Controlled Experiment Chapter 37

Game of Death – 13

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Du Yusheng had never wanted to hear Li Yao's voice so badly.

Every busy tone from the receiver felt like it was striking against his chest, each one dull and heavy. With every beep, Du Yusheng thought of the traces Old Qian had left behind at the crime scene, his entire life path laid bare. With every beep, he was reminded of the old master at home who might still have been alive.

Du Yusheng never liked the feeling of empathy.

He always hoped that what belonged to others would stay with them, never touching him. That had always been his way of shielding himself. But lately, something had changed, as if the final straw had been laid on the camel's back, puncturing a hole in his shell, letting in a gust of cold wind that blew straight through.

That inexpressible surge of emotion only stopped when Li Yao picked up.

With that single "Hello," Du Yusheng seemed to flip a switch and return to the land of the living.

"Hello?" Li Yao asked again.

Snapping out of it, Du Yusheng forced a grin at his phone and said awkwardly, "Er... have you finished work?"

There was a pause on Li Yao's end before he replied, "Finished work? I'm off today, didn't we just see each other?"

Du Yusheng's smile froze on his face. Thankfully it was a phone call, his expression would've been painfully awkward if seen.

"Ah, I... I forgot," Du Yusheng rubbed his nose and let out a muffled nasal sound, muttering, "I was thinking... maybe grab a bite together."

Li Yao paused for a few seconds.

Then asked, "Where are you?"

Crouched on the kerb, Du Yusheng gave him a location.

Li Yao chuckled on the other end of the line. "I'm actually not far from there, and it just so happens that I haven't eaten either, I'm a bit hungry."

Du Yusheng stared blankly at the phone as the screen went dark. Only then did he realise the call had already ended. People bustled by. Traffic flowed endlessly. Conversations and car horns filled the air. And suddenly, Du Yusheng had the urge to dash into the middle of the street and high-five every single passer-by.

Feigning composure, Du Yusheng stood up from the kerb and calmly started flipping through restaurant listings on his phone.

It seemed like he had never been this hungry before.

=========

Li Yao hung up and turned to look at Er Zhuofan sitting beside him.

Er Zhuofan's name carried the literary air of an older generation, and it suited his age. He often said he had already stepped into the rhythm of old age, that even the once distant notion of retirement now loomed ever closer. In another year or two, it would be his turn.

The driver in front kept quiet, fully aware of what he should and shouldn't hear.

Li Yao set his phone aside and sighed.

Er Zhuofan smiled. "That was Du Yusheng, wasn't it?"

Li Yao nodded with his eyes still closed.

Er Zhuofan raised his brows with a smile, the kind older people give when watching younger ones fumble through life.

"That Du boy's a good kid, it's just that he does things that leave people scratching their heads sometimes. You can say he's stupid, but he can crack a few minor cases. You can say he's clever, but does he really seem like a proper police officer? Take the beginning, he suspected you, yet trusted you so completely. Lucky for him you're not some villain, otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he died."

Though Er Zhuofan's tone sounded scolding, there wasn't a trace of real anger in his expression. Li Yao could tell that this, too, was a form of indulgence.

Old Master Du and Er Zhuofan were of a similar age and had a slight acquaintance.

Li Yao looked at Er Zhuofan, unsure of what to say.

Before long, Du Yusheng sent over a message, and Er Zhuofan glanced at it.

Li Yao noticed a finger suddenly appear over his phone screen and turned to look at Er Zhuofan.

The smile had completely vanished from Er Zhuofan's face. He looked at Li Yao rather seriously and reminded him, "You have to remember, you're the one who pulled him into this situation. You must make sure he gets out of it unharmed, understand? The Du family only has this one child, you've got to keep him safe."

Li Yao nodded and said, "I understand."

Er Zhuofan nodded in return and advised, "Don't tell Du Yusheng about your identity just yet. I know what kind of temperament he has, don't be fooled by how warm he's acting with you now, how soft he seems. If he finds out the truth, maybe he won't completely cut ties with you, but he's perfectly capable of tearing a bloody hole right through your chest."

Li Yao agreed again. "I understand."

These two replies satisfied Er Zhuofan, as he cared deeply for that boy Du Yusheng. This wasn't originally his business, yet he'd been inexplicably dragged into it by Li Yao. After working in this role for so many years, Er Zhuofan developed his own methods for reading people. Du Yusheng wore all his emotions on his face, while Li Yao kept everything buried in his heart. The two balanced each other well. This generation had its own values. Er Zhuofan didn't want to interfere. He just hoped that, before retiring, he could see this final case through to the end, consider it a proper exit from the stage.

