BL Ch73

Three days after the press conference.

The office of the Xinjin District Bureau was filled with the aroma of food.

Xu Sheng had his legs propped up on his desk next to an unopened takeout box containing two meat and three vegetable dishes. He slumped in his reclined office chair, his eyes lifeless and his complexion pale, muttering incessantly, “It’s been three days, how is there no news at all… Could Bai Zhiming have run away?”

Across from him, Lu Qing looked up from his lunch box, biting into a chicken leg, saying, “Don’t be discouraged, Brother Xu, let’s eat first; it’ll get cold if you don’t.”

Xu Sheng sighed, finally pulling himself out of the chair, opening a pair of disposable chopsticks, and glancing at Ji Lin beside him, “Little Ji, you should eat something too.”

Ji Lin shook his head, his eyes fixed on the computer screen, “I’m not hungry, I’ll eat later.”

Xu Sheng started to worry again, “This waiting isn’t going to work… I think we should monitor Pei Ming’s phone; maybe we would have caught the murderer by now.”

Lu Qing, now gnawing on a rib, said, “If we did that, his lawyer might sue us for unlawful conduct before we even find any leads, and we’d be suspended. Moreover, the King never acts directly; monitoring him might not even help. We need to find the Queen first.”

Xu Sheng replied, “Your tone is getting more and more like Yu Duqiu’s; you even use his metaphors so fluently.”

Lu Qing chuckled, “I’ve heard him speak so much. By the way, Mr. Yu hasn’t bothered us these past few days. What’s he doing at home? Anything unusual in the surveillance?”

Niu Feng, who had been eating quietly, made a face of disgust at this, “What else could he be doing? Just enjoying himself. Horseback riding the day before yesterday, golf yesterday, and this morning, he was racing in the pool with his little bodyguard and even kissed him. He’s got no shame, really thick-skinned!”

Lu Qing was all ears for the gossip, “Wow, Bai Zhao finally won the young master over!”

Niu Feng scoffed, “Come on, Bai Zhao has no money, no status, he’s an orphan. That young master isn’t going to take him seriously. He’ll still marry someone like Du Lingya for family alliances.”

Ji Lin frowned, “If you’re going to eat, then eat properly. What’s with all this idle chatter? Don’t disturb my work.”

Lu Qing stuck his tongue out at Niu Feng.

Their team leader seemed to get more serious and less smiley every day.

Seeing Ji Lin’s stern look, Xu Sheng advised, “It’s okay to relax once in a while. Take a break; you haven’t stopped for months. Look at those dark circles under your eyes; they’re almost touching the desk.”

Ji Lin replied, “I sleep well at night; I’m well rested. Checkpoints are set up at all entrances and exits of the Migu Valley, and the Yunnan Public Security Bureau is working with the Myanmar police to track Bai Zhiming. If he’s there, it’s just a matter of time before we find him. I can’t fall before we catch him and the murderer.”

“Alright, good that you think that way.” Xu Sheng felt his worries ease a bit and started to eat, uncovering his meal to find braised chicken feet and beef brisket in tomato sauce, which looked quite appetizing.

Ji Lin continued browsing the web, saying, “Moreover, Bai Zhiming’s physical features are quite distinctive; he’s missing a finger, so he should be easy to find.”

“…” Xu Sheng quietly put down the chicken feet he had just picked up, his appetite gone. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a photo and immediately went over to Ji Lin’s computer, teasingly asked, “You were supposed to be working, why are you looking at pretty girls?”

“What, what!” Lu Qing, with a rib still in his mouth, hurried over to join in, “Brother Ji, are you finally looking for a partner?”

Squeezed between the two, Ji Lin looked helpless, “What nonsense… I’m looking at a car accident case from twenty years ago. This is Cen Wan’s photo.”

On the computer screen was a beautiful, fair face with lively, smiling eyes, like they were filled with dazzling sunlight. Her black, short hair neatly tucked behind her ears, she looked to be in her twenties or thirties.

Lu Qing was puzzled, “Why are you looking at this case?”

Ji Lin clicked the mouse, zooming out to reveal Cen Wan’s profile page.

As a once moderately known young scientist in the country, there were traces of her from twenty years ago, but only in bits and pieces, with little usable information.

A life that should have been brilliant was abruptly cut short in its prime.

“Just nothing better to do, and no new leads, so I’m looking at old cases; maybe I’ll get some inspiration.” Ji Lin opened another page, “At the press conference the other day, Old Peng and Chief Feng mentioned the old cases involving the Pei and Du families. I got curious. Seventeen years ago, Pei Xianyong was reported by Du Yuanzhen for illegal drug possession, and the evidence was provided by an internal informant. Who was this informant? I want to contact him, but there’s no record in the files, which means even Old Peng doesn’t know. It wasn’t someone from the police, so who could it be?”

