The Brain Science Case 34p1

Chapter 34: The Ulysses Contract – 10-1 (End)

The fingers covering the wound were already sticky with blood. To protect Zeng Pingyun, she had taken the full force of the first bullet. The fabric of her dress had done nothing to cushion the impact. She hadn’t felt the severity of it at first, but as they fled to the performance hall, the pain had gradually intensified.

That BB gun, its power was definitely above the legal limit. No wonder Li Chengyao had been so wary after seeing him with it…

“Get up.” He gestured with the gun, and Yingli was forced to comply. “The fatty didn’t mention you… why are you so nosy?”

“To me, as long as a student asks for help… I’ll do whatever I can. It’s not being nosy.”

“What a good teacher. You said a lot of bad things about me in front of Pingyun, didn’t you?” Veins bulged on his forehead, and his hand trembled slightly from gripping the gun too tightly. “You’re trying to drive a wedge between us. What’s in it for you?”

“Wake up. Didn’t you hear what Pingyun said?” Because of the reflection, Yingli couldn’t see his expression, but she was fearless. “This past year, you’ve only brought her pain and trouble… you’re not a couple.” She pushed up her glasses and slowly approached. “In this relationship, Pingyun is the victim who has been mentally tormented, and you are just an abuser with an overwhelming need for control.”

He flew into a rage. “You… shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

The design of the performance hall directed all the shouts toward the audience, and in the vast space, only a faint echo remained.

“Your emotional reaction reveals the truth. Ha, the brain doesn’t lie…”

A cold, hard object pressed against her forehead, followed by a strong sense of pressure.

Lu Zhiwei pressed the muzzle of the gun to Yingli’s forehead. “Believe it or not, I’ll shoot a hole through your head.”

Yingli’s eyes widened. At that moment, a sound suddenly came from the back of the audience— “Lu Zhiwei!”

It was Zeng Pingyun’s voice. “I’m here.” She stood in the back aisle, holding up her phone. “The person you want is me.”

Lu Zhiwei turned toward the sound. In that split second, a spotlight from above shone directly into his eyes.

“Ugh!” His eyes, which had gradually adjusted to the darkness, were suddenly hit by the bright light, causing a wave of dizziness.

“Teacher, run!”

Yingli immediately ducked and looked for a hiding place in the blind spot of the seats.

“Damn it!” He fired a few shots at the light, but the effective range of the BB gun was not that far, and the spotlight only stayed on for a few seconds before going out again. He covered his face, and by the time his vision had recovered, Yingli and Zeng Pingyun were long gone.

“Who’s controlling the lights… damn it, I’m going to kill him.”

In the lighting control room, Li Chengyao clearly heard the threat.

He snorted. “Then let’s see you try.” He turned on the microphone and lit up the stage lights. ‘I’m here. Come and get me.’

“You fat bastard…” Driven by the light, Lu Zhiwei cursed under his breath and rushed toward the light.

While Li Chengyao was stalling for time, Yingli took the opportunity to leave the performance hall and go to the outer corridor.

She leaned against the wall, exhausted, and Zeng Pingyun immediately rushed to her side. “Teacher!” She cried with self-reproach. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… are you okay?”

Yingli gave a weak smile and shook her head. “N-Not really.” She let Zeng Pingyun help her and sat down against the wall.

“Where are you hurt?”

“The left… the left side of my waist. The BB might still be stuck in there…”

When the phone light shone on the wound, Zeng Pingyun was shocked by its severity. Although the black dress had somewhat concealed the blood, the wound was still bleeding, dripping down her right hand, which was pressing on it, and onto the floor. That was how Lu Zhiwei had found her.

“I have a handkerchief.” She let Yingli hold the handkerchief and applied pressure to the wound again. “I usually carry anti-inflammatory painkillers… although it’s for headaches, I don’t know if it will work.”

Yingli gave a bitter smile. “The effect will be limited. Don’t worry, I won’t die… it didn’t hit an artery.”

Even so, her face was still deathly pale.

