mauvaises graines

Chapitre 20

Because of Lei Yunshan's great reputation, many people applied for this interview. Considering his active involvement in archaeology and humanities, the chosen audience members' professions or studies were all related to these fields. Of the thirty audience members, half were from or graduated from Nanpu University, a few were amateur archaeology enthusiasts, and others were engaged in folk culture research.

Xu Haicheng asked Producer Feng to make a copy of the audience list for him, then handed the list to the audience and said, "You're all fine, you can leave now..."

Before he could finish speaking, the audience members were all delighted, and several of them immediately stood up. However, after being swept over by Xu Haicheng's sharp gaze, they hurriedly sat back down.

Xu Haicheng walked to the studio door and stood there, saying, "I'll call out names, and everyone will go out one by one." After saying that, he began to call out names one by one, giving each audience member a quick and sharp glance as they passed by.

He glanced at the first fifteen, but the name of the sixteenth audience member startled him: Lin Junfeng. He scrutinized him closely. Lin Junfeng appeared to be thirty years old, though his records indicated he was twenty-six, an archaeologist at the Jingyun City Archaeological Research Institute. He was very thin, with sunken cheeks, a slightly crooked mouth, and one eye that was higher than the other. His appearance was strikingly unusual and memorable.

However, Xu Haicheng also noticed a vaguely familiar aura about him. But after staring at him repeatedly and thinking carefully, he had to admit that he was seeing this face for the first time. He handed the audience list to Pan Xiaolu, then beckoned to Lin Junfeng: "Come outside to talk."

Lin Junfeng was taken aback for a moment, but still followed him outside with a calm expression.

In the dim light of the corridor, Xu Haicheng sized up Lin Junfeng once more. He had an excellent memory; a single glance was enough to memorize someone's face like a photocopy. But this person was someone he didn't recognize. He couldn't understand where that feeling of familiarity came from. "Are you Professor Ma Junnan's student?"

Lin Junfeng hesitated for a moment, then said, "Yes."

"So what is your relationship with Lu Minghua?"

Lin Junfeng said calmly, "I am her cousin."

"She recovered the day after you visited Lu Minghua. What did you do for her?"

"Nothing was done."

"You visited Ma Junnan yesterday afternoon, and he recovered last night."

A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Junfeng's eyes. "He's recovered?" he asked.

Xu Haicheng frowned slightly. The astonishment in his expression seemed genuine. Could it be that Ma Junnan's sudden recovery had nothing to do with him? But he was the one who had seen Lu Minghua and Lu Minghua recovered, and he had seen Ma Junnan and Ma Junnan recovered. Although it couldn't be proven that their recovery was definitely related to him, he was the one with the greatest correlation at present.

Section 39: Chapter Seven, Part Four of the Abiding Calamity (4)

After a moment's thought, Xu Haicheng asked, "So, Lu Minghua's sudden recovery is related to you, but Ma Junnan's is not?"

Lin Junfeng gave a mocking smile: "Don't try to trap me. These two are so insane, how could I possibly cure them?"

"Perhaps you have a way, but it's not exactly aboveboard. For example, Lu Minghua, didn't you graft the disease onto nurse Xiao Dai?"

"Captain Xu, are all your prisoners tricked into going there by your cunning words? Besides, I've never heard of grafting diseases."

How did he know my surname was Xu? Could we really be acquaintances? Xu Haicheng asked, "You recognize me?"

"Captain Xu, that's what the producer always calls you."

Lin Junfeng's reasoning was plausible, but the way he called out "Captain Xu" just now sounded too natural, as if he had called him that before. However, the face was definitely unfamiliar. Xu Haicheng continued the previous topic: "Although illnesses cannot be grafted, I've heard that if someone is poisoned by Gu or witchcraft, a substitution technique can be used to transfer the body to someone else."

Lin Junfeng looked Xu Haicheng up and down and said, "Since when did our police officers start talking like wizards?"

"When he encounters people who resort to underhanded tactics," Xu Haicheng replied coldly.

Lin Junfeng retorted sharply: "You need to provide evidence to prove that I was among those who resorted to underhanded tactics."

