S.C.I. Mystery Files Case 1 Chapter 28 [Case Closed]

Previous

Next

The Numbers Killer - Chapter 28 Obsession [Case Closed]

Sorries y'all, I'll be doing weekly chapters (every Monday) starting from the next case. Not enough stamina for the increased word count... and low-key demoralised after seeing the much much faster translations ahahaha 

---

The person who called Zhan Zhao was indeed Zhang Boyi. 

The contents of their conversation were very simple. Zhan Zhao was to go alone to meet him on an abandoned cargo ship at S City's harbour at 9 AM. The ship's serial number was TX512. Zhang Boyi wanted Zhan Zhao to bring with him the Zhao Jue's old confidential records in exchange for Zhao Jue. He warned Zhan Zhao that should the latter arrive with the police, he would kill Zhao Jue. Then, all those hundreds of staff at the research centre would turn into killing machines. 

The next morning at 9 AM, Zhan Zhao arrived at the harbour alone as agreed upon. 

Walking along the harbour, Zhan Zhao found the cargo ship TX512 in a very secluded spot. He boarded the ship and walked down to the cabin. 

The ship had been abandoned for a long time. The dilapidated cabin was very large and was filled with straws as well as unwanted cloth covers... The musty old smell coupled with the smell of grease from old machinery was abnormally stinging to the nose. 

When Zhan Zhao walked into the cabin, he saw a figure in pure white crouching in the middle of the cabin. He was drawing something on the floor with a wooden stick. The complicated silencer on his neck gave away his identity——it was Zhao Jue.

When Zhao Jue looked up, he saw Zhan Zhao and smiled at him before going back to his drawing. 

As Zhan Zhao walked over to Zhao Jue. the latter who was still squatting down, raised his stick and pointed behind Zhan Zhao. Zhan Zhao turned around sharply to see Zhang Boyi standing somewhat awkwardly just 3-4 steps behind him. In his outstretched hand was a slightly damp handkerchief.

Zhang Boyi angrily tossed the handkerchief aside and glowered at Zhao Jue.

Zhan Zhao frowned at him, "I'd advise you to turn yourself in."

"Shut up! There's no way I'm going to jail!" Zhang Boyi stated as he reached out his hand, "Did you bring the items?"

Zhan Zhao handed him a leather briefcase. 

Zhang Boyi took the briefcase and hurriedly checked the contents. 

"What do you want these files for?" Zhan Zhao asked abruptly. 

Zhang Boyi froze for a bit before looking at Zhan Zhao suspiciously. 

Zhan Zhao suddenly broke into a smile, "Do you know why out of all the people who were hit by a falling apple, Newton was the only one who discovered the laws of gravity??"

Zhang Boyi began to lose colour in his face.

Zhan Zhao stared at him straight in the eye and slowly mouthed, "Ta~lent~!"

He suddenly felt a commotion coming from behind him. When he turned around, Zhan Zhao found Zhao Jue pounding on the floor, laughing his ass off. Although he couldn't make a single sound, from the way his facial features contorted and his shaking shoulders, anyone could see how amused he was.

Zhang Boyi's eyes rounded in anger as he glowered at Zhan Zhao, "What are you trying to get at?"

Zhan Zhao pointed at Zhao Jue, who gave him his most innocent and harmless smile, and said, "Simply put, the two of us are geniuses while Professor Xu and you are idiots."

"You!" Zhang Boyi's entire body was shaking in boiling anger.

"Professor Xu is dumb because something that would take Zhao Jue and I two days to learn took him 20 years of research!" Zhan Zhao continued, "You're stupid for not even realising that you're under a psychological suggestion!"

Zhao Jue was basically rolling on the ground laughing. Zhang Boyi's expression darkened as he asked, "H-How did you know I'm under a suggestion?"

Zhan Zhao chuckled, "I took a glance at to sketches... I'm guessing that you want these files in order to find the key to undoing the suggestion, yes?"

Seeing Zhang Boyi's lack of response, Zhan Zhao followed up with another question, "Why don't you try asking me?"

"You know?! How did you find out?"

Zhan Zhao simply shrugged, "Because I'm a genius."

