Strange Investigations Team

Notes: I include ‘ge’ (older brother) and ‘jie’ (older sister) as is when used as a suffix that some characters will tag onto names of older males/females that they are familiar with. Somewhat similarly, ‘Xiao’ can be a surname or part of a given name, but is often used as an endearing prefix (meaning ‘little’).

(1)

“An ge, what do we do? It looks like an ancient tomb. Should we tell the foreman?”

The day was pa.s.sing as the blood-red sun set in the west. At the base of the excavation site, a group of migrant workers were fervently discussing. They were all waiting for their boss, a burly man they called ‘An ge,’ to give his command.

An ge silently looked at the hole and then his eyes swept over the disturbed faces in the crowd. He spoke in a heavy voice, “The foreman’s already gone home. As long as no one says anything later, we’ll be the only ones who know what’s in this hole. Those who don’t want to suffer from poverty and aren’t afraid of death, come with me to take a look. If we find anything valuable, we split the profit. If anyone doesn’t wish to go, I also won’t force you…”

“I’ll go!” “I’ll go too!” “Count me in…” Everyone was very excited, as if they’d already seen the treasures inside the hole.

“Okay! If there are treasures, we eight will share them! If there’s hardship, we eight will bear them! If anyone has wicked intentions, let them die a painful death!” An ge’s expression was excited but slightly uneasy. He led the group into the cave that appeared like a giant behemoth devouring its prey.

10 months later.

“Ping’an, don’t go. Don’t leave me and your unborn child behind! Ooh…” In a hospital room, a nine-month pregnant woman cried in anguish in front of her husband’s bed.

Lying on the bed was a dying An ge, at his last breath. With much difficulty, he finally said, “We shouldn’t have disrupted her rest. She must be very angry. She must want to exact her revenge on us. Everyone else died, and I can’t keep living any longer…” He started coughing violently. After a long time, he was able to push out a few more words. “Take good care of our child. I spent my entire life as a construction worker. When our child is born, whether they’re a boy or a girl, please call them Xiaolou…” (Note: ‘xiao lou’ means ‘little building’)

An ge stopped breathing. His wife kneeled beside his bed and cried out painfully. In the midst of her cries, a faint and strange hissing sound could be heard…

(2)

The moon hung high in the sky, its light shining gloomily onto the quiet medical university campus. Outside the campus, three students, covered with the smell of alcohol, tried to climb the wall to get back into their dorm. One of them looked up at the moon in the sky and suddenly thought of something. He shivered and said, “Is today the 15th of the lunar month?”

“I think so, the moon’s pretty round. What’s the matter, Xiao Yu? Does it inspire you to get it on with yourself?” Fatty, who was climbing the wall, turned back and joked.

Four Eyes touched his gla.s.ses and looked up to the sky, as if truly intending to recite a poem. Xiao Yu gave him a shove. “f.u.c.k off. I just suddenly remembered the legend about the female ghost with the baby.”

Four Eyes shivered. “Don’t talk about people in the day, and don’t talk about ghosts at night…”

“I’m here to cover you guys. What are you scared of?!” Fatty had already climbed to the top of the wall and extended a hand down to them.

The midnight campus was still and secretive. Even though there were three of them, their hearts still felt as if there was a chilly wind blowing. “Hiss, hiss, hiss, the white snake immortal, with unlimited powers at a thousand years old. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, the chilling north wind blows. A belly filled with tasty, fresh hearts…” When they walked into the camphor woods behind the dormitories, a faintly discernible nursery rhyme echoed through the trees.

Four Eyes stopped in his steps, his face pale as paper. “Did you guys… hear that?”

Xiao Yu’s arms were crossed, and he nodded his head with a tremble. “I heard one of the seniors say that every full moon, a female ghost comes out from the forest with a baby in her arms, and she sings one nursery rhyme after another. If you run into her, she’ll dig out your heart…”

“Don’t scare yourself. That’s just a ghost story that the seniors tell the new kids to frighten them. A few more steps and we’ll be back at the dorm.” Fatty kept looking around, but he didn’t see this legendary female ghost.

