Experimental Building, a Murder Case

After saying that, Master turned and headed down beneath the bridge.

I looked at the large fish poking their heads out in the middle of the lake.

Their mouths opened and closed, and they were truly enormous.

Anyone who saw them would want to rush into the lake and scoop them up.

But if I actually did that, the next big fish to poke its head out of the lake would probably be me.

Just then, the clouds blocking the lake drifted away, and sunlight shone down once more.

Yet the large fish that had surfaced in the middle of the lake only seconds ago had vanished.

There was not even a ripple on the water, as though they had never appeared at all.

At the same time, Master's voice rang out from beneath the bridge:

"Stop looking. Let's go!"

I stared at the lake, drew in a cold breath, then hurried down the bridge.

"Master, you said earlier...

those things weren't quite like Zhang Qiang.

Why? Aren't they all Drowned Ghosts?"

Master lit himself a cigarette.

"Your classmate died less than seven days ago, so he can still crawl out of the water at night.

But those few in there have probably been dead for a long time, so they can't come ashore.

And the longer something like that has been dead, the harder it is to send it away.

Besides, this is a school. It wouldn't be easy to deal with them here..."

After saying that, he glanced at the students passing by around us.

There were also warning signs by the lake forbidding people from entering the water.

But thinking back on all my years at this school,

it seemed that students fell into this lake and got into accidents every year.

This year, it had just happened to be my roommate, Zhang Qiang.

Yet every incident was quickly hushed up...

Next, I led Master toward the Anatomy Room.

A few minutes later, we arrived outside the Experimental Building.

I had intended to take Master inside for a look.

But when we reached the building, we found it cordoned off with police tape and covered in seals.

I was rather surprised by the sight.

I had only been gone for a few days. How had the building been sealed off?

Unable to get in and unsure what had happened, I stopped two female students.

I asked why the Experimental Building had been sealed.

The two girls glanced at the Experimental Building and said fearfully:

"There was a murder inside. A female student was dissected in the Anatomy Room yesterday, so they sealed the Experimental Building."

"The victim was in the same drama club as me. They still haven't caught the killer!"

"..."

Hearing that, I stared at the Experimental Building in shock.

A murder had actually happened here.

After chatting briefly with me, the two younger students hurried away.

Having gotten the information, I returned to Master.

My expression turned grave as I said:

"Master, there was a murder in the building.

A second-year student was dissected.

They haven't found the killer yet, and it's currently locked down, so we can't get inside."

Master gave it a cold look.

"There's a serious problem with this building. We need to go in tonight and take a look."

"Go in tonight?"

"Mm. The Dissection Teacher might have done it."

After saying that, Master turned and left.

I looked at the Experimental Building and shuddered.

Master was a renowned Corpse Collector.

I had seen what he was truly capable of.

With a single hook, he could settle Zhang Qiang, who had been brimming with resentment.

So if he said there was something wrong with the building, then there had to be something wrong with it.

After looking at the Experimental Building for two seconds, I quickly turned and left as well.

But the instant I turned around, I caught the faint scent of formaldehyde.

I looked back again, but the Experimental Building was unchanged.

That smell was coming from inside the Experimental Building...

I thought of Xiao Yu.

Perhaps Xiao Yu was in there too.

I just did not know what had happened to her.

There were too many people around to sneak inside now, so I could only leave with Master first.

It was still early, with several hours left until dark.

He asked me whether there was anywhere nearby to fish.

I told him there was a small river behind the school where people often went fishing.

Master told me to take him there.

He said we would return to the school after dark to handle business.

I agreed and left with Master.

He had fishing gear in his car, and it was fully stocked.

We drove straight to the river behind the school. Master even asked whether I wanted to fish.

I had no interest whatsoever, so I told him I would not fish and would just watch from the side.

Master said nothing else. He mixed bait, chummed the water, and started fishing by himself.

It was hot, so I sat beneath a nearby tree and played on my phone.

There were messages in the class group discussing the murder in the Experimental Building.

There were only a few photos taken from outside the building.

Along with people angrily calling the killer a sick freak.

After looking for a while, my phone became scorching hot again, so I put it away and watched Master fish.

I was bored out of my mind. How could he be such a fishing addict?

Just as I wondered whether I should lean back and take a nap, Master suddenly said to me:

"If you're bored, go to the market and buy a rabbit and some chickens."

"Master, what do you need rabbits and chickens for?"

I was rather puzzled.

Master continued fishing without turning around.

"We'll need them tonight.

But it has to be a white rabbit, with bright fur and red eyes. No mixed-color fur.

Buy five chickens. They just need to be alive.

Then buy a rope, around ten meters long."

I really was bored here, and seeing that Master had given me a task,

I immediately agreed.

"Alright, Master."

With that, I left.

I rented an electric scooter and headed toward the farmers' market.

The market was huge, and there were plenty of vendors selling poultry.

But finding a rabbit with bright fur, red eyes, and no mixed-color fur was not easy.

Either they had patches of other-colored fur, or they looked half-dead and listless.

I searched through the market for quite a while before finally picking out a little white rabbit I liked.

It was expensive, though. I could only pay with Huabei.

I had no idea what Master needed the rabbit for tonight.

But as long as it could keep me alive, a little overspending did not matter.

After buying the rabbit, I picked out five chickens from another vendor.

Three roosters and two hens.

Since I needed them alive, the vendor gave me a large bamboo cage.

It was heavy and awkward to carry.

Just as I was about to leave, an unfamiliar young man suddenly called out to me:

"Could you sell me that chicken?"

I gave him a once-over.

He was a man, and I did not know him.

He was about my age.

But he was very handsome, with fair skin—the kind of pretty boy with delicate features.

Still, he looked rather aloof.

When he saw me looking at him, he spoke again.

"Please sell me that chicken. I'm willing to pay two hundred yuan."

He did not waste any words, and his expression was indifferent.

But he already had the money in his hand.

As long as I agreed, the deal could be made.

I looked at the chicken he was pointing to in the bamboo cage.

It was just a Big Rooster, with a bright red comb, sharp eyes, and beautiful feathers.

Master had told me to buy chickens, but he had not specified what kind.

Yet this man was willing to spend two hundred yuan on one of my chickens, which made me curious.

So I asked:

"There are so many chickens in the market. Why did you pick this one?"

The man still looked as cold and detached as before.

But he looked toward the rabbit in my other cage.

He answered calmly:

"The chicken I chose is just like the rabbit you chose..."