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Review responses:
cherry-tree-of-life - Now that the gyojin murder mystery is over, the upcoming treasure hunt case is more related to Shiori but will still be a slow burn!
CookieDecor22 - Revenge is a recurring theme, and so is using urban legends to cover up murders! You're onto something about the interlude... Maybe Shun and Alice will have more discussion topics outside of work/school going forward. You can assume that Shiori still lives at the dojo (not very important). No pirate ghosts were involved in the creation of the upcoming treasure hunt!
pretty-on-point - Thank you for the compliment! I really love my TVB dramas (haha). Speaking of moving forward... The upcoming treasure hunt case actually has to do with a "cold case" from the past, but you need to keep reading to find out!
MagicxMusicxMelody - Don't worry about Soon. Winter break will be enough time for her to get everything together. At least Shun doesn't actually need to work on anything from home during winter break!
Sugar Spice Rush - Revenge is quite popular in this story and the original drama! I'm going to introduce a new Bayview district in this chapter, and its location is crucial to the upcoming treasure hunt (in the past and present)
Chapter 9: Invitation to Play
xXx
Once winter break ended, Alice began the spring semester's first lesson with an intriguing question. "Welcome back, everyone. Here's a thought-provoking question for all of you. What reason could someone have for burying valuable jewels and expensive banknotes into the ground instead of keeping them at home, in a bank account, or in a safety deposit box?"
Students whispered amongst themselves for a few seconds.
"By now, you should already know that anything unordinary must be hiding some kind of secret. Hidden treasure is called that it was obtained unethically to begin with in most situations. Whoever obtained it didn't want anyone else to see it, and there's no way to legally file taxes on illegal goods. When World War II ended in 1945, several navy ships returned to their home countries carrying military personnel and other treasures they found in foreign lands. Some ships sank due to internal failure, accidents at sea, or even surprise attacks because not everyone was aware that the war had ended."
"Has anyone tried diving to search for sunken treasure in the ocean?" Baron asked.
"There have been several attempts from both the government and private sector, but all have been unsuccessful, mainly because the destinations were too deep or have been buried by sediment over the years. Let me tell you about a famous pirate who once ruled Bayview's waters long before we were called Bayview." The redhead clicked on the next slide, which featured a painting of a man with long orange hair wearing a blue knee-length coat and other similarly colored pieces of clothing. "Do any of you know who he is?"
Most students shook their heads.
"This is Stoica Douglas, formerly a privateer for the monarchy in the eighteenth century, but later became a pirate when a new king took the throne and outlawed privateering. During wartime, monarchy-owned privateers were legally allowed to attack and steal from enemy ships. Not only did Stoica despise the new king, but he also assembled his own Lythirus Gang to attack the new monarchy's ships, regardless of what was carried on board. Their usual territory is located where modern-day Sangokoi Strait is. His gang's most infamous feature is this blue flag whose design looks like a tessellation of fish scales. Historians believe that Stoica has dozens of locations in Bayview and surrounding cities where he hid his loot. He also lived by this statute regarding stolen treasure—one share for heaven, one share for the people, and one share for earth.
This time, Baron asked, "Was he really that nice to share his treasure with others?"
"Surprisingly, he was. 'Heaven' refers to how he prayed to the gods before and after each raid and then distributed some goods to help the less fortunate. 'People' refers to him sharing with fellow brethren who helped him out in the seas. 'Earth' refers to him burying secret stashes into the ground for future use."
All the students remained at the edge of their seats as Alice finished the rest of the lecture on Stoica. After the assistant professor dismissed everyone at 10:45AM, Shun approached the front of the lecture hall and asked, "Do you have time later today? I want to show you an antique piece that I found."
"Sure, we can meet in my office after my next class finishes. Also, you're doing a really great job blending in with and looking like my actual students, since you take notes in class on your laptop to help with paperwork."
"It's just for show. Besides, someone who doesn't know that you're a professor might think you're a student because you carry a laptop bag to lecture every day too."
"I'll take that as a compliment! Let me know later when you're outside my office."
