Chapter 78: The Return Migration Syndrome

Wang Zixuan asked, "Zhou Ning, do you know him?"

Zhou Ning replied, "Hitman? Nonsense. He’s Old Xu, the handyman from our neighborhood."

Wang Zixuan was a bit confused and took a moment to sort things out.

He asked, "Do you know if he’s part of any organization or anything?"

Zhou Ning said, "What kind of organization would a handyman have? Maybe the group squatting under the bridge east of the building materials market, if you count that."

Still bewildered, Wang Zixuan handed the photo to Xiao Deng and his friends for investigation. He went home to rest, needing to untangle this mess in his mind. Xiao Deng rode his motorcycle, taking Xiao Dan to the building materials market. Once there, he persuaded Xiao Dan to go ask questions while he lounged against the bike, watching leisurely. Xiao Dan walked over reluctantly.

A worker greeted him warmly, "Hey, boss is here!"

Xiao Dan squatted down, "Hey, brother, how much do you charge for installing water pipes?"

The worker said, "Oh, if meals are included, it’s twenty per meter. All-in, labor and materials, eighty. Haha."

Xiao Dan laughed, "Haha, really? So besides installing water pipes, what else do you do? Any other services?"

The worker asked, "What kind of services do you mean? Electrical? Air conditioner installation?"

Xiao Dan looked around, then leaned in closer and whispered, "For example, killing people."

The worker glanced at his colleagues, chuckling as he did. Another worker pulled out his phone, called the police, and turned to grab him. Frightened, Xiao Dan spun around and ran.

"Brother Deng!" he shouted.

Xiao Deng, startled, turned to see Xiao Dan sprinting towards him.

"Brother Deng, run! Hurry!" Xiao Dan yelled.

Without a second thought, Xiao Deng jumped onto the motorcycle. Xiao Dan reached the bike, stumbling and falling face-first.

"Get on, quick!" Xiao Deng urged.

Xiao Dan sprang up and clambered onto the bike, "Go, go, go!"

But the engine wouldn’t start.

"Get off and push," said Xiao Deng.

With no choice, they pushed. As soon as the engine caught, the bike shot off. Xiao Dan was left dazed, wondering who he was and where he was.

He shouted, "Brother Deng, I’m not on yet!"

Just then, shouts erupted behind him. Looking back, he saw people giving chase. He hurried forward, running so fast he nearly circled the entire ring road, finally diving into a patch of grass and disappearing underground.

Wang Zixuan knew better than to expect much from those two clowns. Once he’d rested, he called Doctor Bai.

Wang Zixuan explained, "Here’s the situation. Zhou Ning is absolutely certain Old Xu is just a handyman. But Old Xu insists he’s a hitman. Yet when pressed for details, he won’t say anything. I wonder if he’s mentally ill!"

Doctor Bai replied, "Whether there’s a mental issue, we’d need to check to know for sure. But if he’s a fish spirit, it’s very likely he’s suffering from Migration Syndrome. Migration Syndrome is a typical symptom in their species as their groups age—it causes loss of some short-term memory and repetitive behavior cycles. Usually, the behavior repeated is something important in their long-term memory."

Having gotten the information he wanted, Wang Zixuan hung up and went to the blackboard, filling it with all the clues he’d gathered. Then he began connecting them one by one.

"Every time Old Xu commits a crime, it’s at this teahouse. And every time, he says almost the same thing. If he really has Migration Syndrome, then this memory of killing—hmm..."