dog

As soon as he spoke, Yu Zou's phone rang; it was Ji Huisheng.

After Yu Zou hung up the phone, seeing his rather unpleasant expression, Du Pianjian asked, "What's wrong?"

“Teacher Ji wants me to go to her house. His wife wants to see me and says there are some things she must say to me in person.” Recalling Lili’s last meeting with Du Pianjian, Yu Zou was unsure whether seeing her again would worsen Lili’s condition. Just as he was about to speak, Du Pianjian said, “Go ahead, I’ll just wander around here.”

Yu Zou thanked him for his understanding, took a card from her pocket and handed it to him, "This is my access card. You can use it to buy anything and go anywhere. But please don't leave the building, okay?"

Du Pianjian nodded and said, "I know, they're waiting to arrest me."

"Soon." Yu Zou moved closer to Du Pianjian, resting his forehead against the top of his soft head. "I'll be back soon."

In the dimly lit room, Lili slumped on the sofa, her soft hair dull and clung sadly to her pale cheeks. The thick blanket was piled up on her body in wrinkles. Ji Huisheng sat under the sofa and gently patted Lili. She wasn't asleep and still needed to be woken up.

Yu Zou moved very lightly, watching Li Li slowly turn her eyes to look at him. Frame by frame, she sat up with Ji Huisheng's help, the blanket slipping down a little and being pulled up immediately.

Li Lichao laughed heartily, but even laughing was a great effort. She stretched out her hand from under the blanket, holding a white playing card with red flowers between her thumb and forefinger. The king had a heart in front of him and a sword behind him—the King of Hearts.

Yu Zou's pupils suddenly dilated, and he froze in place as if he had been frozen in place.

Lili quickly lost her strength, her hand slowly falling onto the blanket. Her voice was very soft, yet clear enough in the quiet room, but it exploded like a thunderclap: "We will all have this day, me too, Du Pianjian too. We are all experimental equipment there, and in the end, we will all be destroyed."

Yu Zou held his breath, and unconsciously asked, "Where?"

“St. Herle Sanatorium.” Li Li moved her hand, and Ji Huisheng acted first, tapping her bracelet. Images floated in mid-air, showing various accidents and corpses of all kinds. She continued, “These were all patients of St. Herle. Last year, when you were in a car accident, the moment I saw Du Pianjian, I understood—it wasn’t an accident, it was deliberate. Everyone here wasn’t an accident. I was terrified that it would be my turn, that it would be Huisheng’s turn. But it came before death.”

Yu Zou looked at the playing cards again and asked, "Do you know who they are?"

“I guess it’s A11101,” Lili said. “Back then, he was the one who organized the patients’ rebellion in St. Hele and set fire to the sanatorium so that some patients could escape from that place. Now, the only person I can think of who would dare to do that is him.”

“A11101?” Yu Zou asked.

"The numbers are: A for gender, 1 for rank, 11 for region, and 01 for room number. I am O31124. I don't remember their numbers, but I think they are probably in order. He is the closest to a successful experiment in the sanatorium, his pheromones can match any Omega. They say the experiment is for the happiness of more people, so that there will be no more class distinctions among humans, and all Alphas and Omegas can freely choose their lovers without being forced to separate because of the level of their pheromones."

Yu Zou frowned, even he couldn't fully accept the conclusion that went against human ethics: "So they experimented with a technology to artificially increase levels." Making everyone the highest level, which could be considered as having no level distinction.

"I'm not sure, but I guess so."

Yu Zou mentally reviewed their conversation and suddenly noticed the strangest part: "You didn't see the person who gave you the playing cards?"

"The first thing I did when I woke up in the morning was to have a deck of cards in my hand," Li Li recalled.

It appeared out of nowhere again, and this was the first time, not in a public setting.

"I will send people to protect you two, keeping a 24-hour watch, and calling for help immediately if anything suspicious happens." This is the only solution Yu Zou can offer at the moment.

Ji Huisheng had been silently watching Lili until now, when he finally spoke: "Thank you, you can go now."

Yu Zou understood perfectly well that Ji Huisheng was also hearing about these things for the first time and had even more questions than him. As he got up to say goodbye to the two of them, he readily agreed.

