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墨書 Inktalez
Three boys and a girl are members of the Kyoto University mountaineering club. The man with a streak of blonde hair is the first among the three boys to regain his composure. Holding a bottle of mineral water, he drinks while answering the police's questions, with a hint of lingering fear in his expression.
"My name is Huang Jing," the boy responds to the police's inquiry. "I am a third-year student at the Kyoto University School of Economics."
"Do you know the deceased?"
"Yes. She was a classmate of ours, named Zhang Yaxin, the belle of the College of Literature."
"Were you not together?"
"No. We know her, but she doesn't recognize us. Zhang Yaxin is beautiful and quite proud; she wouldn't pay attention to ordinary students like us."
"What were you doing from last night until this morning?"
"Last night we climbed a mountain and were very tired. We went to bed before nine and woke up at five this morning, then washed up and had breakfast. According to our plan, we went out to see the clouds, but shortly after we stepped outside, we encountered Zhang Yaxin's body."
"Do you know if she had any enemies?"
"Officer, although I recognize Zhang Yaxin, I am not familiar with her. However, as far as I know, she wasn't very popular among the girls in her college."
"…"
"…"
Hearing no useful information further, Bai Tang withdrew her gaze. It was not her concern, so she decided not to get involved. At that moment, a familiar Passat came into her view. The car stopped under a large tree, and Zhu Xu and Tian Yuan got out and approached the police manager, asking several questions. Noticing Bai Tang's gaze, Zhu Xu turned his head and their eyes met. Zhu Xu whispered something to Tian Yuan, who looked surprised and walked directly over.
"Bai Tang, what are you doing here?" Tian Yuan asked as he walked ahead, with the police manager following behind Zhu Xu.
"I went to Miaofeng Mountain for a trip, and I didn't expect to encounter such a situation." Bai Tang asked Tian Yuan, "What about you? Are you still dealing with this ordinary murder case?"
"Not really! A target of a mission that Lao Zhu and I were responsible for was killed, and the method of death is the same as that of the victim in this case, so we came here to look for clues," Tian Yuan explained, introducing the person in charge to Bai Tang.
"Chen Jianguo, captain of the Kyoto Criminal Police Team." Chen Jianguo extended his right hand to Bai Tang.
"Bai Tang, from City D, a law-abiding good citizen," Bai Tang said with a smile as he shook hands with Chen Jianguo.
If you were an ordinary person, why would Tian Yuan and Zhu Xu's attitudes seem somewhat flattering? Chen Jianguo observed carefully and concluded that Bai Tang's identity might be unusual, but he did not show it on the surface and maintained a normal demeanor.
"Bai Tang, have you noticed anything unusual?" Tian Yuan asked expectantly.
Bai Tang shook his head: "I smelled the scent of blood in the air when I went out for a walk this morning and rushed over. I only saw the body and five young people who were scared out of their wits; I didn't see the murderer or anyone unusual."
"This is really troublesome!" Tian Yuan said dejectedly. "Why did the murderer have to target Li Yu instead of someone else?"
"Tian Yuan, you can't say that! It's bad no matter who died!" Chen Jianguo said seriously.
"Hey, I'm just anxious! I misspoke; my apologies!" Tian Yuan said as he slapped his mouth a few times.
Chen Jianguo did not blame Tian Yuan; he understood that Tian Yuan's pressure was likely greater than his own. The people and matters they were responsible for were not ordinary.
"Bai Tang, are you heading back to the city? Do you want a ride?" Tian Yuan asked Bai Tang.
Having encountered a murder case, Bai Tang lost interest in climbing the mountain and nodded: "Sure, but you'll have to wait for me a bit; I need to go back and pack my things."
"No need to rush. Lao Zhu and I still need to check the body. Take your time; we're not in a hurry."
"Okay!" Bai Tang turned back to Farmhouse Fun. She didn't have much luggage; all the roasted ducks she bought were stuffed in her backpack. She returned to the scene in just five minutes, while Tian Zhu and the others were still examining the body.
Chen Jianguo saw Bai Tang and signaled to his subordinates, allowing her to pass through the security line smoothly.
"So fast?" Tian Yuan was surprised.
"I don't have much luggage," Bai Tang replied calmly, disappointing those who wanted to see her make a fool of herself.
"Then let's go!"
"Have you finished your inspection?"
"Yes, it's exactly the same as Li Yu's cause of death. We can be sure it's the same person responsible."
Tian Yuan and the others took Bai Tang back to the city. Before leaving Beijing, Bai Tang wanted to see the flag-raising ceremony, which is a hallmark of the Nation, so she asked Tian Yuan to drop her off at the nearest hotel to Anmen. Although it was the off-season for tourism, there were still many visitors in Huaxia's capital, and only a few expensive suites were left available. Bai Tang, being somewhat of a nouveau riche, decided to splurge on a suite. The bathroom in the suite was large, luxurious, and comfortable. Bai Tang filled a tub with hot water and submerged herself, washing away all her worries.
"This truly is a six-star suite; even the bathtub has a massage feature." As Bai Tang enjoyed the water's massage while listening to soft music, she sighed at how nice it was to be wealthy. No wonder everyone wanted to be rich!
