The Brain Science Case 91

Chapter 91: Mandatory Protection Order – 16

The preparations for the concert were extremely complicated. Everything, from the stage lighting, screens, and sound equipment to the singers’ earpieces and microphones, had to be in place.

Security personnel checked the stage and the fan area back and forth, and the other staff members also did their jobs, creating a busy but orderly scene.

The on-site director, who had just confirmed the cameras, was about to enter the lounge, but a huge teddy bear in the distance caught his eye.

“What a big bear.” He grabbed his SLR to take a picture. “Another gift from a fan?”

Shi Changyun, who was holding it, smiled and nodded. “Yes, you can tell at a glance that the person who sent it is a girl. There’s even a small card.” She pointed to the bow on the bear’s ear.

“Keys is really popular with both men and women.”

After parting with the director, she carried the bear into Keys’ exclusive lounge. Besides the members of Keys, only a few high-level executives and assistants could enter.

And ever since all the members of Keys had arrived in Taiwan, after almost a week of promotional activities, the staff had been receiving flowers and gifts from fans until their hands were sore. This time, most of them were piled here, for them to release their tension during their breaks.

She looked around the room, which was filled with souvenirs, and took off the small card that was hanging on the bear. There was nothing on it, only a signature—“Yoon Su-jeong.” She hung the card on the bow on its ear, took out the remote-controlled igniter she had prepared beforehand, and stuffed it into its round body, placing it in the farthest corner.

The fire three and a half years ago had taken her beloved, and had also left an indelible mark on her.

When she had woken up from her sleep, the house had already been filled with flames, and Yoon Su-jeong—her daughter—had been sitting on the burning carpet, her hands and feet tied. She had tied them herself, leaving herself no room for regret.

‘Mom…’ the tearful Yoon Su-jeong had smiled at her in the sea of fire, ‘it’s over. Everything is…’

‘No.’

She had reached out to pull Yoon Su-jeong, enduring the scorching heat, but with her own strength, she couldn’t save her daughter.

Those were the last words Su-jeong had said to her.

After losing her daughter, she had been in despair. At that time, she had been in the hospital, and besides her colleagues from the company, there was one other person who had come to see her most often.

Zhou Jingxun.

She, a girl from Taiwan, had gone to the trouble of taking a taxi to the hospital to visit her several times, and even if she had been cold and heartless, she hadn’t cared.

Only because when her house had been robbed, Shi Changyun had unintentionally helped her, and she had remembered such an insignificant gesture. What a grateful girl.

But ironically, it was she who had stolen Su-jeong’s chance.

On the surface, the trainees got along well, but the fierce competition behind the scenes was no longer news. At the final stage of selecting the members of Keys, Zhou Jingxun had been chosen, and Su-jeong had been ruthlessly eliminated. In despair, she had ended her own life with a fire, and had almost taken Shi Changyun’s life with her.

If it weren’t for Zhou Jingxun, would Su-jeong’s name have been on the list of Keys’ members? She would have been singing and performing with the other four girls, enjoying the cheers and applause of the crowd. These gifts, applause, and flashing lights would have all been Su-jeong’s…

Shi Changyun closed her eyes and imagined all of this, and reality quickly pulled her out of her dream.

The five-member poster of Keys on the wall was a ruthless and cruel reminder that her daughter was not in it.

She looked at Zhou Jingxun on the poster. At that moment, her phone rang.

It was Lisa.

The person who knew all the pain she and Su-jeong had been through, and who had instigated this series of plans.

“Hello, it’s me,” she answered in slightly stiff Chinese.

‘The police are on their way to the entertainment company to arrest someone. The plan was a success. Well done.’ Lisa said with a smile, ‘I’ll be carrying out my part of the plan in a bit. What about you? Are you ready?’

“Yes,” she looked at the corner, “it will burn beautifully.”

‘That’s good. I wish our plan a smooth success.’

Hanging up the phone, Shi Changyun immediately turned off her phone and took out one of the SIM cards.

