Vol. 5 Chapter 10: Probing
Chapter 10: Probing
"Xiao Mi, search for information on the Luo Yan Psychological Consultation Office," Lao Hu instructed Xiao Mi.
"Got it. Let me check..." Xiao Mi took the computer, performed a quick search, and began reading aloud the details he found:
"The Luo Yan Psychological Consultation Office has all the necessary licenses. It's run by someone named Luo Yan. It's supposed to be a psychological consultation office, but it's actually a kind of dominatrix game... uh." Xiao Mi paused, glancing at his two companions before continuing, "Ahem, it has been closed for a few days now. The last client was our Director Zhao."
"When I shook hands with Director Zhao, I read most of his thoughts. One of them was that Luo Yan had instructed him to keep an eye on newcomers," Lao Hu sighed. "People nowadays, for the sake of some small hobby, have no organization or discipline. I estimate he has already informed Luo Yan about us."
"Then why did we rent a place here? Isn't it easy to be discovered?" Xiao Mi tidied up the living room table, set up the computer and instruments, and began monitoring the surroundings.
"We're waiting for the prey to come to us. I left some illusions in that warehouse, so the surveillance cameras will think we're still working there. If Director Zhao informs Luo Yan about us, someone will come to probe. We can handle it based on the situation," Lao Hu nodded, heading towards the bedroom. "Xiao Mi, keep an eye on the surroundings. I'm going to take a nap. Getting old, you know. Just driving here made me tired. Keep the noise down, and wake me if anything happens."
After Lao Hu went to sleep, Xiao Mi looked at Bing Bing, who was playing Minesweeper, and quietly asked, "Bing Bing, I have a question. At the police station earlier, why did you tell me to get water when the receptionist said she would do it?"
"The captain said she wasn't feeling well," Bing Bing clicked on a square, revealing all the mines. She sighed, turned to the puzzled Xiao Mi, and said impatiently, "Do women not have physical issues sometimes?"
"Then why did she ask the captain if he'd be around next week?" Xiao Mi nodded in realization but continued to question.
"Your emotional intelligence is hopeless. Feed it to the dogs," Bing Bing replied, rubbing her warm pack. "Not next week, then it's a few days of hard battle?"
"What do you mean?" Xiao Mi blinked, but Bing Bing had already turned back to her game, leaving him to ponder as he monitored the situation.
As night fell, no one ventured out in Le Ping City due to the serial killings and the presence of Fear King Dark River. In the converted warehouse office, three figures were seen sifting through documents. A closer look would reveal their stiff expressions and lack of movement.
A black shadow flickered by the window, and a black cat with emerald eyes peered inside. Spotting the three figures, it seemed to contemplate before tapping the window with its paw.
In the nearby house, Xiao Mi's eyes lit up. "Something's happening. A cat is tapping on the window."
"Is that so?" Lao Hu's voice came from behind as he walked in, closed his eyes, and altered the illusions in the warehouse. The illusion of Lao Hu smiled at the cat, opened the window, and let it in. The cat strutted in elegantly, as if it owned the place, a true feline queen.
"Whose cat is this, wandering in here?" the illusion of Bing Bing reached to pick up the cat. The cat, startled, scratched her, drawing blood. Bing Bing stepped back, while Xiao Mi cursed and threw something at the cat, which dodged nimbly and escaped through the window.
The team in the warehouse cursed and bandaged Bing Bing before resuming their stiff activities. In the house, Lao Hu opened his eyes and tapped the table. "Check on Fu Bin, the Seven Deadly Sins' Masks, and the Shadow Clan."
After a while, Xiao Mi reported, "Only the Thirteen Masks from the Qingzhou Poker Society and the Twelve Zodiac Masks from the Xuzhou Zoo fit the description of the God Masks. Nothing related to the Seven Deadly Sins is found, possibly foreign."
"The Shadow Clan is only vaguely linked to the Yinzhou Ninja Society, not much information," Xiao Mi flipped a page. "There are 286 people named Fu Bin nationwide. In Le Ping City, there are two: a 67-year-old man and a high school student."
"It's the high school student. Tell me about him," Lao Hu nodded, having deduced some details from the cat's behavior.
"Fu Bin, from a single-parent family. His mother left ten years ago due to his father's temper. He attends Le Ping City No. 2 High School, has just finished his college entrance exams, average grades. Here's his photo." Xiao Mi printed two photos and handed them to Lao Hu and Bing Bing. "He's often bullied, likes violent games, and has been idle at home since the exams. His father has been missing for half a month."
"Based on the video of the first alley murder, despite the disguise, there's a 60% chance the suspect is Fu Bin." Xiao Mi looked at Lao Hu. "Should we notify the police?"
"Yes, search his home and issue a warrant for Luo Yan as well," Lao Hu instructed. "From her thoughts, I gathered the following:
"One, they gained their abilities through items called God Masks, linked to the Seven Deadly Sins. Luo Yan's ability is lust, shown by controlling cats and having cat-like agility.
"Two, there are seven masks representing the Seven Deadly Sins, held by the Shadow Clan, involved in a Holy Grail—oops—Mask War. The winner becomes a god.
"Three, they're split into two groups: Fu Bin, Luo Yan, and a Shadow Clan member. The other group lacks information.
"We still don't know about the Fear King incident and the Black Wind event at the school a month ago. Keep investigating. Xiao Mi, store the information." Lao Hu stood, addressing his team, "Let's go meet Fu Bin."