its previous appearance or even its height and build. After a moment of thought, I said to Zhao Mingkun, "This island we are on isn't very large; it's comparable to a small town in our country. In a place like this, we don't encounter many bodies every day. From now on, I want to see photos of every corpse!"
"Can you manage that?" I asked seriously. "On average, an English word has about five letters. Excluding this unidentifiable body, we already have four letters. If there are more dead bodies, it won't exceed three at most."
Zhao Mingkun nodded and continued my thought, "What you mean is that as long as we can get a complete set of words before the other side does, we can find the Killer first. Don't worry; as soon as someone discovers a body and calls the police, I'll be the first to know. We will definitely be faster than them."
I shrugged and said, "By the way, check the identity of this corpse. If that counts as one letter, we should be able to gather some information from this person's social connections."
Zhao Mingkun nodded and replied, "You can rest assured about that. However, this person has been bloated by seawater; finding their identity won't be a quick task and may take several days. Otherwise, someone would have reported them missing by now..."
At that moment, I noticed Poplar standing aside, not listening to our conversation and seemingly lost in thought. I had observed earlier outside the operating room that Poplar was definitely not a blindly loyal person. He had his own methods and principles; he was undoubtedly clever.
Despite his unremarkable appearance, Poplar had come through these encounters unscathed. The sharpshooter Yang Yang had died, and Jia Xinyuan hadn't even had the chance to showcase his talents before meeting his end. Yet here was Three Fingers, still alive and well.
Zhao Mingkun glanced at me and then at Three Fingers without saying anything but smiled sweetly.
On my first trip out to sea with the ship, I encountered the renowned Bengal Aid Worker. Young and impulsive, but too poor to really make a move until the First Mate told me that a bag of instant noodles could buy me a night with a group of women...
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