novelraw Chapter 1226: Mr. Blank
Chapter 1226: Mr. Blank
At a table inside the convenience store, Bu Bugao was scrolling through posts on the Management Bureau’s internal network.
It wasn’t just domestic agents—Management Bureau operatives had infiltrated countries all over the world. Espionage, whether in simple business, advanced technology, or even the underground dealings between nations, had always existed.
So far, though, everything had remained relatively peaceful.
But ever since the Mount Tai incident, an undercurrent seemed to be stirring again. Legends that had long been forgotten were suddenly showing signs of activity. Even a rookie like Bu Bugao could feel a faint sense of unease.
“‘A reincarnated spirit child from Nepalese Esoteric Buddhism suspected to have appeared’... What the heck?”
Bu Bugao shook his head, not particularly interested in events happening under the same starry sky but in another country—especially since the microwave had just beeped, signaling that his late-night meal was ready.
“Dinner time!”
Carrying the steaming meal, he returned to the rooftop opposite the building where Zhao Le was being monitored.
Wang Hu was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. The sight of him meditating with one arm missing looked a bit strange, to say the least.
“Here, stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers…” Bu Bugao set the meal down on the concrete in front of him.Wang Hu reached out awkwardly to remove the foil lid. Bu Bugao blinked and sighed. “Next time I’ll just get pork chop buns…”
He helped open the container himself, scooped a spoonful, and held it up to Wang Hu.
Wang Hu stared in surprise.
“Eat! What are you looking at me for? Hurry up—I still need to eat too.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Wang Hu finally opened his mouth and ate the bite Bu Bugao fed him.
“By the way, did you notice anything while I was out getting food?”
Bu Bugao asked casually. The novelty of surveillance work had long since worn off—it had become mind-numbingly dull, and impatience was setting in.
“Nothing for now…” Wang Hu shook his head—but then suddenly stood up. “I caught that man’s scent.”
“That man? Who?” Bu Bugao jumped, then exclaimed, “You mean that wanted criminal, No. 24?!”
Wang Hu nodded and pointed with his remaining arm. “That direction—and he’s moving.”
Bu Bugao jolted with excitement. He shoveled a few bites of food into his mouth, eyes gleaming. “Finally, a chance to make some merit! I’ve been waiting for this! Let’s go after him!”
“Aren’t you going to notify Liu Minghao and Wei Zidào?” Wang Hu asked suddenly.
“Of course I’ll notify them! But this is a rare opportunity—we can pursue while reporting!”
Wang Hu nodded, then grabbed Bu Bugao by the collar, bent his legs, and began leaping swiftly across the night-shrouded buildings.
“Hey! Senior, it’s me, Bu Bugao! I found—ah, Wang Hu, slow down! Too high! Too high! Waaah—!”
---
A drawn-out moan echoed from the pet hospital’s bathroom. The temperature inside had dropped below freezing.
The True Dragon of the Divine Land exhaled lightly and wiped sweat from her forehead. “Feeling better?”
Luo Pianxian answered weakly, “Much better…”
Her face was flushed red, but she didn’t seem embarrassed at all. Growing up as a little mountain-dwelling Demon, she was pure-minded and had few inhibitions. Still, her heart fluttered slightly—an unfamiliar twinge of shyness.
Long Xiruo said calmly, “You’re lucky. Some Demons have long mating seasons—some even last ten years. I’ve seen species that mate continuously for a decade, their desires never subsiding.”
“Ten years?!” The little butterfly Demon stuck out her tongue in fright.
“Don’t overthink it. You’ve released some of it already, so you should feel better. Stay here and rest—I’ll check on you later.”
Knowing that Luo Pianxian was still a child, Long Xiruo softened her tone.
When she left the bathroom, the True Dragon took a deep breath, exhaled, and circulated her power to dispel the lingering internal heat caused by the lengthy session.
“Haven’t done something like that in ages… a few more times and I’d burn out.” She muttered to herself as she returned to her office and drank a glass of cold water.
On her desk lay five pearls—compressed powder collected from Luo Pianxian’s seven-colored butterfly wings.
Each pearl, about the size of a ping-pong ball, shimmered pink, sealed within layers of True Dragon power to prevent the powder from dispersing.
“Hmm… not bad,” Long Xiruo mused. “Ten years ago, I owed a favor, so I agreed to help that big guy solve its breeding problem. This stuff should come in handy. I’d better gather more while I can, just in case.”
“The more excited Pianxian gets, the more powder she produces… who knows when the next time will be.”
After a moment’s thought, she pulled her computer monitor closer and began typing rapidly.
“Oh? Such a forbidden technique exists? Excellent—it might be useful. Learned.”
All in the name of science, of course—this was research for the sake of solving Demon-kind’s reproductive issues. A noble medical pursuit indeed.
---
Late at night, after leaving the Bureau, Chen Mingming didn’t go anywhere special. Instead, he went to an internet café and rented a private booth.
He closed his eyes to calm his thoughts. When he opened them again, his gaze was resolute.
