S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 3 Chapter 70

Lucky Murderer 01 - Lucky Day and the Case of the Ancient Corpse

---

"Haah~"

Early Sunday morning, Zhan Zhao slept until he woke up naturally, and when he got up with a big yawn, he felt something warm, soft and fluffy around him.

Lifting the covers to take a look, there were three felines lying on his left and right; the little lion was on his left and Luban and Lilia were on his right.

"Raphael~" Zhan Zhao nuzzled the little lion and rubbed it. This month, Zhan Zhao went to see a Renaissance painting exhibition and loved several of Raphael's paintings. If you don't see them up close, you really can't feel the shock of the master's paintings!

So this month, Zhan Zhao called the little lion Raphael.

Most felines are jealous by nature. When Luban and Lilia saw that Zhan Zhao had gone to kiss the little lion as soon as he woke up, they immediately came over, meowed and meowed, and rubbed up against him.

Zhan Zhao hurriedly went to hug the two cats.

Recently, Lilia has become pregnant; the surgery back then was not really clean, but considering the health of the mother cat, they are planning to bring Lilia in for another surgery after she has given birth to her kittens.

So for the time being, Lilia is in a resting period and Liu Fang happened to be going abroad for a photo shoot, so she was boarded here. Bai Yutang surrounded her with good food and drinks all day long, with an all-day nutrition package, just waiting for the kittens to be born.

Zhan Zhao looked around, Bai Yutang was not there and seemed to have woken up early. It was late autumn recently and, after a few rains, it had gotten cold.

Zhan Zhao burrowed under the covers again, choosing to stay in bed for a while longer.

Leaning back on the warm pillow, Zhan Zhao looked at the clock on the bedside table – it was ten o'clock in the morning. It had been a long year with a lot of cases, and he hadn't had that much time for leisure.

Downstairs, there were a few crisp 'ding ding ding' sounds, and the other three cats in the bed, apart from Zhan Zhao, immediately sprang up and ran downstairs… This was the sound of food being served.

Zhan Zhao smiled. Lying under the blanket, he looked at the clock and counted, "One, two, three…"

Just as he counted to three, he saw the door to the room open.

He saw Bai Yutang dressed in all white, a white sweater and white pants, pushing the door in. Seeing that he had woken up, he did not stop walking. Walking over, he lowered his head and placed a good morning kiss on Zhan Zhao's cheek… Of course, it was a little late for a good morning.

"Awake? How did you sleep?"

"Mmm." Zhan Zhao stretched, "Comfortable."

"Let's eat out for lunch?" Bai Yutang smiled, "Someone's treating us."

"Brother?"

"Chi Chi."

"Huh?" Zhan Zhao was a little surprised, "Chi Chi's treat? Isn't he saving money to invest in a cake shop recently?"

"Already saved up enough."

"Really? So fast, didn't they say they were one hundred thousand yuan short two days ago?" Zhan Zhao sat up, feeling incredulous. Bai Chi had never wanted Zhao Zhen's money, and had made both short-term and long-term investments with his own money. In general, the little thing was very good at managing his family's money thanks to his super high IQ and mathematical mind. Previously, Bai Jintang had thought it was a waste for him to be a police officer and wanted him to become an investment manager. Zhao Zhen's assets have at least doubled in a short time as a result of Bai Chi's management, and the twins are jealous… However, Bai Chi has limited funds of his own. In just a few days, where can he earn a hundred thousand yuan?

"Do you remember the last time we went to Food City and Bai Chi bought a scratch ticket?" Bai Yutang asked with a smile.

"Won the lottery?" Zhan Zhao opened his mouth in astonishment, "No way?"

"The first prize was two hundred thousand. After deducting taxes, Bai Chi also donated some money. One hundred thousand was enough to invest in the cake shop, and there was still some money left over, so he invited us all to dinner."

"Oh?" Zhan Zhao found it incredible, "Such good luck?"

"Good people are rewarded, I guess. If he didn't feel sorry for the grandmother at the lottery shop, he wouldn't have gone to buy a scratch ticket, which has such a low winning rate and a small prize."

"En, that's true." Zhan Zhao got up to wash his face and brush his teeth, "So what are we going to eat?"

"There's a new Thai restaurant near the police station, let's go there."

"Sure!" Zhan Zhao brushed his teeth and said vaguely, "I want to eat Thai shrimp paste rice and charcoal-grilled shrimp… and curry fish cakes!"

