S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 5 Chapter 121

Screen Murderer 17 – Tortoise and Hare

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Zhan Zhao "bled him dry", on one hand feeling heartache, but on the other hand, there was a question – why did Tang Xing want to kill Zhao Jue?

Bai Yutang summarised the situation:

Firstly, Tang Xing had planned to kill Jin He last night.

However, his sudden appearance on set with Zhan Zhao and the twins was coincidental.

But this assassination plan could only be carried out once, if it failed this time, it might not be usable again next time. Therefore, Tang Xing took a desperate move and killed him right in front of them.

Tang Xing being brought to the police station was also unexpected.

Because if Zhan Zhao hadn't witnessed the entire process at the scene, he wouldn't have found Tang Xing suspicious or brought him in for questioning.

So, how much of what Tang Xing said in the interrogation room was true and how much was false?

"When Wang Meiyun was in the observation room, Tang Xing badmouthed her, and she didn't come in to stop him. But when he spoke about Jin He's health and how he knew about it beforehand, she came in," Zhan Zhao analysed, "and Wang Meiyun was indeed angry when she left."

Bai Yutang also felt that many of Tang Xing's actions were impromptu rather than premeditated, "Like when he tried to kill Zhao Jue... he couldn't have known in advance that we would send him to Zhao Jue."

"Given the chance to be a dragon slayer, everyone would want to take it." Zhan Zhao rubbed his chin, deep in thought, "He clearly has an impulsive personality."

Bai Yutang then asked, "So what do we do? Do we interrogate him now or keep him detained for a while?"

Zhan Zhao smiled slightly, "Let's detain him for a while first and see, his character can't stand loneliness. Also, I think there seems to be a subtle competitive relationship between him and Wang Meiyun. Let's let him watch Wang Meiyun steal the limelight for a while. With his impulsive nature, someone might fear him speaking out of turn. Keeping him out of sight for a while might make the other side anxious."

Bai Yutang nodded – Understood.

Once Jin He's case was solved, the case of the flower shop owner would be easier to crack, at least they knew the murder weapon.

At that time, the outdoor surveillance didn't capture anyone making a move. The likelihood of the murderer being inside the shop increased... Besides Boss Wang, his wife, Boss Liu, and several customers were in the flower shop at the time. The perpetrator could be one of the customers or even Boss Liu.

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao decided to investigate at the flower and bird market.

Upon hearing they were going to the flower and bird market, Zhao Jue and Eleven both insisted on going along.

Zhan Zhao looked at them somewhat disdainfully – Couldn't you guys go back and play with your phones?!

Zhao Jue said he wanted to buy a turtle, Eleven wanted to buy fish, and Bai Ye said, "There's a pond in the courtyard that's still empty."

"Are you planning to keep them together?" Bai Yutang was curious. "Won't the fish be eaten by the turtle?"

"Then let's buy big fish?" Eleven gestured, "There are huge koi!"

Everyone looked at him – Would the fish eat the turtle?

There was no stopping these uncles. Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang got into the car, and the backseat was immediately occupied by the three idlers.

Zhao Jue praised Bai Yutang, "The new car is much more comfortable and spacious than the flashy sports car you had before!"

Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang shook their heads – After the organisation was dismantled, this group felt more like a bunch of uncles from a relative's family... quite annoying.

Bai Yutang started the car, Zhan Zhao reviewed the flower shop's information, Bai Ye was still figuring out how to use his new phone, while Zhao Jue and Eleven continued to watch the livestream.

At this moment, there were about twice as many reporters outside the airport and the Dong Group's building compared to the morning. According to real-time messages, Anna's flight had already landed.

On the other side, Wang Meiyun's car was also heading towards the Dong Group's building.

"Ooh! The excitement is about to begin!"

Zhao Jue and Eleven loved to watch the commotion, Bai Ye also cast a curious glance at Zhao Jue's livestream several times.

"It looks like she's coming out!" On Eleven's phone, the reporters who had been waiting at the arrival gate all morning started to get restless.

"They seem to have arrived here too!" On Zhao Jue's phone, the reporters at the Dong Group's entrance were all chasing after a car.

Zhan Zhao, who had been reading the information in the passenger seat, finally couldn't resist and took out his phone to watch the livestream.

Bai Yutang shook his head as he drove – These people...

......

The scene was incredibly dramatic, perhaps even orchestrated in advance. Anna and Wang Meiyun appeared almost simultaneously in front of the journalists' cameras.

Under the glaring flashes, Anna, dressed in all black and wearing a black veil, stepped out from the arrival gate. She appeared without makeup and looked somewhat worn out.

Eleven squinted slightly, pointing at the tall figure beside Anna dressed as a bodyguard, "Who's this mysterious figure in black?"

Zhao Jue and Bai Ye took a glance and were speechless – It was Eugene. His distinctive cauliflower-like red hair was tied up, he had switched to an all-black outfit, and also donned sunglasses. His presence seemed more restrained, making him look quite understated.

