Chapter 196 [VIP] The True Colors of a Criminal Investigator (6)

Chapter 196 [VIP] The True Colors of a Criminal Investigator (6)

At the beginning of 1996, Meng Siqi and Lu He finally found time to apply for a vacation in the second year of their marriage. Director Han granted them a month-long holiday, calling it a honeymoon.

Director Han said that with the bureau's affairs in order, it was time to make up for last year's honeymoon. Otherwise, the other colleagues in the bureau would grumble, as even the superiors didn't take time off when they got married, making it harder for others to ask for leave.

Moreover, Director Han advised them not to think about work during their honeymoon and not to repeat the last-minute crime chase during their wedding. If they had any ideas, they should just call the bureau and let the bureau handle it.

Both readily agreed, but honestly, Han Changlin didn't believe they would behave.

Back home, Meng Siqi promised Lu He to enjoy their honeymoon without work, but she couldn't sit still.

At night, a light drizzle was falling outside, with occasional flashes of lightning illuminating the sky. Right after being intimate with Lu He in bed, Siqi, feeling slightly tired, sat back in the chair, turned on the desk lamp, and began reading her notes.

Lu He hadn't finished dressing, his white shirt half-open, revealing his firm chest muscles. He sat on the bed, watching Siqi absorbed in her work, his gaze fixed.

Gazing at his beloved, Lu He was lost in thought, his eyes filled with adoration. He particularly loved watching Siqi work seriously because that was the most authentic her. From the day he met her, she had never changed.

Her talent was innate, and her hard work was inspiring.

Suddenly, Siqi called out urgently, "Lu He!"

Lu He quickly jumped out of bed and rushed to her.

A few minutes earlier, Meng Siqi noticed something strange in her notebook. On a blank page, characters slowly materialized out of thin air. She was curious because the handwriting was hers, yet she had done nothing, and a series of words appeared in the notebook.

What was even more shocking was that these words had a special meaning—they referred to the Mask Society.

What was the Mask Society? Meng Siqi was baffled, but soon a year appeared in the notebook: 2026, thirty years in the future. Who else could write in the exact same handwriting but Qiqi?

Finally, a sentence appeared in the notebook: "Lu He and I investigated the ninth suspect today..."

Thirty years later, Qiqi was investigating the Mask Society, and Lu He was still alive?

Meng Siqi felt more and more incredulous, but these words couldn't deceive her. Qiqi and Lu He were investigating the mysterious Mask Society in the Provincial Office, and it was the true protector of the Seattle Club.

She finally recalled what Jiang Sheng had once told her.

"Do you think I, Jiang Sheng, alone could keep the entertainment city of Seattle safe for ten years? Do you think I escaped without a protector? Do you think what you see is the entirety of the world, Meng Siqi? You're too naive. Do you think a tiny firefly like you would still shine after falling into the night?"

"I am just the beginning of the darkness. You can never imagine how vast the darkness is, what lies at the end of the darkness? What truly lies beneath that white mask?"

The endless darkness Jiang Sheng spoke of was actually the Mask Society. Clearly, Liang Ran was not the true mastermind behind it all.

This was too unbelievable. Had she connected with Qiqi thirty years later? Could they communicate through the notebook?

She couldn't believe it. What if it was true?

Trembling, she picked up the fountain pen and wrote a sentence after the "investigation": Qiqi, is that you? It's Aunt Meng!

She waited, waiting for a reply.

A minute later, a sentence appeared on the white paper: Aunt Meng, is it really you? Are you really in another world?

Meng Siqi's eyes filled with tears. She was actually communicating with herself thirty years later. She quickly wrote: Yes, I'm in 1996, thirty years ago. Is Lu He still alive thirty years later?

"Yes, Lu He is still alive. Aunt Meng, I finally understand what you said. This is our story. You and I are the same person, from different worlds, different times, and we've met."

"Qiqi, we are the same person. Our mission is the same—to break through every darkness. By the way, the Sujiang skeleton isn't Lu He, is it?"

Qiqi gave a brief introduction about Lu He, mentioning that after being rescued from Taihe Hospital, Lu He underwent six months of treatment and has now fully recovered. He has also met the physical fitness requirements and officially returned to the city bureau.

Considering his physical condition, Zhao Leiting specifically invited him to join the public relations department for a transitional period, allowing him to familiarize himself with computers and information in the new era. Meanwhile, Qiqi is currently studying at the police academy and has also started an early internship at the city bureau.

