Orakelknochenfragmente

Kapitel 24

“Yes. Are you in charge of the Virus Knight case?” I asked.

"You're so capable, huh?" This guy seemed not to hear my question, clicking his tongue in amazement. "You don't look any stronger than me, so how come you can cause so much trouble?" What kind of talk is that?

Seeing the twitching on my face, Zhen Daren quickly explained, "I'm so sorry, brother, you don't know..."

When I heard him call me so affectionately, my face twitched again.

"In our department, there are piles of files just about you, it's like a novel, we're really enjoying reading them. I just don't understand, we're all just ordinary people, raised by the same parents, with one head, two arms, and four legs, who would definitely die if we jumped into the water and didn't breathe for ten minutes, how come you..." "Ahem!" I interrupted him, coughing, "Let me correct you, I'm a person, not a frog, I have two legs, not four."

"Oops, slip of the tongue, don't worry about such a small thing. Anyway, your experience is really legendary. If I didn't know that what we see is only what is omitted and not exaggerated, I would definitely think it's a publicity stunt."

The little round eyes on her round face looked at me earnestly, as if she was brewing something. Then she opened her chubby mouth and a few drops of water flew onto my face.

"Idol, you are amazing."

I slowly wiped the saliva off my face. I truly felt that this expert was much more vigorous than me.

“Brother, how did you end up in this mess? Any tips? Teach me a trick! Our Special Affairs Bureau hasn't even really gotten started yet, just a bunch of random cases. It's really not worthy of the Special Affairs Bureau's prestigious reputation. I was desperate to get in because of that reputation, and luckily the big shots saw I had a talent for it…” I was eager to get back to Xinjingyuan and had no interest in listening to the expert boast about his talent. I asked again, “Are you in charge of the Virus Knight case?”

“How could I be in charge? I’m just one of the underlings. Our Director Liu is the team leader for this case, but Director Guo is actually in charge. That guy just called, and Director Guo happened to be out, so I rushed over. Let’s talk first; Director Guo will probably be done in another hour or so.”

"No, no, then I won't wait for him. I'll tell you what happened. You finish taking my statement. I have something urgent to do later."

Zhen Daren sighed: "It's not easy for scoundrels to see people alive. Alright then, you tell me and I'll remember. But if any more big or dangerous jobs come up, you must remember to take me along."

I've found that when talking to this expert, to maintain a calm mindset, you have to automatically ignore certain details in what he says.

When I finally decided to speak, I realized I had so much to say. I went through it all in my head, and then started with my interview with Cheng Gen, followed by my doubts about the recovery from He Xi's disease, then the closed case of Cheng Weiping's patricide and the still-investigating case of Cheng Gen's organ theft. I also talked about the events surrounding Heller International researcher Fan Zhe's terminal illness and the suspicious points, then about confirming the identity of the organ thief through hypnosis of Wang Runfa, and Fan Zhe's confession at Xujiahui Catholic Church.

By the time I finished recounting the content of my conversation with Rembrandt that afternoon, more than an hour had passed.

As I narrated, Zhen Daren took notes rapidly with one hand, while his other hand kept slapping his thigh, the flesh striking against the thigh with a crisp, loud sound. He also frequently uttered various exclamations, their intonations resonating in the air.

What I can't stand is that this kid is not at all proper when taking a statement; he especially likes to interrupt.

"White magic, this is white magic!" He shouted this when I mentioned Cheng Gen's overnight recovery, but after I couldn't help but glare at him, he changed his tune, "Healing-type Nen abilities..."

"The internal organs are key. This is a human experiment. Those internal organs hold great secrets. It's a pity, a real pity. Maybe if the internal organs hadn't been removed, this person could have come back to life." When I said that Cheng Gen's body had been emptied, the expert's guess was slightly more plausible.

"Is that Ou Mingde Lu Yun in disguise? I heard Lu Yun is a super beautiful woman. Brother, could you introduce me to her sometime?"

