S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 5 Chapter 66

Misplaced of the Three Murderers 13 – The Secret Person

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After Zhan Zhao said "time", a faint smile appeared on Zhou Chen's face.

Bai Yutang glanced at Zhan Zhao, and the SCI crowd watching the interrogation at the window was also confused, what time?

"So you are a traitor to the organisation." Zhan Zhao looked at Zhou Chen, "Because your research possessed what they lacked the most, to the point where you could replace them, I became the focus of the competition."

Zhou Chen looked at the wall clock and answered, "What do you think, what is the first thing Zhao Jue will do when he returns?"

Zhan Zhao frowned.

"The way to end everything is actually right in front of your eyes." Zhou Chen smiled, pointing at himself, "As long as I and N are removed, everything will be solved. It might be a bit more troublesome, requiring physical annihilation."

After saying that, Zhou Chen seemed to find it amusing and laughed his head off.

Bai Yutang stood up and signalled that the interrogation would stop for the time being.

......

Bai Yutang pulled Zhan Zhao out of the interrogation room, and the crowd returned to the SCI office and gathered around.

The crowd that had listened to a heavenly lecture all looked at Zhan Zhao –  Why don't you explain what it means?

Zhan Zhao pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the SCI crowd in twos and threes also pulling out chairs to sit down, so he cleared his throat and opened his mouth, "Let's say that the Earth was struck by a higher dimensional interdimensional civilisation in a descending manner!"

Bai Yutang held his forehead, and the rest of SCI sighed.

Gongsun took a bag of chips from the table and threw it at Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao was hit in the head by the chips and reached out to rub it.

"Cat, keep it simple." Bai Yutang signalled for the crowd to refrain from violence while advising Zhan Zhao, "Keep it simple."

Zhan Zhao was silent for a while before trying once more, "For example, after a nuclear leak in a certain area, the land won't be suitable for human habitation any time soon, right?"

The crowd looked at Zhan Zhao. This was understandable, but what did it have to do with Zhou Chen? What kind of circular thinking was this, was it necessary to go that far around?

"The effects of the nuclear radiation will disappear after a few hundred years, and that area will be suitable for human survival again, so what does a human have to do?" Zhan Zhao continued, "Wait for a few hundred years then go back in, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"Surely a person can't wait a few hundred years, so it would have to be a few generations down the line, right?"

The crowd then nodded.

"This organisation we've been investigating, they do so many experiments for no more than two purposes, one is to strengthen the body and intellect, and the second is to continue life and prolong youth, it's the kind of uninspired villainous configuration that appears in the movies." Zhan Zhao explained, "Many branches were formed over the course of the experiments, but overall, they actually failed, right?"

"Two big goals, the first was partially realised, and the second was a complete failure." Bai Yutang helpfully summarised.

"Time is fair to everyone, people have to die eventually! According to Zhao Jue, K is already dead. Quite a few of the many members of that organisation we captured back then are already very old, and the manipulators behind the scenes will die of old age as well. In a few decades, Zhao Jue will die, and we will all die, right?"

The crowd could only nod their heads after hearing Zhan Zhao's statement – This was quite a realistic thing to say, to put it simply, a person's youth only lasts for so many years, young people will soon move into middle age then old age, and ultimately death is inevitable, no matter how strong, smart, or evil... it's always the same.

That organisation has a huge amount of experimental data and information and is very ambitious. We've been tracking them down over the years, and many people have tried to find them... without success. However, what we didn't do, time did!

Bai Yutang stroked his chin, "So they had no choice but to use N's method."

