Empreinte de main en sang

Chapitre 11

The police officer sighed, but the light in his eyes didn't diminish at all. He leaned slightly closer to Luo Bin and asked with a hint of doubt, "You painters are in front of nude models every day, do you only think about art?"

Luo Bin laughed heartily, but quickly suppressed it. Yang Zheng and Yang Mei on the other side also had smiles in their eyes.

“We won’t lie in front of the police. In those situations, every man has a little rabbit in his heart; no one can help but feel uneasy,” Luo Bin said with a hint of sarcasm. “How about you come with me to experience it sometime?”

This time, the police officer in charge of household registration didn't fall for it, but he hesitated for a while before shaking his head and saying, "I am a people's police officer, and my duty is to protect the lives and property of the people. I don't go to those kinds of places; it would damage the image of our public security officers."

"You're making it sound like you're going to a brothel," Luo Bin frowned. "Are there cowards among the police? Afraid of succumbing to temptation and making a mistake?"

"Alright, stop joking with our police officers, they're carrying guns." Yang Zheng laughed. "The photos are already ready. Would you like to sit a little longer, or come upstairs with me to get them now?"

"I think I should leave. I don't feel safe sitting next to the police."

Luo Bin waved to Yang Mei with a grin and followed Yang Zheng upstairs. The police officer frowned, staring at his back, muttering to himself, "Your boss's friends are all restless. You'd better be careful here."

Upon hearing this, Yang Mei immediately turned her head away again.

Upstairs in the art studio, Yang Zheng closed the door, took out a photo bag from the back of a drawer, and Luo Bin took it, pulled out a photo to look at, and then stuffed them into his pocket.

"I have a few more jobs in a couple of days, I'll contact you then," he said.

Yang Zheng hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "What have you been doing these past two days? I haven't seen you in the group chat."

"A hotel was being renovated and needed some paintings to hang, but not the really good ones; we had to do what they specified. I worked on this job for a whole week, and it exhausted me."

"You know nothing about what's going on in that group?" Yang Zheng asked tentatively.

What's going on in the group chat?

Yang Zheng didn't answer, but instead turned on his computer and showed him the downloaded video. Luo Bin was stunned; his eyes were glued to the screen, and his breathing became rapid.

Yang Zheng entered the killing spree through Luo Bin's introduction. Luo Bin first came to "Time Station" with a young girl. He tentatively asked Yang Zheng if he could take some unconventional photos, and Yang Zheng agreed. That time, Luo Bin's unconventionality wasn't excessive, but his attire surprised Yang Zheng—the short leather jackets and chains with whips made Yang Zheng realize he had a peculiar fetish. In subsequent encounters, Luo Bin's unconventionality escalated until, about two months ago, he was still with that young girl, and right in Yang Zheng's studio, he unabashedly began a game. Yang Zheng witnessed their game from beginning to end and recorded it with his camera.

Luo Bin said they had a circle and asked Yang Zheng if he wanted to join.

“We need a regular photographer,” Luo Bin said.

That very evening, Yang Zheng joined the killing group, and Luo Bin solemnly introduced his new friend to everyone. Soon, business came in, all facilitated by Luo Bin; the group members didn't contact Yang Zheng directly. The filming location was a studio in a back alley, usually late at night, after Yang Mei had gone home from get off work, leaving Yang Zheng alone in the old house. Luo Bin would bring people over, and everyone would chat briefly, never touching on names or identities, before heading into the studio to begin work.

Today, Luo Bin came to pick up the photos. The two went upstairs to avoid the household registration police officer, and Yang Zheng couldn't help but tell him about the video recording.

What Yang Zheng said next surprised Luo Bin even more.

“Last night, a new person joined the group, named ‘Criminal Officer.’ He said he was the masked man, and that the video was just the beginning; he would have more big moves to make.”

Luo Bin's surprise was somewhat strange, but Yang Zheng didn't think much of it and then told him what happened next.

"The man who claimed to be a criminal investigator said he needed a few helpers and that anyone interested should contact him for a large reward. Shortly after he finished speaking, he disappeared from the group."

Luo Bin remained silent, his eyes filled with confusion, or perhaps regret for missing such an opportunity.

"Did anyone contact him?" he asked.

"Yes!" Yang Zheng paused for a moment, then said emphatically.

"who?"

"I!"

Luo Bin stared at him, speechless, as if he didn't recognize him.

“That night I asked the detective what I would do if I became his assistant, and whether I had to kill people like him. I waited for a while, thinking he wouldn’t reply, but he still sent me a message saying he wouldn’t force anyone to do anything. So I told him I was willing to become his helper,” Yang Zheng said.

"Did he agree?" Luo Bin asked.

Yang Zheng paused for a moment, then replied, "He said that becoming his assistant requires passing a test."

"A test? What kind of test?"

"I don't know." Yang Zheng shook his head. "He will contact me when the time comes."

Luo Bin fell silent, still staring blankly at Yang Zheng, as if there were words written on his face that could unravel the mystery in his heart.

—What is his question? Is it why Yang Zheng became the criminal investigator's assistant, or is it for some other reason?

That night, Luo Bin lay in bed, motionless for a long time. His girlfriend came back carrying a large bag, and as usual, first complained that she was exhausted. She kicked off her shoes, changed into her pajamas, and went into the bathroom. After a while, she came out, and Luo Bin was still in the same position, as if he were asleep, but his eyes were wide open.

"What's wrong with you?" His girlfriend walked to the bedside and saw a stack of photos on his chest. She picked them up casually and looked at them, saying with a sigh, "The photos taken in this studio are really different from the ones we take ourselves."

Luo Bin remained silent, his gaze fixed, like an old monk lost in thought.

"Hey, what happened to you? Did someone rob you of your money or assault you?" his girlfriend asked, putting down the photo.

This time, Luo Bin slowly uttered two words: "Executive."

His girlfriend was startled, and her expression immediately became tense: "What's wrong, Detective? Has someone questioned you?"

Luo Bin shook his head: "No, but the detective reappeared, in the midst of the killings. He said that the video recording online was just the beginning, and he has big plans to follow."

His girlfriend opened her mouth in astonishment and couldn't close it for a long time.

"He's still looking for help in the group. It seems he's really going to do something big next."

"What should we do then?" His girlfriend became even more nervous and scared.

"It's okay." Luo Bin sat up and put his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders. "Don't be nervous. Just do what you normally do. As long as we stay calm, no one can trace us back to us."

His girlfriend was still worried and sat there looking lost and dejected.