"Be careful of Du Pianjian," Li Li said forcefully, her hand resting on Ji Huisheng's palm. Her face, almost bloodless, was a blur of light and shadow, her spirits broken but her strength insufficient, tears welling in her furrowed brows and deep in her eyes.

He swiped the access card to access the computer in the records room, entered the year on his finger, and the data code immediately appeared. He silently recited it to himself, then pulled out a thick book of transaction records from the shelf, running his finger across the worn pages.

Finally, the focus shifts to a series of orders that began in September of fifteen years ago. The precision components were not designed by Yulong, but rather commissioned by an overseas company to forge the parts based on provided drawings. Images of the actual products are included, and Yulong's logo has been subtly modified for anti-counterfeiting purposes.

"I was fooled by Shao Yuan," Du Pianjian clicked her tongue.

I always thought Yulong was a partner, but it turns out they were just one link in the chain. The people behind it are clever; they knew those instruments were illegal, so they only commissioned Yulong to manufacture the key components before assembling them.

The copying was still in progress, and Du Pianjian photographed all the materials without missing a single one, thinking that this was probably all the information Long Neng had provided.

"Don't let them succeed." After saying that, Lili slumped back into the sofa, as if she had used up all her strength.

Yu Zou understood that this was the purpose of her asking him to come here, and it was the kindest advice she could give him. He nodded to Li Li and waved goodbye.

The car moved slowly, the red light was slow, the elevator was slow, and my footsteps were slow. Finally, I pushed open the door and saw her sitting comfortably on the sofa, fiddling with magnetic blocks. My heart finally settled. Du Pianjian looked up, her long hair swaying slightly as she sat up straight like a child waiting to be picked up by their parents, and complained, "I'm so hungry."

There were several empty snack bags on the table. Yu Zou casually tossed them into the trash can: "Come on, let's go eat. I found a fun restaurant that you'll definitely like."

“I think you’ll definitely like it.” Du Pianjian stood up and handed him the access card.

"Are you coming to work tomorrow?" Yu Zou asked with a smile.

Du Pianjian hesitated: "Do you often go out during working hours?"

"Not often," Yu Zou said, assessing himself as someone who was generally well-behaved at work, and today was a special case.

"If you continue like this, then I'm no different from being at home."

"I promise I won't tomorrow." Yu Zou put his arm around Du Pianjian's shoulder before letting go and pressing the elevator button.

Yu Zou explained the work to Du Pianjian in simple, easy-to-understand, and interesting language. Gradually, Du could even explain the intricacies of those rigid documents. The floor-to-ceiling windows let in all the sunlight, while the darkness beneath the floor seemed to grow even deeper. Unspoken words had transformed into commands, sharply contrasting with Luo Zangrui's. A leap in technical skill appeared before everyone's eyes, revealing that everything before had been a feint.

One person's victory foreshadows another's defeat.

When Shao Yuan placed an equity transfer agreement in front of Yu Zou, Yu Zou secretly rejoiced that Du Pianjian didn't want to go out today and chose to stay at home.

"What does this mean?" Yu Zou glanced at the title but didn't even bother to open it.

"The gist of it," Shao Yuan said, "I want 1.2 billion in cash, and you get the equity in return."

From the very beginning, Shao Yuan was eager to break away from Yu Long and go abroad. Yu Zou didn't understand why, and still can't find the answer. He replied, "I don't have that much money."

“Go borrow it. Li Kuo and Zhao Junjie can always scrape together the money.”

"I don't want shares, and I won't give you money."

“But you still have to consider your mother.” Shao Yuan used the same trick again, taking out a divorce agreement. “If you agree, I’ll sign it.”

Yu Zou met Shao Yuan's gaze in silence, their dissimilar eyes reflecting a similar suspicion. Shao Yuan pressed on: "And the wife I arranged for you, who do you think gave Du Junchang his book?"

Yu Zou suddenly stood up, looking at Shao Yuan in disbelief, and listened as he continued, "The evidence against Luo Zangrui, should we change it or not?"

Why should I believe you?

Shao Yuan's eyes darkened, and his face twisted slightly. This evidence was something Shao Jinfeng had risked his life for. The news had been kept under wraps, and he dared not easily bring it out to gamble: "You can also try not to believe me."

In the ensuing stalemate, Yu said, "Three days."

Shao Yuan replied: "North gate of Factory No. 21."

"My mom."

