S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 2 Chapter 32

Murderer vs Murderer 05 – Suspicion

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Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao ran into the emergency room and saw five dead bodies lying there covered in white cloth. Benjamin was sitting on the bed with has hand wrapped in gauze, and Ma Xin happened to be the doctor treating him. Bao Zheng was standing next to him with an ugly expression on his face.

"Bao Sir." Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao walked to Bao Zheng, "How did this happen?"

"ZJ's people did it." Benjamin suddenly said. His eyes were red and he looked as though he had just cried. Who wouldn’t be sad when the companions that they spent every day with met such a tragic end?

"Are you okay?" Zhan Zhao asked as he felt that there was a problem with Benjamin's condition.

Benjamin raised his head and looked at Zhan Zhao, replying coldly, "What do you think?"

Zhao Zhen was taken aback and a little embarrassed. Bai Yutang frowned slightly. However, since Benjamin seemed to be quite upset, he decided to ignore it. He glanced at Zhan Zhao — ‘Cat, drop it. He must be very upset.’

Zhan Zhao looked up indifferently — ‘I'm not that stingy.’

"ZJ's people did it?" Bai Yutang looked at Bao Zheng.

Bao Zheng looked at Benjamin, "Please explain it to them."

Benjamin walked over to the corpse and drew back the white cloth. He first pointed to a gunshot wound on the left side of his chest and said, “They were all killed in one shot.” He then pointed to the neck of the deceased, “Breaking the neck is the favourite move of the Marine Corps. Being shot in the chest is enough to kill, but they didn’t think that that was enough. They had to go the extra step.” Finally, he pointed to the deceased’s chin and the other noticed that there was a mark that looked like the letters ‘ZJ’.

"How did they do that?" Zhan Zhao was puzzled.

“Members of ZJ all wear the same style of watch or bracelet with ZJ’s logo in a prominent location. When they strangle someone, their watch or bracelet presses directly onto the victim’s chin, leaving a clear mark. This is why we call this organization ZJ.”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang nodded — ‘That makes sense.’

"How many of them where there?" Bai Yutang wondered, "Why did they want to kill you?"

Benjamin sighed and shook his head, "Military secrets, I can't tell you."

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao glanced at Bao Zheng. He nodded to the two of them and said, “This is not a trivial matter. However, we will be responsible for the events that happened in our country. Since the victims are member of Interpol, they will be sending someone to join our investigation.”

“Who are they sending?” Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao looked at each other.

“You have worked with this individual before.” Bao Zheng said lightly, “Ouyang Chun.”

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao were okay with having him join them. Ouyang Chun is very skilled and he is not as arrogant as the other members of Interpol.

Bao Sir.” Bai Yutang looked at Bao Zheng. “We can’t investigate until Ouyang Chun and his team arrive, correct?”

Bao Zheng nodded. “I have already sealed the scene. Ouyang Chun and his team will arrive tomorrow morning. It’s best if you go and investigate together. You guys must cooperate with each other for this investigation.”

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked at each other and then looked at Bao Zheng strangely, as if asking him — “Then why did you call us to come now?”

Bao Zheng’s face changed and he awkwardly said, “We want to ensure Benjamin’s safety tonight. I have already arranged for a guard but he said he wants you to protect him.” As he spoke, he glanced at Bai Yutang.

“Me?” Bai Yutang frowned and looked at Benjamin.

“I don’t trust other people.” Benjamin looked at Bai Yutang and said, “The only person I believe in here is you. Other than you, I can’t ensure that the other people are skilled enough.”

Bai Yutang nodded, so Bao Zheng thought that he had agreed to stay and protect him. Just as he wanted to speak, he heard Bai Yutang say “That problem is actually very easy to solve. If you only trust me, then I will help arrange the officers that will protect you. Since you can’t be sure of their skills, so I will choose the most outstanding officers for you. If you think that it’s still not enough, then we can arrange an army of officers to protect you. That would be better than having only me protecting you. Plus, I still have other work to do.”

Bao Zheng and Zhan Zhao were speechless, not to mention Benjamin. Faced with such a situation, how could someone refuse? Bai Yutang’s words were direct enough to be hurtful; he spoke decisively and left no room for others to interject.

Benjamin smiled weakly and nodded, “You really haven’t changed at all. Alright, I will listen to you.”

Bai Yutang glanced at Bao Zhen, “If there is nothing else, then I will go and arrange the officers.”

Bao Zheng nodded. Bai Yutang turned around and left the room.

Zhan Zhao nodded to Bao Zheng and followed Bai Yutang out. Seeing that he was busy, Zhan Zhao walked to the staff lounge. He saw that Ma Xin was reading, so he knocked on the door and called out to her, “Xin Xin?”

Ma Xin looked up and smiled at Zhan Zhao, “Dr. Zhan. Are you here to visit or do you have something that you want to ask me?”

Zhan Zhao walking in with a smile and said “How can Ma Han, who is so composed, have a sister who is so strange?”

Ma Xin raised her eyebrows, “Wouldn’t it be annoying if both of us were too composed and honest?”