Her phone rang, and with a flick of her finger, it flew into her hand.
"Mom!"
Bai Ma's voice came from the phone: "Tang Tang, when are you coming back?"
"I'll be back in two days. What's up? Is there something going on?"
"Oh, Ye Xiang is working in Beijing, right? He heard you were here and wants you to bring something back for Aunt Liu. You should find some time to go to his place and pick it up," Bai Ma instructed.
Aunt Liu is a colleague of Bai Ma, and along with Aunt Ou, the three have worked together for over twenty years, sharing a bond as close as sisters. Although their meetings have become less frequent after retirement, their friendship remains strong, and they gather every week.
"Then send me the address of Ye Xiang's house to my phone," Bai Tang said. "Also, ask Aunt Liu for a current photo of Ye Xiang."
Due to her mother's connection, Ye Xiang and Bai Tang have known each other since childhood and have played together and taken photos together. However, they attended the same school but were in different classes, so they were not particularly close. After graduating from high school, they went on to different universities in different cities, and they haven't seen each other for nearly ten years. Bai Tang is unsure if she would recognize Ye Xiang now.
"Okay, I'll send it to you later," Bai Ma replied and reminded her of something before finally hanging up.
Just as Bai Tang was about to put her phone back on the table, it rang again.
"Bai Tang, why didn't you come find me when you arrived in the capital?" Zhang Feng's cheerful voice came through.
"How are you in the capital?" Bai Tang was surprised; wasn't Zhang Feng in the city?
"Hehe, the capital is my base; of course, I have to stay here," Zhang Feng laughed.
"Aren't you from the city?"
"The city is my hometown, but my career is in the capital," Zhang Feng said. "I opened a shop in Panjiayuan; do you want to come take a look?"
Since she could easily acquire antiques, Bai Tang had little interest in Panjiayuan and hadn't visited. However, hearing Zhang Feng mention it sparked her curiosity; Panjiayuan not only sells antiques but also deals in jadeite rough stones. Should she try her luck with a few stones?
"Sure, let's do that. I'll call you before I go."
"Great, I'll be waiting for you!" Zhang Feng's laughter turned slightly flattering. "Bring some good stuff when you come!"
"Boss Zhang, I'm here in the capital for business; what do you think I would bring?"
"Ha ha, I believe others, but I have experienced your magic. Bai Tang, my shop urgently needs a unique treasure to serve as its centerpiece!"
"Boss Zhang, I don't believe your shop doesn't have a centerpiece."
"It was just sold. The buyer is quite wealthy, and we can't afford to offend them, so we can only please them. As for the other stock, it simply can't compare to the treasure in your hands."
Don't be fooled by Zhang Feng's scholarly appearance; he has a thick skin and won't give up until he achieves his goal. Bai Tang was annoyed by his persistence and agreed to his request. Zhang Feng hung up the phone, satisfied. Bai Tang held her phone, thinking, wow, it's so hot! Zhang Feng had at least taken an hour. Fortunately, the bathtub was temperature-controlled; otherwise, wouldn't she have caught a cold?!
The next morning, Bai Tang got up early. It was only five o'clock, but many people were already awake to watch the flag-raising ceremony. The hotel was experienced in this regard, and the restaurant had already started selling breakfast. Bai Tang had a bowl of tofu pudding and a steamer of buns before leisurely walking out of the hotel’s main gate. She had checked the schedule for the flag-raising ceremony online; it would start around six-thirty, giving her enough time to reach the square. As for whether she could secure a good spot—ha ha, was that even a question?
Entering Tiananmen Square from the west underground entrance, even though she was mentally prepared, the dense crowd still startled Bai Tang. There were so many people! Layers upon layers surrounded the National Flag Plaza so tightly that not even a fly could get in. Aside from the serious guards on duty, everyone else was there to watch the flag-raising ceremony—there were elderly people, young people, children, and foreigners of various hair colors and skin tones.
Bai Tang took a deep breath and squeezed into the crowd. After half a minute, she found herself at the very front of the crowd, directly facing the flag-raising platform.
As dawn broke, she looked at her watch; it was just six o'clock—still half an hour until the ceremony began. Her gaze fell on the flag-raising platform made of Han White Jade, surrounded by lush green lawn. Two neatly dressed National Flag Guards stood solemnly on either side of the lawn in front of the flag-raising platform, guarding the National Flag with dignity and reverence. Outside the lawn stood many iron pillars connected by iron chains. Bai Tang counted them—fifty-six in total, representing the unity of Fifty-Six Ethnic Groups.
Looking up, Anmen clearly came into view. In front of Anmen were seven stone bridges—the Jinshui Bridge that every flag-raising ceremony passes over. The most prominent bridge in the middle had a dragon column head and was reserved solely for emperors; it was called "Imperial Road Bridge." The two bridges on either side had lotus column heads and were reserved for princes; they were called "Wang Gong Bridge." The next two bridges were for civil and military officials of third rank or higher; they were called "Grade Bridge." The ordinary relief stone bridge on the far edges was for officials below fourth rank and soldiers; it was called "Gongsheng Bridge."
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