"She will get home safely."

As Shao Yuan sped away with the box and the secret account, leaving a trail of dust, Yu Zou found the so-called evidence in a corner of the factory's machinery: a thumb-sized memory card that, after being analyzed by the bracelet, turned out to be a land data report.

The blinding high beams made Yu Zou unable to open his eyes. He instinctively raised his hands to shield his eyes so that he could see the dark muzzle of a gun next to the flashlight. He squinted and slowly raised his hands.

The police station was unusually solemn; everyone had a tense expression and hurried along. Yu Zou was led into the interrogation room, and no one came in until half an hour later. He Can threw a notebook on the table, quickly flipping through it due to its creased edges: "What were you doing there?"

Yu Zou, who had been inexplicably arrested, was not going to cooperate: "This is my family's factory."

He Can said, "You deliberately chose a Saturday when no one was around? The surveillance footage shows that you entered the factory at 10:03 AM with a box, Shao Yuan appeared at 10:10 AM, and Shao Yuan left with the box at 10:34 AM. What was in the box?"

“I won’t say a word until my lawyer arrives.” Yu Zou leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, looking at He Can. He needed time to think about how this meeting had turned into a secret police arrest.

He slammed his hand on the table, and at the same time, there was a knock on the door behind him. Before he could turn around, the door opened, and the person who came in called out "Captain He" and took the person away. It wasn't until the lawyer appeared that he learned that the police had found machines with the Yulong trademark in the raided den, and that the transaction records in the den revealed that the factory contained addictive substances. The police immediately took action but unexpectedly arrested him.

The lawyer also revealed that the police station is currently overwhelmed with cases of murder in multiple locations, and his interrogation will be postponed.

Yu Zou didn't think this was just a simple "accident." His heart was like the boundary between ice and fire. Du Pianjian's vacation application was about to end, and today was the day to return to school to sign the leave slip. It just so happened that they happened to be at the same time.

After confirming with the lawyer that Du Pianjian was not in any unusual situation, Yu Zou added after giving his instructions, "I've run into a little trouble, so I'm afraid I can't come to pick you up in person."

"Troublesome?" Du Pianjian put a finger to his lips, signaling the other party to be quiet. The Alpha in the white coat immediately stopped in his tracks and even held his breath.

"The situation is still uncertain, and I can't say for sure in a short time."

"About?"

"It's probably because the factory I went to happened to have addictive substances, and I happened to be arrested as a suspect and taken to the police station. The police were too busy to prove my innocence."

Du Pianjian frowned slightly and remained silent. Then the person opposite her said, "Don't worry, I'm completely innocent."

He replied, "I trust you. I'll have dinner ready for you."

After hanging up the phone, the barely perceptible smile on Du Pianjian's lips vanished completely. He threw his phone on the lab table and said coldly, "You pity the enemy? Why don't you just kill yourself and let them have their way?"

"Was Yu Zou's father an enemy?"

"Otherwise what?"

"Since Shao Yuan is the endpoint, Yu Zou will also be implicated."

It's getting dark earlier and earlier; the sun is no longer shining directly on this hemisphere.

The luggage cart made a strained sound on the wooden boardwalk of the abandoned dock. A small boat was quietly moored in the harbor. In the windless weather, gasoline and water vapor mingled in the air.

Shao Yuan released Yu Wangyue's hand, walked to the bottom of the boarding stairs, and said, "Someone will come to pick you up."

Yu Wangyue stood there, her delicate brows furrowed, her anxiety making her heart ache. She could only place her clenched fist over her chest. At this moment, there was no point in saying anything more, so she forced a smile and said, "A Yuan, I wish you peace."

"I'm more worried about whether your son will be harassed at the police station."

"Why do you always have to be so hypocritical? I know your purpose is to get the police to come here to pick me up." Yu Wangyue showed that expression again, that look of both affection and helplessness towards a mischievous child. This immediately made Shao Yuan frown deeply. The lines between his brows had deepened with age, and even now, when he was expressionless, there were faint traces. He said sharply, "You think too highly of yourself. I was just using you as a shield."

After saying that, he boarded the small boat. The boat moved very slowly, just like everything takes time to start.

Ten minutes later, Shao Yuan stepped out of the wheelhouse, stood by the railing and looked down. The wind stirred up by the ship blew her hair up, and her gaze was just as it had been when she looked down at him years ago.

