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Chapter 0: The Mystery of the Alley (Eighteen)
"Dengke Qi understands Mystical Arts? Why can't I sense any aura from him? It seems this guy has unfathomable skills. I haven't fully digested what my master taught me; although I can shield my own aura, I still can't discern certain things about others in time."
"Rongrong, stop boasting. In front of Ma Qi Master, I wouldn't dare claim to understand Mystical Arts; I only know a little bit."
"You're just being modest."
"Rongrong, where are we going?"
"We're going to the tea house for guests."
"Stop the car! I'm heading to the City Bureau. What do you mean by this?" I was genuinely angry. Chi Xinrong's capriciousness and playfulness were like poison to me; I disliked it and felt repulsed. I had no desire to learn more about the person named Dengke Qi.
Chi Xinrong stopped the car, sulking. "Do you want to get out?"
"Yes." My hand was already gripping the door handle.
Dengke Qi said, "Rongrong, don't be like this. Let's talk it out; it's not good for friends to be at odds."
"Sure, I consider him a friend, but he doesn't see me as one. He treats me like a call-and-response puppet, and that's his best way of repaying me."
I knew Chi Xinrong had a strong sense of revenge; no wonder she readily agreed to come along—her goal was to make me look foolish. Whatever, women are hard to deal with anyway. I got out of the car and shouted sternly, "Open the door! I want to get out."
Chi Xinrong was startled by my shout and obediently opened the door.
As I stepped out, Dengke Qi suddenly grabbed me. One of my feet was already out when a car zoomed past, startling me greatly. I was grateful that Dengke Qi had caught me in time; otherwise, I would have ended up as roadkill.
"Thank you," I said as I prepared to get out of the car again.
"Ma Qi, you are hopeless."
"Brother Ma Qi, let's talk it out. Rongrong cares about you."
Hearing this left me speechless. Did Chi Xinrong tell him everything?
"Don't take it the wrong way. The Ghost Paper Man incident at your place was my doing. It was because Rongrong cares about you too much; she was afraid you'd be misled by something unclean, so she asked me for help."
I could tell he was not an ordinary person, and it seemed that was indeed the case.
"You truly are impressive," I said, pulling my foot back as I noticed the traffic police approaching. Chi Xinrong muttered under her breath, "Not good." She started the car and slowly drove it up to the officer, who directed us to pull over to the side. "Hi there, Officer. Sorry for the trouble. My brother had a stomach ache, and I got startled, which is why I stopped in the fast lane for a moment."
"Wrong is wrong; don't make excuses."
"Officer, would you like a cigarette?" Dengke Qi offered a pack of Zhonghua. He must have taken that from the back seat; their relationship seemed quite close for him to casually grab something from her bag.
The officer politely declined, saying, "Sorry, but I can't smoke while on duty. Please show me your driver's license."
"Stubborn and a typical man," Chi Xinrong grumbled as she reluctantly pulled out her license.
"Miss, I'm going to deduct two points and fine you five hundred yuan. Please make your payment." The officer handed the ticket to Chi Xinrong and took away five hundred yuan. It wasn't just about the money; losing points was crucial, especially in front of two big men. She complained in frustration that it was all my fault.
I stayed silent, just wanting to get to the City Bureau as soon as possible.
"Are you looking for a job at the City Bureau?"
"No."
"You haven't been sleeping well lately. Your Yintang is dark, which is a bad sign. You need to take care of yourself."
"Thanks."
I really haven't been sleeping well recently. As for my Yintang being dark, I suppose that's possible, especially with everything going on at Fruit Street. Regarding Qin Jian, it could go either way; the body itself carries Evil Energy, and if it gets blood on it, who knows what the consequences will be.
"Ma Qi, why are you going to the City Bureau for no reason?" Chi Xinrong was being nosy. I didn't want to bring it up, but she kept pressing.
"I have urgent business; it's not convenient to discuss here."
"Alright, I admit I was wrong earlier. In the future, just make sure you don't call me to stop in the fast lane."
"Why do you listen to me so obediently when I tell you to stop?"
"I'm just that way." With that, her playful nature came out again. I was speechless and had no choice but to close my eyes and pretend to sleep.
Dengke Qi saw me closing my eyes and didn't continue talking; the car fell silent in an instant. I thought that as long as Chi Xinrong was driving me to the City Bureau, she could do whatever she wanted; it had nothing to do with me. And Dengke Qi could go wherever he pleased as well; that was also none of my concern.
It was just that the matter of the Ghost Paper Man left me feeling uneasy. Sooner or later, I would get my revenge in kind.
We soon arrived at the City Bureau.
I got off the car, and Dengke Qi also stepped out, along with Chi Xinrong.
"You all go ahead, I have something urgent to attend to," I said.
"Brother, don't treat me like an outsider. I consider you a brother too. If there's something urgent, I can help you," he replied.
I stopped and faced him. "Please, don't call me brother. I am Dugu Shaxing. Anyone who gets close to me is bound to run into trouble. If you're not afraid, then come along." I spoke plainly, not wanting to beat around the bush. I thought that would make Dengke Qi and Chi Xinrong leave.
But to my surprise, they followed me anyway.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm listening to Master Deng," came the reply.
Dengke Qi smiled faintly. "There's a dark energy spreading here, and I'm worried something might happen to you, so I'm coming along to check it out."
"Don't follow me. I, Ma Qi, don’t need it."
Seeing that I was genuinely angry, Dengke Qi and Chi Xinrong decided it was best not to follow me any longer and turned to leave.
Just then, Qin Jian couldn't wait any longer and rushed out, spotting me along with Chi Xinrong and Dengke Qi.
"Hey, Rongrong, why are you leaving?" he called out cheerfully.
I was annoyed and didn't want to engage with him. Instead, I strode forward decisively.
As I walked through the front door, I could still hear Chi Xinrong complaining about the report: "He's really a disaster incarnate. I was fined five hundred for stopping on the fast lane for just two minutes, and I got two points deducted as a warning."
"That's just how he is; don't mind him." I didn't catch all of Qin Jian's comforting words, but I saw Zhang Section Chief walk out from inside. He paused slightly when he saw me, didn't greet me, and turned back immediately. Just that one glance from Zhang Section Chief made me realize something was off.
His appearance was abnormal; his eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was stiff, as if he were wearing a mask. A sense of unease washed over me, and I called out to Qin Jian behind me, "Lao Qin, hurry up."
Qin Jian hurriedly settled Chi Xinrong and Dengke Qi in the break room before rushing over to me. "In Autopsy Room One." Without asking further questions, I followed closely behind him straight to Autopsy Room One.
Autopsy Room One.
A Coroner's Van covered with a white sheet lay empty, and there were splatters of blood on the Mortuary Table. Underneath the Mortuary Table, there were also some bloodstains; this blood definitely did not belong to the corpse. Qin Jian said, "It's Zhang Section Chief's."
I replied, "I saw him; it's just very strange and unusual."
"What happened?"
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