Zhao Lei turned around and saw Bai Ci and Lin Wenyu standing at the entrance of the hallway, looking at him with serious expressions. As it turned out, the two of them had just returned to the apartments after inspecting the breakwater and the ventilation duct, only to run right into this scene.
“Sister Bai, Sister Lin, you're back,” Zhao Lei said hastily, looking as if he had just seen his saviors. “I just wanted to ask this uncle if he'd seen Lele, but I accidentally pulled his glove off.”
Ignoring Zhao Lei, Bai Ci stepped forward, bent down to pick up the glove from the floor, and looked at Old Man Li. “I'm sorry, Uncle,” she said calmly. “My friend didn't mean to do that.”
As she spoke, she reached out and handed the glove back to Old Man Li.
She intentionally slowed her movements as she handed it over, her eyes quickly sweeping over Old Man Li's left hand.
Although Old Man Li's hand was clenched tightly, the gaps and the outline of his fist revealed that the skin was not dry and withered like that of an ordinary elderly person. Instead, it looked somewhat young, with smooth lines that didn't resemble the hands of someone who did heavy manual labor and collected recyclables year-round.
More importantly, in the gap of Old Man Li's clenched fist, Bai Ci caught a faint glimpse of a distinct callus on his middle knuckle—a writer's callus, formed from holding a pen for long periods.
A seemingly crazy old man who collected recyclables actually had a writer's callus? And his hands looked so young?
A storm raged in Bai Ci's heart, but her face remained perfectly calm.
She handed the glove to Old Man Li, then bent down to help him pick up several plastic bottles scattered on the ground and put them back into his bag. During the scuffle earlier, a few bottles had fallen out.
Old Man Li took the glove and quickly pulled it back on. Still keeping his head down, he merely let out a low grunt, dragged his bag of recyclables, and walked briskly deeper into the hallway, quickly disappearing around the corner.
Only when Old Man Li's figure vanished at the end of the corridor did Zhao Lei let out a sigh of relief, patting his chest. “That scared the life out of me. The way that old man looked at me just now was terrifying.”
Lin Wenyu gave him a speechless look, speaking in a way that completely shattered her usual aloof and cold persona. “Dude, what did Brother Wang tell you? Don't act rashly.”
The smile on Zhao Lei's face froze, and he scratched his head in embarrassment. “I just wanted to ask for some clues. Who knew he'd ignore me? Sister Lin, Sister Bai, are you guys done investigating? Let me join you. Sitting here with absolutely nothing happening is just too boring.”
“Brother Wang left you here to prevent any emergencies. No emergencies is the best-case scenario,” Bai Ci smoothed things over, adopting the fake, gentle demeanor she used for difficult clients. “We're done with our investigation. If you're tired, take a break. Keeping your nerves constantly frayed makes it easy to miss information. We'll pool our findings during our evening meeting and discuss our next steps.”
Although Zhao Lei was reluctant, he knew he had almost caused trouble just now, so he shut his mouth sullenly.
As night fell, everyone gathered in Wang Qiang's room as agreed.
Wang Qiang and Su Xiao went first, reporting the results of their door-to-door inquiries. He highlighted that Lele often helped Old Man Li collect recyclables, loved going to the small hill behind the building, and that while Old Man Li seemed to have an alibi, it was highly suspicious.
Su Xiao added, “Also, a few residents mentioned that after Lele went missing, Old Man Li's schedule for collecting recyclables changed. He used to do it mostly during the day, but now he often goes out when it's almost dark.”
Right after, Bai Ci and Lin Wenyu shared the clues they had gathered: the freshly dug dirt in the small park, the sandalwood scent and flickering blue light from the vent near the breakwater, and the anomaly with Old Man Li's hand.
Zhao Lei grew eager as he listened, suddenly standing up. “Brother Wang, that Old Man Li definitely has a problem! Let me investigate him with you guys tomorrow. Don't make me stay behind. I promise I won't be reckless.”
Just as Wang Qiang was about to speak, a shrill, bloodcurdling scream suddenly shattered the silence of the apartments, coming from downstairs.
“Something's happened!” Wang Qiang said rapidly. “Everyone, be careful and stay alert.”
The group quickly headed downstairs. Along the way, they ran into a few daring residents who wanted to see the commotion. By the time they reached the first floor, a small crowd had gathered.
