"Mr. Zhang, if you don't open the door soon I am going to knock the door down!" Threatened Mr. Wang.
"No no no! Don't be rash! Old Zhang, please open the door!" I begged.
"We better get in soon, this guy is a monster, Mr. Wang's daughter is endangered if he has her." Having one arm akimbo, another one covering the bruises on her nose, but failed to cover up her exultation.
The door slowly opened, standing behind it was a sleepy looking Mr. Zhang, giving a big yawn.
The foul smell of alcohol.
"Oh my God, what the hell is going on?"
Old Zhang looked drowsy, he was such a good actor.
Mr. Wang shoved Old Zhang aside and rushed into his room, kicking the two empty beer cans to the corner of the room, making a clinking noise.
I was even more anxious, rushing in behind Mr. Wang and looking around while saying, "It reeks of alcohol. Why did you drink so much in the middle of the day, Old Zhang? No wonder we had a hard time waking you!"
Old Zhang naturally played along, "You know, the bitch angered me, gave me the hang over. Oh? You are here too?" He gave Miss Chen a deadly stare.
Miss Chen ignored him and took a step back, having the bitchy look of a gossiper.
Mr. Wang opened the closet doors. There were only a few items of clothing and some miscellaneous items. He looked under the bed, it was Mr. Zhang's precious collection of expired milk.
I helped Mr. Wang up, flustered, "We made a mistake. Like I said, why would Old Zhang kidnap your daughter? It doesn't make sense!"
Old Zhang stared at Miss Chen, "Fuck, this bitch set me up!" He swaggered over to Miss Chen, raised his right arm in an unruly manner, ready to strike.
"What are you going to do?" Screamed Miss Chen and ran back downstairs, not a trace of her arrogance remaining.
Mr. Wang walked out of the room looking defeated. I blocked the door and said to groggy Old Zhang, "Old Zhang, it's not that I want to turn on you, but you found my keys and never turned them in to me, what's up with that?"
Old Zhang burped, reached into his pocket apologetically, but still pretending to be half drunk and half dazed, "Oh, so sorry. But I will let you in on a secret, okay? I wasn't the first person who picked them up. The college student was the first one. Okay? He probably made a copy, so he has a set of everyone's key as well, alright?"
I hurriedly asked, "Have you ever seen him entering any one's room?" I took my keys back from him.
Mr. Wang shouted from the side, "Did that bastard ever enter my room?"
Old Zhang hesitated for second, "That I don't know. All I knew was he stripped naked and hid under the downstairs bitch's bed yesterday and scared the shit out of her. Hahahahaha. That boy is a funny one. But I don't know what transpired this afternoon. I drank some and fell asleep, okay? If there's nothing else...."
Excellent!
Mr. Wang did not wait for Old Zhang to finish his sentence before dashing upstairs.
Unexpectedly, the door across from Old Zhang swung open. An unkempt Guo Li almost falling out. Mr. Wang and I jumped out of his way, we didn't want to get knocked over by his smoked-permeated body.
"What... what did you guys just say? Bo Yan really have everyone's room keys?" Stumbled Guo Li.
Mr. Wang did not respond to him, beelining toward the upstairs. I ignored him as well, just reprimanding Old Zhang, "I will deal with you later this key incident! But I am starting with doubling your rent next month!" I said angrily, still following behind Mr. Wang.
Old Zhang scratched his head, mumbled something resembling an apology and closed his door. He's got an incomplete art of contraption to finish up.
Guo Li, on the other hand, still frozen in the hallway like a statue, hollowed on the inside.
Following Mr. Wang's lead, I took each step of the stairs with excitement.
No matter what everyone's rhythms were carrying out their tasks, none of them could deviate from my script.
My pituitary gland started secreting some strange substance. I was sure there's an official medical term for it. I think it is the type that is responsible for adhoc plans.
I wonder what would happen if Mr. Wang tried to force Bo Yan to open his door. How long could a brainless college student like Bo Yan withstand this kind of pressure? With a group of us condemning Bo Yan outside his door, would the other murderer Guo Li just sit tight and do nothing?
Guo Li had already missed his chance to confess. Judging by his personality, he had no other options.
According to my original plan... my original "Ying Ru-free" plan, all I needed to do was exercising a few minutes of psychological warfare to lure Guo Li into assaulting Mr. Wang with me. After we've shared the guilt of committing a crime, we would then form an alliance with Bo Yan, and then....
Nevertheless, soon as I reached fourth floor and took a glance at Ying Ru's front door, another peculiar thought crossed my mind. I thought I could still hear the shower.
I recalled that the introverted Mr. Wang had never set foot on the fourth floor.
The only reason Mr. Wang knew that Old Zhang wasn't in the unit directly above him was because every time Guo Li made love with Ling Hu, the feet of their bed rocked directly above his head.
And right now, by chance Guo Li did not follow us upstairs.
As expected, Mr. Wang stood in the hallway. Sweating profusely, he waited for my arrival.
"Which one is that Bo....'s room?"
Mr. Wang looked at me, his slightly out of shape body gasping for air.
I fished out the keys that I just got back from Old Zhang and pointed to the room on the right. I shook my left hand gently above my lips, with extreme caution I said to him, "You sneak in there quietly, don't give him a chance to run off."
Mr. Wang got the message. Looking gravely, he took the keys from me.
I took a step back and gestured Mr. Wang to go inside by himself.
Mr. Wang opened the door and sneaked in like a ninja.
The sound of the shower grew louder.
I stealthily closed the door from the outside, sealing Mr. Wang in eternal darkness.
The door was now closed. I didn't feel a shred of fear.
Here.
This here.
This here was hell.
