S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 3 Chapter 38

Ghost Murderer 06 - Bizarre Fingerprints

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The taxi involved in the crash was not equipped with cameras and the driver died on the spot, so it was not clear whether it was simply a car accident, whether he had seen a ghost like those drivers before him, or whether it was simply a deliberate act. 

One thing was strange though, most of the previous drivers braked sharply, so why did this driver ram into a restaurant off to the side? And so coincidentally, it just happened to crash into the one where Gongsun and Bai Jintang were eating.

Besides, even if it was deliberate, would someone use such a method to deliberately kill someone? How much precision would that require? Moreover, the car might not necessarily have crashed through the wall and rushed in, and the flying cabinet might not necessarily have hit someone.

Seeing that everyone was a bit tired, Bai Yutang sent everyone home to take a rest and told them to come back to work the next day.

Luo Tian asked Bai Chi to help take Yang Yang back. He stayed to keep Ma Xin company, but he was in a daze. Because he was afraid of affecting Ma Xin’s work, he just sat on a bench in the hallway and waited.

Bai Yutang wanted Zhan Zhao to go back too, but Zhan Zhao didn’t feel tired. He sat down next to Jiang Ping and mentioned some clues, and Jiang Ping took charge of helping him search.

Bai Yutang went to the forensic room to help Ma Xin out.

Ma Xin looked down and examined the bodies of the taxi drivers. The last one was delivered in a hurry, so all the relevant evidence inside the corpse's clothes had to be taken out first. Ma Xin was busy with tweezers and evidence bags.

Bai Yutang sat aside and waited, worrying about Bai Jintang. Brother is actually quite headstrong, and since he doesn’t remember anything now, he shouldn't be a very good person to mess with. Hopefully he won’t do anything to Gongsun that would upset him, if he did there would be trouble.

“Hmm…” At that moment, Ma Xin shook her head while looking at a piece of paper she took out of the dead driver’s pocket and muttered to herself, “That’s pitiful.”

“What’s wrong?” Bai Yutang asked.

“It's his son's report card, a hundred percent.” Ma Xin said.

Bai Yutang sighed softly, “Has his family been informed yet?”

“Lu Fang just took away his ID card, he should already be dealing with it.” Ma Xin shook her head and said, “Lu Fang probably has the strongest nerves in the entire police department. If I had his job of being responsible for informing the victim's family of the tragic news of their loved ones being killed every day, I would have been depressed long ago.”

“Lu Fang has regular sessions with Cat for psychological counselling,” Bai Yutang said, “but Cat often says he has nerves of steel.”

“There are pictures of him with his wife and children in his wallet.” Ma Xin carefully placed the wallet inside the evidence bag…

“Huh?”

“Find something?” Bai Yutang asked.

Ma Xin nodded her head and gestured for Bai Yutang to look.

Bai Yutang walked over and saw Ma Xin gently lift up the dead man's sleeve. Having Bai Yutang hold the tweezers for her, she got the fingerprint tape and said, “Captain, look here, there are four fingerprints.”

“They are very clear!” Bai Yutang looked at the four black fingerprints on the deceased’s forearm, frowned, and said, “He was grabbed from behind! Someone behind him forced him to drive!”

“En.” Ma Xin nodded, “The driver had his hands on the steering wheel of the car, and if a ghost suddenly jumped up behind him and grabbed his arms… he would be frightened and would naturally lose control of the car, and it would be possible to crash into the side of a building. Of course, it’s also possible that the ghost grabbed his arms and hit him.”

After Ma Xin finished speaking, she raised her eyes and saw that Bai Yutang’s mouth was slightly open as he stared blankly at the four fingerprints. That look, Ma Xin had never seen it on Bai Yutang’s face…

“Captain?” Ma Xin asked, “What’s wrong?”

“But it’s impossible to do that at that time.” Bai Yutang suddenly said.

“What’s impossible?”

