novelraw Chapter 1234: Rashomon (3)
Chapter 1234: Rashomon (3)
Sir Ma stared tiredly at the lights on the ceiling… whether from his mood or from having stared too long, the lights seemed to dim a little.
“Sir Ma, coffee.” Lin Feng knocked and came in.
After the afternoon’s failure to find any trace of the killer at the scene, everyone returned to the office dispirited and unwilling to accept defeat.
Seeing Lin Feng enter, Ma Houde rubbed his temples, closed his eyes, and asked, “Where’s Old Zhou?”
Lin Feng replied quietly, “Captain Zhou took Mingming to the mortuary and hasn’t left since.”
Sir Ma sighed. “Let him be alone for a while.”
“I understand.” Lin Feng nodded. “Everyone on Captain Zhou’s team knows; they don’t dare disturb him.”
Sir Ma added, “Did you notify Old Zhou’s wife?”
“No.” Lin Feng shook his head. “Captain Zhou didn’t want that yet.”
“Do as he wishes.” Sir Ma exhaled, then suddenly slammed the table. “Damn it!!! That bastard — don’t let me meet this man!!!”Lin Feng sat and forced a grimace. “At the scene we found no useful traces. Little Bao went earlier and couldn’t find any usable fingerprints… the area behind that place is open ground with nowhere to hide; we couldn’t even find footprints. How did this ‘Mr. Blank’ vanish?”
Ma Houde rubbed his forehead. “What about the traffic police—road cameras? Did they get anything useful?”
Lin Feng: “There were many passing vehicles, but none at the factory entrance, so we can’t tell what car went in — or even if a car was involved.”
“Damn… every lead’s cut off.” Ma Houde was helpless. “Is this guy a ghost?”
“Whether human or ghost, as long as he’s not dead, he’s dangerous.”
A cold voice came from outside the door.
“Old Zhou, you—” Ma Houde stood as Zhou Yusheng appeared at the doorway with an expressionless face, his eyes nearly bloodshot, words caught in his throat.
“I had Forensic Nan do the check. Don’t worry… I’m not that fragile.” Zhou Yusheng took a deep breath. “If I’m going to break, it’ll only be after we catch the killer… What’s the situation now?”
Lin Feng sighed. “No leads.”
Zhou Yusheng nodded without showing disappointment and turned to go. “I’ll go to the scene again.”
Ma Houde, worried he might do something rash, said, “Alright, I’ll drive and go with you. Rest in the car for a bit.”
As they were leaving, a colleague ran up to them with a hopeful look. “Captain Ma, Captain Zhou, we’ve identified ‘Mr. Blank’!”
“Who is he?” Zhou Yusheng demanded.
“We finally contacted the forum owner. He cooperated and had us check the backend. We found the phone number Mr. Blank used to register; after verifying the linked ID, we found a person. We looked into him and discovered he disappeared two years ago — his family filed a missing-person report.”
“Missing?” Zhou Yusheng frowned and grabbed the file.
A name appeared on the file: Zhu Jianqiang.
“Zhu Jianqiang…” Zhou Yusheng clenched the papers and ground his teeth. “From one end of the earth to the other… I will catch you with my own hands!!”
…
Nan Xiaonan was called back by a phone call.
She didn’t want to come, but her remaining sense of duty made her obey the order and hurry back.
Little Bao had completed preparations. Nan Xiaonan put on her gear and entered the mortuary; Little Bao took a notebook to record.
Nan Xiaonan glanced at the young corpse on the autopsy table… the report said this was an officer killed in the line of duty, shot at the scene while trying to apprehend the dismemberment-case suspect.
She wondered if this person was known at the bureau. Unsure, she started with a scalpel to remove the bullet from the corpse’s head.
The instant her hands touched the forehead, Nan Xiaonan’s breathing quickened—she felt it, that regular force!
This wasn’t the first time Nan Xiaonan had felt that rule-like power.
Earlier, in two corpses she’d examined—Hai Dagu and Chang Xiao—she’d sensed the same force; both had gunshot wounds but no bullets in their bodies.
“How could a suspect in the dismemberment case be tied to Hai Dagu and Chang Xiao…” Nan Xiaonan’s pulse sped up.
“No—last night I planned to move on Zhao Le but Mr. Luo stopped me… the rule power… could Mr. Luo be pulling the strings? What is he trying to do?”
If Mr. Luo were behind this, what should she do…
Should she report the true test results, or…
Her strength dwindled and she began to sweat. She feared offending whoever was behind this if she provoked them, but she also feared exposing their cover if she reported that there was no bullet. It felt like teetering on the line between life and death.
Finally unable to stand it, Nan Xiaonan stumbled and pressed her hands onto the autopsy table.
“Forensic Nan, are you alright?” Little Bao blurted.
Nan Xiaonan shook her head. “I’m fine—just a bit dizzy. Go to my bag and get some chocolate; I’ll rest a moment and continue.”
“Okay! I’ll go right away!” Little Bao hurried out.
