Caught in the Web  

Wenjay nervously explained the "cousin" situation to Mingyoo. To his surprise, Mingyoo praised him for his quick thinking and told him to stick with that story.

Wenjay breathed a sigh of relief, cleaned up the dishes, and put them in the dishwasher. Meanwhile, Mingyoo sat at the kitchen counter with his eyes closed, deep in thought, as if pondering something significant. Once Wenjay finished tidying up, Mingyoo suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Come upstairs, I need your help."

Wenjay followed him to the third floor, where Mingyoo pointed to the couch and said, "Help me move him to the bed and clean up the stuff on the coffee table."

Zeeshow was still lying on the couch in the same position as when Wenjay had carried him there the night before, as if he had been sleeping the whole time. However, the chicken noodle soup on the coffee table had been eaten, so he must have woken up. Wenjay was confused but didn't want to ask directly. He picked up Zeeshow and gently laid him on Mingyoo's large four-poster bed, covering him with a blanket.

"Thanks," Mingyoo said, and then he pushed open a bookshelf near the door, revealing a hidden room. Wenjay cleaned up the photos, files, and ashtray on the coffee table - he just realized Mingyoo smoked - and took the trash and soup bowl downstairs.

"Is there anything else you need me to do?" Wenjay asked Mingyoo, who was busy at a large workbench in the hidden room. The room was surprisingly spacious, with light steel shelves around and various weapons, including knives, batons, and even a Glock pistol.

Wenjay couldn't help but step inside and look around. His heart raced with a mix of fear and adrenaline. He was curious to see what was inside the longest box on the shelf, wondering if it contained a sniper rifle.

"Almost done," Mingyoo said, not looking up from a holographic notebook he was typing on. "I need to run an errand. You'll drive me. My leg's acting up; I think I made my fracture worse last night. The brace is killing me."

Wenjay agreed absentmindedly, then it hit him that Mingyoo was bossing him around. He felt a mix of anxiety and excitement. Was he about to get involved in some supernatural case?

This was all happening so fast!

Mingyoo made a call on his phone. Wenjay couldn't hear the other end but Mingyoo sounded annoyed, "Mungchee, can you get it together? How long does it take to get me a warrant? You call yourself a top-tier hacker?"

Wenjay felt something was off. Mingyoo got a "warrant" from the printer, then used a 3D printer to print a cylindrical object. He stamped the warrant with a red seal that read "Criminal Investigation Bureau".

Wenjay was shocked, "Are you making a fake arrest warrant?"

"Yep," Mingyoo casually replied, waving the warrant to dry the ink. "The last one was rushed and almost got caught. This one's legit."

Wenjay's mind was reeling. He blurted out, "Is your badge also 3D printed? Why would you, a division director, need fake credentials? Wait, are you even a division director?"

Mingyoo folded the warrant, put it in his shirt pocket, and said, "I am a division director, but... Didn't Yahlin tell you? I'm on suspension."

Wenjay was at a loss for words. He felt like Mingyoo was a pirate ship he had unwittingly boarded.

But why was there a part of him that was excited?

"Let's go," Mingyoo said, grabbing the Glock and closing the bookshelf. "Put on some light shoes; I'll meet you in the garage."

Seeing him with a gun, Wenjay's head spun, "Should I bring a weapon? I don't have a gun. Can you give me one?"

Mingyoo patted his shoulder, "No need, I'll protect you."

Twenty minutes later, Wenjay was driving Mingyoo's million-dollar Mercedes AMG off-road vehicle away from Maplewood Farm. Next to him sat Mingyoo, who was an enigma - was he his fiancé, boss, or cousin?

Mingyoo still looked pale but his eyes were sharp. He instructed Wenjay to take the provincial road towards Xiyuan City and said, "Drive slowly and steadily. I'm exhausted; I need to take a nap."

Wenjay realized that Mingyoo probably hadn't slept all night, or even the night before. He slowed down and said, "You rest, I'll wake you when we get there."

