Dossiers Bizarres 2 - L'Étrange et le Réel

Chapitre 28

Her hand twitched, but I gripped it tighter. Both of our hands were cold.

"It's okay, I'm feeling better now," He Xi said softly. I felt her hand gradually relax.

"That won't do. Why don't you go back to Geneva for a full check-up and have surgery if necessary? I'll let you know as soon as there's any progress here."

“No, I said I would uncover this secret myself, no matter the cost,” He Xi said, looking into my eyes. I felt her hand clench slightly before she pulled it away.

I closed my eyes and saw He Xi's pale face.

She fell into a deep sleep.

The Special Affairs Department was extremely efficient; by noon the following day, the results of the first round of investigations were already available.

There's been new progress. But when we finally glimpsed something through the fog, we found the situation had gotten even worse.

The Special Affairs Department retrieved a list of all senior employees of Heller International and, in collaboration with Interpol, conducted a thorough overnight investigation into the entry and exit records of everyone on the list for the past month. The investigation revealed that one person entered China through Shanghai Pudong International Airport on November 10th using a tourist visa and has no record of leaving China since.

On the night of November 13, the first patient with Fanyi syndrome in Ping King Estate died in his own home. It is estimated that he contracted the Fanyi virus on the 12th.

This senior Heller International employee, who is still in China and most likely still in Shanghai, is named Zhao Ziqiang!

It was Zhao Ziqiang who stayed by Fan Zhe's side when he fell ill, but claimed to know nothing and was just bringing Fan Zhe coffee.

The Special Affairs Department immediately contacted the president's office of Heller International by phone. A secretary there said that Zhao Ziqiang was on unpaid leave and they did not know his whereabouts.

At almost the same time, Holstein Genomics, one of Shanghai’s best private biological laboratories, told police that it had rented the laboratory to a man from November 15 to November 21. During the rental period, the laboratory was closed to the public and no one knew what experiments he was conducting.

Although the man gave the name "Zhou Zhiping," his appearance, according to the description, closely matches that of Zhao Ziqiang.

Subsequently, near the Holstein Genomics laboratory, witnesses reported seeing a white Iveco van drive into the laboratory's dedicated underground parking garage.

All indications suggest that Zhao Ziqiang and Rembrandt are directly linked to the outbreak of Fan syndrome in Xinjingyuan. The police have printed many photos of Zhao Ziqiang and are searching for residents in and around the Xinjingyuan community to identify him.

The supplement editor of the Oriental Morning Post received the crossword declaration from Virus Knight on November 25th: "The experiment is complete, the king's revenge is about to begin." The phrase "the experiment is complete" immediately brings to mind the mysterious experiment that Zhao Ziqiang had ended four days earlier in the Holstein gene laboratory.

What solidified Zhao Ziqiang's suspicion was an afternoon raid by Interpol on the headquarters of Heller International in Geneva. The raid revealed original texts on internal computers indicating that Zhao Ziqiang's trip to China was not, as Van Heller had claimed just hours earlier, a "vacation," but rather "official business"! This was followed by another startling piece of news—Van Heller had disappeared.

He Xi remained silent when she heard the news of her adoptive father's disappearance.

We all had this suspicion in our hearts, and unfortunately it was confirmed.

The terrifying sword that once seemed to hang faintly over the city has now revealed its menacing edge.

The Special Affairs Division alone is no longer sufficient to handle this case. As the Virus Knight escalates into a real threat, the nature of this case rapidly changes. It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most serious urban security case the People's Republic of China has faced since its founding. At 2 PM, I received news from Guo Dong that the upgraded Virus Knight task force, led by the city's Public Security Bureau Chief and with the original Special Affairs Division investigation team at its core, has mobilized all possible police forces in the city, casting a wide net.

The city is already on the edge of a sea of blood—a sea formed by the blood of seventeen million people!

To be honest, although Zhao Ziqiang had carefully erased most of the traces, with the capabilities of the Special Affairs Bureau personnel and the manpower and resources they could mobilize, finding him in the vast sea of people was not an impossible task. The problem was time.

How much time will the Virus Knight give us? When does he plan to launch his fatal attack? If he finds himself in danger, will he immediately launch an attack?

You know, he could easily turn himself into a human bomb, carrying fragile containers filled with the Fano virus on his person, and then throwing them into a crowd before being caught by the police…

My interview at Xinjingyuan has ended. This was officially announced to me by Director Ouyang when I arrived at Xinjingyuan this morning.

"I'd like to go back to the newspaper office this afternoon. What about you? You don't want to stay in Xinjingyuan until the lockdown is lifted, do you?" I asked He Xi.

"Of course not, I have no reason to stay here anymore. After I've finished tidying up Rembrandt's things, I'll go back to the hotel."

