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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 97: The Mystery of the Alley (Part Twelve)
"Qin Jian, enough is enough." It was Qin Jian Master, from the Criminal Investigation Division, Tang Section Chief.
Qin Jian looked bewildered and flustered, unsure of how to cancel the Paper Man dance spell. For the first time, he stammered and pointed outside, "It was Ma Qi's doing."
"Ma Qi, that kid," Tang Section Chief chuckled, and soon everyone in the room burst into laughter. Amidst the uproarious laughter, the Paper Man spontaneously combusted into a wisp of blue smoke, leaving only a pile of uncollectable ashes.
"What about the application?"
The high-ranking leader laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face. With a wave of his hand, he declared to Qin Jian, "Sure, but we need to have Ma Qi come in to apologize and calm us down."
Upon hearing this, my heart sank. Without a second thought, I stood up and walked toward the door.
When the door opened, Tang Section Chief exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
He must have been about to call for me! Zhang Section Chief and Zhao were also present. "Hey, hey, I have a telepathic connection with you all. When the leaders summon me, how could I not come?"
"You’re just like your grandfather when he was young—thick-skinned and smooth-tongued." Someone inside laughed heartily. I didn’t need to guess who it was; it was Ye Lao, who had dealings with my grandfather.
Hearing Ye Lao mention my grandfather's youth filled me with an unprecedented sense of warmth.
"Hey, hey, Ye Lao, Ma Qi has come to apologize to you. I hope you’ll take care of him more in the future."
"Hahaha..." The originally serious atmosphere shifted dramatically with my words. Everyone who usually wore a stern expression as if someone owed them money was now laughing heartily.
Qin Jian received the authorization document and shouted at the entrance, "Aren't you leaving? Do you want to wait to be scolded?"
I stepped out of the Station with Qin Jian, who suddenly burst into laughter.
"If you weren't laughing, I wouldn't mind, but your laughter is giving me the creeps." I was genuinely puzzled; it was rare for Qin Jian to laugh so heartily. "What's so funny?" I wondered if there was something on my face and reached up to touch it, which only made him laugh harder.
"Stop laughing already."
I knew he was laughing at me; Ye Lao's tone suggested he thought I was a child. I couldn't be bothered to respond and walked over to the car, opening the door to get in.
Qin Jian got in as well, still smiling. He then pulled out the document authorizing our investigation for me to see. The application stated that due to the need for investigation, it had been discovered that the restroom had fallen into disrepair over the years, with noticeable large cracks in several places. To prevent accidents and minimize harm, the restroom must be demolished by a specific date.
"Is that it? They're going to demolish it?"
"We just need to get a stamp from the Sanitation Bureau. Fortunately, this restroom falls under the category for renovation; it's just that the renovation time hasn't arrived yet, so we're a few months early."
"Right, that's spot on. The buildings around Fruit Street are really lacking; having such a shabby restroom facility is not only out of place but also smells terrible. It definitely harms the city's appearance and needs to be addressed."
Qin Jian and I headed to the Sanitation Bureau but didn't get out of the car—there was no need since we didn't know anyone there. My grandfather had once had an unpleasant argument with a Sanitation Bureau worker over burning Joss Paper while handling someone's funeral arrangements, so I certainly wasn't going to get out.
Qin Jian went inside and quickly returned with a satisfied expression on his face, indicating everything had gone smoothly. He got in, closed the door, started the engine, and then made a gesture at me: "Let's do this; even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we will find clues."
The car slowly pulled away from its spot as Qin Jian said, "Don't underestimate the Sanitation Bureau; it's actually one of the most important departments."
I may not have anything to say, but that doesn't mean I don't understand. Whether it's the City Sanitation Bureau or the County Sanitation Bureau, they are heavyweight units responsible for overseeing the emissions from industries, agriculture, catering, and service sectors—wastewater, waste gas, waste residue, and noise.
"Do you have something on your mind?"
"Who doesn't have worries?" I crossed my arms and pretended to doze off; the bumpy ride was surprisingly comfortable.
"I don't have any worries," Qin Jian replied, focused on driving. Ahead was the bustling city center, crowded with people coming and going, lively and chaotic.
"You can't possibly want to live like this forever?"
Qin Jian stopped the car, wanting to smoke but feeling it was inappropriate inside. He placed his hands back on the steering wheel and looked straight ahead. "Why not?"
"I refuse to believe you're a heartless statue, untouched by the world. Don't you want to pass on your legacy and make the Qin family thrive?"
"You're talking nonsense."
I couldn't help but smile inwardly; any normal man has physiological needs. I truly didn't believe that Qin Jian was some kind of virtuous gentleman who could resist temptation. Maybe taking him to a nightclub would change his mind. The mischievous thought made me feel a bit smug.
"What are you scheming now?"
"Nothing, I'm going to sleep." I closed my eyes, crossed my legs comfortably, and began to doze off.
As soon as I shut my eyes, a foul stench hit me. Suddenly, a grotesque skull face with misaligned teeth appeared before me. Its dark eye sockets and gaping mouth emitted a terrible odor as it warned me: "Mind Your Own Business." I screamed instinctively and reached out to block it, accidentally hitting the car drawer. "Ouch."
Qin Jian suddenly slammed on the brakes, startled. "What happened?"
"Nothing. I've just been dozing off lately. Every time I close my eyes, something threatens me."
"What kind of thing?"
"Let's go! If we don't hurry, the traffic police will come to salute you."
"It's fine; this stretch of road is familiar to me. What about you?"
"Just don’t ask! My impatience stems from that warning earlier. This Evil Soul feels fierce and sinister, as if it has unresolved grievances. What exactly is going on? What connection does Bao Hui have with this Evil Soul? I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to clear my thoughts.
The terrifying face before me lingered in my mind, but after the shock I just experienced, my drowsiness vanished without a trace. Just then, I heard a loud noise—"Qin Jian, can you hold it in for once? That fart was loud; I barely ate anything today."
"I'm sorry; I don't know what's going on lately. I've been gassy."
"Did you eat too much good food and now you're gassy?" I teased while pinching my nose.
"Farts started when we began working on the case together. Remember that meal we had with shark fin soup?"
"That's true." I recalled that face and pondered aloud, "Did we miss any details when we were looking for Zheng Kai?"
"What details?"
"Do they have any grudges against anyone?"
"Are you still suspecting that Bao Hui was murdered?"
"Not necessarily, but everything has a cause and effect. It might not be murder; it could be something else."
"Not a person, but a ghost?"
"Don't ask me. I can't say much. Some things are better left unsaid until the time comes!"
"Isn't that just nonsense?"
"Fine! Nonsense. You're driving, and isn't there a traffic jam ahead? It's crawling like ants." I suddenly felt inexplicably irritated, my eyes drifting to the outside. The crowd was dense, the streets filled with people of all shapes and sizes, colorful and noisy.
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