...Behind him, Zhao Jue was lying flat on the floor, gasping for air. It's like he laughed so hard he forgot to breathe. 
(lilies: if his clothes are still white imma flip)

All of a sudden, Zhang Boyi violently threw the files onto the ground and yelled, "You take me for a fool, don't you? In your eyes, I'm exactly the same as that senile Xu Yanqin, aren't I? Well, let me tell you now! I am not like him!"

Zhang Boyi suddenly became really agitated as he whipped out a sharp fruit knife from his shirt pocket and approached Zhan Zhao, "I am different from him! I—"

"You're definitely different from him," before Zhang Boyi could finish his sentence, another voice came from behind him. Bai Yutang had somehow appeared behind him. 

Just as Zhang Boyi turned around, Bai Yutang kicked him with such force that he flew all the way to where Zhao Jue was. Zhao Jue hurried got up to move aside before crouching by the side to continue watching the show before him.

"That black Honda is yours, isn't it?" Bai Yutang sneered at him while walking to Zhan Zhao's side. He watched Zhang Boyi, who was struggling to get up and coughing profusely, and continued, "You drove that car to stalk Zhan Zhao but I was the one you were trying to hit, am I right?"

Zhang Boyi was stunned, "H-How did you know?"

Bai Yutang found his reaction hilarious, "He called you an idiot and you really aren't all that bright, are you? You've been following Zhan Zhao for so long, if you really wanted to hit him you would've done it ages ago. Why would you wait until I was there to do it?"

He then looked at the handkerchief on the floor and added, "You want to kidnap him don't you?"

At this point, Zhan Zhao was a little startled as well.

Bai Yutang reached over to brush aside the stray hair on Zhan Zhao's face and asked another question with a smile, "Do you want to know how I found out?"

Zhan Zhao looked at him and Bai Yutang chuckled under his breath, "When I kissed him at the university that day, that look of... pure hatred... You know, that level of animosity emanating from you!"

Hearing Bai Yutang's words, Zhang Boyi suddenly burst out laughing, "That's right... I hate you... and him!" As he spoke, he pointed a finger at Zhan Zhao, "So perfect that no one dares to touch for fear of sullying him... It's like... It's like..." Then his eyes became vacant for an instant. 
(lilies: Bai Yutang thinks about doing just that every waking moment wahahah)

Zhan Zhao found it strange and frowned a little.

Bai Yutang interrupted Zhang Boyi, who was behaving a little crazily, "Both you and that Xu guy are just being manipulated by another person."

When he heard that, Zhang Boyi whipped his head round to glare daggers at Zhao Jue, "It's all that old guy's fault! He believed in all those theories about psychological suggestion. And started talking about how he was going to build his own empire? With those half-baked skills of his, he went around putting those mentailly ill people under suggestions. And created that nonsense about God... Priests... Kuk what a joke!"

The strangeness that Zhan Zhao felt was growing stronger and stronger. He took a deep breath and calmed down before stating, "You two weren't being used by Zhao Jue."

"Huh?" Zhang Boyi looked at Zhan Zhao incredulously.

"For the entirety of this case, you were being used by the true mastermind hiding behind the scenes," Bai Yutang couldn't help but shake his head. He called out to the person hiding behind the curtains in a dark corner of the cabin, "Why don't you come out, Mr. mastermind?"

Zhang Boyi was at a loss at to what was happening. He looked at the curtain then back at Bai Yutang, his confusion was clear to see.

Bai Yutang dug at his ear, "It's just as I said before, you really aren't that bright, are you? How did you know that Zhao Jue's files are confidential?"

...!...

Zhang Boyi was dumbfounded and following words he uttered were dredged in pure shock, "Y-You mean..."

"Haha~~~haha!" a peal of hoarse laughter came from behind the curtain and a rickety figure emerged from the shadows. 

That man held a gun in his hand. He walked up to Zhao Jue and pressed that gun against the latter's temple before looking at Bai Yutang, "You truly are Bai Yunwen's son, blessed with such perceptiveness... Hmph! And you," he pointed at Zhan Zhao then at Zhao Jue and continued, "You're exactly the same as him when he was younger, so annoyingly bright!"

"Sun Qingxue... old man Sun..." Bai Yutang said with a smile, "You've been planning this for nearly two decades. Now that's some serious obsession!"