"Are you just going to stay in a hotel and wait for news from the police? If so, you might as well go back first, wouldn't it be the same?" I wanted to advise He Xi to find out more about her physical condition first.

"No, I think if Zhao Ziqiang is going to make a move, it won't be long, and I want to find him myself."

"You...you don't have any clues, do you?" I looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"Go to the newspaper office first. I'll call you if I have any leads."

"I wonder if she's thinking of going solo again," I thought to myself.

I haven't been to the newspaper office for several weeks, but the news center is still bustling with activity.

I wiped the table with a damp cloth, and Zong saw me come back. He smiled and walked over quickly.

"You're back, Nado. How are you?"

"We've collected everything we needed to. Whether and how we can release the data is still pending orders."

"Perfect timing! I was just worried about you and you're back."

"What's wrong? You make me sound like a divine being descended from the heavens."

"The Journalism Department of Fudan University organized an event, inviting some outstanding young reporters from various newspapers in Shanghai to give speeches. This is a good thing, because the quality of the current interns is declining year by year, and their articles need to be revised several times."

"What does this have to do with me? I just got back, they definitely didn't ask me to go."

"How can it be alright? How can it be alright?" Zong Er said anxiously. "Oh dear! They want me to go, but how can I do it? First of all, I'm hardly a young reporter, and I'm not even on duty. Besides, with my speaking skills, wouldn't it be embarrassing for me to stand on the stage?"

"No way, Director, you seem like you can talk a lot."

“I have a fear of public speaking, I can’t do it, I can’t do it. You were the most suitable person to be here, but it fell to me because you weren’t here. Now that you’re back, it’s perfect. Speaking of young reporters at Morning Star, you’re definitely the top one. You even got to do an interview like this, amazing. Besides, you can talk so much…” “Okay, okay.” I interrupted him, “Just say when.” “Tomorrow at 1:30 pm at Fudan University.” Zong Er smiled easily.

"What, tomorrow?" I yelled.

Zong'er had already walked quite a distance when he turned back and said to me encouragingly, "Na Duo, you'll definitely be fine. Yeah, you've been working hard these past few days, you don't need to come back to work so early. After we finish talking tomorrow, take a day or two off, hehehehe..."

I shook my head and sat back down in my chair.

After greeting countless people, and as he rested his chin on his hand, reminiscing about all the glorious achievements he could boast about during his years as a journalist, his phone rang.

"Do you have time to go to Harbin? Tonight." He Xi asked in a casual tone, as if asking if I was free to go for coffee that evening.

"Tonight?" I smiled wryly.

"Then I'll go alone." I just promised someone I'd give a speech tomorrow. Is it a lead on Zhao Ziqiang? Is he in Harbin? Maybe I should cancel the speech. "It is related to Zhao Ziqiang, but we don't know yet if it's relevant to the case. Since you promised someone, don't cancel; it's very likely I'll be wasting my time. I'll buy a ticket for the 7:40 PM flight to Harbin. If you come now, I can briefly explain the situation." "Okay, I'll be right there." He Xi arrived at the Ruijin Hotel at 4:30 PM; she had already packed her bags.

"Keep your phone on when you get there, I'll call you," I said as I walked in.

“You know I didn’t…” He Xi stopped halfway through her sentence because she had already taken out her newly bought Nokia 6111 and started fast charging it. “It’s a very nice phone.” He Xi shrugged and said.

I think I should have done this a long time ago.

“Tell me, why did you go there?” Zhao Ziqiang came to Shanghai on November 10th, but I knew he had also been to China in early October. I think Guo Dong should find out about this soon. “He went to Harbin?” “Yes, I called Heller International this afternoon to confirm. In early October, a farmer in a place called Shirencheng in Heilongjiang died of Fanyi syndrome. Whenever such a case occurs, Heller International sends someone to the area to investigate; that time, they sent Zhao Ziqiang. But he returned quickly, and no one there was reinfected with Fanyi syndrome afterward, so I’m not sure if it’s related to this incident; I just wanted to go and see.”

"Shiren City? Is it far from Harbin?" "It should be less than a hundred kilometers. I'll fly to Harbin tonight and go to Shiren City first thing tomorrow morning." "Do you have any further leads? Although it's definitely a small city, how are you going to find it just like that?" "I know it's a place called Qian Gou Village below Shiren City. It's a small village. If someone died from Fan syndrome, it would definitely be big news. I won't be unable to find it." "Hmm, but you have to be careful. Different places in China have different customs. The person died so tragically, so the local residents might be reluctant to bring it up again. And you're a..." I glanced at He Xi. "Remember to call if there are any problems. I'll be fine after tomorrow. I'll come over if needed." He Xi smiled.

