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墨書 Inktalez
Living Funeral
The sudden appearance of the Black Cats startled both me and Gao Ling. Even more outrageous was the sight of these Black Cats gnawing on bones right at Gao Ling's doorstep, just like dogs would. When we opened the door, the cats even hissed at us aggressively, baring their claws.
We quickly snapped back to reality and hurriedly shut the door.
Gao Ling and I exchanged glances, and I asked, "What the hell is going on?"
Gao Ling looked just as bewildered and replied, "I have no idea!"
Black Cats are omens of misfortune; one is already bad enough, but seeing so many at once was beyond ominous. This was definitely a matter of life and death. Damn it, these Black Cats had been gnawing on bones at our doorstep all morning without making a sound.
"What should we do now?" Gao Ling asked.
"Of course, we need to chase these Black Cats away," I said. We both started looking for something to use, but anyone with common sense knows that cats are afraid of water. The last time we encountered cats by the river was a special case.
This time, the cats would surely be afraid of water too, so I grabbed a bucket and poured it outside. Once the water splashed on them, the cats scattered in all directions.
"Such bad luck this early in the morning!" Gao Ling cursed.
After driving away the Black Cats, I looked at the bones on the ground. They were still stained with blood, and I couldn't tell what kind of bones they were. Gao Ling and I decided to clean them up, but when we went downstairs, we discovered a bloody human head.
As we reached the third floor, a chill ran down our spines. Our hearts sank as we wondered who could have done such a thing; it was truly a brutal act. Just by looking at that bloody head, it was clear it belonged to a woman.
We stood frozen for a few seconds before we both started to vomit. It didn't take long for us to realize what kind of bones we had been handling.
They were human bones, and those Black Cats had definitely been gnawing on human remains.
"Fei, do you think someone is plotting against us?" Gao Ling asked.
I nodded in response. But with someone dead, we had to call the police. I took out my phone to report it. When the officers arrived, it was Fu Yan again, though his expression seemed unusually grim this time.
I hadn't been in touch with Fu Yan for a while, so we exchanged a few pleasantries when we met. Then, I got straight to the point and started discussing the case.
I briefly recounted the events, which were similar to what Gao Ling had said, just following the proper procedures. Both Gao Ling and I were waiting at the police station. Fu Yan and I sat in a car together; he looked pale, with a few strands of white mixed in his black hair.
Seeing Fu Yan like this, I knew he must have encountered something troubling.
The incident with Brother Li had clearly left Fu Yan feeling eerie, perhaps even unable to accept it. A person who has dealt with homicide cases for years is bound to be a materialist; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to handle such cases.
I offered Fu Yan a cigarette, but he waved it away, saying, "I don't want to smoke."
Gao Ling took the cigarette from my hand and lit it up. After arriving at the police station, we filled out some simple paperwork and provided all the necessary information. Then the police told me I could leave.
Just as I stepped out of the police station, Fu Yan called me back.
"Chen Fei, come here for a moment. I need to talk to you," he said.
I nodded and walked over, asking Gao Ling to wait for me. I would be back shortly. Gao Ling questioned why there was still anything left to discuss since we had already answered everything. I replied that there might be other matters to address. After saying that, I headed inside.
Following Fu Yan into an interrogation room, I noticed he had his hands on his head, leaning forward in his chair. He looked quite troubled.
Once I sat down, I asked, "Is there something on your mind, Officer Fu?"
At that moment, Fu Yan handed me a cigarette and said there was something important to discuss. As he passed me the cigarette, I noticed the calluses on his hands—likely from handling a gun.
"Chen Fei," he began, "there's been a series of murders and rapes in the city recently. All the victims are female and under eighteen years old; they were all virgins."
I listened without interrupting as Fu Yan continued, "And the killer has been narrowed down to one suspect."
I asked who it was. Fu Yan instructed me to turn around. There was a projector in the interrogation room, and when I turned, I saw Brother Li's face on the screen. "He is the prime suspect," Fu Yan stated.
I was at a loss for words. Had Brother Li really become a murderer and rapist? And targeting underage girls at that—his methods seemed particularly cruel.
Fu Yan suddenly let out a heavy sigh.
He asked me if I had been in contact with Li Qiang recently.
I shook my head, saying I hadn't seen Li Qiang. I asked him, "Don't you have any leads? Can't you catch him?"
Fu Yan replied, "I've been planning for a long time, but every time he manages to escape. Last time, we cornered him in an abandoned building. He took a girl hostage, and we blocked all the exits. We thought it was foolproof."
But when we rushed in, all we found was the body of a girl who had been raped and murdered. The suspect was nowhere to be seen. Had he simply vanished into thin air?
I didn't respond. Fu Yan began sketching something, and gruesome images appeared—bodies of girls who had been assaulted.
I glanced at them a few times before averting my gaze, as looking any longer would make me sick.
I told Fu Yan, "You showed me this, but it doesn't help me catch him." There was nothing more I could do; this city was so vast that hiding someone was easy. Trying to find one person was like searching for a needle in a haystack!
After hearing my words, Fu Yan didn't say anything further.
Finally, he said, "I've just been feeling overwhelmed lately, which is why I'm talking to you. Sorry for wasting your time."
I replied that it was no problem; cooperating with the police was the right thing to do. Fu Yan must be feeling stressed; he suspected Brother Li wasn't human, but as a police officer, he couldn't act on that suspicion.
I was just an outsider and didn't want to overstep my bounds. Although Brother Li might come after me at any moment, he hadn't done so yet. I took a deep breath and said to Fu Yan, "Officer, don't put too much pressure on yourself."
With that, I started walking outside. But after a few steps, Fu Yan finally spoke up again: "Is Li Qiang even alive?"
He couldn't help but ask the question. I paused and replied, "Maybe not."
The incident that happened at the funeral home had never been exposed, much like events from 198 years ago that remained hidden. It seemed that the matter concerning the funeral home had also been deliberately suppressed.
At least Fu Yan hadn't considered investigating the funeral home; perhaps he had already looked into it but found nothing conclusive.
The water is too deep, but who is hiding the affairs of the funeral home? Who could possibly cover it up? The most likely culprit is the Civil Affairs Department, as the funeral home falls under its jurisdiction. If someone within that department were to tamper with things to prevent exposure, it would be incredibly difficult to uncover the truth. Moreover, no one would suspect that the Civil Affairs Department would go so far as to conceal the entire incident.
Lost in my thoughts, Fu Yan spoke up, "I hope you can assist me in investigating this case. I've looked into your background; you're currently working with someone named Gao to handle funerals, right?"
Fu Yan's words pulled me back from my reverie.
After considering for a moment, I realized I had a lot on my plate—secrets about the funeral home, about 198, and many more. If I collaborated with Fu Yan, he would undoubtedly uncover my secrets, which wouldn't be good for me.
Especially concerning the funeral home. So I replied to Fu Yan, "Can I refuse?"
Fu Yan paused for a few seconds after hearing my response and then said, "You can, but why not think it over? I can offer you compensation."
I still declined. I was afraid of attracting trouble. As I turned to leave, Fu Yan added, "If I encounter something related to Eerie, can you help me out?"
At this point, Fu Yan had already stood up; it was around nine in the morning.
Finally relenting, I said, "Alright, if you have something, you can come to me. I can help you look into it." As soon as I finished speaking, Fu Yan responded eagerly, "I have something right now."
Fu Yan's tone had become more animated. "The next video will only be seen by the two of us; you must promise me to keep it confidential."
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