S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 6 Chapter 117

Special Files – Collector 02 – Relationship Crisis

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In the afternoon, after finishing up the remaining work on their cases, everyone was getting ready to clock out for the weekend.

Gongsun had completed the autopsy. Wang Yong had indeed died from poisoning, and the composition was similar to the toxic capsules that Fang Beibei had previously given Zhang Wei and Guan Xiaohong. However, because the sample was too small, the proportion of tetrodotoxin and other components could not be detected, so it was impossible to determine whether it was from the same batch as Fang Beibei's.

Under repeated "pressure" from Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang, Gongsun finally made a "speculation," he guessed that there was more than a 60% chance that it came from the same batch of capsules.

Bai Yutang also thought that Fang Beibei and Shi Yanshuo definitely knew something. The way the two of them carried themselves so fearlessly didn't look like mere bluffing.

"Should we go interrogate the two of them again?" Bai Yutang asked Zhan Zhao.

Zhan Zhao thought about it. "Let's leave them for a few days. If we rush in to question them, they'll start bargaining. Anyway, they're the ones who are anxious."

Bai Yutang nodded. In that case, time to call it a day...

Everyone went home, while Bai Yutang and Zhan Zhao were in charge of taking Mia back first.

After chatting with Zhan Zhao for a bit about a professor from the psychology department at X University, Zhao Jue had suddenly vanished without a trace. Mia also didn't know where he had gone.

On the way back, Mia typed out a long message on her phone screen and asked Zhan Zhao to make a phone call for her.

One glance left Zhan Zhao both amused and exasperated. This girl had arranged everything for her parents, from ordering flowers and gifts to booking a hotel, making it all look like a honeymoon.

Feeling a little gossipy, Zhan Zhao asked Mia, "So how's the progress? Are they dating yet? Or living together?"

Hugging her big rabbit, Mia shook her head and gestured to Zhan Zhao – An adult relationship!

Zhan Zhao couldn't help but chuckle. "Then what kind of progress do you want them to make?"

Mia pouted, then pointed out the car window at the huge Ferris wheel towering over the amusement park in the distance – On my birthday, at least the kind of progress where they'd go to the amusement park together!

Zhan Zhao rubbed his chin. The child probably hoped the two of them would get married, so that on holidays she could drag her parents out together to play... Kalin and Issel did look like a very good pair, but at the same time, they didn't quite feel like an ordinary married couple.

Zhan Zhao tried to explain to Mia that when it came to adult relationships, it was best to let things take their natural course. Whether they got married or not, they would still spend her birthday with her. If she wanted to go somewhere or wanted them to accompany her, she only had to say so directly.

Mia leaned against the rabbit's head, looking very unhappy.

Zhan Zhao sensed something was off, so he asked her – What's wrong?

Mia gestured to Zhan Zhao, then turned her face away...

"Issel's having an affair?!" Zhan Zhao was shocked.

Even Bai Yutang, who was driving, glanced at the rear-view mirror – Really?

Zhan Zhao carefully recalled Issel's recent behaviour and shook his head – He doesn't seem to be having an affair. His focus, apart from being a cook, is all on Kalin... from time to time he even shows off their affection.

Mia mysteriously pointed at her backpack and gestured at Zhan Zhao.

"You found a photo of a beautiful woman in your dad's bag?" Zhan Zhao was amused, "That doesn't necessarily mean he's having an affair..."

Mia shook her head – She's very beautiful!

"Er... could it be a photo of a celebrity?" Zhan Zhao remembered that Issel and Uncle Chopsticks sometimes went to concerts and binge-watched dramas.

Bai Yutang thought it was more likely a photo of a chef than a female celebrity.

Mia wrinkled her nose and shook her head hard – Not a celebrity! Just an ordinary beauty! And she looks very young!

Zhan Zhao tilted his head and looked at Mia, who was holding her rabbit and staring out of the window. He could understand what the child was worried about.

Although Kalin and Issel were not really husband and wife, their relationship had been developing well recently, and Issel always referred to Kalin as his girlfriend.

But if Issel was seeing another woman at the same time, wouldn't that make him a two-timing scumbag? Mia and Kalin had such a good relationship, naturally, as the daughter, she would be angry...

