Wenn die Liebe naht, ist es wie Schnee

Kapitel 5

The three of them were thinking about the same thing: could it be that the insects had scared Nurse Song into a frenzy?

Before the three could act, the staff of Yishi Academy had already taken action. Nurse Song hadn't posed a threat to the students yet, but that didn't mean she wouldn't in the future. The school wouldn't allow a ticking time bomb to remain hidden among the students. Nurse Song had gone mad, but her reflexes hadn't diminished. Five school security guards surrounded her, and it took considerable effort to finally capture her. In her madness, Nurse Song possessed extraordinary strength, nearly breaking free from the male security guards several times. Finally, one of the guards pulled out a rope, intending to tie her up.

The opposite happened; Nurse Song reacted even more strongly to the rope. She screamed and frantically twisted her body, trying to avoid it. Luo Shimin couldn't bear to watch any longer. "You should help her."

"I don't think you should do this." Ye Cheng stepped forward, eliciting screams from the girls in the crowd. "So handsome!" "A handsome guy who's also a policeman!" "I love policemen."

Ye Cheng cleared his throat. "Your actions constitute illegal confinement. You have no right to control the freedom of others."

Ye Cheng's genuine police uniform made the security guards hesitate. The guard who was arresting Nurse Song was momentarily distracted, and Nurse Song broke free and rushed towards the crowd. The crowd screamed and scattered, automatically making way for Nurse Song to escape.

"The bugs are coming! The killer bugs are coming! Run! Anyone who's slow will die!" Nurse Song yelled as she ran, and everyone present heard her.

The security guard leader shouted, "Grab her! Don't let her run around. If she hurts a student, we'll lose our jobs!"

"Don't chase her, or something bad will happen!" Ye Cheng shouted, but no security guard listened to him and they all rushed after Nurse Song.

"These bastards." Ye Cheng clenched his fists. Even a cornered dog will bite, let alone a living person. No one could be sure what Nurse Song would do if she was pushed to the limit.

The tragedy unfolded swiftly, so fast that Ye Cheng's clenched fists hadn't even loosened. Nurse Song, desperate, tried to evade the security guards chasing her, but to no avail. Driven to desperation, she charged towards the old building, where a glass door had recently been installed. In her frenzy, Nurse Song naturally didn't remember its existence, and in her rapid run, she failed to notice the glass door.

With a loud bang, Nurse Song slammed her head against the glass door, which shattered instantly. The broken glass, like a knife cutting tofu, easily severed Nurse Song's carotid artery and trachea. Bright red, still warm blood gushed out rapidly, spraying blood all over the faces of the security guards.

When Ye Cheng and the others arrived, Nurse Song's blood had stopped gushing out. Her body was convulsing, and her head was drooping on her chest. She was clearly dying, but her lips were still repeating the word, "bugs, bugs..." Xia Chen covered Luo Shimin's eyes. She had already seen too much, and he was afraid she couldn't bear it.

Ye Cheng roared at the stunned security guards, "You bunch of bastards! I told you not to chase so closely, why didn't you listen? You indirectly killed someone, you are a bunch of executioners."

Call someone to handle this! Do you want to leave this tragedy on display for a whole day?

Xia Chen sat down with his back to the crime scene, his brow furrowed as he pondered. Luo Shimin sat beside him, summoning her courage several times but not daring to turn around. Ye Cheng, after directing the security guards to quickly clear the scene, sat down next to Luo Shimin.

Xia Chen patted his head and said, "I think we should go and check on Nurse Song's house. What do you guys think?"

"This is illegal."

Ye Cheng's smile faded, and he said seriously, "We cannot trespass on private property without permission. I am also a police officer; you cannot discuss illegal matters in front of a police officer."

"Come on, you're kidding me." Xia Chen said disdainfully, "Stop pretending, don't tell me you don't want to go to Nurse Song's house to visit."

"I do want to..." Before Ye Cheng could finish speaking, Xia Chen dragged him away.

At the door of Nurse Song's house.

Xia Chen was using an iron bar to open the door when Ye Cheng urged, "Can you hurry up? The police might be on their way."

"I'm working on it, why don't you come and do it?"

“What are we afraid of? Aren’t you a policeman? If it doesn’t work, I’ll just get a sledgehammer and smash it open.” Influenced by her father and brother, Luo Shimin felt that burglary and robbery were no big deal. The current situation was special; she had police on her side, and it was for a righteous purpose. If Xia Chen couldn’t open the door, she was prepared to break it down.

