Xing Conglian stood up and walked to the corner, whispering back.
There was some uncommon hesitancy in Lin Chen’s tone. “I don’t know what to think. There are too many tangled background clues in this case. The upcoming new drug launch by Zhourui Pharmaceutical, the drug factory in the rainforest, the Rainforest ethnic group used as illegal drug test subjects, Dr. Tan Kang, who was suddenly killed, and even the supplier kicked out by Zhourui Pharmaceutical. Putting all these things together makes one dizzy. And it’s hard to say whether these things are related to each other, independent, or combined in pairs—there are too many possibilities.”
“Indeed.” Xing Conglian paused and asked back, “But what does it have to do with you not getting a medical checkup?”
Lin Chen choked and said, “Can you give me a hint before suddenly changing the topic in the future?”
Xing Conglian said seriously to Lin Chen, “Okay, as long as we establish a rule that if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, should you accept punishment?”
“A fine?” Lin Chen tentatively asked.
“No, Consultant Lin, I’m actually quite rich. I don’t need that,” Xing Conglian said.
Lin Chen immediately understood. “Captain Xing, I’m still a patient.”
“No rules, no standards.”
“What do you want?”
“You can choose to be billed by the number of times or by time.” Xing Conglian thought for a moment and said sincerely, “I suggest you choose by time.”
“Xing Conglian.”
In a rare instance, Lin Chen had called out his full name.
“Yes?”
“I never realized that you were so ambitious.”
Xing Conglian finally couldn’t help but laugh.
After a while, Lin Chen’s voice came out. “I’ll listen to your advice and charge by time, but can I owe you first?”
“Three hours added for each mistake,” Xing Conglian said.
“Xing Conglian!”
Lin Chen raised his voice for the first time, and Xing Conglian could almost imagine what he looked like with his ears turning red on the phone in the hospital.
“Two hours then.” His family ran a business, so he knew what it meant to quit while you’re ahead.
“Aren’t you expecting too much now?” Lin Chen was a little angry. “What if we are not harmonious?”
“Harmony or not depends mainly on technique,” Xing Conglian said.
“Let’s talk about the case.” Lin Chen finally had to admit defeat.
“Then I’ll take it that you’ve agreed?” Xing Conglian asked with a smile.
“Tomorrow, Zhourui Pharmaceutical has a new drug presentation, and I think we need to go and listen.” Lin Chen said.
“So all the preamble just now was for this condition?” Xing Conglian pointed out.
“We know very little about Nordren. Since everything seems to revolve around this upcoming new drug, we really need to fully understand this drug and see what Zhourui is planning.”
“Reasonable.” Xing Conglian dragged his tone. “But without a medical report, Mr. Lin, how can I take you there?”
“I’m going to get a medical checkup now,” Lin Chen said, and was about to hang up the phone.
At this moment, the fingerprint test report was handed over.
Xing Conglian held the phone and said to the other side, “Hold on, don’t hang up yet.”
“What’s wrong?” Lin Chen asked.
“The fingerprint results are out.” Xing Conglian glanced over.
“Who touched the mouse?” Lin Chen asked.
“Guess?”
“Zhang Min?” Lin Chen asked tentatively.
“You really are a smart consultant.” Xing Conglian laughed.
“What about the fingerprints on Dr. Tan Kang’s notebook?”
“Guess again.”
“The fact that you’re asking means that the fingerprints on it don’t belong to Zhang Min.”
“Smart.”
“Then whose are they?”
“I don’t know.”
Lin Chen was almost choked, but after a moment of silence, he asked, “So what you’re saying is that there is a mysterious third person’s fingerprint on the notebook that does not belong to Zhang Min or Tan Kang?”
“Yes, although theoretically, the fingerprint on the notebook could belong to many people, such as anyone who happened to touch the notebook. But unfortunately, there are only two people’s fingerprints on the whole notebook—Dr. Tan Kang himself and that mysterious third person.” Xing Conglian added, “We compared the notebook with the schedule book, and the unidentified fingerprint does not belong to Dr. Tan Kang’s secretary.”
“I see, so if it wasn’t Dr. Tan Kang intentionally tampering with his notebook, then it is confirmed that only that mysterious third person touched it, right?”
Xing Conglian sighed. “You’re so smart, I really want to lock you up in a room and not let anyone else see you.”
“Captain Xing, that’s a bit twisted. I’m already at the medical center now,” Lin Chen said seriously.
“Oh, I forgot about that. Why did you suddenly bring it up?” Xing Conglian laughed.
“Because I think you’re a bit scary.”
The nurse’s voice came through the phone, directing Lin Chen to the exam room.
As the surrounding noisy voices gradually diminished, Lin Chen asked, “Why do they need to check my vision?”
“It’s a full-body check,” Xing Conglian said, folding the fingerprint report in his hand and putting it aside. Lin Chen should have entered the vision exam room, but neither of them had any intention of hanging up the phone.
Xing Conglian felt that falling in love really changed a person.
He watched the police officers bring in a large number of knives and begin a new round of comparisons. Looking at those flashing silver knives, Xing Conglian said, “I suddenly have an idea.”
“To the left.” Lin Chen was probably really checking his vision obediently, and only then asked, “What idea?”
“That fingerprint—could it belong to the murderer?” Xing Conglian said.
“You’re being too imaginative.” Lin Chen said “thank you” to someone on the other end of the line and walked out of the exam room. “But anything is possible. Maybe it was Zhang Min who did it. If you can find the murder weapon, you can nail her.”
“It’s very troublesome. Not to mention the murder weapon, we haven’t even determined what type of knife it is.” Xing Conglian sighed. “The forensic department has already brought in all the props that can be bought on the market that match the size, and it may take a few more days to find something.”
“The range of the murder weapon is too wide, so for now the most useful clue is still the surveillance. We can only start with that,” Lin Chen said. “Let’s first determine the killer’s whereabouts in the amusement park. Although I also think that a professional killer is likely to take the murder weapon away and not leave any obvious physical evidence that can be found.”
“You’re right,” said Xing Conglian gently. “Put your phone away.”
“Huh?” Lin Chen asked.
Xing Conglian covered his phone’s microphone and shouted loudly, “Wang Chao!”
There was no response from the forensic department, so Xing Conglian increased the volume again and shouted, “Anyone, bring Wang Chao to me!”
After shouting, he put the phone back to his ear and asked softly, “How is your eyesight?”
“Both eyes are 20/20, don’t worry.”
“What’s the next checkup subject?”
Lin Chen hesitated and said, “Urology.”
Xing Conglian widened his eyes and looked at the phone incredulously. “Is that a thing?”
“That’s the item you requested for me when I went in.”
“Wait, wait!” Xing Conglian quickly said.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Chen was indifferent. “It seems there’s also a digital rectal exam. I saw it on the list.”
Xing Conglian heard the sound of flipping through papers.
“What the hell is that?”
Lin Chen laughed. “Don’t you know? It’s when they use their hands…”
“No! You can’t go!” Xing Conglian suddenly woke up and felt a creepy sensation.
“But if we’re missing a few items, can the medical examination still be considered passed?” Lin Chen asked back.
Xing Conglian felt like he was caught in a difficult situation. “I’ll be responsible for those items.”
Lin Chen’s low laughter came through the phone. “Come on.”
……
Wang Chao gasped for breath as he ran up from the ground floor to the forensic department. What he saw was his boss holding the phone and laughing.
He wanted to turn around and leave, but his boss noticed him in advance and beckoned him over with a finger.
Wang Chao walked over to the corner and slapped his boss’s shoulder hard. He said with a serious tone, “Boss, I’m on your side. Can you please tone it down a bit?” He glanced around at the colleagues passing by. “Although your corner is quite secluded, haven’t you noticed that everyone is looking at you?”
Xing Conglian hung up the phone. “What are they looking at?”
“Your teenage boy’s crush looks suspicious, you know?”
“It’s okay. I’m in love. It’s normal.” Xing Conglian patted his head amiably and suddenly felt very apologetic. “Sorry, I forgot again. You’ve never been in a relationship, so you don’t understand.”
Wang Chao turned around to leave.
“Come back here.” His boss shouted behind him.
Driven to desperation by poverty, Comrade Xiao Wang stamped his feet and obediently returned to his original position.
“How’s the surveillance going?”
“I have some leads.”
“What do you mean by ‘some’?”
“I’ve confirmed 70% of the killer’s activity route and found a very strange detail.”
Xing Conglian nodded. “Let’s go. I’ll go with you to take a look.”
Comrade Xiao Wang widened his eyes. “So, why did you specifically call me to run over earlier?”
“To pick you up. Don’t you even understand this?” Xing Conglian patted his head lovingly.
Wang Chao turned his head and left. Xing Conglian jumped off the table and hooked his neck. “What did you find in the surveillance?”
Wang Chao didn’t even listen to what was said, still immersed in sadness. “Boss, why are you in love, but you’re not nice to me at all?”
“How am I not nice to you?”
“You keep saying that I haven’t been in love.”
“Well, you really haven’t.”
“It’s all because of you that I haven’t been in a relationship.”
“Blaming me?”
“You always make me do this and that, so I don’t have a personal life.”
“That’s great. You can choose to run away from home and find your own personal life.”
“No, I have no money.”
“So what? If you’re poor, you shouldn’t be in love. Can’t you just make money?”
“Asshole!”
“Oh, you know how to curse now.”
Wang Chao’s heart hardened, and he asked, “Can you introduce me to a girlfriend?”
Lin Chen had certainly thought before that if one day he could be lucky enough to be with Xing Conglian, they would definitely have a very interesting life. As it turned out, his speculation was correct.
After saying “goodbye” to Xing Conglian, Lin Chen took out his headset and walked out of the ward with a thick stack of medical examination reports that needed to be filled out by a doctor.
At the moment the door opened, the medical staff pushing the hospital bed whizzed past, and Lin Chen stepped back and stood back in the doorway.
In a moment of surprise, he saw an old man lying on the hospital bed, feeling that fate was unpredictable, often just like this moment.
He remembered yesterday walking through the special care ward and seeing the old man full of energy educating his subordinates, but now he lay on the hospital bed without any awareness, as if only one breath remained.
The elevator door opened in the distance, and the hospital bed was quickly pushed in. The iron gate closed, and the floor numbers on the elevator sign quickly descended.
Slow footsteps sounded behind him, and Lin Chen turned his head and was surprised to see the young subordinate who had been reprimanded by the old man yesterday.
They looked at each other, and the young man in a suit and leather shoes avoided his gaze. It seemed he didn’t intend to chase after the hospital bed.
Lin Chen held the medical examination report and took a brief look at the other person. He turned his feet and walked towards the other person.
The young man’s hair was very soft, as if deliberately highlighting a fierce temperament, and his hairstyle was cut very short, making him look out of place. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and an ill-fitting suit, looked dejected, and had no pain or resentment on his face, only confusion.
“Hello,” Lin Chen greeted the other person.
“I’m sorry to have troubled you.”
He didn’t expect the other person to answer like this. “Troubled? “
The young man lowered his head even more. “When I was scolded by the chairman yesterday, you just happened to pass by.”
Lin Chen was even more surprised. With such short eye contact yesterday, the young man could remember him, and now he mentioned this embarrassing thing specifically. Following the principle of saying what was on his mind, he asked strangely, “Why suddenly bring this up?”
“I…” The young man hesitated. Although he looked like he didn’t know whether to speak or not, he continued, “I thought…you wanted to talk to me about something. I thought that this would be…the beginning…”
He patted the other person’s shoulder calmly and explained to him, “Would you feel that such a beginning is suited for starting an intimate conversation?”
The young man rubbed his face with his hand, shook his head, and turned to leave.
Lin Chen was helpless. Why did he always encounter such vague and unclear things when he just went out for a medical examination? After the young man took a step out, he stopped him. “I’m going for a medical examination now. It will take about an hour. If you have time, would you like to accompany me?”
The young man turned around and nodded vigorously.
Lin Chen stood at the elevator entrance, and the young man beside him politely pressed the elevator button for him as if he were used to doing this. When the elevator door opened, the other person even held the door and let him go in first.
“The chairman is sick. Don’t you have to go and keep him company?” Standing in the elevator, Lin Chen found a topic to chat with the other person.
“I made the chairman sick. He told me to fuck off and never show up in front of him again.”
The young man’s voice was thin and soft, as if it could be cut off at any moment. Lin Chen thought about this sentence in his heart. Normally, when a chairman met a disliked subordinate, he would only say “you don’t have to come to work tomorrow”. Saying things like “fuck off” and “never show up in front of me again” didn’t seem quite right.
“Then resign.” He thought for a moment and replied.
The young man looked at him resentfully.
“He’s not your father, so you don’t need to be so subservient.”
The young man smiled bitterly.
Lin Chen suddenly understood something. “Is he really your father?”
The young man lowered his head again and pecked like a little chick.
“Are relationships in rich families always so twisted that the son has to call his father the chairman…” Lin Chen said, thinking of Xing Conglian for no reason.
In fact, since Xing Conglian revealed his wealth, he had always avoided thinking about this kind of issue. Who knew what the Xing family would do because the eldest grandson of the main branch married a homosexual. Although he subconsciously believed that Xing Conglian’s parents wouldn’t come to him throwing a check, it was hard to predict the thoughts of the rich.
Just as Lin Chen was getting lost in his strange thoughts, the young man who had been following him finally couldn’t help but speak. “The chairman… has always disliked me… He thinks I’m too weak… And I made a big mistake recently… I failed a bidding project… and the chairman got sick because of anger… Isn’t that my fault?”
Hearing this, Lin Chen turned his head to look. He suddenly realized that since he met Duan Yang, he might have a special physique that attracted confused young people. Why was this stranger already telling him about his personal struggles?
Lin Chen sighed, and the elevator door opened.
He walked out first, and the young man followed like a lost little duck.
“What kind of illness does your father have?” Lin Chen stood at the elevator entrance and asked, looking at the floor indicator in the lobby.
“Hypertension, but the doctor said there might be a cerebral hemorrhage…”
“If there is a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, the patient should be sent for an MRI first, right?” Lin Chen followed the indicator and walked to the right.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“I don’t know why, but when I see you, I want to talk. I’m really sorry… It’s not good for someone like me to be so forward, right?”
“I can only say that your personality is not suitable for the job you are doing now, such as being in charge of the bidding case, right?” Lin Chen said as he walked.
“You’re being too direct.” The young man couldn’t take it.
“Actually, it’s not really your personality that’s the problem, but rather your temperament. You seem to have a typical phlegmatic temperament. You can remember me after a brief eye contact, which indicates that your intelligence and memory abilities are quite good. You are better suited to be a scientist or an artist, rather than managing a factory. The factory has wasted your potential,” Lin Chen comforted him.
“How do you know that I work at a factory?”
“You’re wearing a suit with the logo of ‘Guanghua Chemicals’ embroidered on it.”
The young man nervously touched his pocket and said embarrassedly, “I used to work in chemistry, but the chairman said I had to take over the factory in the future and couldn’t do research anymore, so I was transferred to management. But I really don’t understand it.”
“It’s already not easy for you to know what you can and cannot do,” Lin Chen comforted him and led him to turn right.
At the end of the hallway was a closed magnetic resonance imaging room, and the door reflected a metallic silver light.
The young man also saw it, and his words trembled. “You mean…me?”
Lin Chen folded the medical report and put it in his pocket. “Since he is your father, let me accompany you.”
He didn’t know what was wrong with his words, but the young man’s eyes turned red in an instant.
Many people came and went outside the MRI room every day. Lin Chen stayed outside with the young man for a while, watching the patients and their families come and go, and listening to him talk about things related to the chairman.
The young man said his name was Zhan Tianming, only one letter away from a famous railway expert. He hoped his father could survive, because he was worried that he would have to take on the heavy responsibility of managing the entire factory, but he also felt that such a mentality was too selfish. He wanted to become stronger, but his personality issues became a deep problem for him. He really couldn’t manage people.
Zhan Tianming didn’t have deep feelings for his father, which stemmed from the constant criticism and lessons he received during his upbringing. His father controlled everything in his life, including his choice of major in chemistry in college and his current transfer to management. All of these decisions were made with the factory in mind.
Lin Chen listened silently, building a psychological profile of this young man. Zhan Tianming’s case was all too typical, and distorted father-son relationships often have similarities. He also quickly understood why Mr. Zhan would vent his inner emotions to anyone he could find because, in his life controlled by his father, he really didn’t have anyone to talk to.
Not long after, the isolation door of the MRI room opened again, and Mr. Zhan’s attending doctor walked out. Zhan Tianming rushed up to him.
“The patient’s brain hemorrhage is still relatively severe, but there should be no immediate danger to his life. I still recommend conservative treatment…” The doctor said a lot.
After listening for a long time, Zhan Tianming finally asked, “The chairman, will he recover?”
“You know, the brain is very difficult to predict. The specific damage situation depends on the absorption of the hematoma. I will still lower the blood pressure in the early stages and cooperate with some drugs that can absorb brain hematoma. However, brain damage is irreversible, and there are many drugs to choose from. The specific treatment plan will be determined after consultation…” The doctor wore a mask. When he said this, he suddenly stopped and said, “I remember Mr. Zhan is in the pharmaceutical industry?”
“We are a chemical company and also produce pharmaceutical-related chemical additives. But strictly speaking, we cannot be considered a professional pharmaceutical company,” Zhan Tianming answered very honestly.
“If you can get some Nordren through special channels, Mr. Zhan’s recovery may be better.”
