S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 3 Chapter 31

May 1st, SCI’s International Workers’ Day

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“Captain, heading for the first floor!” Ma Han turned off the walkie-talkie and picked up the binoculars in his hand.

“Zhao Hu, guard the exit downstairs.” Bai Yutang said over the walkie-talkie.

“Arrived!” Zhao Hu and Zhang Long guarded the exit in the lobby.

“Luo Tian, has the basement been reached yet?” Bai Yutang then asked.

“We’re there!”  Luo Tian and Bai Chi guarded the two elevator exits, one left and one right.

“We're guarding the third floor exit too!” Liu Qing and Shen Zhongyuan glanced at each other.

“We’re on the fourth floor.” Wang Chao and Jiang Ping said.

“Good!” Bai Yutang nodded and asked Ma Han, “Which way are they?”

“Boss, they’re in the stairway on the fifth floor!”

“I’ll go up!” Wang Chao said.

“No need!” Bai Yutang said, “They can't climb up to the top from the fifth floor, they’re either taking the elevator up or going down!”

As he spoke, there was a ‘ding’.

“Boss!” Jiang Ping whispered, “They’re in the elevator!”

“Don't rush,” Bai Yutang laughed, “it’s a trap!” After he said that, he spoke to Luo Tian and Bai Chi, “Luo Tian, Bai Chi, press one of the elevators to call it down!”

“Yes Sir!” Luo Tian and Bai Chi looked at each other, chose the lift on the left and pressed ‘Down’ desperately.

With a ‘ding’, the other elevator opened.

Shortly after, the door closed.

“Boss?” Jiang Ping asked.

“All right!” Bai Yutang said, “Tell Luo Tian and the others to stay downstairs, you guys stay put, I'll do the rest!”

“Yes Sir!”

……

Eventually, the elevator doors opened on the top floor.

A man flashed out carefully, looked around, and cautiously made his way to the door to the rooftop.

The man took a look around and then quietly slipped out… Just as he exited the rooftop door, he felt a tightness around his waist.

“Ah!”

“Let’s see where you will run!”

“Dead rat!”

“Stinky cat!”

Bai Yutang held down Zhan Zhao, who was desperately struggling to escape, and spoke to the group through the walkie-talkie, “Captured, let’s call it a day!”

“Let go!” Zhan Zhao pushed Bai Yutang’s arms down and turned back to look at him in protest.

Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow, “I let you go and you ran away, it took us half an hour to catch you!”

Zhan Zhao had a depressed look on his face.

“Don’t you dare run, go back!” Bai Yutang said.

“What do you want me to go back for? It's not like I can help!” Zhan Zhao grumbled.

“If you can’t help, then organize your own things!” Bai Yutang said, “In the morning it's tidying up the SCI office, in the afternoon it's tidying up the house, in the evening it's bathing Simba and Luban, don’t run away from any of them!”

Although Zhan Zhao was dissatisfied, he was captured alive by Bai Yutang and taken back to the office.

The thing is, today is May 1st, International Workers’ Day, which is a small holiday. Although it is only three days, Zhan Zhao has beautifully calculated how to use these three days. (Angel: It is also sometimes referred to as May Day or Labour Day.)

On the first day: sleep, and eat what Bai Yutang cooks!

On the second day: read a book and go listen to a lecture by an interesting psychology doctor!

On the third day: continue sleeping, eat, and rest up to prepare for work the next day.

However, all the wonderful wishes and plans were interrupted this morning by a phone call from Bao Zheng.

“There are visitors from several countries coming to visit after May Day.” Bao Zheng said to Bai Yutang, “Come back here and clean up the office!” At that time, Bao Zheng seemed to be roaring inside the SCI office, and with that voice, Bai Yutang felt his eardrums tremble violently. However, when he thought about it,  the entire SCI office, except for his own office, which was neat and beautiful, was a rubbish heap!

The last time Bai Chi went in there, he didn't know what he had knocked over and was buried alive, and it took them over half a day to dig him out.

So, Bai Yutang had to wake up Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao was very reluctant and stayed under the blanket, pretending to be an ostrich.