In stark contrast to Anna's sombre widow-like attire, Wang Meiyun's car pulled up at the entrance of the Dong Group's building. Her bodyguard opened the car door, and Wang Meiyun, dressed in a bright red outfit, stepped out of the car.

Amidst the flashing lights and holding an expensive-looking bag, Wang Meiyun walked into the Dong Group's building as if walking down a red carpet.

......

"Wow!" The twins looking through binoculars exclaimed simultaneously as they watched the entrance of Dong Group's building.

"Amazing amazing!" Da Ding nodded approvingly, "Look at her! All in red!"

Xiao Ding also asked, "Did she do it on purpose?"

Bai Jintang was also looking at his tablet by the table. Comparison pictures had already been posted on social media, and it was exploding.

Big Brother Bai was resting his chin in one hand while scrolling through the news with the other. The comments were overwhelmingly in favour of Anna. Clearly, public opinion was on Anna's side, and Wang Meiyun's identity had shifted multiple times from a former prisoner to a wealthy woman, and now to a suspect...

Adding to that, her choice to wear red today was seen as a provocative move. If she really wanted to fight for the inheritance, she should show some sincerity, or at least pretend to be sad. Instead, she looked so cheerful.

What's even more intriguing was that neither Anna nor Wang Meiyun left immediately after exiting the boarding gate or reaching the Dong Group's entrance. They stood still, preparing to be interviewed.

"Hou!"

Eleven and Zhao Jue were both excited.

Zhan Zhao also stroked his chin, finding it amusing.

Such opportunities were rare. At this moment, it's all about who speaks faster. Journalists almost simultaneously threw out various questions.

Most of the questions for Anna were focused on whether there was evidence linking Wang Meiyun to Dong Yuan's murder case.

The questions for Wang Meiyun mostly centred on how she viewed Anna's accusations against her and whether she knew Dong Yuan was already married.

Anna's answer was straightforward, expressing her belief in justice and that she would definitely seek justice for Dong Yuan.

Wang Meiyun's response was a bit mysterious.

Holding onto her usual somewhat pretentious yet not very clever style, Wang Meiyun said to the camera, "Love isn't something that depends on who came first. There's a race called the tortoise and the hare..."

"Pfft..."

As soon as Wang Meiyun spoke, both Zhao Jue and Eleven in the backseat burst out laughing.

......

"Wow..."

The twins looked shocked, "My god, how can she say something like that?"

Indeed, Wang Meiyun's statement caused a stir across social media. Public opinion was overwhelmingly negative, with many mocking her for being spoiled, uneducated, and uncultured...

Even the phrase "tortoise and the hare" instantly became a trending topic.

Bai Yutang was driving and asked Zhan Zhao, "What do you think?"

Zhan Zhao couldn't help but quip, "This is the worst the tortoise and the hare have ever been roasted."

Zhao Jue suggested, "Why not buy a few turtles and rabbits? Let's get some lop-eared rabbits!"

Zhan Zhao was still puzzled by Wang Meiyun's behaviour – Was she really that naive? She appeared foolish, but in reality, he had seen her true self during their interrogations. She was articulate, quick-witted, and fearless with a natural sense of malevolence. She was nothing like the fool she portrayed in front of the camera...

"Why would she create such a persona for herself?" Zhan Zhao asked.

"There are many benefits to playing the fool." Zhao Jue smiled slightly, "Being naive is the best disguise for mischief."

......

The car stopped at the flower and bird market and everyone got out.

This season, the market was in full bloom with flowers of all kinds. The lush green plants made people feel relaxed and cheerful.

"This one looks good, let's get two pots for the living room."

"This one too!"

"Grapevine! Grapevine!"

......

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang looked speechlessly at Eleven and Zhao Jue who seemed distracted. Turning around, they noticed Bai Ye had disappeared.

The two exchanged a glance, took a few steps back, and saw Bai Ye standing in front of a large pond selling koi, gazing at a white calico koi.

Both Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao glanced at him.

Bai Ye seemed quite astonished, "A fish... with the same pattern as a cat"

They both pulled him away, suggesting he should buy inside as it's cheaper there compared to the stalls near the entrance.

Zhao Jue, who had already run ahead, waved to everyone, saying there were turtles here.

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao felt quite helpless. They were here to investigate a case, not to go shopping...

Zhao Jue and Eleven went into the turtle shop and couldn't seem to leave. They were deliberating whether to buy a land tortoise or a water turtle.

Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao led Bai Ye to the entrance of an aquarium shop and then headed to Boss Wang's flower shop ahead.

After all, there had been a fatal case, and the flower shop was closed. Boss Wang ran the flower shop with his wife. It was said that she was so heartbroken that she hadn't been seen for several days.

Next to Boss Wang's flower shop was another flower shop that specialises in selling orchids, particularly butterfly orchids. The shop was quite large, and stepping inside felt like entering a South American rainforest.

The shop was also run by a couple, and since it was around lunchtime, there were no customers inside.

When inquiring with shopkeepers about something, it's often better not to reveal oneself as police, but as a regular customer.

Zhan Zhao handed over the twins' business card to the flower shop owner, saying they wanted to order a batch of moth orchids.