Mingyoo reclined his seat and put on an eye mask. Wenjay hesitated, then asked, "Is it okay to leave Zeeshow at home? Didn't you and Highyang say he's a suspect? What if he wakes up and runs away?"

Mingyoo gave a concise answer, "He won't."

Curious, Wenjay asked, "Why? Did you drug him? Hypnotize him? Or use some kind of barrier?"

Mingyoo lifted his eye mask and gave him a 'are-you-kidding-me' look, "What barrier?"

Wenjay excitedly said, "I felt it! The night before and last night, it was like something was holding me down. It felt like those barriers described online. This morning, I could barely open my eyes; they felt all sticky."

Mingyoo pulled his eye mask back down, clearly not wanting to engage, and said, "That's just sleep in your eyes!"

Wenjay: "..."

An hour later, they arrived in Xiyuan City. Wenjay woke Mingyoo up, "We're off the highway. Where to?"

Mingyoo took off his eye mask, looking somewhat refreshed, and said, "The Teen Mental Health Center."

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the City Central Hospital and went to the Teen Mental Health Center on the top floor.

"Zeeshow Wong?" The receptionist checked Mingyoo's badge and led them to a room with records. She pulled up a file named "Zeeshow Wong" and said, "This is him. He started counseling for selective mutism at the end of 2018 and finished in early 2024, undergoing five sessions."

"Who were the doctors in charge? Are they still here?"

"One of them is," the receptionist replied. "Dr. Huang, who handled the last two sessions, is on duty today."

Mingyoo met with Dr. Huang, a kind-faced middle-aged woman. When asked about Zeeshow, she said, "I remember him, a very handsome boy, a student at the tech university. I counseled him for two sessions. The first didn't show much improvement, but the second was very successful. I suggested another session, but he said he was too busy with school."

Mingyoo skimmed through the handwritten case files Dr. Huang provided. "His case is quite complex. Not just selective mutism, but also some paranoia…"

"Yes, his personality is very contradictory," Dr. Huang agreed. "It might be related to his background – lack of maternal love, an abusive father, and being bullied in childhood for late development. He made remarkable progress during the second session I handled. His mutism disappeared, and he became more cheerful and confident. I even suspected he might have received some other treatment outside the center."

"Did you ask him about it?" Mingyoo's eyes narrowed.

Dr. Huang shrugged, "I did, but he denied it. There are many self-help groups and virtual communities that offer help to kids with psychological issues and ask them to keep it secret. I was concerned because these groups are unlicensed and their motives can be questionable. There have been cases where virtual groups encouraged mass suicides among teenagers."

Mingyoo seemed deep in thought. Dr. Huang continued, "However, I felt that whatever help he was getting was positive since he was improving and in good spirits. So, I didn't pry too much. Officer Jow, how is he doing now?"

"He's a senior now, doing well academically," Mingyoo replied vaguely. "I can't disclose more. Thank you, Dr. Huang. If you hear anything about these groups, please let me know."

Mingyoo left his number and they headed downstairs. In the elevator, Mingyoo was still frowning, as if something Dr. Huang said had triggered an important thought.

As they exited the elevator, Mingyoo's phone rang. He answered, "Highyang?"

Whatever Highyang said on the other end made Mingyoo's face change. "I'll be right there!"

Wenjay was getting anxious, "What happened?"

Mingyoo hurried towards the garage, "We need to get back home, now!"

Wenjay, who had never seen Mingyoo this rattled, sprinted to the car and picked him up. "Buckle up; I'll go as fast as I can!"

Twenty-five minutes later, the Mercedes skidded to a halt in front of Maplewood Farm. Mingyoo stumbled out of the car, leaned against the wall, and retched. "You took 'fast' a bit too literally…"

Wenjay, dizzy and clutching his knees, asked, "What now?"

Mingyoo took out a cigarette and said, "I need a moment. Go get Zeeshow. We're heading to Maplewood Town."

Wenjay unlocked the door and couldn't help but ask, "What's going on?"

Mingyoo took a drag and sighed, "Jian Wong has been attacked. We're taking Zeeshow to see him one last time."