They were very close to the side door of the performance hall. Zeng Pingyun knew that no matter how good Li Chengyao was with the lights and sound, he could only stall for a little while. If Lu Zhiwei found them again, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But where could they go? Yingli had deliberately snuck into the performance hall to avoid Lu Zhiwei accidentally hitting anyone else. If they went out now, wouldn’t they be dragging innocent bystanders into it?

“The lights just now… who did that?”

“That third-year computer science major… the one who was following me.”

“He’s in the lighting control room?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t expect that.” Yingli struggled to her feet, leaning against the wall. “Give me a painkiller… do you have any water?”

“I have mineral water. I bought it before the last class.” Zeng Pingyun couldn’t stop sobbing. “Teacher, you’re bleeding so much. If you really can’t… you should go. Don’t… don’t worry about me…”

After managing to swallow the pill, Yingli glanced at her and placed a hand on top of her head.

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

She looked up in surprise, and Yingli winked with a small smile. “If I leave now… am I supposed to just leave you here for him to eat alive?”

Zeng Pingyun wiped her tears and couldn’t help but throw her arms around Yingli. “Sob… Teacher!”

“This is not the time to be moved.” With a humorous remark to dispel the sadness, she quickly regained her serious expression. “It’s not safe here… help me to the lighting control room.”

Zeng Pingyun slipped under her arm to act as a crutch. “What are you planning to do, Teacher?”

“First, we need to stall for time. I’ve already called for help… but if we’re found, there are three of us. If we can just think of a way…” She frowned from the pain. “We might be able to turn the tables.”

Even though Yingli was injured, her words had a magical power that could fill the listener with confidence.

“Yes, with you here, Teacher, we’ll win.”

Yingli gave a small smile. “It’s more practical to find a place to hide first. Ouch, it hurts…”

**

‘…on the way.’

“How much longer will it take?” Pressing her earpiece, Zhou Jinglin slammed on the accelerator.

‘Five more minutes.’ the precinct officer replied.

“Please hurry. The person who reported the incident is injured. Her condition is unclear, and the suspect has a modified firearm and is emotionally unstable, very dangerous.”

‘Roger that. We will rescue them as soon as possible.’

The robotic response was hardly reassuring. She bit her lip and decisively switched channels. “Hello? Senior Big Head.”

‘Hello… hello?’ There was static on the other end. ‘Can you hear me, Little Zhou?’

“It’s me. Senior, where are you now?”

‘Didn’t Ah Mu just call for us to pack up? We’re back on Zhonghua Road…’

“Please get to T University as soon as you can. The teacher, she’s injured, and she’s trapped in the performance hall with her student. I’m on the Jianguo Expressway, and it will still take me a while to get there.” She honked the horn, and the sound, mixed with the engine and the siren, created a piercing, tense symphony.

‘T University? The teacher… the brainy teacher?’

“Yes. I’ve contacted the precinct police, but I don’t trust them.”

Hearing that Tang Yingli was injured, Lu Tingfeng also tensed up. ‘Okay, I understand. We’ll head over right away. Remember to call for an ambulance.’

“I will.” After hanging up, Zhou Jinglin gripped the steering wheel and continued to speed down the expressway.

**

Having finally seen through Li Chengyao’s trick, Lu Zhiwei left the main hall and carefully made his way to the lighting control room.

The lighting control room was located at the back of the first-floor audience. Lu Zhiwei, who had been using his phone as a flashlight, happened to find fresh red bloodstains on the floor just as he was about to push open the door.

He sneered, turned the doorknob, and after a quick glance around, stepped inside.

Zeng Pingyun shrank back. “He’s here.”

“I know.” Yingli put a finger to her lips, signaling her to be quiet.

To avoid alerting them, Lu Zhiwei did not turn on the main light. The lighting control room was not large, and through the glass window, he could see the lights in various parts of the performance hall, including the microphone for broadcasting.

Li Chengyao must be here too. The thought of his high school classmate, who had originally been on his side, now turning against him, filled Lu Zhiwei with anger. He checked the magazine and found that he only had two BBs left. He decisively switched to a new magazine.

Besides two chairs, the lighting control room also had two small server racks, probably for powering the equipment.

His sharp eyes spotted a bloodstain near one of the racks.