Xu Sheng thought for a moment, “Maybe… it was an undercover agent sent by Du Yuanzhen? Some journalists will do anything for a sensational story.”

“There’s that possibility, or it could be an enemy of the Pei family, or even… someone from the Yu family.”

“The Yu family? You mean Yu Duqiu’s family?”

“Yes.” Ji Lin stared at the screen, “Twenty years ago, Cen Wan was in a car accident while researching a brain-machine interface for drug addiction, leading to the death of her entire family. Yu Duqiu’s grandfather and mother were close to Cen Wan, suspecting foul play, and they suspected Pei Xianyong. So, I wondered if that informant could be an undercover agent sent by the Yu family to uncover the truth about the car accident.”

Xu Sheng said, “Your theory makes sense, but it would be difficult to pull off. Du Yuanzhen sending an undercover agent is plausible; he was already a leading figure in the media industry, and his reporters were skilled at covert operations. But twenty years ago, the Yu family wasn’t as powerful or wealthy as they are now, not even in the top ten in the city. Although Academician Yu was respected for his research, he was just a scholar focused on data and experiments, not someone who could handle someone like Pei Xianyong, who was both the richest man in the city and a major drug lord.”

Ji Lin sighed, rubbing his tired eyes, “You’re right, I overthought it. Let’s look at the cases from the past year; maybe we’ll find something new.”

Though they said this, they all knew that going over the same information hundreds of times was unlikely to yield new leads.

At that moment, there were two knocks at the door. Xu Sheng called out, “Come in,” and a policeman peeked in, saying, “Captain Ji, someone’s here to see you.”

Ji Lin, confused, turned around, “Who? I didn’t have any appointments today.”

The policeman replied, “An elderly couple, they say they’re Mu Hao’s parents, here specifically to see you.”

“!” Ji Lin jumped up from his chair, nearly knocking over Xu Sheng and Lu Qing, stammering, “What? Mu, Mu Brother’s parents are here to see me?”

The policeman said, “I don’t know, they’re in the reception room. Chief Peng asked me to notify you to go over there quickly.”

“Okay, okay!” Ji Lin was in disarray, messing with his hair and face, in unprecedented panic, “I haven’t washed my hair in two days, didn’t shave this morning, this is life-threatening, so sudden… Lu Qing!”

Lu Qing immediately stood at attention, “Here!”

“Lend me your comb and makeup kit.” Ji Lin said as he grabbed his police uniform from the back of the chair, glanced at it, then looked at Xu Sheng for help, “Brother Xu, my uniform’s wrinkled, can I borrow yours?”

Seeing him so flustered, Xu Sheng quickly handed it over, and Lu Qing passed his touch-up bag, “There’s an eyebrow razor in here; you can use it to shave.”

“Thanks, thanks.” Ji Lin took the items and dashed out the door towards the restroom.

Xu Sheng was puzzled, “Isn’t it just meeting with the victim’s family? Does he need to be this particular?”

Lu Qing was also curious, “In the past six months, I’ve never seen him with neat hair, but today, he’s suddenly combing it. The last time he was this meticulous was last year when he went on a date, wore new clothes, and borrowed my whitening sunscreen.”

Niu Feng asked with interest, “Brother Ji went on a date? And dressed up for it? He must really like that girl then; he only has a few outfits he rotates every year, I can recite them by month.”

Xu Sheng was curious too, “Which girl was it?”

“I don’t know, he didn’t say. It probably didn’t work out. Later, with the Rain Alley case, he was entirely focused on it, no time for dating…” Lu Qing suddenly stopped, “Wait, now that I think about it, that day was just two days before the Rain Alley case… October… 25…”

Her voice grew quieter, but her expression became more surprised. Niu Feng and Xu Sheng moved closer to ask, “What does it seem like?”

“Nothing, nothing!” Lu Qing suddenly jumped back, a meter away from them, and said in panic, “Oh… I’ll go check if Brother Ji needs help; he might not know how to use the eyebrow razor, I’m worried he’ll cut himself!”

With that, she rushed out of the room and was gone in a flash.

Leaving Niu Feng and Xu Sheng bewildered, they both asked in unison, “Is she… going to the men’s restroom?”

At Number One Palace in the afternoon, the lush tree canopies cast a cool shade where two Dobermans wagged their tails, strolling through the shadows.

Yu Duqiu, having finished his lunch, personally walked the dogs, his pace varying, with a leisurely smile on his face, indicating he was in a good mood.