With that thought, Er Zhuofan patted Li Yao's hand in reassurance.

Li Yao gazed out the window, though his mind was clearly elsewhere.

=========

When Li Yao found Du Yusheng, he was eating sugar mandarins.

Du Yusheng was the kind of person who had to find something sweet for himself even in the worst environments, the kind who never let himself go hungry. Likely due to his privileged upbringing, he had a knack for enjoying life. He was the sort of man who, even in a desert, would find an umbrella and sunbathe under it.

He was sitting on the kerb, holding a white plastic bag filled with orange peel and a few sugar mandarins. He was peeling one while eating another. Li Yao didn't approach straight away, standing across the road and quietly watching him instead.

Soon, Du Yusheng had eaten nearly all the mandarins from his bag. No one knew where he'd bought them, but he was sitting on the side of the road eating them with great satisfaction. Li Yao chuckled as he watched Du Yusheng pull the hood of his jacket over his head.

Crossing the road, Li Yao walked up to Du Yusheng and sat down right next to him.

"Where did you get the mandarins?"

Only then did Du Yusheng register his presence. He looked at Li Yao and quickly pulled him to his feet.

"Yo, you're here? I passed an old man selling them and tried one, it was sweet, so I bought a few." He glanced at his now-empty plastic bag and grinned. "Didn't even notice, I've eaten them all."

Li Yao smiled and turned away, saying nothing more.

For a moment, he found Du Yusheng very grounded, with a sense of authenticity.

While the two of them were waiting for a taxi, a little episode occurred. Though Du Yusheng had once told Xiao Bai that he was available twenty-four hours a day, things had changed. He couldn't be on call constantly any more, especially when he'd finally managed to have dinner with Li Yao.

Xiao Bai's call just had to come in at this moment.

The message was simple: Gu Qingyu had already been brought to the station and they were asking what time Du Yusheng would be coming in to conduct the interrogation that evening.

Du Yusheng nearly laughed from sheer frustration as he looked at his phone, then glanced over at Li Yao standing off to the side before walking a few steps away.

He roared, "Was Gu Qingyu speaking a foreign language you guys don't understand? Can't you interrogate without me there? Xiao Bai, that hole under your nose, is it just for eating? How is it that every time I have even a moment, cough, you manage to shove yourself into it? Are you deliberately targeting me?"

Xiao Bai was utterly scolded and left drenched in confusion, not understanding why Du Yusheng had exploded like that.

After hanging up, Du Yusheng stared at the darkened phone screen and sighed. Then he looked back at Li Yao, who was still standing straight.

Pressing his lips together, Du Yusheng walked over a bit sheepishly.

"Hey, I'm really sorry, something's come up at the station." Du Yusheng rubbed his fingers together awkwardly. "You see, I was the one who called you out, but now, I've got things to handle."

Li Yao looked at Du Yusheng in silence, his face expressionless.

Thinking he was upset, Du Yusheng quickly put on a smile to smooth things over.

Li Yao checked his watch and said, "I can wait a bit. We can eat anytime, there's no rush at this hour."

Just as Er Zhuofan had said, all of Du Yusheng's emotions showed clearly on his face. The moment he heard that, a smile spread across it and he nodded eagerly.

Du Yusheng hadn't expected Li Yao to say that and his eyes were full of joy.

=========

By nine o'clock that evening, the Huan Island Sub-Bureau was bustling with noise and tension, like the sound of war drums.

Xiao Bai was standing by the copier, duplicating the evidence materials they had sorted through earlier that afternoon. As the pages printed, he was still trying to figure out which part of the phone call had triggered Du Yusheng's outburst. Even after the materials were done, he was none the wiser.

Armed with the thick stack of papers, he bumped right into Du Yusheng, who had returned after being interrupted earlier.

As soon as Xiao Bai caught sight of Li Yao behind him, he instantly understood what had set Du Yusheng off.

"Brother Yu..."

Xiao Bai called out tentatively.

Du Yusheng gave a half-hearted grunt through his nose and asked, "Where's Gu Qingyu?"

Xiao Bai pointed upstairs. "He's inside."

"Take me to him."

Du Yusheng had changed into a thinner jacket. Turning to Li Yao, he said, "You told me before that Chen Xin was already dead when Gu Qingyu entered the hospital room. Well, Gu Qingyu's here now, do you want to find out the truth? Whether Gu Qingyu's really the killer or not?"

Li Yao looked into Du Yusheng's eyes without saying anything.

"Come on, I'll take you in to see for yourself."

Du Yusheng smiled, about to step inside, when Xiao Bai suddenly raised a hand to block him.

He said, "Brother Yu, he can't go in, there are rules."