Nan Xiaonan gritted her teeth and rushed back to the body. Before Little Bao returned, she found a bullet that had been fired and scraped some blood from the corpse.
“Hope I didn’t get it wrong…” Nan Xiaonan swallowed hard. If Mr. Luo didn’t want her to expose the truth, that suggested he wanted something hidden; she decided to bet on protecting the concealment.
Beep—
When Little Bao returned, the bullet fell from the tweezers onto the tray… a true workaholic. Little Bao shook her head. “Forensic Nan, here’s your chocolate.”
…
Beep—
The same sound rang out in the club’s lobby.
Miss Maid carried the drinks and set one down beside Luo Qiu, then placed the other in front of Chen Mingming.
It really was Chen Mingming—but only a manifested soul-state; with the club’s power he existed as a spirit-body that could touch the physical.
Watching the autopsy-room scene, Chen Mingming gave a wry smile. “I miscalculated this step… bullets disappear after being fired. As you said, the intelligence was incomplete… I probably should’ve researched handguns further.”
Luo Qiu didn’t comment, smiling. “How’s our product?”
“Good.” Chen Mingming exhaled. “Bullets disappear automatically and ignore distance… unless the killer confesses, no one can know.”
Luo Qiu asked, “If that’s the case, why set things up like this in the end? Even if you didn’t know bullets would vanish, killing across space was already enough. You could’ve just shot Zhao Le directly.”
Chen Mingming said calmly, “And what good would killing him do me?”
Luo Qiu replied, “If Zhao Le dies, every clue he holds disappears. The case may remain unsolved, but your evaluation period would end. Even if you fail, the worst that happens is you leave this country tonight and officially obtain citizenship elsewhere. Even if the police eventually track you down, you’d already be abroad… wouldn’t you?”
Chen Mingming gave a bitter smile. “That would mean trading Zhao Le’s life for my own freedom… I’m not that despicable. Besides, this choice is even better than my original one. I planned everything just so my father and mother would keep searching for me. I’d go somewhere alone and die quietly. Once I vanished, I’d only exist in their memories as a missing son and a suspect. They would grieve, yes—but not in the same way.”
Luo Qiu nodded and opened his palm. A file appeared there. He opened it and said softly, “Spinocerebellar degeneration—an incurable disease that brings nothing but endless pain to the family. You’ve been strong, keeping it from everyone.”
Chen Mingming smiled faintly. “I didn’t think it through enough… You actually gave me a chance, but I missed it.”
Luo Qiu took a sip of water.
“You knew from the start,” Chen Mingming said, looking at him. “That’s why you made those bets with me. Twice you did—and the second time, you even wagered fifty years of my life… and I still missed it.”
Luo Qiu said, “Even if you hadn’t staged your own death, you could still have left peacefully. It wouldn’t have been any different from what you originally planned.”
Chen Mingming took a deep breath. “I thought I could do it… I really did. But during these five days, you gave me an identity, a family that felt impossibly perfect. You succeeded—you made me feel what it means to be unwilling to let go of life. Ever since I learned I was sick, my world has had no color. My family was broken. I even thought dying quietly alone might be a kind of relief. I’ve had moments of rage, and moments of despair… Human thoughts are strange—they change constantly. Originally, my plan was simple: I was going to die anyway, so why not help Zhao Le before I did? But later…”
He exhaled slowly and looked at his hands. “The closer the day of departure came, the harder it became to let go… Beneath all that calm, I found the real me. I’m not strong at all. Only at the very end did I understand—tears aren’t about not wanting to leave a beautiful life. They’re about…”
He looked at Luo Qiu. “My own unwillingness to let go of my life, my confusion and helplessness, all the words I wanted to shout to my family… So I gambled. I started this gamble myself. I didn’t even know if you would join in, but from the beginning, it was a bet—a bet on a faint chance.”
Chen Mingming took another deep breath. “All I could do was gamble—that this plan might somehow break the deadlock. I also gambled that you wouldn’t let me die so easily, that you’d at least give me a chance to speak, maybe even just talk about the evaluation itself.”
“And then?” Luo Qiu asked expressionlessly.
Chen Mingming said, “If I got that chance, I’d fight for it—to keep those five days of happiness going as long as I could.”
“You want to know the result of your evaluation?”
Chen Mingming nodded.
Luo Qiu smiled slightly, turned to You Ye, and said, “You handle it. I’ll step out for a bit.”
Watching Luo Qiu leave, Chen Mingming suddenly felt nervous… He didn’t know if that meant Luo Qiu had given up on him.
Miss Maid glanced at him, then opened her hands. A document appeared in her grasp.
“Mr. Chen,” she began softly, “your evaluation consisted of two objectives: solving the case, and learning how to cry. The case wasn’t solved—the police never caught the killer. So, first objective: failed.”
Chen Mingming didn’t seem surprised. He stayed silent, listening.
Miss Maid continued, “But the second objective: passed.”
One failed, one passed. Chen Mingming’s breathing grew slightly unsteady.
Miss Maid added, “You should learn to remain calmer… In that, you’re far inferior to my master.”