In reality, Bai Yutang was also a little distressed. He has been busy these days, so he went to bed early last night. But Zhan Zhao and a whole bunch of them had some kind of party downstairs and came back to sleep at two or three in the morning, so he couldn’t get up in the morning.

Bai Yutang thought to himself, “Forget it, just let Zhan Zhao sleep and clean myself, it's useless for him to go anyway.”

It’s just that… when Bai Yutang opened the bedroom door and walked to the staircase… he saw Lisbon and Simba lying in the doorway, and the two lions, which should have been white, had turned into flowery colours.

Bai Yutang then glanced down the stairs… and saw a large part of SCI sleeping cross-legged on top of the sofa, covered with rubbish and drink bottles…

Bai Yutang felt goose bumps all over his body as he walked downstairs… Suddenly, there was a ‘squish’...

Bai Yutang looked down and saw that he had stepped on some sticky buttercream cake…

After about half an hour of silence, Zhan Zhao heard a furious roar from inside his blanket, “All of you get up and clean up!”

So, the angered Zhan Zhao was lifted out of his blanket by Bai Yutang, who changed his clothes and dragged him to the police station with a large carload of people to thoroughly clean SCI's office in the morning, go home and clean the house in the afternoon, and bathe all the critters and himself in the evening! Everything has to be completely clean by the next day.

After arriving at the SCI office, Zhan Zhao saw the mess in his office, the five-row array of books all over the floor, and flinched a little.

He found the right moment to slip away, and was ready to hide in the building for a while, then take the opportunity to run out and eat, go back to his house in the afternoon to sleep, and in the evening, after a bath, would return home saying that he was lost.

Thus, there was the capture that had just taken place.

Zhan Zhao was quite capable of running, but as Bai Yutang has said, Zhan Zhao is an expert in studying others, while Bai Yutang is an expert in studying Zhan Zhao.

The cat used all his tricks, but in the end he was caught alive!

Back at the SCI office, Zhan Zhao went into his office, and three minutes later, a book collapse occurred inside the office.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Chi, who had kindly gone in to help, were buried.

Together, the SCI members started digging through the books and rescued the two of them.

“Hoo…” When Zhan Zhao was finally dug out by Bai Yutang, he raised his eyes to look at Bai Yutang.

Bai Yutang sighed helplessly.

Afterwards, Bai Chi was also pulled out by Zhao Zhen, “I was suffocating to death.”

Zhao Zhen hurriedly pulled Bai Chi out and said, “Let’s ignore this, let’s just take care of your job, it’s too dangerous here!”

……

Zhan Zhao sat on the floor and wrinkled his nose.

Bai Yutang looked around, pointed to the desk, and said, “Go up there!”

Zhan Zhao climbed on top of the desk and sat down.

Bai Yutang called and ordered takeout, and also asked internal affairs to bring two large bookcases over.

When the group finished eating the take-out, internal affairs had sent a few people over who moved two large bookcases inside.

Bai Yutang asked Luo Tian and Liu Qing to pile up all the books in Zhan Zhao's room first. The group took a look, and shook their heads… a mountain.

After the group moved the bookcases in, they were placed against the wall, as a result, the entire room was filled with bookcases.

“We’ll tell you the name of the book, you tell us where to put it.” Bai Yutang said to Zhan Zhao.

“Okay.” Zhan Zhao smiled. He has a good memory and has read every book in the room, so he knew how to organize them.

Bai Yutang, Luo Tian, and Liu Qing were all quick and responsive, and strong and capable, so they began to arrange the books under Zhan Zhao's direction.

The bottom shelf was very low and it was not easy to put the books there, so Luo Yang, who had come along for the ride, also came in to help with the bottom shelf of books.

Zhan Zhao held his coffee and sat somewhat brazenly on the desk, looking up to the sky and thinking that he seemed less capable than Luo Yang… and was instantly devastated.

……

Next door, inside the forensic room.

Gongsun was in front of the operating table, meticulously setting up the set of tools.

Ma Xin was polishing a set of measuring cups and test tubes.

