S.C.I Mystery Series Volume 6 Chapter 125

Special Files – Collector 10 – Scrambled Numbers

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The SCI team moved into the holiday cabin.

Zhan Zhao had just caught a glimpse of Wu Wen, but they hadn't exchanged any words.

He had barely sat down in the living room when his phone chimed... Opening it, he saw a new email.

At that moment, Zhan Zhao was feeling rather "sensitive". The instant he saw an unread message, he wondered if that pervert had sent another electronic ticket.

But when he opened it, the sender turned out to be Wu Wen

Wu Wen had sent him a copy of the assessment materials, a teaching syllabus for their summer camp, along with several evaluation projects, all written out in great detail.

Zhan Zhao sat down on the sofa and began to read.

He had just sat down when the sofa sank a little on one side. Lisbon leapt up, flopped down beside him, and rested his big head on Zhan Zhao's leg.

Zhan Zhao stroked Lisbon's mane, puzzled as to what Bai Chi used to wash it with, it felt far too soft.

After Bai Yutang and Bai Ye carried in all their large and small bags, they grabbed the drone case and dashed outside.

A short while later, Bai Chi came running in excitedly, saying there was a big open space out back with a water tap, apparently meant for washing cars! As he spoke, he was already tearing open the box, rummaging for something.

Zhan Zhao tilted his head – Is washing a car that fun?

Then he saw Bai Chi pull out a large bottle of something that looked like body wash, a big grooming brush, and two large towels.

Lisbon instantly jumped off the sofa and trotted briskly after Bai Chi.

Rubbing his chin, Zhan Zhao finally solved a long-held mystery – So Lisbon doesn't bathe in the bathtub after all, but at the car wash area!

A while later, Mia burst in, dropped her suitcase, and rushed out again, gesturing to Zhan Zhao as she went, saying she was staying across the street today!

Zhan Zhao was a little puzzled – Across the street?

Putting down his laptop, which he had prepared to "work on his manuscript", Zhan Zhao stepped outside.

The courtyard outside was unusually lively.

Issel and Eleven had set up two large tables covered with ingredients, and the two of them were assembling a barbecue grill.

Several cars had pulled up in front of the cabin across from them. Chen Jiayi, Qi Le, and the others had all arrived. Ma Han, Zhao Hu, Luo Tian, and the rest of the group got out of the cars and waved at them.

Standing at the doorway, Zhan Zhao looked up and immediately spotted Xu Lie and Big Brother Bai chatting by the door.

Zhan Zhao lowered his head and counted on his fingers/ Big Brother, Xu Lie, Qi Le... all the unlucky stars were here.

Then he glanced at the door number of the cabin opposite – 14.

Zhan Zhao nodded quietly to himself. As expected of them...

At the same time, he was a little puzzled as to why theirs was numbered 20, the one next door 21, yet the one opposite was 14? What was behind them?

Zhan Zhao remembered that the twins' rental contract included a layout of the resort, so he went to the car to look for it.

After searching for a while without finding it, he got out of the car and saw Zhao Jue sitting under a parasol, leafing through a document. Judging by the cover, it should be that contract.

Zhan Zhao walked over and sat down beside him. There was a loud clattering sound coming from next door, and when he looked back, he saw Uncle Chopsticks furiously beating some lemons. It looked like he was making cold drinks.

Zhan Zhao asked Zhao Jue to show him the contract.

Zhao Jue closed the document and held out his hand, asking what Zhan Zhao would offer in exchange.

Zhan Zhao rolled his eyes in exasperation, thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone and asked, "The assessment materials Wu Wen sent, want to have a look?"

Zhao Jue handed him the contract and took his phone in return.

Zhan Zhao stared at the contract for quite a while before noticing that the numbers were scrambled, with no pattern at all. He couldn't help complaining, "Did they just pick the house numbers at random?"

Zhao Jue snorted.

Zhan Zhao found that laugh rather "unnatural", it was obvious he knew something.

Zhao Jue asked Zhan Zhao with a hint of showing off, "You've never seen it before?"

Zhan Zhao was puzzled. "Seen what?"

"You've investigated so many murder cases, what do you call a house where a murder took place?"

