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墨書 Inktalez
Zhong Kui's Diary
The elevator doors were wide open, and the walls of the cabin were splattered with blood and flesh.
Yes, not just blood, but also meat, almost in a paste-like state, stuck to the walls of the cabin, mixed with already congealed dark red blood. Under the light, the entire cabin was drenched in a bloody hue.
Outside the elevator lay the upper half of a person's body, head facing outwards, facial muscles twisted in apparent agony. Their hands reached out in front as if desperately trying to crawl out, while inside the cabin were the lower half of their body—two legs. If these two halves were to be put together, they would certainly not form a complete human body, as the abdominal section had been turned into pulp by the elevator.
A large-eyed female police officer stood next to a young man whose complexion was unusually pale, quietly asking him something. The young man was splattered with blood and flesh, his gaze somewhat vacant; he took at least two repetitions of each question before responding.
Kang Qin called me over to take a look inside the elevator. Suppressing my nausea, I leaned in and saw three words written on the opposite wall: Green Hat.
The writing was bright red, clearly made with the victim's blood.
Green Hat? What the hell does this mean? Is it supposed to tell me that the next person to be killed will wear a green hat?
Kang Qin whispered something to the female officer, furrowing his brow as he nodded. After thinking for a moment, he called me over again and led us back to the safety corridor. He exchanged a few words with the police officer guarding the entrance, who then stepped into the elevator shaft.
Clearing his throat, Kang Qin took out a pack of cigarettes and offered two to us. After lighting one and taking a long drag, he exhaled a thick cloud of smoke: "Brothers, how did you know the deceased's surname is Du?"
I had already suspected that this deceased person was named Du before I arrived; otherwise, Gu Shuchang wouldn't have asked me to come. However, hearing Kang Qin confirm it still sent a chill through me. I recounted the sequence of events, of course omitting any mention of ghosts. Some truths are better left unspoken; people simply won't believe them.
Kang Qin frowned again and asked for more details before telling me: "The deceased's surname is Du, Du Weidong, 34 years old, from Ludong Province. He has been in Moon City for eight years and was the northern regional manager for Niya Clothing Company on the seventeenth floor of this building. He also had a less than honorable identity; perhaps that identity is what led to his death."
"Oh? What identity?" I asked in surprise as I looked at Kang Qin.
"This person yearned for life in Western countries and believed our country's system was severely flawed. He dreamed of immigrating abroad and often posted complaints online. Eventually, he caught the attention of Metropolitan agents and became an informant."
"Metropolitan?" I paused for a moment; initially, I thought it referred to Metropolitan Spongwei but then realized with shock: "You mean, American Agent?"
"Yes. His task was to spread subversive messages on online forums and WeChat platforms. For example, claiming that you could buy a large villa in America for two hundred thousand dollars—one with a swimming pool in front and a lawn in back. Can you believe that? Of course not! The villa is actually four hours' drive from San Francisco; he would never have known that. As for his connection to Metropolitan, I only found out recently when national security informed me right away. However, this matter isn't highly classified, so it's fine for me to share it with you." Kang Qin squinted as he exhaled smoke; amidst the haze, I vaguely saw a hint of disgust in his eyes. It seemed that Kang Qin was also someone with strong feelings.
In terms of nationalism, both Fatty and I are very sensitive about it; you could call it Patriotism, or less flatteringly, youthful indignation. Even though we know there are gaps between our products and others', we still support them. If we don't support our own National Brand, how can it survive? Of course, exceptions exist for clenbuterol and Sudan red.
Hearing that Kang Qin was actually a Metropolitan, Fatty spat a few times and laughed, "Du Weidong? With a name like that, so patriotic, yet he himself is not at all loyal to the East, but has gone completely West! Damn, scum, he deserved to die, what a fitting end, what a loud death."
I quickly advised Fatty, "How can you say that? The person is dead; there's no need for such cold remarks. Well, remember to order a couple of bottles of wine when we go out to eat later. Be serious; I'm not reveling in his misfortune."
Kang Qin chuckled at our exchange and then said seriously, "I won't discuss political matters; let's talk about how he died."
"Okay."
Kang Qin gestured inside with his chin. "The young man inside is named Qin Zhicheng. He worked in the same company as Du Weidong and was a graphic designer. At the time of the incident, he was in the elevator with Du Weidong."
Seeing him covered in blood, I found it hard to imagine what had happened; this kid must have been scared out of his wits.
