S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 5 Chapter 30

Witness of the Three Murderers 30 – Black Teeth

---

After this box, which seemed to have a high level of security, was opened, what was inside was just a thin envelope.

Everyone looked at Wang Daping.

Wang Daping reached out and took the envelope out, handing it to Bai Yutang.

Bai Yutang opened the envelope and pulled out a photograph from inside. It was a black-and-white photo that wasn't very clear, and it looked like it should be a screenshot from a surveillance camera. There was an old man pushing a garbage cart in the photo. His hair was dishevelled and full of dirt, he looked like a vagrant, and his age couldn't be visually estimated, but his hair was white, so he shouldn't be too young.

Everyone looked at Wang Daping.

Wang Daping pointed at the photo and said, "He's the witness!"

Bai Yutang frowned slightly as everyone looked at Jiang Ping.

Jiang Ping took that photo and looked at it carefully, rubbing his chin, "Although there's only one photo, all five features were captured, plus with the billboards near this dump it should be possible to deduce the location where the photo was taken, and we might be able to find the person! Just, when was this photo taken?"

Wang Daping smiled slightly and said, "A week ago."

Everyone's eyes lit up.

Bai Yutang signalled – Go find this person immediately!

The SCI crowd went back to the office to analyse that photo.

Wang Daping also followed the crowd to the SCI office, and because he was still under surveillance, he wore a locator anklet on his foot. Zhan Zhao and the others weren't afraid of him escaping, because as said before, the safest place for him to hide was at the SCI office.

The SCI lounge was quite lively. Luo Yang and Xiao Yi were both out of school and ran over to do their homework, and Lisbon, Mia and Chen Xiaofei were also in the lounge...

Mia was flipping through Luo Yang and Xiao Yi's textbooks when Zhan Zhao walked in.

Mia tilted her face up to look at him.

Zhan Zhao walked over to her and sat down, showing her the photo.

Mia took the photo and looked at it, gesturing to Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao nodded. Mia's gesture indicated that there was no such person in the missing persons or recent deaths.

Zhan Zhao stood up with the photo, while Mia put down her textbook and poked Luo Yang and Xiao Yi to play chess with them.

At this time, the door to the lounge opened. Bai Yutang opened the door and came in to tell Zhan Zhao, "Qiao Xi is ready to be interrogated."

Zhan Zhao then went to the interrogation room with Bai Yutang.

Qiao Xi's injuries weren't light, he couldn't sit down and could only lie down. He was wearing a restraint suit and there were a few medical devices around him that made regular rattling sounds.

Zhan Zhao opened the door and went in. Qiao Xi had already woken up, and after Yang Fan adjusted the instruments, he nodded when he saw Zhan Zhao and the others come in, "He can talk now."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked towards Qiao Xi on the bed.

According to his age, Qiao Xi shouldn't be very old, but he looked very vicissitudinous.

Behind Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, Zhao Jue slipped in with an ice cream.

Zhao Jue squinted and took a closer look, puzzled, "Did he grow too old or is it an overgrowth phenomenon?"

Yang Fan said, "His physical condition is indeed poor, equivalent to a sixty or seventy-year-old."

"Is he also a test subject?" Zhan Zhao asked Zhao Jue.

"Well... it's hard to say, I think it's caused by overwork." Zhao Jue rubbed his chin.

Yang Fan nodded, "This person has severe malnutrition and neurasthenia, severe insomnia, severe stomach problems, severe anaemia..."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang both frowned as they looked at Qiao Xi on the bed. This person was originally supposed to be a rich son, how did he become like this now?

Qiao Xi opened his cloudy eyes and looked at the crowd.

Bai Yutang asked Zhan Zhao, "Why are his eyes so yellow?"

"It's because of liver disease," Yang Fan said, "caused by long-term insomnia." As he said this, he poked his temples, indicating – besides this person's body being unhealthy, his mind doesn't seem to be quite normal either.

Zhan Zhao nodded, this person indeed didn't seem very normal.

Yang Fan finished his business and left the room.

Zhan Zhao looked through the medical case left behind by Yang Fan, while Zhao Jue slowly sauntered around Qiao Xi's bed, staring at Qiao Xi and sizing him up with eyes that looked like he was looking at a fish on a chopping board.

Bai Yutang saw Qiao Xi's eyes staring blankly ahead as if their walking around his bedside didn't get his attention.

"Qiao Xi." Bai Yutang called out to him.

Qiao Xi was unresponsive.

Bai Yutang reached out and snapped his fingers twice in front of his eyes, but Qiao Xi still didn't respond.

Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao beckoned to Zhao Hu, who was watching from the doorway, and signalled – Bring that mask.

Not a moment later, Zhao Hu walked in with the mask.

Zhan Zhao instructed him to put it on.

Zhao Hu put the mask on.

Qiao Xi's gaze focused on the mask that Zhao Hu was wearing.

