Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
A few people nodded, placing the two bodies together before dousing them in gasoline. With a flick of a match, flames erupted, releasing a foul odor of charred protein mixed with burning fabric. The stench was unbearable. In no time, the two corpses were reduced to charred remains.
In truth, there is a significant difference between being burned after death and being burned alive, but I doubt the members of the Union would nitpick over such details. What the Mafia Federation wanted was simple: results, not processes. Zhao Mingkun watched as small flames flickered from the bodies and said calmly, "I've already notified the Union. They'll be here shortly to confirm whether they've captured the Killer. The next act is yours to perform."
Several Mafia members nodded and dumped the body from the burlap sack onto the ground. One of them turned to Zhao Mingkun and said, "It’s been a pleasure collaborating with you this time. Once the Game Process concludes and we get what we want, we’ll quickly provide you with what you desire as well. Money is not an issue for us."
For such a Mafia group, money truly wasn't a problem. It seemed that Zhao Mingkun had indeed struck a deal with one faction of the Mafia, and the task assigned to him by his organization was now complete. His methods were surprisingly effective yet skillful.
To achieve his goals, Zhao Mingkun advanced while retreating; although he lost the competition, he secured a higher-level victory, creating a win-win situation that left his opponents with no way to refuse. Despite his youth, his cunning was profound, which explained why the organization entrusted such an important position to someone so young—his abilities matched his status.
We got into the car; it should have been five of us here, but due to deaths caused by others and our own people, only Zhao Mingkun and I remained from those who had participated in the game. Zhao Mingkun lit a cigarette in the car and offered me one. I accepted it without hesitation and lit it up.
The car quickly filled with smoke as I relaxed my body and mind, staring straight ahead without looking at Zhao Mingkun. "Zhao Mingkun," I said, "we've spent quite some time together now—from Jing City until now, it's been almost a month. Yet I still can't see through you. You can be ruthless, lively, and cunning all at once. So tell me, which one is the real you?"
Zhao Mingkun turned to look at me with a meaningful smile and replied, "Which one is the real me? I don't know either. There's an advertisement that says it well: 'Women have many sides,' haha. Who in this world has only one side? One side for their parents, another for friends, yet another for lovers—no one has just one side."
He was right; no one has just one side. The way others present themselves before you is merely how they wish to be seen. The longer I stayed in this line of work and encountered more people and experiences, the less I understood human nature; after all, understanding people's hearts is perhaps the most challenging thing in this world.
After taking another drag from my cigarette, I said to Zhao Mingkun, "Regardless of everything else, I suppose I've completed my mission? Shouldn't you fulfill your promise to me now?"
Zhao Mingkun flashed a charming smile, resting his hand on my shoulder as he teasingly asked, "What promise? Is it worth a moment's gold or millions in gold?"
I shrugged and replied seriously, "You know what I'm referring to. If it weren't for that matter, I wouldn't have come here with you at all. So tell me—back then you mentioned finding clues about Captain Shi's disappearance; can you share that information with me now? Don’t tell me your organization doesn’t keep its word; I’d like to think this isn’t something trivial enough to deceive me."
Zhao Mingkun nodded and said, "The organization has gone to great lengths to win you over; naturally, we wouldn’t lie about your concerns. Over three years ago in Binhai City, there was a vicious serial murder case that led to the establishment of a special task force made up of three teams selected from outstanding police officers nationwide. However, only your team managed to track down the Killer—am I right?"
I nodded; it seemed Zhao Mingkun had paid close attention to our investigation.
Zhao Mingkun continued, "However, during the pursuit of the Killer, the three of you got separated. Captain Shi and Wang Gang were responsible for tracking one Killer, while you were tracking another. In the midst of this, when he attempted to escape, you shot him. But since he was an accomplice and there wasn't enough evidence, you were sentenced to a year in prison. Am I right?"
I nodded again.
"What I’m about to say next is crucial," Zhao Mingkun said to me. "Captain Shi and Wang Gang tracked the main suspect to the seaside. Binhai City is surrounded by water on three sides; to leave the city, one must cross a large bridge. However, neither Captain Shi nor Wang Gang nor that Killer ever left the bridge, which is key."
"So how did they leave then?" Zhao Mingkun tossed his cigarette butt out of the car window. "After our investigation, we found that a fishing boat departed at that time. However, midway through its journey, it was intercepted—not by the police, but in a collision with a speedboat. At that moment, there was no one around, so no one paid attention to this minor detail."
