The Mysterious Files 2 - The Bizarre and the Real

Chapter 1

Foreword

Author: Seeking No Desire

First published on: Tianya Ghost Stories (Reposting should be done responsibly)

In a province with a population of over 100 million, a multitude of things happen every day that cannot be explained by current science. As a result, the Public Security Bureau secretly established a special team to handle these bizarre events.

Because the existence of the squad runs counter to the government's anti-feudal and anti-superstition principles, the Public Security Bureau never acknowledges the existence of such a squad, and even most police officers are unaware of its existence.

The team originally had five members, whose codenames were: Warrior, Spirit Dog, Ghost Eye, Heavenly Book, and Captain Tianji, which is me. In a certain incident, Warrior died a heroic death, and my superiors ordered me to find a replacement. After much selection, I finally brought a new member to the team—Linglong.

File 1 Virus

Author: Seeking No Desire

First published on: Tianya Ghost Stories (Reposting should be done responsibly)

At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight fell upon the brand-new streets, only a handful of sanitation workers were diligently at work. Suddenly, one of them let out a terrified scream, drawing the attention of the others. She had discovered a young woman, her clothes tattered, lying in the grass…

This is a newly planned bar street, which has just become popular, but within a month, four rape cases have occurred in succession. We have reason to believe that these four cases were committed by the same person, because the victims have many similar characteristics, the methods of violence are also very similar, and more importantly, the victims were all unconscious after the incidents, and their bodies inexplicably developed ulcers.

This case is being re-enacted by higher authorities because the first victim has died from severe skin ulceration, and the other three victims are expected to pass away within a month. Therefore, what was originally a rape case has become a rape-murder case. These days, cases without fatalities go unnoticed, but the fact that someone has died makes higher authorities somewhat nervous. If the media exposes the matter, many officials will likely face trouble. Furthermore, the bar district involves the interests of many people, and they are unwilling to see their businesses suffer as a result.

We obtained all the information about the case. The victims were four white-collar women aged 22 to 25, all of whom were petite, fair-skinned, and fashionably dressed.

The victims had all gone to the bar district alone at night, and were found the next day lying in nearby bushes, stairwells in back alleys, and dark corners of parking lots. Their clothes were brutally torn, and they had multiple obvious injuries, clearly indicating sexual assault. What's puzzling is that the victims had multiple comminuted fractures, and these were not caused by blunt force trauma; they were most likely inflicted by the assailant during the assault. Someone capable of inflicting multiple fractures with their bare hands must possess extraordinary arm strength, something no ordinary person could do.

Although the victims' injuries were severe, they were not fatal. However, they remained unconscious afterward, and their bodies inexplicably began to fester. Semen samples taken from the victims, upon DNA testing, appeared to be non-human, indicating contamination by an unknown substance. Hair and skin flakes collected from the crime scene and from the victims, suspected to be left by the perpetrator, also tested positive for non-human DNA. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the perpetrator used some unknown chemical substance to destroy evidence after the attack.

The hospital suspects that the assailant administered an overdose of anesthetic or nerve-damaging drugs to the victim before the attack, causing the victim to remain unconscious for an extended period afterward. However, they cannot explain the ulceration on the victim's body; the cause cannot be determined, and therefore, it is untreatable.

Based on the above information, we suspect the perpetrator was a physically strong, large man with impressive arm strength, who likely frequented a gym. Given the severe destruction of all compelling evidence and the various conditions experienced by the victim afterward, we cannot help but suspect the perpetrator was a highly educated individual, possibly with expertise in chemistry or medicine, or at least a professional in the chemical or medical system with frequent access to controlled chemicals.

Therefore, we deduced that the perpetrator might be an anesthesiologist and manager of anesthetic drugs at the hospital, a chemical distributor, or even a chemical researcher. We focused our investigation on the gym, interviewing everyone who frequented it, and even bringing in people with medical or chemical connections for questioning "assistance." However, after expending considerable resources and receiving nearly ten complaints, we still found nothing. Not only did we fail to apprehend the perpetrator, but we also received news of a fifth victim.