Upon hearing this, Zhan Tianming’s expression visibly lowered. ” Nordren…?”
Lin Chen had been sitting outside the MRI room all this time. When he heard the word ” Nordren”, he looked at the doctor in surprise. The doctor was about forty years old, and his expression when he mentioned Nordren didn’t seem fake. He seemed to recommend the drug because its efficacy was indeed significant. And according to the doctor’s words, Nordren hadn’t yet been officially mass-produced, so it could only be obtained through special channels. Therefore, he had no great interest in making recommendations for his own benefit.
“Do you… know about Nordren?” Lin Chen stood up from the bench and asked the doctor.
“Who are you?” The doctor hesitated.
“I… am a friend of Mr. Zhan.” Lin Chen looked at Zhan Tianming and answered.
“Oh.” The doctor didn’t ask much and answered very straightforwardly. “This drug is closely related to our neurology department, so I have been tracking and observing it. Its clinical effect is indeed good, but it is a later-stage treatment. The early stage is still mainly drugs that promote hematoma absorption.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Chen suddenly remembered the scene when Duan Yang first took him to the hospital. They were at the door of the neurology department, watching the elderly people who were unable to move due to brain damage, and Duan Yang explained to him what a revolutionary drug it was.
“Is this drug really that good?” Suddenly, a nearby patient’s family member approached.
The auntie’s voice was very loud, and there were many patients’ family members at the door of the MRI room. When they heard the word “drug”, more people crowded around.
“In the pharmaceutical industry, it is difficult to define good or bad standards,” the doctor said frankly.
The auntie grabbed the doctor and said, “Didn’t you just say it’s good? My husband also had a brain hemorrhage last time, and now he is paralyzed. Can this drug cure him?”
“Specific circumstances depend on your husband’s medical case. It’s hard to say.”
“We can’t understand what you doctors are saying!” the auntie complained. “Just tell me the truth.”
Seeing more and more family members of patients around prick up their ears, Lin Chen said slowly, “But I remember the listing process for Nordren was quite complicated, and it caused fatalities.”
“I’m not too sure about that.” The doctor put his mask back on. “I’m just suggesting an option. I remember Zhourui will be holding a new drug presentation at a hotel tomorrow. You can go check where it is and learn more for yourself. It should be better than just listening to me.”
After the doctor finished speaking, Mr. Zhan’s hospital bed was pushed out, and the doctor left with it after nodding to them.
However, the family members outside the MRI room were in an uproar.
The auntie with sharp ears grabbed Mr. Xiao Zhan. “Do you have connections? Can you get this medicine? Tell me, how did you manage to get it?”
Lin Chen backed away and avoided the onslaught of the patients’ families. He watched as Mr. Xiao Zhan became a small boat in a storm, being pulled and tugged until his clothes were all wrinkled. The people around him finally let him go, probably because they felt he was too inky in his speech.
Zhan Tianming stood there in silence, looking depressed from the moment Lin Chen mentioned “Nordren”.
Seeing this, Lin Chen walked over, patted his shoulder, and asked, “Does your failed bidding project have anything to do with Zhourui Pharmaceutical?”
Upon hearing this question, Mr. Xiao Zhan was about to cry.
“Can I go see the chairman first?” Mr. Xiao Zhan looked around. “Where did they take the chairman?”
“Just now, the doctor said that Chairman Zhan will be sent to the intensive care unit. No visitors are allowed,” Lin Chen replied.
“Oh?” Mr. Xiao Zhan hesitated. “I see. Are you still going for the physical examination? Shall I accompany you?”
“Forget it, let’s go see your father in the ICU,” Lin Chen said as he walked forward, and Mr. Xiao Zhan followed closely behind.
After walking for a long while, Mr. Xiao Zhan finally asked, “Why do you want to know about the bidding project, and… What is the Nordren fatality case all about?”
“I thought you didn’t care,” Lin Chen turned around and said.
“Really?” Mr. Xiao Zhan hesitated for a moment and continued, “I didn’t ignore your question just now. I just didn’t know where to start.”
“You can start anywhere,” Lin Chen said.
But about five minutes later, Lin Chen deeply regretted what he had just said.
To be exact, although Mr. Xiao Zhan spoke slowly, it didn’t mean he spoke less.
Mr. Xiao Zhan was a bona fide chatterbox, starting from the entire process of a drug going to market and explaining in detail the complex process of a drug ultimately being used by patients.
Lin Chen frowned and listened. On the pharmaceutical company side, there were a series of processes such as early project selection, product research and development, animal experiments, and clinical trials. It was rare to obtain approval for a drug to be marketed, and there were still many problems in drug production, promotion, storage, transportation, and other aspects.
Mr. Xiao Zhan’s father’s factory mainly provided an emulsifier to Zhourui Pharmaceutical in the long term. The specific chemical terms made Lin Chen’s head spin, but he still summarized the key information in Mr. Xiao Zhan’s words. Guanghua Chemicals had been providing emulsifiers to Zhourui Pharmaceutical for years, but they lost to another relatively unknown company in the bidding meeting for the new year.
What was originally well arranged suddenly changed, but business losses were secondary. The main issue was that Chairman Zhan doubted Mr. Xiao Zhan’s ability.
Today, Chairman Zhan heard from an insider in Zhourui’s procurement department that the reason why Guanghua Chemicals failed in the bid wasn’t because of the price but because abnormal impurities were detected in the emulsifier they previously provided. Fortunately, the pharmaceutical factory’s quality inspection personnel were responsible and discovered the problem. However, the company’s senior management was furious and put Guanghua Chemicals on the blacklist.
Lin Chen and Mr. Xiao Zhan walked to the vending machine, took out three coins from their pockets, and bought a bottle of chilled Coke. Mr. Xiao Zhan’s voice was so gloomy that it could squeeze out water. “I was in charge of production before, and Chairman Zhan thought…I didn’t manage production well and caused the problem. But I…I don’t know what happened.”
The Coke rolled out, and Lin Chen bent down to take it.
Mr. Xiao Zhan continued, “But if there is a problem with our product, why didn’t they come to us for compensation? Both the business process and the legal process can be followed, but they just kicked us out without giving us a chance to make things right. This is just unreasonable.”
Lin Chen had been silent all along, but when he heard this, he handed the Coke to the young man in front of him and said calmly, “Indeed.”
Mr. Xiao Zhan looked up and refused his Coke. “I don’t drink carbonated drinks.”
Lin Chen showed him his injured hand and said calmly, “I’m asking you to help me open it. It’s not convenient for me.”
Mr. Xiao Zhan was embarrassed again and quickly helped him open the can.
Lin Chen took a sip of the Coke, thought about something, and asked, “Can your father’s internal relationship with Zhourui Pharmaceutical tell you what type of impurity it is?”
Mr. Xiao Zhan shook his head vigorously. “I don’t even know how the chairman got this information, and he didn’t tell me. If I knew, I would definitely go and ask him!” Mr. Xiao Zhan pushed his glasses up and rolled up his sleeves.
Now that Chairman Zhan was in a coma and the matter involved an insider, it was unlikely they could find the specific person for the time being. Lin Chen pursed his lips and said to Mr. Xiao Zhan, “Are you a chemical expert?”
“Well… I can’t say I’m an expert in chemical engineering. I just studied it…”
Lin Chen interrupted him. “I suggest you go back and check your factory’s emulsifier products yourself, and it would be better to have a report from a reputable professional institution. At the same time, check all the supply reports for previous batches, and if there are samples left, it would be even better to preserve all the evidence.” Lin Chen put the Coke bottle on the windowsill and took out his phone. “In short, do it as soon as possible.”
“I was planning to do that, and I’m going back now!” Mr. Xiao Zhan said as he was about to leave, but he suddenly stopped, feeling uneasy. “But… what about the chairman?”
Looking at him, Lin Chen asked, “Do you think the factory is more important to your father, or his own life?”
“Of course, the factory is more important,” Mr. Xiao Zhan answered without hesitation.
“So, do you understand what you should do?” Lin Chen asked in response.
……
Xing Conglian was in the forensic science department, waiting for the fingerprint identification results.
Around him were forensic police officers coming and going. Some were examining the blood-stained clothes from when Tan Kang was stabbed yesterday, but more were doing knife comparison work.
The crime scene where Tan Kang was stabbed, and the surrounding garbage bins didn’t reveal the weapon used by the killer. They could only determine the type of knife used to stab Tan Kang from his wounds. The forensics lab was filled with all kinds of knives of various sizes purchased from the market, but so far, they hadn’t found a weapon that matched the size.
There were very few leads available, with only a pile of blurry surveillance videos left. Wang Chao and the other officers were tirelessly reviewing the videos.
Xing Conglian took out a cigarette, and just then, his phone rang.
As he answered the phone, Xing Conglian felt inexplicably nervous. “What’s wrong? Is the medical checkup result not good?”
“Um…” Lin Chen’s voice came through the phone.
Hearing the hesitation in his voice, Xing Conglian suddenly had a strange suspicion. “You haven’t gone for the checkup yet, have you?”
“I was planning to, but something came up,” Lin Chen said.
If Lin Chen were in front of him, Xing Conglian would have the urge to knock him down, take off his pants, and spank him, but this was Lin Chen. He couldn’t do that, so he just imagined the scene in his mind and patiently asked, “What happened?”
“I met someone strange.” Lin Chen paused and said, “To be precise, it’s a lead that can’t be called a lead.”
Xing Conglian switched the phone to his other hand and listened to Lin Chen’s simple description of the supply problem at Guanghua Chemicals. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Zhourui Pharmaceutical suddenly changed its supplier because of impurities in the raw materials?”
“It’s not exactly sudden, but it did happen recently,” Lin Chen said.
“Do you think there’s a problem here?”
“I’m not sure. It may be because I’ve been listening to too many complicated issues in the drug marketing process that I suddenly feel that we may have jumped to conclusions at the beginning, and this matter may not be as we thought.”
Since Tan Kang was killed, he must have done or prepared to do something that crossed the killer’s bottom line.
There were, of course, psychopathic killers who would just kill if they didn’t think you were pleasing to the eye, but obviously this was an extreme example that didn’t apply to Dr. Tan Kang’s murder. He was killed in a premeditated conspiracy, and they were all sure of that.
But being sure of this didn’t mean they had solved the case. It was just a direction; they still had to investigate who the killer was and why Tan Kang was killed.
Xing Conglian went with Wang Chao to search for clues before Tan Kang’s death at the Zhourui Pharmaceutical headquarters, while Lin Chen stayed alone in the hospital. The office wasn’t a place where one would want to hide secrets. The slightest movements and changes in emotions would be noticed, remembered, and discussed secretly. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. This was how social interaction works.
The staff at Zhourui Pharmaceutical had already prepared tea early on.
Xing Conglian sat alone in the reception room, listening to the other party politely offer to replace the green tea with coffee or any other beverage if necessary.
He didn’t seem eager to investigate the case, but instead smiled and asked if they also provided an alcohol menu.
The female employee in professional attire suddenly turned red when she heard this. Just then, the office door was pushed open again, and the female employee suddenly stood at attention and reverted to her professional routine look.
From the sound of the sharp high heels stepping into the office, Xing Conglian could probably guess that the person coming must be a cold and arrogant lady who didn’t tolerate nonsense. He took a sip of tea and said to the female employee in front of him, “Just green tea,” before turning to look behind him.
The fragrance of cold perfume, tall and styled black hair, high heels over 10 cm, and the pure black professional suit of the lady coming towards him were more terrifying than he had imagined.
Yesterday, after the case was reported, some police officers from the bureau had already conducted a round of investigations at Zhourui, and the two who came back told Xing Conglian that the manager of the public relations department, Zhang Min, was particularly…
They couldn’t think of any adjectives to describe her after saying “particularly”. Xing Conglian could now fill in the missing adjectives for these two people.
Manager Zhang of the public relations department at Zhourui Pharmaceutical was particularly precise, particularly meticulous, and particularly tough like a well-oiled machine on the assembly line.
Xing Conglian stood up and shook hands with the other party.
“Hello, Captain Xing, can the child who came with you wait in the lobby?” The first thing Manager Zhang asked was this.
Xing Conglian sighed secretly, knowing that the investigation work from Zhourui Pharmaceutical was really well done. He and Wang Chao entered the door one after the other, and the other party even knew that Wang Chao came with him. He sighed and half-jokingly replied, “Yes, my wife is not feeling well, and the child has no one to take care of, so I had to bring him to work with me.”
Manager Zhang didn’t look at him suspiciously but pointed out the problem directly. “You don’t seem to be old enough to be the father of a high school student.”
“Mainly because I have a baby face.” Xing Conglian replied.
A normal person would probably be choked and unable to speak after hearing such an obviously evasive answer, but Manager Zhang insisted on making herself clear. “If you’re here to investigate Zhourui Pharmaceutical with some secret personnel, there’s no need to do this. Everything in our company is open to the police.” She paused, then continued, “Of course, except for some commercial secrets. You need a search warrant from the court to see those.”
“Why bother?” Xing Conglian raised his voice. “Zhourui Pharmaceuticals pays so much tax to our city every year, and the higher-ups have already explained it to me. We must not be too difficult on our taxpayers. This is a routine investigation. You don’t have to worry too much.”
Manager Zhang crossed her arms and smirked coldly.
“So, Captain Xing, how do you plan to investigate?”
“I’d like to go to Dr. Tan Kang’s office first and see if his secretary is available to accompany me,” Xing Conglian said, thinking for a moment. “I’ll also need your cooperation to talk to the office staff and ask for their cooperation in the investigation. I might find some clues and need to ask someone a few questions…”
“Please rest assured that Zhourui Pharmaceuticals will definitely cooperate with the investigation,” Manager Zhang said confidently, gesturing to the side.
Xing Conglian tilted his head and smiled. “Then, would you please lead the way, Manager Zhang?”
With just a few words exchanged with the head of the public relations department, Xing Conglian was already missing Lin Chen. Without Lin Chen by his side, he could only deal with these difficult people himself during the investigation.
Xing Conglian walked along the corridor in the office area, smelling the faint scent of disinfectant in the air, and casually remarked, “Zhourui Pharmaceutical has had a lot of trouble recently. There was even an employee who held a doctor in Yongchuan hostage before and was killed…”
Manager Zhang suddenly stopped in her tracks, and Xing Conglian almost ran into her.
“Captain Xing, please speak plainly if you have something to say. Don’t beat around the bush,” Manager Zhang turned around and said coldly.
“Hey, hey. I was just talking casually. Don’t get excited. It’s not good for your health.”
“As a Zhourui employee, how could I not get excited? Captain Xing, aren’t you implying that our company has some shady dealings in the process of promoting our new drug, or even maliciously attacking the experts from the Food and Drug Administration during the review process? But have you ever thought about how this would have a more negative impact on our company than benefits? Do we have any reason to tarnish our new drug in this way? If we’re not careful, the drug could be permanently banned, and the billions of dollars in initial investment would be wasted.”
“That makes sense…” Xing Conglian rubbed his chin. “But now, your new drug—what’s it’s called—’Nordron’, has already been approved for marketing. It doesn’t seem to have a big impact, does it?”
“Nordren,” Manager Zhang said directly. “Your conversation just now was full of ridicule. I can feel your bias against our company.”
In Xing Conglian’s impression, those in charge of the public relations department were usually soft-spoken and easy to talk to. Zhourui Pharmaceutical had a unique taste, since they had hired such a strong-willed person in charge.
“I wouldn’t call it bias. Look, for the sake of a drug, several people have died in your company. Even if I’m not a detective, ordinary people would be suspicious, right?”
“If you have any doubts about our company’s medication, you can apply for intervention from the Food and Drug Administration to investigate…”
“Well, I don’t really have any suspicions for now!” Xing Cong interrupted her. “Chemical medicine is something that really gives me a headache. Don’t make me look into that. What I mean is, you’ve been working here for so long, you must have a good eye for things, yet you didn’t find anything unusual, especially with Dr. Tan Kang…”
The female manager was about to speak, but Xing Conglian interrupted her again, his tone serious. “Think carefully before you answer. Answering too quickly will make it seem rehearsed.”
After speaking, he walked straight to the large office of the research and development department, not saying anything more to Manager Zhang.
As he walked into the office, at least a dozen pairs of eyes looked at him. Xing Conglian smiled and looked back at the most cautious-looking pair of eyes in the corner. The person quickly looked away, and Xing Conglian noted the position of that desk before he came to the door of Mr. Tan Kang’s office.
There was still a nameplate with “Tan Kang” on the door, and a police seal was posted on the side of the door.
In fact, this seal didn’t quite meet the standards, but Xing Conglian was mindful of it before the forensic police officers came here to do their work yesterday. He instructed the officers not to touch anything inside after collecting the evidence, put all the items back in their original places, take photos of the scene, and then post the seal before leaving.
He tore off the seal, walked into the office, and closed the door. There were no signs that the seal had been removed, and the office didn’t look like someone had sneaked in. This indicated that there might not be any important clues in Mr. Tan Kang’s office that the killer was interested in, which disappointed Xing Conglian. He put on gloves and sat in Mr. Tan Kang’s office chair.
The same was true of the desk. Lin Chen would probably make some character evaluations if he were here. In fact, with Lin Chen’s restless personality, he was probably lying in bed now, looking at the photos of the office taken by the forensic police officers yesterday…
Sure enough, just as he thought this, Lin Chen’s voice sounded in his ear. “Tan Kang’s is left-handed.”