"Will do." After leaving the building, the raven-haired secretary saw Baron walking through outdoor picnic tables while holding his phone out aimlessly. "What are you doing? Recording videos or looking for hidden infrared cameras?"
"Master Shun, you scared me!" After catching his breath, the mauve-haired student replied. "I'm actually playing an online treasure hunt on this GeoFinding website and mobile app. It's been trending for the past couple of months. You should check it out!"
"I need a more detailed explanation before I try anything."
"It's not that complicated, but you need to create an account first. I'll show you how this game works on my phone. Make sure your phone's location settings are turned on. The webmasters have several in-person staff members that hide random items all over the place for participants to find."
"So you actually find things in real life? It's not augmented reality?"
"This is 100 percent real! The stuff you find might not be valuable, but everyone I hat with online said that it's a fun process and a great way to spend free time."
"Shouldn't you be studying instead?"
"Hey, I'm just a first-year student! Let me get used to college life and living on campus first! Anyway, the app says there's a hidden object around here, but I don't see it."
Shun sighed and glanced at Baron's phone. "It says that you get one free hint. Do you want to use it?"
"I try not to use hints because I want to figure out the clues on my own... but I'll use the free hint this time so I can show you how everything works in here. This free hint says... 'Tweet-Tweet'? What does that mean?"
"That's the sound that birds make, and birds tend to build nests in trees..." The raven-haired secretary looked around and saw a metal jar lodged in between a tree's branches. "Found it!"
"Open it! What's inside?"
"Not bad for my first attempt. I have two pieces of individually wrapped mochi candy here. There's nothing unique or special about the metal jar itself."
"Sweet! I used to get random items during previous searches, like gel pens, sticky notes, whiteboard magnets, and so on. Then again, I don't leave campus often enough to play GeoFinding outside."
"That makes sense since those items are what most college students might need." Just as when he was about to register a new account, Shun saw how late the time it was. "Sorry Baron, but I need to leave for an appointment."
"See you around then!"
Once inside the department building, the raven-haired secretary texted Alice, who then let him inside her office. "My goodness. Where did you come from? You look like you ran a marathon."
"I saw Baron and lost track of time while doing an outside activity. Can I close the door and use your computer desk?"
"Uh... sure?"
After closing the door and clearing the redhead's desk, Shun unveiled a blue piece of fabric out of his laptop bag and spread the item across the desk. "Sorry for making a mess and laying wax paper all around, but you need to look at this blue cloth and this analysis report in my hands."
The assistant professor read the entire report and asked, "Are you suggesting that Shiori-san found what might be a flag from one of Stoica's eighteenth-century pirate ships?"
"After attending your lecture today, I can't think of any other explanation. But why would a flag become separated from the rest of the original ship?"
"Unlike modern-day ships, eighteenth-century ships were made with mostly wood and made water-resistant with tar and other materials. If a ship became too old or damaged, then the individual parts would be taken apart and repurposed. Who knows?"
"If Mom found this flag somewhere, then would that mean she found one of Stoica's many buried treasures?"
Alice sat back down in her swivel chair and looked through some old project notes. "I remember she assembled a treasure-hunting group over a year ago, but I didn't participate because I was finishing my graduation requirements." She pulled a photo out from a paper clip. In the photo was the onyx-haired professor, a female student with orange hair, a male student with pink hair, and a male student with mint-green hair. "Shiori-san printed this for me as a souvenir."
"She never told me about this extracurricular activity. Do you know these other people?"
On the back of the photo was the exact month and year written in black ink. "They all should've finished their undergraduate classes now, but I know this guy is pursuing his MBA."
"How do you even know what's happening at the business school?"
"Because this is Ace Grit. He was my classmate and is currently also a popular online influencer. I don't know what he does on the internet, but we haven't talked in a while because he's busy finishing his final semester in the MBA program. I can definitely still call him and ask if he can bring everyone over to meet up."
"Just let me know when. I'll take this flag back for now and finish other tasks."
"No worries. I'll keep you updated."
-x-x-x-x-x-
A few days later, Alice and Shun waited outside the business school building until they saw a mint-haired student run over to them. "It's been a while, Alice! Do you want to sit at this picnic table that has a patio umbrella instead?"
