Zhang Heng lowered the utility knife in his hand and cut Zhang Jingli's thumb, revealing the flesh underneath. In the still world, living creatures would not obey the rule that touch would kill them. Therefore, the blood in the blood vessels would not flow. However, after cutting it open, the color of the blood inside could still be clearly seen.
Unlike the black blood on Zhang Jingli's calf, the blood flowing in the blood vessels on his hand was the same red as an ordinary person's. To be cautious, Zhang Heng scraped off the scab on his calf and found that only the upper layer was black. At this point, Zhang Heng was certain that Zhang Jingli was not the monster he encountered earlier. He was just an ordinary child in the orphanage. However, he must have some kind of relationship with that thing. Otherwise, he would not have volunteered to take the blame, hide the gauze on the bed, and not hesitate to stab an arrow into his calf. Even an adult might not be so ruthless.
However, he obviously did not know the price he had to pay for his actions. If Zhang Heng had not noticed the abnormality of the staff at the orphanage, he would not have survived if the utility knife was pressed down a little more.
Zhang Heng put away the utility knife in his hand. His target tonight was the monster, not the cynical kid in the orphanage. However, if Zhang Jingli was not the person who attacked them tonight, then where was he?
It had been more than twenty hours since he entered the still world. In about two hours, the starfish's hour hand would make a full circle. If he included the time he would have to return to the orphanage, he would only have about an hour and a half left. At this point, Zhang Heng had almost searched the main building of the orphanage. Other than Zhang Jingli, he did not find any suspicious targets.
If the other party left the orphanage after bandaging his wound, it would undoubtedly be the worst situation for Zhang Heng. With the remaining time, it would be difficult for him to conduct a large-scale search like before. However, Zhang Heng did not think that it was a coincidence that the other party chose the orphanage. Children like Zhang Jingli, who lived in the orphanage, rarely had contact with the outside world. Many of them also did not trust outsiders for various reasons.
However, the current situation at the orphanage did not seem like they had just lost a child. So, there was only one possibility left.
Zhang Heng returned to the archives room not far from the ultrasound room, found the recent adoption records, and searched for the files of the recently adopted children according to the names on it.
Zhang Heng thought it would take a while, but when he saw the photo on one of the files, he was stunned. He actually knew the person in the photo.
Zhao Xiaotian. The name was newly coined by the orphanage, but Zhang Heng was no stranger to the person in the photo. It was the child he saved when he first encountered the monster that could melt walls. At that time, he tried to save the old woman who was a scavenger when he passed by the remote alley, but he failed. In the end, he only had time to carry her grandson away.
Later, he went to the police station to report the case and left the child there. According to the rules, if the police station could not find the child's other relatives, he would be sent to the orphanage. Therefore, Zhao Xiaotian entered the orphanage about a month ago.
Coincidentally, on Christmas Eve a few days later, Zhang Heng saw Zhao Xiaotian again in a corner of the amusement park. However, he only saw his back in the crowd. At that time, he did not associate the back with Zhao Xiaotian. Besides, Hayase Asuka and the boy who chased her came out of the haunted house and fought, so Zhang Heng did not think too much about it.
Now that he looked back, there were actually a lot of suspicious points about Zhao Xiaotian. In a preconceived situation, both Zhang Heng and the policewoman in charge of recording the statement thought that Zhao Xiaotian was the grandson of the murdered old man, and he played the role of the victim in the previous incident. In fact, there was no evidence to prove that the two were related by blood. In this kind of low-level homeless group, to avoid loneliness and get through the difficult times together, many people who were not related to each other would form a partnership.
When the black liquid swallowed the old man, Zhao Xiaotian just stood there and watched quietly. He did not cry or make a fuss. At that time, Zhang Heng thought that he was scared out of his wits, but in fact, his behavior could also be interpreted as a hunter admiring his masterpiece.
Shen Xixi once said that the target of that thing was the scavengers on the edge of the city. What better way to get close to them than to become one of them and make them let down their guard? Coupled with Zhao Xiaotian's age, most scavengers would not be wary of him. He was like a wolf among sheep with his tail between his legs. No one knew his true identity, and he could choose his dinner calmly.
So now there was only one question left, and that was where was Zhao Xiaotian?
Zhang Heng looked at the file. Two days ago, Zhao Xiaotian was adopted by a middle-aged couple who could not have children. Their address was in a mid-range neighborhood on the Fourth Ring Road.
However, Zhang Heng was not in a hurry to move. Zhao Xiaotian was the most cunning opponent he had ever encountered, and he was very good at disguising himself. So far, he had made Zhang Heng misjudge him three times.
Other than the first time they met, Zhang Heng treated him as a victim. On the top floor of the library, Zhao Xiaotian also tried to use Li Shengyue to confuse Zhang Heng. However, he did not have enough time to prepare. At the critical moment, Zhang Heng changed the target of the Paris Arrow. After that, he confronted Zhang Jingli at the orphanage. With Zhang Jingli, who was willing to cooperate with him, his trap this time was even more confusing.
Zhang Heng believed that Zhao Xiaotian's attempt to lure him into killing Zhang Jingli was not the end. Instead, it was the beginning of his counterattack. Zhao Xiaotian must have a follow-up plan. If Zhang Heng really stepped into the trap, he would most likely be charged as a murderer. Although Zhang Heng had some game items with supernatural powers and a rich life experience, this was not Nassau in the 18th century. An individual's power could not go against the state. Even if he could avoid further investigation, he would only live in darkness for the rest of his life.
This was in line with the creature's consistent characteristics. It understood human society very well. Not only did it always hunt carefully, avoiding the public eye and the attention of the authorities, but it also used the rules of human society to deal with its threats. The only thing it missed was that it did not know that Zhang Heng had an extra 24 hours a day.
Based on Zhang Heng's understanding of the creature, when it made a hunting plan, it usually did not leave. Instead, it would hide on the spot. On the one hand, it would be easier for it to control the direction of things. On the other hand, it seemed to like to see its prey struggle and resist in vain.
But this time, it was obvious that it had played with fire and burned itself.
Zhang Heng took out the design drawings of the orphanage from the archives and searched the orphanage again. This time, he finally made a new discovery. The length of the corridor on the second floor was about 50 centimeters shorter than indicated on the design drawings, and there were no windows on the design drawings. In other words, the structure of this section of the wall had been changed.
"It's about time to come out for some fresh air."
Zhang Heng left the orphanage and turned to the construction site next door. Ten minutes later, when he returned, he was holding a hammer that was used to demolish walls.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
