S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 5 Chapter 176

Special Files – Witches 23 – Sudden Outburst

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Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang ran to Zhao Jue's villa after watching the press conference.

As soon as they reached the villa entrance, they heard bursts of laughter and dogs barking inside.

Zhan Zhao silently stepped back to check the house number – No mistake, it was Zhao Jue's villa.

Bai Yutang pulled him inside. Walking down the long driveway, they saw that on the lawn ahead, Mia, Anna and Hou Yingqi were washing the dogs with a hose.

The garden, sunshine, smiling girls and splashing dogs... Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang felt a wave of healing energy wash over them.

On the porch outside the villa, Zhao Jue was sitting on a swing reading a book. On the open ground in front, there was a large wooden table where Eleven, Issel and Bai Ye were assembling a train set with Anna's son.

Dong Yuan's son, nicknamed Tian Tian, was a particularly smart and lively child. He had quickly become acquainted with everyone since his arrival. Seeing Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, he waved at them with a big smile.

As they waved back, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang couldn't help but think – This is a good place to live! What a wonderful life!

......

Zhao Jue turned a few pages of his book, glanced at Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang standing in the courtyard, and began to doubt if these two were really smart kids – Why were they just standing there looking foolish...

Zhan Zhao was a bit curious about what Zhao Jue was reading. Just as he was about to walk towards the porch, his phone rang.

He took it out and saw it was the twins calling.

"Hello?" Zhan Zhao answered, and Xiao Ding's voice came from the other end, "How is it?"

Zhan Zhao was a bit puzzled, "How is what?"

"I heard Su Feifei acted strangely last night, right?" Xiao Ding asked Zhan Zhao, "Is she alright?"

"Why are you asking?" Zhan Zhao was puzzled.

"Ai, if there's nothing wrong with her, we'll sign her!" The twins asked Zhan Zhao, "How about it? Can we sign her?"

"That depends on what you mean by 'nothing wrong'... As far as we know, she might have a split personality..."

"Oh? That advanced?" Xiao Ding was excited.

Zhan Zhao looked up at the sky, "Or you could wait until it's fully investigated?"

"If we wait, it'll be too late. There are many competitors, what if another company signs her first?" Xiao Ding said, "I've already talked to her manager, she's going to see the baby with Xu Lie this afternoon. Can you observe her for us? If there's no problem, we'll sign the contract first thing tomorrow morning!"

Xiao Ding hung up the phone eagerly, leaving Zhan Zhao holding his phone in disbelief, "What can we find out in one afternoon? A personality can lie dormant for years!"

Turning around to ask Bai Yutang for his opinion, he found that Bai Yutang had already run over to join Bai Ye and the others looking at the model train set.

Zhan Zhao put away his phone and strolled over to the porch with his hands behind his back.

Zhao Jue took a sip of tea from a teacup.

Zhan Zhao glanced at the English-style teacup and felt like mocking it a bit. Of all the things to paint on a fine porcelain cup, they chose to paint a black cat that looked like a lump of coal.

Seeing Zhan Zhao's curious but pretending-to-be-unconcerned look, Zhao Jue almost laughed. He asked, "What is it? Do you want tea or some snacks?"

Zhan Zhao leaned over to see what snacks were on the tea table and spotted some chocolate, which he reached for and ate.

Probably because they both did a lot of mental work, both Zhan Zhao and Zhao Jue were sweet tooths, though their tastes were quite peculiar.

Finding the chocolate delicious, Zhan Zhao asked Zhao Jue what flavour it was.

"Pineapple," Zhao Jue replied.

Zhan Zhao nodded approvingly – Not bad!

Zhao Jue then suggested he try the mango-flavoured one.

Not far away, Eleven and Issel watched Zhan Zhao and Zhao Jue enjoying their "delicacies" together and couldn't help but marvel, "These two are truly exceptional! Even their taste preferences are beyond ordinary understanding."

"Want to see the child?" Zhan Zhao suddenly asked.

Zhao Jue gave a small laugh, "See the child?"

"You seem to like children and small animals," Zhan Zhao pointed to the dogs sitting in a row munching on treats after their bath.

Zhao Jue yawned, lazily flipping through his book.

Zhan Zhao continued, "Aren't you curious?"

Zhao Jue pinched a page, looking at Zhan Zhao.

"Su Feifei and Shen Yan!" Zhan Zhao said as he flipped through the book in Zhao Jue's hand to see the title.

Zhao Jue was reading The Witch.

Zhan Zhao leaned in and flipped to the table of contents, "What kind of book is this? Science or fiction?"

Zhao Jue extended a finger, pressing Zhan Zhao's forehead to move his face away from the book, and asked, "Don't you two have any serious work to do? What about the car accident case of Shen Yan's family?"

Zhan Zhao clicked his tongue, "Bao Sir won't let us investigate."

"Can't even handle Bao Xiao Black?" Zhao Jue's tone carried a hint of mockery.