Not far away, a group of people surrounded Bai Zhao, with Zhou Yi and Lou Baoguo on either side, one asking, “Brother, how did you make the young master angry?” and the other, “Xiao Bai, how do you cheer up the young master?”

Bai Zhao maintained his usual cool expression, “You’ve been asking for three days, why not ask him?”

“It’s because we don’t dare to ask the young master that we’re asking you,” said Lou Baoguo.

Zhou Yi sighed, “Forget it, forget it, as long as you two have made up, or else we’d all be on edge.”

Hong Liangzhang spoke earnestly, “Indeed, harmony at home leads to prosperity. Don’t talk about resigning again. You haven’t been here long, but we already consider you family.”

Lou Baoguo nodded vigorously, “Exactly, exactly, Brother, since you’ve come, all the young master’s anger is directed at you, and only you can handle it; you’re our shield!”

Zhou Yi kicked him, “If you can’t speak properly, don’t say anything. Xiao Bai, we know you’ve had it tough before; stay here with peace of mind. If there’s anything, ask us for help, don’t be too proud to do it alone.”

Bai Zhao seemed moved and asked, “Help with anything?”

Zhou Yi immediately stood tall, “Of course!”

“Then let Xiao Guo marry me.”

“…”

Lou Baoguo was shocked, “Old Zhou! Calm down! Don’t take out your belt!”

“Looks like not everything is helpful,” Bai Zhao said with a mischievous smile, “Just kidding, don’t get mad—he’s out in the sun now; I’ll go hold an umbrella for him.”

With that, he grabbed a sun umbrella and quickly walked towards Yu Duqiu.

Zhou Yi knew he wasn’t serious but was still annoyed, “Strange, this kid actually makes such jokes.”

Lou Baoguo watched the two return together, looking quite intimate, and asked suspiciously, “Don’t you think… every time they fight, they become even more inseparable?”

Hong Liangzhang nodded approvingly, “Not bad, Ah Bao has learned to use idioms.”

“…” Lou Baoguo, “Uncle Hong! Do you think I’m that uneducated?”

Yu Duqiu returned from his walk, handed the leash to the dog trainer, and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, saying, “It’s too hot today. Give Black Cat and Sheriff a cool bath, feed them some fruits, oh, and Xiao Bai too.”

Hong Liangzhang was confused for a moment, “Young Master, do you mean Xiao Bai?”

“No, Xiao Bai, my white horse, I just named it. But the inspiration indeed came from Xiao Bai,” Yu Duqiu said with a deep meaning.

Bai Zhao raised an eyebrow, “Want to ride me?”

“Cough, cough!” Zhou Yi and Lou Baoguo choked on their own saliva simultaneously.

Yu Duqiu calmly said, “That’s the implication. You’re smart today, not being foolish?”

Bai Zhao just snorted without answering.

Hong Liangzhang looked worried, “Young Master, the horse trainer is also a new employee; you fired him too, remember? These past few days, it’s been the kitchen staff taking care of him.”

Yu Duqiu had indeed forgotten that he had fired dozens of employees in one go, “Oh, that’s not a solution. Xiao Bai is precious; we need someone dedicated to care for him. What did my mom say? When can we get someone from America?”

“Soon, the visa procedures are all done.”

“Who’s coming?”

“Don’t worry, they are all people trusted by Madam Yu. But it’s temporary; once the case is solved and things stabilize, they’ll go back.”

“Temporary is fine. Seems like my mom cares about more than just business; she cares about her son too.”

“Of course, both Mr. and Mrs. Yu are very concerned about you.”

Yu Duqiu grumbled, “Forget about my grandfather. He hasn’t seen me or even called to check on me in these months; I always have to call him. He wasn’t like this before; has he completely given up on me?”

Bai Zhao interjected, “Do you want him to get involved in these matters?”

“Not really, the older he gets, the further he should stay from all this trouble.”

Mentioning this, Hong Liangzhang looked guilty, “If I weren’t old, I’d want to go abroad with you. Conditions in Myanmar certainly can’t compare to home. This trip might take ten days or half a month, right? I’m worried you won’t eat or sleep well.”

Yu Duqiu looked around at the other three, “Who leaked it?”

Lou Baoguo timidly raised his hand, “Me… even if I didn’t say it, Uncle Hong would have found out sooner or later.”

Hong Liangzhang also said, “Don’t blame Ah Bao; I figured it out myself. I’ve felt something’s been off with you lately, like you were planning something.”

Yu Duqiu took his arm, leading him inside, “This sun is too harsh; be careful not to faint. Let’s talk inside.”