Bai Yutang shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed, flipping through the day's newspaper, "By the way, it was said that someone won a few hundred million a few days ago."

"That much?” Zhan Zhao finished washing his face and ran out to brush his hair, "The so-called one day fortune, I guess, but then again, there are good and bad things about windfall, it's better to be down to earth."

"That's true." Bai Yutang nodded and put away the newspaper, "Cat, the back of the sweater has split threads." Bai Yutang pointed to the sweater Zhan Zhao had just put on. Zhan Zhao tugged the sleeve and looked at it, and it looked like it had been scratched; a thread had been pulled out and there was a small hole.

"Uh… can you see it?" Saying that, he went to get the scissors to cut the thread.

"Hey," Bai Yutang looked at the life idiot powerlessly, "if you cut it, there really will be a hole! Just have your mother fix it for you one day."

"Really?" Zhan Zhao stared at the hole and couldn't remember where it had been snagged… but forget it, he had always been careless in life, and his clothes would definitely have holes in them within three days of wearing them.

After changing clothes and going downstairs, he saw that everyone was downstairs. Bai Chi had bought an ipad and was looking up information on the internet.

"Chi Chi," Zhan Zhao narrowed his eyes and sat next to him, touching his head, “robbery!"

Bai Chi looked at Zhan Zhao and laughed, "Brother, don't laugh at me, I was just lucky this time."

"Chi Chi, buy two-colour ball next time, the prize is high!" The twins urged Bai Chi. (Angel: Two-colour ball is a lottery in China.)

"No, I just bought it this time and I won't buy it again." Bai Chi hurriedly shook his head, "One's luck is limited in life, I'd be better off staying somewhere else."

"Hmm." Gongsun nodded appreciatively, “Stop when you are ahead, smart man."

To the side, Bai Jintang rested one hand on the back of the sofa behind his shoulder, looked at the financial newspaper in his hand, and asked, "You believe in this too?"

"I am occasionally quite superstitious." Gongsun pushed up his glasses, "Of course, most of the time I believe in science."

"Hmm." Bai Jintang habitually moved over and gave him a kiss, "You're cute when you're superstitious too."

Gongsun glanced at him and the crowd stared nervously, wondering if Gongsun would serve up a flying dagger…

Just as the crowd was about to run for cover, Gongsun reached out and gently touched Bai Jintang's chin, "Mmm, good boy."

……

Looking at the faces in the crowd, it was a wonderful sight. The twins rushed off and met up to go and throw up.

When it was almost time to eat lunch, the crowd drove away and invited the rest of SCI to join them at the Thai restaurant. Ma Xin saw that Zhan Zhao's sleeve was torn, so she told him to take off his sweater, took a toothpick and poked at it a few times to tie a knot, then looked at it… the hole was gone.

"Xin Xin, you’re a good wife candidate!" Zhan Zhao praised Ma Xin and patted Luo Tian. Shocked, Luo Tian coughed, but on the side, Luo Yang and Xiao Yi nodded, "Yes, yes."

Everyone was very excited to eat, and the Thai food was very authentic and original.

While eating, Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang's mobile phone on the table.

"Cat, are you waiting for a call?" Bai Yutang asked.

"No, I hope it doesn't ring, it rings every time we have the most fun, and then Bao Sir speaks like a mourner and says, 'Dead man, don't do anything and just watch me die on the spot…'"

The crowd roared with laughter.

Zhan Zhao was nibbling on a grilled shrimp with relish when someone tapped him on the shoulder, “You’ve got enough guts!"

"Ahem…"

Zhan Zhao choked on the curry sauce. Pounding his chest as he drank his tea, he turned around to see Bao Zheng standing there with a black face, "Good for you, kid, you dare to say bad things about me?

Zhan Zhao laughed dryly and pulled out a chair for Bao Zheng to sit on.

"Bao Sir, how come I haven't seen you without a case recently?" Bai Yutang poured a cup of tea for Bao Zheng, "What are you busy with?"

"I'm helping to investigate a mole, I've just pulled it out a few days ago."

"A mole?" The crowd all looked at him in surprise.

"The police, discipline inspection, fire... all departments are investigating together, pull out the radish to bring out the mud, pulling out a bunch of black sheep.” (Angel: Pull out the radish to bring out the mud is an idiom that means one criminal leads to another criminal.)