The higher-ups are putting pressure on our team because the case can't be delayed any longer. The pressure from the media is immense; if it gets exposed, our team will be the first to suffer. The higher-ups will definitely push us out as scapegoats. Therefore, we have no choice but to take a risky tactic: release bait to lure the perpetrators out on their own.

Finding a petite, fair-skinned policewoman in her early twenties to act as bait isn't difficult; the challenge lies in protecting her. Many unforeseen circumstances can arise during the luring of the perpetrator, and a hasty attack could alert them. Therefore, even a large team on standby would be futile. Thus, we must select a policewoman with a certain level of self-defense capability. But how much self-defense capability does a petite policewoman possess? That's the question.

“I’ll be the bait.” It was Linglong, our team’s newest member, who said this. I picked her out of the police academy; she comes from a family of martial arts practitioners and has practiced martial arts since childhood. Although she looks like a high school student, she can calmly take down three instructors, which is why I chose her to fill the strongman position.

The Mysterious Files 2 — The Critical Point Between the Bizarre and the Real

The Mysterious Files 2 — The Critical Point Between the Bizarre and the Real

Although I wasn't too worried about her safety as Linglong was the bait, and her petite figure and fair skin matched the victim's physical characteristics, her rural upbringing meant her fashion sense was nowhere near "fashionable." Her style was rather old-fashioned; I wouldn't have been surprised if she had appeared before me in ancient female warrior attire.

However, Gui Tong boasted that he could transform Linglong, a newcomer to society, into a fashionable beauty in just one afternoon. As for the actual results, we'll find out tonight.

After nightfall, Lingquan, two plainclothes officers with guns, Xiao Zhang and Xiao Zhao, and I made preparations in the bar street. Although we could request more police force from our superiors, more people were not a good thing for the entrapment operation.

The series of rape and murder cases had been circulating privately, but firstly, the authorities had not acknowledged them, secondly, the media had not made any official reports, and thirdly, there were not many people who actually knew the truth. Moreover, the owners of the bar street had asked their employees to deliberately conceal the truth, so the matter was only regarded as a topic of conversation over tea and dinner. No one took it seriously, it did not attract widespread attention, and it did not have much impact on the business of the bar street.

As dusk settles and night falls, groups of patrons drive into the bar street parking lot or step out of buses and taxis, heading into various bars, KTVs, or discos. If you told them that a rape-murder and four rapes have occurred here in quick succession, the men might be slightly surprised, while the women, even if they don't immediately take a taxi home, will cling tightly to their boyfriends' strong, reliable chests.

We wandered through various bars, each with a different theme but all equally crowded, for several hours without spotting anything suspicious. Finally, we sat down in a quiet bar filled with white-collar workers.

This bar is decorated in a chic, sophisticated style, with soft, melodious music playing in the background. Although it's quite crowded, it's not noisy. On the surface, the people gathered here are all high-income intellectuals, but what they're really thinking about is finding a night of passion. Beneath their elegant exteriors lie ugly hearts burning with desire.

We chose this bar not out of a desire for casual sex, but because, according to the victim's relatives, she seemed to have visited this bar several times before her death. However, things didn't go smoothly; we had no intention of seeking romance, yet we became the targets of their attention. Not long after we sat down, several women showed interest in us. Perhaps it was because the four of us were experienced police officers, naturally exuding a masculine aura that attracted so many women.

Xiao Zhang, Xiao Zhao, and I didn't really care. Chatting and drinking with beautiful women wasn't a bad thing. Besides, if four guys sat there awkwardly and kept refusing the women's advances, it would be too conspicuous. So we decided to combine work with entertainment. However, Ling Tai didn't seem too keen on this cushy job. He kept calling to urge Gui Tong and complaining that he hadn't brought the Heavenly Book.

Although Lingquan didn't say it aloud, I knew what he was thinking. He didn't like women with such open minds; in his heart, only a woman like Shiya, who was devoted in love, could move him. Unfortunately, Shiya wasn't moved by him.