"Zhou Chen's method is similar to self-deception, to put it bluntly, it's the son inheriting the father's business. In fact, it's a method that humans have used to perpetuate themselves for thousands of years. This method can't actually be said to be immortality in a personal sense, but in a racial sense, where the future is a continuation, a hope, not that a certain person won't die, but that the human race won't die! King might be dying soon, no matter how many people the organisation has, how much experimental data it has, or how much ambition it has, it won't be able to be realised in this generation. But it's just like how Zhou Chen could continue the misplaced person through Zhou Anming's method, perfecting it and making it powerful. Through this continuation, he can gradually devour the results of the original organisation's experiments to strengthen himself from generation to generation." Zhan Zhao continued, "This is a threat to the organisation, in short, the operation of so many people for so many years is equal to doing the misplaced person's work for him. On the contrary, Zhou Chen's theory has inspired the organisation... they can use a similar method to perpetuate the organisation! They can similarly beat us over time. That is to say, next will be a fight over time. The key points of the fight are N and I."

After listening to Zhan Zhao's explanation, everyone had a general understanding.

"I is needed in order to prevent being tracked?" Gongsun asked, "So N is to extend the time, and I is to buy time, right?"

"Correct." Zhan Zhao nodded, "The current situation is that N wants to find I, and after possessing I's ability he can escape without being caught. As long as he gets rid of I, he and the organisation will win the final game, because he has won time! And if the organisation captures I and N and eliminates them after possessing their research results, they will also win time. So N and I's research results are the focus of the competition."

Bai Yutang finally understood Zhou Chen's words just now, "So... if both I and N are eliminated... this fight for time will cease to exist and the organisation will be wiped out."

"N's research is theoretical, but I's research is in the realm of genetics, so I himself is a sample for the experiment." Gongsun also understood, "That's why Zhou Chen said to eliminate I from a physical perspective..."

Zhao Hu blinked, "Does that mean that shooting the two of them and cremating them would be the end of everything? It's like saying, by N getting I first, then N wins. By the organisation getting N and I, then the organisation wins. But if N and I both die, then we win?"

Zhao Hu's words were rough, but...

"Both of them are clearly insane, the kind of crazy that doesn't even need to be authenticated." Gongsun frowned and shook his head, "It would be difficult to shoot them both."

"They've killed quite a few people, right, shooting them a hundred times would be enough." Zhao Hu bristled, "Psychosis isn't scary, but I'm afraid that some perverts will go around harming people because of their psychosis. This kind of imprisonment is the same as Jurassic Park, sooner or later something is going to happen."

The people sitting here actually agreed with Zhao Hu's point of view, but they were in charge of catching bad guys and not in charge of judging criminals, and they couldn't just drag Lin Hai and Zhou Chen over and arrest them on the spot.

"We will adhere to the law." Ma Han, who had listened the whole time, reminded the crowd, "Zhao Jue, however, won't necessarily do so."

Zhan Zhao nodded at Ma Han.

Everyone couldn't help but frown, with Zhao Jue's style...

"Isn't he the most eager to find that organisation, it feels a bit personal." Gongsun asked, "Besides being the key to the fight, N and I are actually excellent bait! The organisation's days are numbered, so they'll definitely try to find the two of them by any means necessary."

"But there aren't many methods left, are there?" Bai Yutang said, "The trump card in the other party's hand should be G, right, which has already failed, and Chameleon has basically been wiped out by the assassin group... The cards in their hands are getting fewer and fewer, and they're kind of at the end of their rope."

"Unless they are at the end of their rope, they shouldn't be using this kind of trick." Zhan Zhao seems to have some other thoughts, "Zhao Jue ran so far to find K, there may be other reasons, and if he wants to kill I and N, he would have already done it. He should have kept them to use as bait."

"To cut off the grass, you have to get rid of the roots." Bai Yutang agreed, "N, I and that organisation, none of the three parties can be let go."

"Then what do we do?" Zhao Hu asked.

"Let's protect the two people, N and I, first." Seeing Zhan Zhao sitting there in a daze, Bai Yutang had the others do their best to keep Zhou Chen in custody first. As the saying goes, don't put your eggs in one basket, N and I must be held separately.

Everyone went about their own business, but Zhan Zhao was still sitting there in a daze.

Bai Yutang went to make a cup of coffee and walked back with the cup in his hand, reaching out to poke Zhan Zhao's shoulder.