“Didn’t we agree to focus on the medical examination?” Xing Conglian asked as he scanned the layout of the entire desk. There was a photo of Tan Kang working on the desk, and Dr. Tan Kang did indeed hold his pen with his left hand. The lighting and the placement of some important items on the desk all indicated this. Finally, his gaze fell on the mouse next to Mr. Tan Kang’s keyboard.
“Is it reasonable to have a left-handed mouse on the right side?” he asked.
“Of course not,” Lin Chen said.
This situation could only mean that after Mr. Tan Kang last used his computer, a right-handed person had also used it.
Thinking of Dr. Tan Kang being murdered, Xing Conglian asked, “Do you think the people from Zhourui Pharmaceutical deleted important information from his computer, or did they come over to check if Dr. Tan Kang had ‘smuggled’ company secrets out?”
“Anyway, we need to investigate to find out. I hope the forensics department has collected fingerprints from the mouse.” Lin Chen’s voice came through the earphones, making him feel itchy. Since he started dating Lin Chen, Xing Conglian felt that his enjoyment of life had been increasing day by day.
“Of course, we’ve collected them…” Xing Conglian was about to speak but was interrupted by a light cough on the earphone channel.
“Boss, there are two black-clothed bodyguards from Zhourui sitting ten meters away from me, monitoring me. Can you stop dating for a moment? Do you think they will do something to me?”
Only then did Xing Conglian remember that Wang Chao was still in the channel. He thought the teenager was probably playing games on the sofa in the lobby, and he was angry. “Do you look like you are worth someone doing something to you? I need to check the computer usage records of Tan Kang…”
“But I’m being monitored now.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
Wang Chao dragged his tone. “First, please turn on the computer.”
Upon hearing this, Xing Conglian bent down to turn on the computer. The office door was pushed open by Manager Zhang, who was accompanied by Dr. Tan Kang’s secretary. Manager Zhang said sharply, “Captain Xing, what are you doing?”
“Tying my shoelaces.” Xing Conglian replied.
“I thought you were secretly checking the office computer of our company’s important developer,” Manager Zhang sneered. “This computer belongs to the company’s property. Its owner was the most senior R&D personnel of our company. Unless you confirm that there is evidence or clues closely related to the murder of Dr. Tan Kang, and obtain a search warrant from the court, you can’t…”
Xing Conglian smiled and raised his hand, “No, no…”
However, the computer’s startup sound betrayed him.
The screen suddenly lit up, and Xing Conglian glanced at the main interface. The only hope was that Wang Chao’s hand speed was fast enough. Zhang Min stepped on her high heels hard and rushed over at lightning speed. Xing Conglian had to pretend to stand up with too much movement and swept the mouse to the ground. In that instant, Zhang Min almost impossibly picked up the mouse; her gaze cold.
Xing Conglian took a step back and apologized, “I’m sorry to trouble you.”
Although he said so, there was no hint of remorse on his face. The female manager bent down to pick up the mouse, and Wang Chao’s comment “It’s done, but your acting skills are too poor, Boss” came through Xing Conglian’s earphones.
The computer was turned off again, and Xing Conglian began to wander around the office as if nothing had happened. He wore gloves, and his fingers swept across Tan Kang’s bookshelf.
Zhang Min was still emphasizing to him, “Captain Xing, the state has given us taxpayers the right to accept fair and just investigations. Our company has opened Mr. Tan Kang’s office to you, which shows our sincerity.”
Xing Conglian turned around and asked the female secretary, who had been standing by silently, “Why is Manager Zhang so nervous? Is there anything particularly strange on your boss’s computer?”
The female secretary rubbed her clothes’ corners with her fingers, hesitant to speak.
Xing Conglian shifted his gaze to Zhang Min. “Manager Zhang, this is still a problem for us police.”
“If you have anything to say, Mr. Police Officer, ask it,” Zhang Min said solemnly.
“No, Manager Zhang is very nervous because there are indeed some company secrets on the boss’ computer. Basically, all the materials from the R&D department and the medical department are collected by the boss. It’s really not because we don’t want you to see it.”
“Understood,” Xing Conglian said. “Do you have things like Mr. Tan Kang’s schedule? I want to take a look.”
“Yes.” The secretary ran out quickly and came back in a hurry.
Zhang Min stood with her arms crossed and supervised their conversation.
Xing Conglian flipped through the schedule book. Sure enough, Tan Kang’s schedule for yesterday was originally full of meetings, but suddenly it was canceled and changed to a day off.
“The boss suddenly proposed to take the day off. It was about 7 p.m. the day before yesterday. He suddenly called me and said that he had a severe cold and would take a day off tomorrow, canceling all his schedule.”
“Did he come to work on the day he asked for leave? Was there anything unusual happening?”
“The boss came to work that day. As for unusual things… there doesn’t seem to be anything… except that he left a little late.” Ms. Secretary fell into deep thought. “There was nothing special except that.”
Xing Conglian nodded and suddenly asked, “Seeing that Manager Zhang is so nervous about the computer, I suppose Mr. Tan Kang’s office is off-limits to outsiders, right?”
“Yes, if the boss is not here, we cannot enter. There are also surveillance cameras at the entrance. Indeed, there are too many commercial secrets involved here.”
“I see.” Xing Conglian put away the schedule book and asked, “Can I take this book with me?” He handed the notebook to Zhang Min. “Does Manager Zhang want to check it again to see if it involves any of your company’s commercial secrets?”
Zhang Min shook her head and handed it back, saying, “No need. Our company is not that secretive.”
Xing Conglian put the notebook in his pocket and walked around the office again. He suddenly stopped in front of a small book on the desk and flicked it with his hand. A loose-leaf notebook with the logo of Zhourui Pharmaceutical was scattered.
He pressed the notebook with his finger and asked the secretary, “Is this notebook exclusively for your boss? I see that the cover is the same as yours.”
“Yes, they are all distributed uniformly by the company.”
Xing Conglian looked at Zhang Min, casually flipped through the notebook, looked at the photo of a little girl inside, and silently put it back.
He symbolically looked around the office a few times and finally smiled and said to the two people in the office, “I’m done.”
“Captain Xing’s efficiency is indeed high.”
“Well, as I said, it’s just a routine matter, but Manager Zhang is so uneasy.” He walked to the door and said, “I’m very interested in Mr. Tan’s notebook. If Manager Zhang thinks the content is inconvenient, I can leave it, but can I take the shell?”
……
Lin Chen sat on the hospital bed, very surprised to hear Xing Conglian’s words.
“What did you find?” he asked.
Xing Conglian took a while before answering, “That woman is very powerful.”
“Boss, you can’t be afraid of women just because you’re gay!” Wang Chao said.
Then Lin Chen heard the usual sound of pulling hair and a scream, followed by the sound of the car door opening and closing.
He calmly peeled off the grape skin beside him and waited for the two to finish their war.
Finally, the voice of Xing Conglian sounded. “Have you ever seen a manager of a public relations department who can fight better than your brother Zhang Long?”
“So powerful?”
Lin Chen didn’t know when arrogant Comrade Zhang Long became a benchmark for fighting, but Xing Conglian added, “That kid is actually a coward.”
“I don’t quite understand,” Lin Chen said.
“That Manager Zhang’s reaction is too agile, and her posture and demeanor indicate that she is quite skilled,” Xing Conglian said.
“Boss, do you suspect that this terrible woman is the murderer who killed Dr. Tan Kang?”
“I didn’t say that, but I remember that large pharmaceutical companies have global security departments, and Wang Chao…”
Before Xing Conglian finished speaking, Wang Chao said, “Zhang Min, 2001 to 2016, served as a staff member, deputy director, and director of the security department of Zhourui Pharmaceutical…”
“So they specially found the head of the security department to deal with us police. Why are those in public relations never satisfied with their work?” Xing Conglian laughed. “What is Zhourui Pharmaceutical afraid of…”
“Boss, can you not laugh so sinisterly?”
“Can we access Tan Kang’s computer now?”
“I just set it to automatically turn on, and it should have already turned on.” Wang Chao paused and said timidly, “Boss, what do you want to check?”
“Only check the usage record of this computer. Are there any abnormal emails and external device usage records in the three to five days before Tan Kang’s death?”
“Hey, Boss, it’s not easy for you to use the term ‘external device’!” Wang Chao made a deadpan, sarcastic remark again.
Lin Chen stuffed the peeled grapes into his mouth and saved the teenager before he was beaten again. “Did you find anything?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“What does that mean?” Xing Conglian’s hand was still…
“Boss, there were no abnormal email and external device usage records.” Wang Chao said.
Lin Chen was very surprised. Although no one had mentioned it before, everyone was guessing in their hearts that Tan Kang was likely to have been killed because he had stolen company-related information and was ready to hand it over to relevant parties, just like in movies. But now, Tan Kang hadn’t used his office computer to steal any information, which was hard to understand.
There was silence in the communication channel. In the end, it was Wang Chao who spoke. “It’s also possible that Mr. Tan Kang used a lab computer, and the key information is not here?”
“Should we change our thinking?” Wang Chao said, “Maybe Mr. Tan Kang was a loyal person and was killed by a traitor. It’s like the game Legends of the Three Kingdoms*!”
*Chinese card games based on the Three Kingdoms period of China and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In the game, one of the roles is a traitor.
“Don’t guess for no reason,” Xing Conglian angrily said. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, “Who entered his office after Tan Kang left two nights ago, and what did that person do on the computer?”
“I can’t tell you who it was.” Lin Chen heard Wang Chao munching on potato chips in his earphones. “Because all the company’s surveillance cameras were out of order during that time. How unlucky.”
“What’s the answer to the second question?”
“From the time Tan Kang turned off the computer and left two nights ago until the day he was murdered, there was only one record of turning on the computer at 9:03 p.m. two nights ago. Oh, that big brother or sister did the same thing as us and checked the usage of external devices.”
“So…” Xing Conglian dragged his tone.
“Someone also suspected that Tan Kang had stolen company information?” Wang Chao exclaimed incredulously.
“Comrade Xiao Wang…” Xing Conglian began to speak.
“What the fuck?!”
“We should thank the computer for changing human life…” Xing Conglian said proudly.
“But how can you determine who the last person was that operated the computer?” Wang Chao asked.
“The mouse will leave fingerprints,” Xing Conglian said. “Thank you fingerprint identification technology.”
“What’s the use of fingerprints if you don’t have a comparison object?” Wang Chao began to pour cold water on it.
Lin Chen thought to himself, then said, “Did you get Zhang Min’s fingerprint… from the schedule book?”
“Hey, why are you so smart?” Xing Conglian said with satisfaction.
Perhaps it was Xing Conglian’s proud tone that left Wang Chao speechless.
Lin Chen continued with the first question, “Why did you suddenly stop the search just now? What’s wrong with Tan Kang’s own notebook?”
“Tan Kang’s notebook is a spiral notebook with loose-leaf pages.”
“Um…”
“And he’s left-handed. Left-handed people, because writing in a spiral notebook is uncomfortable, are more likely to get used to starting from the last page of a notebook and writing from left to right.”
Lin Chen was very surprised. “Are you saying that someone tampered with Tan Kang’s notebook but put the paper in the wrong order?”
“Thank you to the lefties. Even after death, they can leave so much evidence.” Xing Conglian changed the subject, and said very seriously to him, “Consultant Lin, your appointment for a physical examination should have started by now.”
“Mm, I’m putting on my shoes.” Lin Chen looked at the time and felt that Xing Conglian was really sharp.
“I’m going to the police station to deliver the physical evidence. It will take a while before I can come and accompany you.”
“It’s okay. It’s just a small matter, and you’ve mentioned it several times already.”
“No, it’s not a small matter for me. The proof of passing the physical examination is very important…” Xing Conglian raised his tone lightly, emphasizing the word “passing”.
Lin Chen understood the implicit meaning in his words and laughed.
Kinky Thoughts:
I mean… it’s not like using his hands or mouth would put Lin Chen at risk… or vice versa. Just saying…
The next morning, before eight, Wang Chao came to report.
With the intention of scaring them, the teenager burst in without even knocking on the door.
But the scene inside wasn’t as bad as he had imagined.
As Wang Chao snuck in like a thief, Lin Chen was reading an uninteresting magazine with the bedside lamp on. He looked up at the quietly approaching youngster and saw him petrified in front of the sofa.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Chen asked softly.
The young man recovered from his shock and disappointedly pointed at the dismantled sofa bed.
On the sofa bed, Xing Conglian had covered himself with a thin blanket and slept with his clothes on. He was sleeping deeply and didn’t even wake up when Wang Chao pushed the door open.
Lin Chen explained, “He went back to the police station for overtime yesterday and didn’t return until five in the morning.”
Hearing this, Wang Chao snapped out of his shock.
The teenager sat down at the bedside table with a breakfast bag, feeling hesitant to speak. But the mischievous glint in his eyes gave him away. “A’Chen Gege, I didn’t mean it like that. The Boss actually slept on the sofa?”
Lin Chen put down the magazine and started to look into today’s breakfast delivery. He asked Wang Chao, “Is there a problem?”
Wang Chao whispered into his ear and looked at the sleeping gentleman on the bed, “A’Chen Gege, is there something wrong with Sister* Xing? You can quietly tell me.”
*The term he’s using is (大嫂) which is sister-in-law (Lin Chen’s wife).
Lin Chen calmly grabbed the disposable bamboo chopstick, opened the box of preserved egg and lean meat porridge from the best Xu Ji porridge shop nearby, and then replied, “I don’t think so.”
Wang Chao grinned and asked, “How do you know?”
Lin Chen didn’t know when this little comrade had become so gossipy. He took a sip of porridge and said leisurely, “Wang Chao…”
“Yeah!”
“Stop asking.”
“Why?”
“I’m afraid it will shock you,” Lin Chen replied as he opened a bowl of porridge for Wang Chao and handed him a pair of chopsticks.
Wang Chao opened his mouth in surprise and looked disapproving. He had a confused expression on his face as if he was questioning life. In the end, he had no choice but to obediently start drinking the porridge.
The fragrance of breakfast porridge wafted over, and Lin Chen took a light sniff. He felt that something was off in the air. He looked at Wang Chao, only to realize that the young man was still wearing the same black punk burnout cotton T-shirt with a few patches from yesterday, and he had a faint smell of smoke all over him.
So Lin Chen asked suspiciously, “You didn’t go home last night?”
“No, I went to an internet café last night,” Wang Chao replied happily.
Lin Chen frowned. “Wasn’t anyone cleaning the house?”
“Probably, but I didn’t go back to check. The internet café serves food, has a place to sleep, and even has League of Legends. What’s not good about it?” Wang Chao said while taking out three portions of crispy beef cakes from the breakfast bag. “Besides, the internet café I went to even has a bathroom. Hehehe, it’s amazing.”
“Don’t sleep at the internet café in the future. At least get a hotel room…”
“Ah, A’chen Gege, don’t worry. I mainly went to the internet café to watch surveillance videos. I can open ten computers to watch simultaneously. It’s awesome,” he said excitedly, patting his thighs. “And A’Chen Gege, you were right. There really is such a mysterious man in a hoodie!”
Lin Chen looked up and asked, “What’s the story with the mysterious man in a hoodie?”
“During the incident, a suspicious-looking man in a hoodie lingered around the European Castle area of the Hongjing Amusement Park. Afterward, he went to the scene of the crime and quickly left!”
Wang Chao jumped out of bed, biting his chopsticks, saying one thing and doing another, and quickly connected the computer and TV again.
Lin Chen held his chopsticks and stared at the monitor.
Indeed, there appeared to be a strange figure sitting on a bench outside the European Castle of the Hongjing Amusement Park, seemingly playing with his phone. The person wore a hoodie and kept his head down, never looking up at anyone else. He seemed deeply absorbed in the content on his phone. At a certain point in time, the man suddenly stood up and left the bench without hesitation.
Lin Chen noticed the time displayed at the bottom of the screen, which was exactly 10:15, eight minutes after Tan Kang was stabbed to death.
It seemed that this was the appointed time. Lin Chen thought to himself.
But…how should he put it? Lin Chen looked at the figure of the man in the hoodie that Wang Chao had just mentioned and couldn’t explain the strange feeling in his heart.
Although the case did seem like Tan Kang had come to the park to secretly meet with someone, once they found the evidence to support the inference, the inference itself gave people a sense of inexplicable absurdity.
In modern society, there were countless ways to convey information. Why did Tan Kang choose the most primitive way of meeting?
Seeing that he had been silent for a long time, Wang Chao suddenly asked, “What’s wrong, A’chen Gege?”
Lin Chen held his bowl of porridge and said, “This is too simple.”
“Ah, where is it simple?” Wang Chao didn’t understand.
“Our process of finding this intermediary person is too simple,” Lin Chen said.
“But, but if it weren’t for your analysis of his falling motion, I might not have been able to find this ‘mysterious man in a hoodie’!”
Wang Chao was very persistent in giving the mysterious figure a nickname.
Lin Chen nodded and asked, “But have you ever thought about why they chose this mysterious spy-style means of meeting?”
“Because all of Tan Kang’s electronic communications were being monitored, whether it was his phone or computer, he had to meet this person in person?”
“But in any case, since they agreed to meet here, they must have had first contact with each other. How did he contact this person for the first time?” Lin Chen asked.
“Huh?” Wang Chao was speechless for a moment. “Makes sense.”
“Two possibilities: First, the intermediary person is an acquaintance of Tan Kang, and they had face-to-face conversations and agreed to meet here; second, he knew a middleman who conveyed the message and got in touch with this intermediary person through him; third…”
“What’s the third possibility?”