"That was a confession with a purpose; there must be a secret that hasn't been deciphered. There's a code in Fan Zhe's words. Perhaps he wasn't speaking to that monk, but rather passing a message to someone else. That's right, it must be so. He left a special mark in the confessional!"

"There's something wrong with He Xi. She grew up in an orphanage? She likes a man but he treats her like a little sister, and another man likes her but she treats him like a brother? What kind of older brother is this? This is a typical K-drama plot, bro. You haven't watched enough dramas. This is such an old-fashioned storyline, it's so low-class. There's definitely something wrong with her. Bro, you need to stay awake!"

"No, why did Rembrandt confess so readily? What is he covering up? There's a bigger conspiracy. He's a willing pawn. The Virus Knight is right behind him. Rembrandt is covering for that person. They're going to pull off something big!" Zhen Daren shouted excitedly, his face flushed red.

I resisted the urge to question how this guy managed to get into the police force. But telling him first was the right choice, because Guo Dong still hadn't shown up.

"So, have you made any breakthroughs in the Virus Knight case?" I asked.

"Yes, yes," Zhen Daren replied repeatedly.

My spirits lifted, and I quickly asked, "Could you tell me about it?"

Zhen Daren gave me a strange look and said, "What you just said is right. If we keep investigating, we might find a breakthrough. Hmm, as long as you get involved, even mineral water can be smuggled in. A breakthrough is inevitable, a major breakthrough!"

I almost laughed out of anger. Did he think I was some kind of squid that just sprays ink?

"Also, Van Heller is a suspect, a prime suspect. He could very well be the mastermind." I brushed him off, knowing I couldn't take his words seriously. How could there be such criminal investigators? Are all of Guo Dong's men like this?

Zhen Daren continued, "Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? Brother, you don't know, we just investigated a case related to Van Heller."

"Oh, what case?" I asked, puzzled. Could it be that his suspicions were actually based on something?

"This was the first case our department took over after it was established. Everyone initially thought it was a complete disaster, but now I don't see it that way."

"Are you talking about the skull in the old house?"

"So you knew, it must have been Captain Guo who told you. That's right, we found out that the owner of that house in the 1950s and 60s was Van Hailer, who was still in Shanghai at the time and hadn't left the country. If this old man hadn't come to the country, we didn't know when this case would have been closed. But just yesterday, Captain Guo took advantage of him being in Shanghai, arrested him for half an hour, cleared up the situation, and closed the case. He confessed that it was the medical specimen he brought home at the time."

"But wasn't that a fairly common thing back then? Didn't many doctors do it?" I didn't expect that person to be Van Heller, but so what?

“Of course it’s strange.” The expert tossed his head, looking smug. His neck was short, so even with such a movement, it wasn’t very noticeable.

“Only Western doctors would do that, while Van Heller was a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner at the time. Besides, even his fellow practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine scoffed at what Van Heller was researching. When we asked Van Heller’s former colleagues, they all said that he often had unrealistic ideas and was a bit eccentric and abnormal.”

"What are his thoughts?" I've already experienced how peculiar Van Heller's thoughts are; it turns out he's been like this since he was young.

"He has too many ideas. He basically believes everything I hear in legends, like alchemy, qigong, acupressure, and special abilities. If the Cultural Revolution happened, he would definitely be criticized and denounced for feudal superstition. And it's not just about bringing dead heads home to study. He dissected more than a dozen corpses, cultured the hearts of prisoners who had just been executed, and fed death row inmates all sorts of strange drugs to see their reactions. This is live experimentation! Finding only a few skulls in his place is nothing. It would be normal to find a whole bunch of dead bones."

The expert became more and more excited as he spoke, shaking his head and sighing, "You have to know what era that was, how could he do something like that?"

No matter how I look at it, I feel that this guy is full of admiration for Van Heller.

"Do you think someone like that is very suitable to be the mastermind behind everything?" he asked me, staring at me with wide eyes.

I awkwardly touched my nose and said, "It seems so."