Zhan Zhao turned back and looked at him.

"What's wrong?" Bai Yutang asked.

"Well..." Zhan Zhao tapped his chin with his fingertips, "there's someone that I have a bit of concern about."

"Who?"

"Zhang Rui."

Bai Yutang pulled over a chair and sat across from Zhan Zhao, "The person who is collecting bugs?"

"He started investing in biological experiments a long time ago. He was one of the investors in Zhou Anming's experimental project back in the day, but he also works for the organisation, he was somewhat eating out of both hands." Zhan Zhao was a little concerned, "Do you remember Chen Yin saying that someone wanted to destroy the world."

Bai Yutang smiled, "But we asked Chen Yin about it, and he also said that he was mostly joking."

"But just like the roses cultivated by Zhou Chen and the strange bug in the box... there are some theories that are real and feasible." Zhan Zhao held his chin and asked Bai Yutang, "Who actually sent me that bug?"

"It wasn't Zhao Jue, nor was it Zhou Chen... The one who hired people to steal the bug specimens was Zhang Rui... The one we found through the bug was also Zhang Rui." Bai Yutang thought about it, "There are only two possibilities, someone wants us to find Zhang Rui, or rather, Zhang Rui wants us to find him?"

"A person who is about to die has no future." Zhan Zhao muttered to himself, "That organisation, no matter how much research they've done, how brilliant and ambitious they once were, has already come to an end. Just like Xie Tianglang, his last wish was to see your and Bai Ye's faces."

Bai Yutang also lamented a bit, "It feels like I'm tracking down a prisoner who's at the end of his rope."

"Or..." Zhan Zhao raised his head and asked Bai Yutang in a low voice, "could it be that what we're tracing, is the same corpse as K?"

"Then why pursue it?" Bai Yutang asked, "And it seems like someone is luring us to pursue it."

"So, isn't it time to think in reverse?" Zhan Zhao reached out and gently poked his temple, "Gotta think about it."

......

At the same time, on one of the Bai Group's aeroplanes.

There were only two people in the large cabin. Zhao Jue was holding a cup of hot cocoa made in Brazil, drinking it while sizing up Zhang Rui who was sitting opposite him.

Bai Ye was in the cockpit.

Being alone with Zhao Jue in a confined space at a high altitude made Zhang Rui fidgety.

Reaching out to wipe his sweat, Zhang Rui opened a bottle of soda and took a few sips.

Zhao Jue's line of sight was always on Zhang Rui, and the steam coming out of the hot cocoa formed a layer of mist, creating an atmosphere of secrecy.

Zhang Rui snuck a glance at Zhao Jue and lowered his head to continue wiping his sweat.

Zhao Jue didn't say anything either and just stared at him.

After finishing the cup of cocoa, Zhao Jue put down the cup and spoke, "Why don't we just forget about it."

Zhang Rui raised his head and looked at Zhao Jue in disbelief.

Zhao Jue reached out and fumbled around under the seat, then yanked out a parachute pack and threw it to Zhang Rui.

Zhang Rui held the parachute pack with his mouth wide open, "I... you..."

Zhao Jue laughed, "Don't want it? Then just jump."

Zhang Rui was anxious and hugged the parachute pack, "Zhao Jue ah! I'm just an errand boy, you... you great masters don't remember the small men's fault, let me go!"

"An errand boy ah." Zhao Jue gently nodded and asked Zhang Rui, "Why did Zhan Zhao find out about you?"

Zhang Rui blinked and shook his head, "Who is Zhan Zhao...?"

Zhao Jue reached out to grab his parachute pack.

"Eh!" Zhang Rui hurriedly protected it, "I'll say it, I'll say it!"

Zhao Jue withdrew his hand.

"I don't remember," Zhang Rui whispered.

Zhao Jue's eyes grew dangerous.

