Chapter 44 – Taking the bait

MAY 5, 2023 PUTTTYLEAVE A COMMENT

In an unknown base in Tian Hai city.

Zheng Shan Hai had just sorted out Chen Li’s matters, and he hadn’t even gotten a few days to rest.

“It can’t be? Another issue popped up?”

Zhang Shan Hai complained, just a few seconds ago, a notice was placed in the two of their hands. The police station in the west city district had reported suspicious activity, and they requested their presence.

“The department was just established, there’s not enough people here since they’re all busy with that thing, we only have you guys right now. You should know that I also want to let you guys take a break! But, it’s not anyone’s fault this happened! I really don’t have a choice, you’ll live! You should work hard while you’re young.”

The man patted Zhang Shan Hai’s back and left.

If this man wasn’t his superior, Zhang Shan Hai would’ve definitely beat the shit out of him.

“Forget it, sigh.” He shook his head and powerlessly called for his partner, Ren Yu Yan.

The two of them sat in a car and quickly headed towards the police station in the west city district.

Before they had even gotten off the car, they quickly saw about a dozen men and women gathered at the entrance of the station, their mouths yapping away.

Zhang Shan Hai walked into the station.

“I……”

“You’re here to turn yourself in too?”

Before he could even finish his sentence, an old policeman seated at the reception cut him off.

Zhang Shan Hai paused, he didn’t say anything and took out a document, handing it to the older policeman, “We’re here to take care of the suspicious activity.”

The older policeman didn’t even glance at the documents, “And here I was wondering why the superintendent sent me here to wait for someone, so I was waiting for you guys?”

“Suspicious? Those people at the entrance are all suspicious.”

There was a bit of despondency mixed into the stern tone of the old policeman, “There have been weird guys like this coming in since yesterday morning to turn themselves in, but they’re all talking about something like a rule of not saying, and that they definitely committed a crime.”

“Those rules also stated that they definitely have to turn themselves in? What kind of weird shit is going on!”

“I feel like they’ve been brainwashed by some MLM, or they’re playing a prank.”

Zhang Shan Hai and Ren Yu Yan looked at each other, their eyes filled with confusion.

They were the top investigators chosen from the National Public Safety Department, and these kinds of cases were rare.

They’re here to turn themselves in? A rule about not saying? They can’t leave the police station?

Zhang Shan Hai’s instincts were going off, these people were most likely being threatened by something.

Ren Yu Yan suddenly inched closer to his ears and whispered.

“Is it possible that they’re……the people inside the system?”

People from the system? Was it a department that they were unaware of?

And just as the two of them were about to leave to discuss in a more suitable location, a woman walked in.

“I want to turn myself in!”

Instantly, a strange silence befell the station.

Zhang Shan Hai sized up the woman and raised his hand to stop the older policeman from speaking, instead, he walked towards her.

“Do you know that those people outside are also here to turn themselves in?”

The woman looked at him strangely, it was as if she was looking at a gorilla in a zoo, she spoke, “I know, but this is a whole process, I need to turn myself in, then get chased out or locked up by you guys.”

“Process? What process?”

“I can’t say.”

“Is it because of a rule?”

“Eh?” The woman looked at him in shock, “You know?”

Of course, Zhang Shan Hai thought of Ren Yu Yan’s guess and smiled, “We are a key component of the rules, if I didn’t know anything, how would you guys proceed?”

“Ha!” The woman laughed and spoke to herself, “I knew it, this is definitely a test!”

Test?

Zhang Shan Hai thought about her words, and continued to probe, “Your results this time are really good, you’re not cheating are you……”

If there was a test, cheating would definitely be involved. If this person thought that she was in a test, then if someone in the examination called her out for cheating……

The woman’s eyes widened as if she had suddenly thought of something, she spoke nervously, “Is there even a way to cheat in this test? How could I have never heard of it?”

Knowing that the woman had taken the bait, Zhang Shan Hai looked at her with disdain, “You forgot?”

“I…forgot?” The woman was dazed.

Zhang Shan Hai kept quiet, he knew that this woman would find an answer to convince herself.

And as he had expected, the woman didn’t take very long to speak again, albeit hesitantly.

“Could it be, that you?”

After a moment, Zhang Shan Hai smiled and nodded, facing the woman’s wide eyes.

“I thought so……how would someone in the test know about the test……so it’s like that……” The woman mumbled, getting more excited as she spoke.

“You’re here to help me pass the test, right!” The woman spoke excitedly, pointing at Zhang Shan Hai.

Zhang Shan Hai paused, and then furrowed his brows, “How could you say it out like that?”

The woman was stunned, and she quickly covered her mouth as her eyes darted from left to right, she was extremely nervous, as if she was afraid that someone had heard her.

“……I won’t get any points taken off for this, right?”

Zhang Shan Hai resentfully sighed and waved his hand, allowing the older policeman to bring the woman away.

And after the woman had left.

“So it’s like this.”

Ren Yu Yan summarised what was going on, “They’re in a test, and there’s a rule in the test that says that they can’t tell others they’re in one.”

Zhang Shan Hai nodded, “I look at their particulars, this isn’t the work of some cult, and all of them were people living normal lives before this.”

“Unanimously?”

“No, I can’t let those people out there stay there, if they all come like that, they’ll inevitably start talking and it’ll be harder to fool them later.”

Zhang Shan Hai nodded and permitted everyone in the station to bring them in. During the entire process, all of them were elated as if……they had passed a test.

There was a vague suspicion in his mind, and he was ready to test it out.

It didn’t take long for a man to walk in.

“Where are all the officers? I want to turn myself in!”

Zhang Shan Hai and his partner, now in a police uniform, walked out and sized up the man sternly.

They didn’t speak a single word and brought him into an interrogation room.

After recording his basic information, Zhang Shan Hai looked at the man and asked, “Why are you turning yourself in?”

“I’m turning myself in because I committed a crime, what is there for me to say, just arrest me and don’t waste time, I have something to do at home later.”

The man spoke with annoyance.

Zhang Shan Hai continued to ask, “If I arrest you now, you won’t even be able to go home!”

“Eh……this……just ignore that and arrest me, quickly!” The man paused, then spoke with urgency.

“Hah.” Zhang Shan Hai laughed strangely, “You didn’t that the test would end just by going into a police station, did you!”

“F-fuck!” The man was shocked, and he looked at Zhang Shan Hai in disbelief.

“You……how do you know about the test?”

“How did I know?” Zhang Shan Hai laughed unconcernedly, “There isn’t a rule that forbids me from knowing, is there!”

“……Eh, I don’t……think so……” The man was deep in thought, there really wasn’t a rule like that.

Zhang Shan Hai smiled, the fish had finally taken the bait.