Zhan Zhao walked over to her and lowered his head, “What are you reading?”

“A book on forensics.” Ma Xin showed Zhan Zhao the cover of the book.

“Are you going to study forensics?” Zhan Zhao was surprised.

“It’s not that I am going to, I already am.” Ma Xin said triumphantly. “I’ll get my exam results back this weekend. Maybe we can be colleagues after this.”

“Huh?” Zhan Zhao was surprised. “Colleagues?”

Ma Xin nodded. “Your police station wants to hire someone with a Master of Forensic Medicine degree. The examination for it is very strict; it’s not only a written exam but also a practical exam. I heard that the questions are designed by the famous SCI forensic doctor Gongsun. He has also been the one who has asked the questions for several years. Coincidentally, I have passed the written exam this year and am just waiting on the results of my practical exam.”

Zhan Zhao suddenly remembered that two days ago, Gongsun had happily told him about a genius student that he had found. He was going to hire them as an assistant. Could that student be Ma Xin?

“Your brother never mentioned this.” Zhan Zhao said.

Ma Xin blinked at Zhan Zhao, “I’m going to surprise him, but the practical exam was very difficult. Gongsun’s questions were so tough; they didn’t only include medical knowledge questions but also pharmacology questions, many common-sense questions, bizarre questions, and questions that required imagination. I tried my best but I don’t know what the results will be.”

“Since you are going to be a forensic medical examiner, I will give you a test.” Zhan Zhao asked Ma Xin with a smile, “Did you check the wound for Ben just now?”

“En.” Ma Xin nodded.

“Describe his wound in detail for me.” Zhan Zhao found a stool and sat down.

Ma Xin put the book down. She walked over to close the door and whispered, “First, I asked him how he was injured. He said that he was injured by a stray bullet during the shootout.”

“Okay.” Zhan Zhao nodded. “Did you observe the wound itself?”

“He injured his right arm. The injury is located on the part of the arm that faces his body.” Ma Xin said. “It’s hard to determine if he is telling the truth or not.”

“Why do you say that?” Zhan Zhao asked.

“In general, when involved in a shootout, people will instinctively find shelter to avoid being caught in the fire. People who are right-handed will find shelter on the left, and those who are left-handed will find shelter on the right.”

Zhan Zhao nodded.

“After finding shelter, they would turn their back to it when they shoot. When doing this, most injuries will be located on the back of the arm. If they couldn’t find a good spot, then they will face the shelter as they shoot. In that case, it is more likely for them to get shot in the body rather than in the arm. However, this concept can only be used as a reference when you are handling a case as it is not absolute.”

Zhan Zhao nodded and asked “However, if you shoot yourself, you would be injured on the inside of your arm, correct?”

Ma Xin was shocked. She smiled and said, “This is not in the scope of my responsibility.” As she said it, she picked up the book and shook it. “Gongsun’s motto is that forensic medical examiners can reason but cannot assume.”

Zhan Zhao chatted with Ma Xin for a while, then left with both of his hands in his pockets. He was that the light above the operating room next to him had gone out and two doctors exited. Zhan Zhao was closest and quickly asked “How is he?”

The doctor sighed slightly and shook his head. At that moment, Bao Zheng and Benjamin came out of the emergency room. Zhan Zhao saw the two come out and suddenly asked the doctor, “Did he say anything before he died?”

Both Bao Zheng and Benjamin stared at the doctor as he shook his head, “No. He was unconscious throughout the rescue process. He never woke up. We tried our best.” After answering, they left.

Benjamin watched the doctor leave. He turned his head but he saw that Zhan Zhao was staring at him in an inexplicable way. There seemed to be a moment of clarity in his eyes.

“Cat." At this moment, Bai Yutang walked in from outside and called Zhan Zhao.

As Zhan Zhao walked over to him, Bai Yutang spoke to Bao Zheng and Benjamin, “The task of protecting Ben has been handed over to Ai Hu, and everything else has been arranged. I will call the SCI members to gather early tomorrow to wait for Ouyang Chun and his team. We will go directly to the hotel to do the on-site inspection. Now, all of the bodies will be transported back to the forensic room for preservation. When the Interpol members arrive, I will call Gongsun to come in and conduct an autopsy.”

Bao Zheng nodded. He had never doubted Bai Yutang’s ability to handle affairs; his arrangements were impeccable.

“We’ll head off then.” Zhan Zhao nodded to Bao Zheng and smiled at Benjamin.

Benjamin looked at Zhan Zhao with a complicated expression. His smile seemed to have a lot of meaning behind it; there was hints of both cunning and ridicule hidden in it. Looking at it, he realized that Zhan Zhao’s smile was simply beautiful, so beautiful that it was dazzling.

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao walked out of the hospital. Because Bai Jintang had found someone to drive his car to the parking lot of the police station, Bai Yutang had to borrow a police car from one of the police officers outside, saying that he would return it as soon as he could. It was a great honour for the young police officers to have their car borrowed by the captain of the SCI, so they easily handed their keys over.

After getting into the car with Zhan Zhao, Bai Yutang started the car and asked, “Cat, your smile is so sinister. What have you discovered?”

