Kangyang District Public Security Bureau investigator? My cousin's workplace? Why are they looking for me?
Zhang Yuanqing instinctively tensed up. Just as he was about to sneak to the bedroom door to eavesdrop, he remembered something. He quickly pulled out his phone and deleted the chat and call logs with Bing Ge.
Then he carefully folded the letter Bing Ge had written him and hid it under a potted plant on the windowsill.
Only then did he feel safe enough to crack open the door and observe discreetly.
From the entryway, he heard his grandmother's voice, answering a question with another:
"What do you want with him?"
Instead of inviting the investigators inside, she blocked the doorway.
"We need to ask him some questions. Here are our credentials," a woman's voice replied, husky and alluring.
His grandmother's gaze lingered briefly on the credentials before she frowned and reluctantly stepped aside.
Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity to open the door and scrutinize the investigators entering the living room.
The lead investigator was dressed in a black suit, paired with a white shirt and black vest. He leaned on an ebony cane, his face lean and refined, adorned with a neatly trimmed mustache. His slicked-back hair was meticulously styled.
This distinctly British flair, combined with the mustache, evoked images of a sophisticated gentleman who had returned from studying abroad during the Republic of China era.
To the left of the British-returned gentleman stood a strikingly beautiful young investigator. Her features were sharply defined, suggesting mixed heritage, and a warm smile played on her lips. Her bright, watery eyes sparkled with intelligence.
She was approximately 175 cm tall, with legs that rivaled those of a supermodel. Dressed in formal attire, her crisp white blouse was tucked into her high-waisted trousers, accentuating her slender waist and full bust—a picture of polished competence.
The final investigator wore a blank expression behind black-framed glasses. His slightly disheveled hair gave him the air of a tech geek.
"I'm Zhang Yuanqing. What brings you here?"
As Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized them, the investigators were equally assessing the young man.
The mixed-blood investigator smiled warmly. "We're investigators from the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. We have some questions for you. Please cooperate with our investigation."
"Of course."
Zhang Yuanqing led them to the living room sofa. His grandmother poured water for the three investigators, then stared at her grandson with a puzzled expression.
She couldn't imagine what could have led the warm, outgoing, and socially adept boy she had raised to require questioning by Public Security Bureau investigators.
The young investigator with disheveled hair and a vacant gaze pulled out a small notebook and pen, uncapped the pen.
The man with the slicked-back hair sat on the sofa, his hands resting on a cane. He asked solemnly, "Do you know Lei Yibing?"
So they're here about Bing Ge, Zhang Yuanqing thought. And they came so quickly. He answered truthfully, "We've been friends since childhood. Why are you asking about him now?"
A question flashed through his mind. His cousin was the Captain of the Second Team at the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. Since these investigators were conducting a home visit, they must have checked his family background.
Logically, knowing they were visiting the family of the Second Team Captain—their colleague—shouldn't they have given him a heads-up?
Don't these bureaucrats understand basic office etiquette?
Yet there had been no word from his cousin, clearly indicating he was unaware of the visit. Otherwise, even if he couldn't come himself, he would have at least called to warn Zhang Yuanqing.
"Ah, close friends!" The man tapped his polished leather shoe lightly against the floor. "Here's the situation: Lei Yibing has gone missing. The Hangzhou Public Security Bureau in Jiangnan Province contacted us, saying they traced a package Lei Yibing mailed on the morning of his disappearance. The recipient was you."
His gaze, deep as a bottomless pool, locked onto Zhang Yuanqing, as if trying to see through his heart. "Is this true?"
Zhang Yuanqing wore an expression of shock and confusion. "Missing? How is that possible?"
The tech-savvy officer taking notes reminded him, "Just answer yes or no."
"Yes," Zhang Yuanqing replied with a grave nod. "Just now, I received a package with no sender's name. I was wondering who sent it."
Denying it would be pointless. If the Public Security Bureau could track the package, reviewing the apartment complex's surveillance footage would be trivial.
The man with the slicked-back hair nodded. "What was inside the package? Please answer truthfully. This is a crucial lead for us."
The grandmother beside him sighed in relief, but couldn't help worrying about Lei Yibing. She had practically watched the boy grow up, even after he moved away years ago.
"The package was empty," Zhang Yuanqing answered. "There was nothing inside."
"Empty?" The man with the slicked-back hair narrowed his eyes, his gaze piercing Zhang Yuanqing as if trying to read his mind.
I'm lying, but the black card vanished. It's as good as empty now. Go ahead and investigate, Zhang Yuanqing thought, meeting the man's gaze steadily.
"When I opened the package, I found it was empty, except for the shock-absorbing air cushions. Oh, the package is still in my room. You can check if you don't believe me."
If Bing Ge's disappearance was what he suspected, he needed to keep it quiet for now and explain everything to his cousin when he got home from work.
For potentially risky matters like this, consulting family was always the safest approach.
The man with the slicked-back hair nodded to his female subordinate.
She smiled sweetly and entered the room. Moments later, she returned to the living room and gave her companion a subtle nod.
The man with the slicked-back hair pondered for a moment, then said:
"If it's convenient, we'd like to inspect your room and computer. Also, please let me see your phone."
Inspecting the computer is fine, but please don't check the browser history or the study materials on the hard drive, Zhang Yuanqing thought. Without hesitation, he unlocked his phone screen and handed it over.