Du Yusheng let out a cold chuckle and jabbed a finger at Xiao Bai.

"If you say one more word today, pack your things and get out, immediately."

Du Yusheng glanced back and forth between Li Yao and Xiao Bai but ultimately said nothing and walked inside.

Bringing Li Yao in did technically break protocol, but Du Yusheng wasn't a fool, he had his own plans.

=========

Gu Qingyu looked more or less the same as the last time they'd seen him, though a bit more subdued now.

His shoulders drooped slightly and his head was lowered, completely resigned to his fate. Seeing him like that, so utterly pathetic, reminded Du Yusheng of Old Qian who had died, and with that, his anger surged again.

Xiao Bai and Li Yao stood outside. It was one-way glass, those inside couldn't see out, but those outside could see in.

Du Yusheng pulled out a chair and sat down, then slammed the photo he was holding onto the table.

The sound startled Gu Qingyu, making his shoulders jolt.

"You told me last time that you didn’t leave the house that night." Du Yusheng kicked the table and said, "You think we're stupid, don't you? Surveillance footage shows that not only did you leave the house, you even went to Huan Island Central Hospital, and you parked your car in the underground parking garage. You weren't ill, so would you like to tell me what you were doing there?"

Gu Qingyu stared at the photo on the table without saying a word.

Du Yusheng gave a cold smile and said, "Fine, if you won't say it, I'll help you out. That night, you went to the hospital, but visiting hours were over. You couldn't get into the ward, so you found an office the cameras couldn't see, took a white coat from inside, put it on, and slipped into Chen Xin's ward." Du Yusheng leaned in close to Gu Qingyu's ear. "Then you killed him."

"I didn't!"

Gu Qingyu made as if to stand, but was jerked back by the handcuffs. He was so agitated the entire chair nearly came with him.

"You didn't?" Du Yusheng shook his head theatrically. "You owed Chen Xin a large sum of money, and you didn't want to pay him back. With Chen Xin dead, you wouldn't have to."

"I didn't kill him!"

Gu Qingyu's eyes were bloodshot from the intensity of his emotions. He squirmed restlessly in the chair, desperate to refute Du Yusheng's words.

"I really didn't kill him!" Gu Qingyu roared. "It's true I didn't want to pay him back, but I'd never kill him."

Du Yusheng rubbed his nose, then raised a finger and made a circle in the air.

"You know, the two words this room hears most often are 'I didn't', all murderers say the same thing."

"Trust me!" Gu Qingyu cried, worked up. "I didn't kill him!"

Having laid the groundwork, Du Yusheng stretched and tapped the table.

"Then tell me something that'll make me believe you."

Gu Qingyu drew in a deep breath.

"I lied, I did go looking for Chen Xin that night." Gu Qingyu lowered his head. "I didn't want to repay him. Chen Xin had been hounding me for days, even threatened to sue me. I tried reasoning with him, but he wouldn't listen, told me to get ready for court. We've known each other for years, and that's how he treated me."

Du Yusheng snorted to himself, You dare to think that highly of yourself?

"That night, I wanted to go look for him. I went to his home first, but his wife said Chen Xin wasn't there. I asked where he was, but she wouldn't say." Gu Qingyu paused, then continued, "You know Chen Xin owed the factory money. His wife was afraid that if she gave me the address, workers would show up to demand their pay. So I lied, I told her I wanted to pay Chen Xin back, that's how I got her to tell me he was at the hospital."

"And then you went and killed him?"

"No!" Gu Qingyu explained, "I just wanted to scare him. If he tried to sue me, I was going to give his hospital address to the factory workers and have them harass him. I was also planning to help them file a lawsuit against Chen Xin. If we both lost, he definitely wouldn't sue me. That's what I was thinking. Then I changed clothes and snuck into his ward, but I didn't expect that he'd already be dead when I got there."

"Say that again?"

Du Yusheng shot to his feet and pointed at Gu Qingyu. "Say that again, you're certain Chen Xin was already dead when you entered the room, is that right?"

"Yes, I'm not lying," Gu Qingyu bit his lower lip, then nodded heavily. "I called his name a few times, but he didn't respond, then I realised he was already dead. I panicked. I was terrified, so I wiped off all the footprints in the room. I didn't know how he'd died, and even if it was natural causes, I didn't want it to have anything to do with me, so I left. I'm telling the truth. I didn't lie. You have to believe me. I really didn't kill anyone."

It matched Li Yao's theory exactly.

Du Yusheng glanced in Li Yao's direction.

Truth be told, he believed Gu Qingyu hadn't committed the murder.

He gestured to the people outside.