Sun Qingxue cackled with laughter, "Chill. Let's start with this first——how did you know it was me?"

Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao, "Shall I go first or you wanna go first?" 

Zhan Zhao gestured at him, "You first."

Bai Yutang nodded and turned back to answer Sun Qingxue, "You exposed yourself in Chen Jing's case!"

"Oh?" Sun Qingxue tried to think of the mistake he made, "What was it?"

Bai Yutang added, "The person who suggested for Chen Jing to hurt Gongsun and the one who provided services at that private clinic over the years was never Professor Xu. It was you. Of course, the one who murdered Professor Xu was also you! You wanted to make him your scapegoat!" 

Sun Qingxue nodded approvingly, "You got that all right, but how did you realise?"

"Living habits!" Bai Yutang replied, "Professor Xu was a man of decent wealth, a major clean freak, and an incredibly conservative person. He also had severe heart problems. There's no way someone like him would find himself in a filthy place like that, where drug use and prostitution proliferate. I went to ask the bar opposite the clinic. The room of the bar girl living there had a good view of your clinic. Her description of the doctor matched with your profile better."

"My profile?" Sun Qingxue was slightly surprised. 

That's right! You dressed like Professor Xue and kept your head lowered all the time. Plus you made sure the room was always dimly lit so everyone mistook you for Professor Xu. With the exception of the person who has been looking at your back profile for years from a higher vantage point, her description of you was the closest to reality. She described the doctor as hunchbacked, had broad shoulders and was not skinny... That was the biggest difference between you and Professor Xu."

"Good... very good," Sun Qingxue applauded him, "But with only that one point, it can only be considered guesswork."

"Of course, that's not the only point," Bai Yutang continued, "It prompted me to think about all the seniors who could've been related to Zhao Jue's case in some way. That person would have to have sufficient contact with Zhao Jue or access to his files to be able to imitate him. And then, I thought of you."

Bai Yutang paused for a bit before asking, "Do you remember when you treated the Cat and me to noodles?"

Sun Qingxue was taken aback, "Noodles?"

Bai Yutang responded, "At that time I thought, why would a person who's not all that particular about the basic necessities of life such as food and his appearance have so many bowls where he worked?" 

Sun Qingxue's eyes widened.

Bai Yutang elaborated, "Luckily, I managed to find many bowls in the clinic as well. I'm guessing this is some habit of yours that's stuck with you over the years."

...

"Haha~~" after listening to Bai Yutang's words, Sun Qingxue burst into fits of hysterical laughter, "Good! Very good... You really are something else. Just based on a few bowls..."

Bai Yutang continued with his speech, "All these formed the basis of my suspicion for you. And what the Cat found cemented this speculation." 

Sun Qingxue looked to Zhan Zhao attentively, "Oh? What did you find?" 

Zhan Zhao extended his finger and shushed at Sun Qingxue. 

Sun Qingxue looked like he got a rude awakening.

Zhan Zhao said, "Although you had access to Zhao Jue's information and case files, as well as a basic understanding of psychology. At the end of the day, you're nothing but a poor imitation."

"What?"

Zhan Zhao explained with a smile, "After killing Wu Hao, Chen Jing deliberately did this gesture to Qin Jiaqi in order to draw everyone's attention to Zhao Jue. When I looked through Zhao Jue's records, he would do this action in every case. To the layman, it may seem like a habit or signature move of his. But in actuality, it's Zhao Jue's command. When those under his suggestions see this gesture, they would move to complete the command. Back then, it was this action that made Bai Jintang notice that something was off about Zhao Jue."

The smile on Sun Qingxue's face was gone. In its place was a sinister expression, "I see~~ Indeed, there was no way for Xu Yanqin and Zhang Boyi to know about these. Only someone like me with direct access to the files would know."

"And lastly, when Zhang Boyi called demanding for the confidential files, it proved that you're the mastermind behind all of this!" Zhan Zhao stated.

Bai Yutang affirmed Zhan Zhao's statements, "You probably called Zhang Boyi down to your clinic to tell him about the confidential files just so Chen Jing would bump into him. That way, you could completely push all the blame onto Zhang Boyi and Xu Yanqin."

"Kukuku... Hahahah..." Sun Qingxue burst into laughter, "Really... a perfect deduction... haha..."