Around midnight, Gui Tong finally arrived, her clothes sexy and fashionable, but the sunglasses perched on her nose gave off a strange feeling. There was no way around it, because once she took off her sunglasses, her empty eye sockets would be exposed.

Following behind Ghost Eye was a stunningly beautiful young woman whose tight-fitting t-shirt and fiery miniskirt ignited the summer night sky like a blazing fire. This was Linglong. If Ghost Eye hadn't pointed it out, I would never have believed that the little girl who looked like a country bumpkin just hours ago could now be dressed so sexily.

Linglong didn't approach us, or even greet us. She simply sat down at the bar and ordered a Chivas Regal with green tea. I think she must have never had this drink before; Guitong must have taught her to order it.

As soon as Linglong sat down, men started hitting on her. At first, she was a little nervous, but her police academy classes had paid off, and she quickly regained her composure, chatting and laughing with the strangers. However, our efforts that night were in vain. Although many men approached Linglong, none of them were the person we were looking for.

We've spent three nights in a row in this quiet bar. Others come here to hunt for women, and we come here to wait for our prey. However, whether we are the hunters or the prey in the eyes of the thugs, we'll only know when the thugs appear.

"It's the third night already. Will he really take the bait?" Lingquan said, taking a sip of red wine.

I laughed and said, "Drink less, or you'll exceed your budget. If Grandpa doesn't reimburse you, you'll have to pay out of your own pocket."

Xiao Zhang laughed and said, "Paying out of my own pocket is fine, but if I mess things up, I might lose my job."

Xiao Zhao nodded in agreement, picked up a glass of cola and said, "Let's drink cola instead. We're too old to drink alcohol anymore."

Zhang and Zhao have been drinking cola these past few nights. They don't drink alcohol at all, not because they're old—they're not even thirty yet, and saying they're old is just a joke. The reason they don't drink is because he carries a service weapon on his waist. If he fails to catch the thug, he might get scolded, but if he gets drunk and drops his weapon, he could face disciplinary action, or even lose his job.

I savored the red wine in my glass and slowly said, "Tonight is the weekend, there's a lot of foot traffic, it's the perfect time to do bad things. Maybe there'll be work to do tonight, and all the previous ones... didn't they all happen on weekends?"

Xiao Zhang said, "It's best to have work to do. If another unlucky person comes along, our lives will be tough!"

"Gui Tong and the others are here." Although they hadn't entered the door yet, the spirit dog had already smelled their scent. Sure enough, not long after, Gui Tong and Linglong entered the bar one after the other. As before, Gui Tong came over and sat next to me, while Linglong pretended not to know us and went straight to sit alone at the bar.

Because it was the weekend, there were more customers than usual. After two nights of "practice," Linglong's performance was very satisfactory, and coupled with her good looks, she quickly became the focus of attention. This situation made me both happy and worried. I was happy because if the culprit was among the customers in the bar, he would definitely notice Linglong; I was worried because Linglong had become the focus of attention, and the culprit might not dare to approach her because of this.

Time ticked by, and as it approached 2 a.m., the number of customers in the bar gradually dwindled. Most had achieved their purpose, leaving emboldened by alcohol, embracing unfamiliar members of the opposite sex, either going to one of their homes or creating a thrilling memory at a nearby hotel. The remaining customers were mostly alone, drinking and feeling sorry for themselves.

What is loneliness? It is not living alone in the wilderness, but being a pitiful person in a crowd who has no one to confide in.

In this deserted setting, Gui Tong and I, along with three others, stood out conspicuously, so I downed my glass of red wine in one gulp, intending to end our operation for the night there. However, just then, a thin young man sat down in the chair next to Linglong with a glass of whiskey.

The young man had arrived quite early and had been observing Linglong for a long time, but he hadn't interacted with anyone else. Moreover, he was thin, which was far from the burly man we had deduced to have a bodybuilder-like physique, so we hadn't paid much attention to him.

The hound suddenly whispered, "He smells strange. Even though he's wearing cologne, I can still smell a faint stench of decay. Maybe he's someone who deals with corpses all the time."