Zhan Zhao felt annoyed, "And the murderer who killed Ding Ying hasn't been found yet! The suspected Leapfrog Killer! Is he from the seventh generation?"

"Maybe," Zhao Jue closed the book, "If the seventh generation was already a psychopath that early on... then Ding Ying should have contacted me long ago. Why did he wait until recently to seek me out?"

"Right! If Su Feifei really is Shen Yan, why did a personality that had been hidden for so long suddenly wake up now?" Zhan Zhao asked Zhao Jue. "Aren't you curious? Personality inheritance!"

Zhao Jue glanced at Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao then asked, "Or do you already have a clue and just aren't telling?"

Zhao Jue remained silent, his hands in his pockets, looking up at the scenery.

Zhan Zhao knew that Zhao Jue had special feelings towards the experiments that survived the organisation back then. Zhao Jue would only dispose of those experiments that harmed others. In his eyes, the ones that didn't cause harm were victims, and he would offer them protection and help. This was also why Zhao Jue avoided contact with SCI when handling issues related to the experiments.

Bao Sir's decision not to let them investigate this case as a formal investigation was likely to give Zhao Jue a certain degree of freedom...

In other words, Bao Sir hoped that during this investigation into the seventh generation, SCI would follow Zhao Jue's lead. They would only arrest if it was confirmed that the seventh generation had harmed others; otherwise, Zhao Jue would handle it.

Zhao Jue looked at Zhan Zhao, making it clear that if they wanted to investigate together, they needed to decide who would be in charge.

Zhan Zhao, though somewhat reluctant, chose to trust Zhao Jue, "Hmm, this time we'll listen to you."

After Zhan Zhao spoke, Zhao Jue didn't respond immediately, he just stared at him.

After a while, Zhao Jue's mouth curled into a smile, the lines on his cheeks forming two arcs.

Then, he took his right hand out of his pocket, revealing a phone.

Zhan Zhao was stunned.

Zhao Jue pressed the play button, and Zhan Zhao's voice came from the phone, "Hmm, this time we'll listen to you."

......

Bai Yutang and the others were busy setting up a cave when they suddenly heard a commotion behind them.

Everyone turned around, and sure enough, it looked like Zhan Zhao and Zhao Jue were fighting.

Zhao Jue was sitting on the swing, laughing heartily, while Zhan Zhao seemed to be trying to grab his phone or do something, his fists flying, and the swing was creaking noisily.

Bai Ye shook his head and asked Bai Yutang, "Haven't you taught him any self-defence?"

Bai Yutang sighed, "He usually moves his mouth, not his hands..."

Just as he spoke, there was a loud crash as the swing tipped over, and both Zhan Zhao and Zhao Jue fell off.

As they were getting up, someone squeezed between them, pushing them apart.

Zhan Zhao and Zhao Jue, one nursing a sore hand and the other a sore neck, looked up to see that it was Mia who had separated them.

Mia shook her head and gestured, scolding the two adults – No fighting! And your fighting stance was so ugly, don't you two exercise regularly?

Zhao Jue shrugged – I didn't even fight back.

He waved the phone in his hand.

Zhan Zhao was fuming and was just about to snatch the phone again when Mia suddenly turned to him and made a few gestures.

Zhan Zhao was slightly stunned when Mia asked him, "Did you guys find a baby?"

Zhan Zhao nodded.

Mia continued gesturing – I heard the baby wasn't well and needed surgery?

Zhan Zhao nodded again.

Mia pointed to herself and made a gesture indicating she wanted to go.

Zhan Zhao asked, "You want to see her? Let's go together then."

Mia nodded, ran into the house to change clothes, and came out holding a small seal plush toy. She directed Issel behind her – Dad! Start the car, let's go to the hospital!

Issel, following his daughter's orders, immediately ran to get the car ready.

Zhao Jue also followed, dodging Zhan Zhao's attempts to grab his phone and even stepping on his foot.

Bai Yutang came over and pulled the hopping Zhan Zhao into his car, fastening his seatbelt while asking, "Couldn't win the argument, and lost the fight too?"

Zhan Zhao, now both annoyed and amused, retorted, "A moment of carelessness! That long-haired devil is too cunning!"

Bai Yutang started the car and followed Issel's vehicle, heading to the hospital together.

......

The hospital entrance was unusually busy. Normally a crowded place, it was now swarming with journalists, carrying heavy cameras and accompanied by several broadcasting vans.

The hospital security was blocking them from entering.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang got out of their car, a bit puzzled by the scene.

Since they frequently came to the hospital for investigations, they knew several of the security guards.

Upon asking, they found out that Xu Lie and Su Feifei had just entered, followed by the reporters.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang were also quite helpless. They all slipped in through a side door while the security guards kept the reporters confined to an empty area near the parking lot, preventing them from disrupting the hospital's normal operations.

Zhan Zhao contacted Yang Fan, who told them to come to the eighth floor of building three, saying it was a madhouse.

When they reached building three, they finally understood what "madhouse" meant.

