Controlled Experiment Chapter 38

Game of Death – 14

---

It was already half past nine in the evening when they came out of the police station. At this hour, it was difficult to hail a taxi on that stretch of road and Li Yao hadn't driven over. Fortunately, Du Yusheng had a car that had long been parked in the underground garage of the station, his battered old banger that had changed hands nine times and been patched up ten.

Usually, Du Yusheng didn't think much of it, but he wasn't keen on driving it in front of Li Yao. After all, what kind of person was Li Yao? Compared to him, riding that thing felt like entering the city in a horse-drawn cart.

But with no other transport available, Du Yusheng clenched his teeth and figured it was still better than the two of them standing by the roadside waiting.

Du Yusheng told Li Yao to wait upstairs, and it took quite a while before he finally drove the car out.

Li Yao glanced at the coloured marker-pen outline around the side indicator light and paused for a moment.

"This kind of car, the traffic police don't care?" Li Yao teased. "You got enough points left on your licence to deduct?"

Du Yusheng ran a hand over the steering wheel and chuckled. "It's fine, the traffic police uncles have all gone off to dinner and bed by now. I've got loads of points to spare, I can take it."

Li Yao ducked his head, opened the door and got in.

Despite its many previous owners and countless repairs, the car's frame was decent, it was comfortable to sit in, and the engine noise was within bearable limits. It felt rather different from how it looked. Knowing Du Yusheng's personality, he wouldn't have kept the car unless it had a story behind it.

Li Yao tentatively asked, "Actually, I wanted to ask last time, Young Master Du drives this...?"

There happened to be a red light ahead, Du Yusheng stopped the car just a few centimetres behind the zebra crossing. The interior lights were off, so Li Yao could only make out his expression by the streetlamp, it was somewhat solemn, somewhat sorrowful.

Du Yusheng pressed lightly on the steering wheel and gave a forced chuckle. "... It was my dad's car, he used to drive this, and later it got wrecked in an accident. I couldn't bear to part with it, so I had it fixed. I've had it repaired so many times now I almost forget it's a car, but I still can't part with it."

Du Yusheng felt he'd explained a bit too much. Worried that Li Yao might see through him, he tacked on another word, almost awkwardly, "Sentimental."

The police station was just off one of the city's main roads. Still drifting slightly from the earlier question, it took Du Yusheng a whole block before he came back to himself.

"Well, it's this late already." Du Yusheng glanced at the time on the dashboard. "There's barbecue, crayfish, or the snack street over that way, which one do you fancy?"

Li Yao opened his phone and looked through it. He thought for a moment.

Then he smiled. "Aren't you good at cooking?"

"... Eat, eat at home?"

Blinking in surprise, Du Yusheng tapped the steering wheel lightly to cover his delight, and the corners of his mouth nearly reached his ears.

"But at this hour... most of the wet markets are already closed."

Du Yusheng rubbed his face and looked at Li Yao through the rearview mirror. The latter was looking down at his phone. He had originally meant to ask what Li Yao wanted to eat, but when he opened his mouth, he ended up saying nothing. He felt that Li Yao probably wasn't even hungry, maybe he'd just said it in passing.

That thought left a slight bitterness in Du Yusheng. He drove around the wholesale market for a bit. Just as he'd expected, most markets closed around five or six in the afternoon, and very few stayed open this late. Just as he was about to give up and head off, he spotted a small shop that hadn't closed yet. The owner likely lived nearby and wasn't in a rush to go home. Unfortunately, the remaining produce wasn't great. Still, he picked out a half-decent fish, grabbed a small bunch of spring onions, and swiped a cauliflower from the owner before he left.

Opening the car door, Du Yusheng placed the ingredients on the passenger side, then turned and asked, "Do you eat fish?"

Li Yao stared blankly at the wriggling fish in the plastic bag. He didn't want to admit that he really had just said it casually earlier, he hadn't expected Du Yusheng to take it seriously, let alone be so serious about it.

"I do." Li Yao nodded and smiled. "I didn't think anywhere would still be open this late."

Hearing Li Yao's reply, Du Yusheng smiled and started the engine.