Bai Yutang looked at Sun Qingxue who appeared completely nuts, "Why did you hurt all those people? There shouldn't be any grudges between Gongsun and you!"

"It's because I hate people like you!" Sun Qingxue suddenly started shrieking, "I hate you! Your father, Bao Zheng, and you!" he raised a hand to point at Zhan Zhao, "Damn prodigies! Always so damn perfect! Just like the angels in the sky, it's like the rest of the world can only serve as supporting characters to you!" 

As words filled with rage endlessly escaped Sun Qingxue's lips, Zhan Zhao noticed the slight smile that appeared on Zhao Jue's face. And that feeling like something was off became even stronger. 

"Especially you!" Sun Qingxue shoved Zhao Jue and pointed the gun at him, "You... Yunwen and Bao Zheng would always spoil you, treat you like an angel. I was just a mediocre archivist but I have to suffer by constantly being in the presence of all you brilliant people! My only use was cooking noodles for you guys! However... do you remember how you mocked me? You said I had no talents, that I couldn't study psychology... you said I could never become an angel... Well, damn you! Damn all you bloody angels..."

As Sun Qingxue got increasingly agitated, Zhan Zhao flinched and shouted, "No!"

While a full-blown grin bloomed on Zhao Jue's face.

They watched as Zhang Boyi charged at Sun Qingxue, violently slashing the knife in his hand... Gushes of warm red fluid splattered everywhere.

Sun Qingxue pressed his hand against his neck where the blood sprayed out like a fountain as he slowly fell to the ground. His eyes were dead set on Zhao Jue's laughing figure as he laid in the pool of his own blood. Gradually, his breathing came to a stop.

"Put the knife down!" Bai Yutang commanded, but Zhang Boyi had already slit his throat without any delay.

Seeing the two lifeless bodies lying in pools of blood, Bai Yutang didn't quite know how to react. While Zhan Zhao smiled weakly as he muttered, "Calla lily..."

"What?" Bai Yutang turned to express his confusion to Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao took a deep breath and explained while staring straight at Zhao Jue, "In the language of flowers, the Calla lily represents purity, eternity... It reminds people of pure-white wings..."

Bai Yutang recoiled at the thought, "The command was 'Angel'?!"

Zhan Zhao nodded, "Yes. Zhang Boyi would often see Calla lilies. And due to his job, he would often come into contact with the word 'Angel' due to Professor Xu's research... As someone under the suggestion, he would never verbalise the command himself. In fact, he might even subconsciously fear the command... Which was why Zhang Boyi was unable to say the word 'Angel' twice!"

Bai Yutang glaced at Zhao Jue, "That's his suggestion? It was all part of his plan?"

Zhan Zhao looked really conflicted as he spoke slowly to Zhao Jue, "You deliberately changed the strokes in your drawing to create that sense of urgency. That way, Zhang Boyi would react more intensely towards an urgent command... When Sun Qingxue became more and more agitated, the command coming out from his mouth would only sound more and more urgent... Zhao Jue, you truly are a genius. At the end of the day, you are still the final winner..."

Zhao Jue tilted his head and smile at Zhan Zhao from a distance, his eyes filled with fondness for the latter. Then, he reached into Sun Qingxue's pocket and took out a plain-looking lighter...

...!...

Bai Yutang jerked with sudden realisation as the pungent smell of the cabin attacked his senses. Under the curtains behind Zhao Jue were containers loaded with fuel...

"Cat!"

He didn't have the time to care about anything else as he grabbed Zhan Zhao and ran out of the cabin like no tomorrow. 

Zhao Jue leisurely turned on the lighter and dropped it to the ground. 
——In an instant, the place was engulfed in flames. 

Zhan Zhao lets himself be dragged away from Bai Yutang, but kept his eyes on Zhao Jue. Then, Zhao Jue gave him a small smile and gestured.

"Shh~~~"


The explosion was so loud, it shook the sky and caused the land to quake. 

Bai Yutang desperately shielded Zhan Zhao from the explosion as best as he could as they jumped into the water. The currents formed from the blast carried the two of them away. 

After what seemed like a long time, Zhan Zhao felt like his entire body had shut down. He couldn't remember anything in the confusion. All he knew was that he had to have a death grip on the hand of the person behind him and never let go. 