"A house where a murder happened... a murder house?" Zhan Zhao muttered to himself, then suddenly understood. "Wait, could it be that the house numbers were originally in order, but one of them became a murder house, so they deliberately scrambled the numbering?"

Zhao Jue raised his eyebrows and continued reading the phone.

Zhan Zhao rubbed his chin and thought to himself, Such situations aren't uncommon, especially in hotels or resorts...

Just then, Bai Yutang and Bai Ye had finished calibrating the drone and were watching it soar into the sky.

The new model really was different, almost completely silent.

Zhan Zhao stood up and ran over to Bai Yutang's side, glancing down at the screen on his phone while poking Bai Yutang's arm. "Have it circle above the resort, see if any of the roofs are marked."

"Marked?" Bai Yutang looked slightly puzzled.

Zhan Zhao pointed to a line in the contract for him to see. "These houses aren't just for rent, they're for sale too!"

Bai Yutang shook his head repeatedly. "Cat, renting is better... this area isn't exactly ideal."

Zhan Zhao waved his hand dismissively. "But if they're selling them, and one's a murder house, they have to disclose that to the buyer, right?"

Bai Yutang paused for a moment, then gave a quiet "oh" of understanding. No wonder the house numbers were so strange, they'd all been hidden deliberately...

"But this resort hasn't been around for long, has it? I've never heard of any major cases happening here." Bai Yutang controlled the drone to circle above the complex. After searching for a while, he really did find one, a house with a red "X" painted on its roof.

"Could it be this one?" Bai Yutang asked.

Zhan Zhao narrowed his eyes and pointed at the corner of the phone screen. "Isn't that Lisbon and Bai Chi?"

Bai Yutang looked up as well. The drone hovered in mid-air, directly above the small house next door.

The two of them followed the drone's line of sight to the cabin beneath it, which was the one Wu Wen and the others were staying in, number 21.

"What are the chances?" Zhan Zhao found it suspicious.

Bai Yutang brought the drone back and asked Zhan Zhao, "Do you think the professor knows?"

Zhan Zhao thought it was quite possible, maybe it was even part of the assessment.

While they were talking, Big Brother Bai and Gongsun arrived, with the twins pushing a cart loaded with several crates of fruit.

Issel and Eleven went to help carry the fruit. The two had recently taken an interest in fresh juice, experimenting with all sorts of combinations.

Bai Jintang asked if there were still any rooms available; he wanted to stay here with Gongsun, away from that lot of unlucky stars across the street.

Everyone silently gave him a look – Big Brother, aren't you the biggest unlucky star of them all?

Zhan Zhao beckoned to the twins.

The twins each brought a glass of lemon tea and came over to Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang. They took a sip and instantly pulled a face of sheer agony, their eyes, nose, and mouth all scrunched up together.

From their expressions alone, Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang could feel just how sour that tea must have been.

It took the twins a long moment to recover, and they squinted at the cups in their hands.

The two had been about to start swearing, but after smacking their lips and savouring the aftertaste, they found it oddly appealing. They took another sip, winced again, then another... Ah, it's addictive!

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang watched them drink with looks of pure disdain, as the twins grimaced through each mouthful.

Zhan Zhao asked the twins whether there really was a murder house in the complex.

The twins immediately went, "Shh!"

Bai Yutang was speechless. "So there is one?"

"Not exactly a murder house," Xiao Ding whispered, glancing around. "About a year ago, just after this place was built and opened, a young couple came here to commit suicide by burning charcoal."

Both Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang frowned and pointed next door. "That one?"

The twins exchanged a glance and shook their heads. "No idea. The house numbers were all rearranged, no one knows which one it was exactly. Besides, this whole area's built like a maze..."

After saying that, the twins grew curious and asked how they knew it was the house next door.

Zhan Zhao showed them the photos taken by the drone.

The twins scratched their heads. "Does that mark mean it's a murder house?"

"Aren't these houses for sale? If it's a murder house, shouldn't that be clearly stated..." Zhan Zhao pointed at the phone. "Otherwise, why would only this one have a red X painted on the roof?"

