Fate Trading System – Chapter 244

Plan A

Mist Map 17

Clown

Su Xin twitched her lips but didn’t respond.

After Su Xin got home, washed up, and lay down on the bed, Liao Qingjie went to wash in the bathroom.

She heard a phone ringing. It was Liao Qingjie’s, but the sound was coming from her own room.

Su Xin couldn’t be bothered with why Liao Qingjie’s phone was on her bed; seeing the caller ID, she answered the call.

“Hello, Captain? It’s me, Bai Yan. She’s taking a shower. You can just tell me; I’ll let her know later.”

“Lin Qiaoying… when our people over there investigated, she hadn’t contacted her parents for over a month.”

“Over a month? Her family didn’t report her missing after so long?”

“Lin Qiaoying is a painter. She likes to travel around gathering inspiration¹ and enjoys going to various mountains for observation activities. She often goes silent for a month or two, so her parents are used to it. Lin Qiaoying always travels alone and doesn’t have any close friends or relatives she stays in regular contact with.”

Kidnapping someone like that would be all too easy.

“I see. Were there any other findings?”

“Our people went to her home and found a notebook. Nothing else significant.”

“What kind of notebook!”

Su Xin’s voice couldn’t help but rise.

“A travel journal, recording things like times, places, discoveries, thoughts… and some strange symbols. The authorities over there have to get involved in the investigation now too; after all, the missing person is in their jurisdiction and a hostage held by the culprit. Her parents have already filed a report.”

“Captain, I want to see that notebook. When did the diary entries start?”

“Four years ago. The notebook is important evidence over there, so we can’t get the physical copy, but they can send you scans.”

Four years ago… that means it doesn’t cover the events from six years ago.

“Okay, I want the ones with the symbols.”

“Alright. The culprit hasn’t contacted you yet, right?”

“Not yet.”

“Okay. Contact me immediately if anything happens.”

“Mm, I understand.”

Drying her hair, Liao Qingjie walked into the room with a natural expression and plopped down on the bed.

“What did the Captain say?”

“He gave an update on Lin Qiaoying’s situation. I recorded it, listen yourself.”

Su Xin tossed Liao Qingjie’s phone in front of her.

Liao Qingjie listened to it once, nodding thoughtfully.

Su Xin sat half-upright in bed, her legs covered by a thin blanket. Her semi-dry hair, illuminated by the light, displayed a kind of hazy beauty.

Liao Qingjie blew her hair dry, then very naturally lifted the blanket and slid in.

Su Xin glanced over but still said nothing.

Anyway, it was a double bed, big enough for two people.

Liao Qingjie rejoiced inwardly, grabbing her phone to message an old friend.

J: Lao Liu², I have a crush!

L: Wow, who managed to melt your icy exterior? They must be brave.

J: No, I like her, but she doesn’t know yet.

L: Wow, good for you then! Go for it! What kind of girl is she?

J: …How did you transition so naturally? You’re not surprised at all that I like a girl?

L: Ever since you took out that huge guy with two punches, I stopped seeing you as a woman. I was already prepared for the possibility you were a lesbian, and that day has finally come!

J: Speechless.

L: Quick, tell me what kind of girl! Is she the super obedient, super quiet, super gentle, super clingy/cutesy type?!

J: …You’re describing your ideal type, aren’t you.

Lao Liu was a retired special forces soldier who had worked with Liao Qingjie. A battle had left them both severely injured, forcing them into reluctant retirement.

L: Hey now, don’t be so blunt. Anyway, as your bro³, I’d never fight you over a woman.

J: She sometimes goes a long time without talking. She does research.

L: The kind that holds a scalpel?

J: No, archaeology.

L: Didn’t think you’d go for such a dullard⁴!

Liao Qingjie glanced at her phone, then at Su Xin, strongly disagreeing with her friend’s description in her heart.

Not dull at all, quite sharp actually.

L: Bro, listen to me. If you want to pursue this type of girl, you gotta shoot straight⁵.

J: Shoot straight?

L: Yeah, just be direct! Otherwise, she might not get what you mean.

J: Are you sure I can just confess directly? Did you get sulfuric acid in your brain⁶?

L: Ah, sorry, for a second there I forgot you were a woman again. Well then, just take it slow. Don’t scare the poor girl.

J: I know. When I finally win her over⁷, I’ll bring her out for a meal with us.

L: Wow, that confident, huh?

J: Mm.

Liao Qingjie started opening other pages, browsing other content.

What she wanted, she would definitely strive to obtain.

The photos from the Captain arrived quickly. Su Xin hurriedly accepted the images and clicked to enlarge them.

In that instant, her gut feeling was confirmed. It was just as she suspected: the strange symbols in the journal were identical to the ones she had seen six years ago and yesterday in the underground palace.

