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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 7: A Facade of Harmony
"Eh? Xiao Qin? You... you came up from below?"
Captain Zhao's voice pierced through my tense nerves like a cold dagger, sending a shiver down my spine.
My mind went blank, a buzzing sound filling my head. It felt as if my blood had stopped flowing at that moment, and every part of me froze. The middle-aged man before me, holding a large tea mug and wearing an expression of surprise, suddenly seemed a thousand times more terrifying than the dark, damp basement filled with unknown dangers I had just come from.
It’s over! I’ve been caught red-handed!
How could he be here? At this time, wasn’t he supposed to be in his office or out on duty? Why was he standing right at the entrance of this remote basement staircase where hardly anyone ever came?! Was it a coincidence? Or… had he been waiting for me all along?!
Countless thoughts exploded in my mind, each pointing to the worst possible outcome.
My heartbeat was deafening, nearly drowning out his question. I could feel my face turning pale as a ghost, cold sweat suddenly pouring down my forehead and trickling down my temples. I didn’t even dare to breathe, fearing that with each inhale and exhale, I would inadvertently reveal the secret of having rummaged through documents below.
"I..." I opened my mouth, but my throat felt blocked, unable to produce any sound. My brain raced frantically, trying to concoct a plausible explanation in the blink of an eye.
What should I say? That I got lost? Too implausible; the office building was this small, and I had been walking around for days. Should I say I was curious? What kind of adult is curious about a basement full of garbage? Ridiculous. Should I say I was looking for the restroom? That excuse wouldn’t fool even a three-year-old!
I had to connect it to my identity! My "studying" persona!
"Zhao... Captain Zhao..." I finally managed to squeeze out a few words, my voice dry like sandpaper rubbing together. "I... I thought I heard some noise down there and thought... thought it might be a rat or something... so I came down to take a look... and also wanted to see the structure of this building; uh, I've heard old houses have complex structures..."
I rambled incoherently, even feeling that this excuse was utterly pathetic! What do you mean “see the structure”? Am I studying architecture?!
Captain Zhao's brow furrowed slightly as his gaze swept over my dusty pants and shoes before shifting back to the dark, musty staircase behind me. The surprise on his face gradually faded, replaced by an expression that… I couldn’t quite decipher. There was confusion, scrutiny, and even a hint of… fatigue?
He didn’t immediately press me further but simply stared at me quietly, holding his large tea mug as if assessing the credibility of my words. This silence felt more suffocating than any harsh questioning. Every second stretched on like an eternity.
My back was completely soaked with sweat; the perspiration in my palms had dampened my pants in a small patch. I forced myself to meet his gaze, striving to make my expression appear innocent yet slightly embarrassed, like a young fool who had done something silly and got caught by their superior.
“Below?” Captain Zhao finally spoke, his voice revealing no emotion. “Below is just a storage room piled with junk. No one has been down there for years. What could possibly be down there besides rats? Besides, it’s pitch dark and filthy. Why would you want to go down? Aren’t you afraid of falling?”
His tone was reminiscent of someone scolding a careless child, and it seemed… he wasn’t suspicious at all?
I felt a slight sigh of relief in my heart, but I didn’t dare to relax the taut string of tension.
“Y-yes, you’re right, Captain Zhao. I won’t go down next time,” I quickly followed his lead, feigning a look of fear. “It really is quite dark; I almost tripped. I just… I’m new here and not familiar with the place.”
“Hmm.” Captain Zhao responded noncommittally, took a sip from his cup of strong tea, then stepped aside to clear the stairway. “Come up. Don’t wander around aimlessly in places like this; it’s not safe.”
“Ah, thank you, Captain Zhao.” I felt as if I had just been granted a reprieve and hurriedly lowered my head to squeeze past him, stepping onto the solid floor of the second floor. At that moment, I felt like I had just crawled back from the gates of hell.
But did he really believe me?
I didn’t dare look back at him and walked quickly ahead, pretending to head to the restroom to wash off the dust from my clothes.
“Xiao Qin.” Captain Zhao called out to me from behind.
My body stiffened, and I almost immediately stopped in my tracks, cold sweat breaking out again. What now? Did he have more to say? Had he changed his mind?
I slowly turned around, forcing myself to maintain a calm expression. “Captain Zhao, is there something else?”
