Beneath the Dome, Sin within Sins - Chapter 99 - The Code

On my phone, there was a message that read: “I’m back.”

Who is this person?! Why are they saying, “I’m back”? Who exactly is this person?

Just as I was filled with confusion, another message came in: “Surprised to see this message?”

My initial confusion instantly turned into fury. Without thinking, I typed out a reply and sent it back: “Who the hell are you?”

[Forgot me so soon?]

[Do you still remember our first meeting under the moonlight? We’ll see each other again this time!]

After sending that message, they followed up with two images:

One was of a flame, and the other was of a needle.

Looking at the pictures, I furrowed my brow slightly. What could these two images possibly mean? Flame and needle… What do they represent?

But there was no time to dwell on it now. I grabbed my laptop. This was an opportunity-if I worked quickly, I might be able to trace the signal and track down the source of the IP address.

There’s no way anyone would get away with messing with me like this. I had to figure out exactly which bastard was behind it!

However, to my utter shock, as soon as I opened my computer, I saw another message pop up on the screen-a blatant provocation.

[Don’t bother trying to track me through the IP address!]

Seeing this, I was so angry I nearly threw my laptop across the room.

In the end, I could only let out a helpless sigh and rub my temples. I had assumed that the pharmaceutical factory incident marked the end of all the trouble, but clearly, I was wrong. That was only the prelude. From now on, it seemed like one problem after another would keep coming my way!

I decided not to tell Su Mo or anyone else about this. Until the case was clearer, I wasn’t going to tell anyone about it. Besides, they were just a few obscure codes. With my intelligence, I was confident I could crack the puzzle on my own.

After that, I went downstairs, grabbed a bite to eat, and then holed up at my desk to start decoding the messages. It wasn’t until three in the afternoon that I finally got up from my chair, frustrated with myself. Damn it-I still couldn’t figure it out.

What does the flame represent? Could it mean a fire? If the flame symbolizes fire, the needle might represent a hospital. But what’s the connection between the two?

If there’s a fire, shouldn’t you call the firefighters? Dialing an ambulance means…

At that thought, my expression changed slightly. Of course-if there’s a fire, there will definitely be casualties, which means people will call for an ambulance, too!

But what does it mean? Is this person trying to tell me to go to the hospital? Or are they already at the hospital?

Thinking of this, I pulled out my laptop and looked up recent fire incidents in the city and the hospitals that had received fire-related injuries.

After some searching, I identified three hospitals.

I wrote down their addresses on a piece of paper and headed out. However, after visiting each of these three hospitals, I couldn’t find what I was looking for.

Not willing to give up, I started asking the nurses in the wards if they had treated anyone with major burn injuries recently. One of the nurses shook her head and replied, “We haven’t had any major burn cases, but I have seen someone with severe scald injuries.”

Scald injuries?!

Hearing this, I furrowed my brows slightly. The high temperature of flame-could it symbolize boiling water instead?

With this new thought in mind, I quickly followed up, “Where is that patient now?”

“They were transferred. The municipal hospital’s burn department is quite well-known. Most likely, they were sent there. There’s just no way we could handle that level of injury at our hospital.”

“Thank you!”

After expressing my gratitude, I hurriedly got into a cab and headed to the municipal hospital. There, I asked one of the nurses for directions and quickly made my way to the ward they mentioned.

The burn department!

As I walked in, a familiar scene greeted me. I saw several patients outside the ward taking a stroll, all of them wrapped in thick layers of bandages. This sense of déjà vu-it couldn’t be… the bandaged man!

Just as I was caught in my thoughts, I caught sight of someone stepping out of a ward at the far end of the hallway. It was a person draped in a black cloak. They stood with their back to me, facing the window. The wind lifted the edges of their cloak, adding an eerie aura to the scene.

Then, slowly, the figure in the black cloak turned around. They faced me and curved their lips into a faint smile. At that moment, I saw their face clearly-it was the bandaged man!

How could this be? Wasn’t this person already captured? Did he escape from prison?! No, that couldn’t be possible! He’s a high-priority suspect. The security around him should have been far stricter than usual. Plus, Su Mo didn’t mention anything to me about the bandaged man escaping!

I frowned and began sprinting toward him. But just as I was about to reach him, the bandaged man suddenly leaped out of the window!

You’ve got to be kidding me! This is the fourth floor-jumping from here might not be fatal, but it would definitely cause injuries!

No way! Real or not, I have to go check this out!

When I rushed to the window, my eyes immediately landed on the bandaged man. At that moment, he was standing on a tree branch, a mocking smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

How infuriating!

You think you can get away?

With that thought, I lifted a foot and prepared to jump out after him. However, before I could make the leap, someone grabbed me.

“Mr., you can’t be so impulsive!”

Just as the bandaged man was about to jump from the tree and escape, I began struggling desperately. No! I have to catch him!

“Let go of me!” I shouted, writhing to free myself, my hands clawing at the window frame. But before I could pull myself free, a sharp pain shot through my head, and then everything went black. The last thing I felt was my body losing all strength and consciousness.

When I finally opened my eyes again, my head was pounding. What greeted me first wasn’t the sight of the bandaged man but something far more familiar-my sister, Lu Che, sitting beside me with her eyes red from crying. And around her were my anxious companions, their faces heavy with worry.

As soon as Lu Che noticed I was awake, she rushed over and threw herself onto me, her tears flowing freely. “Brother! Can you stop this insanity for just one day? If you’re not getting injured, you’re throwing yourself out of windows! What in the world is wrong with you?!”

Faced with her overwhelming anger, I could only awkwardly attempt to calm her down. “Don’t say that… It was all just an accident.”

“Accident? What nonsense are you spewing?! Then explain this-why are the nurses saying you tried to jump out the window to take your own life?!”

“Hey! Who said that?! What a ridiculous thing to suggest!” I quickly defended myself. “If I really were trying to kill myself, why would I jump from the fourth floor? If I wanted to jump, I’d do it from the roof!”

“Smack!”

Before I could finish my sentence, my own little sister slapped me hard across the face without warning. My head turned slightly from the force of the blow, and for a moment, I was stunned, completely disoriented. A numbing sensation crawled across my cheek.

For a couple of beats, everything seemed to freeze-even the air in the room felt heavy, as if everyone was holding their breath.

“Brother! You’re such a reckless idiot!” Lu Che roared. Her voice cut through the silence, filled with a mixture of anger, frustration, and heartbreak.

Then, without giving me a chance to respond, Lu Che turned on her heels and stormed out of the ward. As she left, she angrily slammed the door shut behind her, the loud bang echoing in the room. I couldn’t help but reflect on the sound-it was the kind of door slam that only happens when it’s not your own door. There’s a sort of satisfaction that makes it feel so effortless, doesn’t it?

Turning back to those remaining in the room, I glanced at their worried faces, then let out a sigh. “I’m sorry,” I said quietly.