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墨書 Inktalez
The next morning, Si Jianxuan was jolted awake in his seat by a Fat Conductor.
“Please come to Car 8,” came a cold voice.
Si Jianxuan sat up, feeling a bit disoriented. The only person who would be looking for him right now was Ming Jiushun, but he shouldn't be this harsh.
Seeing Si Jianxuan's slow movements, the Fat Conductor grabbed him and said, “Hurry up! What are you dawdling for?”
Several passengers in the neighboring seats turned their heads in surprise, even the thin, dark-skinned man who was still asleep woke up, looking pale and alarmed.
People in the aisle quickly stepped aside, fearing trouble.
Si Jianxuan realized something had gone wrong on the train. This fat man was sent by Ming Jiushun to call him for help but mistook him for a suspect due to his long hair and unkempt appearance.
Not caring about his image, he broke free and shrugged it off.
Car 8 was one of the Sleeper Cars.
In addition to the passengers, there were several train police and plainclothes officers from Ming Jiushun's team.
The Fat Conductor proudly announced to the plainclothes officers, “I brought him here.”
To the conductor's surprise, one of the plainclothes officers respectfully nodded at Si Jianxuan and said, “Captain Ming is waiting for you.”
As Si Jianxuan entered, he faintly smelled a foul odor.
Ming Jiushun stood in the aisle in front of bunk 024, his expression grave as he beckoned Si Jianxuan over.
Bunk 024 was the lower berth where a dead man lay. His face was contorted, lips tightly shut, body stiff—he appeared to be around 35 years old.
Ming Jiushun said, "The person in the neighboring compartment mentioned that this man died without making a sound. He didn't like to talk to anyone during the day. There's no coroner available, so we don't know the cause of death for now. After the lights went out at 11 PM, he just stayed in bed sleeping."
An undercover officer approached Ming Jiushun and whispered, "Captain, we've confirmed with the tour group and his friends that the person in compartment 024 is named Caesar. He is an accountant who bought a one-way ticket to Zhengzhou with the tour group."
Si Jianxuan leaned down and pointed at the man's neck, saying, "There's a needle mark here, and there's a bit of blood."
Ming Jiushun followed his gaze and noticed that the small bloodstains had turned dark; if one wasn't paying attention, they might mistake it for a small mole. He blurted out, "It's poison."
The crowd of onlookers grew larger, with many asking questions.
Earlier, a chubby man had boasted that there was a killer on the train, which sparked a wave of murmurs—some mocking, some cursing.
Ming Jiushun sensed trouble and quickly instructed people to return to their seats, asserting that the police would swiftly capture the murderer and ensure everyone's safety.
The train conductor directed two medical staff members to carry the body to the infirmary. Once the crowd dispersed, Ming Jiushun looked at compartment 025 (the upper bunk of 024) and asked, "What about the passenger in this bunk?"
A male passenger from the opposite upper bunk replied, "Officer, it seems like this person has been absent since this morning."
"What?"
Ming Jiushun glanced at compartment 025 and saw a bulging bag of luggage and a black coat still on the bed.
The man thought for a moment before adding, "It seems he hasn't been here since last night. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw this bunk was empty; no one has come back since. Earlier in the night, he kept tossing and turning, making it hard for me to sleep for quite a while."
A missing passenger? The sleeper car was booked by the tour group; it was impossible for anyone to get on or off midway.
Even if someone had gotten off midway, why would they leave their luggage and clothes behind? Ming Jiushun ordered the train conductor to announce for passenger 025 to return.
Additionally, this was an Express Train; station records showed that no one had disembarked after midnight.
Ten minutes passed, yet there was still no response. A conductor who had returned from investigating the tour group reported that the passenger was named Gu Qiuxian, and he had four friends scattered in the next carriage—two couples—who were also anxious about Gu Qiuxian's disappearance.
Ming Jiushun sensed something was amiss and immediately ordered that all passengers disembarking at the next station must undergo identity checks. He also instructed plainclothes officers to collect the luggage and clothing of the two passengers in the upper and lower berths.
While moving the luggage from the upper berth, one of the plainclothes officers remarked, "This coat is really heavy."
Si Jianxuan had been carefully observing the belongings in compartments 024 and 025, asking which items belonged to their respective passengers.
The small table between the berths was cluttered with snacks and drinks.
After confirming, it was found that on the table in compartment 025, there was a bag of fruit gummies and a bottle of fresh orange juice, which had been mostly consumed, leaving only a few drops of orange liquid clinging to the sides. The passengers in compartment 024 had not placed anything on their table.
Earlier in the afternoon, passengers in compartment 025 had repeatedly eaten from the table, while those in compartment 024 had either been staring blankly or sleeping, appearing rather unwell.
Si Jianxuan quietly whispered a few words to Ming Jiushun. Upon hearing this, Ming Jiushun's eyes brightened. He took a closer look at the bottle of orange juice and instructed one of the plainclothes officers to collect it in a plastic bag. Si Jianxuan also inquired in detail about the situation of the two passengers in the opposite compartment last night:
First, there were no unusual occurrences; not even a loud noise was heard.
Second, people frequently passed through the aisle, including train attendants on patrol and passengers heading to the restroom.
Third, before lights out, both individuals appeared to be fine.
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