Captain Zhao also turned around to face me, his expression neutral as he stared at me with his somewhat murky eyes. He slowly said, “Has the provincial office mentioned how long you’ll be staying?”
This question… was too abrupt! Why was he asking this? Was it just casual conversation or was he probing for something? Or perhaps… hinting that I should leave soon?
“Uh… the director didn’t specify. He said it depends on the situation here; maybe… a month or so? Or possibly longer?” I answered vaguely while quickly calculating his intentions in my mind.
“Oh.” Captain Zhao nodded and didn’t say anything further. He took another sip of tea before turning and walking toward the criminal investigation team’s office, leaving me with a slightly hunched silhouette.
I stood there, watching his figure disappear at the end of the corridor, feeling as if all my strength had been drained away.
What did he mean by that? Did he believe my lies? Or did he simply not care about what I did as long as I didn't cause him any trouble? Or… was he warning me in this way, letting me know that he was "keeping an eye" on me and that I should behave?
The last question about how long I could stay sent a chill down my spine. Was he trying to estimate how much longer this "trouble" could linger? Or… was he preparing for some kind of "arrangement"?
I dared not think any further.
I rushed into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on my face, trying to calm myself down. In the mirror, my face remained pale, my eyes filled with terror and exhaustion. My hair and clothes were covered in dust and cobwebs, making me look utterly disheveled.
Those few minutes I had just experienced were more harrowing than the half hour I spent in the basement.
Captain Zhao's attitude was too ambiguous. He hadn't probed deeper; in fact, he had even helped me save face, which seemed like a reprieve. But his gaze, his silence, and that final nonsensical question felt like tiny thorns, pricking at my heart and leaving me restless.
I increasingly felt that the Luoshui County Police Station was like a vast stage covered in cobwebs. Everyone was playing their roles, speaking insincerely, wearing thick masks. Was Fang Huai'an the director manipulating everything from the shadows? And Captain Zhao? Was he an unsuspecting audience member or a key actor wearing a mask himself?
I even began to doubt whether my "smooth" discovery of the basement and that file cabinet was part of their setup. Had they deliberately led me to find something that seemed "problematic," only to deliver a fatal blow when I thought I had grasped something incriminating?
No, I couldn't continue like this! I had to quickly clarify Captain Zhao's stance! Whether he was friend or foe was crucial for my next move!
But how could I test him? Ask directly? That would be like exposing myself. Subtle probing? Where would I even begin?
With wet hair clinging to my face, I walked back to the guesthouse in a daze.
As I reached the entrance of the guesthouse, I spotted Captain Zhao's somewhat old but still decent Santana parked by the roadside. He leaned against the car door smoking a cigarette and waved at me as I approached.
My heart raced again. Was he waiting for me here?
"Captain Zhao?" I hesitated as I walked over.
"Just passing by, I wanted to see if you were back," Captain Zhao said, extinguishing his cigarette. There was a look of concern on his face that I had never seen before—slightly genuine. "Xiao Qin, you don't look too well. Is it the local climate? Have you not been resting properly?"
"I'm... I'm fine, just a bit tired," I replied evasively.
"Well, take care of yourself," Captain Zhao nodded. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he reached into the passenger seat and handed me a file folder. "Oh right, take this."
"What is it?" I asked, puzzled as I took it from him.
"Some case files on recent thefts. There's not much technical detail, but you can take a look to familiarize yourself with the basic situation here," Captain Zhao said, patting my arm with a gentle tone. "Teacher Fang mentioned that you're quite eager to learn, but dwelling on those old cases of accidental deaths isn't very productive. It’s better to focus on these 'live' cases, right?"
My blood ran cold in an instant!
Teacher Fang mentioned it?!
Fang Huai'an had clearly been in touch with Captain Zhao! They even knew about my "studying" of old cases in the archives! The two of them were definitely in cahoots!
Captain Zhao's earlier "leniency" at the stairwell and now this show of "concern" and "guidance" were nothing more than a carefully orchestrated act! The purpose was to further warn me, steering me away from those dangerous old cases!
I held the file folder containing the inconsequential theft case files, feeling as if it weighed a thousand pounds.
It was all a facade. From the very beginning, there had only been pretense and probing between us.
And I, the self-righteous intruder, had probably been seen through by them long ago, manipulated at their will.
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