"According to reports, around ten o'clock this morning, Qin Zhicheng and Du Weidong took the elevator to work. Since they were both late, there were no other people in the elevator. Shortly after entering, they suddenly felt the elevator start to ascend rapidly. After reaching the top floor, it plummeted down quickly." Kang Qin flicked off some ash from his cigarette, took a long drag before tossing the butt underfoot and continued, "At that moment, both Du Weidong and Qin Zhicheng remained relatively calm. They knew they had to press every button and keep their bodies close to the elevator wall while crouching down."
"Okay, then what happened?" I nodded; it seemed they had learned some safety knowledge.
"When the elevator reached the tenth floor, it stopped descending rapidly but began to stop briefly on each floor instead. However, the doors wouldn't open no matter what. It continued down to the basement level before rising back up to the sixth floor. At this point, the doors opened, but they found themselves stuck between the fifth and sixth floors. Du Weidong attempted to climb out, but halfway through, the elevator doors suddenly closed on him and then quickly descended to the first floor. That's how Du Weidong was cut in half." Kang Qin shook his head and sighed dismissively. "After cutting him in half, the elevator slowly ascended back to the sixth floor. As for Qin Zhicheng... he was so terrified that he stayed inside the elevator and didn't dare come out."
"This Metropolitan really is quite foolish; doesn't he know that when an elevator malfunctions, staying inside is actually the safest option? Does he think those American movies are real and that climbing out like that is cool?" Fatty chuckled. Yes, that's just how Fatty was; he never held back on his sarcastic remarks about people he disliked—even if that person couldn't hear him anymore.
Ignoring Fatty, I smiled and asked Kang Qin, "Old Kang, is there any other information about this Du Weidong? For example, any family issues or mistresses?"
I thought that since Chen Fei'er died unjustly and wanted revenge on three people, Du Weidong must be connected to her in some way. Alternatively, there could be a connection with Chen Fei'er's mother Ali; it's even possible that Du Weidong was responsible for Ali's death.
Previously I had heard from Ma Xingrui that Ali was a hostess; it's also possible that Du Weidong was Ali's long-time partner. The words 'green hat' on the elevator wall might refer to some entanglement between Du Weidong and Ali.
Kang Qin laughed heartily. "Don't underestimate it; there really is something. Because Du Weidong spent half of each year on business trips, his wife found herself a lover. Of course, this is just hearsay; after all, it's only been half a day since the incident occurred and our investigation results haven't been verified yet. Normally I shouldn't tell you this kind of thing, but who told me I find you likable! Haha!"
"He's responding to the country's call for 'green' travel—more environmentally friendly! Haha!" I joked before becoming serious again. "Old Kang, I need your help with two things."
"Sure!"
"First, please look into Du Weidong's wife's lover; I want to know his details. This green hat might very well refer to him. The second matter is a bit complicated—do you know about a girl who suffered a sudden heart attack while riding an elevator?"
"Yes, I know!" Upon hearing this, Kang Qin's expression became somewhat strange.
"The girl's mother died in a car accident a week or two ago, and I want to know the information about the driver responsible. Why are you looking at me like that? Is it difficult to handle these two matters?" I was a bit surprised by Kang Qin's gaze.
Kang Qin quickly explained, "Leave these two matters to me; it's not difficult at all. Is the girl you mentioned named Chen Fei'er?"
"That's right!"
"Heh, this is really strange. A while ago, Chen Fei'er had a heart attack right in this elevator," Kang Qin pointed inside with a nod.
Oh, so Chen Fei'er also had an incident in this elevator? If that's the case, did she have some reason for killing Du Weidong here?
I felt my thoughts becoming tangled and couldn't sort them out for a moment, so I decided to set it aside for now. I exchanged phone numbers with Kang Qin, who smiled and assured me that he would have news for me soon.
After saying goodbye to Kang Qin, the two of us walked down the safety passage. Along the way, Fatty expressed his feelings: "It's good that we know Lingfeng; otherwise, we would be completely in the dark in Moon City. Now it's much better; Officer Kang from the Criminal Police Team is providing direct service. Ghost Brother, whose rank is higher between you, Captain Kang, and Lingfeng?"
"Does rank matter? It depends on who stands behind them!" I casually replied, thinking to myself that I also knew Lou Wei, and the person behind Lou Wei was even more impressive. However, that wasn't very interesting to discuss, so I changed the subject: "What's the point of talking about this? In my opinion, we should make some important preparations; I feel like things will get busy in the next few days!"
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