“The third possibility is that he called this person directly without going through anyone else and agreed to meet here.”
At this moment, Xing Conglian’s voice rang out. “The first possibility hardly exists. Hongjing Amusement Park has surveillance cameras and requires tickets. If acquaintances want to meet up, it’s not good to choose places without surveillance cameras, and it’s not as if they’re dating.”
Lin Chen turned around and saw Xing Conglian getting up from the sofa bed, rubbing his face in a daze.
Xing Conglian looked at the screen and beckoned to Wang Chao while speaking. Perhaps he had just spoken ill of Xing Conglian, so this time, Wang Chao very flatteringly served up the food.
“Why don’t you sleep a little longer?” Lin Chen asked.
“I have an appointment with Zhourui Pharmaceutical at 9:30,” Xing Conglian said.
Lin Chen was about to speak, but Xing Conglian added, “You have a full-body examination at 11 today, so behave and stay at the hospital.”
“It’s okay. I can do the full-body examination alone, so don’t rush back,” Lin Chen said.
Wang Chao interrupted them. “It might necessarily be about dating… After all, times are changing. Maybe the mysterious hoodie man is Dr. Tan Kang’s secret lover!”
Lin Chen helplessly glanced at the young man. “Didn’t you say that this mysterious hoodie man had been to the Tan Kang murder scene?”
“Yes!”
“Retrieve the crime scene video.”
Wang Chao nodded. When the person arrived at the scene, the police and amusement park security were already there, and the cordon had been raised, with most of the crowd on the periphery.
The mysterious hoodie man mentioned by Wang Chao had indeed been to the cordon, but he only stayed at the scene for a short period of time, confirmed the situation, and then left.
“What’s your feeling?” Lin Chen asked Wang Chao.
“Uh…I can’t say for sure,” Wang Chao replied.
“If it’s a lover, when one party dies, the other only pauses and is shocked for less than 10 seconds without the usual grieving gesture like covering their mouth with their hand. Is this reasonable?” Lin Chen counted the seconds the hoodie man had looked at Tan Kang’s body and continued, “And, moreover, the body language is not that of someone grieving.”
“Uh…” Wang Chao was confused again. “Is the person I found really the one Tan Kang wanted to meet? Why did Dr. Tan Kang have such an obsession until his death, while this person left so casually?”
“Congratulations, Comrade Xiao Wang. You have finally discovered the problem!” Xing Conglian laughed, “And the video you found not only shows that the person who made contact isn’t very concerned about Tan Kang’s life and death, but also that this contact person is not very professional.”
“Boss, what do you mean by not being professional?”
“It means that spying activities that can be captured by surveillance cameras are not professional.” Xing Conglian took a bite of beef pancake and asked, “Did you capture his face?”
“He kept his head down and his hoodie covered him, so we didn’t capture it. Isn’t that professional enough?”
Xing Conglian did not comment on this. “It’s probably because the amusement park’s surveillance is poor. Haven’t you encountered someone who can avoid surveillance cameras all the way?”
Wang Chao was speechless with the rebuttal. “Then why did Tan Kang come to the amusement park to meet this unprofessional person secretly and even die in the process?”
“Then we need to investigate based on the two or three possibilities suggested by your A’Chen Gege. First, filter through Tan Kang’s recent communication records and see if he made any calls that he had never made before. If there are no results, then expand the search area a bit and see if he has used any public phones or the like…”
“I understand!” Wang Chao’s blood was boiling as he shouted, then fell back down again. “But if he used a public phone, isn’t that like looking for a needle in a haystack? We would have to analyze Tan Kang’s daily activities to come to any conclusion.”
“So my point is that if there is no significant progress in this project, we can end it, because if Tan Kang was murdered, then which of the three possibilities do you think is the most likely?”
“The second one. There may be a middleman who leaked information, leading to Tan Kang being stabbed to death,” Wang Chao replied.
“What does Consultant Lin think?” Xing Conglian turned to him and asked.
“It’s not entirely accurate.”
“Oh?”
“Rather than there being a leaker, it’s possible that this was a loyalty test in and of itself,” Lin Chen said as he looked at the dim TV screen. “The killer was able to calculate Tan Kang’s movements yesterday, intercept him accurately, and be prepared enough to kill him with one blow and then escape smoothly. This couldn’t have been done without sufficient preparation. And that so-called middleman is likely just a lure. Someone dug a pit, put in some tempting bait, and Tan Kang jumped in without suspecting anything, only to be stabbed by the blade in the pit.”
Lin Chen’s voice grew colder and colder.
Wang Chao took a sharp breath.
Xing Conglian lightly ran his index finger across his throat, revealing a very cautious and vigilant expression.
The ward arranged by Xing Conglian was on the top floor of Hongjing Hospital. Other than that, there was nothing special.
After completing the admission procedures, Lin Chen had some blood drawn from his arm. He followed Xing Conglian through the long ward while holding the cotton ball on the inside of his arm.
The rooms on both sides of the corridor were mostly single rooms, occupied by elderly people. Some of them sat upright on the sofa with serious expressions, as if they were educating their dejected subordinates on the opposite side. Others relied on a series of tubes and ventilators to sustain their lives, while experienced nurses dozed off by their bedsides.
This should be the special care ward of Hongjing Hospital, where retired officials of a certain rank or people with special relationships live. But Xing Conglian’s suggestion for him to stay here should have nothing to do with privilege. It seemed that Captain Xing thought that the single rooms here met his requirements.
Xing Conglian pushed open the door. The sky outside the window was already completely dark. The hospital gown that he had to change into was folded on the bed, and there were a bunch of sunflowers on the bedside table.
Lin Chen took a whiff of the smell of disinfectant in the ward and obediently sat on the bed. He pulled down the tabletop by the bed and patted the empty space next to him, indicating for Xing Conglian to sit opposite him.
In the quiet ward, where one could hear a pin drop. The two of them sat facing each other under the bright lights.
After sitting face-to-face for about two minutes, Xing Conglian couldn’t help but laugh. “Is Consultant Lin trying to talk to me and hold a family meeting?”
Lin Chen looked at the table and asked Xing Conglian, “Do you notice what’s missing here?”
Xing Conglian looked around and said, “Black-suited bodyguards and beautiful female caregivers?”
Lin Chen knocked on the empty table and said, “Captain Xing, we are facing a very serious situation now. It’s already 6:30 in the evening, and our dinner hasn’t arrived yet. After learning about your identity, I think we need to celebrate a bit.”
Xing Conglian breathed a sigh of relief, looking like he was afraid of being scared to death. Then he took out his phone and asked, “What do you want to eat?”
“KFC,” Lin Chen said.
Xing Conglian paused his action of dialing the phone. “Consultant Lin, let me give you a chance to correct your answer.”
“I want to eat KFC,” Lin Chen said.
“That’s a bit of a capricious request.” Xing Conglian raised an eyebrow. “Your wound hasn’t fully healed. Can you eat something so greasy?”
“After surviving in the wild rainforest, I need some modern industrial food to help adjust my body and mind.”
Xing Conglian looked at him very puzzled. “What did you say?”
“I just want to eat it. If I had a phone that I could use in China, I would have made an excuse to go to the bathroom and secretly called Wang Chao for delivery.”
Xing Conglian laughed out loud. “Why call Wang Chao? Can’t you just order from a delivery service directly?”
“A thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant-hole*. No matter how big your family business is, you still have to save money. You use mobile coupons, member points, and even save on delivery fees when you buy on-site.” Lin Chen replied.
*(千里之堤毁于蚁穴) Proverb referring to even a small problem or seemingly insignificant issue can lead to catastrophic consequences if it is ignored or left unaddressed for a long time.
Xing Conglian stared at him for a while, then lowered his head and dialed Wang Chao’s phone. Before the call was connected, he nodded and said to him, “Makes sense.”
……
When the dynasty arrived, Lin Chen and Xing Conglian were leaning against the sickbed watching <Boonie Bears>.
A young man pushed the door open, half-wet, carrying a big bag of fried chicken and a few hard drives in plastic bags.
Seeing their cuddling state, Wang Chao was very dissatisfied and threw the KFC takeout and hard drives on the coffee table before sitting down.
As if not stimulated enough, Xing Conglian lifted the bed table, tapped the tabletop, and said to Wang Chao, “Hand it over. Do I have to go and get it myself?”
“Boss, you’re too much!” Wang Chao shouted. “Leaving me alone in the amusement park is one thing, but why are you watching cartoons on the sickbed?”
“Well done with the emphasis sentence, not bad,” Xing Conglian half-seriously commented.
Wang Chao was again upset, but he still picked up the takeaway bag and put it on the bed table.
After looking at them for a while, Wang Chao finally found an attack point and said to Xing Conglian, “Big Boss, what’s wrong with you? You’re sharing a bed with A’Chen Gege, who is sick!”
Lin Chen was opening the paper bag of the finger-licking original flavor chicken. He couldn’t help but lower his head and laugh when he heard this question.
Sure enough, Xing Conglian answered with a chicken wing in his mouth. “Oh, you still don’t know? A’Chen and I are in love…” He finished and pretended to glance at Wang Chao casually and said, “Sorry, I forgot. You’ve never been in love… tsk, tsk…”
Hearing this, the teenager was so angry that he couldn’t find any words to refute, so he could only grind his teeth.
Seeing this, Lin Chen picked up the remote control and ended Bald Victor’s pursuit of Briar*, then said to Wang Chao, “Come and sit down and eat. Watching cartoons is meant to relax.”
*Clarity: Characters from Boonie Bears.
Wang Chao was the type who was easily coaxed. Three seconds later, the teenager took off his shoes and squatted in front of them, happily munching on the chicken nuggets.
Lin Chen got off the bed, went to the bathroom, and brought a towel, throwing it on Wang Chao. “Dry off first. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Wang Chao was moved. “A’Chen Gege, you’re a good person. There is genuine affection in the world.”
“How’s the surveillance?” Lin Chen sat back on the bed, tore off a piece of meat, and asked.
Wang Chao almost choked on a piece of chicken. He looked at the chicken in front of him, then at Lin Chen’s face, and almost cried, “Why am I so unlucky…”
Teasing Wang Chao was really fun. Lin Chen rubbed the young man’s wet head with a clean hand and said, “Talk while you eat. I didn’t tell you to put down the food.”
But Wang Chao stopped very seriously. “Let me report briefly. First, the surveillance quality of Hongjing’s Amusement Park is too poor—the old black and white type. When we zoom in on the monitor, it’s hard to see anything. Second, I have taken out the hard drive. We can connect it to the TV in the ward and watch it, but the video footage of the incident is still very poor after being processed.”
Xing Conglian spat out a bone next to him, feeling depressed that his entire plan was falling apart. He said to Wang Chao, “Excuse me, sir, who allowed you to use the TV in the ward?”
“Oh, then should I use my computer? I’m afraid it’s not convenient for A’Chen Gege to watch. Shall I go get it now?” Wang Chao asked.
Xing Conglian was furious. “Comrade Xiao Wang, this is a place for A’Chen Gege to recuperate. Don’t fall for his tricks and get misled easily.”
“Boss, you’re right. I almost fell for it,” Wang Chao realized and said firmly.
Anyway, the three of them were often easily separated into two alliances, so Lin Chen looked slightly helpless as he saw the two of them now united against him. “I really think that Tan Kang may have come to the amusement park to meet someone, so the video footage of the scene where he was stabbed is important.”
Wang Chao asked, “A’Chen, do you think the person Tan Kang wanted to meet will be near the scene?”
“Not necessarily nearby, but if there is such a person, when they find out the person they are waiting for hasn’t come for a long time and a homicide has occurred in the park, they will come take a look,” Lin Chen said.
“A’Chen, you’re right. I’ll adjust the video for you,” Wang Chao said.
Wang Chao rolled off the bed and started tinkering with the TV and computer cables. Soon, the screen turned blue, and then a high gray-scale scene appeared.
As Comrade Zhang Xiaolong said at the beginning, the video was very blurry. When zoomed in on the 27-inch LCD TV in the hospital, there were countless noises. From the black and white images, only a vague chaos at the scene could be seen.
However, the image quality had already been processed by Wang Chao, and two arrows with different colors appeared above Tan Kang and the murderer’s heads, barely indicating their positions.
Tan Kang walked across the bridge and passed by a man wearing a duck-billed cap and holding a balloon. The man only slightly raised his arm, and there was no abnormality visible at the time until Tan Kang leaned against the sign and lay down.
“Repeat from 3 minutes and 10 seconds to 3 minutes and 30 seconds a few times,” Lin Chen said to Wang Chao after watching for a while.
The scene began to repeat, from Tan Kang holding his chest to being bumped into by someone and finally falling down next to the sign…
By the end, Wang Chao couldn’t eat anything in front of him anymore.
“A’Chen Gege…” the young man called out softly.
“Stop,” Lin Chen suddenly said.
Wang Chao didn’t react in time and pressed the pause button a little late. On the screen, Tan Kang had already fallen to the ground.
“A little further back,” Lin Chen said.
The TV screen finally paused at the moment when Tan Kang was about to fall and was suspended in mid-air.
Lin Chen and Xing Conglian exchanged a glance, understanding each other’s thoughts.
“What’s wrong with this screen?” Wang Chao asked tentatively.
“Don’t you think Tan Kang’s posture on the ground is very twisted?” Xing Conglian said.
“Huh?”
Xing Conglian said, “The murderer used a weapon about 2.5 cm wide to stab Tan Kang’s heart. The internal pressure of the heart was extremely high. When he pulled out the blade, the blood gushed out instantly. The oxygen content in his brain would immediately decrease, and he would lose consciousness in a very short period of time. There was basically no possibility of survival… “
Lin Chen nodded, “In other words, he used his remaining willpower to maintain this very twisted angle before dying. Of course, you can also say that this is because his pain caused his body to twist, but I still think that the reason why he fell in this way is because he subconsciously and persistently looked at a certain place in the amusement park before he died.”
“The location of the person he was meeting?” Wang Chao suddenly realized. He quickly brought up the map of the amusement park, and, according to Tan Kang’s perspective when he fell, he could basically determine that he was looking at the west side of the park.
“Um…” Wang Chao marked out a rough, fan-shaped area on the map. “The carousel, European Castle, Candyland…” The teenager sighed deeply. “This area covers several thousand square meters.”
“Are there any other angles to the recording?” Lin Chen asked. “When he entered the unfamiliar area and had to choose a route, he might have first looked for the target’s location and then made a choice.”
Wang Chao adjusted as instructed, and sure enough, Tan Kang had also looked up in the same direction before that.
“This angle…”
“He should be looking at something high?” Xing Conglian murmured.
Lin Chen thought of the moment when he stood at the same angle and suddenly realized. “The European castle.”
Wang Chao’s eyes lit up. “So, if I check if there was any suspicious person lingering around the castle when the incident occurred, we can determine that Tan Kang came here to meet someone, and we can find that person?”
“If this suspicious person didn’t participate in any amusement activities when he arrived and left in a hurry, or even went to the scene of the crime, it would further explain the problem,” Lin Chen said.
“Yes sir*!” Wang Chao exclaimed excitedly.
*Said in English.
Xing Conglian clapped his hands and suddenly interrupted their conversation.
“Understand what you need to do and take your crispy chicken sandwich and leave,” he said to Wang Chao. “Remember to continue working overtime at home, not only to confirm the contact person but also to confirm the routes of both the killer and Tan Kang himself.”
Wang Chao rubbed his ears, stared blankly at the TV screen, then turned to look at the pouring rain outside the window. Finally, he asked Xing Conglian, “Boss, where should I go?”
“Aren’t you going home today?”
Wang Chao was very surprised. “Boss, is this what you call burning bridges after crossing the river*?”
*(过河拆桥) Idiom referring to being ungrateful or turning against someone who has helped you in the past.
“Let me correct you, Comrade Xiao Wang. Asking you to go home is not called burning bridges, it’s called being merciful. After all, I still have the option of kicking you out of the door,” Xing Conglian said proudly.
“But no one has lived there for half a month!” Wang Chao looked horrified.
“It’s not like you don’t get paid every month, and you can live wherever you want if you think my house is dirty.”
“What about you?”
This question once again hit Xing Conglian right where it hurt.
Xing Conglian said proudly, “My boyfriend is in the hospital, and I have to stay with him.” Then, looking at Wang Chao vigilantly, he said, “Comrade Xiao Wang, I hope you’re not planning to stay here. You’re like a third wheel and an eyesore.”
Wang Chao stepped back and said to Xing Conglian, “Boss, did you leave your face on the plane? Should I go get it for you?”
“Whatever. As long as you leave the ward, you can do whatever you want.”
Wang Chao’s face was already red with anger. Seeing this, Lin Chen had to intervene and say, “This is really not good…”
Upon hearing this, Wang Chao looked up at Lin Chen with the innocent expression of a small pet, while Xing Conglian also turned his head.
Lin Chen said, “Find him a trustworthy housekeeping service to clean up the house so he can go back to live there.”
Xing Conglian laughed out loud and almost rolled on the bed. “Comrade Xiao Wang, I’ll arrange for the most capable auntie for you. You can go downstairs now, and I’ll call a taxi for you. Isn’t that thoughtful enough?”
Wang Chao was so angry that he stood up from the sofa and started packing his bag.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian and asked.
Xing Conglian smiled and said, “Nothing, nothing! I just really like your style as master of the house right now.”