Who deals with corpses frequently? Are they forensic doctors, physicians, or funeral home workers? Although I didn't have much hope, this young man was the only person I had to pay attention to these past few nights.

Linglong chatted amiably with the young man, and it seemed she had also noticed something unusual about him. I gave instructions through an invisible earpiece hidden in her ear, indicating that the other party was suspicious and that we should take further action, and that we would follow closely behind.

Linglong seemed to have been planning to take further action all along. As soon as I gave the order, she left the bar with the young man. Because of a miniature microphone hidden in her collar, we were able to hear their conversation. And thanks to the spirit dog's nose and Ghost Eye's "eyes," we could easily find them even if they drove to the outskirts to admire the moon.

As soon as Linglong stepped out of the bar, we immediately followed. Because the hounds have a keen sense of smell, we didn't follow too closely, keeping ourselves out of their sight and using the miniature microphone on Linglong's body to find out what was going on with them.

Linglong: "Where are you taking me? Leo." Leo is the English name of a young man; someone who intends to seduce a woman won't tell her her real name.

Leo: "There's a park up ahead, it's quite beautiful, let's go sit there."

Linglong: "There are so many mosquitoes in that kind of place that they could sting you to death. What's the point of sitting there? I'm not going!"

Leo: "You'll see how much fun it is when you get there."

Linglong: "No, I don't want to..."

The Mysterious Files 2 — The Critical Point Between the Bizarre and the Real, Section 3

The Mysterious Files 2 — The Critical Point Between the Bizarre and the Real, Section 3

Ghost Eyes observed their situation with his spiritual eyes and told us that Leo was forcibly dragging Linglong towards the park, but she shouldn't be harmed for the time being; her refusal was merely to force him to reveal his true form. However, Leo's physical strength didn't match his thin appearance, so it seemed that tonight's efforts hadn't been in vain.

There's a small park near the bar street. Because it's newly built and not close to residential areas, there are hardly any people there during the day, and it's even harder to find anyone in the early hours of the morning. In a place like this, let alone rape, even if you rape and then murder, dismember and dump the body, it's unlikely to be discovered.

However, judging from the sounds coming from the miniature microphone, it was unexpected that someone was waiting in this place where no one should be. Moreover, the hound also said that there was a smell of rotting flesh coming from the park.

Leo: "Big brother, I brought you a girl."

Linglong: "What big brother? Is there anyone else here besides us? Wow..."

As Linglong screamed, Guitong also yelled. She seemed to have "seen" something terrifying and told us to go save Linglong immediately.

We weren't far from Linglong, and arrived at the scene in less than a minute. When we arrived, Leo had already been knocked unconscious by Linglong and was lying on the ground, while Linglong was confronting a "man".

This was no ordinary man; his appearance alone was enough to tell. His bare torso was completely devoid of skin; dark red skin was exposed, showing slight signs of decay. If it weren't for the strong, pulsating veins on his exposed body, I wouldn't have believed he was alive. Even more horrifying was his face. Having lost his skin, his teeth were exposed, and his bloodshot eyes gleamed like two eerie, spherical rubies in the dim shadows of the trees.

As soon as Xiao Zhang and Xiao Zhao arrived, they immediately drew their sidearms and identified themselves, warning the other party not to make any rash moves. However, the warning not only failed to deter them but also provoked the skinless monster. With a furious roar, the monster leaped and pounced on Zhang and Zhao.

Although the monster's appearance was exceptionally terrifying, Zhang and Zhao were no novice soldiers. Seeing that the warnings were ineffective, they immediately opened fire. Even a single shot to the limbs from a Type 54 pistol at close range would be enough to incapacitate a strong adult, yet the monster, despite being hit at least three times in its legs, only paused slightly, showing no signs of serious injury. Furthermore, the bullet wounds only oozed a small amount of dark red blood before automatically congealing and healing—a remarkably high level of self-healing ability that was truly astonishing.

