The Brain Science Case 81

Chapter 81: 

Zhou Jinglin was taken aback, remembering the chief’s tense, silent expression when she had returned to the station. She had had a bad feeling then, and as soon as the door was closed, he had let loose a torrent of scolding…

“I guess you all heard it, right? It’s so embarrassing. Although it was my fault for running away, couldn’t he have told me beforehand? I thought it was just as my assistant had said until I landed, that the company was in charge of my safety and accommodation, and that I could move around freely like before.”

As if she were lost in her own thoughts, she rambled on, “My dad has always been like that. That annoying, authoritarian way of raising kids. Not to mention after I went abroad, from kindergarten to high school, I can count on one hand the number of times he came to see me at school… after all these years of indifference, he suddenly thinks of caring for me now.

“He sent detectives to the airport to pick me up and take me to the station, and then he wants to have someone follow me around all the time, saying it’s for my protection… isn’t that funny? He only just now thinks of protecting me. Where was he when I really needed him?” At the peak of her agitation, she covered her mouth and coughed several times.

“Calm down.” Zhou Jinglin quickly drew the curtain and helped her lie down. “Rest for a bit…”

“You understand this feeling, right?” she asked, grabbing Zhou Jinglin with a look of unwillingness, “or… do you have a bastard dad like me too?”

Zhou Jinglin froze, and she didn’t miss the fleeting embarrassment. “Did I hit the mark?”

“Well, in terms of being neglectful, I guess… it’s the same.” She tilted her head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “I understand how you feel. This feeling of not being respected, I just went through it.”

“You?”

“Yes. But I think… the director’s concerns this time are justified. The suspicious letters you received are the same as the ones found in the case that just ended. If even that couldn’t raise his sense of crisis, then it would be really strange.”

To that, Zhou Jingxun couldn’t object. It was true that she had been attacked right after she had fled the station… if she hadn’t been monitored, the culprit’s actions couldn’t have been so swift and timely.

“In any case, we are doing everything we can to investigate this incident. If we can catch the real killer soon, you’ll be able to move around freely. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“That’s true… your phone?”

It was Lu Tingfeng. “Hello, Senior Big Head?”

‘Little Zhou, good news.’ Lu Tingfeng smiled and said in a firm tone, ‘The culprit is awake.’

“Oh?” she perked up, “did he talk?”

‘Not yet. The chief will be interrogating him personally later… what about you?’

She glanced at Zhou Jingxun on the hospital bed. “Miss Zhou is fine. The director’s wife is on her way.”

‘I see. That’s great.’

Zhou Jinglin couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, please let me know if there are any developments, senior.”

‘Leave it to me.’

**

After Zhou Zengxiang’s storm of scolding, the station finally returned to calm.

But there was one person who had been moving at her own pace from the beginning, completely unaffected.

“…After the body is cremated, it will be handed over to you to take back. I will also attach the test report. Yes…” Holding the phone, Yingli said in a serious tone, “Also, I have another impertinent request…”

The wait for a reply was agonizing, but the moment the other person readily agreed, she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Thank you so much. Then, I look forward to your arrival.”

Hanging up the phone, she rested her chin on her hand in thought. When she spun her chair to face Zhou Jinglin, she saw that her boxing gloves were on the desk, but she was gone. And Cai Yuwei was also gone.

The clock on the wall pointed to six. So early to leave work? Why didn’t she let me know… Yingli grabbed her phone to check, but she suddenly received a call… Fang Zijun?

“Chief Fang?”

‘Teacher, the culprit has confessed. He clearly stated that the person who contacted him was a woman.’

At the word “culprit,” Yingli was a little slow to react. “Oh… oh. Yes. He said it was a woman?”

‘Yes, I’ve confirmed it several times. This answer is really surprising.’

Surprising? No…

“Speaking of following a female star, one would usually think of a man, but in reality, you also have to consider the gender composition of that star’s fans. As far as I know, Keys has a lot of female fans.”

‘Mm…’ Fang Zijun’s low hum was not one of agreement. ‘Also, we also know the timing of his hijacking of the taxi and his detour to our place… it was perfectly timed.’

She frowned slightly. “So, that means the other party used some method to monitor Zhou Jingxun, right?”

‘It should be.’

