S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 5 Chapter 62

Misplaced of the Three Murderers 09 – Base Number Three

---

Zhan Zhao chatted about movies the whole way here without much reason. When they reached the entrance of the special prison, he told Bai Yutang that he suspected that Zhou Anming was there.

Bai Yutang frowned, "So he didn't die back then?"

Zhan Zhao nodded.

"What is he doing here? In jail or working?" It was a little hard for Bai Yutang to imagine. Did he change his name and come in? There was no reason for that! Jiang Ping's system for searching was particularly comprehensive, not only with name and identity information but also with all sorts of biological information and facial recognition. As long as Zhou Anming had an official record, he would definitely be able to find it!

Seeing Bai Yutang's doubts, Zhan Zhao explained, "I just have a preliminary suspicion that still needs to be verified."

The two of them went to the warden's room to do the visiting formalities. Ma Han and Zhao Hu didn't follow them in and waited outside.

Lighting a cigarette, Ma Han leaned against the hood of the car, tilting his head to survey the prison.

Zhao Hu saw a vending machine at the entrance, so he went to buy two cans of drinks.

This prison was small and was classified as a medical prison, housing dangerous and severely mentally ill people, so it was heavily guarded.

The vending machine was right next to the guard post.

There were three checkpoints at the entrance to the prison, the first two were very strict and crowded. There was only one person at this one, and it was similar to a front desk. After passing through the security check, you arrived here, logged in, and told the guard where you wanted to go, and the guard would show you the way.

Zhao Hu was someone who could make friends immediately and could chat with anyone. He saw that the guard was about the same age as himself, and greeted him, "Brother, where are you from?"

The guard was also good-tempered and chatted with Zhao Hu. During the conversation, he seemed to be trying to find out what they were doing there.

Zhao Hu talked to him for a while, then smiled, took his drink and left.

"Xiao Ma Ge." Zhao Hu handed a bottle of coffee to Ma Han.

Ma Han took the drink. He had just seen Zhao Hu chatting with the guard, and now, the guard was on the phone, looking in their direction as he spoke. Seeing Ma Han looking over, the guard turned around.

"That kid is probably an informer." Zhao Hu said.

Ma Han frowned, what was the point of putting an informer here?

"This place feels pretty old, the scale is much smaller than the one Zhao Jue stayed in before." Hu Zi changed the topic.

"This one is closer to a mental hospital." Ma Han seemed to have studied this particular prison a bit, "I've been here on a mission once before."

"As a sniper?"

"Mhmm." Ma Han nodded, "There was an inmate who held a guard hostage and went up to the roof over there."

As Ma Han spoke, he pointed across the street to a four-storey white building, which now had a protective netting on the roof.

"What happened after that?" Zhao Hu asked Ma Han curiously, "You shot down that prisoner?"

"I shot down the prison guard."

"Huh?" Zhao Hu stared at Ma Han – Are you serious?

Ma Han was remembering the past, "That was the first time I worked with Dr. Zhan. Originally I did aim at the prisoner, but the walkie-talkie suddenly buzzed. Dr. Zhan told me that the one who was taken hostage was the prisoner, the one who took the hostage was the prison guard, and the prison guard was forced to do so."

Zhao Hu listened with his mouth open.

"I was going to put a bullet in the prison guard's leg, but Dr. Zhan told me to shoot him, saying that if he didn't die, everyone here would die." Ma Han continued, "After I shot him, the prison guard fell... and the prisoner who was holding him hostage remained in the same posture of holding someone hostage, just like he had encountered an evil spirit."

"Was that prisoner the real prison guard?" Zhao Hu was curious, "Why would he act so abnormally?"

"It turns out that that prisoner was a doctor before he was brought in, a very competent anesthesiologist. He planned this for a long time, killing a prison doctor and knocking out the guards. Then he used the drugs in the infirmary to make an anaesthetic and gave the guard a shot, which caused the guard to be knocked out like he was possessed by an evil spirit."

"Wow! That's really dangerous." Zhao Hu said, a little puzzled, "Why did he plan this move? Even if the police sniper really killed the wrong person, as long as the other prison guards ran closer and took a look, the possibility of him escaping would be very small."

"He wasn't trying to run." Ma Han smiled faintly, "Dr. Zhan said he only wanted to kill more people."

Zhao Hu frowned, "How would he kill them?"

"When the police flocked to him, they found two bottles of liquid in the pockets of the fake prison guard who died." Ma Han snuffed out his cigarette, "It was said to be a highly toxic drug. As long the two liquids are mixed, it can cause an explosion, and the released gas can cause all the surrounding people to die from poisoning. He ran up to that building because it had the most prisoners, and pretended to be held hostage in order to attract more officers."

