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墨書 Inktalez
“What's going on?” I was taken aback. “Is it really Zhou Ruyun again? That can't be!” A chill ran down my spine at the thought; if it truly was Zhou Ruyun, Chen Shan would definitely face repercussions.
“It's not Zhou Ruyun,” Chen Shan replied. “It's another person, a man. We're currently pursuing him, but his methods are identical to Zhou Ruyun's! This case has already infuriated the leaders at the Provincial Department, and I need to resolve it quickly…”
After hanging up with Chen Shan, I was quite surprised. I put my phone down, grabbed my bag, and headed straight to the police station where I met Chen Shan.
Chen Shan was reviewing surveillance footage on the computer. I walked over, and he waved me in. The officers at the station were familiar with me by now, so no one stopped me.
I stood behind Chen Shan, watching the video on the screen. It was recorded in Shen Shaohua's area. In the footage, a man wearing floral shorts was running towards Shen Shaohua's building. His running style was bizarre; his eyes rolled back, and his hands were making motions as if digging for a heart.
“It's definitely the same Vengeful Spirit,” I remarked. “What’s this guy's name and where is he now?”
Chen Shan waved his hand dismissively. “We don’t know yet. The criminal police are already out trying to apprehend him; they should be back soon. He left traces along the way. It seems like he’s just like Zhou Ruyun—going out while asleep. He probably doesn’t even realize he’s committed a crime.”
I nodded. This was indeed a critical time; there had been numerous unusual deaths among officials lately. With both Liao Gang and Shen Shaohua having jumped from buildings in Donghai City, it added immense pressure on Chen Shan to solve these cases.
Before long, sirens blared, and a pale-faced man was brought into the interrogation room. He looked clean-cut, around twenty-nine years old, with clear eyes.
Chen Shan and I took our seats in the interrogation room.
Chen Shan looked at the man and asked, “What’s your last name? What’s your name?”
The man trembled slightly as he replied, “I... I’m Ding Dong. I work as a supervisor in the hotel’s housekeeping department.”
“Do you know why we’ve arrested you?” Chen Shan pressed on.
"Ding Dong" nodded and then immediately shook his head, his voice trembling as he said, "I don't know. I... I didn't do anything. I'm innocent. I don't know what happened. When I got up, I found my feet were injured and my body was covered in blood. I really have no idea how this happened, but I swear I wouldn't do anything."
"Chen Shan" looked at me.
I nodded, indicating that this guy was not lying and there was no ghost on him.
"Chen Shan" took out a file on "Shen Shaohua" and handed it to "Ding Dong." "Do you recognize this person?"
"Ding Dong" glanced at it and shook his head. "Isn't this the Tax Bureau Director? I didn't know him before, but he came to our restaurant yesterday to discuss tax issues. I'm just a villager; I don't know these big shots."
I took a deep breath; it seemed to be just as I thought. "You haven't seen this person before, but you did see Director Shen yesterday, right?"
"Yes," "Ding Dong" nodded. "But I didn't speak with Director Shen."
"Where are you from?" I casually asked.
"Ding Dong" replied, "From Yancheng, Xiangshui County, Shuidong Village."
I paused for a moment, looking at "Chen Shan," who was also surprised to see me. It turned out we were from the same village as "Zhou Ruyun"! I immediately turned back to "Ding Dong." "Do you know Zhou Ruyun?"
"Zhou Ruyun?" "Ding Dong" looked puzzled for a moment and thought about it. "Which Zhou Ruyun? There are quite a few people named Zhou Ruyun. I... I don't know many acquaintances in Donghai City, but I have many clients."
I waved my hand. "Not your client; it's someone from your village named Zhou Ruyun."
"Ding Dong" thought for a moment and nodded. "It seems... there is someone named Zhou Ruyun."
"Chen Shan" immediately got up and went outside to make a phone call. I knew he was calling Zhou Ruyun over. Zhou Ruyun was currently under probation and couldn't leave freely; he had to be available whenever called.
Not long after, Zhou Ruyun arrived at the police station and saw Ding Dong. The two exchanged glances for a few seconds before recognizing each other; indeed, they were from the same village.
Ding Dong quickly learned about Zhou Ruyun's experiences, and he was left speechless in astonishment.
I said, "Alright, it's very likely that you encountered something unclean while you were in your village. Now, think carefully: did anything unusual happen while you were there?"
I patiently explained that when it comes to encounters with spirits, there are usually some signs—either a serious illness or mental instability, among other things. There must be some indication! Moreover, the Vengeful Spirit was deeply hidden within Zhou Ruyun and Ding Dong, almost merging with them entirely.
Ding Dong and Zhou Ruyun thought hard for a moment. Zhou Ruyun shook his head and said, "After I started working, I rarely went home. I only returned once in three years because I could earn more by working during the New Year. So I shouldn't have encountered anything abnormal."