Her index finger on her lips, Yingli couldn’t help but think back on the details of the Chomsky case. The mastermind had used a seemingly impossible method to convince George Miller to cooperate, and the target was his friend from college.

If Miller had long held a grudge against Chomsky, then their friendship of nearly fifty years would have been too incredible. So the reasonable explanation should be—when had the crack in their friendship begun?

Was it really because of the affair?

But even if she understood the motive, how did he cooperate with the mastermind?

His marital status had always been blank, only because he had fallen in love at first sight with Chomsky’s wife, and also a college friend, Elena Larsen. Not to mention, he was also a devout Catholic and had even mentioned that if his academic career didn’t go well, he would become a priest. But everyone knew the result. He was an outstanding linguist and had made excellent contributions to the connection between language and the brain…

“The culprit who contacted the culprit is a woman… a woman…” Her left hand subconsciously touched the top of her head, and Yingli muttered to herself, thinking over and over.

‘Teacher?’

“Then… can he judge the approximate age of the person he was talking to?”

Fang Zijun put the phone on speaker and held it up to the culprit on the hospital bed. “Hey, do you know the age of the woman you were talking to?”

“Well… that voice was a little old. I think she was in her thirties or forties.”

He took back the phone. “Teacher, did you hear that?”

‘Yes, very clearly…’ Tang Yingli on the other end was lost in thought again.

“In any case, that’s all for now. As for this guy’s prior record and other information, I’ll have Ah Mu find it for you. Maybe we can find some clues from it.”

‘Yes… wait, Chief Fang.’ She stopped him from hanging up. ‘Help me keep an eye out for any target individuals around Zhou Jingxun who fit the culprit’s description.’

“Because the surveillance is from someone close to her?” Fang Zijun sighed. It was getting more and more similar to the last case. “Okay, I understand.”

**

“Mom.”

“I’m sorry, Xiao Xun. I didn’t know Zhou Zengxiang hadn’t told you…”

Su Huiquan finally arrived at the hospital. Watching them hug tightly, Zhou Jinglin suddenly felt a little emotional.

“How do you feel now? Do you need Mom to ask someone to come and take a look at you?”

Zhou Jingxun shook her head. “I don’t feel so nauseous now, but my head is still a little dizzy… I’m fine.”

“Oh, Zhou Zengxiang, really. A dignified director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, he said he would send someone to protect you, and yet you still had this kind of accident.” Su Huiquan let out a low cry of frustration, and Zhou Jinglin froze. “When you told me before that you were being followed by a crazy fan, I didn’t think much of it and just mentioned it to him. And then your dad suddenly became very nervous and said he was going to talk to your company… I didn’t know it would turn out like this…”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” she couldn’t help but complain.

“Because he insisted on dealing with you directly. I just had a big fight with him over your brother’s college entrance exam, so I was hoping to at least not have another conflict with him… by the way, what are you planning to do?”

“I don’t think Dad will back down now.” Zhou Jingxun closed her eyes. “I can only go along with him. It’s only for two weeks. And after Eun-hee and the others come, I’ll find a way to ask to be with them.”

Su Huiquan frowned. “I guess that’s the only way.”

“Alright, I was too impulsive today, and I gave the culprit an opportunity. Thankfully, Officer Zhou is very skilled. She chased us in her car, and after the car crashed, she was the one who broke the window and saved me.” She finally smiled and pointed at Zhou Jinglin, who was standing on the side.

“Oh, is that so?” Su Huiquan’s attitude was dismissive, and she didn’t even give her a proper look. “You’re the one who was on the phone with me just now?”

“Yes.”

“So you’ll be with Xiao Xun from now on?”

Zhou Jinglin answered cautiously, “That’s the information I’ve received. Besides me, there will be two other colleagues on standby at all times. Please don’t worry, ma’am. Today’s situation will not happen again.”

“It had better not.” She snorted. “Then alright. After Xiao Xun is discharged tomorrow, you can go back to our house with her. Oh, to have a detective in and out of the house, it’s really something to get used to…”

“I’m sorry.” She gritted her teeth and interrupted. “Are you mistaken about something, ma’am?”

Su Huiquan turned abruptly. “Mistaken?”

“The information I received is that after she is discharged, I will have to trouble Miss Zhou to follow me and report to the station every day. Although I have temporarily canceled my fieldwork, I still have to be responsible for the paperwork. As for her activities after work, Miss Zhou and I will coordinate… although the director has entrusted us with the full protection of Miss Zhou, we are detectives, not her private bodyguards.”