The surveillance feed cut off instantly.

Du Yusheng looked towards the observation room. Once he was certain neither Xiao Bai nor Li Yao could see what he was doing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out two photos.

He'd slipped them in while changing earlier.

There was a question that had been nagging at him all day.

Tapping one of the faces in the photo, Du Yusheng asked, "Have you seen this person before?"

These two were copies Du Yusheng had made, the originals were inside Luo Yang's book.

In his view, both photos depicted Li Yao.

"Do you know this person?" Du Yusheng asked again.

Gu Qingyu studied them for a while and shook his head.

"Never seen him."

Without a word, Du Yusheng grabbed the other one and handed it to him.

"Isn't this the same person?" Gu Qingyu shook his head again. "I really haven't seen him."

Du Yusheng rubbed the two photos between his fingers, laying them out before Gu Qingyu.

"You think it's the same person too?"

Du Yusheng stroked his chin and murmured to himself, "That's what I used to think too."

That was then, but now?

Du Yusheng pulled a third photo from his pocket and handed it over.

The person in this one was Xiao Bai.

It was a standard ID photo taken when he joined the force, a proper one-inch photo.

"I don't know him," Gu Qingyu shook his head again. "I really don't know any of them."

He didn't seem to be lying. Du Yusheng undid the lock attached to the table and pointed at the opposite wall. "Turn your back to me and stand over there by the wall."

Gu Qingyu had no idea what Du Yusheng was trying to do and could only follow his instructions and stand with his back to him.

Du Yusheng carefully studied Gu Qingyu's back, then mentally compared it to the silhouette of Li Yao he remembered. Height, build, they were indeed remarkably similar. It seemed that the man captured on the surveillance footage that day really had been Gu Qingyu. He hadn't lied.

Du Yusheng rubbed his nose, pocketed the three photos on the table, and then knocked on the glass to signal for the surveillance to resume.

=========

In truth, Li Yao had already left halfway through listening.

Li Yao could more or less guess what Du Yusheng was asking in the interrogation, and even if there were parts he didn't know, Xiao Bai would tell him sooner or later. Rather than that, it was better to put on a show in front of Du Yusheng, pretend he wasn't interested in the case, to avoid arousing suspicion.

While waiting by the door, Li Yao noticed a display board in the corridor.

The board took up a third of the wall. Most of it was photos from award ceremonies and introductions of team members.

Du Yusheng's photo was there too, a small two-inch image, clearly taken when Du Yusheng was much younger. He looked raw, far less restrained than he was now, the aggression in him more prominent back then, his most sharp-edged phase. Above the three characters of his name were the words "Vice-Captain". A few spots over, there was Xiao Bai's photo, and the bottom rows showed members from other teams.

Li Yao scratched his head and realised the photo for the main captain was missing.

There was only the word "Captain", but no photo above it. He had heard from Du Yusheng before that their captain was something of a mystery. When that mystery might finally be solved, Du Yusheng was probably just as curious.

Li Yao glanced at his watch and thought Du Yusheng should be out soon.

When Du Yusheng finally came out, he was still looking for Li Yao. A colleague told him he was waiting in the break room, and only then did he feel relieved.

On the way there, he bumped into someone.

Er Zhuofan.

Du Yusheng quickly went over to greet him, smiling. "Aiyo, what brings you back? I heard you were off on holiday?"

Er Zhuofan wore a crisp uniform, middle-aged yet still radiating authority.

"I’m nearly retired now, doesn't mean I can slack off," Er Zhuofan tapped Du Yusheng's chest with a finger and said, "I heard that two people died in the cases you are in charge of, Du Yusheng, you'd better think carefully about what you're doing. A string of deaths is more serious than failing to solve the case. I don't need to spell it out. If you can't crack it soon, you'll be back at the grassroots."

The last few sentences Er Zhuofan said were heavy, Du Yusheng didn't dare joke any more, he just kept nodding.

After saying goodbye to Er Zhuofan, he turned and saw Li Yao standing at the door of the break room. It looked like his pathetic state just now had been seen. Embarrassing.

Du Yusheng walked over, grinning, and asked, "Did you wait long?"

Li Yao shook his head. "That your boss?"

Du Yusheng let out a sigh. "Isn't he just. Director Er, Er Zhuofan, head of the Huan Island Sub-Bureau, he's retiring in a year and a half."

As he spoke, he cheekily gave a thumbs-up at Er Zhuofan's retreating back.

Watching Du Yusheng's back, Li Yao was suddenly a little afraid of what he would be like if he knew the truth.

‿︵‿︵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 9, 2025 by Angel

Edited: June 26, 2025 by Angel