"By the way, I'll take you to the airport in a bit, is it Hongqiao Airport?" "It's Pudong International Airport." "Oh dear, we should go now, there's a traffic jam at this time." "Okay. You don't need to take me, I'm going to eat fast food at the airport anyway. Could you take some things home for me and leave them with you for now?" He Xi gestured towards the two large suitcases.

“One is Rembrandt's; all his other things are in there. The other one is mine.” “There’s nothing valuable in there, is there?” I said with a smile.

“It’s just some clothes…” He Xi suddenly hesitated, “You…you mustn’t open it.” “Ah.” So you mean there’s underwear in the store…

I chuckled.

When He Xi arrived at the hotel that evening, she called me from her Nokia 6L11. Although it was just a few words to let me know she was safe, it really surprised me. Seeing the number on the caller ID, my heart fluttered like a young boy's.

I got up in the morning and dialed He Xi's number without even brushing my teeth. She had already boarded a long-distance bus from Harbin and would arrive in Shiren City soon.

When I walked into Fudan University campus in the afternoon, I hesitated for a long time before taking out my phone and dialing her number.

I thought I should be more reserved and not do it so frequently. But I convinced myself that it was to get information about Zhao Ziqiang.

The connection was made via a method that was not possible.

I was somewhat distracted throughout the entire speech. I had no desire to perform; I just wanted to finish quickly so I could call her again.

Didn't we tell her to keep her communication channels open?

I bought a genuine product; the battery shouldn't be this bad. It had power when I bought it, and I even charged it for over half an hour yesterday.

Or perhaps she just happened to be in a place with poor communication?

I forced a smile and answered the students' questions. Finally, when the host announced the end, I slipped backstage to make a phone call.

Still unable to connect.

From afternoon to evening, I dialed almost every ten minutes. "Sorry, the number you dialed cannot be connected." This gentle female voice became the sound I hated most.

I've never been this anxious before. Not even on my first day at Xinjingyuan. It's like a kite that's been released but its string has snapped, only to find itself tumbling in the air currents.

Is there something wrong with the phone? Although Nokia phones are generally of good quality, it's possible you just happened to get a broken one, though the chances are slim.

But if it's a problem with the phone, wouldn't He Xi take the initiative to call back? She must have anticipated my concerns. There are many things I haven't said explicitly, but she definitely knows... Or is she deliberately keeping me waiting? Could it be?

Or perhaps her phone is broken and she can't find a place to make a call. Is Shirencheng Qiangou Village really that backward? Are there places in Heilongjiang where you can't find a phone to make a call? It's not like it's in the Greater or Lesser Khingan Mountains forest area.

While lying in bed, I dialed again, but still couldn't get through.

Oh well, I hope I can get through when I wake up tomorrow morning and she tells me it was a false alarm.

Despite this anxiety, I think I can still fall asleep quickly; after all, I'm a man who sleeps like a pig.

I closed my eyes, then turned to my side, face down, turned to the other side, face down again, and buried my head in the soft pillow.

Damn it! How could I possibly hope for a false alarm!

I rolled over and reached for my phone on the bedside table. I pressed a button, and the screen emitted a faint blue glow in the darkness.

I found the Ctrip online booking hotline I had saved, dialed it, and got through.

"I need a flight to Harbin, the earliest one, yes, the earliest one starting now."

"Yes, that's fine, first class is also acceptable."

It felt like I had just fallen asleep when the alarm clock woke me up.

Six o'clock.

My flight is at 8:30 AM from Pudong Airport. It seems all flights to Harbin depart from Pudong Airport.

I put on my thickest down jacket, bought hot soy milk and pancakes from the breakfast stall downstairs, hopped into a taxi and headed straight for Pudong Airport.

Just before boarding, I made one last call to He Xi's mobile phone in Shanghai, but I still couldn't get through.

This is my first time flying first class, and I didn't expect I'd have to pay for the ticket myself. I don't know what happened to He Xi, but I can only buy time with money, hoping I can still make it in time.

Of course, I hope it was just a false alarm.

I didn't want to imagine the worst-case scenarios, so I subconsciously avoided thinking about them. I'd better put down the chair and go to sleep, making up for the sleep I missed last night. Whatever awaits me, getting enough rest is the most reassuring thing I can do right now.

The jolt of the plane landing woke me up.

While still gliding on the track, I eagerly turned on my phone. I imagined the call suddenly connecting, and me saying to her, "I'm less than a hundred kilometers away from you now..."

This is ultimately just wishful thinking.

It was nearly 11:30 when I walked out of the airport.

"What's the fastest way to get to Shiren City?" I asked the ticket seller while sitting on the airport shuttle bus.