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墨書 Inktalez
I thought for a long time today about what to write, as I don't have many personal experiences left to share. I wasn't sure which piece to start with. After dinner, I called Officer Luo. He was the captain who responded to the false report I made against Master Chen. I told him that I was writing about some of my experiences and asked if he could share details about last year's case. After a long pause, he asked if it was necessary to write it. I didn't give him a clear answer; I just assured him that I would be discreet and avoid any trouble. In the end, he agreed, asking me to portray him as wise and heroic.
This is Officer Luo, a middle-aged man in his forties, a People's Police officer whose playful nature rivals that of a child.
I received Officer Luo's call about four months after Master Chen's retirement from his criminal activities, around early April last year. I had originally planned to visit Wuhan for a class reunion after graduating over three years ago, and I had even booked my high-speed rail tickets. However, the night before my departure, Officer Luo called me just before eleven o'clock.
I had known Officer Luo for only a few months. His grandfather was also in law enforcement, which made him particularly attentive to me, sometimes even suspicious. He often asked me about rituals like worshipping and offering prayers. I found it hard to ignore his questions, but answering too much felt burdensome. Still, he was knowledgeable; after each inquiry, he would transfer some money into my account or come to Panyu for drinks during his breaks.
However, he usually called during the day, so it was unusual for him to call so late.
"Hello, great public servant! Why are you calling at this late hour?" I joked. Despite our age difference, we could talk freely—perhaps because of his grandfather's influence.
“Xiao Liu, are you free to come to the station? We have a murder suspect here, and I suspect it's someone possessed,” Officer Luo said urgently.
I was puzzled; he never involved me in his cases. Even when faced with difficulties, he wouldn't ask for my help because he knew my involvement wouldn’t yield any concrete evidence—today's cases required proof rather than speculation. Moreover, he was part of the Drug Enforcement Team; homicide investigations weren't typically under his jurisdiction.
But I knew he wasn't one to joke about such matters; he was serious and professional.
“I’m not sure, Hu. You know it’s pointless for you to involve me in your cases. Plus, I'm heading to Wuhan early tomorrow,” I replied hesitantly.
Officer Hu continued impatiently, “I'm not asking you to find evidence; I just want you to come and see if this person is sane.”
“Don’t you have lie detectors and plenty of psychologists? Isn’t it simple to determine if someone is normal?” I questioned.
“Just come over; don’t overthink it. It won’t take long and shouldn’t interfere with your trip to Wuhan tomorrow. Do you want me to send a car for you?” He insisted over the phone amidst noise—people shouting and someone crying out for their father.
With things reaching this point, I felt compelled to go. “Alright, I'll drive myself over; no need for you to send anyone.”
“Good! Hurry up! If you keep this up, I'll send you straight to a mental hospital,” Officer Hu joked before hanging up—though that last comment wasn’t directed at me.
I put away my phone and glanced at the clock on the wall before tidying up a bit. Grabbing my cloth bag just in case, I headed out.
About forty minutes later, I arrived at Officer Hu's station. The main gate was already closed when the guard approached me and asked whom I was looking for. I told him that Officer Hu had summoned me. After making a call from the reception room, he opened the gate and let me in.
As soon as I parked my car, I saw Officer Hu rushing towards me with an anxious expression on his face.
I hurriedly got out of the car, and Officer Hu said, "Finally, you're here. Come on, follow me inside. I want you to take a look at that suspect; something seems off with him."
I nodded and quickly followed Officer Hu toward their office building. We arrived at an interrogation room where three people were present: two police officers, one male and one female, and a middle-aged man sitting in a chair with his hands cuffed behind him. He was bald with a scruffy beard, and although he had few wrinkles, he didn't appear very old.
The male and female officers looked surprised when Officer Hu brought me in. Officer Hu said, "You two step outside for a moment; I called a friend to take a look."
The male officer nodded without saying anything and walked out. The female officer kindly asked if she should stay to take notes.