I frowned and asked, "Are you suggesting they swam away? That seems unlikely; no matter how fit they are, swimming across open sea is impossible."
Zhao Mingkun stretched lazily in the car and replied, "You mentioned before that once all possibilities are eliminated, whatever remains—no matter how improbable—is the truth. After such a long investigation without any clear answers suggests that this conclusion is closest to the truth. While it's impossible for someone to swim across the vast sea, what if something was waiting for them in the water?"
"Are you implying that the Killer had prepared an escape route?" I furrowed my brow and said to Zhao Mingkun. "If the Killer had a backup plan or accomplices, then after committing the crime, he wouldn't have used the bridge but would have chosen to escape through the sea. If Captain Shi and Wang Gang followed this lead closely, they might have been intercepted by the Killer..."
I didn’t finish my thought, but it was likely true. If they had gone far enough and if the Killer had tied stones to them, then in the vast ocean, it would be impossible to find any trace of them. Thinking of this made my heart feel heavy.
Zhao Mingkun shook his head and said, "But we found traces of Captain Shi and Wang Gang in another city. As we mentioned before, the organization has been monitoring you for a long time. After Captain Shi went missing, you became the person they most wanted to recruit as his apprentice."
"What city? Which city?" I asked hurriedly.
Zhao Mingkun replied, "Not in China—it's in America. We discovered a token belonging to Captain Shi there: a necklace made by his daughter. You should know about this necklace; it’s made from small stones and has Captain Shi's name engraved on it."
I was indeed familiar with that necklace; I had made it together with Captain Shi's daughter, Little Stone. At that time, Captain Shi was too busy, so we often played with Little Stone together. The engraving on that stone was done by me. Little Stone was only three years old back then; now she should be six.
There were many puzzling aspects to this case: the disappearances of the Killer, Captain Shi, and Wang Gang were just one part of it; even after all these years, there were still no leads or bodies found. Secondly, after Captain Shi went missing, both his wife and daughter also disappeared without a trace. We investigated for a long time but found no clues at all—it was truly perplexing.
Wang Gang had never married; his parents had passed away early on as well. So he had no idea whether Captain Shi's family's disappearance was related to this case or not—it was quite troubling.
I said to Zhao Mingkun, "Are you saying that you found this Necklace in the United States? Did you investigate whether it was brought over by the Killer or by Captain Shi?"
As I spoke, Zhao Mingkun seemed to recall something. She pulled a small package from her coat pocket and then took out an object from it—a small, round stone that had been deliberately polished. On this stone, someone had carved a character with a small knife; it was the character "Chen," which is the last character of Captain Shi's name.
I immediately took the stone and opened my palm to examine it. This was indeed the same stone I had carved three years ago. It felt light in my hand, but my heart felt heavy. Since the moment Captain Shi went missing, I had never given up on searching for him. However, there had been no news for three long years. Seeing this stone again now stirred countless emotions within me.
If Zhao Mingkun hadn’t been sitting next to me, I would have really wanted to cry. Some things are not about seeing hope and then persisting; rather, it is because we persist that we can see hope. I placed the carved stone into my incense pouch and then said to Zhao Mingkun, "Since it was found in the United States, following this lead, your organization is so capable; you should be able to find him, right?"
Zhao Mingkun smiled and replied, "Although we found the stone, we still haven't located the person. However, if you can reach a position like mine, you will have access to many resources within the organization. At that point, your chances of finding him will be much greater than they are now!"
I took a few deep breaths and said to Zhao Mingkun, "This is called equivalent exchange. I complete the tasks assigned to me by you, and you provide me with information; that's only natural. As for matters within the organization, it may take me a long time to reach your level. Have you been following any unspoken rules?"
"Unspoken rules?" Zhao Mingkun laughed heartily and said, "If I don't follow unspoken rules myself, it's already a miracle; who would follow unspoken rules with me? But with your potential, you'll surpass me in no time if you go bad. You could take my position in just a moment! Your High Intelligence isn’t being used in the right place."
I shook my head helplessly.
The Village Doctor sought out the Beautiful Widow Nurse late at night while drunk. Hearing strange sounds and soft moans from inside the room, he kicked open the door only to find his strong son...
Comment 0 Comment Count