The door opened.

Ye Cheng and Xia Chen started arguing about who should go in first. "I'm a policeman, I should go in first." "So what if you're a policeman? I've helped you solve many of your cases." Luo Shimin looked at the two of them helplessly. On the surface, they seemed very mature, but in reality, they were still children at heart, and they would fight over a piece of candy.

Two minutes passed, and seeing that the two hadn't decided who should go in first, Luo Shimin went in first. The two of them stopped talking and followed her in.

Everything was normal at Nurse Song's home. There were no signs of a struggle or forced entry, and the blankets on the bed were not yet folded.

"Is there a problem?" Luo Shimin didn't see any problem at all.

Xia Chen and Ye Cheng also came up empty-handed. Xia Chen said firmly, "Judging from Nurse Song's pajamas, her home must have been attacked. No matter how skilled the killer is, they can't possibly cover up all the traces. Let's search carefully again; we're sure to find some clues."

The three began a new round of investigation, and Ye Cheng soon made a discovery on the air conditioner. Judging from the marks, they seemed to be left by an animal such as a snake or gecko. Xia Chen took out his phone and took a picture.

Police sirens blared outside the door.

"The police are here." Ye Cheng pulled the two of them out the door, and Luo Shimin, of course, didn't forget to close the door behind them.

009 Dead End

The three of them ran quite a distance, panting, before stopping. Luo Shimin looked at the police cars rushing towards them, then at Ye Cheng in his police uniform, and asked, puzzled, "Why are we running?"

Xia Chen looked at Ye Cheng's police uniform and asked, "Yeah, why are we running?"

Ye Cheng scratched his head and repeated the question, "Yeah, why are we running?" The three looked at each other and burst into laughter. In the laughter, Luo Shi felt her suppressed, gloomy emotions vanish, and she felt much lighter. Their laughter attracted frequent glances from passing classmates. "Is even mental illness contagious these days? There was one in the morning, and in less than an hour, there are three!"

The three of them laughed until they cried before they stopped. Luo Shimin wiped away her tears with a tissue and asked, "What are you two laughing at?"

"I think the case at the infirmary is about to be solved." Ye Cheng rubbed his aching stomach from laughing. "Now the only suspect left is Dr. Wei. Once we ask him, he'll know everything."

Xia Chen resumed his cold demeanor. "To be honest, it's not that simple. I found this in the underground chamber." Xia Chen opened his palm, revealing a delicate little glass bottle. A ray of sunlight refracted and dazzled Luo Shimin's eyes. "What a beautiful bottle." Luo Shimin brought the bottle up to her eyes and examined it.

Ye Cheng's smile froze instantly. "The Xia Group again?"

Xia Chen nodded. "You already know, why are you asking?"

"I just want to confirm something." Ye Cheng swallowed hard, as if he hadn't actually swallowed any saliva. "If the Xia Group is really involved, I need to go back and report to my superiors immediately. This is no joke."

Xia Chen retorted, "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Ye Cheng glanced at him, turned and left, but after a few steps he came back and asked, "What should we do with this Dr. Wei who is still alive? Should we protect him closely or arrest him as a criminal?"

How would I know?

Xia Chen shrugged helplessly. "That's your job, police. I'm just providing you with clues; the decision-making is up to the higher-ups."

Ye Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "Damn Xia Chen, you're so petty. That matter happened so long ago, and you still hold a grudge."

"I didn't." Xia Chen lowered his head and rubbed his fingers.

Watching Ye Cheng leave in a hurry, Luo Shimin asked curiously, "What's the background of the Xia Group? Is it very powerful?"

Xia Chen looked at Luo Shimin as if she were an alien. It was hard to imagine that someone in modern society wouldn't know about the Xia Group, let alone that she was studying at Yishi Academy, which was run by the Xia Group. "You really don't know about the Xia Group? Are you kidding me?" Xia Chen's expression was as if he had discovered a new continent.

To avoid being looked down upon by Xia Chen, Luo Shimin started counting on her fingers, "I really don't know. I'm only familiar with Yakuza, the Triads, Hell's Angels, and Magellan Group. I'm not very familiar with the Mafia. I've only met a few old men. I also have some dealings with the Big Circle Gang."