Ding Dong added, "I hardly went home either. The New Year is peak season for hotels, and I'm always working overtime then. However, I do remember something strange happening back then. I had a terrible cough; it felt like I was dying. My mom gave me a red bun to eat, and after that, I started having nightmares for over a week. Eventually, the nightmares faded away, and my cough got better. That incident just slipped away from memory; I was around seven or eight years old at the time."
Zhou Ruyun's eyes widened in recognition. "Yes, I remember! I also had a cough and even coughed up blood. My mom gave me a red bun too, and I had nightmares as well. I still vaguely recall the dream; there was a beautiful girl struggling and crying for help, and then she transformed into someone with disheveled hair. That dream always scared me awake."
Ding Dong clapped his hands. "I had similar dreams!"
"Coughing and red buns?" I tapped my head, puzzled about what this meant.
Chen Shan frowned slightly. "Could it be Blood Bun?"
"What?" I looked at Chen Shan.
Chen Shan explained, "In the past, when treating Tuberculosis, older generations used Blood Buns. You know how difficult Tuberculosis is to treat, especially in remote areas? It's contagious too; once someone gets it, it's hard to cure. There's a rumor that Blood Buns can heal it—specifically made with fresh blood from the neck to dye the entire bun red."
I slapped my forehead as it dawned on me; I'd read similar accounts in Lu Xun's writings. Tuberculosis is primarily a disease of exhaustion and malnutrition. Nowadays, it’s not as serious due to improved living conditions and the availability of anti-tuberculosis medications—people can survive it now. But in ancient times, when people struggled to have enough food and clothing, Tuberculosis could easily be fatal.
Blood Bun was indeed a traditional remedy for treating Tuberculosis!
“Blood Bun!” I looked at Zhou Ruyun and Ding Dong.
Chen Shan stared at me, “Song Fei, you have to help me this time, no matter what. I haven't been able to sleep all night, my hair is falling out, and I've been called to meetings by the leadership, being scolded right in front of everyone. My ears are ringing, and I feel weak…”
“Alright, alright.” I quickly waved my hand, “I'll do my best to investigate.”
Then I turned to Zhou Ruyun and Ding Dong, “You two, come back to your hometown with me.”
It was clear now that Zhou Ruyun and Ding Dong had definitely eaten the Blood Bun. There was no doubt about it. But the current issue was that Liao Gang and Shen Shaohua were already dead. Who knew who would be the next victim? Was it over? Or would more officials continue to die?
This was impossible to predict.
Now that the inspection team had arrived in Jiangsu Province, if officials in Donghai City continued to die illegally one after another, then the mayor of Donghai City might as well resign and wash his hands of it. Chen Shan wouldn’t need to stay in this mess either; he could be demoted to a police officer.
Finding the root cause and preventing similar Murder Cases from happening again was the most important thing!
I took out my phone and called Liu Yiyi. “Hello, Liu Yiyi, I need to go to Yancheng.”
On the other end, Liu Yiyi asked, “What are you going there for?”
“Isn't it because of your employee's issue? I’ve almost found the root cause; it needs to be resolved thoroughly. By the way, what about my travel expenses?” I said. “I checked, and the police station won’t reimburse me.”
Hearing this, Liu Yiyi burst into laughter. “Alright, this is a matter beneficial to the people; you can cover it yourself.”
I replied, “…”
Then Liu Yiyi added, “But I can consider taking you out for a real treat. How about a trip to the Maldives?”
As soon as I heard that, I exclaimed, "No way! Is that for real? I have to go, anywhere is fine as long as it's abroad and with you. It's settled then, hehe..."
I hung up the phone, feeling elated. It seemed that Liu Yiyi definitely had a good impression of me, wanting to go on a close trip together. I understood the implications behind this; two people traveling together, a man and a woman. If it were through a travel agency, they would arrange a private room for us. At that point... well, that thought was a bit naughty. Staying with Liu Yiyi was probably unrealistic, but just laughing and playing around together would be great. Splashing in the sea, wearing bikinis, holding hands, maybe even some kisses and hugs—just being able to do those things would be wonderful!
I suddenly felt energized and said, "Okay, you guys go home and pack your things. Especially you, Ding Dong; be careful and don’t bring any sharp objects. Also, eat more Zhusha Anshen Pills, though I’m not sure if they actually work. In two hours, let’s meet at the police station and head to your hometown together."
Chen Shan patted my shoulder and said, "Thanks a lot, Song Fei. I'm really too busy to go with you. That guy Qin Hai is on leave again; just be careful on your own. Oh, you got your driver's license, right? You can use the police station's van; they can reimburse gas and accommodation costs—just remember to keep the receipts."
I felt excited at the thought of driving there, but soon realized that the police van was just an old Chery SUV without any police markings—it looked like it had been confiscated from somewhere.
But one must learn to be content...
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