"Do you think someone who was so crazy about doing all sorts of experiments back then might be experimenting with this damn Fan's virus today? What do you mean by selling viruses for money? It's clearly doing virus experiments. What do you mean by the Xinjingyuan epidemic area? This is a large-scale virus experiment area."

"Hey, you can't just say things like that."

The expert waved his hand to show his indifference: "Once he's finished his experiments, the virus will be on its way. Revenge, revenge! Van Heller was looked down upon a lot in Shanghai back then, his back was stabbed countless times, nobody liked him. I think he's just getting his revenge." After he finished speaking, he looked at me expectantly.

“Since you’re so suspicious, then investigate thoroughly. I have other things to do, so I’ll be leaving without waiting for Director Guo,” I said.

"Uh, big brother, can't you just say a few words of affirmation to me?"

"You have a rich imagination and a bright future. Keep up the good work, the future belongs to you." I patted him on the shoulder and walked out quickly.

Sitting in the taxi on my way to Xinjingyuan, recalling Zhen Daren from earlier, I could only think of one word—sweat.

Later, I learned from Guo Dong that this talented individual had longed to be a policeman since childhood. His father was a high-ranking officer, so he smoothly became a criminal investigator. However, his analysis only added to the chaos whenever there was a case. He would come up with an idea every minute, but none of his ten ideas were reliable. Any case he was involved in immediately became complicated, and the case-solving time was greatly extended. When the Special Affairs Division was established and people were being selected from the original team, he volunteered. Considering that the Special Affairs Division needed unconventional thinking, Guo Dong accepted him, which greatly relieved his original unit. However, after several months in the Special Affairs Division, Guo Dong deeply felt that he had made a serious mistake.

"Where is He Xi?" I grabbed a medical worker as soon as I entered the temporary medical center and asked.

"It seems she stayed in the basement the whole time, guarding Dr. Rembrandt's body."

I thanked them and hurried towards the stairwell.

Just as I was about to open the door and go downstairs, I heard an argument. I peeked into the corridor and saw He Xi in front of Rembrandt's office. Director Ouyang was explaining something to her across from her.

I quickly went over and heard Ouyang say, "Please understand, it's not that I don't want you to go in, but the police have already sealed off this place. I just received orders that the police officers in charge of this case will arrive immediately, and no one can go in before then, not even me."

"He Xi," I called out.

He Xi glanced at me, then at the locked office door, and said to Director Ouyang, "Alright, I'll come back tomorrow. As Rembrandt's sister, I hope you won't touch anything in the house after the police leave, until I come back. If the police took anything from him, please let me know."

"Okay." Director Ouyang breathed a sigh of relief.

“Then let’s go.” He Xi walked past me. “I’m waiting for you to tell me how all of this happened.”

"There are so many here, but you're the closest to her. Comfort her properly," Director Ouyang said to me in a low voice.

I sighed softly and quickened my pace to catch up.

Nobody was in the mood for a proper dinner. When the taxi passed a McDonald's, I asked the driver to stop on the side of the road and wait a while while I bought two hamburger meals.

He Xi stared silently out the car window. Was she recalling the time in the orphanage when Rembrandt stood in front of her, waving his fists and rolling around with others?

Time has passed, and the person is no longer here.

Even after we arrived at the hotel room, He Xi remained silent, creating no atmosphere conducive to conversation. I had already finished my set meal, but she only ate a little and then stopped eating.

I cleared my throat, ready to tell her about what happened that afternoon.

"I will definitely investigate this to the end, no matter the cost, I swear," He Xi suddenly said. Her words, spoken coldly through gritted teeth, sent a chill down my spine.

"Actually, Rembrandt talked to me a lot in the afternoon."

"Yes, I heard. He spent a long time with you before he died." He Xi's gaze shifted and rested on my face. For the first time, I realized that being looked at by her wasn't always pleasant.

"Please tell me everything he said. I want to know all of it."

“Of course.” I nodded. Only a few hours had passed, but I remembered everything very clearly. I even tried to recall Rembrandt’s expressions and subtle gestures when he was saying certain things, and told He Xi about it.