“Run!” Fatty led them forward, but the three of them suddenly halted. They saw a woman standing next to a tree, stroking the baby in her arms. Her lips opened slightly as she sang a sad nursery song. Her hair grew down her back, swinging loosely. Aside from her opened mouth, it seemed as if the rest of her face was covered up.

The female’s head slowly started to turn. The three boys, frozen from fear, saw what appeared to be a pair of glowing, bloodthirsty eyes behind her loose hair.

“Ahh!” A mournful shriek broke through the silence of the campus.

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(3)

Ministry of Public Security, Office of the Director.

Director Liang’s eyebrows furrowed as he flipped through some files sent over by the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB). A knock sounded from outside the door.

“Come in.”

“Director, what is it that you need?” An overweight, middle-aged man walked inside. Embedded on his flabby face was a pair of deep eyes.

“Ah Zheng, when it’s just the two of us, just call me by my name.” The director’s voice was very friendly and didn’t carry the authoritative tone of a boss. Still, the other party responded indifferently, “Director, while we’re at work, it’s still best that you call me Liang Zheng.”

“Do you still blame me for taking you out of the CIB that year? I didn’t have another choice either.”

“It’s nothing. I’m doing well in the Anti-Vice Department right now. Every day, I’m either dining and drinking or gambling and playing stocks. I don’t have to use my brain at all. I’m very happy with the idleness.” Liang Zheng smiled slightly, uglily. It was the kind of smile that made a person think of the phrase ‘an insincere smile.’

“And you said it’s nothing. I know that you have a lot on your mind. Two years ago, when you were investigating that case, I was forced to action by the minister and government. You kept investigating though, so I had no option but to drop you into Anti-Vice.” The director closed his eyes slightly, as if recalling an unpleasant memory of the past.

“It’s all in the past. There’s no need to bring it up now.” Although he spoke very leisurely, there was a barely observable trace of hatred in his eyes.

“What’s in the past has pa.s.sed, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen again.” The director suddenly grew serious as he tossed the files in front of Liang Zheng.

Liang Zheng casually flipped through the files and then put them back down. “Medical university female ghost claims two lives and injures a third. This isn’t the business of the Anti-Vice Department.”

A sly smile slipped onto the director’s lips. “Yes, this case has nothing to do with the Anti-Vice Department. Strictly speaking, the case doesn’t fall into any department’s jurisdiction. I’ve already contacted w.a.n.g Shuji in preparation to create a ‘strange cases team’ to handle these types of supernatural cases. Are you interested in a change of work environment?”

A gleam of excitement flickered across Liang Zheng’s eyes, but he responded calmly, “The government will never allow for such a team to exist.”

“That’s correct, it would not be allowed, so the government will not acknowledge the existence of this team. In name, the team will be just another investigation team under the CIB, but you only need to report back to me about the cases. Trial proceedings and rulings will all happen internally, and there will be no communication with the media and public.”

Liang Zheng didn’t say anything, but his lips gradually turned up. His smile wasn’t the kind on one’s face, but the kind hidden inside the depths of the heart. The director continued, “You can pick any five people in the Ministry to work as your subordinates, but you must investigate and solve this case within half a month.”

“If you can get me this one person, we can solve the case in a single week,” Liang Zheng said firmly.

“Who?”

“Theft Prevention’s Mu Shenyu.”

The director thought for a moment. “Oh, you mean Xiao Mu who worked with you in the CIB?”

“Exactly.”

“No problem. It’s too much of a waste having a talented person as him sitting in Theft Prevention anyway.”

“As for the rest of the team, I’ll let you know after I go through the personnel files.”

“Mm.”

“If there’s nothing else, then I’ll take my leave.” When Liang Zheng arrived at the door, he suddenly turned back and said, “Thank you… (older) brother.”