That was the number she had used for the crime, including contacting Lisa. She held the card in her hand, and as she walked out of the lounge, she discreetly threw it away.

**

After finishing the last surgery of the day, Su Huiquan was finally able to release all her stress.

She tidied herself up and, before leaving the clinic, she re-confirmed the details. Keys was having a two-day concert, and she had already cleared her surgery schedule and had given out important instructions. Her daughter’s concert was her rare new year holiday.

As she passed the counter, the receptionist smiled at her and said, “Goodbye, Director.”

She’s in a good mood. Su Huiquan snorted. When she wasn’t at the clinic, the others could also relax a little.

The elevator went straight to the basement. She was reviewing her daughter’s new album while also thinking about what to buy to visit her on set. She pressed the remote, and her car in the distance flashed its lights. Just as she was about to unlock the car door, her vision suddenly went dark.

“Hey, what are you doing…” she wanted to call for help, but a cold, hard object was suddenly pressed to her temple, accompanied by a deadly threat.

“If you scream again, I’ll shoot.”

Su Huiquan was in a cold sweat. It felt like two people were pressing her against the car. “Who are you… do you want money?”

Her hands were cuffed behind her back, and the black hood over her head was tightened. She couldn’t see anything.

“I don’t want your money. Just come with me. Get her in the car.”

A woman? Su Huiquan managed to suppress her panic, but the two people behind her roughly pushed her into the back seat. Her head hit the car door hard, and then she heard the front doors open and close, and the familiar sound of the engine started, but it was taking her in a completely unknown direction.

“Who are you… why are you kidnapping me?” she couldn’t help but choke back a sob.

But the two people in the front did not answer her. After an unknown amount of time, the car stopped, and she was forcefully pushed out. Through the hood, she could smell a cold, damp smell.

Ignoring her cries and pleas, the kidnappers tied her to a chair, her hands and feet unable to move.

“Take off her hood.”

Finally free from the darkness, Su Huiquan was so blinded by the bright light that she could barely open her eyes. She lowered her head and panted, and the person who had tied her slowly walked before her.

The kidnapper was wearing high heels and tight, white pants. She felt a vague sense of familiarity, and when she looked up, she saw a gun barrel right in front of her.

“Don’t kill me,” she cried out.

“Before I shoot,” the woman smiled, “there’s something I want to let you know.”

“W-What?”

The gun barrel slowly moved away, and Su Huiquan, through her blurry vision, saw the woman’s clothes. She was in a snow-white suit, and her face was covered by a pale mask.

“Your daughter… is about to burn to death.”

Jingxun. Her face turned pale, and the woman hit her on the forehead with the gun, and she immediately passed out.

**

It was almost seven when Tang Yingli arrived at the hospital, and Zhou Jinglin was already waiting anxiously outside the hospital room.

“What took you so long?”

“What could I do?” Yingli pushed up her glasses in frustration. “The traffic is terrible at this time… if Dr. Tao hadn’t been busy, I would have asked him to drive.”

She took the suit Yingli handed her. “Dr. Tao?”

“Yes, he rides a heavy motorcycle and weaves through traffic. I was on the back, and we got here quickly…”

“You shouldn’t ride his bike.”

Yingli was taken aback. “Huh?”

“N-No, it’s better not to ride it again.” She reiterated seriously. “Wait a minute, I’ll be right back.”

Taking off her hospital gown and tying her hair into a ponytail, Zhou Jinglin quickly returned to her usual heroic appearance.

Clipping on her name tag, she walked out of the bathroom. Yingli raised an eyebrow and looked her up and down.

“What’s wrong?”

“I haven’t seen you like this in a few days. I kind of miss it. Let’s go. Good thing the Taipei Arena isn’t far from here.”

“Wait.” Zhou Jinglin suddenly grabbed her. “I forgot something.”

“What is it? We’ll be back later anyway.”

“This is different.” She grabbed a plastic bag and hurried back. “Let’s go.”

Yingli glanced at the plastic bag suspiciously and then led her to the parking lot. On the way, Zhou Jinglin kept covering her waist, and her left hand was also wrapped in a thick bandage.