"Whatever you think is best, Ace."
After the trio sat down, the MBA student asked the redhead, "Did you bring your boyfriend over as well?"
After the assistant professor exchanged confused glances with her secretary, she shook her hand. "You always jump to conclusions! Shun is actually Shiori-san's son and also my current department secretary. I'm sure you've heard about her unexplained disappearance. We have a few questions about the treasure-hunting group that you and Shiori-san were a part of."
"I see... As for the treasure hunt, we didn't make a lot of progress, but you can still ask away."
The raven-haired secretary took out the photo that featured his mother, Ace, and two other students. "Do you still remember when this was taken?"
"Oh, that photo. This whole treasure hunt started shortly after Professor Shiori lectured on Stoica and his Lythirus Gang. Apparently, Stoica passed down an important message to his descendants and followers, as well as having that message etched into his gravestone."
"What message was that? And was he actually buried on land after his death?"
"I can't make this stuff up. In fact, I still have that important message saved on my phone. It's a rhyming poem and sounds super cryptic..."
Gather at the trident that I placed in the earth above water
To watch the coral carp leap over stone gates to reach higher
Scatter gold dust on the ground for new life to prosper
And teach your descents to continue the legacy of ancestors
"So not only was Stoica very generous with sharing his treasure, but he sounds quite educated himself. Did you actually find any treasure?"
"Of course not. This poem didn't tell us anything. Our group searched around Sangokoi Strait for clues, but we didn't get very far. It's a huge area."
The redhead looked around and asked, "How come you're the only one here? Where's everyone else?"
"I called Lync already, but he said he's busy with work and meeting new clients. I never thought he'd become a workaholic."
"What about Mira?"
Ace's face turned pale immediately. "Do you actually think I can bring her back?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you know she passed away already?" That made Alice and Shun exchange confused glances again. "Sorry—it's a sensitive topic. We were hiking in the mountainous area near Sangokoi Strait when she got bit by a snake at night and fell down the slope. After that, our group disbanded because there's no point in looking for treasure with a teammate gone."
"I'm sorry for asking... I really didn't know, and Shiori-san never mentioned it."
"It's okay. Shiori-san probably felt responsible and didn't want to bring it up either. Anyway, I need to attend a study session. Anything else you wanted—"
"I have a question," Shun interrupted. "What kind of influencer are you?"
"I wouldn't consider myself an 'influencer'. I just post photos and videos of my home desk setup on my SNS for people to see what technology products I use and how I study efficiently. I do have a lot of mechanical keyboards to show off, though. See you all next time."
As the assistant professor and her secretary left the business building, the latter stopped and said, "I just remembered. I needed to do something at the library. I don't know when I'll be finished."
"No worries. Just let me know when you're done."
On her way back to the humanities building, Alice saw three familiar people in the courtyard holding their phones in the air. "Soon, Baron, and Runo? Why are you aiming your phones at the sky?"
"Professor Alice, come check out this GeoFinding app!" The mauve-haired student showed her his phone and explained what GeoFinding is. "Doesn't it sound cool?"
"It's an interesting hobby, alright. Have you found a lot of items?"
"Not that much. I think other students on campus found more hidden items than me."
The bluenette showed her phone to Alice. "I just started playing this recently, thanks to Baron. But look at Mister Big's profile. His account is barely a year old, but he already found at least a thousand items."
"Interesting... That averages to at least three discoveries per day."
"That's not the only thing he brags about." The auburn-haired student opened Mister Big's profile and scrolled down to reveal a video clip. "He claims he recently found an antique ring and is now inviting players to join him in a treasure hunt."
"Antique ring? Can I see?"
"I'll play the video for you." The quartet sat at a picnic table and watched the video.
Do you see this ring in my hand? I'm going to return it to its original location, but I'm more than happy to give hints to everyone to find this ring. Whoever finds this ring first will get to keep it, but I can't make this game too easy. Which strait is this ring located at?
The ring itself had a gold band and a blue-purple gemstone with the letter 'S' etched into it. "That ring is definitely one of a kind, but Mister Big's question sounds unusually phrased."
