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墨書 Inktalez
Ah Huang smiled meaningfully, "If it fits, it fits. Besides, your outfit has provided me with cover; outsiders would think you are a staff member assisting us with the investigation."
I looked at myself and realized he was right. I considered myself average-looking, and in the Work Uniform, I appeared even more ordinary. Walking alongside Ah Huang in his police uniform, I truly resembled a mere errand runner.
Following Ah Huang to the Backstage, I was taken aback by its size. It was divided into male and female changing rooms. We first entered the women's changing room. This area was also split into two sections: the outer hall had some chairs, a water dispenser, and air conditioning for actors to wait after changing, while the inner room was likely where they changed clothes.
I noticed the outer hall was bustling with activity; many girls were busy moving about. In one corner, a group of girls had gathered, and several police officers were questioning them.
Ah Huang led me over. "How's it going, Old Li?" The person he called Old Li was someone I recognized; Ah Huang had mentioned him before. He was also an Old Comrade, sporting a scar on his face from being slashed by a Criminal in his youth.
"Ah Huang, you're here. There's nothing much to report. They didn't leave with the Victim; they just left after their performance."
"Oh!" Before Ah Huang could respond further, a girl suddenly sat up and grabbed Ah Huang's shirt. "Officer, didn't we come down together from here yesterday? What are you still investigating for?! Hurry up and find the murderer to avenge Yao!" She wiped her tears as she spoke.
I realized with surprise that this was Yingying, the tall girl from yesterday. Scanning the crowd again, I spotted Xi sitting among them, looking dejected with swollen eyes. It turned out they were all from the same school as the victim!
Ah Huang clearly recognized them too. He gently reassured them, "Don't worry; this is what we must do. However, we need to gather as many clues as possible to solve this case. Think carefully—did Yao mention where she planned to go? Did anyone make plans with her or have any enemies?"
At that moment, Xi noticed us and looked up with red eyes, likely having just cried. She stood up slowly and said, "Officer, I'm in the same dorm as Yao. She's from out of town and has no friends or relatives here; she usually eats and lives at school and doesn't have a boyfriend—let alone any enemies."
Upon hearing this, Ah Huang furrowed his brow again. This made solving the case even more difficult, I thought.
After pondering for a moment, Ah Huang asked, "This classmate, why didn’t you try to contact her or report her missing when you returned to your dorm last night and didn’t see her?"
Xi replied sadly, "Last night I took a taxi home to get something; my home is in the city area. I spent the night there, so I don’t know what happened afterward. I came here directly from home today."
Suddenly Yingying interjected, "Xi, what about your phone? You two are so close; if Yao had something going on, she would definitely call you! Could it be that you fell asleep last night and missed her call?"
Everyone turned to look at Xi. Without thinking twice, she exclaimed, "That’s impossible! I checked my phone when I got up this morning; there were no calls! I only received your call about the incident in the afternoon—I didn’t even grab my bag before my dad drove me here." She reached into her shirt pocket as if to retrieve her phone.
To our surprise, she fumbled around but couldn’t find it. She checked all her pockets and exclaimed in dismay, "Oh no! I forgot my phone at home!" She lightly furrowed her brows in frustration.
Ah Huang nodded, signaling that she didn't need to provide any proof. She turned to call over Old Li and asked, "How did the investigation into the demon's whereabouts go last night?"
Old Li replied, "The last person who saw her was from the Costume Team. She handed over her performance outfit for registration and then left. The elevator surveillance confirmed that around 1:00 AM, she exited the lobby with a group of actors."
It was just after 1:00 AM, shortly after we had left. There were armed police stationed at the entrance, so it must have been after she exited the television station. Although this was a broadcasting station, it was still located in the suburbs, and there were no night markets or similar places nearby. Therefore, late at night, aside from the occasional car passing by on the adjacent road, there generally weren't many people out and about.
Seeing Ah Huang looking helpless, I felt a bit anxious too, but I knew that solving a case couldn't be rushed.
I glanced at Xi and patted Ah Huang on the shoulder. "Let's go outside for a bit. By the way, how did your sampling comparison turn out?" Ah Huang replied expressionlessly as we walked, "It took quite a bit of effort, but we finally ruled out White-haired and the fabric as suspects."