“What did you say?”

Even though she was facing the director’s wife, Zhou Jinglin still argued her case. “This is all for your daughter’s safety. Forgive me for being blunt, but it’s very likely that there is a mole from the culprit’s side around her, or that her movements have already been tracked, otherwise how could she have run into the culprit right after leaving the station? From now on, being cautious every step of the way is the best way to prevent another accident.”

“Mom…” Zhou Jingxun tried to mediate, gently pulling her mother’s hand.

Su Huiquan’s face was pale. “You mean… until the real killer is found, Xiao Xun can’t move freely during her time in Taiwan?”

“I’m afraid I have to answer you, ma’am—yes.”

In the end, Su Huiquan was still concerned about her daughter. She turned and said with worry, “This arrangement… are you okay with it?”

“It’s better to have my movements temporarily restricted than to not be able to move at all.” She let out a breath and forced a smile. “Oh, ever since I became famous, I’ve had to be very careful even when I go out to play, all covered up… I’m used to it. You don’t have to worry, I can adapt.”

In the end, it was her daughter who was comforting her. Su Huiquan chuckled. “I understand. Then I’ll leave it to you, Officer Zhou…” When she looked up and met Zhou Jinglin’s gaze for the first time, she was suddenly lost in thought.

Zhou Jinglin’s eyes widened. “Ma’am?”

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.” She gave a strained smile. “I’ll leave Xiao Xun to you.”

Although Su Huiquan was not the attending physician at the cosmetic surgery clinic in the evening, as the director, she still had to go back and check.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to come back?”

“Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll be here the whole time.” Zhou Jinglin volunteered. Besides, the hospital’s rule was that only one family member could stay with the patient overnight.

Seeing Zhou Jingxun nod, Su Huiquan sighed softly and finally, willingly, left.

She’s finally gone. Zhou Jinglin ran her hands through her hair. For some reason, she always felt an indescribable pressure when she was with Su Huiquan.

It was also late, and Zhou Jinglin was about to ask Cai Yuwei to help her with dinner when her phone rang again.

Seeing the caller ID, she couldn’t help but smile as she answered. “You finally thought of calling me back?”

The voice on the other end was tinged with a hint of anger. ‘I was just about to ask you what’s going on. Did you leave work early?’

“Of course not…” she pinched the bridge of her nose and recounted the events of taking Zhou Jingxun to the hospital and Su Huiquan’s visit just now, “I’m only just about to have dinner now. Isn’t that miserable?”

‘I’m about the same.’

“By the way, did you go and talk to your teacher again?”

‘Yes… I feel like I can still get some facts out of him, especially after what happened today.’

Two suspicious letters, from the same sender.

But one was an old scholar, and the other was a young idol star. They seemed to have nothing in common… but if there was no connection, why did the killer target these two in a row?

“Did you find out anything?”

‘Not yet. But I haven’t given up.’ The voice on the other end sounded like she had just sunk into a sofa and let out a comfortable sigh. ‘I will definitely break through Miller’s defenses… I still have one last method.’

Imagining Yingli’s determined gaze, Zhou Jinglin smiled. “Then I’ll leave it to you, brainy teacher.”

Yingli pushed up her glasses. “As for you, you’re going to be the director’s daughter’s bodyguard for a while?”

‘I have no choice. But we can still see each other at the office every day. It’s just…’ Zhou Jinglin pretended to cry, ‘sob, sob, the guesthouse I found before, I can’t go with you.’

“Oh… because you have to be with them until the end of their concert?”

‘Yes. Alright, I won’t talk anymore. Ah Wei has finally brought the bento box. You should get something to eat too.’

“I know. Yes… goodbye.”

Tossing her phone aside, Yingli first sprinkled a handful of food to feed the golden hamster, then slowly walked to the kitchen.

Ever since Zhou Jinglin had come to live with her, not only had she taken care of the housework, but she had also either bought or cooked dinner herself. A sudden order had unexpectedly returned Yingli to a state of being alone.

She hadn’t had dinner alone in a long time.

Staring at the microwave food in the freezer, “What should I eat…”

In that instant, she suddenly started to miss Zhou Jinglin’s home-cooked meals.