Chapter 360: Mary Arrives

2022-05-20

I ignored Gu Chen and didn’t tell him to stop. Instead, I headed straight to check on Wang Mai. From what I could see, his nose wouldn’t stop bleeding. It was like a tiny creek pouring down his face. Still, Wang Mai seemed almost used to it. He didn’t even flinch. For him, maybe this kind of pain felt no worse than a mosquito bite.

I quickly dug out a tissue from my pocket to help stop the bleeding, though I couldn’t tell if the bones in his nose were still okay. After all, Wang Mai’s father had slammed that bench down pretty hard.

I told Gu Chen, “Let him go. I’m taking Wang Mai to the school nurse. The rest of you, stay here.”

Gu Chen nodded before finally letting the man go.

I led Wang Mai out. He didn’t resist, just kept quiet.

The man didn’t dare do anything to Gu Chen, but as he left, I could still hear him yelling, “You little brat, always causing trouble! Just wait till we get home tonight—see if I don’t break your legs!”

Gu Chen snapped, “Try it and see what happens. Sit down and behave.”

The man’s voice finally faded away.

In this world, we get to choose who we’re friends with, even who we love, but the one thing we can’t choose is whose child we become. I once read that it’s terrifying how adults can become parents without taking a test. I get it. I do.

Wang Mai’s father was a failure. Around outsiders, even a frown would leave him trembling. Yet when it came to his own child, he thought nothing of lashing out like that. Out in the world, he bowed and scraped, too timid to cross anyone. But back in his little kingdom at home, he acted like a king, venting his rage on his child.

Maybe the only ones he ‘dared’ to bully were his own wife and kid.

Wang Mai’s father wasn’t alone. There are too many men like him—small, insecure people who need to let off steam but can only pick on those weaker than themselves. Maybe that’s why the stronger someone is, the kinder they seem, while the truly petty are always brimming with anger.

Wang Mai didn’t say a word the whole way. Maybe he never spoke much to his parents, either. Deep down, I wondered if he felt abandoned by the entire world.

I dropped Wang Mai off at the nurse’s office. Watching the nurse clean his wounds, I slipped out into the hall and lit a cigarette.

Neglect turns the evil mouse in the house into an elephant. I couldn’t help but wonder, if it weren’t for the killer, if those murders had never happened, how long would it have been before I learned about what was happening to Wang Mai? The only reason we uncovered this was because the killer took a life. But what about all those other places without such crimes? Among so many elementary schoolers, how many more kids are suffering like Wang Mai?

I didn’t dare imagine it. Today we were able to help one Wang Mai, but how many more unknown children have no one to rescue them?

It really feels like a paradox. Is the killer a villain, or somehow a savior pulling people from a burning building?

I didn’t have an answer.

I leaned against the wall, trying to push these thoughts out of my mind. Team Leader Shao was right—the only way to break out of this paradox was to stop thinking about it altogether. I needed to remember who I was, focus on my duties, and not dwell on what counts as good or evil.

After all, in the world we live in, good and evil are only relative. There’s no black and white—just a gray area no one can define. We can’t see the world in black and white. We’re all stuck in that hazy gray middle ground.

Right now, though, I was stuck. We should’ve been able to get information about the others from Wang Mai. Those kids are probably the killer’s next targets. But Wang Mai wouldn’t speak, and the other classmates pretended the elephant in the room didn’t exist. Finding out what’s really happening felt next to impossible.

I stubbed out my cigarette, rested my forehead against the wall, hoping maybe it would dull my headache.

I waited, lost in thought, for Wang Mai to finish up in the nurse’s office.

That’s when a pair of cold hands suddenly covered my eyes. A familiar voice laughed, “Guess who I am?”

The moment I felt those chilly hands, two people flashed through my mind: Zhao Mingkun and Guan Zengbin. But as soon as I heard the voice, I knew exactly who it was. A sudden wave of emotion came over me—part disappointment, part happiness as I realized who stood behind me.

“Mary, of course,” I said, keeping my voice light. “Who else could be this childish?”

