Artifact Report

Chapter 353 Dual Perspective: One Room, Two People, Three Voices

...There is a problem.

Judging from the current situation, the problem is probably quite serious.

However, Mai Minghe couldn't figure out exactly what she had gotten herself into.

She felt like she was walking blind in the night, surrounded by a swarm of breathless spectators. Everyone knew where she was about to go, except for Mai Minghe herself.

Did the police consider her a potential suspect?

She had only said she needed to use the restroom, but the bureau chief, who was "just passing by," insisted on taking her there himself. She thanked him repeatedly and declined, but the bureau chief seemed not to understand and politely said that he was going there anyway and it was on his way, so they might as well go together.

The dignified bureau chief followed Mai Minghe into the public restroom in the lobby on the first floor.

When she entered the cubicle, the bureau chief was standing outside the door; when she came out of the cubicle to wash her hands, the bureau chief was standing by the sink.

When washing my hands, my expression in the mirror could only be described as barely calm.

After Mak Ming-ho finished her fruitless search in the restroom and finally emerged, Chief Ashley Pei-ge smiled at her and gestured for her to stay. "I heard about the case you filed, and I'm quite interested. Would you mind talking to me about it?"

Mai Minghe certainly wouldn't mistakenly believe that he had any room to refuse just because the other party was being polite.

"To the interrogation room?" she asked tentatively.

Chief Ashley was quite friendly, and smiled at her again: "You're not a suspect, so what are you doing in the interrogation room? Let's talk in my office, it's on the second floor."

Logically, Mak Ming-ho hadn't done anything wrong and shouldn't have been afraid of being questioned by the police. But who knows what really happened with Evan?

If the person she rescued from the lair was a serial killer—oh dear, could Evan be the subway serial killer who's been making headlines lately?

Mak Ming-ho followed the director upstairs into his office, filled with anxious guesses, and watched as Ashley closed the door and drew the blinds.

"No matter how drastically things change, the police chief can't kill her in his office," Mai Minghe comforted himself, "there are people coming and going outside."

Ashley walked behind the table, turned around as if to invite her to sit down, but suddenly stopped.

She stared intently at Mak Ming Ho, her neck sliding forward like a piece of butter melting on a hot knife, her face stretching forward little by little toward Mak Ming Ho—until it could stretch no further.

Mai Minghe suppressed his pounding heartbeat and swallowed hard.

She was overthinking it. In an instant, countless absurd guesses flashed through her mind, and she almost turned around and rushed out the door—Chief Ashley's neck wasn't really made of butter, so of course it couldn't keep sliding forward like that.

"What, what's wrong?"

Ashley was still staring intently at the McMurray River, as if he could hear a heavenly song that no one else could hear from the suddenly thick and stagnant air. His mouth was slightly open, making his face appear even narrower and longer.

As she stared at him, Mak Ming-ho hesitated, unable to look away from Chief Ashley, while simultaneously glancing around—because she suddenly felt suspicious, as if there was a third person in the room.

"...Chief?"

"Oh, oh, sorry." Ashley snapped out of his daze, his head returning to his collarbone. "You look familiar, kind of like a friend of mine. Please have a seat."

As if something that had been pressing down on her had been removed, Mai Minghe quickly scanned the room; indeed, only she and the director were in the room.

"Your name is Ma Minghe, right?" Ashley glanced at the computer and asked, "How long have you known Evan Weston?"

Now they're finally acting like a police officer asking questions... Mak Ming-ho breathed a sigh of relief. "Not long after, what happened to him?"

"Not long is how long?"

Police officers and hunters have something in common: once they grasp a loose thread, they want to follow it to uncover a whole cow.

"...two weeks."

Ashley suddenly broke into a wide smile—his lower face seemed to shatter into three pieces, then come back together.

"I see, I see, I understand." She nodded and asked, "How much do you know about the danger he poses? Did you know he has a criminal record?"

"Just as I thought?" Mai Minghe sighed inwardly. The person she rescued from the lair was indeed a criminal... coming to the police station was like walking into a trap.

"I don't know anything."

"He is a highly dangerous murderer who trusts no one. Forgive my bluntness, but your story has far too many holes. You only knew him for two weeks before letting him stay at your place, and he wasn't even afraid of you discovering his secrets. I can't help but suspect that you might have played a role in his crimes—"

As Ashley finished speaking, Mak Ming-ho was already starting to get agitated—this was the first time in her life that the police had suspected her of a crime, and her first reaction was naturally to deny it completely—but before she could speak, the phone on Ashley's desk rang first, interrupting the conversation.

“Wait a minute,” Ashley said, answering the phone: “Hello?”

Mai Minghe was extremely anxious, but she couldn't say a word at that moment; she couldn't hear the voice on the phone and could only wait for Ashley to finish his call.

Ashley pursed his lips tightly and remained silent. After listening for a while, he suddenly glanced at Mak Ming-ho.

Huh?
Does the phone call have anything to do with me?

"Okay, I understand... Hmm, with you vouching for me, I'm relieved." She sighed silently and said, "How do you know so much?"

Ashley hummed a few times on the phone, then quickly hung up; she clasped her hands together and looked at Mak Ming-ho with a complicated expression.

What's going on here?
Ashley abruptly asked, "You know Chess Monroe?"

This question came suddenly and without warning, as if it had struck Mai Minghe like a tumble—startled, she said, "Yes, I know him. That phone call just now, could it be…"

“Yes, it was him who called.” Ashley shook his head. “He has a lot of connections in Blackmore City. He’s helped the police a few times before, so we look out for each other, and I have a good relationship with him. He called specifically to bail you out. He said he knows the details of your acquaintance with Evan Weston and told me not to make things difficult for you. What’s your relationship with him?”