Once in the living room, a servant timely brought iced juice. They sat around the marble coffee table, dismissed others, and while they quenched their thirst, Yu Duqiu explained:

“This trip abroad is partly to trace Bai Zhiming’s whereabouts; he’s a key figure in this case, and I believe we can learn the true identity of the Queen from him. On the other hand, I feel staying in the country might be too safe.”

Lou Baoguo was shocked, “Young Master, isn’t safety good?”

“It’s not that it’s bad, just not conducive to solving the case.” Yu Duqiu analyzed, “The Queen has always wanted to kill me, but due to certain reasons, it was not convenient for him to act. The only time he could freely attack me was in America. This makes sense; if I were to die abroad, the domestic police would find it hard to intervene in the investigation, and foreign police would struggle to pursue the case back home, giving him ample time to escape. Myanmar’s law enforcement is much more chaotic than America’s, and the northern parts often see armed conflicts. Even if a local were murdered, let alone an outsider like me, the local police might be used to it. It’s the perfect place for a silent kill. Do you think the Queen would pass up such an opportunity?”

Bai Zhao: “So, you want to lure the enemy with yourself as bait?”

“Yes, once I go abroad, out of the heavy surveillance of the police, his chances of killing me increase. I believe the Queen will definitely make a move.”

Hong Liangzhang immediately panicked, “That won’t do, you can’t go abroad with that mindset, it’s too risky. Let the police handle the arrests.”

Yu Duqiu: “Of course, I’ll let the police make the arrests; I don’t want to steal their job, but I definitely have to go. It’s their honor to have me join.”

Bai Zhao coldly remarked, “They might not feel honored.”

Yu Duqiu looked up, “At least you must feel honored.”

Bai Zhao chuckled lightly, “I truly do feel honored.”

The two were exchanging riddles, back and forth, leaving no room for anyone else to intervene.

Hong Liangzhang was still worried, his face full of concern, his hand, like tree bark with its wrinkles, tightly gripping Yu Duqiu’s, “Young master, you must prioritize your own safety first before worrying about others. No matter what happens, remember to call me, understand?”

Yu Duqiu laughed, “Calling you would be useless. Can you stop a criminal from killing me or teleport here to take a bullet for me?”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone’s phone vibrated. They looked at each other, and Lou Baoguo was the first to pull out his phone, “Oh, it’s Comrade Xiao Lu’s call.”

Zhou Yi was surprised, “How do you have her number?”

“Hehe, we have some dealings.” Lou Baoguo didn’t dare mention that ninety percent of those dealings were complaints about work.

He answered the call, but after a few words, his face changed, covering the microphone like he was facing a great enemy, “She’s asking if I feel like Captain Ji likes Mu Hao! What should I do? How should I answer? If I say yes, wouldn’t that be inappropriate? Captain Ji probably wouldn’t want his colleagues to know, but it seems like Lu Qing has already noticed!”

Zhou Yi said, “Just tell her not to meddle.”

Lou Baoguo thought it made sense, so he said into the phone, “Xiao Lu, the person is dead, why do you care so much—”

Before he could finish, the phone was suddenly snatched away. Bai Zhao timely stopped his tactless speech, tactfully changing the subject with Lu Qing, “Miss Lu, the deceased is gone, regardless of the answer to your question, it’s Captain Ji’s personal matter. Why should we, as outsiders, delve into it?”

Lou Baoguo gave a thumbs up, “Big bro, you’re the best.”

Yu Duqiu snorted lightly, “Just learned a bit from me.”

Bai Zhao said a few more words, nodded, then hung up the phone, glancing over, “You also often speak without considering the feelings of others.”

Yu Duqiu laughed without denying it.

Lou Baoguo asked, “What else did Xiao Lu say?”

Bai Zhao: “She also said that Mu Hao’s parents have arrived, and Ji Lin is about to meet them, looking very nervous.”

“Wow, Comrade Ji is meeting his in-laws; we must go see this.” Yu Duqiu stood up, “Prepare flowers and wine to support him; I’ll go change clothes.”

Hong Liangzhang said helplessly, “The parents are grieving the loss of their son; they won’t be in the mood for wine, young master, that’s common sense.”

Yu Duqiu waved his hand without looking back, heading upstairs, “The wine is for Ji Lin; I have a feeling he’ll remember his old friend tonight and won’t be able to sleep.”

Zhou Yi couldn’t help but sigh, “Our young master actually has a lot of empathy.”

From upstairs came Yu Duqiu’s voice again, “Uncle Hong, prepare two cars. I’ll take Mu Hao’s parents to the cemetery to see him later, to let the family reunite.”

Everyone looked at Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi: “…Pretend I didn’t say anything.”