He Xi listened intently. When I told her that Rembrandt admitted he and Fan Zhe had joined the Dagger organization, providing the Fan's virus as a lethal poison to killers around the world, and that even the first case of Fan's disease in Ireland was caused by them, her face changed. Even the most composed person would be shocked to hear such a thing. This is also why I have such complicated feelings about Rembrandt now. In the three weeks I spent with him, he was a medical expert wholeheartedly dedicated to saving lives, and extremely warm-hearted. But the thought that he had killed so many people for his own selfish reasons, even though the real killers were others, shows that his sharp blade was stained with blood. What's even more unforgivable is that he and Fan Zhe indirectly contributed to the mutation of the Fan's virus. Now the disaster has begun to strike, and no one has had time to prepare!

Therefore, although this person has committed suicide due to Fan syndrome, I still cannot feel much sympathy for him. Rather than saying that I sometimes feel sorry for Rembrandt, it is more that I feel sad and distressed for He Xi's situation and feelings when I think of her two brothers who had a deep affection for her as such a person.

Although He Xi was very surprised when she first heard about this, she refrained from interrupting me and listened to me continue, though her brows furrowed more and more tightly.

After I finished speaking, she closed her eyes slightly and fell into deep thought.

I knew she needed some time to process this, and her mouth was a little dry from talking, so I got up and poured herself two cups of tea.

When I placed the tea in front of her, I saw her shake her head to herself.

"What came to mind?" I asked.

“No.” He Xi looked up at me. “There’s a problem. What you’re saying is wrong.”

I was taken aback, and then a bit of resentment rose in my heart: "I said it from memory. It's only been a short while, I believe my memory isn't that bad. You wouldn't say I intentionally hid something from you, would you?"

"That's not what I meant. Oh, thank you for the tea." He Xi relaxed her furrowed brows, her expression softening slightly. However, the worry between her brows couldn't be easily erased.

"I think there's something wrong with what Rembrandt said; things aren't that simple."

"Oh?" Actually, I haven't had a chance to think about what Rembrandt said yet, but I've repeated it to others twice.

“I don’t believe my brother and Rembrandt would do such a thing. You could argue that I’m a bit paranoid because of my relationship with them, but Rembrandt’s motives are questionable.”

"Motive? You mean money?" Rembrandt is a charming fellow, and he does have some female companions, but it's not to the point of being chaotic. Even if he hides many expenses from me, how much money could he possibly make doing this?

“If a single order is worth $10,000, and he does it fifty times, that would be $500,000,” I said.

"Even if he did it a hundred times, a million dollars, do you think that's a lot? But I don't think he would do something like that for a million dollars. And how much money would he actually get after doing it a hundred times?"

"Got it?" I frowned, then thought of Cheng Weiping's case. Indeed, Rembrandt must have spent a considerable amount of money to get the Fan virus to Cheng Weiping, and the higher the security level of the process, the greater the cost. They've done this so many times without any problems due to the delivery method, so it's safe to assume they've spent a lot on it.

"Did you think of that too? Don't forget another point: a significant portion of that $10,000 goes to the Dagger organization as a cut. I think it's at least 20%, maybe even 30%. So, after deducting all the expenses, how much money will be left?"

"There's not much left." I nodded.

"Out of ten thousand, is there four thousand, three thousand, or less than two thousand left? How much can a playboy do with that little money? Let me tell you, if my brother and Rembrandt really wanted to make money, with their connections at Heller International, they would have a whole host of ways to make money much faster, with far less risk and less chance of being caught!"

He Xi's words made my face flush. The flaw wasn't hard to spot, but I actually needed her to point it out.

“What could have made Rembrandt create such a false motive that he would cover it up like this?” I looked at He Xi, whose face was ashen, but whose eyes burned with fury.

"You asked him if he intentionally contracted the virus, and he didn't deny it?"

"Yes."

"Ha, what a fool he is. He wants to cover everything up with death. He'd rather dress himself and his brother up as heinous criminals than let some damn secret slip by."

He Xi spoke fiercely, but tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.