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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 00: The Unexpected
Xiuxian was acting so strangely. What was going on with her?
"Hey..."
My calls fell on deaf ears as the girl darted away like a rabbit. With no other choice, I locked my bike and leisurely followed her, curious to see where she would lead.
She ran ahead while I chased after her.
After crossing several streets and nearing the outskirts, we entered a vast area of greenhouses filled with vegetables. There were forests, dilapidated villages left behind from relocations, and lonely mounds of earth that no one seemed to care about. Soon, we reached a tree-lined road, and beyond it lay a residential area formed by relocated households.
The girl was familiar with the terrain; she dashed into an alley and disappeared without a trace.
Just then, someone emerged from the alley, eyeing me warily. He scrutinized me from head to toe before asking, "What are you doing?"
"I'm looking for someone."
The man was burly, his face thick with flesh. Suddenly, he pulled out a sharp butcher's knife from behind him. He stepped forward, closing in on me, his eyes wide and menacing—he looked genuinely terrifying at first glance.
I wasn't afraid of ghosts, but being scared by a person like this was quite enough.
I turned to run, and he began swinging the butcher's knife while stomping his feet and cursing: "Thief..."
Then there was a loud shout from Gou Sheng, who had run off. Unable to resist, I glanced back and saw Xiuxian bouncing around beside Gou Sheng.
What did she take me for? Was she really calling for backup?
Damn, there was something even worse: my motorcycle had been knocked over and was lying in the weeds by the roadside.
Fortunately, it was an old bike; if it had been a new one, I would have felt really upset.
After a lot of effort, I finally managed to lift the bike out of the weeds, but the road was a cement surface with a bump, and the wheels just wouldn't go up.
I pushed with all my strength, but the wheels got stuck on the edge of the bump.
Just when I was sweating profusely, I felt the bike lighten. Hey, the wheels finally went up! Then I heard a sound behind me—someone was helping me push.
I turned around.
She was bent down, brushing off dirt from her pants leg.
I stared at her. The first thing that caught my eye was her long, dark hair.
As she let her hair fall freely, she slowly lifted her head and we locked eyes.
Seeing her made my heart skip a beat; I felt an inexplicable flutter inside me.
She was so beautiful. Beneath her elegantly arched eyebrows sparkled a pair of crystal-clear, pure eyes. Against her pink shirt, her skin looked as white as snow. She stood gracefully like a water lily just a foot away from me.
I was mesmerized.
She raised her hand and waved it in front of my eyes, asking, "Have you seen enough?"
The voice was pleasant to hear.
I awkwardly scratched my scalp and said, "Thank you."
"What for?"
"Thank you for helping me push the cart."
"No need to thank me; I called someone to help you with it."
"You..."
"Just now, my dad passed by with the cart, and your motorcycle was blocking the way, so I had someone push it over..."
"Oh, it's my fault. I shouldn't have parked my bike on the side of the road."
She clasped her hands behind her back and walked away with a light step, glancing back with a smile, "Of course, it's your fault."
"Uh... yes... it's my fault."
She didn't smile anymore, still with her hands behind her back, gazing far off at a black dot. She spoke to me, "Alright, we're even now."
Seeing her about to leave made me anxious.
Damn, I really didn't know there was such a cute girl around here. If I had known earlier, I would have made a move... The thought scratched at my heart like a cat's paw, leaving me feeling restless and uncomfortable.
I stared blankly at her retreating figure, wanting to hold her back for just a few more words, but there was no reason to do so.
As she walked further away, I turned back to push my bike a few steps and started the engine. The sputtering sound echoed as a cloud of gray-black smoke billowed out, and I took one last look at her silhouette. To my surprise, she turned back and glanced at me, her eyes cold and her expression as frigid as ice.
She was beautiful. Unfortunately, she was too emotional; the lively and cheerful person I had seen moments ago had suddenly transformed into someone inexplicable and hard to approach.
I didn’t return to the Funeral Home but headed straight for the Station.
Upon arriving at the Station's entrance, the guard looked at my credentials and without a word pointed inside: "Team Leader Liu is waiting for you."
This was my first time meeting Team Leader Liu.
He had a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes. The moment I saw him, he gave off an aura of righteousness and authority.
"Please have a seat." The first person to greet me was Zhang Ke, who wasn’t as polite as Team Leader Liu; he gestured for me to sit down.
I took a seat.
Team Leader Liu called for someone to bring a cup of tea. I accepted the tea and placed it on the table.
"Your grandfather didn't come. His phone is turned off. How is he doing?"
I felt a pang of guilt.
What would I do if Team Leader Liu asked me about my grandfather?
The truth was revealed: he was in the coffin in the dark room.
Moreover, that dark room had been sealed off; no one from the outside could enter, and no one inside could come out unless they became a ghost—
Grandpa wouldn’t become a ghost. He was a Taoist disciple, albeit an unofficial one, and his soul would go where it was meant to be.
"Why aren’t you speaking?"
Team Leader Liu's reminder startled me. Had I just acted a bit out of line? Did he notice? My palms were sweaty and uncomfortable. I rubbed my hands on my knees and murmured, "He’s doing well, visiting an old friend. I’m handling all the orders at the shop."
"Oh, not bad! Young and promising. Before your grandpa left, he gave me a letter recommending you."
At Liu's words, I was taken aback.
When did Grandpa write a letter? When did he send it? I had no idea.
Liu handed me the letter, nodding and smiling at me. "You can take a look."
I took the letter and read it word for word. It was indeed Grandpa’s recommendation letter, listing my achievements in handling orders. He even downplayed my shortcomings, indicating that I was quite impressive in his eyes. I chuckled to myself and handed the letter back to Liu.
Liu carefully folded the letter and put it into an envelope. His gaze was sharp, making me feel uneasy as I turned my head to look at an old police officer walking in through the door.
The old officer was unkempt, with scruffy facial hair and wearing a faded old uniform. Compared to Team Leader Liu, he looked rather disheveled.
“Lao Luo, this is Ma Qi, the grandson of Ma Wu.”
The old man named Lao Luo glanced at me and nodded to Team Liu, "Not bad."
I sat up straight, unable to understand their conversation. What did they mean by mentioning my grandfather?
Then, Team Liu left. As he walked out, he didn’t clarify anything for me, and I watched Lao Luo get up to close the door.
The light in the room dimmed, and I noticed that Lao Luo's face was particularly dark—dark in a spirited way, dark in an imposing manner. It was the result of years spent under the sun, a healthy complexion that had transitioned from white to red, and then from red to black.
"I heard from Ma Wu that you have some exceptional skills. I'd like to know what those skills are."
I was puzzled. My grandfather hadn’t mentioned anything in his letter. Were they trying to fool me, or had my grandfather told them something before?
"Don't look at me with such surprise. I've known your grandfather for a long time; he helped me solve many difficult cases at the station."
"Wow," I was genuinely shocked. I had always thought my grandfather came to the station just to assist with the dirty and tiring chores they didn’t want to do, like cleaning up after bodies. I never imagined he could help them with more significant matters.
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