Serum

Chapter 9

The Seven Saints' Orphanage was an olde char looking institution. Several white one or two-story buildings with its own school, caffeteria, fields... Zhao Yunlan invited himself in with his badge right off the bat, seeing the vice-director start sweating almost immediately.

He wasn't allowed to stroll the grounds by himself just like that. He got a 2-meter tall and at least 120kg weighting "jannitor" as an official guide, noticing he definitely wasn't shown most of the private-charity-owned land. There was something fishy about this place and he knew, that even if he were to ask Shen Wei, the Professor wouldn't tell him for sure. If he was planning on telling him, he would have already done that and if it meant, endangering the well-being of his students...

They walked past a small library and Zhao Yunlan noticed a young bespectacled boy sitting on the three stairs leading into the building, reading a book that looked very sofisticated for his age. Was it Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Yunlan smiled to himself, imagining little Shen Wei at that very spot.

He was led into the director's office that looked far more expensive than any other room in the whole facility. The walls were lined with laquered oak wood, complete with the full oak wood furniture set and an equally fancy looking armchair set by a small glass coffee table. The detective was seated in one of the armchairs, the director opposite to him. The big guy stayed by the door.

Yeah, this was a dangerous game he got himself into... Shen Wei... Ah, Shen Wei... How is this connected to you, the Science Club and the Black Cloak Envoy? Your secrets will cost me...

The Chief of SID was made familiar with all things connected to Triad during his undercover months in the past. The tattoo - just barely visible - behind the giant's shirt collar was definitely one worn by Triad's killers.

"So... Chief Zhao... of the SID," the director sat down, starting the questionaire, "and you do not have a warrant... I believe we are cooperating to our fullest by giving you a walk around the premises." The smile of the man whose red and chubby face screamed "cholesterol" and "heart-attack, please take me", was definitely a fake one.

"Well, me and my partner were thinking of adopting..." he could just imagine getting the boy he saw reading outside glasses that match Shen Wei. The two would sit on the couch next to each other reading...

"So I went looking into some orphanges and I found certain information that doesn't sit right with me at this institution... Mind you, I totally couldn't BELIEVE it, seeing the senator is your benefactor and all, so I came here in person to get... a simple clarification. So I could rest my mind..." he leaned back in his armchair, having the director proccess everything. On the side, he was also keeping an eye on the unmoving silhoutte by the door.

"Oh, what kind of information, please, do tell..." the director reacted after about three seconds of silence.

The detective slid a file over the table. "These three children were all a part of this institution. But according to your records, they'd just vanished one day without a trace, no missing-persons' reports, no adoptions... there are actually about ten more kids like this over the past 20 years or so... Can you tell me what had happened?"

It was no use. The director kept talking and talking, one excuse after another, all bullshit. After about half an hour, the guard started to get impatient, so Yunlan yawned with a big stretch, revealing his holstered 40mm revolver to the director, who gulped, throwing a cold stare at the big guy.

"Oh! And one more thing!" the Chief exclaimed when he was finally getting up to leave. "This boy's brother, twin... uhm, Ye Zun if I'm right... He died in an unspecified accident about two weeks after other three children died under similarly unspecified circumstances."