After the morning's press conference, everyone knew Xu Lie would be coming to the hospital. As soon as he entered, he was swarmed by people asking for autographs and photos. It was unclear whether they were fans who had snuck in or patients.

Xu Lie was accompanied by Chen Mi and Su Feifei.

Su Feifei stood with Chen Mi a short distance away, watching Xu Lie get mobbed by the crowd.

When Zhan Zhao and the others got out of the elevator, they saw this scene. Xu Lie spotted Bai Yutang and waved frantically, signalling – Brother! Help!

Bai Yutang looked at the densely packed crowd and shrugged – How?

Xu Lie mimed shooting a gun into the air.

Bai Yutang was almost amused by him.

Just then, the door to the stairwell behind Xu Lie opened, and several sweaty security guards rushed out, parting the crowd to let the blocked medical staff and patients through.

Zhan Zhao and the others walked along the wall.

Chen Mi kept glancing back at Xu Lie in the crowd...

At that moment, a doctor holding a baby walked past him.

Chen Mi happened to notice a blue paper band around the baby's foot, marked with a pattern sketched on... it was a simple sketch of a corn cob...

Chen Mi stopped abruptly and called out to the doctor, "Wait a moment..."

The others stopped as well, and almost simultaneously, they saw the male doctor holding the baby suddenly sprint forward.

He was heading straight for the window...

Then, a shocking scene unfolded. The doctor reached the window, pushed it open, and threw the baby out.

The crowd screamed in horror.

Even more surprising was that Su Feifei, who was at the back, turned and followed the doctor as he ran past her.

As the doctor threw the baby, Su Feifei pushed the man aside and lunged to catch the baby's arm, going out the window herself.

Following closely behind her, Mia also leapt out.

The two girls moved incredibly fast. Su Feifei caught the baby, and Mia grabbed Su Feifei's ankle.

Mia was also pulled out, but her exceptional physical ability allowed her toes to hook onto the window ledge.

With Mia's hook, Xu Lie, who had been pushed near the window by the crowd, made a swift move. Together with Issel, who had also rushed to the window, they grabbed Mia's pants.

Amid the crowd's screams, the male doctor shoved people aside and dashed into the stairwell. Bai Ye and Bai Yutang pursued him.

At this time, not only did the crowd inside the building scream, but the crowd outside also started yelling. This was the eighth floor, and a string of people hung outside the window, with Xiao Yumi crying out.

The baby's cries caught the attention of those below. When they looked up and saw the precarious situation, they were stunned.

At this moment, the window on the seventh floor opened. Bai Yutang, holding onto the window, leaned out halfway and reached up to take the baby from Su Feifei, handing it to Zhan Zhao who had followed him down.

Zhan Zhao took Xiao Yumi and stepped aside, while Bai Yutang climbed out again to assess the situation above.

Chen Mi also opened another window and climbed up.

With Su Feifei and Mia both hanging upside down, Bai Yutang and Chen Mi extended their hands, signalling Su Feifei to grab hold.

Once they were sure Su Feifei had a firm grip, Mia let go of Su Feifei's ankle.

Bai Yutang and Chen Mi together pulled Su Feifei safely through the seventh-floor window.

Upstairs, Xu Lie and Issel were still each holding onto one of Mia's pant legs.

As the onlookers gasped again, Mia flipped backwards... she performed a mid-air backbend, grabbing Xu Lie and Issel's shoulders with both hands, and they let go. Mia completed the backflip, landing gracefully in the corridor. She then bent down to pick up the small seal she had thrown to the ground earlier.

The crowd inside the building applauded – suspecting she must have trained in gymnastics.

Issel's heart was pounding. He rushed over to check if his daughter was okay. Mia waved her hand – It was no big deal!

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, holding Xiao Yumi, brought Su Feifei up in the elevator.

Simultaneously, the emergency exit door was kicked open, and Bai Ye walked in dragging someone. He threw the man onto the floor, it was the male doctor.

Yang Fan also arrived with several nurses. He had just discovered Xiao Yumi was missing from the ward and was searching for her with his team.

Bai Yutang pointed at the doctor on the floor and asked Yang Fan who he was.

After squatting and taking a closer look, the medical staff shook their heads in confusion. "He's not a doctor from our hospital..."

Bai Yutang took out handcuffs and handcuffed the man, calling Zhao Hu and Ma Han to take him back to the police station.

Yang Fan hurriedly took Xiao Yumi to examine her, while the nurses attended to Su Feifei, who had multiple abrasions. Mia, holding her seal, followed to assist.

Meanwhile, Zhan Zhao and Zhao Jue's eyes followed Su Feifei as she moved.

Behind them, Chen Mi and Bai Yutang glanced back at the window.

The window was narrow; if it hadn't been for the two girls' quick actions, the baby might not have been saved... Most notable was Su Feifei's reaction... Would a normal person do such a thing? Almost instinctively jumping out of the window to save someone?

‿︵‿︵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: June 11, 2024 by Angel

Edited: December 19, 2024 by Soojin