Controlled Experiment Chapter 21

Controlled Experiment – 21

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After stepping out of Luo Yang's hospital room, Du Yusheng's hands were cold.

Du Yusheng leaned briefly against the doorframe and let out a long breath.

Sometimes, what frightened people wasn't the one who stabbed you in the face, but the one who smiled at you while doing it. And Luo Yang happened to be the kind who smiled as he plunged the knife in, calmly dusted off his clothes as you fell, then apologised as if nothing had happened. People like that, in Du Yusheng's eyes, were just deranged.

Du Yusheng felt like having a cigarette, but the moment he pulled the packet out, he spotted a sign right opposite him with two glaring red words: No Smoking.

Red text on a white background, impossible to ignore.

Helpless, he stuffed the cigarette back into his pocket and went to wake up Xiao Bai, who was dozing by the door.

Xiao Bai had also been running on little sleep for several nights. When he opened his eyes, they were bloodshot all over.

The hospital had both elevators and stairwells, but beyond the tenth floor, few people ever chose to walk. Without waiting for Xiao Bai to say a word, Du Yusheng grabbed him by the collar and dragged him all the way to a rarely used stairwell. It was deserted, empty and echoing, any word spoken would bounce back at you.

There was no smoking ban here. With a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, Du Yusheng shoved Xiao Bai hard against the wall.

"Brother Yu, what are you doing?"

Xiao Bai struggled a couple of times, but Du Yusheng's grip was firm, he pressed down hard on the back of Xiao Bai's neck and wouldn't let go.

The two were so close that they could hear each other's breathing easily. And from Xiao Bai's breaths, Du Yusheng could hear one thing: fear.

"Do you know what Luo Yang said to me in there?"

After just a few minutes with Luo Yang, Du Yusheng had somehow adopted a hint of his unhurried tone, as if he were toying with someone's nerves.

"... Brother Yu, what do you mean?"

Xiao Bai was shaking even more now. Du Yusheng finally let go, dragging him into the corner by the wall, lighting his cigarette and exhaling a slow stream of smoke.

That roguish look returned to his face. Du Yusheng planted one foot between them, keeping Xiao Bai cornered.

He grinned. "Luo Yang said you're one of his men. Even mocked me for not seeing it"

Xiao Bai's face had never been this pale, he looked like he might just merge into the wall behind him.

Pale skin, red-rimmed eyes, he looked like a little rabbit.

His lips were clamped shut, and Du Yusheng noticed his fists clenched tightly by his sides.

"... I'm not." Xiao Bai barely managed to force a strained smile. "Is Luo Yang crazy?"

Du Yusheng exhaled through his nose and shrugged.

Compared to Xiao Bai, he seemed far more at ease.

"Ever heard that saying about Cao Cao?" (Angel: Cao Cao was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty.)

Xiao Bai shook his head. He had no idea what Du Yusheng was getting at.

"That saying goes, it's better to kill three thousand by mistake than to let one slip through." Du Yusheng stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it into the garbage, then turned to look at the slightly stiff Xiao Bai and smiled, "I'll give you some time, think carefully about how you want to explain it to me."

Xiao Bai's reaction took Du Yusheng somewhat by surprise. He'd thought that suddenly putting him on the spot would make Xiao Bai rush to defend himself or flare up in anger. But he'd seen none of those expressions. Instead, Xiao Bai had remained calm, only repeating, "Is Luo Yang crazy?", as though he genuinely knew nothing at all.

Leaving the hospital, Du Yusheng got into his car.

Warm air blew from the vents, it was very comfortable.

Du Yusheng turned his head slightly, looking up at the window of Luo Yang's hospital room. Luo Yang said he was going abroad, it looked like his own time was running short too.

Opening his palm, Du Yusheng stared at the tiny bug lying in it, the corners of his mouth lifting into a faint smile.

The day Zhuang Hao died, Du Yusheng had taken a few little gadgets from the crime scene. The bug was one of them, compact, discreet, and nearly impossible to detect. And everyone in their circle knew about Zhuang Hao's craftsmanship. In their words: "Zhuang Hao's gear lasts longer than you do."

When he'd dragged Xiao Bai out of the ward, Du Yusheng made a subtle move on his clothing.

If he wanted to know what kind of role Xiao Bai was really playing, this was the fastest way.

Du Yusheng connected the bug to his cell phone.