Zhan Zhao raised his eyebrows, “Well, it’s just a guess so it doesn’t count.”

Bai Yutang nodded, “Do you doubt Ben?”

Zhan Zhao was slightly surprised and looked up at Bai Yutang, “Do you doubt him too?”

“Out of seven people, six died and one was only slightly injured. It’s obviously suspicious.” Bai Yutang said as he drove. “Fortunately, it’s Ouyang Chen who is coming to help. Otherwise, this would be really troublesome.”

Zhan Zhao nodded and he heard Bai Yutang suddenly say “By the way Cat, I have something to tell you.”

“Huh?” Zhan Zhao leaned over, “What do you want to tell me?”

“Ah…” Bai Yutang nodded, “I confess that you are my favourite person.”

“Ahem” Zhan Zhao was taken aback by Bai Yutang’s words. He looked at him with slanted eyes, “You… Why are you saying this all of a sudden”?

“Even if you don’t like me for the rest of your life, I will still like you the most.” Bai Yutang continued in a very calm tone. “No one can destroy us. Whether he loves you or he loves me, it doesn’t matter.”

Zhan Zhao lowered his head. He was silent for a while before suddenly leaning in and kissing Bai Yutang’s cheek, whispering in his ear, “This is your reward.”

Bai Yutang’s ears turned red. Zhan Zhao, who was next to him, was smiling so widely that he couldn’t close his mouth. When Bai Yutang saw that, he stepped on the gas pedal and said, “Cat, let’s go back and do it!”

"Dead mouse, drive slowly!"

"A moment of the spring night is worth a thousand dollars. It would be a shame to waste it!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Go back and do it!"

"Don't say it!"

......

Bai Jintang lit a cigarette and looked down at his chest. Gongsun, who was laying on his chest, had fallen asleep because of fatigue. The ambiguous marks on his bare shoulders were just made by Bai Jintang.

Gongsun had probably drunk too much wine that night, as it was either due to that or some other reason that Gongsun had shown special enthusiasm. Knowing that he had work tomorrow, Bai Jintang was going to go easy on him, but seeing how passionate he was being, he couldn’t help but go a little rougher. He only stopped when Gongsun begged for mercy. No matter how many times they did it, Bai Jintang would never get tired of him.

As he was thinking, he finished his cigarette. As he was getting ready to go to sleep, his cellphone vibrated in the pocket of his suit jacket that was next to the bed.

Bai Jintang frowned slightly. ‘Who would call at this time?’ he thought. He reached out for the phone and answered it, “Hello?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before a smiling voice came through “Your voice is really sexy. Did you just do it?”

Bai Jintang frowned and hung up.

As soon as he hung up, the phone rang again. He frowned and answered the phone. Without bothering to say hello, he waited for the person on the other end to speak.

"Who is lying in your arms right now? Or whose arms are you lying in?" The person on the other end of the phone was not afraid to joke around.

Bai Jintang remained silent.

“Alright, I’ll stop joking around.” The person on the other end of the phone stopped smiling and said, “I’m in S City.”

Bai Jintang frowned, "What does that have to do with me? Do you want me to invite you to dinner?"

"Haha… Jintang, you are so funny." The person said indifferently, “I’ve run into some trouble recently. I’ll probably need to get in touch with your precious twins.”

Bai Jintang’s eyes turned cold. He listened to the other person before speaking, “Don’t be angry, I haven’t finished talking yet. I will just talk to them; I won’t mess with them.”

Bai Jintang didn’t say anything. In his arms, Gongsun suddenly hummed and snuggled further into the sheet. Bai Jintang pulled the sheet up and covered him.

“Hmm? Did I wake your baby?” The person on the other end of the phone laughed. “By the way, what does he look like? Let me meet him one day.”

Bai Jintang took the phone away from his ear and put it in front of his mouth. In a very low tone, he spoke in a gloomy voice, “If you dare to get within 100 meters of him, I will cut off your dick and shove it up your ass. Then I will throw you into the Pacific Ocean to feed the fish.” After speaking, he hung up the phone and threw it aside. He rolled over to lie down next to Gongsun and covered both of them with the blanket before going to sleep.

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao arrived at the police station early the next morning. The members of SCI were still immersed in their feast from the night before, however, they turned serious when they saw Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao coming in.

"Captain?" Everyone looked at Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao, "What happened?"

As soon as he asked the question, they saw Gongsun kick open the door of the office. He rushed in aggressively and asked, “Motherfucker, where did those six corpses in the forensic room come from? I hate golden retrievers the most. The bodies are still covered in their golden hair!” (Angel: this is basically saying that Gongsun hates foreigners; 金毛 means golden hair or blondi, referring to the hair colour of foreigners. And as such, they are called golden retrievers by Gongsun)

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Look at the outrage from Bai Jintang and Gongsun; they are perfect for each other (ᗒᗜᗕ)՛̵̖

The conversation between Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao has me feeling worried; it felt very foreboding and I didn't like it. 

(ó﹏ò｡)

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: March 23, 2021