Zhao Hu's eyes widened, "So perverted ah?"

Ma Han shrugged, "If he wasn't perverted, he wouldn't be locked up here, right?"

"This place is definitely suitable for filming a horror movie at night." Zhao Hu seemed to still be immersed in the atmosphere of the horror film he had just made up, muttering to himself, "Why do some people want to make their lives into a horror film..."

......

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were guided by a prison guard to the director's office.

Although this was called a special prison, it was actually a special hospital, and the warden and director were the same person, surnamed Shi, known as Shi Wen.

"Director Shi." Zhan Zhao entered and greeted a middle-aged uncle with glasses and a beard.

"Yo, Xiao Zhan, a rare guest." Director Shi just happened to have hung up a phone call and got up to greet the two of them.

Zhan Zhao introduced Bai Yutang, and Shi Wen asked his secretary to make two cups of first-rate black tea for his distinguished guests.

After sitting and exchanging a few slight pleasantries, Shi Wen asked, "What is it that the two of you have come for?"

Zhan Zhao said that there was a person related to the case they were investigating who was in this prison, called Zhou Chen.

Shi Wen paused slightly after hearing that.

Regarding this pause of his, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were quite worried, fearing that this person would open his mouth and say that Zhou Chen was dead or something like that, which would be troublesome.

"Oh... Zhou Chen ah..." Shi Wen's expression seemed to be a little troubled, and he looked at Zhan Zhao, "is it.. that Zhou Chen?"

Zhan Zhao smiled and asked in return, "Which one?"

"The one who killed his brother and his mother?" Shi Wen asked tentatively.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang both looked at Shi Wen.

Shi Wen was in his early to mid-fifties, and Zhou Chen had been imprisoned thirty years ago, in other words, Zhou Chen had come earlier than Shi Wen.

"He has killed many people." Zhan Zhao asked, "Director Shi, do you know anything about him?"

"Oh... I don't know I don't know." Shi Wen hurriedly waved his hands, "It's just that, I've heard some rumours about him."

Zhan Zhao nodded, and even if Bai Yutang, who was sitting next to him, didn't study psychology, he could tell that this Director Shi's reaction to mentioning Zhou Chen was unnatural.

"Does Director Shi usually have contact with Zhou Chen?" Zhan Zhao didn't seem to be in a hurry to find Zhou Chen, but instead chatted with Shi Wen.

"Oh… er... there isn't much contact." Shi Wen picked up his teacup, "Just, sometimes, I've seen him when they're letting off steam."

"Never talked to him alone?"

"Ah?" Shi Wen hurriedly shook his head, "No! I don't really engage with the inmates individually, and Zhou Chen is among the more peaceful ones."

"Peaceful?"

"Yes, his behaviour is quite good, and he takes his medication when he's told to, he's quite obedient."

Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao – He had just said he wasn't familiar with him, but now he even knows whether or not he's been good about taking his medication... So is he familiar with him or not?

Zhan Zhao smiled faintly, patted Bai Yutang's knee, stood up, and said to Zhou Ming, "Let's go, we'll go see him."

"Oh... okay." Shi Wen nodded and personally led Zhan Zhao and the others out the door.

Exiting the director's office, Zhan Zhao noticed that the secretary's seat at the door was empty.

Walking out of the office building, Zhan Zhao felt his cell phone vibrate. Taking out his phone and opening the monitor, he saw the red dot that had been moving stop.

Zhan Zhao frowned slightly and put the phone away – What on earth was Zhao Jue doing?

......

Coincidentally, at this time, Zhao Jue, who was far away in the jungle, was also looking down at the tablet computer in his hands.

On the screen, there was also a surveillance map, and there was also a red dot that was slowly moving closer to an area marked with a yellow cross.

Zhao Jue frowned and muttered to himself, "Why would he go there?"

"Go where?" Bai Ye asked him.

Zhao Jue handed him the tablet, then reached out and asked Eddie, the leader, for the satellite phone.

Eddie showed him how to use the phone.

The few of Eddie's men who accompanied him looked at their boss in confusion – He hadn't said a word since entering the jungle. He usually had a bunch of foul habits, but today, he was acting like a robot, not making a sound and listening to the words of that expert or whatever he was.

Zhao Jue reached out and pointed. Eddie took his men a few steps forward, sat down and rested, waiting for Zhao Jue.

Zhao Jue thought for a moment and dialled a phone number.

......