Zhang and Zhao had no time to be amazed by their opponent's incredible regenerative abilities. Shooting at his legs didn't stop him from charging, so they fired at his upper body. The upper body was a larger target, and with four shots fired, four bullets instantly pierced the monster's chest, splattering blood and flesh. However, despite such a heavy blow, the monster still didn't fall; it merely knelt on the ground, clutching its chest and panting.

Just when everyone thought the monster was no longer a threat, it suddenly roared, leaped up, pounced on Xiao Zhao, and bit his neck. Because Xiao Zhao was locked in a tug-of-war with the monster, Xiao Zhang, holding his pistol, didn't know what to do. At that moment, Linglong rushed over, snatched the pistol from Xiao Zhang, and with lightning speed darted to the monster, pressing the muzzle of the gun against its temple and pulling the trigger to end its life.

When the monster fell, the blood flowing from Xiao Zhao's neck had stained the surrounding ground red. He had sacrificed himself, gloriously sacrificed himself.

We found a wallet in the monster's pocket, inside which was a photo of a man and a woman. Using the photo as a starting point, we investigated the monster's identity and eventually discovered that his surname was Guo, that he had studied in Japan, and had returned to China less than a year ago.

We learned some details about Guo from his family. Shortly after returning to China, he suddenly became taciturn. With his qualifications, finding a good job wouldn't have been difficult, but he spent all his time hiding in his room, earning a meager living by translating Japanese for others. Since the beginning of summer, his family had frequently noticed an unpleasant odor emanating from him, and no matter how hot the weather, he would always wear long sleeves and trousers whenever he stepped out of his room, and later he also wore a mask and hat. About a month ago, he suddenly told his family he was going on a trip, and hasn't returned home since.

We found several diaries in Guo's room, and after reading them, we finally learned the whole story. It turned out that Guo had met a Japanese woman named Izumi during his time in Japan, and the photo in his wallet was a picture of the two of them together. The two quickly fell in love, but dating requires a lot of money, especially in a high-cost region like Japan, where you can't do anything without money.

Guo was just an international student, and the money his family sent him wasn't much, barely enough to cover his daily expenses. If he wanted to spend more, he had to rely on his own efforts. He took on several part-time jobs, but the meager income wasn't enough to cover several dates, and at the end of the month, he was still struggling to make ends meet. Moreover, Quanmei often asked him to buy expensive gifts, which he simply couldn't afford, so he had to be honest with Quanmei about his financial situation.

However, after learning that Guo was penniless, Quanmei said there was a quick way to make money: working as a clinical trial participant for a pharmaceutical company. It turned out that Quanmei's father worked in a research institute affiliated with a large pharmaceutical company, developing new drugs and looking to recruit male Chinese students as clinical trial participants.

At the time, Guo was only thinking about making more money and didn't pay attention to why the other party specifically wanted Chinese students. He didn't even know what kind of drug was being tested, only that it was a new drug that could enhance physical fitness. The job of a drug tester was easy: first, they would examine the physical condition of the institute's staff, then inject them with a drug and leave. After that, they would return to the institute once a month to check on their physical changes and receive another injection, thus earning a considerable income.

Guo was very satisfied with this job because it only required half a day each month, was easier than his previous part-time job, and paid more. After injecting the new drug, he didn't feel any discomfort; on the contrary, he felt stronger and had a very high libido, often overwhelming Quanmei. However, what puzzled him was that after the trial, Quanmei always asked him to use a condom during sex, even though she had been taking birth control pills. Her explanation was that long-term use of birth control pills had caused her to gain weight, but Guo didn't notice any changes in her figure.

After graduation, Guo was forced to return to China because he couldn't find a stable job. Back home, he sent several emails to Quanmei, but received no reply. Thinking something had happened to her, he called her. However, the conversation left him speechless with shock. He recorded the details in his diary: "You think I really like you, you sucker? Haha, Chinese people are hopelessly stupid. I was only with you because I wanted you as my ATM. However, there's one thing I still have to thank you for: your great contribution to my father's research on the new virus, and also your contribution to the demise of the Chinese..."

