"Yeah. Yuck. That is awful." Wei Wuxian looked troubled, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced at his notes and tried to think of how to word it better. "You know what I meant. Someone exceptional. As you said."
With a sigh, he looked at the file again. "Thank you for your cooperation. I know Ko Cheon is supposed to wrap up with his own interview soon. Just one more thing." He touched the side of his nose briefly, then leaned forward on his elbows. "What do you think of the other killings that happened recently?"
He wanted to know whether Meng Yao even knew about them. Other men, all known to frequent this kind of business. All killed in rather bloody ways. Three so far but Wei Wuxian was wondering if there were already more bodies.
"They all go to the Wen club. I know the men. They're Wen Xu friends. I forget their names but I have my own names for them. Sharp nails died first, he was stabbed, wasn't he? His fingers cut off." Weird. A bit too weird. Sharp nails scratched him all over, left marks all up his thighs. Did Xue Yang know? Was it him. "Weed killer was stabbed in the back of the head, right? Was it a fast death?" He wondered if Xue Yang just killed him quickly because he smelled of weed and Xue Yang hated that smell.
Why was he already thinking of Xue Yang? Jiangzai.
"I'm not sure what happened to Right-leaner. I just know he's dead." He didn't hear much about that one. It had only happened a day before Wen Xu.
"...and I guess I'd rather not know why he earned that nickname." Although Wei Wuxian certainly took note of it. He'd have to look at the details of that autopsy again. It was strange. "I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark--" Fitting imagery. "--and not express any condolences."
Clearly there was no love lost there. For obvious reasons. "You know, Yao-ge, for someone I really don't want to suspect and who always has alibis that check out, somehow your name still keeps appearing around here."
He shrugged with a sigh. "But you hardly chose those acquaintances."
"Perhaps the problem is with Cheon and not with me. Sometimes a commonly seen variable is not the cause but simply a confounding variable." Meng Yao pointed out, refusing to dumb himself down in front of cops. They always spoke to him like he was an uneducated idiot. Yes, he had no high school graduation certificate or degree but he wasn't an idiot. He had promise once. Back when he had his mother, he achieved well.
"If you removed me from the equation, the end result is probably going to be the same. I just happen to run into a lot of Cheon's friends." Even so, Meng Yao understood the concern. Meng Yao had it too.
Was it Xue Yang? How fucked was he? "May I ask an unrelated question?"
"I have met a few of those men before they met their demise, so I don't think we are really lacking in motive or in suspects. I just hope we can catch whoever is going after them before they end up hurting the wrong person." Which, yes, implied that Wei Wuxian didn't think so far anyone who had been killed didn't deserve it. it was difficult to drum up much sympathy with them.
"You can ask whatever you want, Yao-ge." Wei Wuxian shrugged. "I'm lucky, I pulled the long straw. I'd rather talk to you about whatever than have to interview Ko Cheon again."
"I just wanted to ask about... well, see, I have a new client and I meet him this week but all Cheon told me was a nickname. Maybe you know of him. I just want to prepare ... he never prepares me properly. For the bad ones. It's a little-- I'm a bit scared." Meng Yao wringed his hands together, looking every bit as afraid as he needed to look. It was easy to do. He was afraid. He was always afraid but right now, even more so than usual.
"Have you heard of Jiangzai?" Meng Yao asked as he worried his lower lip, curling into himself a little. "Is he... is he dangerous?"
"Jiangzai is an assassin. That's the only name we know him by, anyway." Wei Wuxian was already eager to find out more. He hadn't known that Jiangzai would use that same name for any other business. Such as going to a prostitute. However that worked. "He's never been caught. He doesn't seem to work with any gang exclusively. He gets hired. Commissioned. A bit like you?"
Kind of. "Only without a Ko Cheon. As far as we know. I don't know how you can prepare for that, sorry..." He was afraid he wasn't doing much good here. Maybe just scaring Meng Yao more. "The Chang, do you remember them? Rumour has it Jiangzai wiped them all out to make a name for himself. Now he's priced highly. So, I guess he's good at marketing?"
"Fuck." Xue Yang was strong now. He had said before but he just didn't believe him. He was always a bit like a little boy making boasts bigger than himself. He felt sick inside and looked anxiously over at the window, just to look somewhere that wasn't a cop. Xue Yang was probably killing these men. Was that good or bad? He honestly didn't know. As nice as it was, it was probably fuelling his possessive streak.
"I just have to hope I won't die." Meng Yao smiled at Wei Wuxian and then bowed his head to the other man. "I wonder if the mysterious killer will get me next. Or Cheon. It's a matter of time, isn't it? If they are going after everyone in that club... I have to be on the list."