At the entrance of the special prison, Ma Han and Zhao Hu watched Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang follow an older man towards the back and were a little curious in their hearts, wanting to follow to see just who that Zhou Chen was. Especially Zhao Hu, that was his movie's protagonist, he wondered what he looked like.

As he was watching anxiously, Ma Han's phone suddenly rang, the caller was an unfamiliar phone number.

Zhao Hu had always been gossipy. Thinking that Jiayi was checking up on him, he came over to have a look.

"This is a satellite phone number, right?" Zhao Hu was curious, "Is Jiayi out of the country?"

Ma Han shook his head and picked up the phone, "Hello?"

"Sniper."

Ma Han froze slightly, and Zhao Hu, who was listening close to the phone, also froze. The two of them looked at each other – Zhao Jue?

"Have you two entered that prison yet?"

Zhao Jue asked out of nowhere.

"We're at the entrance."

As Ma Han said this, he looked around and saw that the guard from earlier had started talking on the phone again and was looking in their direction.

Ma Han frowned slightly, and heard Zhao Jue on the other end of the phone continue, "Eavesdropper, move aside."

Zhao Hu blinked, realised that he was talking about him, and consciously took two steps back to show that he wasn't listening! At the same time, Hu Zi wondered – Why was he so obedient? Was he hypnotised?

While Ma Han was wondering, he heard Zhao Jue's voice come from the other end of the phone. His voice was calm, but Ma Han's mind started to go blank little by little.

When he hung up the phone, Ma Han had lost his expression and he quickly walked towards the guard post.

Zhao Hu looked at Ma Han who walked past him – What is it?

The door to the guard booth was unlocked, and that guard was listening to the phone. When he saw Ma Han suddenly come in, he froze for a moment, but before he could open his mouth to speak, Ma Han suddenly raised his hand and struck him under the chin.

The guard fainted without even grunting.

Zhao Hu was shocked and instinctively looked around... Fortunately, there was no one nearby.

Ma Han picked up the phone and brought it to his ear to listen.

He could hear that on the other side of the phone, there was an urgent voice, repeating, "First level alarm, first level alarm..."

Ma Han hung up the phone, looked at the dumbfounded Zhao Hu in the doorway, and said mechanically, "This is base number three."

"Huh?" Zhao Hu looked at Ma Han with wide eyes, "What base?"

"Call Jiang Ping for support." After saying that, Ma Han picked up the pen on the table, tore off a piece of visitor registration paper, lowered his head and started to scribble.

Zhao Hu hurriedly called Jiang Ping and said that something had happened in the prison and asked him to send reinforcements. Jiang Ping asked him what had happened, but Zhao Hu only said that it was a big deal and hung up the phone, scaring the person on the other end of the phone. Jiang Ping rushed out of the office to find Bao Sir.

Ma Han was still bending down and drawing lines.

Zhao Hu looked at the drawings of straight lines that were made without a ruler, then at Ma Han, who kept drawing nonstop almost without thinking, and thought to himself, this does not seem to be his partner...

Zhao Hu knew that Ma Han's abnormality must have something to do with that phone call from Zhao Jue just now, and wanted to call Zhan Zhao for help, but the phone was not working. He looked... and there was no signal!

Hu Zi was confused – There was obviously signal when he called Jiang Ping just now, how come it was suddenly gone?

Ma Han, like he was possessed by Ma Liang, the magic paintbrush, took less than five minutes to draw a complete three-dimensional topographic map on the paper. Putting down the pen, he suddenly slumped on the table with his head in his hands.

"Xiao Ma Ge!" Zhao Hu hurriedly supported him.

Ma Han straightened his head and gradually recovered his sanity.

Zhao Hu shook him twice, Ma Han came back to his senses and looked at Zhao Hu, "What's wrong?"

Zhao Hu looked at Ma Han who had "recovered" in front of him, then picked up the drawing and shook it, "You printed this out manually just now."

Ma Han took the paper and looked at it, then looked up at the prison building in front of him and frowned, "This seems to be a topographical map of the prison!"

Zhao Hu also took a closer look, "Really eh..."

Did Ma Han remember what had just happened? He remembered! But it felt as if he had a dream and nightmare at the same time, his body was not under his control.

"How did you draw the topography of this prison?" Zhao Hu was puzzled. Although Ma Han was skilled at loading guns, his hands were usually so clumsy that it took him half an hour to trace a rabbit for Luo Yang at home.

Ma Han was also puzzled, "It seems... like I remember."

"What about base number three?"

Ma Han knew that he had said that this was base number three, but when he tried to recall what it was, he only drew a blank.