How did Chai Si know she was at the Central Police Station? Did he secretly keep an eye on my movements after receiving my message?

He's like a stalker, not sleeping at all?

But in any case, Chess's call was too timely, so timely that it didn't even allow Director Ashley's suspicions to take root—no, she didn't even finish her sentence before Chess's call cut off her questioning.

Mai Minghe's anxiety and agitation, which had just taken shape, vanished unexpectedly like a piñata in a Mexican party game; the suddenness of the event and the abundance of questions left him somewhat confused.

She couldn't figure it out for a moment, but Ashley's eyes were fixed on her, waiting for her answer. He replied, "We're friends, and we've helped each other out."

Ashley's facial expression remained unchanged.

Mai Minghe immediately turned his gaze back to her face. What was wrong with him? Why was he always having these strange feelings?
Ashley hadn't moved at all; yet for a moment she had the illusion that Ashley's facial features were gradually tightening and contorting, twisting into a knot in the middle.

He was looking at Mai Minghe with this tuft of hair.

...but her face looked perfectly normal.

“With Chester vouching for me, I have nothing to doubt,” Ashley said kindly, standing up. “I’ll have someone escort you out. Don’t worry, we’ll handle finding Ivan.”

***
Twenty-five minutes ago.

After Mak Ming-ho entered the office, Ashley closed the door, lowered the blinds, and went behind his desk.

Evan Weston has been missing for a long time, so why is it only now that someone is saying he's been missing for two days...? His disappearance was inextricably linked to Chess Munroe.

When Secretary Green—who had also been missing for several days without a trace—first came to Ashley, he made it clear that he wanted to get information about Evan Weston's whereabouts from Chess.

He said that Chess was the last person to see Ivan.

Weeks after Evan disappeared, a man named Maming River suddenly reappeared to report his disappearance...

Does this mean she has some connection with Chess Munro?

The thought of the hellish ordeal the entire Central Police Department had endured under Chase's rule reminded Ashley to keep his jaw clenched and his muscles from bulging, lest he alert the enemy.

The woman had a peaceful and kind expression; I wonder if it was an act.

Just as Ashley was about to ask Maming to sit down, he heard that voice.

“Let me see, let me see,” a soft voice she’d heard a few times echoed from behind that door deep in her mind. “Let me see what that woman looks like… Should I open the door wider? Really? Can you handle it? You’re strong, you can definitely do it, oh dear, the door’s open.”

...Wait, doesn't it have to agree to it itself?

Ashley felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

She was constantly terrified that the door in her mind would be pushed open.

But when that moment actually arrived, nothing popped into her head, and she didn't see anything she shouldn't have seen—at least not this time.

“Don’t be afraid,” the soft voice said, “the door is only half open. I told you, I just wanted to take a look.”

She stared intently at Mai Minghe, feeling as if someone were using her eyeballs as a door, pushing them apart and letting her peek out. As if that person couldn't see clearly enough, they pushed her eyeballs, facial bones, skull... closer and closer to Mai Minghe.

“Great!” the voice exclaimed softly. “It’s her, it really is her. It’s that old lady.”

What old lady?
“She’s a contestant on ‘The Nest Domination Game’! We’ve been looking for her for ages. That’s great! The host thought we couldn’t catch her even though she was hiding in the world. It’s so heartwarming and heartwarming. *smiles* Excellent! Do you want this opportunity, Ashley Peggy?”

what chance?
The voice behind the door suddenly disappeared.

“…Director?” Mai Minghe called out.

Ashley then snapped out of his daze.

She made up a random excuse to invite Mak Ming-ho to sit down; however, her mind was not on him at all.

What is going on?

She didn't even know what she was rambling on about, but as she talked, Ashley, listening to her own incoherent ramblings, suddenly had an idea.

That's a good idea, that's a good idea! She can do it this way. It turns out that Mak Ming-ho can play this role.

Ashley reached under the table, pulled out her phone, and dialed the number on her desk. She immediately said "Wait," and answered the phone in front of Mak Ming-ho.

Pretending that the person on the other end of the phone was Chai Si was not difficult; Mai Minghe indeed swallowed the bait smoothly.

"What is your relationship?"

"...We're friends, I guess, and we've helped each other out in some ways," Mai Minghe replied cautiously.

“No wonder,” Ashley smiled.

Wouldn't it be great if they were friends? If they were friends, Shiba wouldn't refuse to meet, right?

If you're meeting with friends, Shiba probably won't be too wary, right?

If Shii Si is not on guard—

That's great, that's great, that's wonderful!

“Don’t worry,” Ashley assured gently as he got up to see Maming off, “we’ll handle finding Ivan. If the police need your assistance, we hope you’ll be happy to help.”

Although she didn't know the real reason why Mai Minghe wanted to find Evan, she was clearly very eager to find him—and she agreed immediately.

Maming walked quickly; it seemed she wasn't quite comfortable around Ashley either.

Ashley didn't care what she thought of him.

Ashley has been caring less and less about things in this world lately; life is becoming easier and more open-minded, except for revenge, restoration, and power.

Ashley walked back into the house and was about to open the curtains when her mind spoke.

"I'm back," the voice said with a soft laugh. "I have some good news. Haven't you always wanted to get rid of me? I swear, if you do one thing, we'll never leave you."

She didn't even have time to ask what "go this way" meant.

"What is it?" the question blurted out.

“Go find Fu Tailan and Carter Morgan. Inform them separately that whoever kills Mai Minghe will be rewarded with the vacant contestant spot. After you do this, you will never hear from me again—”

The next question came so quickly, it seemed to have been weighing on her mind all along, just waiting for an opportunity to surface.

"Can I do that too?"

(End of this chapter)