Quanmei stated that when Guo was a trial participant, the first drug he received was actually a biochemical virus developed under her father's leadership. This virus could alter a person's genes, making male infected individuals stronger and in a state of prolonged sexual arousal. However, female infected individuals would fall into a coma and develop ulcers on their bodies; without timely antibody injections, they would die within a month. Because the virus could be transmitted through semen and blood, she insisted that Guo use condoms during intercourse.

In addition, the virus can cause skin ulcers in male infected individuals and even lead to schizophrenia with severe violent tendencies. However, these conditions can be controlled with regular antibody injections, and the medication that Guo received monthly at the research institute was an antibody that suppresses the virus.

After organizing all the materials, I looked at the photo of Guo and Quanmei and said, "Actually, Guo is quite pitiful. He was deceived by the person he loved and turned into a monster who is neither human nor ghost. I think he must still miss Quanmei, otherwise he wouldn't specifically target women who look similar to Quanmei."

Tian Shu took the photo and looked at it, saying, "It seems the Japanese still harbor the delusion of invading our country with bacteriological warfare. They feign hiring male Chinese students as test subjects, infecting them with the virus, and injecting them with antibodies before they return home. They even arrange sexual partners for them so they won't cause trouble in Japan. But once they return home, without further antibody injections, they will repeatedly rape women due to heightened libido and schizophrenia. In the later stages, they will become terrifying monsters due to skin ulcers. The raped women will then be infected with the virus through the men's semen, leading to coma and death. This will not only cause social chaos but also lead to a decline in the birth rate due to a decrease in the number of women, ultimately causing the entire country to perish."

I nodded and said, "Japan has a small land area and a large population, and it is located in an earthquake zone, so it is inevitable that it is eager to expand outward. The SARS epidemic a while ago already caused us a lot of trouble, and I didn't expect them to come up with new tricks so quickly."

Linglong asked in confusion, "Wasn't SARS transmitted from civets to humans? What does it have to do with the Japanese?"

I laughed and said, "There's nothing that people in Guangdong haven't eaten, whether it flies in the sky, walks on the ground, or swims in the water. If civets could transmit SARS, how would Guangdong have over 100 million people? That's just an excuse to evade the public and, incidentally, reduce the illegal capture of wild animals."

Linglong asked with even greater confusion, "Since you know it was the Japanese who did it, why don't you demand compensation from them?"

I gave a helpless, bitter smile and gestured for Tian Shu to explain to her. Tian Shu said, "The Japanese are best at denying the facts. They even dared to deny the comfort women issue, let alone the fact that there is no substantial evidence to prove that they caused SARS."

Linglong said, "We have evidence to prove that they were responsible for this new virus incident, so we should be able to demand compensation from them, right?"

I said, "The evidence we have only proves that the Japanese civilians are researching a terrible new virus. The Japanese government can easily smooth things over by hiring a few actors to put on a show. If the central government really breaks ties with them, it means war is imminent, and the Americans will definitely intervene and take advantage of the situation. Although with our current national strength, even if Japan and the US join forces, they may not necessarily be able to defeat us, it would be a Pyrrhic victory. Regardless of the final outcome, it would be a heavy blow to our country. Therefore, considering the bigger picture, we are determined to suffer this loss in silence."

Because this case involves diplomatic interests, we could only hand it over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for processing. Of course, in the end, as I said, we could only swallow this bitter pill.

After notifying public security departments in various provinces to keep a close watch on all returning Japanese students, we thought the case was closed. However, news suddenly came from the detention center that Leo had escaped. We hadn't paid much attention to Leo, only regarding him as Guo's henchman, until he attacked the detention center guards with astonishing strength and successfully escaped. Only then did we begin to investigate his background.

According to the investigation, Leo is a drug addict, so we cannot rule out the possibility that he and Guo met through drug use, or that they shared syringes to inject drugs. In other words, Leo is highly likely to have been infected with the virus, as the astonishing strength he displayed during his escape is beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.

One person infected with this terrible virus can become a monster that endangers society, while an infected drug addict could create a whole host of monsters. I think that in the near future, there will certainly be many more troubling cases waiting for us.