"I don't think so." Although he was now wondering just where the name 'Jiangzai' fit in it all. Would be more helpful if they knew anything about Jiangzai other than that he was a paid killer. He had no idea who would commission anyone to kill these men, so he still doubted it could be as simple as that. Really just a coincidence, perhaps. "I mean, whoever this killer is, they don't seem to target the victi--"
Wei Wuxian cut himself off, bowing his head instead. "Yao-ge. Forgive my choice of words. I just mean, you'd not fit the profile."
"Because I'm not a top dog, I'm a whore?" Meng Yao smiled at Wei Wuxian and then he had to laugh. Sometimes, he found Wei Wuxian quite sweet. He had never met a cop that was this nice before. It was certainly a strange experience. "You're the only cop I know that would ask for forgiveness for calling a whore a whore.
It was weird but it was kind of nice. "I almost feel human when I talk to you. Almost." He didn't think he would ever feel like a person again but it was funny to play pretend.
"You look it too," Wei Wuxian said encouragingly, not knowing how to engage too much with what Meng Yao was saying about how he didn't feel human. Of course not. How did anyone put up with that and retain their personhood? It was a great injustice.
He saw a door open and then, yes, that was Ko Cheon in the hallway, looking right at them. Mostly at Meng Yao, although he did glance his way too. "Ugh. Ko Cheon told me I'm a pretty cop last time. Really made me want to shower until I could feel clean again. Anyway, we're wrapped up here. I guess you have to go?"
"I would watch yourself. Not the best words, are they?" Meng Yao bowed again to Wei Wuxian and gave him a partial smile. "I should go. He really hates being left standing around." And when he felt like Meng Yao was talking too much, he would take the privilege away.
He hurried over to Cheon and bowed deeply to him, ready to follow him out of here and deal with whatever anger was coming. "I'm all done, Cheon-nim. We can go now."
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With a sigh, he looked at the file again. "Thank you for your cooperation. I know Ko Cheon is supposed to wrap up with his own interview soon. Just one more thing." He touched the side of his nose briefly, then leaned forward on his elbows. "What do you think of the other killings that happened recently?"
He wanted to know whether Meng Yao even knew about them. Other men, all known to frequent this kind of business. All killed in rather bloody ways. Three so far but Wei Wuxian was wondering if there were already more bodies.
no subject
Why was he already thinking of Xue Yang? Jiangzai.
"I'm not sure what happened to Right-leaner. I just know he's dead." He didn't hear much about that one. It had only happened a day before Wen Xu.
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Clearly there was no love lost there. For obvious reasons. "You know, Yao-ge, for someone I really don't want to suspect and who always has alibis that check out, somehow your name still keeps appearing around here."
He shrugged with a sigh. "But you hardly chose those acquaintances."
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"If you removed me from the equation, the end result is probably going to be the same. I just happen to run into a lot of Cheon's friends." Even so, Meng Yao understood the concern. Meng Yao had it too.
Was it Xue Yang? How fucked was he? "May I ask an unrelated question?"
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"You can ask whatever you want, Yao-ge." Wei Wuxian shrugged. "I'm lucky, I pulled the long straw. I'd rather talk to you about whatever than have to interview Ko Cheon again."
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"Have you heard of Jiangzai?" Meng Yao asked as he worried his lower lip, curling into himself a little. "Is he... is he dangerous?"
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Kind of. "Only without a Ko Cheon. As far as we know. I don't know how you can prepare for that, sorry..." He was afraid he wasn't doing much good here. Maybe just scaring Meng Yao more. "The Chang, do you remember them? Rumour has it Jiangzai wiped them all out to make a name for himself. Now he's priced highly. So, I guess he's good at marketing?"
no subject
"I just have to hope I won't die." Meng Yao smiled at Wei Wuxian and then bowed his head to the other man. "I wonder if the mysterious killer will get me next. Or Cheon. It's a matter of time, isn't it? If they are going after everyone in that club... I have to be on the list."
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Wei Wuxian cut himself off, bowing his head instead. "Yao-ge. Forgive my choice of words. I just mean, you'd not fit the profile."
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It was weird but it was kind of nice. "I almost feel human when I talk to you. Almost." He didn't think he would ever feel like a person again but it was funny to play pretend.
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He saw a door open and then, yes, that was Ko Cheon in the hallway, looking right at them. Mostly at Meng Yao, although he did glance his way too. "Ugh. Ko Cheon told me I'm a pretty cop last time. Really made me want to shower until I could feel clean again. Anyway, we're wrapped up here. I guess you have to go?"
no subject
He hurried over to Cheon and bowed deeply to him, ready to follow him out of here and deal with whatever anger was coming. "I'm all done, Cheon-nim. We can go now."