"I'm telling the truth!" Zhang Rui swore to the heavens, "I really don't remember anything! There is a gap in my memory, roughly a week or so, and I can't remember what I did during that time at all! When I got to the jungle and saw you for the first time, I thought that it was you who made me lose that week's memory, but then I realised that it wasn't you!"

Zhao Jue didn't say anything and continued to observe him.

"Actually, you've already won." Zhang Rui covered his face with his hands and let out a long sigh, "He only has one breath left now! Maybe he will die in the next minute... He said that after his death, he will scatter his ashes over Bai..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Jue grabbed the cup on the table and was going to smash him to death. Zhang Rui hurriedly covered his head, "You told me to say it! I won't say it! I won't say it!"

"Where are the others?"

After a long time, Zhao Jue put the cup down. The anger from just now had disappeared in an instant, and he restored the usual inscrutable calmness, "Where are the others?"

"All dead!" Zhang Rui shook his head, "So many years have passed, anyone can do the simple arithmetic problem. Twenty years after twenty years after twenty years, the organisation has developed over three generations, almost seventy years. Now, they are all ninety or almost one hundred years old! Regardless of whether or not they had ever aged, they all had to die!"

"Is there no successor?" Zhao Jue didn't seem to believe it.

"Successor?" Zhang Rui couldn't laugh and cry, "You! Aren't you the chosen successor?! Or should it be Zhan Zhao?"

"Heh." Zhao Jue seemed to find it funny, "Why don't you go ask him if he's interested?"

"Hou..." Zhang Rui exhaled, "Actually, no one can fight time... even you..."

"I don't want to fight against time, I just want to hold them down in the toilet and suffocate them to death with shit." Zhao Jue reached out and pointed at Zhang Rui, "Don't play dumb either. In a group of bad guys, the ones who can survive to the end are the worst."

Zhang Rui was helpless, and after thinking about it, he said, "Although I don't remember anything, I know that there is one thing that was lost."

"What thing?" Zhao Jue asked.

"I can't figure it out."

Zhao Jue glared at him.

"I really can't remember, but I always feel like something is missing!" Zhang Rui touched his head, "Quite an important thing."

Zhao Jue asked him, "What is the first thing you do every morning when you get up?"

"Erm..."

"Don't think, answer by instinct."

"Brush my teeth."

"Drink?"

"No."

"Collect anything?"

"Specimens."

"Any pets?"

"Lacewing... er..."

When he said this, Zhang Rui suddenly had difficulty breathing and reached out to cover his neck, letting out a string of guttural sounds.

Zhao Jue watched his expression change, it was obvious that he had suddenly thought of something.

"Bu... bugs..."

Zhang Rui struggled to utter the word, then fell head over heels, unable to breathe...

Right in the middle of such pain, a loud snap of fingers was suddenly heard.

Zhang Rui violently opened his eyes... and found that all that pain had disappeared. He reached out and touched his neck, and everything was normal, as if nothing had happened.

Looking around, he was still sitting on the plane, and opposite him was Zhao Jue, who had his legs crossed and was holding a cup of hot cocoa that was steaming, looking at him.

And then look down at his hand, there was no parachute pack...

Feeling that his mouth was dry, Zhang Rui reached out to take the soda bottle on the table but found that the cap hadn't been opened and the bottle was full.

Retracting his hand in shock, Zhang Rui looked at Zhao Jue with his mouth open, "I... you..."

Zhao Jue took a sip of cocoa and looked at him expressionlessly.

Zhang Rui tilted his head, thinking that he might have fallen asleep and had a dream...

Just as he wanted to stand up and stretch, he heard Zhao Jue ask him, "What is the name of that bug you sent to Zhan Zhao?"

"Lacewing Seven..."

Zhang Rui blurted out, then froze for a moment and shouted with wide eyes, "Ah! I remember!"

He half crouched and moved in front of Zhao Jue, cautiously confirming, "You... you knew I was being controlled ah? I'm not going to die? You saved me didn't you?"

Zhao Jue's crossed leg lifted and kicked Zhang Rui.

Zhang Rui was kicked and sat on the ground.