He booted up the computer, put on his headphones, downloaded a VoIP app, and even activated a voice changer before dialing a number—Zhao Le’s number.
Beep... beep...
“Maybe after this call, I’ll finally know the truth…”
He waited patiently.
---
Every night, Zhao Le waited until Zhang Xiaoqin was asleep before washing up and reading for a while.
He knew that without good connections or resources, his only chance at success was to outwork everyone else.
He wasn’t born smart—but he was determined. Normally, this was his study time, but tonight he couldn’t focus. His mind was filled with what had happened with Chen Mingming in the rented apartment.
Then, his phone rang. The caller ID wasn’t a normal number, but an internet call. Zhao Le hesitated.
After a few seconds, he picked up. Taking a deep breath, he spoke softly, cautiously. “Hello?”
The line connected, but there was no response.
Zhao Le frowned. He raised his voice slightly, wary now. “Hello? If you don’t speak, I’m hanging up.”
Still silence.
Just as he was about to end the call, a distorted voice finally came through.
“You went to the scene again.”
Zhao Le’s breath quickened. Covering the phone, he glanced outside, then closed the curtains tightly before whispering, “I was worried. I didn’t mean to.”
Another pause.
Then, the altered voice spoke again—
“Tell me the details.”
Zhao Le nodded and carefully recounted everything that had happened with Chen Mingming the previous night. “I don’t know how he started suspecting me. I’m sorry—it was my mistake… I shouldn’t have really gone to the scene. You told me we shouldn’t contact each other again, but I was really worried about you… Mingming said the police found the place where the freezer was sold, and that you might have left traces there…”
The altered voice spoke slowly, “He’s lying to you. I wouldn’t leave such obvious traces. Luckily, you held back and didn’t say anything—otherwise, everything between us would’ve been exposed.”
Zhao Le broke into a cold sweat. “I did think Mingming might be trying to trick me into talking… But you’re right, the crime scene was cleaned up perfectly, the police didn’t find a single clue—how could you have made such a careless mistake? I panicked.”
The voice continued, “Chen Mingming already knows you went to the scene.”
Zhao Le took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. “Don’t worry, no matter what happens, I won’t say anything… You’ve already helped me so much—I know I shouldn’t bother you anymore. If… if something really gets uncovered, I’ll take responsibility myself!”
Silence.
Zhao Le slowly sat down, still holding the phone, waiting quietly.
Finally—
“Do you still remember how we met?” The altered voice asked again.
Zhao Le smiled instinctively. “How could I forget? The ‘City of Sin at Midnight’ forum… Sometimes I even think, if I hadn’t met you there, my life might’ve been ruined. Mr. Blank, thank you—for everything you’ve done for me.”
After a long pause, the distorted voice spoke again, “Be careful. I’ll contact you again.”
Zhao Le nodded. “You be careful too.”
Beep—!
When the internet call disconnected, Zhao Le finally exhaled slowly.
He thought to himself, “So Mingming really was trying to get me to talk… But why? Is he doing this to help his police father solve the case? But why would he suspect me… And he’s leaving the country on Wednesday. If he tells anyone I went to the scene last night… Should I meet him again, just to confirm?”
He recalled the voice on the call—the first time Mr. Blank had ever spoken to him through voice instead of text.
“Tomorrow…”
Lying in bed, Zhao Le’s thoughts wavered between decisions. He knew this would be a sleepless night.
---
Removing his headset, Chen Mingming’s face turned pale, heavy with tension.
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down.
Zhao Le had mentioned the City of Sin at Midnight forum—and a strange name: Mr. Blank.
He began searching for the forum online, only to find that it wasn’t publicly accessible—only registered users with invitation codes could enter.
On impulse, he entered his own phone number in the registration box. To his shock, the system replied that the number was already registered.
Chen Mingming froze. He realized he might be standing at the edge of the truth.
The forum’s password reset required verification through a phone text message. When the password reset prompt appeared on his phone, Chen Mingming closed his eyes and placed both hands on the keyboard.
Train ticket records… posts shared by Wu Rong and Wang Liang… the travel photos and dates that matched.
Zhao Le’s mention of the forum—and his own phone number being linked to a registered account—everything pointed to the same conclusion.
When the password was successfully changed, Chen Mingming logged into the forum. The moment his account page loaded, he gave a bitter smile.
“So it really was me… Blank.”
He scrolled through post after post written by Mr. Blank—the messages, the comments. The words were both unfamiliar and strangely intimate.
From immature to refined, from tentative to confident—the writing style grew, evolved, matured.
He found the private messages too—the conversations between Mr. Blank and another user named Optimist.
Everything had gone far beyond what Chen Mingming could have imagined. Now he finally understood—the “test” from that mysterious Boss was far more twisted than he’d thought. A wave of helplessness rose inside him, as if a mountain loomed before him, impossible to climb.
“Then… am I—‘Mr. Blank’—the real murderer? Or just Zhao Le’s accomplice? What really happened on the day of the murder…”
(End of Chapter)