“Brat.” Mary gave me a playful shove and let go.

I turned around and locked eyes with her. We shared a look that said more than words. Mary had grown visibly worn out. I used to think of her as endlessly energetic, a thirty-year-old always brimming with life in the Special Investigation Team. But seeing her now, for the first time, she really looked older.

“What are you staring at?” Mary’s eyebrows bunched together. “Never seen a beautiful woman before?”

My heart clenched. On impulse, I hugged her. She feigned annoyance. “What’s this? I am a married woman, you know.”

But the next moment, her tone softened. “You’ve had it rough lately,” she said gently. “I don’t believe you did what they say. I believe you’re a good person—even though I didn’t like you at first.”

I don’t know why, but all my bottled-up feelings rushed to the surface and my chest tightened. I almost wanted to burst into tears.

Mary went on. “Never forget why you started.”

I closed my eyes. After a moment, I let go and forced a smile. “Haven’t seen you for months. Looks like you’ve put on a little weight.”

“Get lost!” Mary snapped.

I grinned at her. “All we need is Team Leader Shao and Guan Zengbin. Then the Special Investigation Team’s back together.”

Mary nodded. “Your situation’s gotten pretty dangerous,” she said, “but since I’m pretty much working off the books now, you don’t have to worry about anyone tracing your phone while I’m around. I’ve also spent these last few months working off some clues from where Guan Zengbin disappeared. I think with a bit more digging, we’ll find her soon.”

I nodded. “We have to find her.”

Mary nodded seriously.

After a pause, Mary spoke up. “Looks like Team Leader Shao should be wrapping things up soon. If we can clear your name, the whole team will be back together. But let’s not talk about that now. I called Gu Chen just now—said you’re working a new case. So, what’s going on?”

As I glanced through the window at the nurse tending to Wang Mai, I gave Mary a quick rundown of the case so far.

After listening, Mary said, “So you’re thinking the best lead is this kid, Wang Mai, but his experiences have left him unwilling to talk?”

I nodded. “Exactly. We should be able to learn about the others from him. Those are probably the killer’s next targets. If we don’t, the killer might strike again. It’s only been one night since we found Liang Zhengyu’s body. Judging by how fast the killer works, we don’t have much time.”

“Let me try,” Mary said, turning to me. “I’ll talk to Wang Mai and see if I can get him to open up.”

“You?” I teased. “The resident tigress?”

Mary shot me a look. “Still better than you guys. Anyway, tell me more about Wang Mai. I need a way in.”

I thought for a moment. “Because of what he’s been through, he doesn’t have friends. He keeps to himself. Oh, and he loves to draw. Even during class, he’s always making deep, abstract sketches—nothing I can really understand. I can only tell from a psychology perspective that he’s pretty withdrawn.”

“He draws?” Mary brightened. “Show me.”

“Come on,” I said, leading Mary to take a look at Wang Mai’s drawings. Through the window, we could see his sketches laying on his desk, untouched and unnoticed. No one seemed to care where he’d gone.

Mary studied them, rubbed her chin, and said, “All right, let me give it a shot. I’m pretty confident I can get him talking.”

“That confident?” I asked. “Did you spot something in his art? Or is your psychology better than mine?”

Mary shook her head. “Not when it comes to psychology, I’ll admit.”

As we headed for the nurse’s office, she added, “But when it comes to art and art criticism, I’ve got you beat. Don’t forget who I am.”

Then I remembered—Mary’s actually half-foreign and comes from a prominent family. If she hadn’t been obsessed with supernatural cases, she’d probably be sipping wine, listening to orchestras, or strolling through an art show right now.

Mary glanced over and said, “Wait here. I’m going to speak with Wang Mai alone.”

Mary took Wang Mai into an empty office.

I asked Gu Chen to send Wang Mai’s parents home. Gu Chen made sure to warn them—if they laid a finger on Wang Mai, they’d have to answer to him.

When Mary finally came out of the office, more than two hours had passed.

She said, “I’ve found a few important leads…”