Case Files 013

I looked into Wang Xin's eyes, and Wang Xin also looked into mine. I could see Wang Xin's anger towards me. He seemed very dissatisfied with what I said to him. He looked into my eyes for a long while before he slammed the box containing the chess pieces onto the chessboard.

Yang Licheng was taken aback, looked at me, but did not speak. It seems that Yang Licheng would live here for the next few days. It was better for him to not stand with me. He was a little embarrassed, so he quickly reached out and picked up the incense burner and played with it.

Wang Xin was still leaning on the sofa and did not stand up. He questioned me: “You mean, those migrant workers who kill dogs were in the right, but what I did was wrong? Should we have simply bought the dog worth 10,000 yuan? You are also a police officer, why don’t you have any sympathy at all? If things carry on like this, it won’t take long for our country to meet an end.”

It seems that this Wang Xin really wasn’t afraid of heights when he put on his hat.

I smiled and didn't answer Wang Xin's words, but said, “You think about a lot of things. Then, have you considered about those migrant workers?”

“Consider them?” Wang Xin said with a smile, “I think you are the same. Now, I have the right to ask the two of you to leave, right? This is my home, and you have already asked all your questions, haven't you? Now, leave. Immediately.”

I smiled and said, “Okay, we've finished what we had to ask. I wish for your safety.”

Wang Xin also smiled and said, “You don't need to bother. But since you’ve said it, then please do.”

I shrugged and turned to leave.

At that moment, a few of us suddenly heard the sound of chess pieces falling. Looking at the voice, I saw Yang Licheng half-kneeling on the ground at this time, with his hands on the coffee table. And because of this, the chessboard on the coffee table was overturned.

Seeing Yang Licheng, Wang Xin hurriedly stepped forward to help him and said, “What's the matter, Brother Yang? You shouldn't be so agitated. Aren't they just two young policemen? I've eaten more salt than you have eaten rice. You two, you still have a lot to learn. This is a little experience I will give you in life as an experienced person.”

I frowned, and I could see that Yang Licheng wasn't angry or anything, and Yang Licheng didn't mean to overturn the chessboard. Wang Xin helped Yang Licheng up, and then asked, “Brother Yang, what happened?”

Yang Licheng slumped on the sofa and said, “I don't know what's wrong. My body feels a bit uncomfortable.”

Seeing Yang Licheng's appearance, I suddenly thought of Wang Yikai, who died this morning. Could it be that Yang Licheng is going to die in front of us like Wang Yikai, in a moment’s time?

Thinking of this, I hurriedly said, “Call 120, call 120 immediately.”

The bodyguard came up at that moment and quickly dialed the emergency number.

At this time, Yang Licheng couldn't keep his eyes open, and then Yang Licheng vomited violently. The smell was unpleasant, like noodles that had been fermented for ten thousand years. His body was like a puppet; his whole person seemed to have no bones, and he soon went soft and limp.

“Dizzy!” Yang Licheng trembled a little. He touched his temple with his hand and said, “I'm so dizzy.”

While speaking, Yang Licheng vomited again.

At this time, several bodyguards also heard the movement inside and rushed in.

Wang Xin had a terrified expression on his face at the moment. He tried hard to pull Yang Licheng, but Yang Licheng was paralyzed. He finally lifted Yang Licheng up, but at that moment, he himself suddenly fell to the ground. His saliva seemed to flow uncontrollably, and his feet faltered. He wanted to stand up, but he seemed to possess no strength at all.

Things happened in an instant, which made Zhao Mingkun and me a bit sluggish. This was really weird, and the murderer was truly amazing. I really don't understand how the killer did it.

Several bodyguards rushed over, and the muscular men quickly helped them sit on the sofa. A muscular man directly splashed the two with tea, but they still couldn’t snap out of it.

“Water!” Yang Licheng said, “I really want to drink water. Give me water.”

“Me too, I want water too.” Wang Xin also said.

Zhao Mingkun and I were on the side, and we had no idea how the murderer did it. It was absolutely impossible for the murderer to come in, and we all had our eyes on the two. How did the murderer poison him invisibly? Judging from the vomiting and dizziness of the two, this was definitely poisoning.

And what had poisoned the two?

Tea? The chessboard or that incense burner?

My eyes lit up. I rushed over and looked at the incense burner that was still spewing out white smoke. If there was something the two of them touched just now, it must have been this incense burner. Most incense burners had cyan smoke and only this incense burner let out white smoke.