Bai Yutang flipped himself onto a small boat and labouriously pulled Zhan Zhao up.

"Urk..."

The moment they got on the boat, Bai Yutang collapsed and laid stationary. 

"Xiao Bai?" alarmed by what just happened, Zhan Zhao nudged Bai Yutang, but there was no response...

"Yutang... Yutang, please don't scare me like this..." he nudged him even harder, but still to no avail...

He placed a trembling finger under Bai Yutang's nose... nothing... 

"No... Yutang, no... Hey..." Zhan Zhao's mind completely blanked out. He stared at Bai Yutang's motionless body in pure horror. In that instant, all the memories of them flooded his consciousness. His mind was filled with Bai Yutang——memories of them fighting over things when they were kids, quarrelling, fighting over pyjamas before bed... the one who laughed with him... kissed him...

Then, he felt warm fingers brush against his face. The person who had supposedly stopped breathing was staring at him apologetically, "Kitty, don't cry. I was just messing around with you..."

"..."

Zhan Zhao was stunned momentarily. He didn't even realise that tears were streaming down his face and Bai Yutang was wiping them away...

"Y-You! Bastard! Stupid Mouse! You..."

Zhan Zhao couldn't finish the rest of his sentence. And that was because Bai Yutang had leaned in and sealed those lips with a passionate kiss.

"Kitty... You're not getting rid of me so easily!" Bai Yutang declared while wiping the tears on Zhan Zhao's face, and staring into his eyes affectionately.

Zhan Zhao returned the gaze as he slowly opened his mouth, "Yutang..."

"Hm?"

A straight punch flew at him.

"Ah!"
"You damn Mouse!"
"Damn Cat!"
"Don't even think of coming near me for the rest of your life!"
"I don't care!"
"Don't touch me!"
"I'm going to kiss you!"
"Damn Mouse! Mhmm..."

...

Half an hour later, Bai Jintang came with the rest of the team to find Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao drenched from head to toe. The two huddled together from the cold but were still bickering on the small boat. 

Bai Yutang produced a black box from his pocket and tossed it at Ding Zhao Hui, "It was really useful!"

"What's that?" Zhan Zhao asked, confused.

"A GPS tracker."

Bai Jintang heaved a deep sigh of relief, "Without this, I really wouldn't have been able to find the two of you."

The twins beamed, "For emergencies! It never hurts to be prepared!"

...

The sounds of the police sirens gradually faded away and the harbour returned to it's original tranquillity. A photograph floats atop the calm waters, bobbing rhythmically to the waves. The four young men in the photo were smiling ever so brightly...


Night had fallen.
On a fishing boat, the fisherman passed a blanket to a frail person and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes..." that man replied with a hoarse voice.

"Here, have some hot water to warm up your body."
"T-Thank you..."
"By the way, what's your name?"

That man pressed a slender finger against his lips and whispered, "Shh..."

Previous || ToC || Next

---

So many Zs in this chap...
Also, the Newton thingy, if I remember correctly my teacher said that the following day after Newton submitted his erhm research paper? Another scientist also submitted something similar. Basically something like that, but unfortunately, the world only remembers the names of the Number 1s ╮(╯▽╰)╭ I don't even know the name of that other scientist.

And I know this is like exposition for the readers but every time these kinds of scenes appear, my only thought is: "Talk so much the murderer run away already please" XD 

And and YAY!! Case closed, pop the champagne ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+

——
Tbh not really sure if I should continue since I have read Nighthawk Works' translations (am lazy to read the raws lollol ╮(￣▽￣"")╭) and they are pretty good despite them saying that they don't know much Chinese and there's also another translator, Heaven Hazel(?) working on this. Why are there so many translators ahahaha 

For now, since I've started a little on Case 2 I'll at least try to finish translating it and see what I should do from there. 

Please feedback to me in the comments below if you find any typos or terrible grammar, etc that you think I should change. Or maybe you think my interpretation is completely off lol Help me help you have a better reading experience ahahah what a tongue twister XD
Thank yous!! (˶‾᷄ ⁻̫ ‾᷅˵)

You can support me by sending some love in the comments or through the button below


peace lilies~