“They attacked the driver from behind and grabbed his arms,” Bai Yutang shook his head repeatedly, “but the driver’s seat is surrounded by a protective shield!”

Ma Xin froze, if Bai Yutang didn't say that, she really would have forgotten about it. But then she thought about it again and suddenly felt weird, “Did the shield in the car get destroyed?”

Bai Yutang shook his head and immediately called the evidence room where the vehicle was stored. The police officer on duty went to check the car and said that the car was only dented in the front, but the rest of the car was not damaged, and the plastic protection panel around the driver's seat was very strong.

Bai Yutang hung up the phone and frowned. Ma Xin had been a forensic scientist for a long time, and when she heard the results, it was the first time she felt a chill run down her back.

Bai Yutang wanted to discuss it with Zhan Zhao, but when he turned his head, he saw Luo Tian sitting on the bench outside, looking at the forensic room with a somewhat complicated look in his eyes. Shaking his head helplessly, Bai Yutang said to Ma Xin, “I'll go and research with Cat, let Luo Tian keep you company.”

“Who cares about him?” Ma Xin muttered quietly.

Bai Yutang laughed and asked, “Why are you two arguing?”

Ma Xin glanced at him and said, “We met a classmate at the playground and when they saw me holding Yang Yang and eating ice cream with Luo Tian, they asked if he was my boyfriend. Guess what he said.”

Bai Yutang shook his head.

“He hurriedly explained that I wasn’t and that I was their relative.” Ma Xin wrinkled her nose, “Should I be ashamed? I was also a flower back in medical school!”

“Okay, flower.” Bai Yutang was a bit helpless, “Luo Tian was thinking about you and was afraid you would be embarrassed. Those classmates of yours don’t sound that much better, do they?”

Ma Xin flattened her mouth and said, “Why care about what others think… they are just jealous. He has many advantages, but he doesn’t know that.”

“He doesn't necessarily think so. Luo Tian has been isolated from the world for so many years, so he is still relatively simple.” Bai Yutang said, “If you two really think you are suitable, just get it over with, don't delay, it will help Yang Yang study at ease.”

“He refused.” Ma Xin was not happy.

“What did your brother say?” Bai Yutang asked.

“My brother told me to force him!” Ma Xin replied.

Bai Yutang laughed dryly twice and said, “If you really like him, why don't I just help you knock him out so you can force him?”

Ma Xin looked at Bai Yutang fiercely, “Why do you all act as though I can't get married?!”

Bai Yutang shrugged his shoulders, and shook his head as went out the door, gesturing inside to Luo Tian.

Luo Tian didn’t understand.

“Xin Xin said she was scared, go inside and stay with her, I’m going back to the office.” Bai Yutang said.

Luo Tian was a bit surprised. Ma Xin was scared? Ma Xin looked at him and kicked over a chair, “I'm not a woman, huh?!”

Bai Yutang hurriedly ran away. Luo Tian had to go in and watch Ma Xin dissect the corpse.

Zhan Zhao was currently looking at the information Jiang Ping printed out.

“Cat.” Bai Yutang came in and went to sit beside him.

“Finished creating opportunities for Xin Xin and Luo Tian?” Zhan Zhao teased him, “How are the two doing now?”

“In short, it’s complicated.” Bai Yutang sighed and told him about the fingerprints that they had just found during the autopsy. 

The information startled Jiang Ping, whose eyes widened, “No way, Boss, I don’t dare to drive alone anymore. I live alone, I can’t, I’ll go stay at Hu Zi’s place for safety.”

“This is really evil.” Zhan Zhao said, “Why do I feel that no one can do this except Zhao Zhen?” 

“It’s most likely a magic trick… or…” Bai Yutang raised an eyebrow at Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao shook his head firmly, “I would rather believe that dinosaurs will come back to life than that ghosts would float around and harm people.”

“By the way, Cat,” Bai Yutang asked, “what about Zhao Zhen’s case?”