"Really?" Zhan Zhao frowned, "We haven't had any activity here at all."

"This time everyone is being investigated equally, and you guys are no exception, so how could I tell you." Bao Zheng sipped his tea and lamented, "You say that people are getting more and more shrewd nowadays, when you win the lottery, you will become greedy for millions."

"Winning the lottery?" Bai Yutang mulled it over for a moment, "That's a brilliant move, unknowingly, bribes are even taxed."

"Bao Sir, haven't there been any cases lately?" Zhao Hu was bored, "How long have we been idle? Look at Xiao Bai Chi, he's even gone to graduate school, we're wasting our time."

Bao Zheng was amused by him, "I'm only happy if you guys are wasting your lives." With that, he took a piece of information and handed it to Gongsun, "Gongsun, help me send someone to assist in the investigation."

"Investigate what?" Gongsun opened the file bag and the crowd curiously moved over to look – it was a bunch of pictures of mummified corpses.

"Wow…" Zhao Hu hurriedly pulled back, "It's too unappetizing!"

"Ancient corpses?" Gongsun smiled and asked Bao Zheng, "What's this?"

“An ancient tomb from the Song Dynasty was dug up in the suburbs and there seemed to be a lot of burial goods inside. However, when digging into the chamber, they found the coffin open and seven or eight bodies lying on the ground. It’s unclear why so many people died. The archaeological team asked to borrow a forensic pathologist from us, they want to determine the ages and professions of the deceased. You can recommend a younger forensic pathologist, let them get some practice."

"Oh…"

"Ahem."

Gongsun had just nodded in agreement when he heard Ma Xin cough softly, sitting upright and smiling at Gongsun.

Gongsun laughed and gave her the bag, "Then Xin Xin can go, Xin Xin is the best among the youngsters."

"Thank you~" Ma Xin hurriedly took the bag with a look of excitement.

Zhao Hu teased her, “Lass, it's going to an ancient tomb, not marrying someone, so why are you so happy? Be careful of letting the mummies molest you"

Ma Xin kicked him.

After eating, Ma Xin set off, and Luo Tian accompanied her. The rest of the crowd dispersed, each resting and waiting for work the next day.

The next morning, following a night of silence, Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao arrived at the SCI office. As soon as they entered the office, they saw Zhao Hu and a group of others gathered around, talking about something incessantly.

Bai Chi had neglected to eat his omelette and was staring at the group with his mouth wide open.

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao looked at each other – what's going on here?

"What are you talking about?" Zhan Zhao approached them and asked, his expression rather gossipy.

"Dr. Zhan, did you know that Xin Xin was attacked by an ancient corpse yesterday?" Jiang Ping said, "It's said that luckily Luo Tian was there and that mummy only fell after eating a round of bullets. Huzi really got it right."

"Huh?" Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang both emptied their ears, "Attacked by what?"

 "An ancient corpse!" Qin Ou couldn't laugh or cry, "How mysterious."

"How is that possible?" Bai Yutang shook his head, "Fraudulent corpses are made by bioelectricity or organs, the most a fraudulent corpse can do is stand up or jump up when the coffin is opened, how can it attack someone?"

“It’s true!" Bai Chi said, "Xin Xin is still in the hospital!"

Both Zhan Zhan and Bai Yutang were stunned and asked at the same time, "Is she alright?"

"Oh, it just scratched the skin a bit, but that thing has been dead for thousands of years after all. T.he archaeological team is afraid that there are germs or something, so Xin Xin was taken to the hospital for a full body examination. Gongsun went there first thing in the morning."

"The ancient corpse attacked…" Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang, "Do you believe it?'

Bai Yutang frowned and shook his head, "Don't believe it."

"It's not an ancient corpse."

At that moment, the door was pushed open and Gongsun walked in, "Those from the archaeological team and the press are spreading rumours."

"Gongsun?" Zhan Zhao looked back, "Where's Xin Xin? Is everything alright?"

“There’s nothing, I sent her back to rest." Gongsun untied his tie and sat down.

Bai Chi handed him a glass of water and asked, "What's going on?"

"It's really something you wouldn't believe if I told you." Gongsun smiled and shook his head, “Xin Xin told me that yesterday she went down into the crypt and was about to examine the corpse when she suddenly noticed something strange…"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

Translator Notes

Case 12 has begun!

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

Translated: March 7/8, 2022 by Angel