The Brain Science Case 77

Chapter 77: 

A black minivan slowly squeezed into the arrivals platform of Taoyuan International Airport.

Two middle-aged women were pulling suitcases, and in the middle was a young girl with a backpack. She was wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, and her small face was almost completely hidden by this disguise.

The driver helped with the suitcases, and she and one of the women got into the car first, while the assistant reported to the entertainment company. “Yes, Jingxun has arrived…”

After leaving the airport, Zhou Jingxun took off her hat and sunglasses and was about to let her mother know she was safe when the phone suddenly rang.

Staring at the caller ID, she pressed the answer button and her voice was filled with surprise. “Dad? Why are you calling me?”

In the years she had been developing her career abroad, the one she had been in more frequent contact with was definitely her mother, who ran a cosmetic surgery business. To support her dream of becoming a star, her mother had paid for all her living expenses in Korea—the meager allowance of a trainee was simply not enough to cover her expenses. She had also stayed with her there for a short period of time, and for her achievements today, she was sincerely grateful for her mother’s full support.

But in this arduous journey, her father had been almost completely absent.

It had been a long time since she had had direct contact with him. The last time they had spoken, his position had been the secretary-general of some agency.

And not the current director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

‘Jingxun,’ a slightly unfamiliar, low voice came from the receiver, ‘have you arrived in Taiwan?’

“Yes, I just got off the plane…”

After a few pleasantries, Zhou Jingxun’s eyes suddenly widened. “What… what is it? Why didn’t Mom tell me at all?”

Her mother had actually told him about the anonymous letters she had been receiving.

‘That’s not important. In any case, this matter cannot be taken lightly. You come directly to the Criminal Investigation Bureau now.’

Still that same forceful, non-negotiable style.

“But the company has already arranged a hotel for me, and I will have security personnel to protect me.” Taking a deep breath, Zhou Jingxun refused in a firm tone, “Thank you, Dad. I will meet you at home, but I’m afraid I won’t be coming over.”

‘Don’t worry,’ the man was not affected at all, ‘I’ve already made arrangements. They will bring you over.’

They? She sneered. “I’m taking the company’s secu…” rity van… right?

Before she could finish, she saw the man in the passenger seat turn, holding up an ID and smiling at her shyly.

And the driver in a suit also immediately showed his ID. It was Chen Huomu. “Miss Zhou, I’m sorry. We are carrying out a mission under the director’s orders.”

A mission?

So she’s been taken into custody? Without her knowledge.

“No, where are you taking me… stop the car.” The two assistants next to her were also unmoved. Zhou Jingxun finally realized that she was the only one who was out of the loop. “Are you two accomplices too? And Mom too.” she shouted into the phone.

‘Huiquan is worried about you.’ Su Huiquan, her mother’s name. ‘I’ll be waiting for you at the bureau. We’ll talk then.’ The call was instantly disconnected.

“Dad? Dad.” Gripping her phone, she angrily threw it inside the car. “Damn it.”

Forty minutes later, the minivan drove into the underground parking lot of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, low-key and fast.

On the way, Zhou Jingxun had been thinking of nothing but confronting her mother, but when she called the cosmetic surgery clinic, the nurse said the director was in surgery, so she had to turn to her brother to complain.

“Let me talk to Mom.”

To her surprise, her brother was also evasive. He knew too? ‘Sister, don’t be so agitated… listen to Dad’s… side of the story…’

As soon as they entered the basement, the phone signal immediately weakened, and she angrily ended the call.

After the car was parked, Zhou Jingxun got out reluctantly.

“The director is already waiting in his office. This way, please.”

“So this kind of plot isn’t only seen in Korean dramas,” she sneered, looking around at the several big men surrounding her. “A dignified detective has actually become a private bodyguard.”

Ignoring her deliberate sarcasm, Chen Huomu, who was acting as the driver, led her into the elevator.

She knew her father had been in the police force before being recruited as an aide, and had even presided over confidential missions that could not be made public. But just as he had rarely been in her life, she had never had a detailed understanding of her father’s authority, experience, and so on.

Compared to her mother, he had only contributed the other half of her genes. She and her brother had once joked that they had never realized how harsh that was.

The elevator doors opened, and the heavy office door was right in front of her. The wood grain was so similar to the wall of a dressing room in some studio, what an abysmal aesthetic sense. She put on her baseball cap backward and strode in.

Although it was the director’s office, the furnishings were simple, with a large desk, a simple sofa set for receiving guests, a file cabinet by the wall, and a national flag by the window.

Looking at the imposing, unfamiliar figure, Zhou Jingxun had to rely on the nameplate on the desk to confirm that she was in the right place.