Another lead had gone cold. We reached the lobby and sat down near the entrance to watch the stage. Ah Huang seemed lost in thought, and we fell silent for a moment, wasting time like this.
Life often has its coincidences. Just as I was casually looking around, I spotted that Japanese individual appearing in the lobby again with some companions. However, unlike previous encounters, this Japanese person was carrying something on their back. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a long cylindrical object that resembled a rolled-up painting. This person looked visibly excited and was chatting animatedly with the director.
"Ah Huang!" I called out.
"What is it?"
"Did you send anyone to follow that Japanese person?"
"We considered it," she said. "But from both a timing and witness evidence perspective, they have already been ruled out as a suspect. Plus, they're a foreigner, and the Department Leader didn't approve."
"I see!" I mused as I watched them. The Japanese individual was pointing at something above the stage backdrop and seemed to be discussing it with their companions. Following their finger's direction, I noticed our soldiers were moving around behind the backdrop; some could even be seen from my angle.
Wait! I had another secret weapon! My eyes lit up!
"Ah Huang!" I leaned closer and whispered, "Do you believe in ghosts?"
Ah Huang looked at me incredulously, her expression filled with surprise.
I ignored him and continued, "Do you believe that someone can see ghosts?"
Ah Huang looked at me with evident disbelief and skepticism. "Don't think I'm crazy. I’m serious. I have a soldier right here on this Stage who can see things we can't. I verified this when I was on duty. You have to believe me; there are many things in this world that science can't explain!"
Ah Huang hesitated, "What do you mean?"
"I plan to lend him to you. You can take him around the area and then bring him to the hospital to check for spirits. If you're lucky, he might uncover some information that you wouldn't be able to know or discover."
Ah Huang was still hesitant; it was clear that my words had shaken his understanding.
I patted his shoulder. "Right now, you're basically at a loss. Why not give it a try? It’s better than doing nothing, and you have nothing to lose. Besides, this is between us; no one else needs to know, and no one will think you're superstitious."
Ah Huang seemed to be swayed by my words. "Is there really such a person?"
"There is, and he's right here on the Stage, wearing a Work Uniform. You can take him around under the pretense of assisting with the investigation. Since he's in uniform, it won't affect the unit. It's almost eight o'clock now; I can lend him to you for four hours, and he’ll return when it's time for roll call tonight."
After thinking for a moment, Ah Huang finally made up his mind. He gritted his teeth and said, "Alright! Let's give it a try!"
Seeing that Ah Huang had made his decision, I waved over a soldier nearby who was helping with the camera equipment. "Go to the Stage and tell the Squad Leader to send down a new recruit named Nong. Bring him here."
"Yes!" Although he wasn't in uniform, he stood at attention and saluted before running off.
"Wow! This soldier is quite impressive," Ah Huang remarked, now aware of my position as Acting Company Commander.
I smiled. "Ah Huang, I hope this helps you."
Ah Huang forced a smile; I could tell he still didn't have high hopes or perhaps he still didn't fully believe my suggestion. It's no wonder—if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't believe it either.
Soon enough, Nong came running over. "Company Commander!" He stood at attention in front of me and raised his hand to salute, but I quickly stopped him and beckoned him over to us instead.
"Ah Huang, this is Nong."
"Hello, Leader!" My soldier always knows how to make me proud.
"Nong, this is my friend, Deputy Captain Huang from the local police station." I gave a brief introduction.
Nong calmly nodded at Ah Huang. It seemed that his mental fortitude had greatly improved after his time as a recruit.
"Nong, let me explain briefly. There has been a murder and an assault near the television station. One person is dead, and another is in a vegetative state. The police currently lack sufficient clues and are facing difficulties in solving the case. I would like you to help take a look."
Nong looked a bit confused. "Company Commander, I haven't seen anything unusual around here lately."
"It's not here. In a moment, you will follow Deputy Captain Huang; he will take you around. Make sure to remember everything you see carefully and describe it all later. This is a mission, understand?"
"Yes!" Nong replied firmly. Looking into his determined eyes, I suddenly felt an immense trust in him. Just think about it—who else could possess his kind of ability? As long as Nong can find even the slightest clue, this case will surely be solved.
(To be continued; more exciting content tomorrow!)
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