Zhan Zhao shook his head and said, “If you didn’t mention it, I would have forgotten. I might not have time to look into it for him.”

“Should I find other officers to investigate?” Bai Yutang asked.

“Why don’t we ask Zhao Zhen?” Zhan Zhao said, “Looking at his expression, it didn’t seem like he wanted us to interfere.”

“Let’s wait until I have time to talk to him… It’s a shame that Brother is injured, otherwise we could have just given the case to the twins, they would have found out for sure.”

“That’s right,” Zhan Zhao nodded and said, “I wonder how Brother and Gongsun are doing.”

……

At 1:30 in the morning, Gongsun sat on top of the kitchen counter, looked at Bai Chi who was carefully simmering a soup, and said, “Chi Chi, sorry for troubling you.”

“It’s alright,” Bai Chi smiled and said, “I happened to make some extra. Everyone is tired these days and it’s hot out, so we should all recharge.” As he said that, Bai Chi turned back to look at Gongsun. He saw him sitting there with gauze wrapped around his hand, looking a little dark.

“Gongsun?” Bai Chi reassured him, “Don’t worry, Brother will get better.”

Gongsun looked at him and nodded his head.

When Bai Chi came back, Gongsun was fighting with the pot of soup. He was already in an extreme rage and had almost blown up the kitchen. Fortunately, Bai Chi came in time to help him bandage his burned hand and restart the soup.

“Brother would be heartbroken if he knew you burned your hand trying to make the soup.” Bai Chi said, “Gongsun, you have to trust Brother, give him some time.”

Gongsun gently picked up the corners of his mouth and smiled, reaching out to touch Bai Chi's head, “I know.”

At 3:00 in the morning, Da Ding took a long breath, drank a pot of tea, and said to Bai Jintang with a dry mouth, “That’s all, and as I said, you just went to celebrate your wedding anniversary, then tragedy struck.”

After listening, Bai Jintang was silent for a while, then he nodded and said, “Go to bed, I’m tired too. Tomorrow, bring me the company’s financial data, performance reports, and logs for the past three years. If someone asks, just tell them that I went to work abroad for a few days, don’t say anything else.”

“Is that all?” Da Ding and Xiao Ding looked at him with wide eyes.

Bai Jintang looked at the two of them and said, “Well, that’s right, there’s also the approximate size of the Bai Group, the main competitors, and the current situation in S City, bring all that data to me.”

“Who asked you about that?!” Xiao Ding wanted to throw the table, “I’m asking you, what about Gongsun?”

Bai Jintang raised an eyebrow, “None of your business.”

“Heh…” Da Ding and Xiao Ding both gasped and jumped up, and Xiao Ding yelled, “Bai Jintang, you have guts! I’ll go back and stir up trouble! I’ll make sure that Gongsun will never have sex with you again for the rest of his life! It’ll suffocate you to death!” After saying that, he ran away in anger, and Da Ding had no choice but to chase after him.

When they had both left, Bai Jintang reached out, looked at the ring on his ring finger and smiled faintly, muttering to himself, “Well, it’s not too bad.” 

“Ha~~” Early the next morning, Zhan Zhao, who was on the couch, was woken up by Bai Yutang’s iced-coffee-on-the-face technique. Sitting up in a daze, he yawned, “It’s morning, huh?”

“En.” Bai Yutang prepared his breakfast while saying, “By the way, I just called Dad.”

“About Brother’s injury?” Zhan Zhao asked.

“En.” Bai Yutang smiled and said, “Guess what the old man said.”

“Ahem.” Zhan Zhao cleared his throat, mimicking Bai Yunwen’s tone, “That brat, doesn't forget what should be forgotten, but forgets everything that shouldn't be forgotten, disappointing!” After saying that, he smirked at Bai Yutang.

Bai Yutang raised his eyebrows and he reached out and pinched Zhan Zhao's chin with admiration, “So smart!”

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

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

Translated: October 12, 2021