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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 44: Human Skin Puppet (Part Five)
"It seems like someone is dead."
Qin Jian scoffed, "Can you die from eating hot pot? It must be food poisoning! Even if it is, it’s not our fault..."
"It’s not food poisoning; it’s a major incident."
My superior on the phone wasn’t clear either, so I could only explain it to Qin Jian this way.
"A major incident? What kind of major incident?" Qin Jian muttered, visibly frustrated. I didn’t understand why he was so worked up; it was just a phone call. Was it really my fault for not relaying the message properly?
Anyway, since we had to go to Riverside, we might as well get going!
Qin Jian was in a bad mood, and with even a slight traffic jam, he blared the siren impatiently. The wailing of the siren cut through the air, clearing the way ahead. While I appreciated the urgency, I couldn’t shake off a sense of unease. It struck me as odd that Gousi, who usually spoke plainly and directly, was now hesitant with his words. Plus, the signal had inexplicably dropped; none of this felt like a good sign.
The car sped toward Riverside Family, and the crowd on the streets was overwhelming—thousands of heads bobbing together in a sea of black. Cars were lined up in an endless queue that stretched beyond sight. Even with Qin Jian's siren blaring, it didn’t seem to help much at this point.
Once we got past this main road, we would reach Riverside. During our wait, I had already called Gousi twice. As I anxiously dialed for the third time, I heard someone pick up on the other end. Eagerly, I asked, "What happened to Gousi?"
To my surprise, the voice on the line wasn’t Gousi ’s; it belonged to a stranger. "I'm sorry, I'm not Gousi. I'm a police officer. This phone belongs to the deceased..."
"What?"
"Yes, he’s dead. If you’re a family member, you need to come quickly!"
I was stunned, at a loss for words. Suddenly, I thought of Xie Ke and hurriedly dialed his number, clinging to the hope that perhaps I had misdialed Gousi's number. It was a self-deceptive thought because I was too afraid to look at Gousi's phone number.
Xie Ke answered the call quickly.
I asked, "Xie Ke, there can't be a mistake with Gousi's phone number, right? Why don't you try calling him?"
After a moment of silence, Xie Ke threw a verbal bomb at me: " Gousi is in trouble. I'm at Riverside Family."
It really was trouble, I muttered to myself. Qin Jian noticed my expression and hurriedly asked, "What happened?"
"Bad news. You'll find out when you see for yourself." As I spoke, it felt as if my spine had been pulled out, leaving me utterly powerless. It had been less than a month since I met Gousi and became good buddies, and now he was gone. Was it my fault or was it just his fate?
I leaned back in my chair, silent, staring blankly at the windshield.
"What’s wrong with you? You look like you've lost your soul."
" Gousi is dead."
"Wait, you mean your Gousi? The one who saved your life?"
"Yeah."
"How is that possible? You must be mistaken. Don't daydream."
"Who would joke about life and death?"
Qin Jian fell silent, focusing intently on driving. Ahead, rows of bare trees lined the road, and many houses along the way displayed various types of fish, advertised as wild-caught, attracting numerous tourists eager to buy.
This Branching Stream had created profits for many locals, but it also bred deception and lies.
The wild fish soup was said to strengthen the body and enhance vitality, with signs boasting such claims everywhere. It was blatant enough to draw in those gaunt men, who would gulp down bowls of wild fish soup, leaving nothing behind before heading home to prepare for a vigorous night. Whether these men succeeded or not remained a mystery; nonetheless, the signs persisted, and the wild fish soup continued to sell well.
Qin Jian drove the car to Jiang'an Family Bridgehead Hotpot Restaurant, which was far more impressive than any Riverside wild fish establishment. It featured a dedicated parking lot and private rooms on the second floor, each with an elegant name.
The first floor housed a bathing area alongside the hotpot restaurant. The once-bustling Riverside Family was now deserted, save for the flapping red warning tape and a few police officers stationed at the entrance. There were no customers in sight. As Qin Jian and I got out of the car and walked a few steps, someone approached us. Upon closer inspection, it was Chief Sun from the Criminal Investigation Division.
Sun Section Chief had been newly appointed after clearing out Gong Elder's remnants. Beside him stood a young girl with naturally curly hair, fair skin, and a slender figure—she was a stark contrast to the tall and robust Sun Section Chief.
"Qin, you’re here? This is Ling Juan, our intern forensic doctor."
I was surprised; wasn’t there a perfectly good forensic doctor before? Now they had replaced her with someone younger—could she handle it?
Qin Jian nodded and shook hands with Sun Section Chief, briefly inquiring about what had happened. Then he headed toward the incident site while I found myself lost in thought about Gousi. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse from the side; I turned my gaze in that direction.
Ling Juan quickly turned her head away, her delicate frame standing straight as she held a forensic toolbox. Her fitted uniform accentuated her curvy figure. She was quite attractive, fitting the "family beauty" archetype. My reaction was delayed; I noticed her profile too—it was lovely as well. She was nothing like Chi Xinrong’s boisterous personality but bore some resemblance to Mi.
Although I recognized some similarities between her and Mi, my mind was preoccupied with other matters, leaving me disinterested in everything around me.
I overheard Sun Section Chief tell Qin Jian that the incident occurred in one of the large rooms at the bathing center, which offered health treatments. We followed a red carpet through two turns down a narrow corridor illuminated only by dim red lights.
Finally, we reached a reception area.
The front desk and all private rooms had been cleared, with only the police remaining while everyone else was isolated in another area to assist with the investigation.
I had heard long ago that the Bridgehead Hot Pot Restaurant was doing quite well, combining health treatments, lodging, and dining. It seemed to be run by the son of a prominent figure, a second-generation official, so even if issues arose, there was a strong backing to support it. Problems were easily brushed aside.
This time, I wasn't sure where the oversight had occurred. My mind was solely focused on the issue of Gousi, and I didn't realize we had already arrived at the scene of the incident.
The scene was cordoned off with police tape. Qin Jian and I had to closely follow Sun Section Chief into the area. At the entrance, an officer handed us masks and special gloves. It was just the four of us—Qin Jian, Sun Section Chief, Ling Juan, and myself—who entered the private room where the incident had taken place.
The room remained unchanged. On a luxurious sofa lay a pair of black stockings with a hole in them. This private room was not far from the health treatment room and could be considered a prime location. Just a few steps away from the health treatment room and with windows overlooking Branching Stream, this room would be a true villa suite during the scorching summer days; the cool breeze was even better than air conditioning. I thought to myself that these stockings must belong to one of the attendants from the health treatment room.
Ling Juan systematically recounted the details of the body examination to Qin Jian. I glanced at the corpse lying on the floor; there were five corpses in total in the room—some sprawled out, some lying on their sides, and one appeared to be crawling. It was just a few steps from the door, with an arm stretched out long as if trying to reach for it—unfortunately, they hadn't managed to open it in time.
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