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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 77: The Dream of the Red Chamber (Part Six)
“She didn’t go to find a doctor, so how could she be at the hospital entrance?” I was momentarily speechless as I ran toward the emergency room with Qin Jian.
When we arrived, there was no body in sight, just a nurse tidying up and cleaning the trash on the floor.
“Excuse me, who took away the deceased from the car accident?”
“They were sent to the Mortuary.”
“Thank you, we’re going to the Mortuary.”
Going to the Mortuary was certainly a shortcut to uncovering the truth behind Li Luwen's mother’s death, but I needed to sense again; it might not yield the information I wanted. To confirm that this incident involving Li Luwen's mother was man-made, I felt it necessary to check the surveillance room. I shared this thought with Qin Jian, who nodded thoughtfully. “We must go. If you hadn’t reminded me, I might have forgotten this crucial detail. So, is it alright for you to go to the Mortuary alone?”
“What’s the problem? I’m a regular there; they wouldn’t mind me disturbing their peace.”
“Alright then, I’ll head to the surveillance room while you go to the Mortuary. Just keep your wits about you.”
After walking a few steps, Qin Jian paused and called out to me, “Take this.” He handed me an ID badge, and I nodded in acknowledgment.
Qin Jian and I parted ways, each understanding without needing to say more.
As I approached the corridor leading to the Mortuary, a chill swept over me from all directions, as if invisible air conditioning had been installed, forcing me to hunch my shoulders and shove my hands into my pockets like a thief continuing forward.
The Mortuary had someone on duty; every body that arrived had to be logged in, and similarly, any body that left also required documentation. From a distance, I spotted a long table where a middle-aged man with a buzz cut and unkempt beard wore a lewd grin on his face as he stared intently at his phone screen.
I hurried along, and since this Gravedigger was too engrossed in his phone, he jumped in surprise when I approached, exclaiming, "What are you doing?"
"I'm not here to steal corpses."
The old man had a sly expression as he picked his nose, then glanced at his finger, which was sticky with mucus. He wiped it vigorously on his clothes. I turned my head away, feeling the heavy Deathly Aura surrounding us.
"What are you doing if you're not stealing corpses?"
"I'm here to see a body."
"Do you have an introduction letter, or is your uncle involved, or maybe your mother—did your Wife die?"
The Mortuary was an intimidating place. Here I was, a perfectly healthy person, wasting my time in a Mortuary for no good reason while this guy babbled nonsense that was neither helpful nor beneficial. Furious, I snapped, "Open the door for me. If you delay my business, you'll lose your job."
"Haha, what do I care? There's nothing enjoyable about being here with these lifeless bodies; it's just torture and bad luck."
"Cut the crap and take a look at this."
I handed him the work ID that Qin Jian had given me. He took it and examined it closely, glancing back and forth between the ID and me. Then, surprisingly, he bowed slightly and said, "Boss, I apologize for the earlier offense. Please forgive me; I'll open the door for you right away."
This guy was quick to change his tune; seeing the ID seemed to have more impact than seeing his own father. I didn't know what he had done in the past, but up close, I noticed his eyebrows were messy and bristly, pointing outward sharply. It was clear he had a hot temper and was prone to anger. He had likely been in trouble with the law multiple times. The more I looked at him, the more he resembled someone who had spent time in prison.
As I stepped through the Mortuary door, I casually asked, "May I know your name?"
"Hey, the leader's appearance is ugly, and the name sounds terrible, so let's not ask about it." He glanced at me quickly, unable to meet my gaze. I thought to myself, could he be the one causing trouble?
"Well, you should come in and take a look."
"Forget it, you can look by yourself." With that, he turned to leave, not towards the table but down the corridor where I was standing. Instinctively, I became alert and quietly picked up a talisman, preparing to test him. I didn't enter the Mortuary but followed him closely and asked, "Could you please show me your ID or work credentials?"
He pretended to search for something, glancing sneakily over his shoulder as if wary of something. Then he said, "Why do you need to see my credentials when you're here to look at corpses?"
"Stop wasting time; show me."
He fumbled around and pulled out some kind of booklet, swinging it towards my face while saying, "Take a look at this!" Then he bolted away without a second thought. I had a talisman ready but didn't get to use it; instead, he was scared enough to run.
I memorized his appearance and immediately dialed Qin Jian.
Qin Jian was reviewing the surveillance footage when I called. After hearing my report, he quickly contacted the station to dispatch backup and prepare for a thorough search of the hospital. "Don't search yet; just send two people to assist me. That guy just now seemed suspicious; I'll check the Mortuary first."
After hanging up, I prepared to enter the Mortuary.
Two minutes later, Qin Jian called back with information from the surveillance room. He was puzzled; all other cameras were functioning properly except for the one at the entrance. The staff had just conducted a comprehensive check on all cameras yesterday, and everything was fine—yet there was no image from that particular camera.
This further indicated that everything was premeditated; someone was pulling strings behind the scenes. This person was meticulous and operated in secrecy while I felt like a fool being led around.
Without access to the camera footage, I could only rely on my ability to sense things from the deceased. Hopefully, their memories hadn't been erased yet. As I entered the Mortuary, thanks to Qin Jian's call, some hospital personnel arrived to assist me.
"Hello, my name is Lao Lai. I am the caretaker of the Mortuary. I shouldn't be on duty today; Lao Shi was supposed to be here. I don't know where he went. I heard someone ran away from here before?"
"Yes, just keep an eye on the entrance. I'm going in to check something."
Lao Lai nodded, sitting at the entrance with a serious and responsible demeanor.
As I stepped inside, I couldn't help but sniff and shrink my neck. The outside of the Mortuary felt like a completely different world compared to the inside. One world was cold enough to see your breath, while the other was filled with a gentle autumn breeze and bright sunlight. Under the warm rays, older folks wore jackets, while the young and handsome Buddy dressed lightly, looking both fashionable and appealing.
Not going in would mean missing out on the real story inside. Once I entered, I noticed something alarming: there were bloodstains on the floor. The drops led directly to a Mortuary Table. I walked over and lifted the sheet covering it.
Underneath was a living person—a frail old man. His legs were bound with ropes, and his hands were secured to the Mortuary Table. A filthy sock was stuffed in his mouth, his face severely injured, and his eyes bloodshot. When he saw me, he struggled to widen his eyes, indicating that he was still alive.
I quickly yanked the sock from his mouth, and he gasped for air, panic-stricken as he said, "Help me..."
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