Zhao Jue looked down condescendingly at him, "You're still somewhat useful, do something for me and I won't take your life."

Zhang Rui nodded, "I'll listen to everything you say!"

Zhao Jue picked up a box from the table and handed it to him.

Zhang Rui took it and saw that it was a pair of contact lenses.

"Put them on."

Zhang Rui obediently put the contact lenses on.

Zhao Jue laughed, reached under the seat, fished out a parachute pack and tossed it to him.

Zhang Rui hugged the parachute pack and looked at Zhao Jue bitterly, "Don't..."

Zhao Jue took out another parachute pack and put it on his back.

At this time, the cockpit door opened and Bai Ye walked over with a parachute pack on his back, "It's almost done."

Zhao Jue reached out, and from Zhang Rui's pocket, took out a cell phone.

Bai Ye grabbed Zhang Rui, put the parachute pack on his back, put on his windproof goggles, and then yanked open the aircraft's door.

"Wa!" Zhang Rui tremblingly grasped at the open cabin door.

Bai Ye kicked him out.

"Ah ah ah..."

Zhang Rui fell out with a scream.

After using Zhang Rui's phone to send out a string of passwords, Zhao Jue dropped the phone and jumped off the plane with Bai Ye.

......

In the clear blue sky, three parachutes opened and slowly landed in a deserted field beside a road.

Almost simultaneously, a loud bang came from the sky, and in the distance, a fireball appeared.

Bai Ye took off his parachute and went to pull up Zhang Rui, who was lying on the ground and had already gone weak in the legs.

Zhao Jue also came over.

At this time, a car horn sounded from the road, and a Jeep came speeding up not far away.

The one driving the car was none other than the owner of the café from the edge of the rainforest, the middle-aged uncle called Rick.

Rick parked the car on the side of the road and waved at the three.

Bai Ye threw Zhang Rui into the backseat and got into the passenger seat himself.

Zhang Rui shakily sat down and Zhao Jue sat next to him.

Zhang Rui looked around suspiciously, "I... where are we?"

Rick continued to drive and the Jeep sped down the highway.

Zhang Rui looked at Zhao Jue, whose long hair was slightly dishevelled from the wind, beside him, "When... did you start hypnotising me?"

Zhao Jue turned his face to look at him and slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

Looking at the faintly visible nasolabial lines, Zhang Rui gulped. He took out the handkerchief in his pocket and wiped his sweat, but found that the handkerchief was surprisingly clean. He clearly remembered that he had wiped his sweat many times before entering the rainforest...

Holding the handkerchief and opening his mouth wide, Zhang Rui simply muttered to himself after a long time, "No wonder they are so afraid of you… you are simply evil itself."

Zhao Jue seemed to find it quite amusing and laughed a little when a cat's meow came from the hand in his pocket.

Opening it, Zhan Zhao sent a text message, with just a "?".

Zhao Jue smiled slightly, then reached out, wrapped his arm around the dishevelled Zhang Rui, took a selfie while making a peace sign, and sent it back.

Soon after, Zhan Zhao replied, "How dare you blow up Brother's plane? Pay for it!"

Zhao Jue replied, "It wasn't me who blew up! It was someone mysterious."

......

In the SCI office, Zhan Zhao put down his cell phone and hummed, raising an eyebrow at Bai Yutang, "It really isn't that simple!"

Bai Yutang was answering the phone, and on the other end of the line were the cursing twins.

Zhan Zhao came over, leaned against Bai Yutang's phone and listened, exclaiming, "How do the twins curse like a rap, even with a rhythm."

Bai Yutang speechlessly hung up the phone and asked Zhan Zhao, "Just how many cicadas has the mantis captured? How many more yellow sparrows are in the back?"

Zhan Zhao smiled faintly, stretching out a finger and shaking it, "Just one! It's hidden really well, but it's a pity... that he ran into the great demon king."

‿︵‿︵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: February 29, 2024 by Angel

Edited: June 6, 2024 by Angel