Meng Siqi found it both astonishing and logical. She felt relieved to learn that Lu He was still alive thirty years later. After all, Qiqi had connected with her, indicating that she too had entered the cycle and shared the same memories. They were essentially the same person living in different worlds and timelines—more precisely, parallel universes.

Meng Siqi quickly wrote: "Are you investigating the Mask Society?"

"Yes, Aunt Meng, I am investigating the Mask Society..."

Qiqi gave an overview of the situation on her side. In March 2026, Liang Yunfeng, the director of the Provincial Office, invited Qiqi and Lu He to the Provincial Office, where they met in a secure conference room.

Liang Yunfeng said, "Siqi, Captain Lu, you should still remember the Seattle Club. In fact, its protector is the mysterious organization called the Mask Society. Liang Ran was once a member of the Mask Society, but Shen Xiangming and Shen Lele both died at the hands of the Mask Society. After that, Liang Ran's knowledge about the Mask Society was also blocked. We have been investigating for a long time, but we have yet to find the leader of the Mask Society. That's why I specifically invited you two here today—I hope you can help us conduct a secret investigation. I believe that, apart from the two of you, no one else can solve this challenging mystery."

At that moment, Qiqi realized that the endless darkness Jiang Sheng had spoken of was actually the Mask Society. Clearly, Liang Ran did not have such great power.

Qiqi made up her mind and replied, "Director Liang, I am willing to take on the investigation. What more do you know about the Mask Society?"

Liang Yunfeng responded, "According to Liang Ran's confession, the leader of the Mask Society should have the surname Liang, and their identity might be quite prominent. However, after some consideration, I found that there are quite a few people with the surname Liang who hold high-ranking positions in Haijiang Province. Here is a list I've compiled—seventeen names in total. I'm not sure if this will be of any help to you."

Qiqi and Lu He went over the list together. Indeed, these individuals were either wealthy or held high-ranking positions. If the leader of a mysterious organization, and the protector of the Seattle Club, were among them, it would make perfect sense. As long as they could find and arrest this person, they would surely dismantle the Mask Society and destroy the mysterious force controlling the illegal organizations in Haijiang Province.

Liang Yunfeng concluded, "Siqi, Captain Lu, rest assured that your identities are secure in Haijiang Province. I have also assigned a special task force to secretly protect you and assist in your operations. If you discover the truth, contact me directly, and we will take immediate action."

Following this, Qiqi and Lu He assumed false identities and began secretly investigating the seventeen names provided by Liang Yunfeng.

Due to her habits, Qiqi would record the results of her daily investigations in her notebook. This notebook was her constant companion, now somewhat old and yellowed, but the handwriting inside looked as if she had written it herself thirty years ago. Moreover, this notebook had been a gift from Aunt Meng, with her inscription: "Qiqi, safe travels! From Aunt Meng."

Tonight, with a light drizzle and occasional lightning outside, she carefully wrote down the day's investigation results under the desk lamp. Although it was still a mystery, she believed that these investigations would eventually reveal the true identity of the Mask Society's leader.

Unexpectedly, as she wrote, a string of characters appeared on the page: "Qiqi, is that you? It's Aunt Meng!"

She couldn't believe it at first, but tears welled up in her eyes as she realized that Aunt Meng was still alive. She immediately replied.

Qiqi continued writing: "Aunt Meng, thirty years ago, the Mask Society must have already been the most mysterious organization in Haijiang Province. If we work together..."

Meng Siqi quickly responded: "Qiqi, let's share information and work together to uncover this decades-long, rampant mysterious organization!"

After writing this, she immediately called out to Lu He: "Lu He! We need to meet with Director Han tonight, and we also need to go to the Provincial Office to see Director Liu. The true mastermind behind the Seattle Club isn't Liang Ran—it's the Mask Society!"

"The Mask Society?" Lu He ran to her, his face filled with surprise, then looked at her with affection. "Wife, how do you know?"

"There's no time to explain. Let's go see Director Han first. We'll interrogate Liang Ran tomorrow morning and then head to the Provincial Office."

"Alright. Let me find you a warm coat."

That night, Han Changlin was both excited and somewhat nervous upon hearing the news. He immediately secretly contacted Liu Maoping, who was now serving as the deputy director at the Provincial Office. Liu Maoping suggested that the two of them meet at the Provincial Office under the guise of a honeymoon trip to participate in the secret investigation. He would report the matter to the criminal investigation director at the Provincial Office, as the Mask Society might involve many unknown secrets that required careful handling.