"It's over, it's over!" Zhao Hu was worried, "What did Zhao Jue say on the phone just now, to just divide you like that?"

Speaking of Zhao Jue, Ma Han frowned slightly, "Do you still remember, when we investigated that case of the ghost ship before..."

"I remember! Zhao Jue spent a long time alone with you?!" Zhao Hu had suspected this a long time ago.

"He might have put some kind of message in my head. " Ma Han scratched his head as he looked at the map.

Zhao Hu studied it with him, and after looking at it for a while, both of them found a problem – There were many rooms underneath this prison, as well as tunnels.

......

Inside the special prison, one tall iron door after another opened.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang followed Shi Wen and walked towards a heavily guarded prison in the far west.

"Dr. Zhan."

A prison guard saw Zhan Zhao and came over to greet him.

Zhan Zhao nodded at him.

Bai Yutang looked at Zhan Zhao – Do you have a lot of acquaintances in this prison?

Zhan Zhao smiled faintly.

That prison guard saw Bai Yutang's puzzled face and explained, "My name is Wu Lei, Dr. Zhan saved me in the past."

Shi Wen also smiled, "Ai, back then, if it wasn't for Dr. Zhan, a lot of people in this prison would have died."

Bai Yutang nodded – He had also heard of that hostage situation back then.

Zhan Zhao asked Wu Lei, "Are you in charge of Zhou Chen?"

"That's right." Wu Lei nodded, "You guys are looking for Zhou Chen? He should be in the rose garden at this time."

"Rose garden?"

"Oh, the inmates here all have labour hours, some work as carpenters, some as gardeners." Shi Wen introduced, "Zhou Chen is very capable, he grows modified roses and has developed many new varieties."

"Isn't Zhou Chen very good at biology?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"Yes! In short, he's very smart and especially knowledgeable."

Bai Yutang frowned. Zhou Chen was only sixteen when he was locked up, he didn't even have time to go to university. Could it be that he was self-taught?

"He's been living here for a long time, right, has anyone come to visit him?" Zhan Zhao then asked.

"There are some from time to time." Wu Lei replied, "They are all social workers and some of his father's friends."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang glanced at each other.

"What kind of friends are they?" Zhan Zhao chatted with Wu Lei while glancing at Shi Wen on the side out of the corner of his eye.

Shi Wen seemed to be anxious at this moment, looking at Wu Lei every now and then as if he resented him for talking too much, and then looking upwards again.

Bai Yutang had long since set his eyes on him, and he was looking up in the direction of the speakers.

Zhan Zhao naturally noticed it as well.

"There is a fat uncle who often comes..." Before Wu Lei finished his words, suddenly... the alarm sounded loudly throughout the prison.

"Aiya!" Shi Wen stopped Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, "This is a level one alarm, there may be a situation!"

Wu Lei also frowned, "What's going on? Has a prisoner escaped?"

"Just to be safe, why don't we hide for a while first?" Shi Wen suggested.

Bai Yutang looked at him and said, "No need, come what may."

Zhan Zhao signalled for Wu Lei to open the door.

Wu Lei opened an iron door in front of them. The door slowly opened, and a garden appeared in front of them, filled with all kinds of roses.

There was a middle-aged man wearing a white hospital gown who was watering a pot of roses.

When the iron door opened, he didn't look up, he simply minded his own business.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang had both seen Zhou Chen's photos. Thirty years had passed and the former teenager had turned into a middle-aged man, but his physique and whatnot hadn't changed much.

Bai Yutang frowned, recalling what Zhan Zhao had just said – Zhou Anming was here.

The moment he opened the door just now, Bai Yutang really thought that the one standing there was Zhou Anming because the grown-up Zhou Chen and the Zhou Anming from back then felt very similar. But thinking about it, if Zhou Anming was really still alive, he should be in his golden years, it was impossible for him to be so young.

"Zhou Chen, someone has come to see you." Wu Lei called out to him.

Zhou Chen looked up at the visitors, and after his gaze moved, it landed on Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang.

"The two officers have something they want to ask you." Shi Wen beckoned to him, signalling for him to come over.

Zhou Chen, however, put down his water bottle and turned around, heading the other way.

"Ai!" Wu Lei called out to him, "Zhou Chen..."

But Zhou Chen walked without looking back, seemingly not wanting to see anyone.

Just as Shi Wen and Wu Lei were helpless, Zhan Zhao suddenly opened his mouth and called out, "Zhou Anming."

Zhou Chen stopped in his tracks.

‿︵‿︵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: February 25, 2024 by Angel

Edited: May 30, 2024 by Angel