The Shocking Truth

"Anything else? No? I'm going back to sleep." Gu Fan was impatient. Recently Aroma had gone back to China, leaving him alone in Britain as if he was "abandoned". That felt terrible.

"No, nothing."

Su Bai hung up and rubbed between his eyebrows. Now he recognized this symbol. Aroma had suggested that they should have customs made with this symbol on them or leave this symbol on the crime scene after murder as an announcement, but such an idea was denied by the other three members. They were not terrorists, and they didn't want to announce responsibility for any murder. They were bold enough to establish a murder club, but they were also clever enough not to become well-known for this. If they really created a series of murders with great influence, even their influential families would not be able to do anything to clear their names.

So it was nothing but Aroma's casual suggestion before the short-lived club came to an end, and Su Bai could barely remember it ever appeared. But Gu Fan was deeply in love and remembered everything Aroma said.

Just then, something occurred to Su Bai. He had made the same inference with Chu Jianguo about one thing: there must be more than one person to deliver the notes in the '94 poisoning case. Hundreds of people were involved, so there must be several operators instead of just one.

To deliver notes to hundreds of participants and collect the replies, to make plans, to encourage and brainwash... It was far beyond what one person could handle, no matter how good he or she was.

So, there might have been an organization.

And its symbol was this X-X.

It suddenly occurred to him that this organization over 20 years ago was really similar to their murder club started half a year ago. Aroma even suggested to use the same symbol for their club, which was the most mysterious of all... Because of this symbol, the two organizations with 20 years in between were so delicately related.

Su Bai put away the stuff on the table and stared at Xiao Hui. "My guts are telling me you're hiding something from me."

Xiao Hui was not honest. Su Bai knew that if he had any other choice, he would blow her away without hesitation even though she was Chu Zhao's girlfriend. And he would still be sleeping soundly at night. But he was afraid that his mission would fail if he did that. Dreadful Radio had ordered him to find Wang Xue's obsession so she would let go, not to blow her away with his shotgun.

"No, I have nothing to hide." Xiao Hui threw her hands up to show her honesty. She seemed to be very familiar with how to deal with Su Bai after so much time they spent together; now she was much more calmer than the first time she met him.

"Was your aunt obsessed with anything else other than this symbol?" Su Bai asked. Although he knew it was a long shot.

"I don't know... Most of her memories are gone, only hatred remained."

Su Bai nodded. "You should know, a lot of people had already been involved. I don't care whether you're Xiao Hui or Wang Xue, if you're up to something bigger, just give up. Otherwise, you won't end up well. My hands are tight now, but they won't always be like this. Anyway, I must make myself clear: if someday I find out that Xiao Hui is not as innocent as you said, then sorry. I will kill you, even if you're with Chu Zhao's child."

Hearing such a cold-blooded threat, Xiao Hui kept her head bowed and said nothing.

Dreadful Radio was already on to this case. There seemed to be other audiences involved and had come after Su Bai before. This woman here was definitely a hard one to handle.

All Su Bai could do now was to find Wang Xue's obsession as soon as possible and set Wang Xue's soul free. He was not a saint; all he wanted was to fulfill his mission. Even if Wang Xue or anyone else could end up tragically, it had nothing to do with him.

He stood up and was about to leave. The maid came to help him put on his shoes, but he refused and asked, "What are you?"

"Just a dead person," The maid replied.

"If all dead people were like you, this world would be filled with dead people instead of living ones."

"Are you one of the living ones?"

Su Bai didn't know the answer. That was some question. He was not completely human because of his zombie blood and vampire blood.

"I don't care what kind of ghost you are, or where you came from, just keep an eye on her for me. You have lived with her for two days, so you must be something. If you can help me, I'm sure I can get you some reward if you want."

The maid whispered, "I know. She tried to leave this place many times, but I stopped her."

Su Bai's eyes narrowed. This maid was more complicated than he had thought. His best guess was that some nearby ghost with great power had taken the maid's body shortly after her death while he followed the shadow upstairs.

Of course, it was none of Su Bai's business even if it was a notorious demon. He was an egoist to the full.

"Good job. Keep her inside."

"Thank you."

Su Bai left. The maid watched him until he disappeared out of the corridor, then turned around and continued cleaning.

Xiao Hui took a closer look at the maid. Two non-human beings under the same roof was actually not very embarrassing, but Xiao Hui knew that she was being closely watched and could never leave this place.

No one was stupid. Just like that Su Bai could tell Xiao Hui was hiding and up to something but could do nothing, Xiao Hui could tell this maid was no longer human but could do nothing to escape from her watch.

...

Su Bai got back into the car and looked back at that apartment while buckling up.

"Well, really wish I could go nuts and blow this all up."

Su Bai murmured to himself. Then he looked at his reflection in the rearview mirror and smiled helplessly.

In fact, Su Bai knew that he hadn't changed at all. Before he went in, he had made up his mind that if he couldn't get anything out of Xiao Hui or the maid, he would kill them both, totally ignoring the Dreadful Radio Game. However, he now knew the symbol X-X, which was somehow related to Aroma.

This symbol had saved Xiao Hui and the maid from Su Bai. Even Seven was harmed when Su Bai went mad; there was no way Xiao Hui could escape.

"Hello? Aroma, where are you."

"Hum... just went out. Gu Fan just called me."

"He informed you again, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he said you were on to that symbol."

"He loves you so much that you'd regret if you don't marry him."

"Are you jealous?"

"Not interested. Where are you? I'll come to you now."

"I'll send you my location. Find me here."

Su Bai got a location on WeChat; it was a cemetery.

"Got it. On my way."

He hung up, started the car and arrived in fifteen minutes. He parked outside and went in. Some old ladies came to ask if he would like to buy some flowers, but he refused.

Aroma was standing in front of a tomb. She was dressed in black to show respect.

Su Bai walked to her and stood behind her.

"I've been wondering whether you would come to me since I learnt that you were looking into this case. It seems that you're better than I expected. You'd make a better cop than Chu Zhao, really."

Chu Zhao would have done the same if he was not afraid of ghosts, just like him. Su Bai knew that. He didn't get here through investigation like a cop, but because of his advantages as an audience of Dreadful Radio.

"I'm listening." Su Bai lit a cigarette.

"An elder relative left that symbol to me. She was also a student in Hushang University, and was in the same grade with Wang Xue."

"She was the murderer?"

Aroma nodded but then shook her head. "Yes and no. Su Bai, do you know why I cared so much when you said you wanted to set up a murder club?"

"Go on. I'm all ears." Su Bai breathed out some smoke.

"The owner of this tomb, I respected her a lot. She was infected in a highly classified biological experiment for our country, and was dying by the time she was carried back to Shanghai. She was qualified to be buried in the Martyrs' Cemetery, but she had made it clear that she should be buried in an ordinary cemetery if she died because she was ashamed to be among the heroes.

"She liked me and asked me to help her for a few days. During that time, she told me a story, which was very similar to that club we founded last year. Several people formed a group looking for fun, and started a game of killing."

Aroma looked right into Su Bai's eyes:

"And Wang Xue was one of them."

Su Bai's cigarette dropped.