"Nothing is fresh at this hour, if you really want to eat properly, you've got to come earlier, you can pick out the good stuff. Now we're just left with whatever others didn't want."

Du Yusheng chattered on during the drive home, while Li Yao barely said a word, his head lowered, eyes fixed on his phone.

That continued all the way until they got back to the apartment.

While Du Yusheng bustled around the kitchen, Li Yao glanced at the clock on the wall, it was already late into the night. Yet Du Yusheng looked tireless, sleeves rolled up and wearing a floral apron from the supermarket downstairs. He looked far more adept at cooking than at solving cases. Li Yao leaned against the sofa, watching his silhouette, the corners of his mouth curving up involuntarily.

Truth be told, Li Yao hadn't been someone who easily showed emotion at first, but gradually, it was as if he'd been infected by something and he'd come to like this sort of atmosphere.

The fish was fried to a golden crisp and stewed for another half hour. Then, along with a plate of stir-fried cauliflower, it was brought to the table.

Not knowing what else to do, Li Yao dished out two bowls of rice.

The fish he made looked vibrant and appetising.

Li Yao picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. Beside him, Du Yusheng watched him with wide eyes, smiling. "Well?"

"Your skills are truly amazing." Li Yao said, thinking of the word domestic.

With his lips pressed together, Du Yusheng grinned, unable to hide his joy.

Li Yao wasn't one to talk much, and the meal between the two of them was quiet. Halfway through eating, Du Yusheng felt a bit warm, so he took off his jacket and set it aside. Suddenly, something occurred to him.

"Why did you leave halfway through today?" Du Yusheng asked. "When I came out and didn't see you, I thought you'd taken off."

Li Yao shook his head. "I just kept feeling like I shouldn't get too involved."

Du Yusheng put on a nonchalant expression.

He laughed and said, "You can't say it like that, but it's exactly as you said. According to Gu Qingyu's statement, when he entered the ward, Chen Xin was already dead, and I believe Gu Qingyu is telling the truth. Someone else must have acted before him and killed Chen Xin."

"The person in the ventilation duct," Li Yao added.

Du Yusheng nodded. "And this killer didn't just kill Chen Xin. You probably don't know, but there's a new victim. He was murdered at home the night before Chen Xin died. I went to the scene myself, and the killer's habits matched what we saw at Chen Xin's crime scene. The bed had been tidied after the victim's death, and the manner of death was similar too, both looked like they'd died peacefully in their sleep. Two consecutive nights, two lives lost."

Li Yao put down his bowl and chopsticks, aligning them neatly beside the bowl.

He glanced at Du Yusheng and asked, "How did Chen Xin die?"

Shaking his head, Du Yusheng raised a hand to his own neck and gestured a few times.

Though he didn't speak, Li Yao immediately understood. Anyone with medical training would know what lay on either side of the neck.

"... I can't believe I didn't think of that." Li Yao leaned back in his chair and frowned slightly. "The killer actually knew about this."

"I didn't even say anything, and you already got it." There was an unspoken undertone in Du Yusheng's words as he lifted his eyes to look at Li Yao. "You're just as clever as he is."

Picking up the glass of water beside him and rinsing his mouth, Du Yusheng continued, "What's even stranger comes after that. The victim before Chen Xin, the first one, their apartment was directly across from Chen Xin's." Worried that Li Yao hadn't quite caught the meaning, Du Yusheng dipped his finger in water and sketched a few rectangles on the table. "Two buildings side by side, the same apartment number. If you open the window, you can look directly into the other apartment. I haven't figured out why the killer set it up that way."

"Do you have a suspect?"

Du Yusheng shook his head with a hint of frustration. "I had a few earlier, but Gu Qingyu has pretty much been ruled out now. We're still checking the surveillance around the scene, and you know how it is, it's easier to investigate someone connected. But if the killer has nothing at all to do with either of them, then tracking them down becomes incredibly difficult."

Like looking for a needle in a haystack, Li Yao understood that perfectly.

"You said before that there was a slip of paper in Chen Xin's stomach with the words controlled experiment written on it, Luo Daheng had one too, what about this latest victim?"

Du Yusheng picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of rice.