But Zhou Jinglin automatically got into the driver’s seat.

“Can you drive?”

“It would be nine by the time you got to the Taipei Arena.”

Yingli was dumbfounded and wanted to object, but was intimidated by her aura. Zhou Jinglin quickly tried to start the engine, but the car hadn’t been driven in a few days, and it was a little old, so it wasn’t as smooth as usual.

Finally, it started. While the engine was warming up, Zhou Jinglin handed her the plastic bag. “This is for you.”

“Huh?” This is what she meant by “different”?

“A n-new year’s gift. I picked it out specially.” Zhou Jinglin pretended to scratch her head and bit her lip, looking away. “I hope you like it.”

Isn’t this the bag that was by her bed on the first day? “Thank you. What is it? Can I look at it now?”

“You can. It’s just… a small thing.”

The plastic bag was folded twice. Yingli opened it and saw the light blue scarf. “Oh.” The corners of her lips lifted.

“What ‘oh’?” Does she like it or not?

Yingli smiled, folded the scarf, and tied it around her neck.

Zhou Jinglin couldn’t help but hold her breath. She adjusted the scarf slightly, and the white tassel hung on her chest.

“Is that about right?” she asked, tilting her chin up and crossing her legs. “If we wait any longer, it will be nine.”

“Oh.” Zhou Jinglin snapped back to reality and immediately stepped on the gas, pulling out of the parking lot.

**

“Miss Zhou, it’s time to change your dressing.”

The nurse pushed the dressing cart into the hospital room, only to find that the patient’s personal belongings were still there, but the person was gone.

And the hospital gown was hanging in the bathroom, swaying with the air conditioning.

**

“How is your physical condition now?”

“My left palm still hurts, and my waist hurts when I walk or run.”

“Then why don’t I go in instead of you?”

“I think that would be difficult.” At a red light, she held up the work pass around her neck. “I’ve carefully read the instructions on the back. The security will carefully check the photo on the ID and the holder’s appearance, and they might even ask you to show your ID.”

So strict.

“Do you think we look alike, Teacher?”

“Well…” Yingli rested her chin on her hand, “you look more like your aunt than I do.”

“Now you’re making fun of my looks.”

The light turned green, and the small white car shot out like an arrow. “In any case, I have to go in myself… I can only say that Jingxun had the foresight.”

Yingli opened the page she had searched for beforehand. “I’ve taken a look at the floor plan. Every location is clearly marked… the only problem is Keys’ movements, and where they’re resting.”

Today was the final rehearsal before the performance. No matter how resourceful Shi Changyun was, she couldn’t possibly make a move while Keys was still on stage.

Besides, from the first two actions, it was clear that Shi Changyun was not a reckless criminal. On the contrary, she had used all sorts of methods to get rid of the security around Zhou Jingxun, and had even gone so far as to injure herself to divert the police’s attention.

What she was after was definitely a way to get away with it after the crime. In that case, she would have to create an opportunity for Zhou Jingxun to be alone.

“I can ask Vicky… no, she’s probably already been taken in for questioning by the chief.”

“She probably has.” She touched her forehead, feeling inexplicably sorry for Vicky. “But… it might not be impossible to ask.”

“What do you mean?”

“After a few months in the Criminal Investigation Division and handling a few cases, I don’t think I’ve lost everyone’s confidence, right?” she crossed her arms, “in any case, you go in first, and I’ll find a way to support you.”

“At least you have to tell me how to get to the stage.” Zhou Jinglin gripped the steering wheel. “I’ve never been in there before.”

“There’s a first time for everything.” She shrugged. “I’ve never been in there either.”

Under the high-speed driving, the giant screen outside the Taipei Arena quickly came into view.

Zhou Jinglin parked the car on the side of the road and put on her earpiece. “I’m going in.”

“Be careful.”

Yingli’s focused gaze gave her the courage to go forward. She pressed her side and ran toward the giant building on the other side of the road in the cold wind.