I covered my nose with my arm and looked at the small incense burner that fell to the ground. The incense burner was lying on the ground at the moment, and the ashes poured out from the small hole in the incense burner. I looked closely, and it was a white crystal-like thing. It wasn’t the usual kind; I didn’t know what it was.

Wang Xin himself was not a high-end person at all, but he would do some high-end things. He probably did not know much about incense at all, but he had gotten this from some unknown place. I think this was what had poisoned them.

At that moment, I wanted to ask Wang Xin where he found this incense burner, but Wang Xin was lying on the sofa and puking. Vomit covered his face, and several bodyguards were wiping his face in disgust. It was evident that Wang Xin had lost his energy and would probably faint at any moment.

Looking at Yang Licheng on the side, it was the same situation with him. Seeing this situation, I could not help but say, “Get them all downstairs; the contents of that incense burner may be poisonous. After a period of inhalation, it will make people sick. Don't leave it behind. Here, come downstairs.”

A few bodyguards heard that there might be danger, and without a word, they lifted the two and went downstairs.

I put on gloves, tore off a bit of toilet paper, and covered some of the white crystals that fell from the incense burner while holding my breath, and then ran down.

When I went downstairs, I took one last look, and the white smoke was still rising mistily, but I didn't know what this thing was, and I didn't dare easily extinguish it with water. However, Zhao Mingkun and I had nothing to do with bodyguards. It seems that people who came too close would be poisoned.

Then, in such a large space on the second floor, it was impossible for the poisonous gas to have spread to the first floor. It is at least safe here. I am afraid that after the crystals inside are burnt clean, there will be no more poisonous substances left.

The two people were carried downstairs, but judging from the state of the two, they were letting out more air than taking it in.

Both of them had closed their eyes. Their bodies were twitching violently, and foam was constantly gurgling out of their mouths. After a while, the two of them became incontinent. This was a very common phenomenon for a person after being poisoned, but if they accidentally ingested something poisonous, they could lavage their stomachs and recover.

But the two of them are inhaling gas. How do you get out the poisonous smoke?

Although there were many people here, none of us here were doctors, nor did we have the knowledge to provide the kind of assistance that truly mattered. Because poisoning was different from general emergency situations, we couldn’t artificially resuscitate on their mouths. Moreover, no one knew whether their vomit was poisonous as well, or inhalation of stench from their excrement was poisonous.

“Have you called an ambulance?” I asked.

“Damn it!" a bodyguard said, “we are in this damned place! The place is remote, and it takes more than ten minutes for the ambulance to arrive, and that’s the case if they don’t encounter any traffic in Dongxing City. How about we send them to the nearest clinic first, it’s better than us waiting here for them to die.”

I nodded and said, “You should be more familiar with this place. Take the two of them to the clinic. By the way, you can carry some powder from the incense burner. Remember to hold your breath and not inhale and have contact with it. We might find out what this is in that case.”

“Okay!” Several bodyguards were swift and resolute. After hearing the words, they immediately started out.

Several bodyguards moved the two into the car, while Zhao Mingkun and I followed behind on the motorcycle.

Sitting on the motorcycle, I frowned. I really couldn’t think how the killer struck and succeeded each time. The incense burner should have been bought by Wang Xin himself, but the contents inside must have been brought in by the murderer. But how did the murderer know that Wang Xin would definitely use this incense burner? Why does he know the personalities of these thirteen people so well?

The murderer knows these people so well. Who is he?

His weird MO: the murderer never appeared at the scene, and yet the person he wanted to kill died. If not for a ghost, is there any way someone could do it? Of the thirteen people, seven have died, and the two in the car were in a state similar to death. The remaining three people should have already started to leave Dongxing City.

There is also Liang Mei, whose whereabouts still remain unknown.

Can the remaining ones be saved from death in the end? Can we successfully catch the murderer with just me and Zhao Mingkun? Everything remains a mystery. I know the case was coming to an end. If we don't achieve a substantial breakthrough, we may never catch the murderer. Then the truth from seven years may never see the light of the day forever …

I closed my eyes. The truth seemed to be right in front of me. I can grab it with my hand. But between me and the truth, there still lay a thin layer of gauze. As long as this veil remains, we may never see the true face of the truth.

(End of this chapter)