Zhan Zhao poked Bai Yutang, who was driving – What do you think? Would Issel cheat?

Bai Yutang shook his head – He probably wouldn't dare. If he really did, he would already have been turned into dog food...

Zhan Zhao thought that was true, so he comforted Mia – Maybe it's a misunderstanding, let's wait and see.

Mia sighed – Hopefully, I don't want Dad to be turned into dog food.

......

The car drove into Zhao Jue's house. In the courtyard, Bai Ye was holding a big bag of dog food and feeding the dogs.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang couldn't help but glance at the bag of dog food.

The car stopped, and everyone got out.

Bai Ye asked Mia if she had eaten, saying there was new ice cream in the fridge.

Mia ran into the house, and Bai Yutang helped her carry her things inside.

Zhan Zhao leaned closer to Bai Ye and quietly asked, "Uncle Ye, where's Issel?"

"He came back, put his things down, and left again." Bai Ye mimed shooting a gun, "Probably went hunting with Eleven..."

Zhan Zhao was startled, "Really hunting?"

"Mm-hmm, he said he wanted to shoot a wild boar, even booked a butcher, planning to learn how to carve it up and skewer the meat..."

Zhan Zhao stared intently at Bai Ye, trying to figure out whether he was serious or joking.

"How's the progress between Issel and Kalin lately?" Zhan Zhao pet a dog twice, then asked again.

"Not bad." Bai Ye finished emptying the big bag of dog food, glanced at the stock in the storeroom, figured it would only last until the end of the month, then took out his phone, preparing to order next month's supply.

Zhan Zhao suddenly asked, "Issel doesn't look like the cheating type, does he?"

Bai Ye paused slightly, phone in hand as he looked at Zhan Zhao, "You... discovered something?"

Zhan Zhao stood up, cradling a puppy in his arms, "Is he really cheating?"

A rare look of surprise appeared on Bai Ye's face, "You mean Issel has found another woman behind Kalin's back?"

Zhan Zhao blinked, "Has he?"

Bai Ye looked at him, "Has he? If he has, I won't order dog food next month..."

Zhan Zhao put a hand to his forehead, "Did Zhao Jue say anything?"

Bai Ye shook his head, glancing towards the car, "Where is he?"

"He hasn't come back?" Zhan Zhao was puzzled too. Where could he have gone?

Bai Ye pulled out his phone to check the location, "He's at the dessert shop."

Zhan Zhao also glanced over, a bit perplexed – Why had he gone to the dessert shop?

"Probably to pick up the alpaca." Bai Ye put his phone away and asked Zhan Zhao with a serious expression, "Carry on about Issel cheating!"

......

In the villa's living room, Bai Yutang came in with Mia.

On the table were two large bags, the toolkits Issel and Eleven had just brought.

Bai Yutang put Mia's bag on the sofa, then saw Mia standing by the table, beckoning him over.

Bai Yutang walked over and saw that Mia had opened her dad's big bag and was rummaging through the pouches inside.

With a clatter, a cell phone fell out and landed on the floor.

Bai Yutang bent down to pick it up...

The phone had no password. As soon as Bai Yutang picked it up, he saw the screensaver...

Bai Yutang froze.

The screensaver suddenly disappeared, the phone unlocked automatically... and a chat dialogue box appeared on the screen.

Bai Yutang cast a glance, then instinctively drew it back and hid the phone behind his back.

Mia hadn't been paying attention, she was rummaging through Issel's inner pocket... After fidgeting for a moment, she pulled out a photograph and handed it to Bai Yutang.

Bai Yutang took it and looked, it was indeed a photo of a woman...

Mia stormed off to open the fridge, took out a large tub of ice cream, found a spoon and started scooping it.

Bai Yutang took the photo out of the room, walked over to the lawn where Zhan Zhao and Bai Ye were feeding the dogs, and handed the photo to Zhan Zhao.

"Is this her?" Zhan Zhao inspected the photo and asked Bai Ye, "Uncle Ye, do you know her?"

Bai Ye glanced at the picture, puzzled, "Is this the woman Issel is cheating with?"