Wang Chao was picking what food he wanted to eat from the KFC bag when he heard this. He glared at Xing Conglian, didn’t take the sandwich on the table, and walked out of the ward in anger.
“Goodbye!” the teenager stood in the doorway against the light and said angrily to them.
“A single stab?” Lin Chen was surprised. It wasn’t easy to kill with just one stab, especially in a crowded area. It required considerable technical difficulty to find the target’s heart and avoid stabbing it into the hard ribs.
Zhang Xiaolong said seriously, “Only one stab.”
“Very clean and sharp.” After reading the forensic scene record, Xing Conglian flipped through the notes back and forth, frowned, and asked, “Was the murder weapon not found at the scene?”
“The murderer took it away,” Zhang Xiaolong said. “The forensics department has started rummaging through the garbage cans.”
“This experienced killer probably has 10,000 ways to dispose of the murder weapon. Don’t waste your time searching the garbage cans,” Xing Conglian said. He raised his umbrella, opened the cordon, and walked into the scene with Lin Chen.
“What do you think?” Xing Conglian asked.
“If there was only one stab, we can first rule out a crime of passion,” Lin Chen said, pausing and standing beside Xing Conglian. “Impulsive criminals won’t stop until they make a bloody mess of the body and the scene.”
“It’s not a robbery either.” Xing Conglian put his hands in his pockets. “The victim’s wallet and phone were still at the scene.”
Lin Chen looked up unconsciously, and Xing Conglian’s eyes were cold and mocking.
After thinking for a moment, he still asked, “Do you think there’s a good chance that Zhourui Pharmaceutical knew about the incident in Dana and killed the key witnesses in advance?”
Rain splashed on the umbrella surface, making a rustling sound. Their conversation was also limited to within the umbrella’s range.
“Consultant Lin, we’re all well aware of the probability,” Xing Conglian said. “But it’s a pity that we’ve experienced the darkness of the rainforest, the bloody drug factories, and the Gaomeng people who were used as illegal drug test subjects, but they haven’t. It’s even harder for ordinary people to imagine that, based on many reasons, what happened over there can only be temporarily sealed.” He turned his head and looked at the staring police officers, then continued, “Firstly, we have no evidence linking Zhourui Pharmaceutical to the illegal human experiments in the Dana Rainforest. Secondly, even if we find such evidence, it would still be very difficult to punish Zhourui Pharmaceutical within the international legal conventions for the crimes committed in the three unregulated regions. The lawyers of big pharmaceutical companies won’t take it lightly.”
“Yeah.” Lin Chen sighed. As they spoke, they had already reached the location where Dr. Tan Kang’s body had fallen. Looking at the markings on the ground for a long time, Lin Chen finally said, “But they panicked. Murder cases are always within our jurisdiction.” He looked up, and the spires of the European-style buildings in the distance were looming in the rain curtain. The scene from back then floated before his eyes. Tan Kang squeezed out of the corridor from the south to the north, and the crowd flowed mainly from north to the south. There were really a lot of people at the time, and most of the people were rushing to the water magic stage trying to seize a favorable spot, so Tan Kang was particularly annoying as he went against the flow. He struggled to get out of the crowd and resolutely walked towards his goal until he met the person and the knife that ended his life…
“The crime scene is intriguing. He chose to kill in crowded places, which is smart, but also risky,” Lin Chen said. “For the killer, he had to do it. If he missed the opportunity, it would be too late.”
“It’s indeed too risky.” Xing Conglian pursed his lips and continued, “And why did Tan Kang come here?”
“He came alone, without family or children. If it wasn’t for him suddenly wanting to relax, it could only mean he was here to meet someone.” Lin Chen spoke up.
“Meeting someone…” Xing Conglian said meaningfully. “So the killer had to take the risk of killing him.”
“That’s just a possibility,” Lin Chen said. “Of course, it’s based on the things we can’t talk about and our deduction.”
Xing Conglian nodded, half-sincerely and half-jokingly said, “It’s supposed to be a good crime drama, but we have to bring in spy routines. If he’s here to meet someone, his movements in the park must reveal something…”
Xing Conglian nodded and picked up a map of the park, which was placed outside a store in the corridor.
The layout of Hongjing Amusement Park was nothing special. Most amusement parks were divided into several areas. Lin Chen looked down, and Xing Conglian’s finger moved from the entrance to the location of the corridor, then he called out, “Xiaolong, come here.”
Comrade Zhang Xiaolong was talking to Wang Chao. Upon hearing this, the two of them ran over.
“Do we have on-site surveillance?”
“Report to Captain Xing, basically none.”
“What do you mean by ‘basically none’?”
Zhang Xiaolong looked apologetic. “This angle is not easy to set up. We only have a vague long shot.”
“So you can’t clearly see the scene at the time of the crime?”
“That’s right, and the park’s surveillance is too old. It’s black and white…” Zhang Xiaolong replied. “Just now, Lao Wang and the others have removed the surveillance, saying that the killer was still holding a bunch of balloons to block the view.”
“Balloons?”
“Yes, Captain Xing. Lao Wang has already started investigating the balloon seller, but the park said that there were about 5,000 people today, so…”
“So it’s unlikely that the seller can remember everyone who bought balloons. Do we have any eyewitnesses to make a portrait of the perpetrator?”
“We’ve looked for them, but no one really noticed what the attacker looked like.” Zhang Xiaolong pressed the ballpoint pen and looked helpless.
Xing Conglian nodded and looked at Wang Chao. “Wang Chao and Xiaolong, collect all the surveillance videos from the park from the opening to the closing today, and check Tan Kang’s movements in the park.” He thought for a moment and added, “Since the killer was holding a distinctive balloon, it should be relatively easy to track his movements, but still be careful of any tricks he may use with the balloons.”
“Okay, Captain Xing!” “Understood, Boss!” Zhang Xiaolong and Wang Chao said enthusiastically.
After speaking, the two young comrades ran off as if they were flying.
Lin Chen thought he had escaped unscathed, but apparently not.
Lin Chen raised his head, and Xing Conglian shook his head in the direction of the exit. “I’ve seen the scene. Can we go, Consultant Lin?”
……
Lin Chen thought he could escape, but obviously he didn’t.
Xing Conglian only kept him at the scene for about ten minutes before rushing him to Hongjing Hospital.
Because of the rain and the sky was dark, the streetlights on both sides of the road had already lit up, enveloping the entire city in a misty rain. Lin Chen leaned back in his seat while Xing Conglian was driving intently. The soothing melody of a violin flowed out from the stereo, making him feel drowsy.
“Feeling sleepy?”
At a red light, Xing Conglian stopped the car and patted Lin Chen’s head.
Lin Chen responded with a faint “Mm,” continuing to look down at the map of the amusement park in his hand, but he still felt sleepy, so he half-opened his eyes.
Xing Conglian stared at him for a while and said, “Consultant Lin, I noticed you spent more time looking at that map than at me.”
“That’s to make you aware of the potential danger,”
Xing Conglian said, “But still, don’t sleep in the car. We’re almost there.”
Lin Chen sat up straight reluctantly and said, “Captain Xing means that I’m going to be in the hospital bed for a few days, and I shouldn’t sleep now.”
Xing Conglian chuckled. “Consultant Lin, are you throwing a tantrum?”
Lin Chen shook his hand, then let go of it. “Just focus on driving. I won’t sleep.”
“What I meant was, can you not be completely absorbed in the case?”
“I’m not completely absorbed. Just now, I thought you looked really handsome while driving, so I stole a glance for a while.”
“Lin Chen…” Xing Conglian sounded very helpless, as if he had guessed his thoughts. He continued, “This is a common trick. I won’t be fooled multiple times.”
“Can you ask Wang Chao to send me a copy of the crime scene video? I want to see it.” Lin Chen decided to confess and thought his next request might be a bit too much. “I want to watch the full surveillance video during that time period.”
Xing Conglian spoke up. “Consultant Lin, where are we going now?”
“To the hospital.”
“Why are we going to the hospital?”
“Because I almost died of sepsis in Dana, and although I am gradually recovering and out of danger, I still need a full-body checkup and proper rest.”
“It seems you know it well.”
“But you see, Captain Xing, proper rest and watching surveillance videos are not contradictory. You can control my daily viewing time. As a public servant, I still hope to contribute what I can to solving the case.”
“Tell the truth…” Xing Conglian interrupted him.
Lin Chen felt that since he had kissed Xing Conglian, the latter seemed to have picked up some of his bad habits, such as speaking too sharply.
“I think this case is very strange. Although from the perspective of a simple case, the killer’s methods are simple and straightforward. At first glance, it seems that a large corporation killed to cover up its crimes in the process of drug research and development. But do you remember why I got involved in this case?”
“You killed a Zhourui Pharmaceutical employee who pretended to be mentally ill and wanted to kill Jiang Chao’s wife.”
“Yes, that’s also why Duan Yang found me. Let’s not talk about what happened later, but let’s look back at this. The new drug, Nordren, has already been approved for market release while Vice Captain Jiang’s wife is still alive. So, I don’t understand why they took the risk of killing her. ” Lin Chen lowered his eyes.
“Are you afraid that they will kill innocent people indiscriminately?” Xing Conglian frowned. “Why do you suddenly have this idea?”
“I’m not a person who doubts myself. I’m sure that my judgment at that time was correct. But you see, just saying so is not enough. This is too subjective. I need sufficient real evidence to prove this.”
“With Tan Kang stabbed to death suddenly, could this mean that Zhourui Pharmaceutical may have resorted to extreme measures, including murder, to ensure the smooth launch of the new drug?”
“Yes, if a company is a collective, then Zhourui Pharmaceutical as a whole gives me the feeling that they are already too crazy. They can calmly retreat from Dana, and even dare to play tricks on Zaratul. Why are they doing things so recklessly now? Although Duan Yang explained to me the problem of the entire drug industry chain, including R&D investment and the necessary cost recovery in the later period, I still feel that they could have slowed down and sought other ways out. Why must they push for the launch of the drug at all costs like they are doing now?”
“Good question, Consultant Lin.”
“Based on the above considerations, I believe that we must quickly solve the case of Tan Kang’s murder and find the core breakthrough of the whole case.”
Xing Conglian thought carefully for a long time and turned the car onto the street of Hongjing Hospital before finally saying, “I understand, but you still have to be hospitalized and follow the doctor’s orders.”
Hearing this, Lin Chen stopped speaking.
As they were about to enter the hospital area, Xing Conglian slowed down the car and finally said slowly, “To be honest, for me, those trivial matters of Zhourui Pharmaceutical may not be as important as your pinky. It may sound a bit cheesy, but this is my true feeling. I don’t want to see you waste your energy on these things during your recuperation.”
Lin Chen wanted to speak, but Xing Conglian held his hand to stop him.
“I am very serious about wanting to be in a relationship with you, appreciating your achievements in the professional field, and respecting your independent personality. But in fact, I also know very well that in the process of our relationship, we are transitioning from one relationship to another. We need to be good colleagues and good lovers at the same time. I am not as broad-minded as you think. My current thoughts are to keep you in a private sanatorium with strict 24-hour care, but of course, this is not possible. This is not respectful enough to you and ignores your original intentions. I understand all of these, so choosing Hongjing Hospital is almost my last bottom line after psychological adjustment. I admit that there are reasons behind this, but after you were kidnapped, I need to do some psychological construction before I can let you go out again. Please give me some time to adjust my mindset.”
Xing Conglian parked the car in the parking space and ended the conversation.
The twilight outside the window was hazy, and the whole hospital looked less cold in the slanting wind and rain and the gradually brightening lights.
“Sorry, I should be more understanding of your feelings.” Lin Chen was silent for a long time before finally saying this.
Xing Conglian reached out his hand to him. “So, happy cooperation, Consultant Lin?”
Lin Chen put his hand on it. “Happy cooperation, Captain Xing.”
Xing Conglian seemed to have received some kind of guarantee and had a relieved expression. “So, if I have something else to tell you, you will be understanding, right?”
The turning point came too quickly. Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian suspiciously. He saw Xing Conglian open his umbrella, get out of the car, walk over, open his car door, and politely invite him out.
“Except for you telling me that you’re already married, I can try to understand everything else as much as possible.”
Seeing Xing Conglian’s hesitant tone, Lin Chen hugged him and could only half-jokingly respond like so.
“Of course not!” Xing Conglian said seriously. “It’s some things that I wanted to tell you a long time ago. Although you haven’t asked, I have to explain clearly.”
Xing Conglian took him to the back of the Jeep, took out the key, and gently pressed the trunk unlock button.
The trunk door slowly opened. Although Lin Chen had seen this scene many times before, he still had to say that the trunk of Xing Conglian’s Jeep was really messy.
Drinking water, snacks thrown around by Wang Chao, various electronic equipment accessories, piles of cleaning rags, scattered paper materials, and of course, the toolbox lying upside down.
Xing Conglian leaned over and opened the toolbox, then dragged it out a bit to make it clearer for Lin Chen to see. “My mother said that according to Chinese tradition, when a man has money, he becomes bad. I don’t know where she got her fallacies, but anyway, you can consider it my secret money… uh, is there such a thing as secret money?”
Listening to Xing Conglian’s explanation, Lin Chen looked at the toolbox that he had just opened, which still continued the style of Xing Conglian’s trunk.
There were scattered repair tools, wrenches or screws, and all kinds of colorful VIP cards pressed on a stack of papers. These VIP cards were the ones that Xing Conglian took out last time. In short, there were no gold bars or diamonds inside. Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Why are you so cute, letting me confiscate your toolbox?”
But just as he relaxed and turned to look at Xing Conglian, he suddenly heard the other party say in a rare solemn voice, “I need to reintroduce myself…” Xing Conglian paused, slightly bowing to him, “Consultant Lin, my surname is Xing1.”
“I know your surname is Xing1…” he hadn’t finished speaking yet when he suddenly looked at the other party.
1Clarity: Xing (邢) the elite family of China vs his current identity Xing (刑).
Xing Conglian’s eyebrows and eyes were somewhat blurred in the twilight, but his back was straight, and his demeanor was stern. The noble aura emanating from him couldn’t be concealed by the vague night.
Lin Chen felt a loud noise in his ears for a moment, but Xing Conglian’s voice was still very clear and powerful.
He said, “It’s not Xing using the radical from sword but from beside the right ear*. My father’s name is Xing Liyuan, and my mother is from the Zhou family in southern Anhui. In order to respond to the one-child policy, they only gave birth to me.”
*Clarity: The Xing he’s currently using used the radical from sword (剑) while the other Xing used the radical (阝) which is commonly known as “beside the right ear” as the radical looks like a human ear (but has nothing to do with ears).
Lin Chen’s heart trembled, and he couldn’t speak for a while.
The two names that Xing Conglian mentioned were really shocking.
Although some clues before vaguely gave him the feeling that Xing Conglian might be related to the Xing family, he always felt that Xing Conglian might be some distant relative who just got a small share of the family business. When it came to inheriting the family, he didn’t think there was any connection at all with his lover, who liked to eat crayfish by the roadside.
During the five minutes or even longer, Lin Chen had all kinds of thoughts in his mind. He felt like he had found a gold mine, so he should be laughing, but he couldn’t really laugh out loud. Xing Conglian was now glowing all over, but this was really troublesome. Why was the Xing family so self-willed to send their eldest grandson to be a police officer? From Xing Conglian’s appearance, he didn’t seem to have a falling out with his family. How did Boss Xing feel about his only son having a boyfriend…?
In the end, Lin Chen could only look at the other person and ask seriously in the same tone, “Do we have to have this important conversation about your identity in front of your car trunk?”
Not only in front of the trunk but also in the corner of the hospital parking lot, which was a bit too casual.
Xing Conglian smiled lightly with a genuine sense of joy.
Lin Chen felt the other person put his hand on his waist and pull him into his arms, saying slowly, “I want you to know these things, not because they are particularly important, but essentially, these things are not a big deal to me. And I am very aware that these things are not a big deal to you either. They will not affect your view of me or change our relationship in any way. The reason why I want to tell you is that I don’t want to appear to be deliberately hiding anything from you over something that is not a big deal. I just want you to know, that’s all.”
The main idea of Xing Conglian’s words was that the content wasn’t a big deal, and the important thing was the attitude of him reporting it. This was what he wanted Lin Chen to see.
Lin Chen leaned on Xing Conglian’s shoulder, looking at the streetlights in the distance gradually lighting up, coloring the rainy night with a gentle hue. Perhaps it was really quiet around them, that his heartbeat, which had just sped up due to Xing Conglian’s words, quickly calmed down.
As Xing Conglian said, the fact that his family was very wealthy didn’t seem to be a big deal either. Although he thought so, he still had to emphasize, “You think too highly of me. It will definitely affect my view of you.”
“Such as?” Xing Conglian held the umbrella, covering both of them.
Lin Chen felt the low laughter coming from the other side, “Such as…” he thought for a moment but couldn’t come up with any extravagant ideas because he was poor. In order to save face, he could only reluctantly say, “Such as I don’t want to eat hospital dinner tonight.”
“What do you want to eat, from which country. I will notify them to airlift the chef and ingredients over.”
Lin Chen shuddered. “Sorry, just forget what I said.”
“Well, airlifting takes too long. It’s not appropriate if you go hungry. For dinner tonight, there is only one three-star Michelin restaurant in Hongjing. Shall I notify them to close and let us go there?”
“No, I’ll eat the hospital’s nutritious meal properly. Can we talk about something else?”
“What do you want to chat about? Is there anything else you want to know?”
Lin Chen couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked, “What exactly is in the toolbox?”