If you look at the SCI members, there are a few particularly clean people: Bai Yutang, Gongsun, Luo Tian, and the siblings, Ma Han and Ma Xin.

Girls are tidier after all, and Ma Xin tidies up the forensic room every single day.

However, even in Ma Xin’s absence, the forensic room would be spotlessly clean because Gongsun would be there. If Bai Yutang is a slight neat freak, then Gongsun is a perfectionist with a particular hobby. 

His greatest pleasure is to arrange his knives in a neatly arranged manner, according to their lethality and danger, from which he derives a particular joy.

Bai Jintang stood at the door and frowned slightly, “It's clean enough, why are you still cleaning up?”

Gongsun smiled and said, “Even if it's clean, you can still find something that's not clean.”

Bai Jintang looked at him and took a step closer, smiling, “You're afraid you'll be home early and have to give Lisbon a bath, right?”

Gongsun didn't say anything, just winked.

Bai Jintang moved closer to him.

On the side, Ma Xin immediately took out the camera she had brought along… Click!

Gongsun and Bai Jintang turned their heads to look at her at the same time.

Ma Xin smiled, “I’ll keep it in my private collection, not to be shared with others.”

Bai Jintang thought for a moment and said, “Then help us take a few more.”

“Ok~” Ma Xin raised her camera.

Gongsun was pulled over by Bai Jintang, who lowered his head to kiss him…

Ma Xin was happily ‘click click clicking~~’

After a morning of struggling, SCI’s entire office looked brand new.

Bai Yutang, Luo Tian, and Liu Qing were so tired that they slumped over on the sofa. Luo Yang was also lying in Luo Tian’s arms, panting.

Zhan Zhao was a bit embarrassed and ran out to get four cups of milk tea, giving one to each of them.

Bai Yutang took the cup of milk tea and looked at Zhan Zhao, giving him a wink, then looked at Luo Tian and the others.

Zhan Zhao rubbed his head and said, “Thank you, everyone, you’ve worked hard…”

The group looked at each other and smiled. After that, Bai Jintang treated everyone to a good meal, then they drove home and proceeded to continue cleaning.

The house was an even bigger mess to clean.

Zhan Zhao didn’t need to clean up his books, so he helped dust with a feather duster.

When Bai Yutang put all of the dirty clothes in the basket and went down the stairs, he saw Zhan Zhao leaning forward and carefully dusting the ceiling and the corners with his feather duster.

Bai Yutang ran into the living room, took out a pair of glasses and a mask, and put them on Zhan Zhao, “You still keep your mouth open while dusting? Is the dust delicious?”

Zhan Zhao looked at him but didn’t say anything.

Bai Yutang smiled, “Are your hands sore?”

Zhan Zhao shook his hands and muttered in a low voice, “A little, but it’s okay, it’s easier than practicing with guns.”

Bai Yutang couldn’t help but laugh, “I’ll come help you after I go wash the clothes.”

“En.” When Zhan Zhao saw that Bai Yutang was in a good mood, he nodded his head. Thinking about it, Bai Yutang has been very busy, and the house was not particularly clean to begin with. With Bai Yutang’s OCD, if he wasn’t too tired, he would probably have cleaned up long ago. In fact, he should have let Bai Yutang sleep in this morning.

Zhan Zhao felt a little guilty about this, and started to think about it in a daze.

When Bai Yutang saw that Zhan Zhao was not talking and seemed to be in a daze, he thought that he might be tired. Thinking about it, he went to bed late last night and the cat is not in good health, so he hoped he wouldn’t get sick from staying up.

Thinking of this, Bai Yutang ran downstairs quickly, put all the clothes in the washing machine, and then went back to the living room to clean with everyone.

After a long day of work… finally, by dinner time, the living room was clean.

Afterwards, the group all collapsed on top of the sofa in exhaustion as the twins called for take-out.

After eating, the rest of the SCI members went home and the group living at the villa ran off to take showers. Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang held the little lion while Zhao Zhen and Bai Chi dragged Lisbon away for a bath.

Bai Jintang handed the fat Luban to the twins and went to bathe with his arm around Gongsun.