"Mr. Zhang, if you don't open the door soon I am going to knock the door down!" Threatened Mr. Wang.
"No no no! Don't be rash! Old Zhang, please open the door!" I begged.
"We better get in soon, this guy is a monster, Mr. Wang's daughter is endangered if he has her." Having one arm akimbo, another one covering the bruises on her nose, but failed to cover up her exultation.
The door slowly opened, standing behind it was a sleepy looking Mr. Zhang, giving a big yawn.
The foul smell of alcohol.
"Oh my God, what the hell is going on?"
Old Zhang looked drowsy, he was such a good actor.
Mr. Wang shoved Old Zhang aside and rushed into his room, kicking the two empty beer cans to the corner of the room, making a clinking noise.
I was even more anxious, rushing in behind Mr. Wang and looking around while saying, "It reeks of alcohol. Why did you drink so much in the middle of the day, Old Zhang? No wonder we had a hard time waking you!"
Old Zhang naturally played along, "You know, the bitch angered me, gave me the hang over. Oh? You are here too?" He gave Miss Chen a deadly stare.
Miss Chen ignored him and took a step back, having the bitchy look of a gossiper.
Mr. Wang opened the closet doors. There were only a few items of clothing and some miscellaneous items. He looked under the bed, it was Mr. Zhang's precious collection of expired milk.
I helped Mr. Wang up, flustered, "We made a mistake. Like I said, why would Old Zhang kidnap your daughter? It doesn't make sense!"
Old Zhang stared at Miss Chen, "Fuck, this bitch set me up!" He swaggered over to Miss Chen, raised his right arm in an unruly manner, ready to strike.
"What are you going to do?" Screamed Miss Chen and ran back downstairs, not a trace of her arrogance remaining.
Mr. Wang walked out of the room looking defeated. I blocked the door and said to groggy Old Zhang, "Old Zhang, it's not that I want to turn on you, but you found my keys and never turned them in to me, what's up with that?"
Old Zhang burped, reached into his pocket apologetically, but still pretending to be half drunk and half dazed, "Oh, so sorry. But I will let you in on a secret, okay? I wasn't the first person who picked them up. The college student was the first one. Okay? He probably made a copy, so he has a set of everyone's key as well, alright?"
I hurriedly asked, "Have you ever seen him entering any one's room?" I took my keys back from him.
Mr. Wang shouted from the side, "Did that bastard ever enter my room?"
Old Zhang hesitated for second, "That I don't know. All I knew was he stripped naked and hid under the downstairs bitch's bed yesterday and scared the shit out of her. Hahahahaha. That boy is a funny one. But I don't know what transpired this afternoon. I drank some and fell asleep, okay? If there's nothing else...."
Excellent!
Mr. Wang did not wait for Old Zhang to finish his sentence before dashing upstairs.
Unexpectedly, the door across from Old Zhang swung open. An unkempt Guo Li almost falling out. Mr. Wang and I jumped out of his way, we didn't want to get knocked over by his smoked-permeated body.
"What... what did you guys just say? Bo Yan really have everyone's room keys?" Stumbled Guo Li.
Mr. Wang did not respond to him, beelining toward the upstairs. I ignored him as well, just reprimanding Old Zhang, "I will deal with you later this key incident! But I am starting with doubling your rent next month!" I said angrily, still following behind Mr. Wang.
Old Zhang scratched his head, mumbled something resembling an apology and closed his door. He's got an incomplete art of contraption to finish up.
Guo Li, on the other hand, still frozen in the hallway like a statue, hollowed on the inside.
Following Mr. Wang's lead, I took each step of the stairs with excitement.
No matter what everyone's rhythms were carrying out their tasks, none of them could deviate from my script.
My pituitary gland started secreting some strange substance. I was sure there's an official medical term for it. I think it is the type that is responsible for adhoc plans.
I wonder what would happen if Mr. Wang tried to force Bo Yan to open his door. How long could a brainless college student like Bo Yan withstand this kind of pressure? With a group of us condemning Bo Yan outside his door, would the other murderer Guo Li just sit tight and do nothing?
Guo Li had already missed his chance to confess. Judging by his personality, he had no other options.
According to my original plan... my original "Ying Ru-free" plan, all I needed to do was exercising a few minutes of psychological warfare to lure Guo Li into assaulting Mr. Wang with me. After we've shared the guilt of committing a crime, we would then form an alliance with Bo Yan, and then....
Nevertheless, soon as I reached fourth floor and took a glance at Ying Ru's front door, another peculiar thought crossed my mind. I thought I could still hear the shower.
I recalled that the introverted Mr. Wang had never set foot on the fourth floor.
The only reason Mr. Wang knew that Old Zhang wasn't in the unit directly above him was because every time Guo Li made love with Ling Hu, the feet of their bed rocked directly above his head.
And right now, by chance Guo Li did not follow us upstairs.
As expected, Mr. Wang stood in the hallway. Sweating profusely, he waited for my arrival.
"Which one is that Bo....'s room?"
Mr. Wang looked at me, his slightly out of shape body gasping for air.
I fished out the keys that I just got back from Old Zhang and pointed to the room on the right. I shook my left hand gently above my lips, with extreme caution I said to him, "You sneak in there quietly, don't give him a chance to run off."
Mr. Wang got the message. Looking gravely, he took the keys from me.
I took a step back and gestured Mr. Wang to go inside by himself.
Mr. Wang opened the door and sneaked in like a ninja.
The sound of the shower grew louder.
I stealthily closed the door from the outside, sealing Mr. Wang in eternal darkness.
The door was now closed. I didn't feel a shred of fear.
Here.
This here.
This here was hell.