"We're still waiting on the post-mortem," Du Yusheng chewed on the rice in his mouth. "But I'd bet there is one, it's the same killer." Saying this, Du Yusheng sighed suddenly. "I originally thought the case with Luo Daheng was over once we caught Luo Yang, but it turns out that was just the beginning."

Li Yao smiled and offered some comfort. "Don't be too anxious, you'll find a lead sooner or later."

Du Yusheng smiled bitterly. "Sometimes I wonder if it's a criminal organisation. Those two words, what do they really mean? You studied medicine, you should understand better than me what a controlled experiment is. Any insights?"

Li Yao paused, then set his glass down on the coaster.

"Honestly, I've no idea. My graduation project was done by someone else, I just added my name to it."

Du Yusheng nodded, as though he believed him.

He stood and walked to the centre of the living room, stretching lazily before glancing around Li Yao's entire apartment.

Even though it wasn't his first time there, he'd been over many times, each visit seemed to give Du Yusheng a new impression, each one bringing more questions than answers.

Turning to look back at Li Yao, Du Yusheng asked, "You've got such a big place, do you live here alone?"

"What do you think?" Li Yao smiled. "You've been here a few times, ever seen anyone else?"

"No, that's true." Du Yusheng murmured, "It's just that sometimes I feel like you've got two sides, fragmented in parts."

Du Yusheng's phrasing wasn't very clear, but Li Yao's expression shifted behind him.

He wanted Du Yusheng to know about Jing Mo's existence, but not yet.

After washing the dishes, Du Yusheng arranged them in order of size, just as he had done that morning. Because he had cooked fish, a faint fishy smell lingered in the kitchen, so he opened the living room window. It was nearing midnight and most young people were still awake, lights were still on in the residential building next to them. These days, in order to maximise sales, many new developments built their towers very close together, especially at the corners. Du Yusheng rested his chin on his hands and looked out through the window. The apartment directly across from them hadn't even drawn its curtains, and it was possible to see, with the naked eye, the programme playing on their television. Although the show itself wasn't clear, the background colours suggested it was the evening news.

Du Yusheng scratched his chin.

He thought of Old Qian.

Perhaps one night, just like this, Old Qian had opened his window without thinking and happened to see into Chen Xin's apartment.

"Tell me, why do you think the killer chose two neighbouring apartments like that?" Du Yusheng turned to Li Yao, who was standing in the living room, and asked, "I've just had a half-formed idea, do you think it's possible the killer got the wrong person? Went into the wrong apartment and killed the wrong man?"

Li Yao closed the professional book in his hand.

"You said earlier the victim was an old man? What did he have in common with Chen Xin or Luo Daheng?"

Du Yusheng blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Was he a wealthy businessman?"

"No."

"Middle-aged?"

"No."

"Did he have a wife or children? Live with family?"

"No."

"Did he know Chen Xin or Luo Daheng?"

"No."

At that, Li Yao stood up and stepped closer to Du Yusheng, "Then why would he have been dragged into this? And he happened to be across from Chen Xin. Why do you think he's connected to the idea of a controlled experiment?"

Circles began to form in Du Yusheng's mind. Chen Xin was a wealthy businessman, and so was Luo Daheng. From the traces of red soil on the shoes in Chen Xin's hospital room, it was clear the two had known each other, he had likely visited Luo Daheng's villa. It wasn't unusual for businessmen to socialise, Du Yusheng hadn't thought much of it, but now, there was Old Qian to consider. Just an ordinary, lonely, retired man, why had he been caught up in all this and paid for it with his life?

"... Because he got in the killer's way," Du Yusheng murmured, still deep in thought. "The killer wanted his apartment."

Li Yao didn't say anything more. He simply looked at Du Yusheng and smiled, returned to the sofa, and reopened his book.

Du Yusheng remained completely absorbed in the train of thought he'd just pieced together.

He glanced at Li Yao, then looked back out towards the window.

Just as he was about to speak, his phone buzzed.

A WeChat message, from Qin Yan.

Just one sentence.

"No note was found in Old Qian's stomach."

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

Previous Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

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 10, 2025 by Angel

Edited: June 26, 2025 by Angel