Apart from breathing, he could now hear everything, even when Xiao Bai went to the washroom.

Du Yusheng rubbed his fingers together and took a long breath. In the rearview mirror, the bloodshot veins in his eyes looked red enough to fry eggs. By his count, he hadn't closed his eyes in nearly twenty-four hours. Yawning, Du Yusheng started the engine and drove back to the bureau.

Just before stepping on the accelerator, Du Yusheng found himself wondering whether he counted as driving while overtired, and how many points he'd lose for not carrying his licence.

When exhaustion reached a certain point, even the brain slowed down. Before he'd figured out the answer, he was already back at the bureau.

Qin Yan happened to be idle at that moment, sitting in his office flipping through the book Du Yusheng had given him.

Hearing footsteps, Qin Yan looked up, as if he already knew who it was, and then quickly lowered his gaze back to the book.

"Did you sleep?" Qin Yan asked. "Had a bit of a nap?"

Du Yusheng's mind was foggy, he hadn't registered a word of what Qin Yan had said and replied dully with a single "Mm."

"So? Finished the book yet?"

Qin Yan looked up, closed the book, and placed it in Du Yusheng's hands.

"You've noticed it yourself and you're still asking me?"

Du Yusheng was taken aback and glanced at the book in his hands.

"What did I notice?"

"The page you folded yourself." Qin Yan flipped to the spot where a torn page had originally been and tossed it to Du Yusheng. "That's the only page in the whole book that's worth anything."

Du Yusheng ran his fingers over the torn edge, still not quite grasping what Qin Yan meant. He looked up, blinking at him in confusion.

Qin Yan sighed, pulled open a drawer, and threw over the report he'd just received.

"There's a stain on that page, caused by a liquid drop." Qin Yan leaned over his desk, propping both hands against it as he stared at Du Yusheng. "That stain contains a high concentration of nitroglycerin."

Du Yusheng's brain buzzed.

This book had come from the car Luo Yang lost to the casino. Only three people had handled it: himself, Qin Yan, and Li Yao. Du Yusheng remembered clearly how well the book had been kept when he got it, covered with a protective sleeve, with not even a single bent corner. In other words, it had been pristine until it reached him. So who had folded that corner? Staring at Qin Yan's face, Du Yusheng's mind buzzed.

"But you're quite smart," Qin Yan continued. "You even folded the page, otherwise, I really might've just treated the book like a book. The stain's faint, and it's been there a while. Without a marker, it's hard to spot." Qin Yan smiled faintly. "How did you catch it?"

"It wasn't me..." Clutching the report in his hands, Du Yusheng looked up. "I didn't fold that corner."

The smile froze on Qin Yan's face. He couldn't manage another one.

"Who else handled the book?"

Du Yusheng didn't answer, but Qin Yan could already read it from his expression.

"I know what you're thinking," Qin Yan said. "Du Yusheng, no one's that coincidental, folding exactly that page."

"I get what you're saying. He did it on purpose, he folded it for me to see."

Standing up, Du Yusheng shoved the chair aside and sneered. "What the fuck is this?"

Du Yusheng grabbed his coat from the sofa and threw it on carelessly, storming out in anger.

At the door, Du Yusheng paused, turned, and came back to face Qin Yan.

"What do you think he really is?" Du Yusheng tapped his fingers hard against the desk. "If he really knows something, then he should just say it, what's the point of dropping hints like this? I ask, and he says nothing. I keep trying, and he acts like I'm being pushy. Either he dodges me like the plague, or when I take a step forward, he takes one back. He told me to my face that Luo Yang's case has nothing to do with him, and now what? This? Trying to guide me in secret? If he really knows the truth, then he should just tell me outright."

Du Yusheng slammed his palm on the desk, making the glass cup on top clatter noisily.

"He makes me feel like a complete idiot when he acts like this. Last time he even said I don't seem like a cop, asked me if I actually am one." Du Yusheng let out a short laugh. "I won't tell you, you're so good, go ahead and guess."

The more Du Yusheng spoke, the more defeated he felt. He dropped heavily onto the sofa and covered his face.

"We're so close, what can't he say!"

Watching Du Yusheng all flustered and helpless, Qin Yan suddenly recalled the first time he'd seen him at the bureau.