Da Ding clicked his tongue twice. "Just because the houses can be sold doesn't mean anyone will buy them. Who'd be crazy enough to buy a house in this location? If you want a holiday home, go buy one by the seaside, right? And if you want to live in the mountains, you don't settle halfway up the hill, go to the top and enjoy the night view! Up there!"

As they spoke, the twins pointed toward another mountain not far away. "There's a new villa district being developed over there, that's what you'd call a good property! You can see the entire night view of S City from there! And the feng shui's excellent! Big Brother even went to the groundbreaking ceremony!"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang hadn't been particularly interested, but after hearing that, they both looked up in the direction he pointed.

"No one knows what was wrong with that couple. They were supposedly about to get married, hadn't run into any problems, and their finances and health were all fine. Then, out of nowhere, they came here to a holiday cabin to commit suicide." The twins shook their heads. "When they were found, the bodies were already decomposing. And apparently, it was haunted afterwards for quite a while."

"Haunted?" Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang both frowned at the twins – And yet you still brought that whole group of unlucky stars here? What kind of reverse logic is that?

The twins waved their hands quickly. "It's been renovated since then, they say it's fine now."

"What exactly do you mean by haunted?" Zhan Zhao couldn't shake the thought that it might really be the house next door.

"Are you sure it was suicide?" Bai Yutang found the whole thing suspicious, probably out of professional instinct. From the twins' account, it didn't sound like that couple had any reason to kill themselves.

"The police closed the case, saying it was a suicide, but we don't know the details." The twins spread their hands. "But the haunting was seriously creepy! It happened twice!"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang urged them to elaborate.

"The first time, it was two gardeners who did the landscaping here working late into the evening, and when they finally drove out, they circled around a few times but couldn't find the exit!" Da Ding asked Xiao Ding to fetch two more glasses of lemon tea as he animatedly described it to Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang. "Just as they were looking for the way, a young couple holding hands suddenly appeared in front of the car, and the car hit them... The two of them were scared half to death, certain they'd hit someone, but there was no sound of impact. They got out and searched everywhere, but couldn't find anyone at all... and then when they got back in and drove on, they somehow made it out just like that."

Zhan Zhao asked, "So the two of them, one was driving and the other was in the passenger seat? Did they both see it?"

"Exactly!" The twins nodded. "The second time, it was a group of girlfriends, four aunties around fifty who came for a trip. After dinner that evening, when they were on their way back... it was the same as those two gardeners. They were looking for the right way, and suddenly, they saw the backs of a young couple ahead of them. They thought there had been a car accident, but when they got out to check, there was no one there. This time, all four of them saw it clearly!"

Zhan Zhao and Bai Yutang weren't too surprised. As eerie as it sounded, they had seen far too many of these things! Whether man-made or caused by natural phenomena, there were countless "approaching science" explanations, mirages, pinhole projections, accidental optical illusions, and the like.

"But after the place was refurbished and the cabin numbers were shuffled around, nothing like that has happened again." Da Ding took another sip of his lemon tea and marvelled, "I've never had anything so disgusting and so delicious at the same time!"

Once the twins finished gossiping, they went off for the barbecue.

Bai Yutang noticed Zhan Zhao still glancing at the little cabin next door and asked, "Why don't we just go ask?"

Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang. "Ask how?"

Bai Yutang pointed at the barbecue and drinks on the table. "Ask that professor and his students if they'd like to join us for dinner? Then see what we can find out?"

Zhan Zhao thought about it and found it reasonable, so he ran over to Zhao Jue to fetch his phone. He sent Wu Wen a text, asking if he and his students wanted to come over for some barbecue.

Before long, Wu Wen replied: "All right."

Zhan Zhao hadn't expected it to go that smoothly. Just as he was thinking how best to ease into the subject later, his phone pinged again, a new email notification.

Zhan Zhao opened his inbox and froze... The new email was clearly titled – E-ticket.

Zhao Jue had also poured himself a glass of lemon tea. After one sip, the sourness almost blew the top of his head off. As he frowned and puckered up, Zhan Zhao suddenly started kicking the legs of his chair, waving his phone excitedly, "Tickets! New tickets!"

‿︵‿︵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: October 30, 2025 by Angel

Edited: November 26, 2025 by Angel