The Captain said these symbols were present from the first page of the journal, the handwriting looked old, likely from four years ago, not recently written.

Su Xin couldn’t help but examine the symbols closely again. Could all this indicate that Lin Qiaoying had been investigating the origin of these symbols four years ago, or perhaps even earlier, six years ago?

It was highly possible that Lin Qiaoying had recorded those things six years ago, or perhaps she had once entered that underground palace and seen them.

But if she had entered the underground palace six or four years ago, it’s impossible she wouldn’t have encountered the culprit, and even less likely she would only have been kidnapped a month ago. So, it should be that six years ago, she saw those strange symbols on a stone wall, very deliberately recorded them, and has spent these years running all over⁸, possibly researching this very thing.

Of course, this was all just speculation. Without the person involved admitting it herself, without sufficient evidence, it was all just conjecture.

If the last symbol had the same meaning as the character ‘生’ (shēng – life/birth), then what other meanings did the preceding three symbols hold?

More importantly, where was the culprit now, and who else was currently in danger?

---

Tonight’s darkness was so deep, so deep; everything around was shrouded in mist. The streetlights emitted a dim glow, with only a few insects flying around them, the light stretching shadows long.

Everything about summer was muggy and dull. The stickiness of sweat added to one’s discontent⁹. The grass on both sides resembled baring fanged monsters, as if they could devour people. That darkness spread, and spread further, reaching the bottom of one’s heart—dark, with no hope in sight.

Zhang Shuyi¹⁰ walked with heavy steps, carrying his briefcase, on the route he took home every day.

He actually disliked this kind of life: nine-to-five¹¹, earning a meager salary, working overtime until he was dog-tired¹², and dealing with numerous company rules.

Every morning, he had to get up while still in a daze, get himself ready, buy a jianbing¹³ on the way, and then take the bus to work.

After surviving the bus packed so tightly you could suffocate¹⁴, he’d enter the company just moments before being late, sit at his desk, and start working.

The boss constantly demanding this and that, colleagues incessantly nagging—it all made him feel weary.

Not disgusted, just weary. This was the life he had to accept. He used to love running all over the place, unafraid of hardship or toil. He’d take a little money to a new place, earn enough to get back on the road, then venture into deep mountains and old forests to study those strange things, or climb some very difficult peaks.

One always needs to constantly seek new thrills, to find higher places to climb.

But all that changed after he was ordered to go home and obediently go on blind dates. Although he was dating a girl, and he did genuinely like her, his financial situation was still inadequate. Because he didn’t have a ‘proper’ job, the girl’s parents wouldn’t approve.

Zhang Shuyi started obediently being an office worker¹⁵. Those days from before felt like a past life, hazy and distant.

Today, something very unfortunate happened. The company was downsizing and starting layoffs. Unfortunately, he got fired¹⁶.

Ah, life… it’s just this hard.

The way home passed through a park. At night, only two lights were still on near the stage area. Zhang Shuyi was in no mood to sit there alone, so he continued home, dejected.

Something blocked his line of sight ahead. The moment Zhang Shuyi saw it clearly, his breath nearly stopped.

It was a clown, wearing a puffy, curly, multicolored wig, a red nose, and comical yet terrifying makeup. He wore a hat, and the greasepaint on his face made Zhang Shuyi break out in a cold sweat instantly.

Zhang Shuyi’s mind raced instantly. It was very late now because the company had made him work overtime, so he was just returning from that overtime work. Because it was too far, the buses had long stopped running, and he didn’t feel safe taking a taxi or anything. So, every night he worked late, he chose to walk back. Nothing had happened all those other days; he never expected trouble on the very day he got fired.

Could this clown in front of him be some kind of serial killer?

The clown revealed a smile. It looked terrifying.

Just as Zhang Shuyi was hesitating about whether to run, he felt the touch of silk—the clown was pulling his hand.

Zhang Shuyi remembered something a colleague had said today, something about a circus coming to perform nearby soon, and wanting to take their kids to see it.

Confused, Zhang Shuyi let the clown pull him along, up onto the park stage.

After a few minutes, Zhang Shuyi finally understood. It turned out the clown just wanted to make him laugh.

This made him suddenly recall a scene: he had attended his older female cousin’s year-end party, dragged along as her date. They had also hired a clown for entertainment at the party. The clown had been squatting alone on the ground, looking lonely and completely out of place. But when the music started, he immediately rushed onto the stage and began performing elatedly.

Zhang Shuyi smiled, but when the clown pressed a knife against his neck, he couldn’t smile anymore.

---

The author has something to say:

Liao Qingjie’s hypothetical, if she were to shoot straight…

Liao Qingjie: I like you.

Xin-jie: Get lost!

The little puppy of friendship dies just like that.

---

---