Xia Chen broke out in a cold sweat, scrutinizing Luo Shimin from head to toe. He needed to reassess the girl before him. She was spouting names of international criminal syndicates, names that would terrify ordinary people, yet she spoke them as casually as if she were the neighbor Li San. Remembering her surname was Luo, a name flashed through Xia Chen's mind. "Who is Luo Xie to you?"

Luo Shimin was in high spirits and didn't notice that Xia Chen's expression was off. She still said truthfully, "Luo Xie is my brother. I didn't expect him to be so famous. Even you know him."

"So Luo Sannu is your father?"

"Yes, don't be scared by his name. He's actually a very nice person. Come visit my house sometime, and I'll introduce you to my brother and my dad. You're so smart, they'll definitely like you."

"Okay, okay." Xia Chen tried his best to hide his unease. Luo Shimin's identity was now confirmed. The daughter of Luo Sannu, the leader of the Batian Gang, the daughter of a gang leader ranked among the top three in the world. With the power of the Batian Gang, they should be able to rival the Xia Group. A voice roared in Xia Chen's mind, "Use her, use her and you can easily fulfill your long-cherished wish, you can get out of the shadow that has shrouded you for so many years, and you can live a normal life."

The usually thick-skinned Luo Shimin finally noticed that Xia Chen was acting strangely and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine, just a little tired." Xia Chen's gaze met Luo Shimin's clear eyes. Many years ago, he too had such clear eyes, like the clear spring water beneath an icy mountain. Xia Chen blushed at his earlier thought. He had come this far over the years, and one day, he would take care of the Xia Group.

"Then sit down and rest for a while. We've been busy all morning."

Luo Shimin pulled Xia Chen to sit down on the stone steps by the roadside. "Rongrong and I love sitting on these steps in the sun. The sunlight is so warm and comforting. We just lie here, not saying a word, watching handsome guys walk past us one by one." Mentioning Rongrong, Luo Shimin's expression darkened. "I miss Rongrong."

Xia Chen never comforted the girl. He patted Luo Shimin's shoulder stiffly and said, "Rongrong is alright. She'll wake up soon, and then we can go see her."

Half an hour later, a convoy of police cars arrived at Yishi Academy and took away Dr. Wei, the last survivor of the infirmary.

Police station interrogation room.

Dr. Wei sat innocently in the chair, with three policemen sitting opposite him. To his left was a stenographer, and in the middle was an older policeman who hadn't said a word, just staring at Dr. Wei with eyes like sharp swords that could pierce one's soul. To his right sat Ye Cheng, who was to conduct the interrogation.

Ye Cheng said casually, "Tell me, what happened?"

Dr. Wei clutched his hair, "I don't know, I really don't know anything."

"I don't know." Ye Cheng snorted coldly. "There are a total of five staff members in the infirmary. From last night until now, in less than 24 hours, you are the only one left who has died. Shouldn't you say something?"

"I really don't know. I have a family, and I never do anything illegal."

"Then what's going on here?" Ye Cheng placed the photos of the darkroom in the sewer in front of Dr. Wei. "It's right under your feet. Don't pretend you don't know."

"I really...don't know." Dr. Wei still said he didn't know, but he did give some useful information. "This was probably done during the night shift. The duty roster was arranged by Dr. Zuo. He said I had to take care of my wife and children and had never been assigned to night shifts."

I was quite happy, thinking Dr. Zuo treated me well, but now it seems it was all their conspiracy.

"To blame everything on the dead, how can you even say that?"

Dr. Wei held up three fingers, "I swear to God, everything I said is true. If I'm lying, may I be hit by a car, choke to death while eating, choke to death while drinking water, or fall to my death while going upstairs..."

"Alright." Ye Cheng slammed his hand on the table. "What do you mean by dead? Four people have already died. Do you think that's not enough?"

Dr. Wei was startled and lowered his head, remaining silent.

Ye Cheng then asked, "Didn't you notice any unusual behavior from the four of them in normal times? And who else has ever kept snakes? Think about it carefully."

"I only got into Yishi College at the beginning of this year through connections. I used to work in a hospital, which was very stressful. I'm getting older, so I wanted to find an easier job, which is why I joined the medical clinic at Yishi College. It's been half a year now. The work is easy, but I just can't fit in with my colleagues. There's an inexplicable barrier between us, probably because I'm older than them. Sometimes they're chatting and laughing, and I can hear them clearly from outside the door, but when I push the door open, they stop talking. As for snakes, I've never heard of any of them keeping snakes."