A few residents had already crowded around the first-floor hallway, staring in terror at one of the apartment doors.
“Excuse me, what happened?” Bai Ci took the initiative to ask. With so many people around, asking directly was much more effective than trying to investigate in secret, unless everyone present was an accomplice.
The property manager was locking the door with an old padlock, his face pale and hands trembling slightly. When he saw them approaching, his eyes darted away guiltily. Forcing himself to look calm, he said, “I-It's nothing. Just some wild dogs that broke in and went on a biting frenzy. Everyone, go back to your rooms and sleep. I've already contacted the Bureau of Investigation. They'll be here soon.”
“Step aside. We're residents, and we have a right to know the truth.” Wang Qiang's voice was stern. He took a step forward and pushed the manager aside, prompting the actual residents behind him to poke their heads in to look inside the room.
The room was in complete disarray. Tables and chairs were overturned, showing clear signs of a violent struggle. On the floor lay a humanoid pattern pieced together from leftover flesh and blood. A complete human skeleton rested within the pattern, with bits of shredded meat still clinging to the white bones. The metallic stench of blood was overwhelming.
At the sight of this, Bai Ci's stomach churned. Beside her, Lin Wenyu quickly covered Bai Ci's nose and mouth with her sleeve, the cool scent of mint suppressing the wave of nausea.
As veterans who had completed several games, Wang Qiang and Lin Wenyu remained very calm. One shielded Su Xiao behind his back, while the other covered her own nose and mouth with one sleeve and used the other to cover Bai Ci's.
Left all on his own, Zhao Lei turned pale and took half a step back. He looked left and right, finding no place to fit in. Triggered by the smell of other residents vomiting, he couldn't help but lean against the wall and throw up as well.
“See? I told you all to go back to sleep!” Seeing that he could no longer control them, the manager gave up. He stopped trying to prevent them from peering in, but he still dutifully guarded the doorway to ensure no one entered and tampered with the scene.
Wang Qiang shot Lin Wenyu a look and led Su Xiao toward the back of the crowd.
Naturally, Bai Ci noticed the look. She nodded to Lin Wenyu, then went over to pull Zhao Lei along with them. “Xiao Zhao, are you alright? If you're still feeling sick, don't crowd around here. It'll be better to get some fresh air.”
Zhao Lei clearly didn't catch the underlying meaning of Bai Ci's words, but since he was currently suffering from his vomiting fit, he didn't resist when she pulled him along and followed obediently.
“Once the investigators arrive, this place will be cordoned off, and we won't have time to look into it. We need to adjust our plan on the fly,” Wang Qiang whispered.
“Xiao Bai, Xiao Lin, you two have instance experience and are meticulous. Zhao Lei, you stay here with them to deal with the investigators. On one hand, handle the investigators to keep our identities hidden. On the other hand, closely monitor their movements and try to gather information—not just about Lele's disappearance file, but also about this current case.”
Zhao Lei nodded immediately, completely forgetting his previous blunder. His face was still pale, but excitement flared in his eyes. “Don't worry, Brother Wang. I'll do a great job.”
“Tone down the excitement,” Lin Wenyu reminded him coldly.
“Got it,” Zhao Lei muttered, scratching his head. His excitement dampened, he lowered his head.
Wang Qiang continued, “Su Xiao and I will use the time before the investigators arrive to look into Old Man Li. Since we visited the residents together during the day, even if someone spots us, we can explain it away as me accompanying a soft-hearted, frightened young girl to ask around again. It's perfectly logical.”
Although Su Xiao was scared, she nodded vigorously. “I understand, Brother Wang. I'll follow you and won't drag you down.”
By now, more and more residents were gathering in the hallway, their voices rising in a wave of hushed chatter. The manager paced anxiously nearby, glancing outside from time to time, clearly waiting for the investigators as well.
Wasting no more time, Wang Qiang shot a look at Bai Ci and the other two, then quietly led Su Xiao toward Old Man Li's apartment.
Bai Ci pulled Zhao Lei over to stand to the side while Lin Wenyu leaned against the wall. To anyone else, the three of them appeared to be mere onlookers among the tenants, but in reality, they were vigilantly observing their surroundings, waiting for the investigators to arrive.
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