Han Changlin mentioned that Liang Yunfeng was scheduled to return to the Provincial Office the next day, so it would be best to go with him to avoid raising suspicions.

Meng Siqi remembered that Liang Yunfeng was indeed returning to the Provincial Office the next day. He had stayed at the city bureau for over a year and was set to leave the next morning. Lu He had even mentioned that they would see Yunfeng off in the morning.

Going to the Provincial Office with Yunfeng seemed like an excellent plan, especially since, thirty years later, Liang Yunfeng, as the director of the Provincial Office, was also investigating the Mask Society.

Early the next morning, Meng Siqi interrogated Liang Ran. Lu He, avoiding any conflict of interest, did not enter the interrogation room. Meng Siqi felt that Lu He still couldn't accept Liang Ran's criminal actions. Perhaps seeing Liang Ran would remind him of Liang Chenghao, which would bring back memories of his mother's past.

Meng Siqi brought a young criminal investigator to interrogate Liang Ran. She directly asked, "Liang Ran, I'm here today to confirm something with you. I hope you can answer truthfully."

Liang Ran's face was expressionless, and although her gaze was directed at Meng Siqi, there was no emotion in her eyes.

"The Mask Society—do you know about it?" Meng Siqi suddenly asked.

A subtle glint flashed in Liang Ran's eyes as she finally focused her gaze on Meng Siqi, seemingly disbelieving that she would know about the Mask Society.

In reality, Qiqi, from thirty years in the future, had already revealed everything in the notebook, not only disclosing that the Mask Society was the umbrella of the Seattle Club but also that Shen Xiangming and Shen Lele had been persecuted by the Mask Society. In that world, Liang Ran, at sixty, heartbroken by the deaths of her husband and daughter, had disclosed some details about the Mask Society. But in this world, Shen Xiangming and Shen Lele were unharmed, so Liang Ran might not cooperate with her.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Liang Ran said flatly, refusing to answer.

Meng Siqi sneered, "You, Liang Ran, are a member of the Mask Society. You’re staying silent because you’re worried about Shen Xiangming and Shen Lele, aren’t you? The Mask Society is the umbrella of the Seattle Club. Am I wrong?"

Liang Ran’s lips twitched, almost like a smile, and after a moment, she said, "Meng Siqi, are you some kind of ghost? How do you know my secrets?"

"Honestly, you don’t have to tell me anything, but if the Mask Society isn’t taken down, Shen Xiangming and Shen Lele will still end up dead because of them. You know Shen Xiangming—he's very impulsive. If he ever finds out you're connected to the Mask Society, do you think he wouldn't investigate it? You know how that would end..."

Liang Ran laughed briefly, then sighed wistfully, "Meng Siqi, do you hope I'll tell you who the leader of the Mask Society is? I’ll be straight with you—I don’t know. Back then, I was introduced by my father to join the Mask Society. In truth, I know nothing about it."

"No, you know the leader’s last name is Liang!"

Liang Ran froze, then after a long pause, she said, "Why do you even know that?"

"Liang Ran, just say it outright. What else do you know?"

"The Liang surname—that’s what my father told me, but he’s gone now, so I really don’t know anything else."

Meng Siqi speculated, "When Jiang Sheng asked you to get him into the Mask Society, was that your father’s doing too?"

"Yes, I agreed to help Jiang Sheng, but I didn’t have the influence to get him into the Mask Society. Now Jiang Sheng’s dead, and my father’s gone, so I’m not the one you should be asking."

Jiang Sheng was executed last year, in 1995, and Liang Chenghao died two years back. As Liang Ran said, there truly is no one left who knows the real information about the Mask Society.

But if something happened in this world, there’s bound to be evidence left behind.

Meng Siqi handed Liang Ran the list of seventeen names that Qiqi had written to her, "Take a look—do you recognize anyone here?"

Liang Ran took it, glanced through it, and shook her head lightly when she looked up, "No, the Mask Society doesn’t operate under real names. On the surface, it’s just an ordinary book club, but the secrets they hide are beyond anything you can imagine. The membership requirements are incredibly strict, and its members are all wealthy and powerful. Meng Siqi, we’ve known each other for some time. As a city bureau captain, I’m telling you—don’t get involved. You’ll regret it."

Meng Siqi stood up, her voice firm and resolute, "Liang Ran, I also want to tell you this: in this world, no one is above the law—no one. If someone commits a crime, it’s our job as criminal investigators to bring them in!"