After some thought, Xing Conglian reported, “All kinds of bank cards, checks… not the kind bought on Taobao, some land deeds, and possibly some company stock contracts. I didn’t look at them closely…”
Lin Chen suddenly looked up, moved away from Xing Conglian, and tried to calm himself down. “Why don’t you keep these things in a bank vault?”
“It’s just loose change. I’m too lazy to put them away. It’s fine just keeping them close…” Xing Conglian said naturally.
Lin Chen couldn’t bear to hear any more and interrupted Xing Conglian, “I have a headache. Let’s go to the hospital for a check-up.”
He tried to pull Xing Conglian towards the hospital, hoping to get away from the Jeep as far as possible, but Xing Conglian remained in place and did not move.
“What’s wrong?” Lin Chen turned around and asked.
“You forgot something,” Xing Conglian said.
“What?” Lin Chen was afraid that the other party would bring up the toolbox again and was very alert.
Before he could finish speaking, Xing Conglian turned his head, leaned in close to his lips, and whispered, “Sir, this is where we should kiss.”
His hot breath sprayed on Lin Chen’s face, and before he could answer, Xing Conglian’s lips had already covered his.
Lin Chen closed his eyes.
In the darkening sky, with the sound of rain falling quietly, everything was just right.
When they walked out of the cabin, it was raining heavily outside in Hongjing.
It wasn’t the usual light rain in the city, but a torrential downpour. It seemed to have started after they landed and showed no signs of stopping.
Lin Chen took a deep breath of the damp air mixed with the scent of airport fuel and earth, which still felt comforting to him.
Xing Conglian held his hand, and they looked at each other, unable to express the thousand words they felt.
Wang Chao stumbled and collided with their shoulders. Xing Conglian turned around and caught him. The young man was so exhausted that he looked like he could sleep through the whole planet’s destruction if given a bed.
Xing Conglian pinched Wang Chao’s nose and ears repeatedly for a while, but eventually gave up and carried him on his back towards the exit.
After passing through the immigration checkpoint, Lin Chen noticed that Xing Conglian had pressed the button for the parking lot on the minus one floor.
“Are we going home first?” Lin Chen asked.
Xing Conglian turned his head and glanced at him, smiling. “Are you trying to test me, Mr. Lin?”
Lin Chen didn’t know how Xing Conglian suddenly became a psychologist, but under his gaze, he felt a sense of guilt. “No one has lived at home for so long, so why not go to a hotel first?”
He deliberately raised his tone at the end, but all he got was a faint “Hmm?” from Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian had an expression of “tell me the truth”, so Lin Chen had no choice but to hold his hand and say, “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I have some psychological trauma.”
“That’s perfect,” Xing Conglian said seriously. “Mr. Lin can use his expertise and do some treatment…like the desensitization therapy?”
“Why are you so difficult to deal with? No wonder I had such a hard time chasing you,” Lin Chen joked.
Xing Conglian laughed out loud. They got off the elevator, and Wang Chao hiccupped on his back.
“You can also find something to do that makes me unhappy, and I’d be more than happy to back you up,” Xing Conglian said.
Lin Chen thought this was a really good idea. He stopped the person and reached into their pocket. Of course, when his hand reached down, Xing Conglian’s face had a moment of subtlety. Lin Chen coughed lightly, took his hand out, and in his hand was Xing Conglian’s work phone, not the one used in Dana.
Xing Conglian’s face immediately looked unpleasant. “Consultant Lin, we don’t have to go to the hospital.”
But before he finished speaking, Lin Chen had already turned on the phone. Xing Conglian showed an unusually ashen expression.
At the moment they entered the parking lot, Xing Conglian’s phone immediately started ringing continuously, and the message tone continued to ring like it would never stop until they reached Xing Conglian’s Jeep. Lin Chen glanced apologetically at Xing Conglian and then realized that the Jeep was the one parked at the Yongchuan subway station. It was unclear why it was now in the underground parking lot of the Hongjing Airport.
Xing Conglian opened the car door, threw Wang Chao into the back seat, and the teenager turned around as if he had found a comfortable place to lie down and began to snore.
“You had someone bring the car back?” Lin Chen asked.
“Yes.” Xing Conglian didn’t immediately sit in the driver’s seat but leaned against the car door and looked at his phone.
“After flying on a plane, you still have to drive home yourself. Don’t you feel tired?” Lin Chen opened the passenger door and fastened his seat belt.
“It’s tiring, but there are important things in the car that can’t be left elsewhere.”
Lin Chen didn’t know what he meant by “important things”, but he remembered the dozens of diamond VIP cards that Captain Xing took out of the trunk, so he decided to keep quiet.
Lin Chen sat in the car for a while and found that Xing Conglian hadn’t entered the car yet.
He didn’t know what Xing Conglian saw on his phone, but after a long time, he finally opened the car door and sat in it. He rested his hand on the gear lever and didn’t move for a long time.
Lin Chen looked up and saw that Xing Conglian’s expression was gloomy. There were probably some not-so-good things in the text messages he received just now.
“What happened?”
“Consultant Lin…” Xing Conglian handed him the phone, which showed the usual briefings from the police station.
——At 10:07 a.m. on June 10th, the identity of the unnamed male body stabbed to death in Hongjing Amusement Park has been confirmed. The deceased is Dr. Tan Kang, the senior president of the R&D department of Zhourui Pharmaceutical…
In the dim space of the car, the phone screen glowed with a faint white light. When he saw the words “Zhourui Pharmaceutical” and “Tan Kang”, he thought it was an illusion caused by the long flight and thinking about the case day and night, but it was obviously not the case. As the key R&D personnel and insider of the Zhourui Pharmaceutical case, Tan Kang was stabbed to death by someone before their plane landed.
Lin Chen’s mind turned over countless speculations, but in the end, he could only say, “They move quickly.”
He glanced at the clock on the car and saw that it was exactly 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon. He was afraid that the police officers investigating the scene hadn’t left yet, so he asked Xing Conglian, “Shall we go and take a look?”
Before Xing Conglian’s gaze swept over, he added in advance, “I’ve recovered from my fever. It should be fine to stay there for a while.”
Seeing that he insisted, Xing Conglian nodded reluctantly and said, “Okay.”
……
Outside the window was the familiar scenery of Hongjing’s streets. Lin Chen leaned against the front passenger seat.
They had only been gone for less than half a month, and the students had not yet started their vacation. There was no change in the surroundings; not even in the configuration and speed of their journey to the scene of the crime.
Wang Chao turned over again in the back seat. Perhaps because he was starving or perhaps because he felt the familiar atmosphere, the teenager suddenly opened his eyes. Hearing the rustling sound coming from the back seat, Lin Chen turned his head and saw Wang Chao taking out a half-opened package of Pocky from the car door storage box and started to eat without hesitation.
Those were the snacks that the teenager had left in the car half a month ago.
Lin Chen couldn’t help but speak up. “It’s been stored for too long. Don’t eat it now. I’ll buy you some when we get out of the car.”
Wang Chao was still in a half-dream state, mechanically nodding his head but still stuffed the snack into his mouth.
“Just eat it. It’s all preservatives. It won’t go bad, and it won’t kill you,” Xing Conglian said indifferently.
“Wait, where are we going?” Suddenly realizing something important, Wang Chao woke up abruptly and asked, “Are you kidding me? We just came back from such a scary place. Don’t we need to take a break for ten or twenty days before starting work again?”
Xing Conglian withdrew his gaze from looking at Comrade Wang Chao in the rearview mirror and asked, “What does he mean?”
“Maybe he’s been spending too much money on in-game purchases lately, so he wants to scam overtime pay,” Lin Chen replied.
Wang Chao shouted, “A’Chen Gege, you can’t do this to me. Are we still good friends?”
Xing Conglian pretended to suddenly realize, “What should we do?”
Lin Chen pretended not to hear Wang Chao’s protest and said, “There’s no other way. If he doesn’t want to go, just forget it. Let’s get out of the car now?”
They were driving on the elevated highway, and Wang Chao looked outside in horror, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and complained, “A’ChenGege, when did you become like this?”
“Comrade Xiao Wang…” Xing Conglian dragged on, “Why don’t you understand yet?”
“Understand what?”
Xing Conglian spoke in the tone of a sociologist. “When a person’s identity changes, his behavior and way of doing things will also change accordingly.”
“What’s different about my A’Chen Gege?” Wang Chao was very confused.
Lin Chen had already guessed what Xing Conglian was going to say and couldn’t help but shake his head.
But Xing Conglian still smiled and said, “Your A’Chen Gege is now the head of the family, so we have to listen to him, understand?”
……
On the way from the highway to the amusement park, Wang Chao kept studying the term “head of the family”.
The teenager’s face was mixed with various expressions such as “flattering”, “admiration”, “speechless”, and “flunky”, and kept changing. Just before they arrived at the scene, Wang Chao stopped him and asked a very important question, “A’Chen Gege, if I want to call you Boss from now on, do I have to call Captain Xing sister-in-law?”
In any case, this question received a warning from Captain Xing himself in the form of a knock on the head.
Lin Chen was very clear that Xing Conglian brought up the topic of the head of the family just to make Wang Chao not too depressed.
The rain was still falling. Xing Conglian tilted the umbrella towards him, and Lin Chen looked ahead.
In front of him was a familiar, bright yellow warning sign. They were standing outside the waterside gallery where the victim’s body had been taken away. The scene-of-crime officers were hiding under the eaves, looking up at the clean crime scene washed by the rain with a sigh.
The ground markings were washed away very lightly, and the direction and position where the victim fell could be vaguely seen. There was no trace of blood on the small path paved with square bricks. The heavy rain was probably the best way to wash away the evidence.
They stood outside the crime scene for a while, finally catching the attention of the police officers under the eaves.
Two pairs of eyes swept over, and at first, the two officers just stared at them. Suddenly, a shout pierced through the rain curtain.
The voice grew louder and louder, and several people rushed towards them. Lin Chen thought they still underestimated the sudden appearance of horror.
In such a short time, Comrade Zhang Xiaolong had already rushed to their side.
What surprised Lin Chen was that the policewoman didn’t look at Xing Conglian but instead dreamily touched his shoulder with tears in her eyes and her voice trembling. “Lin… Consultant Lin… You’re still alive. That’s great!”
“Thanks to Captain Xing’s help, I’m still alive,” Lin Chen replied.
“You’re welcome.” Xing Conglian nodded in acknowledgment.
Perhaps because the umbrella covered Xing Conglian’s face earlier, Zhang Xiaolong didn’t even realize someone was standing next to her. She was completely absorbed in her own excitement. “It’s good that you’re back… It’s good that you’re back… Just like last time, why do you always encounter these kinds of situations?!” But before she finished her sentence, she seemed to sense something and looked towards his side in disbelief.
“Captain…Captain Xing!”
Captain Xing raised an eyebrow. “Yes, it’s me.”
“You’re back?!” Zhang Xiaolong was even more incredulous.
“Don’t you see that?” Captain Xing said.
“You saved Consultant Lin?”
Xing Conglian was very satisfied with the policewoman’s insight and proudly said, “Isn’t it obvious?”
Zhang Xiaolong’s face turned red. It seemed like if Xing Conglian continued speaking, she would get too excited and faint.
Their colleagues arrived one after another, and they chatted for a while before Lin Chen interrupted and turned his gaze towards the crime scene, asking, “What happened?”
Zhang Xiaolong had grown a lot and quickly took out her notebook from her pocket and got into work mode.
“The victim’s name is…”
Xing Conglian interrupted her. “It’s in the briefing you gave me. Let’s briefly talk about the situation at the time of the crime.”
“This is a vicious murder that took place in a crowded area. According to eyewitnesses, the footbridge was packed with tourists who were going to watch the water magic show. The victim was walking in the opposite direction, from south to north, on the footbridge. After walking less than 10 meters, the victim suddenly fell down. A man holding a child was the first to notice the victim’s abnormality and called on the surrounding crowd to avoid trampling. At first, they thought it was an acute heart attack, but then they saw a large amount of blood flowing out of the victim’s chest…” The female officer spoke softly, and Lin Chen looked towards the water. Even in the rain, he could feel the screams that erupted from the dark footbridge when blood seeped out.
Zhang Xiaolong tapped her ballpoint pen twice and handed her notebook to Xing Conglian. “This is the forensic report from the crime scene.”
[Puncture wound under the third rib on the left side. The wound is about 2.5 cm long. The victim’s heart ruptured, and he died on the spot.]
Lin Chen didn’t know how much “medical fees” Xing Conglian paid, but the amount of money that could support Duan Wanshan’s wish was probably not a small number.
Normally, after hearing such an answer, most people would probably ask him, “Where did you get so much money?” while ordinary couples and spouses might also ask the other party, “Did you spend so much money with my consent?”
But Lin Chen thought the relationship between him and Xing Conglian wasn’t destined to be ordinary like this. Speaking of which, he didn’t know Xing Conglian’s exact background, experience, and life, but he fell in love with this person and decided to be with him. This in itself was a ridiculous thing, but… Lin Chen turned his head to look at the man who was already sleeping soundly on the narrow sofa bed on the side of the cabin—love itself was quite ridiculous.
After thinking about these things for a while, Lin Chen also fell into a deep sleep.
……
China, Hongjing.
Dr. Tan Kang, who was in charge of the research and development of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s new drug, suddenly opened his eyes. He seemed to feel a simple discussion about his company in the rainforest deep in his mind, and suddenly felt a strange palpitation.
At this moment, he was sitting in the conference room on the 20th floor of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s headquarters, and his ears were full of fierce arguments. As the head of the laboratory responsible for the development of the new drug “Nordren”, he was urged by dozens of calls to participate in the EIF meeting in this office, but the so-called “discussion” was purely a quarrel.
A few days ago, after a key employee in the promotion department died, the Food and Drug Administration finally issued a license for “Nordron” to be listed, but this didn’t ease the tense atmosphere within the company.
Even though he didn’t know exactly what had happened, the CEO’s gloomy expression on his face said it all.
In any case, this revolutionary new drug that should have been smooth sailing, was always like a turbulent undercurrent. It was like a thin and vicious chain, tightly wrapped around the neck of every insider.
Dr. Tan Kang looked at the blue sky and white clouds outside the 20th-floor window. For a small moment, he was thinking about what it would feel like to open the window and step out, but his thoughts were limited by the glass window that could only be opened up and down.
He shifted his gaze to his notebook, gently opened it, and saw his daughter’s photo attached to the inner page.
He carefully thought about it. How long had it been since he saw his daughter since he came to China to work? 105 days, and this number was likely to continue to increase.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that it was ridiculous to choose to end his life for some salvageable things. Family always changed one’s mindset when they least expected it. Dr. Tan Kang pressed the ballpoint pen on the notebook, making some decisions.
Finally, the meeting ended. Dr. Tan Kang hugged his notebook, squeezed through the angry people, gave up taking the elevator with the other employees, and prepared to walk back to the R&D laboratory on the 10th floor.
The pharmaceutical company was always so bright and clean; even in the emergency passage, there was a clean smell of disinfectant, and he himself was very used to this atmosphere.
He slowly walked down from the 20th floor to the 19th floor when suddenly he heard a slight creaking sound from the safety corridor door on a certain floor.
Not sure if it was due to the anxiety caused by the new drug on the market or for some other reason, he had a vague feeling that someone had walked into the emergency corridor.
Therefore, he deliberately stopped and listened carefully for a moment, but there were no footsteps, and no sound of footsteps could be heard either above or below the hallway.
He pretended to step down two floors, making a clear sound of the leather shoes rubbing against the tiles.
Just then, the sound of leather shoes hitting the ground suddenly came from above his head, once or twice, making him shudder.
As if making some kind of decision, Dr. Tan Kang grabbed his phone and pressed the alarm button. He held onto the railing, turned around, and walked up. What was even more strange was that the footsteps upstairs stopped in tacit understanding.
Soon, a slowly moving mop appeared in his field of vision, and he also saw the black rubber boots of a cleaner.
In that moment, he even had a sense of escaping death. He closed his eyes gently and let out a long sigh.
……
When Lin Chen woke up, it was already the next morning.
The daylight outside the window was bright, and the sky was blue, as thin and transparent as melting glass. He subconsciously covered his eyes with his hand, but Xing Conglian leaned down and placed his hand on his forehead, smiling. “So, you want me to accompany you to sleep to reduce your fever faster?”
Lin Chen lazily held Xing Conglian’s hand and kissed it. When he raised his head, he saw that Xing Conglian was already dressed neatly and was clean-shaven, which surprised him. “We’re here already?”
“Yes, we’re here.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“Seeing off the Gaomeng people isn’t as important as you sleeping.”
“Why are you so cute?” Lin Chen smiled.
“I’m serious. Watching you sleep is more beautiful to me than watching a hundred Hollywood classic movies in a row.”
Xing Conglian’s sweet words were really entertaining, but Lin Chen sat up, not letting him disrupt the rhythm. “How do we go back?” he asked.
“Although I was originally planning a resolute Atlantic Circle tour without Wang Chao, given your physical condition and the matters we need to handle when we return home, we can only take a plane,” Xing Conglian said with a disappointed expression on his face.
Lin Chen let out a long sigh. “Please don’t tempt me with these luxurious trips. We law enforcement officers can’t possibly have such a long vacation.”
“Then we can only go home, Consultant Lin…” When Xing Conglian said the words “go home”, Lin Chen felt an extremely comfortable and pleasant feeling.