"Lu Minghua was ill for more than seven years, and you, her cousin, only visited her once before she recovered."

Lin Junfeng grinned and said, "You stated a fact, but it's not evidence."

Xu Haicheng, instead of being annoyed, laughed: "Interesting."

Lin Junfeng nodded slightly, adopting a humble posture, as if he had been flattered.

Xu Haicheng had originally wanted to ask him why he had come to participate in Lei Yunshan's interview program, but after witnessing his eloquence and composure just now, he knew it would be pointless to ask, so he pointed to the corridor and said, "You can leave now."

Lin Junfeng thanked him and started to walk away, glancing sideways at Xu Haicheng as he passed by. Pan Xiaolu, who was standing next to Xu Haicheng, saw Lin Junfeng's slightly disdainful glance and glared at him unhappily.

Lin Junfeng didn't seem to care, instead giving her a smug smile. He wasn't exactly handsome, but the smile blurred his crooked mouth and slanted eyes, making his face less jarring. Pan Xiaolu paused, thinking that if his face were a little fuller, his mouth not crooked, and the corner of one eye not so high, he would probably be a good-looking person. Then she was surprised by her own thoughts—what was she thinking?

"Get one of the guys to keep an eye on him," Xu Haicheng whispered to Pan Xiaolu after Lin Junfeng had walked away. She nodded and called the guy at the door.

Xu Haicheng continued to scrutinize the remaining audience members. None of the remaining fourteen people gave him any further indication of anything amiss, so soon everyone in the studio had left. The audience seats were scattered, small triangular flags lay on the floor, and the chair Lei Yunshan had been sitting on on the stage was overturned. The hotline had been disconnected. The lights illuminated the vast studio, a scene of utter chaos. Just like Xu Haicheng's own feelings about the case: chaotic and without a clear direction.

Could that face that flashed past the window have just been He Qing's illusion?

After completing the on-site investigation, it was nearly midnight. Xu Haicheng led his team back to the municipal bureau. Of course, he also brought along He Qing, an important witness, and Producer Feng. The long-haired man remained by He Qing's side, showering her with gentle, caring words. Pan Xiaolu couldn't help but glance at him a few more times, thinking how wonderful it would be if someone cared for her like this. Thinking of "someone," her eyes involuntarily stumbled upon Xu Haicheng.

Xu Haicheng, unaware of her inner thoughts, assumed she had something to say: "Xiaolu, just say what you want to say."

Pan Xiaolu was stunned for a moment, then randomly grabbed the first thought that flashed through her mind: "Why are you following Lin Junfeng? Is he related to the case?"

This question stumped Xu Haicheng. He couldn't say that it was because of Lu Minghua and Ma Junnan's sudden recovery that he found him strange and mysterious, so he vaguely replied, "An intuition."

"I also think he's pretty strange," Pan Xiaolu said. Normally, someone wouldn't smile so brazenly at her at a time like this. Her phone suddenly rang. She answered, raised an eyebrow slightly, and put it down after a moment, saying, "Captain Xu, Old Chen said he lost him at the subway station."

Xu Haicheng frowned and remained silent.

Back at the municipal bureau, a group of people noisily entered the office, turned on all the lights, divided the work, and began working through the night.

Pan Xiaolu and Detective Wu were taking He Qing's statement, while Xu Haicheng listened in and sorted out his thoughts.

He Qing's makeup had come off, revealing a pale face and lips. She was a little calmer than before, and her speech became more coherent. She recounted the murder in more detail than the television report, including her brief conversation with her colleagues when Lei Yunshan asked her to get water, and the time that took. When she spoke of the face that flashed past the window, she was still terrified, her body trembling, and she repeatedly made the face appear to be a ghost.

[This post was edited by Fusheng on 2008-03-07 00:52]

Section 40: Chapter Seven, Part Four of the Abiding Calamity (5)

Pan Xiaolu asked her, "What exactly does that face look like?"

She thought for a long time and said it was the size of a human face, with teeth taking up half of the face, and scales on the face that shimmered with a faint light.