Officer Hu shook his head and replied that it wasn't necessary since this situation couldn't be recorded.
Once the two officers left, I turned my attention to the suspect sitting across from me. He appeared dazed, his eyes unfocused, and he was mumbling softly, "Dad, it's my dad."
He had severe dark circles under his eyes, but there were no blood vessels visible in his irises. His forehead had a slight bluish tint as if he had been hit. Two powerful spotlights were shining directly on him, making it particularly glaring—especially that shiny bald head. This young woman had simply fallen into depravity; it wasn't due to life's pressures.
This young woman was named Shao Xiaohuai. She had been using drugs for several years and had been purchasing them from Wang Kun. In fact, she had a relatively close relationship with Wang Kun. However, this time she was inexplicably strangled by him after being raped first.
Officer Hu explained that Wang Kun didn't even need to rape her; it would have been easy for him to have her body since they already had that kind of relationship.
I asked if it was possible that he accidentally killed her while trying something new during intercourse because many people with special preferences engage in dangerous activities during intimacy.
Officer Hu firmly denied this, saying, "No way. Shao Xiaohuai's time of death was several hours after they had sex."
"Then why do you think he is possessed or something?" I asked Officer Hu while keeping my gaze fixed on the dazed Wang Kun. He remained calm, just like before the lights went out, showing no signs of change as his eyes slowly wandered around. He really did look like someone who was possessed.
Officer Hu said, "That's exactly why I wanted you to come here. When we caught Wang Kun, he seemed to have turned into a mental patient. At first, we thought he was just pretending. But after evaluations by psychological experts and professional lie detectors, it turned out he wasn't faking it at all; what he said was more genuine than gold."
"What did he say?" I turned to look at Officer Hu, certain that whatever Wang Kun said would be completely disconnected from reality and nearly unbelievable; otherwise, Officer Hu wouldn't suspect possession.
Officer Hu didn't answer me directly but instead banged his hand on the table and loudly asked, "Wang Kun, tell us why you strangled Shao Xiaohuai!"
Wang Kun suddenly lifted his head and exclaimed, "It wasn't me! I didn't strangle her! It was my dad! My dad...!" His voice grew softer until all he could mechanically repeat was "my dad" over and over.
Officer Hu raised his hand and said, "See? That's what he's saying—just this one sentence is consistently true no matter how we test it. The psychologist claims he's mentally ill, but he used to be normal according to our investigations. Wang Kun has no history of mental illness, and neither does anyone in his family. Isn't that strange?"
"Why do you think there's something wrong with him saying 'my dad'?" I asked in confusion.
Officer Hu remained silent, merely flipping through a few sheets of paper on the table. He then pulled one out and tossed it in front of me, saying, "Look, this is his father's death certificate. This deadbeat's father passed away three years ago."
No wonder—how could a man who had been dead for three years come back to strangle Shao Xiaohuai? It's no surprise that no one believed this statement.
I picked up the death certificate and examined it, frowning as I said, "So you suspect that his father's spirit directed him to kill Shao Xiaohuai?"
Officer Hu nodded and replied, "Yes, because this matter is difficult to explain. The higher-ups are keeping a close watch and said that if Wang Kun can find a breakthrough on his own, it might lead to the bust of a major drug case. So this case hasn't been handed over to other departments. But I have no leads, which is why I wanted you to help see if he was possessed by a ghost or under some evil influence. If that's the case, then I won't be able to handle this case."
I nodded and stood up, asking, "When did you arrest him?"
"Two days ago," Officer Hu answered.
I took out a compass from my cloth bag and walked towards Wang Kun while saying, "If he was possessed by a ghost when he killed Shao Xiaohuai and then turned into a fool, I should still be able to find some supernatural response."
It was just before midnight when I wrapped things up. Have a great weekend everyone; it's getting cold, so make sure to exercise more. Good night.
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