“He found it…” Zeng Pingyun covered her mouth.

Yingli glanced into the darkness and gave a small nod.

So… here? His right index finger on the trigger, Lu Zhiwei turned the rack door and yanked it open.

He had expected to find the pretentious woman cowering inside, but there was nothing in the rack but rows of switches.

“Aaargh!” A deep shout, accompanied by the swift swing of a wooden stick, came straight for Lu Zhiwei’s back.

Lu Zhiwei quickly turned. The fitness habits he had maintained for years came in handy at this moment. He dodged Li Chengyao’s attack and, using the momentum, delivered a knee strike.

Li Chengyao felt a wave of nausea, and a subsequent punch sent him straight to the ground.

“Ah!” Zeng Pingyun cried out, her heart clenching.

“Idiot, too soon…” Yingli pushed up her glasses in frustration.

“You had a lot of fun playing me, didn’t you?” Veins bulged on Lu Zhiwei’s forehead, and he kicked him a few more times to vent his anger. “What’s the use of being smart? Fighting is about brute force, you fat bastard…” He bent down and grabbed Li Chengyao’s hair. “Tell me, where are Pingyun and that woman hiding? That bloodstain was just a lure, wasn’t it? Ah, you’re not talking…” He pressed the gun directly under Li Chengyao’s chin. “Believe it or not, I’ll shoot you right here and blow your brains out.”

The main light in the lighting control room was suddenly turned on.

Lu Zhiwei looked up and met Yingli’s gaze. “So you were hiding outside…” He let go of Li Chengyao and gripped the gun again.

“I let Pingyun leave. The police will be here soon. The game is over.”

“This isn’t a game…” The muzzle was once again pointed at Yingli. “I’m serious. Give me back Pingyun.”

“The love you speak of, is it just an unreasonable possession?” Limping, Yingli leaned against the doorframe for support.

“Don’t lecture me anymore.”

A fire flickered in her calm eyes. Yingli pressed her glasses firmly. “It seems the one who truly doesn’t understand love…”

Lu Zhiwei squeezed the trigger, and a hail of BBs flew toward Yingli.

But the door to the lighting control room slammed shut, acting like a shield and blocking all the BBs.

How could that be? He stopped shooting and went to turn the doorknob. And the door opened easily.

He peeked his head out, and a black shadow attacked with lightning speed. His leg was kicked hard, and he almost fell.

Tang Yingli? Lu Zhiwei pulled the trigger again, but his target dodged the bullet with a simple sidestep. He was trapped in the blind spot of the door, with nowhere to retreat.

And that was exactly the situation Yingli wanted.

Unable to create distance, the advantage of the gun’s range was instantly nullified. And in close combat, she, who had been trained as an agent, was definitely superior to Lu Zhiwei.

A knee strike to his right leg forced him to drop the troublesome BB gun. “The one who truly doesn’t understand love…”

Yingli spun, targeting the weak spot on his shoulder and neck. “Is you.” The high kick, combined with the force of her heel, was enough to knock out the strongest of men.

Lu Zhiwei took the full force of the blow, fell backward against the door, and, along with the BBs stuck in the door, fell to the ground.

Is it over?

Zeng Pingyun, who was also holding a mop as a weapon, poked him a few times to make sure he was unconscious, and then her tense nerves finally relaxed.

“Sob… sob… Teacher!”

That last kick had almost drained all her strength. Yingli shook her head. “Don’t cry yet. Quickly find a rope and tie him up. He’ll wake up in a minute or two at most… ouch, ouch, ouch.” The effects of the painkiller and adrenaline seemed to have finally worn off. She clutched her side and bent over like a deflated balloon.

“Teacher, here… let me help you sit down…”

“Don’t worry about me, go tie him up… what’s that sound?”

A group of people suddenly flooded into the performance hall. In less than a minute, the lights in the corridor were turned on, and the gray uniforms of the newcomers were an incredibly reassuring sight.

“The police… it’s the police! Teacher, someone is here to help us…” Before she could even be happy, Yingli suddenly closed her eyes and, as if her power had been cut, her entire weight fell on her.

“Teacher… Teacher!”

**