Seeing that they were potential big customers, the owner immediately invited them in and served tea.

Zhan Zhao took a few photos of the moth orchids and sent them to the twins.

The twins replied that they looked nice and that they could buy some to decorate their office.

With this assurance from the twins, Zhan Zhao felt confident placing the order.

With a large order placed, the owner was naturally enthusiastic.

As they chatted, the conversation turned to the flower shop next door.

Zhan Zhao said, "We had actually placed an order for some maple bonsai trees from the shop next door, but now we can't reach them. It's outrageous that they've just closed up shop."

The shop owner's wife looked surprised, "Haven't you heard? The boss next door passed away!"

"What?!" Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang feigned ignorance, "He's dead?"

"Yes, Lao Wang has passed away!" The shop owner's wife shook her head, "But Xiao Liu will probably reopen the shop in a few days, they should deliver your order then."

Zhan Zhao found it puzzling, "If the owner has passed away, can the shop continue to operate?"

The shop owner's wife responded somewhat mysteriously, "Aiya, doesn't Lao Wang's death clear the way! Xiao Liu is just right."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang exchanged a glance, sensing there was more to it. "What do you mean?"

"Xiao Liu has connections!" The shop owner's wife eagerly shared some gossip with Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang.

The owner, who was calculating the price, gave his wife a helpless look, "Don't spread such rumours."

"I'm not spreading rumours! It's not just me who saw that man visit Xiao Liu!" The shop owner's wife insisted, lowering her voice to tell Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, "I was having dumplings for lunch one day and I wanted to borrow some vinegar from the shop next door. When I walked in, I saw Xiao Liu hugging a man. Lao Wang wasn't there that day, he's usually busy with the bonsai plants and is often away in the afternoons. Tsk tsk, with an older husband and a younger wife, it's hard to keep things in check!"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang couldn't help but smile at the nosy shop owner's wife.

After calculating the total price, the shop owner gave Zhan Zhao a discount.

Zhan Zhao paid the deposit and gave the owner the contact number for the Bai Group's front desk, asking him to call when delivering the order.

The boss shooed away his chatty wife, but he also remarked, "Xiao Liu really let Lao Wang down ah, Lao Wang was so good to her..."

Zhan Zhao sensed that the boss might have had some friendship with Lao Wang and asked, "Did Lao Wang know about it?"

"Ai, I think he probably didn't know at first, but maybe he found out later." The boss shook his head, "I noticed he was acting strange that day, and then the next day, the incident happened."

Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang asked, "Have you told this to the police?"

The boss quickly shook his head, "Ai, it's better to mind our own business. Besides, we don't have any evidence."

Bai Yutang then asked, "What was strange about Lao Wang?"

"Er..." The boss seemed hesitant for a moment, but seeing that both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were extremely pleasing to the eye, and considering they were big clients who didn't even haggle over prices, the boss felt more inclined to share. He sighed and said, "The night before Lao Wang had his mishap, when his shop was closed, I saw him smoking alone at the entrance, so I went over to chat with him. He's usually always smiling, but that night he looked worried. When I tapped him on the shoulder, he jumped in fright. I asked him what was wrong, had he seen a ghost? He said he hadn't seen a ghost but had seen something even scarier, something really scary..."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang both asked, "What did he see?"

"I asked him, but he didn't say anything. It's probably related to his wife's affair." The shop owner thought for a moment and added, "Oh, and on the morning of the incident, I saw Lao Wang hiding under the flower racks, sneaking a look at some videos. I thought he was watching something inappropriate, so I snuck up behind him to take a look. Turns out he was watching the news. You know there's been a lot of news about that Wang Meiyun recently, right? I even teased him, saying he's too old to be a fanboy."

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang quickly asked, "What did he say?"

"He said, 'This woman is something else'." The boss chuckled, "I retorted, 'What's so great about being arrested?' But he just shook his head and said, 'She'll be released soon, it's all planned...' Looking back now, he was quite accurate!"

......

After chatting for a while, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang left the moth orchid shop. They both felt that Lao Wang might have indeed seen something on that day that led to his unfortunate fate, and it might have been related to Wang Meiyun.

Bai Yutang had intended to call Jiang Ping to investigate where Boss Wang's wife, Liu, was.

But as soon as he took out his phone, a call came in from Jiang Ping.

"Boss, are you guys at the flower and bird market?" Jiang Ping's slightly anxious voice came through the phone.

"We are, why?"

"Where exactly in the market are you guys? We've received a report that a body has been found on the west side of the market, a woman. Some people say it looks like the wife of the deceased Boss Wang."

Both Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao were stunned. Just then, they noticed many people running in one direction, and at the intersection, several shop owners were standing and looking around.

They quickly ran over and saw a crowd gathered ahead.

Outside the crowd, Zhao Jue and Eleven, each holding a large turtle, were looking around. Seeing the two of them arrive, they quickly gestured towards the direction of the crowd with their mouths.

‿︵‿︵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: April 16, 2024 by Angel

Edited: September 26, 2024 by Angel