The twins had no choice but to helplessly carry the nineteen-pound Luban to the bath. In fact, Luban was twenty pounds before, then he suffered a certain blow and lost weight.

The thing is, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang brought Luban to the veterinarian. That veterinarian stared at Luban for a long time, lifted him up, put him on top of the desk in front of him, and looked at Luban some more.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked at each other, then looked at the veterinarian with some confusion.

The vet suddenly spoke up, “Are you a pig? What are you doing disguised as a cat?”

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao both widened their eyes and looked at the veterinarian in surprise. They saw that he was gentle, wearing a white coat, and had a slight resemblance to Gongsun.

The veterinarian then raised his eyes, looked at Luban for a long time, then said, “How do you have the face to say you’re a cat! You are simply the scum of cats! Aren’t you afraid that the mice will laugh at you? Don’t you have a beloved cat…”

Then, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang heard the most bitter language they had ever heard in their lives be used to scold a cat.

At first, Luban sat dumbfounded, then, as if affected by the aura, he began to shrivel up, slowly shrinking into a pile. When the veterinarian said that he was destined to be abandoned by the female cat he has a crush on and be lonely and be obese for the rest of his life… Luban suddenly cried, flew into Zhan Zhao’s arms, and seemed to have been hit hard. He burrowed his head under Zhan Zhao’s arm, his head and ears drooping, and he looked very sad.

Only after that did Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang wake up from the shock, and they looked at the veterinarian blankly.

The veterinarian straightened his white coat and spoke to Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, “This is called grief therapy!” After saying that, he turned to the documents on his desk and said, “If he doesn’t lose weight, bring him in to be castrated!”

“Meow!” Luban kept rubbing against Zhan Zhao, looking as though he was saying – Don’t don’t, I don’t want to become an eunuch, I want to marry Lilia!

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked at each other.. They had forgotten to tell Luban that it seemed like Lilia had been spayed for health reasons at her last veterinary visit, but she seemed to have shown symptoms of being in heat a few days ago. It is said that if cats don’t have everything removed, it can grow back on its own, but they don’t know if Luban will be that lucky.

Sure enough, after returning, Luban started to control his appetite and lost more than a pound in a week. According to the current trend, in two or three months, Luban will be back to his elegant form again.

When everyone had finished bathing, the little lion and Lisbon shook off their fragrant fur, flopped down on the floor, and began to sleep.

When Zhan Zhao returned to his room, he saw that Bai Yutang had already gotten into bed, exhausted, and was snoring.

Zhan Zhao covered him with the blanket, grabbed the hair dryer, and went over to blow his hair.

When Bai Yutang tried to open his eyes, Zhan Zhao gently patted him and said, “Sleep, I’ll dry it for you.”

Bai Yutang was too tired and he soon fell asleep.

Zhan Zhao’s five fingers gently stroked Bai Yutang’s hair as he blew it with the hair dryer, drying it little by little, and a smile appeared on his face.

When his hair was all dried, Zhan Zhao put down the hair dryer, got under the blanket, moved over, and laid a soft kiss on Bai Yutang’s forehead, “Good night and happy May Day, Mouse.”

……

The next morning, Zhan Zhao was in a deep sleep until he heard a loud yell from the bathroom, “Cat!”

Zhan Zhao was startled when Bai Yutang rushed out and grabbed him, “What did you do to my hair?”

Zhan Zhao blinked and looked at Bai Yutang dumbfoundedly, and saw the hair on his head in weird curls…

Zhan Zhao thought for a while. It seemed that he was lying down while drying his hair last night, so he was blowing his hair upwards while drying it, thus curling it...

“Cat!” Bai Yutang grabbed Zhan Zhao with one hand.

“What?” Zhan Zhao wrapped his arms around his pillow, vowing to defend his right to sleep.

Bai Yutang narrowed his eyes, “I’ll go wash my hair and you can blow it straight for me!”

Zhan Zhao wrinkled his nose, the second day’s lazy sleep was lost as well.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

This chapter was so much fun

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

Translated: September 20/21, 2021