Alice rested her chin on interlocked fingers while thinking. "My guess is Sangokoi, but I don't know what language Mister Big accepts for an answer."
Soon entered SANGOKOI as is and saw confetti on her screen. "It worked! Now it needs your name and contact information."
"May I have your phone for a moment?"
The assistant professor entered her personal information and returned the phone to her student. "Professor Alice, are you actually going to participate in this game?" asked Baron. "What if Mister Big's just using a counterfeit ring for publicity? He's well known among several GeoFinding players, but nobody knows who he really is."
"Based on my knowledge and research, there's a possibility that this ring belonged to the infamous pirate Stoica. That also means Mister Big might've located where Stoica's treasure is. If that's the case, then I need you two to participate so that we can finish Shiori-san's anthology. Runo, do you want to join too?"
"Oh great..." the two research assistants whined.
"Treasure hunting sounds fun!" the bluenette cheered.
The redhead received a notification on her phone and stood up. "I need to leave now. Something important came up."
"See you later!" the others replied.
The redhead returned to the humanities building and saw Shun waiting outside her office. "You said this was an emergency?"
"Not an emergency, but definitely urgent." He unlocked his laptop and opened some browser tabs. "I was researching Mira Fermin's death in the library archives and found the original news report. She was bitten on the back of her neck by a red-necked keelback, whose scientific name is Rhabdophis subminiatus."
"That's exactly what Ace told us earlier."
"Then I researched this specific snake species in detail. The venomous fangs are located toward the back of the jaw, and it would need to bite really hard to inject venom into the victim. Red-necked keelbacks have an overall small body size, so they usually bite tinier objects, like human fingers and small animals."
"Are you suggesting that Mira's snakebite accident is unusual?"
"It definitely raises a lot of questions now that I did my research. If you don't mind..." The raven-haired secretary grabbed the redhead's hand for demonstration. "Biting a human finger doesn't require a lot of force or effort, but biting a larger area like someone's neck—" Wait... what am I doing?
After learning toward the back of Alice's neck, he quickly pulled away after realizing what kind of position he was in. "What about it?"
"Uh..." Shun grabbed and opened the stapler to a 180-degree angle. "That will require forcing the snake to open its mouth wider than normal."
The redhead brushed the back of her neck and played with the stapler. "What if the snake didn't bite Mira out of self-defense? What if someone pried open the snake's mouth and pressed the venomous fangs into Mira's neck? Does that mean Mira's death was a homicide and not an accident?"
"I can't think of any other explanation."
"Her death might be related to finding hidden treasure, too. Speaking of hidden treasure..." The assistant professor opened the GeoFinding app on her phone. "Baron just showed me this new online game. There's a user named Mister Big who's hosting a treasure-hunting competition."
"Baron showed me the website and app the other day too, but what competition are you talking about? I didn't get very far with the game."
After showing Shun the promotional video, Alice explained further. "There's a possibility that the blue-purple ring belonged to Stoica, and the answer to Mister Big's question is coincidentally Sangokoi. I don't know what to expect from this game, but it might lead us closer to finding your mother."
"I hope so too..."
Me: I may or may not show this later, but the original treasure-hunting poem in Chinese used non-modern grammar (I can't explain it) and also had inconsistent sentence lengths. I'm so glad I was able create an English remake that both RHYMES and makes SOME sense.
Dan: I don't understand this poem at all.
Shun: You're not supposed to understand any of it until the next chapter.
Me: "Sangokoi" just means "coral carp" (referring to the English remake poem), kind of like how "nishikigoi" is another special kind of carp. Feel free to check out my Tumblr to see what the treasure-hunt promo video looks like! As well as—
Julie: SHUN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ALICE?! Runo, come see this!
Shun: I didn't do anything.
Runo: Oh gosh... Yeah, I'll definitely be participating in the treasure hunt to make sure nothing weird is allowed to happen. See you all in the next chapter!
Me: —in which there will be the treasure hunt but also some unexpected deaths, because what would this fanfic be without any murder cases?
Ace: Let me come up with a creative hashtag and share this with my followers.
Me: That would be great! XD
𝄞 "JUSTICE" — Dreamcatcher 𝄞