Zhan Zhao hurriedly waved his hand, "It isn't confirmed he's cheating yet, there might be some misunderstanding..."

But before Zhan Zhao could finish, Bai Yutang handed him a phone.

The phone's screensaver lit up, it was the same woman from the photo.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Ye were slightly taken aback...

At that moment, the screen automatically unlocked, and the chat window Bai Yutang had seen earlier popped up.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Ye glanced at it simultaneously, and both gasped...

Zhan Zhao instinctively covered part of the screen with his hand and looked at Bai Yutang – Whose phone is it?

Bai Yutang waved the photo in his hand, which had been found in Issel's bag.

Bai Ye took the phone and read the messages carefully. They were all flirtatious, and the conversation was explicit, utterly unsuitable for children.

Zhan Zhao asked Bai Yutang, "Did Mia see it?"

Bai Yutang shook his head.

"Is this Issel's phone?" Zhan Zhao clung to a last hope, "He doesn't usually use this one..."

Bai Ye and Bai Yutang looked at him – If a man was two-timing, he would of course have two phones! What kind of scumbag only has one phone?

"Ah, something's wrong..."

Suddenly, Zhan Zhao quickly scrolled down through the chat, and the more he read, the more horrified he became, "Wow, this woman found out Issel was cheating!"

Bai Yutang and Bai Ye hurried over to look.

Zhan Zhao pointed at the last few pages of the chat...

"You went behind my back to see other women!"

"You're even with an older woman who has a kid in tow!"

"How dare you toy with me, you're dead!"

"You're both dead!"

"You two just wait and see!"

"I'll make sure that you and that woman are left with no place to be buried!"

......

"Wow... this..." Zhan Zhao read the chat and glanced again at the photo in Bai Yutang's hand, "Why does she look perfectly normal in the photo, but her messages are so abnormal?"

Bai Yutang and Bai Ye both nodded – There are long stretches below filled with death threats and vicious curses...

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang stood stunned for a moment, then looked up at Bai Ye together.

Uncle Ye fell silent for a while too, and thought that there was no need to order dog food next month after all. Issel was probably dead...

Just then, the gate opened, and a car drove in, stopping beside Bai Yutang's car.

Kalin and Anna got out, with big and small bags in their hands, looking like they had gone to buy clothes...

Zhan Zhao instinctively shoved the phone into Bai Yutang's hand.

Bai Yutang, in turn, slipped it to Bai Ye.

Bai Ye had no choice but to hide it behind him.

Kalin and Anna didn't notice, they carried their shopping bags back inside. Passing the villa door, Kalin called Mia over to try on clothes.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang watched the cheerful Kalin and once again glanced at Bai Ye  –  You better sort that scumbag out!

Bai Ye gave the phone back to the two of them and shrugged – Emotional disputes aren't my area of expertise.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang shook their heads at the phone – No, this isn't an emotional dispute anymore, it's teetering on criminal territory!

Bai Ye thought for a moment, "Speaking of which, isn't he supposed to be on a date with Kalin tonight?"

"Why don't we call him and ask?" Zhan Zhao suggested. "If it's hopeless, don't eat, go home and kneel on the washboard!"

Bai Ye thought the washboard might not be enough. Bai Yutang pointed at a cactus pot nearby, "Kneel on that instead..."

Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Ye and Bai Yutang. How come the two of you have such similar styles of complaining? Hurry up and call him to at least give him a heads-up!

Bai Ye took out his phone to call Issel.

The phone rang for a while, then suddenly, the phone in Zhan Zhao's hand vibrated. The caller ID showed the single word "Bai."

Bai Ye silently hung up his own phone.

Zhan Zhao made a small "eh" sound and tossed the phone away in annoyance.

Bai Yutang reached out and caught it.

The three of them exchanged a look – Is this really Issel's phone?

Bai Ye turned and went back into the house.

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang followed, "Where are you going? What should we do?"

Bai Ye waved his hand, "First, put away any potential murder weapons in the house!"

‿︵‿︵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: September 20, 2025 by Angel

Edited: November 26, 2025 by Angel