After staring at Zhao Hu for a long time, Qiao Xi suddenly opened his mouth and vaguely uttered an English word...

Zhan Zhao discerned that Qiao Xi was saying – thief.

Zhao Jue glanced at Zhao Hu, reached out, and dragged him out the door.

Zhao Hu was a little puzzled when he left the room.

Zhao Jue then took the mask off his face, put it on his own, and turned to enter the interrogation room.

Zhao Hu and Ma Han at the door exchanged a glance and stood by the window to continue watching.

Zhao Jue continued to circle Qiao Xi after he entered the room with the mask on.

Qiao Xi's originally stagnant gaze moved... his eyes never left Zhao Jue.

Zhao Jue reached out and gently pressed down on Qiao Xi's shoulders, his fingers tapping his shoulders, then he let go and continued to walk slowly around the bed.

Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao, who stretched out his hands, he didn't quite understand what Zhao Jue was doing either.

Outside the window, Gongsun and Ma Xin walked over together and asked Zhao Hu and Ma Han who were staring into the interrogation room with wide eyes, "What's the situation?"

Zhao Hu shook his head, "I don't know."

As he spoke, Yang Fan walked back, holding a list in his hand, seemingly wanting to go in.

Zhao Hu tugged him back, and Ma Han said, "Will walking in at this time disturb them?"

Yang Fan looked through the window and then at the list in his hand.

"What's this?" Ma Xin moved over to look, "Blood test components..."

Gongsun also glanced at it, "Did he take any drugs?"

"When I was treating him, I found that his teeth had a blue and purple colour, and he seemed to have the habit of taking some kind of drug, so I did a drug test on him." Yang Fan frowned, "He should have a long-term habit of taking a kind of hallucinogenic fungus."

"Fungus?" Zhao Hu was curious, "Shiitake mushrooms and such?"

"To put it simply, they're poisonous mushrooms." Yang Fan took out his cell phone, finding a picture to show the crowd, "I just searched for it, it should be a kind of poisonous mushrooms produced in South America. This kind of mushroom won't kill you if you eat it, but it will make you have strong hallucinations, and long-term consumption will seriously affect your judgement by clouding your central nerves. It isn't clear what the specific potency is, but long-term consumption will cause you to become dependent, that is, addicted to it... Because the teeth of people who take this mushroom will turn a blue colour, this mushroom is also known as the black-toothed mushroom."

"It's a little disgusting." Zhao Hu shook his head and asked, "Does anyone eat this kind of thing?"

Yang Fan nodded, "In the jungles of South America, a long time ago, some primitive tribes would eat these mushrooms to be courageous and strong when hunting."

"Courageous?" Ma Han looked at him, "What were they hunting?"

"Crocodiles and pythons." Yang Fan replied, "It's worth mentioning that the addiction to this black-toothed mushroom is different from a drug addiction, the medicinal properties are long-lasting and become stronger as a person's blood circulation accelerates and adrenaline is secreted."

Zhao Hu looked at Yang Fan with his mouth wide open, "What does that mean?"

"It means that if this medicine is taken once, its medicinal properties will last for a long time." Gongsun pushed up his glasses, "Since it's eaten for hunting, it has to conform to hunting habits. What must be done before hunting is ambush, and there is no need to be frantic when ambushing. But once the prey is found or when fighting with the prey, one's adrenaline will be secreted, the blood circulation will be accelerated, and the drug will explode, at this time, it will be very dangerous, right..."

"Then isn't it necessary to..." Ma Xin pointed inside, "warn them about it?"

"He's wearing restraints..." Ma Han looked in through the window and saw that at this time, Qiao Xi was still lying quietly on the bed, but his eyes were staring at Zhao Jue, his eyeballs moving along with Zhao Jue's movement, and that look...

Zhao Hu frowned. Although Qiao Xi did not move at all, his hair was too long and his face was covered with facial hair, so it was difficult to distinguish his expression, but if you look carefully, you will find that his eyes at this moment were very dangerous... like a reptile that was waiting to ambush its prey.

"Aiya!" Ma Han pushed Zhao Hu at the door, and Zhao Hu pushed the door open to go in... Almost at the same time, Qiao Xi, who was originally lying down, was seen suddenly springing up.

With a loud clatter, the restraints that were attached to the bed were torn open, the hospital bed was pulled up into the air by a huge force, and the several machines placed next to it shook violently.

Qiao Xi was looking at Zhao Jue who was walking right behind his head. At this time, Zhao Jue's hand was right above his head... Qiao Xi tilted his head and opened his mouth... only to reveal a mouthful of dark teeth, and he bit down towards Zhao Jue's hand.

Zhan Zhao was startled and saw Zhao Jue slowly raise his hand. At the same time Zhao Jue raised his hand, a bang was heard... A pillow flew over, flying right under Zhao Jue's hand, blocking Qiao Xi's face.