Back then he'd looked just like this, sitting on the sofa with his face buried in his hands. Only, that time, he hadn't said a single word. When he finally uncovered his face, Qin Yan had seen it glistening with tears. The truth was, Du Yusheng wasn't really suitable for this job. A spoiled rich kid, who didn't even come from a relevant background. Something had happened back then that forced him down this path.

After listening for so long, Qin Yan stood up and walked over to him.

"Close?" Qin Yan said coldly, "That's your unilateral closeness."

Du Yusheng was taken aback for a moment, then stood up as if enlightened.

Walking to the door, he gave Qin Yan a thumbs-up.

His moods came quickly and left just as fast.

Du Yusheng had his own way of seeing things. He believed what Li Yao did was his own business, but how he chose to act was his own business too.

Moreover, Du Yusheng dug out a bit of flesh from the glass shards. Li Yao's willingness to leave a clue at least indicates that he isn't as indifferent to him as he appears. Deep down, he still acknowledges Du Yusheng's existence. Du Yusheng returned to the car, convinced by his own reasoning.

Lying on the passenger seat was the report Qin Yan had brought, the one about the page.

Du Yusheng picked it up for another look, then started the engine.

Clearly, the stain had most likely been left behind when Luo Yang was changing the medicine. The book had probably been underneath at the time and caught the mark by accident. So then, under what circumstance would you have a book lying underneath something? Most likely, when you were reading it. And when people read, the first place they usually do it is in their own home.

Du Yusheng had been to Luo Yang's home once before.

At that time, apart from discovering that the place had been newly renovated, he hadn't found anything else.

Coming back to Luo Yang's home now, Du Yusheng felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

Everything inside looked exactly the same as when he'd last left. In the meantime, Du Yusheng had deliberately refrained from sealing off the place, he'd only posted someone nearby to keep watch. Even so, judging by the dust on the floor, no one had been in since. All the furniture and flooring were new, only the clothes and daily necessities were old.

Du Yusheng went through the motions once again.

Luo Yang had a study, and the arrangement of furniture inside was very similar to that of Luo Daheng. Du Yusheng stepped in and sat down on a slightly dusty chair. He rested both arms on the desk and posed as though he were about to read. The desk was a single-tier design, not even a drawer underneath, and it was quite comfortable to stretch his legs below. Du Yusheng ran his hands along the underside of the desk, but aside from dust, he found nothing.

There were two bedrooms, and the one near the entrance had a very tidy desk.

Du Yusheng walked over and struck the same posture as before in the study.

Back when he was in school, he used to slouch in his chair when he got tired of reading. Poor posture over time led to short-sightedness. Du Yusheng remembered that Luo Yang wore glasses.

Slouching like that felt comfortable. With his line of sight lowered, it became easy to spot the hidden compartment just beneath the desktop.

The compartment was shallow but wide.

Du Yusheng reached out and slid it open.

What lay inside wasn't quite what he had expected. Apart from a nail clipper and a small sewing kit, there was also a wrench and a screwdriver. At the very bottom sat a red Swiss army knife. It appeared this was a toolbox. Feeling a bit dejected, Du Yusheng slid the panel back into place.

Du Yusheng tried a few desks, but none of them turned up anything else noteworthy.

Resting his chin on his folded hands, Du Yusheng sighed with mild frustration.

At that moment, the phone in his pocket buzzed. In the empty house, the vibration sounded almost as loud as a ringtone.

It was Xiao Bai's bug.

Du Yusheng held the phone to his ear.

On the other end, Xiao Bai seemed to be on a call, there was the rustling sound of clothes, and after a few seconds, he heard Xiao Bai's voice.

"Mr Li..."

The moment those three words left Xiao Bai's mouth, Du Yusheng's mind went completely blank.

At that exact instant, Du Yusheng also thought of the bottle of salbutamol at the crime scene, the one that had been tampered with.

He reopened the hidden compartment and picked up the red Swiss army knife from the bottom, unfolding its blade again.

Xiao Bai seemed to fall silent for a long while, as though waiting for a reply on the other end. Then he spoke again: "I didn't expect Luo Yang to say that."

Without saying anything else, Xiao Bai ended the call.

Staring at the now-black screen of his phone and then at the Swiss Army knife in his hand, Du Yusheng suddenly couldn't tell which of these things had shaken him more.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Angel: Okay, this time I'm confident that Mr Li is actually Mr Jing...

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: May 23, 2025 by Angel

Edited: June 12, 2025 by Angel