The man with the slicked-back hair took the phone, while the female investigator re-entered the room.
Holding the phone in one hand, the man swiped a few times with his thumb before returning it to Zhang Yuanqing and patiently waited.
Fifteen minutes later, the long-legged woman emerged, shaking her head this time.
The man with the slicked-back hair nodded slightly and said gently, "Thank you for your cooperation. We won't disturb you any further."
Zhang Yuanqing quickly asked, "Could you tell me anything about Lei Yibing's situation?"
He genuinely cared about his childhood friend's disappearance, but he also needed to maintain his cover. Not asking about Lei Yibing's whereabouts would seem highly suspicious.
The man patiently explained, "Lei Yibing vanished from his dormitory. The hallway surveillance cameras didn't capture him leaving. According to one of his roommates, he saw Lei Yibing sleeping in his bed when he got up to use the restroom that night.
"But when they woke up the next morning, he was gone. After 24 hours of failed attempts to contact him, their academic advisor notified the university, who immediately alerted the police.
"For more detailed information, you'll need to contact the local Public Security Bureau."
This matched what Uncle Lei had told him, confirming that the local Public Security Bureau had made no progress. Or perhaps this guy just doesn't want to tell me anything, Zhang Yuanqing thought. He nodded.
"I understand."
The man with the slicked-back hair led his two subordinates toward the security door, stopping halfway to turn and say:
"If you find any clues, you must notify us immediately. Don't keep anything from us."
Zhang Yuanqing was about to nod when the man added with a meaningful smile:
"Otherwise, you might be the next one to disappear."
The next one to disappear?
What did he mean by that? Was he threatening me? If I don't hand over the black card, will I vanish like Bing Ge?
Speaking of which, what happened to that card? It vanished into thin air... I can't hand it over even if I wanted to.
"Thank you for the warning!" Zhang Yuanqing replied with a forced smile.
Regardless, he'd wait for his cousin to get off work before making any decisions.
Bing Ge definitely wouldn't want the card to fall into the hands of the Public Security Bureau; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent it to me. Besides, as his best friend and childhood buddy, I trust Bing Ge wouldn't screw me over.
Standing beside him, his grandmother's face darkened. "Don't bother seeing us out," she said coldly.
What's wrong with this guy? Why is he cursing my grandson for no reason?
The man chuckled, pulled a business card from his left suit pocket, and handed it over. "Contact me anytime if you need anything."
After Zhang Yuanqing took the card, the man led his two subordinates away.
"How did A-Bing go missing?" Grandmother sighed worriedly after they left. "I'll have to find time to visit A-Bing's mom." The two families had been neighbors for over a decade, seeing each other daily, and there was still some lingering affection between them.
Zhang Yuanqing, looking exhausted, said, "Grandmother, I didn't sleep well last night. I'm going back to my room to rest. If I don't wake up by noon, don't bother calling me."
"If Grandfather comes back, tell him about this and ask him to contact Uncle Lei."
He had stayed up until two or three in the morning with his aunt, and his old illness had flared up, waking him early. Already sleep-deprived, he had further drained his mental energy searching for Bing Ge's black card. Now, his brain felt like it was about to shut down.
After Grandmother nodded, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room.
He closed the door, kicked off his shoes by stepping on the heels, and collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Inside the black limousine, Li Dongze sat on a plush leather seat, his gold-handled cane leaning against the side. He swirled the crimson wine in his tall-stemmed glass.
"Guan Ya, did you find anything of interest in the room?"
He turned to look at the Mixed-Blood Beauty seated beside him.
Guan Ya leaned languidly against the soft chair, her long, slender legs pressed tightly together. Her delicate face was serious as she said, "I've made a significant discovery."
"Speak," Li Dongze replied, his expression solemn.
The techie in the back row also looked up from his phone, his attention now focused on the conversation.
Guan Ya's tone was grave. "That kid is obsessed with black-stockinged, mature women. His study materials are full of images of them, yet his trash bin is suspiciously clean. It doesn't add up."
"His social circles are vast—he's in all sorts of groups—but he's only active in gaming and pervert groups, muting notifications from all the others. His room contains nothing but a gaming console, no other entertainment items. This kid is actually quite withdrawn... Oh, Chief, you know what 'pervert' means, right?"
The Mixed-Blood Beauty grinned and mimed a wanking motion.
The two companions listened, dumbfounded. Li Dongze quickly raised his hand to interrupt, snapping angrily:
"Oh, my God! I swear, I want to kick your ass with my boot right now. I'm talking about serious matters here, and you're spouting this nonsense? I've told you countless times: no vulgar jokes, no crude humor. These habits are unbecoming and utterly lacking in elegance."
The long-legged woman remained unfazed by her superior's anger, chuckling:
"Don't be such a stick-in-the-mud. A little humor helps lighten the mood."
Her smile faded as she continued:
"I didn't find anything suspicious on his computer, but beneath the potted plant on the windowsill, I discovered a letter Lei Yibing had sent him. Lei Yibing did send him something—likely his character sheet, though I couldn't determine his class."
Li Dongze fell silent for a few seconds, closing his eyes to gather his thoughts.
"Come back tomorrow... if he hasn't gone missing by then."