Zhao Jue retracted his hand, raised his eyebrows and glanced ahead.

Zhan Zhao also looked around. When he heard the commotion just now, Bai Yutang's pillow had already been thrown, it was a white pillow from the hospital bed next to him...

Zhao Hu and Ma Han huddled in the doorway with their mouths open as well – It seemed Bai Yutang had already noticed.

In fact, Bai Yutang throwing that pillow was completely an instinctive reaction. Just a moment ago when Zhao Jue was circling Qiao Xi, Bai Yutang suddenly felt a hint of danger in the eyes of the quiet Qiao Xi on the bed...

Bai Yutang keenly perceived this. Right at the moment when Qiao Xi was preparing to pop up, he judged his intention based on that posture of Qiao Xi storing up his strength, so he grabbed the pillow in his hand and threw it over...

Looking again at that pillow that Qiao Xi had bitten, a big gaping hole was torn...

Zhao Jue glanced at the pillow that had fallen on the side of the bed... Just now, if Bai Yutang hadn't thrown that pillow, he would have lost at least two or three fingers, right?

Zhan Zhao frowned and looked at Qiao Xi who was still struggling on the bed with his mouth open, revealing a mouthful of blue and purple teeth.

Yang Fan also walked in and took out a sedative from the medicine box on the side.

But Bai Yutang waved his hand, if he injected him with the drug now, he wouldn't be able to ask questions.

But Qiao Xi felt very dangerous, as if he was about to bite.

At the door, Gongsun suddenly ran away.

Ma Xin was wondering what her lord was doing, but she saw Gongsun go to the forensic room and come back in a hurry, holding half a mask in his hand.

Bai Yutang then saw Gongsun excitedly run in and give him the mask, "Use this use this! It won't affect his speech and he can't bite."

Bai Yutang stared at the weirdly shaped mask and couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth – This half mask covered the mouth and chin, but there were holes where the mouth would be, so he could talk but definitely couldn't bite.

Bai Yutang inexplicably felt that this mask looked a bit familiar.

"Wow!" Zhan Zhao came over to look, "This is the mask Hannibal wore in Silence of the Lambs..."

Gongsun blinked, "That's a film prop, this is the real thing!"

Zhan Zhao picked it up to admire it.

Bai Yutang waved to Zhao Hu and Ma Han.

The two went in and held the agitated Qiao Xi down, and Bai Yutang put that mask on him.

Zhao Jue, still standing by the bed and looking right at Qiao Xi's head, reached out and took the mask off his own face.

Zhao Jue tapped his chin gently with the mask, thinking.

At this moment, Zhan Zhao was also thinking about it.

Zhao Jue tapped his chin with the mask about three times, then suddenly stopped. Just as he raised his head, Zhan Zhao turned around and went out, and in the meantime, he tugged Gongsun at the doorway, "Gongsun, is the body of the deceased woman who was attacked during her morning walk in the park still there?"

"Yes."

Gongsun nodded. Ma Xin quickly ran and rushed to the forensic room to open the freezer and draw out that body.

Zhan Zhao picked up the special lamp that Gongsun and the others had used to illuminate the invisible symbols on the mask earlier and shone it at the corpse.

At the doorway, Bai Yutang trotted in, and Zhao Jue walked behind him with his hands in his pockets, seemingly quite disgruntled, "Kid's reaction was pretty fast."

"I heard that you almost became one-armed."

Behind Zhao Jue, Bai Ye came at an unknown time, speaking in a somewhat surly tone.

Zhao Jue glanced at him blankly.

Bai Ye smiled faintly and grabbed Zhao Jue's shoulder with one hand, whispering a few words in his ear.

Zhao Jue looked at him, "Are you sure you're awake?"

Bai Ye tilted his head towards him, indicating he was telling him to go somewhere.

Zhao Jue thought about it and turned to follow him.

Bai Yutang saw this scene before he entered, and although he was a little curious, he still walked into the forensic room.

At this moment, Zhan Zhao held up a lamp and shone it on the deceased's forehead, signalling to Zhao Hu, "Hold it!"

Zhao Hu reached out and held up that lamp, and the rest of the crowd looked at the corpse's face in surprise.

Gongsun was also surprised, "I can't believe I didn't notice..."

Ma Xin also nodded, "Aiya! I didn't even think to take the light and shine it. I almost missed the important clues."

Bai Yutang walked over to Zhan Zhao's side and frowned at the corpse.

Before Bai Yutang could open his mouth, the sound of eager footsteps came from the doorway. They saw Bai Chi dashing over, grasping the doorframe and shouting, "Brother! Found it!"

Everyone looked at the door and Bai Yutang asked, "What?"

"The witness!" Bai Chi was excited, "I found him!"

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

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: January 26, 2024 by Angel

Edited: April 23, 2024 by Angel