He nodded, about to say something, but saw Xing Conglian hand him a set of clean clothes from somewhere and asked him with meaningful intentions, “Do you want to take another bath?”
Earlier, they had also engaged in some friendly and harmonious two-person bathing activities on the ship, mainly because his wound couldn’t touch water, and Xing Conglian had to help, but now it seemed inappropriate to take a bath again at this moment.
Lin Chen looked at him and said, “Is anyone waiting?”
“Only me,” Xing Conglian said without hesitation.
Lin Chen looked at him suspiciously, then looked out the window. From his angle, he could see a clear harbor, a blue sky with white clouds different from the rainforest scenery, and a long coastline. The port in Kaga was located on the western estuary of the Dana River and was under the control of the United States. It was also the endpoint of their rainforest escape.
There were cruise ships, containers, and occasionally landing helicopters, giving people the feeling of entering modern society from the barbaric era. But modern society wasn’t necessarily a good thing because there were also warships and soldiers guarding the port here.
In the end, Lin Chen refused Xing Conglian’s proposal to take a bath. Xing Conglian pulled the curtains and closed the door, helping him change his clothes. The process was, of course, a bit long, and after changing, both of them were a little breathless.
They walked out of the ferry side by side, and the sea breeze and brilliant sunshine greeted them as if washing away the gloom of the rainforest.
There was no trace of Gaomeng people in the cabin, and the bloodstains from yesterday had been cleaned up. Duan Yang was standing on the dock with his hands in his pockets, alone.
Xing Conglian’s two subordinates, Zhang Long and Zhao Hu, were squatting on the dock with Wang Chao, boredly watching seagulls. Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian, thinking what a joke that no one was actually waiting for them.
“The others sent the Gaomeng people on their way. I’ll let these two stay here with Duan Yang until things are resolved,” Xing Conglian whispered.
In fact, he wasn’t really worried about Xing Conglian’s arrangements.
Duan Yang walked towards them, as if he had undergone some contemplation, and slowly said, “Consultant Lin, Mr. Xing…”
Lin Chen nodded.
In fact, during the time when he couldn’t sleep last night and throughout his fugitive journey, he also thought about what to say when he parted with Duan Yang. After all, they had gone through life and death together, but when it came to the moment of saying goodbye, he suddenly couldn’t come up with anything profound. Looking at the slightly longer hair of the young man in front of him and his resolute and calm expression, Lin Chen suddenly realized that Duan Yang, who was now in front of him, was no longer the young man who needed constant encouragement from him to have a firm belief.
Growing up was so painful, but people had to grow up.
Lin Chen reached out to Duan Yang. “We will meet again.”
Duan Yang opened his mouth, his expression full of a thousand words, but in the end, he just reached out his hand, shook hands with him, and said, “Goodbye.”
……
China, Hongjing.
The weather was again at that time of year when it was very unstable, with pouring rain one moment and clear skies the next.
After a whole day of contemplation, Tan Kang finally made a complete plan.
He sat in his office, nervously clicking a ballpoint pen.
It was 6:30 p.m., and most of the employees had already gone home. The lights in the large office outside had been turned off. His personal secretary had knocked on his office door over half an hour ago, asking if he needed dinner. At that time, he was pretending to be sorting out files on his desk and refused the offer, citing that he would finish work soon.
Time passed second by second.
Tan Kang sat in his office, trying to make himself look busy.
It wasn’t until the last person outside turned off the lights and left that he stopped all his movements instantly.
He stared outside for a while, then quickly pulled open the second drawer of his desk, where a small USB flash drive was neatly placed.
He moved the computer mouse gently, and the computer screen instantly lit up.
……
Lin Chen leaned back in the soft cabin seat. This flight spanning ten time zones had made his circadian rhythm completely confused.
In a daze, he could feel Xing Conglian covering him with a blanket. Besides the sound of the engine, the only noise in the cabin was the snoring of Wang Chao. Lin Chen opened his eyes slightly. Although it felt like he had slept for an entire night, it was still daytime outside the window. He wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, and Xing Conglian habitually reached out to touch his forehead to check his temperature. He rolled over and woke up.
On Xing Conglian’s side table was a cup of coffee that looked extremely bitter, and Wang Chao’s laptop was propped up on the table with the screen still lit. From his angle, Lin Chen could only see a bright white light.
“Did I wake you up?” Xing Conglian withdrew his hand and asked gently.
Just now, in his dreams, he thought he was still in the dark and sunless hold of a small fishing boat, where the smell of fish mixed with the odor of the middle-aged man’s body made him shiver. Perhaps because he subconsciously curled up his body, Xing Conglian covered him with another blanket.
Lin Chen’s vision gradually became clearer, and to his surprise, when he thought of the small fishing boat and the middle-aged man, he saw the black ring that had been taken from him by Xing Conglian on his desk.
Previously, he had used some technical means to make Xing Conglian give up investigating how he accidentally obtained this iron ring, which he wore on his left ring finger. Now that he saw this thing again, he couldn’t help but have a headache. He then asked in a businesslike tone, “Have you found out anything?”
Although he didn’t specify the exact object, they had a tacit understanding. Xing Conglian turned the ring half a circle and replied, “You guessed it right. It’s indeed a locator.”
“Can you find out who issued it?”
“That’s difficult, but this thing is not easy for individuals to obtain. It should belong to the government. After we return to China, Wang Chao should be able to find out.”
Lin Chen turned his head to look at the teenager sleeping upside down in his seat and asked Xing Conglian, “Did Duan Yang tell you the whole process of our kidnapping?”
“He did.”
“Did he mention the origin of this ring?”
“He did.” Xing Conglian looked at him and continued to stare at the ring. “How come you always run into this kind of thing when you get kidnapped? Drugs, human trafficking, or something else? And do you think the investigation he was conducting is related to Zhourui Pharmaceutical?”
As he spoke, Lin Chen felt like he was turning into Duan Yang.
“Consultant Lin.” Xing Conglian turned his head and looked at him helplessly.
“Yes?”
“Have you noticed that you get into investigation mode too quickly?”
Lin Chen looked out at the vast sea outside the window and admitted frankly, “Maybe it’s because I had a not-so-good dream just now.”
……
The climate at sea was changeable, but the city of Hongjing was covered in brilliant summer sunshine.
Mr. Tan Kang lowered his hat and wrapped his coat tightly as he walked slowly into Hongjing Amusement Park.
Perhaps because his outfit looked out of place, the staff at the entrance checked him twice with a metal scanner.
Mr. Tan Kang coughed lightly.
“Sir, are you not feeling well?” the staff member asked.
“Even if you’re not feeling well, you still have to go on a date, right?” Mr. Tan Kang smiled and replied.
This amusement park had been built for about 20 years, and the furnishings were outdated. Hongjing itself was too comfortable, so there were no crazy sights in the park. Citizens conventionally thought that even the carousel, the less intense roller coaster, or even the slightly squeaky pirate ship were suitable.
Today was Sunday and also a summer holiday, so there were more visitors in the park than usual, mainly parents with children. The children were holding cotton candy with bright faces, chattering and laughing, making Mr. Tan Kang feel like he was back in his childhood.
A violin tune that he couldn’t name began to play on the park’s broadcast, and the music was melodious.
Walking under the sun, he felt that the dirty haze on his body evaporated from his pores. Mr. Tan Kang gradually loosened his tightly wrapped clothes and felt relaxed. He didn’t buy cotton candy but instead spent ten yuan to buy a bottle of Coke. Junk food and the smiles of young people could soothe the soul.
On the grass by the lake, not far away, gray or white pigeons walk on the lush green lawn. A balloon vendor was selling red balloons to a cute pair of twins. There were many colorful balloons tied to his booth, and many people surrounded him—no child disliked balloons. After selling those two red balloons, many parents also handed him money. For a moment, piles of balloons of various colors were flying away, looking very cute.
Mr. Tan Kang smiled, bypassed the carousel area, and the violin tune became cheerful. Music always had such a strong infectious power. He walked up the bridge with small steps. Looking around, there were crowds of people everywhere. The magic show on the water stage not far away was about to start. Only when he walked to this crowded place did he regret his earlier choice.
People were crowded in front and behind, and many people still had balloons of different colors floating above their heads. The cute things that looked lovely earlier now made him inexplicably nervous. He clenched his fists, went against the crowd, and watched the road ahead with vigilance.
Going against the grain, the oncoming people were like hard rocks. Even children just above the knee could give him enough force of impact. Each time an elbow rubbed against his shoulder, it made his heart tighten by a few points. The Coke bottle had been squeezed to deformity at some point, and the liquid inside was covered with brown foam, which seemed it could spray out at any moment when it accumulated at the mouth of the bottle.
Tan Kang was hit by people continuously. For some reason, more and more people came from the right side. He was almost pushed in the direction he came from by the crowd against the current. He could only protect his chest with his hands, and he tried his best to walk faster. In order to avoid the oncoming tall man holding a child, he squeezed to the side but stepped on a female student’s leather shoe. The girl screamed, and he had to apologize in a low voice. “I’m very sorry. I’m very sorry. Can you let me through.”
The mixture of sound and noise in the air was so loud that the girl didn’t hear him, and no one around even noticed him.
Tan Kang finally avoided the stocky man and breathed a small sigh of relief. He had not yet exhaled the turbid air in his mouth when his pupils suddenly shrank, as if he saw something. Colorful balloons floated in front of his eye, and the plastic film gently collided.
Then, he sensed something.
The sound of the piano crossed a high note, then suddenly fell, and the fountain in the distance splashed white waves.
It was a thin knife that was not too long. The tip of the knife pierced his clothes and skin, and the blade pierced into his internal organs. After stirring it, the knife was quickly pulled out. The hand holding the knife suddenly let go of the handle, and the blade seemed to be attracted by some kind of suction as it suddenly retracted into the assailant’s sleeve.
All this happened within the blink of an eye.
Parents with children in their arms, boys and girls who came to hang out, and old people who took their grandchildren out to play continued moving. No one noticed that Dr. Tan Kang, who was in the crowd, clutched his ribs and slowly fell to the ground next to a sign that read: [Crowded. Please be careful.]
The sun was still shining on the grass, and the violin music became light and beautiful again after the climax as the crowd finally passed through the narrow area of the bridge.
On the lakeside path, a man in a dark blue jacket slowly and methodically took out a small black bag from his sleeve and tied the bag tightly with three balloon strings in his hand.
The balloons floated up with the bag, and he looked up and watched as they flew into the blue sky before he heard the screams of panic coming in the distance behind him.
He didn’t turn around and instead slightly rolled up his bloodied cuffs, then straightened his dark blue coat.
Ten paces away from him stood a little boy, about five or six years old. The little boy was so fat that his t-shirt was stretched out several times its original size, looking like a fat doll made of lotus roots. The fat boy’s big black eyes stared at the last balloon in his hand.
The man went to the fat child, tied the string of the last balloon on his lotus-root-like wrist, and patted the boy’s head. Perhaps he was feeling very good, as there was a hint of laughter in his breath.
When Xing Conglian talked about the matter of the deaths, there wasn’t a heavy expression on his face, indicating that it shouldn’t be a terrible thing like an infectious disease.
During the Gaomeng people’s escape, they were already heavily injured, so it wasn’t surprising that a few would suddenly pass away due to their injuries. Lin Chen frowned, suddenly realizing that the value of life had changed in his concept since he deviated from civilization, which wasn’t a good thing.
However, the cause of death for the two Gaomeng people slightly exceeded Lin Chen’s imagination.
They died in a fight.
At that time, dinner was being served on the ship, and one person suddenly had a dispute with his neighbor. He used a butter knife to stab the neighbor’s body directly, causing blood and flesh to splatter. The neighbor wasn’t easy to deal with and held the man’s neck tightly before hitting the iron table corner.
The two people fought too fiercely and too fast, and the other Gaomeng people didn’t even have time to stop them. They had already died together.
Lin Chen listened with horror and found it difficult to accept. According to the schedule, they would arrive at the port tomorrow morning, and all the Gaomeng people facing the threat of death would regain their freedom. And now, they were fighting to death, which wasn’t worth it… He thought for a moment and asked Xing Conglian, “What is the reason?”
“Duan Yang said it might be the sequelae of drugs.” Xing Conglian sighed for a moment and talked to him about the possibility that the entire Gaomeng tribe might have been taking illegal drugs or being used as test subjects for a new drug that had a subtle connection with schizophrenia.
Thinking of Zhourui Pharmaceutical and everything involved, Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian. Before he could say anything, Xing Conglian seemed to see through his thoughts and directly said, “Don’t even think about it.”
Lin Chen raised his hand and pulled Xing Conglian, freeing up the position on the inside of the bed. “Then don’t go. Sleep with me.”
Xing Conglian widened his eyes and looked at him incredulously. “Are you pulling another trick?”
Lin Chen smiled. “I just don’t want you to leave.”
Xing Conglian suddenly sat down and stroked the side of Lin Chen’s face with one hand. His eyes darkened. “Consultant Lin…”
Xing Conglian’s tone sounded a bit wrong at this moment. Lin Chen felt the rough touch of his skin on his palm and shuddered slightly, then he said seriously, “Yes, Captain Xing?”
“Do you know that you are still not well?” Xing Conglian slightly leaned over to the corner of his mouth, but didn’t make any kissing movements.
“Not only am I not well, but my condition seems to be quite serious now.”
Before Lin Chen finished speaking, he heard Xing Conglian say word by word, “So, are you sure you can handle it?”
“Why are you like this?”
Xing Conglian gently bit his earlobe and said in a low and deep voice, “Because I miss you.”
Lin Chen felt that the difference between being a talker and a doer might lie here. The next moment, Xing Conglian had already put him down on the bed. Although there was no action, he had a creepy feeling.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly, threateningly saying, “You may really not be able to get out of bed for a few days, so…”
Lin Chen quickly hugged the other’s neck and said sincerely, “I was wrong.”
“What did you do wrong?”
“My body is not well yet.”
“Hmm?”
“When I’m feeling better, I need to find a vacation where I don’t have to work, and I can’t stay at home.”
“Why can’t you stay at home?” Xing Conglian asked, rubbing his stubble against his face in satisfaction.
“Wang Chao is too annoying.”
“Shall I kick him out of the house?”
Lin Chen thought for a moment, feeling a little hesitant. “Never mind, let’s just book a domestic five-day trip for two instead…” He trailed off, testing Xing Conglian. “Is five days enough?”
“Probably not.”
Lin Chen chuckled. “Well, we’ll talk about it next time.”
“But next time, we can’t just talk about it…” Xing Conglian said.
“I know,” Lin Chen replied.
In any case, these two never seemed to have enough time together. In the end, Xing Conglian chose to respect Lin Chen’s wishes and led him downstairs.
There weren’t many decent clothes on the boat, so Lin Chen draped a thin blanket over himself and followed Xing Conglian to the first floor cabin.
The sound of water was clearer here, and outside the porthole was a dark rainforest where water and sky merged seamlessly without boundaries.
After the chaos, most of the Gaomeng people were ordered to stay in the inner cabin.
Therefore, the so-called scene of the crime was only occupied by the elderly tribal leader, who was called a “great trickster” by Wang Chao, accompanied by two strong men.
It was said that the Gaomeng tribe leader had died in battle long ago, so in reality, there weren’t many people left in the tribe.
The cabin was empty and terrifying, with the river wind blowing through it. The ground was a mess, and the rainforest bananas were trampled into a pulp mixed with blood, giving off a putrid smell.
The only doctor on the boat was squatting beside the corpse, performing an autopsy. Duan Yang was now quite versatile. Lin Chen stood beside the young doctor, watching as he examined the wounds on the deceased’s face.
“Did you find anything?” Lin Chen asked.
Duan Yang suddenly looked up and frowned when he saw Lin Chen standing there. “Why are you here? Take care of yourself and be careful not to get too hot again.”
Lin Chen crouched down beside him and said, “I came to see if I could help.”
Duan Yang took off his plastic gloves and shook his head. “Actually, I don’t understand this either. It would be best to find a forensic doctor to perform a craniotomy and pathological examination, but…” He looked at Xing Conglian and asked, “Isn’t that difficult?”
“All of that can be solved. Tell me your thoughts,” Lin Chen said.
“Throughout the whole process, they had an argument that led to death too quickly. Suddenly, they became restless and violent, and then suddenly died. It seems like a sudden manic episode…”
“It’s not sudden,” Lin Chen interrupted, looking at Xing Conglian. He reached for a pair of plastic gloves and put them on, then gently touched the victim’s face. “He must have been angry for a while.”
Duan Yang looked at the victim’s forehead. “Are there any expression lines?”
“No,” Lin Chen pursed his lips. “Their skin is too rough. That can’t be used as evidence.”
“But when people are angry, they tend to curl their fingers and toes,” Lin Chen continued. “This brings up the scientific study of innate human emotions versus learned behaviors. Is it beyond race and rooted in human genes?” As he spoke, he reached for the victim’s right hand and examined the palm. There were very clear marks where the nails had pinched. He wanted to stand up and check the victim’s feet, but Xing Conglian beat him to it. He took off the victim’s grass shoes and lifted them up to show him.
Lin Chen nodded. “The condition of this African victim tells us that anger is an innate emotion that transcends race. A more scientific psychology experiment would be to take photos of various facial expressions of Caucasians and Asians and see if these rainforest people can identify different emotions…”
“Consultant Lin, I don’t quite understand. Is this research meaningful?” Duan Yang asked.