Chen Mingming gave a faint smile. “I’m just an ordinary person. How could I compare to your master?”
“My master was once in almost the same situation as you,” Miss Maid said evenly.
Chen Mingming frowned slightly. Miss Maid went on reading.
“During this evaluation, your memories of being Mr. Blank were removed, as well as all knowledge of your illness.” She paused, looked up at him. “Do you think that was unfair?”
“Would it matter if I said yes?” Chen Mingming smiled wryly.
Miss Maid replied calmly, “Have you considered that the master could’ve simply given you a policeman’s identity, without those five days of happiness?”
Chen Mingming opened his mouth, but said nothing.
Miss Maid continued reading: “Before the evaluation, Zhao Le’s name was already provided as a hint. So when you lured Zhao Le to the crime scene, it wasn’t counted as extra credit. However, you did follow the clues, even through several uncontrollable events, and finally staged your own death. Your method of breaking the deadlock was extreme—not ideal—but by using the gun, setting the time, and creating the bullet that killed yourself, you showed both courage and ruthlessness, as well as capability. That part—good.”
Chen Mingming sighed inwardly… this boss’s standards were truly high.
Miss Maid continued softly: “Despite knowing Zhao Le betrayed you, you still chose to exonerate him, ensuring his life wouldn’t be ruined. That part—excellent.”
Chen Mingming’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“But…” Miss Maid’s lips curved faintly. “In terms of intelligence gathering, your performance was poor.”
Chen Mingming frowned.
Miss Maid said, “You and Zhao Le knew each other early on. You both entered the University of Political Science and Law last year. As classmates, you recognized him as ‘Lètianpài.’ You had plenty of time to understand him. Yet whether as ‘Lètianpài’ or as Zhao Le, you never truly grasped who he was. You could face your own heart, but you never learned what was in his. You had time to observe him—but you didn’t gather enough about him.”
“I don’t understand,” Chen Mingming said, frowning.
Miss Maid replied, “You believe Zhao Le turning you in was the right thing to do… but deep down, you still can’t let it go, can you?”
Chen Mingming sighed—neither denying nor confirming it.
Miss Maid waved her hand, and a file appeared before him. “This is the information Zhao Le gave to the police—the data on that forum and the account.”
Chen Mingming looked down, glanced at it—and then suddenly jerked his head up. “How could this be…”
Miss Maid said calmly, “You had plenty of time—time that existed even before this assessment began. Yet, you never truly understood Zhao Le’s nature, nor his meticulous mind. You didn’t even realize how deeply he valued his friends. In your eyes, Zhao Le might have always been a weak person, someone who needed help. But you never considered that Zhao Le was, in fact, stronger than anyone else.”
Miss Maid smiled faintly. “Perhaps you don’t know this, but not long after you two met online, Zhao Le had already noticed that you weren’t doing well. His own life was suffocating, and he rarely had the chance to find a genuine friend. Your appearance made him feel as if he had found a soulmate. Ever since learning about your illness, you’ve been in a deeply negative state. Most of your conversations online were dark and extreme. Zhao Le tried several times to talk you out of it, but it didn’t work. He was terrified that one day you might actually carry out those criminal plans you two discussed. So he did something that seemed unnecessary—even ridiculous.”
Chen Mingming opened his mouth slightly.
Miss Maid continued softly, “About a year and a half ago, that boy first registered an account called ‘Lètianpài’ on another forum. Some time later, he bought a new SIM card and then registered an account named ‘Mr. Blank.’ He repeatedly copied everything you two discussed on the ‘Zero Hour Crime’ forum and uploaded it onto a private website he later turned over to the police. He never thought it would actually be used; he only hoped that if something ever happened to you, maybe it could help you somehow… until the day the police finally found him.”
Chen Mingming’s lips trembled slightly. At last, he smiled faintly, a look of peace softening his whole body.
Miss Maid said quietly, “Considering all these factors, Mr. Chen, your assessment is deemed unsuccessful. However, you are granted a chance to become a probationary candidate.”
…
Lights-out time had arrived.
In the detention room, only a faint beam of light from outside overlapped with the moonlight coming through the small window. Zhao Le sat on his bed, hugging his knees.
Suddenly, a shadow stepped into his view. Zhao Le froze in terror, instinctively wanting to cry out.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. I just want to talk… Depending on your choice afterward, I can erase this memory from you.”
In that dim light, Zhao Le saw a young man—not much older than himself—standing there.
A calm, mysterious aura surrounded the stranger, one that seemed to quiet the heart. Zhao Le felt his fear fade the moment he looked at him, replaced by a strange sense of peace.
“Who are you?”
Luo Qiu didn’t answer right away. He waved his hand, and a stream of information instantly flooded into Zhao Le’s mind.
In moments, Zhao Le understood who this young man was—and the nature of the shop that stood behind him.
“Mr. Zhao Le,” Luo Qiu said with a gentle smile, “would you like to work for me—as a Black Soul Envoy? Of course, if you agree, I’ll make sure your sister lives a happy life.”
(End of Chapter)