Ye Cheng slammed his hand on the table again. "Think about it carefully. I don't believe it. You've worked together for more than half a year. Even if you weren't involved, you didn't notice any problems. No matter how careful they are, they'll always leave some loopholes."

Dr. Wei lowered his head and recalled carefully. After a while, he asked tentatively, "They've been quite interested in human parasites lately, and they've been researching this in their spare time. Dr. Zuo even asked me a few related questions."

Ye Cheng was amused and annoyed. What kind of suspicious point was this? It seemed he had to use his trump card. He shouted sternly, "You've heard of the Xia Group, right? Tell me, what's your relationship with the Xia Group?" The old policeman listening in the background had a sharp glint in his eyes; he was also very interested in this question.

Dr. Wei was startled by Ye Cheng's feigned fierceness and stammered, "I know the Xia Group, a large international conglomerate. Yishi Academy belongs to the Xia Group. Apart from that, we have absolutely no connection with the Xia Group." He then muttered under his breath, "If we really had a connection, would you dare to interrogate me like this?"

Ye Cheng was getting angry and was about to slam his fist on the table again when the old policeman grabbed his hand and said with a smile, "Don't slam it anymore, or the table will break. You may not care about your hand, but I do care about my table. Let's stop here for today. We won't get anything out of you if we continue." The old policeman then said to Dr. Wei, "Years of criminal investigation experience tell me that what you said is true. You have nothing to do with the murder case."

Dr. Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

The old policeman changed the subject, "But we can't let you go."

Dr. Wei became anxious, "Why? It has nothing to do with me and you won't let me leave? Are you not following the law? I want to go home."

Ye Cheng roared, "I'm not letting you leave, what can you do about it?"

The old policeman said kindly, "We're keeping you here for your own good. We need to ensure your safety. If the killer thinks you know something and wants to kill you to silence you, you'll be in constant danger once you leave the police station. The killer's methods are very strange and hard to guard against. You don't want to be killed without knowing why, do you? Once we find out the truth, we'll send you home immediately."

Dr. Wei remained silent, frightened by the old policeman's words. Doctors are used to seeing life and death, but when death truly comes, doctors are also human, and they are afraid too.

Ye Cheng said, "Take him away."

Two policemen came in from outside and took Dr. Wei out.

After everyone else in the interrogation room left, Ye Cheng sidled up to the old policeman and whispered, "Dad, you're really something. Next time, let me be the good cop. I don't want to scare people anymore. My hands hurt from slamming the table like that. If this keeps up, I'll have mastered the Vajra Palm technique in a few years."

"You're not there yet," the old policeman shook his head. "Once you have enough experience, you won't need to bang on the table anymore."

When do you consider yourself experienced?

"I don't know either. Keep an eye on Dr. Wei; I think there's something he hasn't told us yet." The old policeman vanished from Ye Cheng's sight in the blink of an eye.

Dr. Wei was put in solitary confinement. Since he wasn't considered a criminal suspect, he wasn't handcuffed. Looking at the iron bars around him, he couldn't sit still. He paced back and forth in the room, feeling frustrated. He wondered, "What did I do to deserve this? I've been working honestly, living a law-abiding life for over thirty years. I had a good night's sleep last night, and this morning I'm taken to the police station as soon as I get to work. What's going on?" He wasn't stupid; he knew his colleagues in the clinic were doing shady things behind the scenes. Honestly, he had no idea what they were doing. The only time he got along well with them was four months ago when the five of them went to the Gobi Desert together. Yes, that desert trip… it must be related to that incident. Should he tell the police?

Strange things happen every year, but today there seem to be more than usual. This afternoon, Zheng Tianyu, the renowned ace lawyer from Tianyu Law Firm, requested to see Dr. Wei. The police, having no reason to stop him, arranged for the two to meet at the police station. They talked for two hours. After Zheng Tianyu left, Dr. Wei smiled. He roughly knew that two hours of talking with Zheng Tianyu would cost him almost as much as a month's salary. Zheng Tianyu told him that after leaving the police station, he would report to the Xia Group; his workplace had changed, in other words, he had inexplicably been promoted. Of course, there was one condition Zheng Tianyu didn't mention: he had to leave the police station alive.