Zhou Zengxiang. Her father.

“You’ve worked hard. Did you get any rest on the way?”

“As if I could sleep after that call from you.” She threw up her hands. “What do you want to talk about?”

Zhou Zengxiang gave a small smile. “Don’t be in such a hurry. Sit down first.” He pointed to the sofa. “Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Whatever.”

Even though her attitude was bad, Zhou Zengxiang remained calm. He made a call, and a secretary brought in a cup of black tea.

“What do you want to say?” she asked, crossing her legs and deliberately tilting her chin up. “I don’t know why Mom would tell you about such a small thing. You’re overreacting. The company receives I don’t know how many letters every month. We’ve seen a lot of these crazy fans. Eun-hee and I even keep a record of the number and joke about who’s more popular.”

“I’ve heard a little about the fanaticism of your fans.” For that reason, conflicts and collisions between the security personnel dispatched when Korean stars came to Taiwan and their fans were commonplace. “But this time is different.”

“Different?”

“I’m concerned about the email.” Putting on his glasses, Zhou Zengxiang took out a printed page. “This one, do you remember it?”

Zhou Jingxun frowned. “No. What’s wrong?”

“The investigation team has handled a case before where a well-known scholar received a suspicious email. They used an inside man to apply pressure through constant stalking and harassment. That scholar was already mentally unstable, and in the end, under the pressure, he committed a murder and committed suicide.” He briefly stated. “The sender here is the same as the one the scholar received.”

“I don’t know about the recent news in Taiwan…” she finally looked at the content properly, “the case you mentioned, was it solved?”

He nodded. “But that was just the murder itself. The sender behind the email has not been caught yet.”

“Oh,” she bit her lip and cautiously probed, “what kind of pressure? On… the family? Then Zhou Jingting is in more danger. He’s only in high school… I have an entertainment company to protect me.”

“Your entertainment company can’t handle this kind of threat. Besides, compared to your group, I think this is directed at you.”

“Me?” she pointed at herself and said again, exaggerating, “Me? No way. You’re just saying that because I’m Taiwanese and I came to Taiwan earlier than the others, right?”

Unwilling to waste time arguing with his daughter, Zhou Zengxiang sighed. “Do you have any public events scheduled?”

“No, we always act as a group.” The other members of Keys would not arrive until before the new year. The concert was scheduled for the third and fourth days of the new year, and all public events were concentrated in the week before the concert.

“Then good. From today until the end of the concert, you must be low-key and careful. Before you meet up with your group members, I will have the Criminal Investigation Division send someone to protect you.”

“Does that mean I can’t move freely?”

“You can, but only here.”

She chuckled. “Where is here? The Criminal Investigation Bureau?”

Zhou Zengxiang nodded.

“Don’t be ridiculous. What kind of freedom is that? I have private plans, appointments with friends and relatives… I can’t even go shopping with Mom?” Zhou Jingxun almost jumped up. “What’s the point of me coming back? Dad, I came back for the new year, not to be in prison.”

“We will just arrange for outstanding colleagues to be with you. It won’t be like being in prison.”

“So you’re planning to have someone watch me all the time.”

“To protect you. Why do you only think of the worst?”

“It would be strange if I thought of the best.” She tore off her hat, and her long hair scattered. “Where’s Mom? I want to talk to Mom. This is ridiculous. She won’t let you control me like this…”

“She agreed.”

A tear rolled down from the corner of her eye. Zhou Jingxun couldn’t believe it. “What?”

Picking up the hat at his feet, Zhou Zengxiang walked to his daughter. “Huiquan is more aware of the seriousness of the situation than you are. Jingxun, you have to know that your mother and I are both thinking of your safety.” He handed her the hat.

“Safety… ha, safety?”

She grabbed the hat and glared at Zhou Zengxiang. “Do you know how much I was bullied when I first went to Korea? At first, my Korean wasn’t fluent, and being bullied was a common occurrence. I was in a car accident in Houam-dong, and the shattered glass almost disfigured me. I was also robbed once, and if it weren’t for the emergency money I had hidden in my shoe, I might not have even had the money to eat out…” she gritted her teeth, her fists clenched, “but even so, I got through it.”

“I know. Your mother said you are very brave. We are both very proud of you.”

“No, you don’t know.” She slowly shook her head. “I’ve long been out of your protection. I can take care of myself… so this time, you don’t have to use any of that ‘I’m thinking of you’ crap to restrict me.”

“Jingxun… Jingxun.”

Ignoring Zhou Zengxiang’s calls, she turned and ran.