Lin Chen shrugged. “Actually, I don’t know. I’m just afraid of burning out, so I’m talking nonsense.” He stood up, looking down at the people who were tragically dead and still angry on the ground, and said lightly, “But with scientific research, how can we always predict how the seemingly inconspicuous results will affect the human process?”
Duan Yang solemnly said, “I understand.” He thought for a moment and added, “We really need to determine more carefully what type of medication Zhourui Pharmaceutical has given them. This is probably the reason why Teacher insisted on saving those patients. It may not seem worthwhile for him to sacrifice his life, but maybe it is.”
Lin Chen took off his gloves and rubbed the young man’s hair. “Don’t think too much about it. That was his decision, and we don’t have the right to say much, but these cases are really strange.”
“I think so too.” Duan Yang said, “Most drugs that can cause brain damage or mental problems require long-term use, which will accumulate in the human body. But most of the Gaomeng people here seem fine, and many of them suddenly get sick without any warning. For example, Mr. Xing’s subordinates had mental abnormalities after accidentally coming into contact with the drugs. But today’s case is different. Does it mean that the Gaomeng tribe had taken many different types of medication?” Duan Yang turned to look at the elder and his entourage, who were vigilantly watching them. “Are there still possible new cases among the Gaomeng people on the ship?”
Lin Chen kicked Duan Yang’s heel and calmly said, “Don’t be so obvious. Talking behind someone’s back while looking at them isn’t good.”
Duan Yang smiled bitterly. “Consultant Lin, now I can tell that you are really recovering.”
“It seems… that even healthy Gaomeng people can’t be allowed to work on the cruise ship?” Xing Conglian frowned and was quite annoyed. “Do I also need to encircle these people like Zaratul?”
“What do you think?” Lin Chen asked Duan Yang.
“This involves medical ethics.” Duan Yang’s brow furrowed deeper. “If we know that some of these people may harm others when they leave, should we temporarily detain the healthy people who can’t be judged like the sick…”
Looking at the young man whose temperament had changed significantly from their first meeting, Lin Chen said, “The sentence you just said is a bit scary.”
“What?”
“First, I will point out that this incident may be solved in the rainforest, but what if it happened in a densely populated city?” Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian and said to Duan Yang, “Second, after you raise this point of view, it will make it very difficult for him to act.”
Duan Yang immediately apologized. “I didn’t think about it. Sorry.”
Lin Chen sighed slightly, and Xing Conglian put his hand on his shoulder and said, “Let’s find a relatively isolated manor. We won’t restrict their personal freedom, but those who are already sick must receive treatment. Is that okay?”
“I have no objection.” Duan Yang said, “But the cause of the disease has not been completely identified yet. Whether it is medication or psychoactive drugs, we still need to find out the real reason that caused them to become like this.”
“What you mean is that you should preside over the entire project…” Xing Conglian said in the night.
Duan Yang suddenly looked up.
The crime scene may not be the appropriate time to discuss these matters, but Xing Conglian still said to Duan Yang, “The ship will arrive at the port tomorrow, and we will handle the Zhourui Pharmaceutical matter back in China. However, someone needs to take care of things here in the rainforest. Before his death, Duan Wanshan made many requests to me. Since he was someone I admired, I will give you money to fulfill his wishes. Whether you want to spend the money freely or complete your teacher’s unfinished business, such as trying to treat the Gaomeng people, it’s up to you.”
Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian in surprise. Xing Conglian placed his hand on his shoulder, speaking as he led him towards the cabin, and whispered in his ear, “You have blown enough wind. Don’t think that I will let you stay outside for too long.”
“Mr. Xing!”
Duan Yang called out to Xing Conglian from behind.
The young man was completely stunned, with a mixture of panic, pain, confusion, and the restraint to try to manage these chaotic emotions.
Xing Conglian turned around and looked at the young doctor crouching on the ground, saying, “Don’t ask me why ten thousand times. I just saved some money by not giving it to you earlier.”
Many words were stuck in Duan Yang’s throat. He lowered his eyelashes, then raised his head with a clear expression, without any hesitation, as if he had already made up his mind. He said very solemnly, “Thank you.”
“You’ve already said that. No need to say it again.”
Xing Conglian waved his hand, and Lin Chen stood beside him, being pulled inside by him.
“Why did you only tell him these things now?” Lin Chen asked in a low voice.
“Two days ago, you still hadn’t gotten out of danger, so it wasn’t appropriate to give him the diagnosis fee so soon,” Xing Conglian said as a matter of fact.
Of course, this was thanks to Xing Conglian’s restraint, but in the final analysis, the reason was that Lin Chen still had a fever and was still hung up on anti-inflammatory drugs all night. Although there was appropriate medical support, in such a harsh medical environment, it was almost impossible to recover in a short period of time.
The hull shook lightly. Lin Chen listened to the sound of water, half dreaming and half awake.
At some point in the night, Lin Chen felt Xing Conglian leaving the beach bed on the side of the room. In fact, he probably had a feeling in his heart that every time he fell asleep, Xing Conglian would always leave for a while.
After they escaped from the life-threatening danger, they didn’t encounter any further obvious pursuit by the rainforest armed groups. It wasn’t an exaggeration to describe the journey as a sightseeing trip for tourists. Whether it was due to Mr. Zaratul having a change of heart or some issues in his organization that rendered them unable to continue their military operations, regardless of the reason, it likely required some effort and arrangements.
He rolled over a little but couldn’t fall asleep.
After a while, the hatch opened again, and the smell of the person coming in was soft and sweet. Naturally, it could only be Wang Chao.
Seeing him open his eyes, Wang Chao seemed a little frightened and took a step back. “A’Chen Gege, why are you awake? The Boss said you were fast asleep!”
Lin Chen reached out to turn on the desk lamp, preparing to sit up. Wang Chao quickly grabbed a pillow from behind the bed and placed it behind his waist.
“So, were you sent to monitor me?” Lin Chen asked with a smile.
“Ah! I’m not the only one. There are still two generals standing at the door!” Wang Chao said and sat down by the head of the bed. Only then did he realize he had spilled too much. Seeing the teenager’s reaction, Lin Chen felt that this problem was probably different from the previous one.
“What happened?” he asked.
Wang Chao had a hard-to-tell expression on his face. Looking at his appearance, Lin Chen didn’t want to ask, but he also wanted to tease him.
“Do you want to play a guessing game with me?” He paused and stretched his tone. “If you do, I don’t need to test your physiological indicators. I can guess just by looking at your expression.”
Wang Chao let out an “Ah” and shouted, “A’Chen Gege, you can’t do this!”
“I’m going to ask, so you can turn your head away and don’t let me see it.”
“You have to take good care of your illness. What the hell are you worrying about? You can rest assured that nothing will go wrong when we’re here!” Wang Chao patted his chest and turned around.
“Zaratul.”
The young man took two steps.
“Duan Yang, Duan Wanshan…”
The young man’s footsteps didn’t stop.
“Hongjing, Yongchuan…”
The boy’s hand was already on the doorknob.
“Something happened on the boat?”
Wang Chao looked back with a sad face. “A’Chen Gege, you can’t do this!”
“What happened aboard? The Gaomeng people…?” After he asked, Wang Chao’s reaction explained everything.
Lin Chen accepted it as soon as he saw it and said to Wang Chao, “Come back. I won’t ask.”
The teenager walked back depressingly. “It’s easy for me to lose to you like this!”
“Okay, be good and tell me. What brings you here specifically?” Lin Chen rubbed the boy’s head and spoke gently.
Wang Chao was the type that could be coaxed. He quickly pulled something out from behind him and handed it over.
Lin Chen was surprised because he had handed over a cellphone.
“You stole this kind of contraband and came in. Does your boss know?” Lin Chen asked.
“Ah!” Wang Chao’s little face was full of horror, and he couldn’t help but say, “A’Chen, there needs to be more trust between us. I just thought you were too bored resting, so I want to give you my phone for you to play with. You can’t blame me.”
Lin Chen looked at the phone, stretched out his pinky, and hooked it with the boy’s.
However, when he turned on the phone and was ready to surf the internet, he realized that he might have been tricked by the other party.
Most of the webpages on the phone were useless to open, leaving only strange communication software and Tetris which was the default game on the phone.
Lin Chen clicked on the messaging software, and there were only two people on the contact list: Xing Conglian and Wang Chao.
“Comrade Xiao Wang.” Lin Chen put down his phone and looked intently at the young man in front of him. “When did you become like this? I think we need to talk.”
Wang Chao snickered. “A’Chen, don’t be angry. I just thought you could use some entertainment and play with it. Once you return to China in a few days, you won’t need it anymore.”
Almost at the same time he opened the software and saw Xing Conglian’s avatar, Xing Conglian actually sent him a smirking emoji through the chat software.
Lin Chen didn’t know what kind of play this was. They were just a few steps away, yet they had to use their phones to chat and solve the problem.
Xing Conglian: [Did that brat wake you up?]
Lin Chen glanced at Wang Chao and asked in a low voice, “What kind of black technology is this? How did he know that I was awake?”
“Because the Boss’ requirements are quite perverted. When you open this software, the front camera will automatically turn on.”
The corners of Lin Chen’s mouth twitched as he replied back to Xing Conglian: [No, I didn’t fall asleep…]
Xing Conglian: [I’ll be back in a while.]
Lin Chen: [Don’t worry. Let Wang Chao talk to me for a while.]
Xing Conglian: [No, he talks too much, which will affect your rest.]
Lin Chen: [So… why did you ask him to give me his cellphone?]
Xing Conglian: [So you can put it on the bedside. I’ll watch you sleep.]
Lin Chen couldn’t help laughing.
Probably because he was smiling happily, Wang Chao had an expression of disdain for them.
Wang Chao also lowered his head and took out his phone. After a while, Lin Chen received a notification to join a group chat: [You are invited by the “#1 Thug Wang Chao” to join the “Exclude the Boss and Go for the Small Red Envelope Group”.]
Wang Chao put his index finger on his lips and made a silent gesture. Lin Chen looked away and clicked on the red envelope group.
Sure enough, the group had already started swiping red envelopes.
Zhang Long first sent a red envelope called [To Consultant Lin. Prepaid medical treatment fee.]
Lin Chen looked at Wang Chao and asked, “Why are you excluding the boss?”
Before he finished speaking, Wang Chao had already taken the lead in opening the red envelope. Lin Chen leaned over and took a look. Mr. Zhang Long made an extraordinary move. The entire red envelope was worth 1,000 yuan, and Wang Chao won 2.3 yuan.
“This is unscientific!” Wang Chao stared at his phone, dumbfounded, and shook it, thinking he was hallucinating.
“Huh?”
“Ahhhh!” After a moment of confusion, Wang Chao answered his question just now. “Because we usually don’t bring the Boss when we snatch red envelopes. He has such good luck that he always manages to grab the biggest one, which makes others envious and resentful…”
Before Wang Chao’s voice fell, a record of “Xing Conglian has received a red envelope” appeared in the chat log. Lin Chen took the opportunity to open the thousand-yuan red envelope Zhang Long had just sent.
Looking at the numbers that appear on the screen, he also shook the phone, thinking he was seeing things.
In the chat group, Xing Conglian angrily said: [Wang Chao, did you fucking upgrade the system or something?]
Wang Chao stared at the red envelope collection details displayed on the screen and looked up at him again, then began to tap the phone frantically.
Wang Chao: [It’s completely randomly allocated. Boss, do you think I’m mentally retarded? If I were to change the system, why wouldn’t I just increase my own share? I only got 2.3 yuan from 1,000 yuan. 2.3 yuan! What a joke!]
Zhang Long: [Fuck me. Fuck me. It’s a miracle! Consultant Lin actually got 888* yuan! The Boss only got 0.01 yuan!]
*Clarity: The number 888 is considered lucky in Chinese culture because its pronunciation, “ba ba ba” (八八八), sounds similar to the phrase “发发发” (fa fa fa), which means “get rich, get rich, get rich.” It is often used in business and personal life to convey good luck and prosperity.
Zhao Hu: [Am I seeing things? The Boss only got a penny?]
Ye Zhu: [Hehe. Karma.]
Looking at the reaction of everyone in the Red Envelope Group, Lin Chen could probably guess how terrifying Xing Conglian’s dominance over red envelopes was. As if he didn’t believe in bad luck, Kang An immediately sent another red envelope. “I wish Consultant Lin a speedy recovery!”
Everyone quickly snatched it all within three seconds.
No one in the group spoke. Lin Chen frowned and clicked on the section to check the details of the red envelope collection. He was shocked again.
Kang An’s entire red envelope had a face value of 100 yuan, and he received 66.8* of it, while Xing Conglian once again finished at the bottom with 0.01 yuan.
*Clarity: In Chinese culture, the number 6 is associated with smoothness, and 8 is associated with prosperity and wealth. Therefore, the number combination 668 is often considered a lucky number that represents smooth and prosperous progress.
Seeing this detail, Lin Chen seemed to be able to feel the laughter outside the door and in all corners of the ship while sitting in the cabin.
Xing Conglian: [Wang Chao, come to the first floor. Your boss hasn’t had a heart-to-heart with you in a long time.]
Wang Chao: [Boss, I swear that the system hasn’t been touched. Trust me!!! Do I have to prove my innocence myself?!]
As he said it, he quickly sent out a red envelope that looked like a huge denomination.
“Should I still swipe it?” Lin Chen asked Wang Chao in a low voice.
He asked, forgetting that the front camera was still on.
Xing Conglian: [Take it! Take it! Good fortune shouldn’t flow to outsiders*.]
*Fertilizer should not flow into someone else’s field (肥水不流外人田) Idiom referring to the resources, benefits, or profits should be used by those who have contributed to them and should not be taken away by outsiders who have not participated in the work or investment.
Lin Chen nodded and opened the red envelope again.
The amount of the red envelope that popped up on the screen was 5.01 yuan, making Lin Chen breathe a sigh of relief.
However, before he could react, information prompts for the Red Envelope Group suddenly popped up on the phone screen one after another.
[“Xiao Wu” has withdrawn from the Exclude the Boss and Go For The Small Red Envelope Group, “Kang An” has withdrawn from the Exclude the Boss and Go For The Small Red Envelope Group, “Ye Zhu”…]
In an instant, everyone in the group left, leaving only him and Xing Conglian.
Lin Chen opened the red envelope inexplicably. What he never expected was that the total amount of Wang Chao’s red envelope turned out to be 8 yuan, and Xing Conglian once again was at the bottom with a penny.
“Why are you so stingy?” Even Lin Chen was speechless.
“A’Chen Gege, I mainly spend my money on new mobile games,” Wang Chao said as he quickly shut down and restarted his phone, as if this way could solve the universal problem of bad luck. But before his phone screen lit up again, there was a rapid sound of footsteps outside the cabin, and the frequency of these footsteps could only belong to Xing Conglian.
When Wang Chao heard the sound, he anxiously jumped up from the chair and began to look for places to hide in the room.
The hatch slammed open, and Xing Conglian’s angry face appeared at the door.
Wang Chao was caught as soon as he opened the medicine cabinet that he wanted to hide in. The young man had no other choice but to pounce on his boss’ legs. “Boss, believe me. I’m really innocent!”
Xing Conglian lifted his legs twice and found he couldn’t’ get away. “Laozi believes in your evil!”
Lin Chen picked up the phone and gently pressed it twice.
Xing Conglian’s phone message prompt sounded. “You sent it?” he asked as he opened it, then asked in surprise. “Why did you transfer all the money you grabbed to me?”
“Raise you… Keep you.”
Xing Conglian laughed, as if he had lost his anger in an instant. He kicked Wang Chao’s foot. “Disappear within a second.”
The teenager grimaced, once again showing a disgusted expression on his face, but he probably thought about it and decided that his life was important, so he quickly disappeared without a trace.
Xing Conglian locked the door and walked slowly to the bedside. He threw his phone on the bedside table and said seriously, “Consultant Lin, it’s easy to get into trouble like this…” As he spoke, he bent down and kissed him.
The kiss was just a brief one, and soon he withdrew and sat at the bedside. “If you ever transfer me a red envelope again, I’ll add a zero and return it to you,” he said.
“How can this be?” Lin Chen lowered his head, and Xing Conglian actually transferred the money to him.
“To be honest, I’m happy about it,” Xing Conglian said.
“Huh?”
“When I used to grab red envelopes, they usually didn’t let me play because my luck was too good, and I always grabbed the one with the highest amount.”
“What’s going on today?” Lin Chen asked, “Did your good luck spread to me?”
“That’s why I’m happy,” Xing Conglian said, and then rubbed his face again, “If that’s the case, I can rest assured.”
Xing Conglian’s tone was very plain, and his words were concise. But Lin Chen remembered the topic they had discussed before about luck, and he felt that this was probably Xing Conglian’s most sincere wish from the bottom of his heart. He sighed, hooked Xing Conglian’s collar, pulled him in front of him, kissed his neck, and finally let him go.
Xing Conglian stood up, and somewhat reluctantly used his thumb to touch his lips. “You, open the camera and let me watch you rest. I still have to go out.”
After thinking for a moment, Lin Chen decided to break the mood at this moment. “What happened on the ship?”
Xing Conglian frowned, and he became serious. “What nonsense did Wang Chao say to you?”
“It doesn’t matter whether he said anything or not,” Lin Chen said softly. “There’s a smell of disinfectant on your body, and Duan Yang hasn’t come for two and a half hours. What happened to the Gaomeng people on the ship?”
Xing Conglian thought about it and finally decided not to hide it from him. “Two people died.”
Kinky Translations 