If he could, he wouldn't want to stay under such gazes for another moment.

As Shao Yuan walked down step by step, Yu Wangyue's feelings changed from reluctance to doubt, and then to shock in Shao Yuan's embrace. She tried to push him away but couldn't budge him.

I hate you.

Shao Yuan lowered the bracelet, and Yu Wangyue indeed lost her strength, collapsing into his arms. A gun was now pressed against her neck, rubbing her pulse. Her wide eyes stared unconsciously at the deep blue sea.

"I've never liked you for a single moment. You arrogantly treat everything I crave as trash, showering it upon me and making all my efforts nothing more than a backdrop to love. I wish you were dead right now!"

Shao Yuan's voice exploded like a thunderclap, and Yu Wangyue's heart shattered instantly.

"How could you think that, I..."

"Shouldn't I think like that? You gave me something I couldn't get even with hard work, so I should be grateful, right?" Shao Yuan sneered. "Use your meticulous accommodations and tolerance to express that you are much more noble than me, so that I will willingly be your dog!"

"I didn't think that way."

"But you've been doing that all along!" Shao Yuan roared, pulling Yu Wangyue to face him. "Tell me, why me? Why me?!"

Yu Wangyue looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks, and choked out, "A Yuan, haven't I made you happy even for a single moment all these years?"

"No." Shao Yuan said firmly.

"Because I like you, everything I do is only because I like you."

"Why? Because I am poorer, more pitiful, and more helpless than them? So that you can give me more of your misplaced kindness?" He personally guided the project, secretly promoted him, introduced him to people at drinking parties, and even eventually gave up Yu Long.

“Ah Yuan.” Every word was tinged with tears. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner that you felt this way?” Actually, why didn’t you say so sooner that you were accommodating my way of loving you? Why didn’t you say so sooner that you were being chased by the shadows of the past?

Yu Wangyue felt no resentment, only heartache: "I thought that at least I made you feel my love."

Shao Yuan was unusually silent, then whispered in Yu Wangyue's ear, "Wangyue, I've always felt too far away from you."

A gunshot rang out, and Yu Wangyue was pushed and staggered. Shao Yuan's blood-stained figure slowly fell before her eyes. Her eyes could not close, her consciousness faded, and black figures overlapped layer upon layer, covering Shao Yuan's blood. She could no longer see him.

The police car sped along, its flashing lights warning the way. Inside, the police officer briefly explained the situation to Yu Zou in the back seat. Based on the suspect's accusations and existing evidence, Shao Yuan was the mastermind behind the addiction. When he fled, he took a hostage, who was none other than Yu Zou's mother. In order to get Shao Yuan to turn back, Yu Zou, as his only son, went to negotiate.

But before Yu Zou could say a word, and had just stepped onto the abandoned waterfront, a gunshot rang out the instant the flashlight was turned on, flames pushed thick smoke into the sky, and a mechanical volcano formed around the small boat.

Yu Zou only had time to hug his collapsed mother. Red and blue lights flickered, and Yu Wangyue's vision was filled with black and white; she couldn't hear anything else. He Can spoke into the walkie-talkie, his expression grave as he directed the handling of the scene. After hanging up, his phone rang again. He Can pinched his brow, closed his eyes to listen, and nodded occasionally. After a while, realizing the other person couldn't see him, he replied, "I understand."

He Can took a deep breath to stay alert, and gestured for Yu Zou to move aside. With the police medic comforting him, Yu Zou felt a little more at ease. He Can stood beside the police car, and as Yu Zou approached, he took a piece of candy from his pocket and tossed it to him, saying, "How are you feeling?"

"It's not to the point of suicide." Yu Zou held the corner of the wrapping paper, trying to calm himself down.

He Can observed this and thought it was a perfect opportunity: "Although your suspicion has been temporarily cleared, new events will always point to you. I am certainly saddened by your father's tragedy, but fate is unkind, and another murder has occurred around you. Would you be able to provide some clues?"

Yu Zou's fingers slipped, the candy wrapper was torn open, and his ears were filled with tears. He looked at He Can.

He stood up straight and said heavily, "We received a report that someone jumped into the river from the Binzhou Bridge this morning to commit suicide. The rescue failed. The deceased was named Lili."