07 Hong Kong Island Amusement Park
As they emerged from the police station, the city lights were just coming on. A chilly autumn breeze swept over them, and Zhou Yun, wearing short sleeves, shivered slightly. She walked beside Fang Chengjin, unsure of where they were going.
"Are we going back to school?" Zhou Yun couldn't help but ask.
"Let's go get something to eat." Fang Chengjin's voice was deep and magnetic in the cold wind.
"Where should we eat?" Zhou Yun then asked.
Fang Chengjin didn't reply to her, and just kept walking forward. Zhou Yun didn't ask any more questions. The two walked through the streets and alleys and came to a dilapidated alley entrance in a remote corner.
Hong Kong Island is a magical city, with a stark contrast between rich and poor. The wealthy are opulent and glittering, while the poor are dilapidated and crumbling. If you simply wander the streets, you'll often stumble upon places with completely different styles, revealing Hong Kong Island's remarkable inclusiveness. Here, you can embrace all sorts of lifestyles. Whether you're free or not is entirely up to you.
The two stopped at a small restaurant. Zhou Yun looked up at the sign: "Fatty Noodle Shop".
The restaurant has a small storefront and is tucked away in an alley in Sham Shui Po. If Fang Chengjin hadn't given her directions through a maze of twists and turns, Zhou Yun probably wouldn't have found it. The restaurant has a "good wine needs no bush" vibe; the storefront is simply decorated in a basic Chinese wooden style, with the signboard and tables and chairs all made of wood, gleaming with a warm, orange-yellow hue. Upon entering, you'll find an open, transparent glass kitchen where the cooking utensils and equipment are clearly visible.
The owner was a slightly overweight middle-aged man wearing an apron and a chef's hat, with a toothpick in his mouth, looking at his phone while wearing glasses. When he noticed someone coming in, he looked up and gave a kind smile.
"Good evening, Mr. Fang! Same as usual?"
Judging from his tone, Fang Chengjin is a regular customer and has become quite familiar with the owner.
Fang Cheng nodded, his voice muffled as he wore a mask. "Give her one too." He then looked at Zhou Yun, "You can choose whatever you like."
Zhou Yun glanced at the menu. There weren't many dishes here, just a few different flavors of braised pork intestine noodles.
She said, "I want braised pork intestine noodles, with a side of greens, and slightly spicy."
"Okay!" the boss replied.
The restaurant was a bit stuffy, and there were quite a few dishes and chopsticks left on the tables after the customers had finished eating. However, there were two small tables and five or six small stools outside the door, which were neat and clean.
Fang Chengjin led Zhou Yun to a small table outside and chose a small stool to sit down. His height of 1.8 meters made him look a little out of place sitting on such a narrow table and chair, but that was also the charm of night market stalls. No matter who it was, a small table and a small stool were enough to solve a meal, casual and down-to-earth.
Zhou Yun didn't stand on ceremony and sat down opposite Fang Chengjin.
The two faced each other, their eyes meeting.
"Uh..." Zhou Yun began, but her mind went blank. She wanted to ease the awkwardness but didn't know what to say.
Unexpectedly, Fang Chengjin spoke first, "The restaurant owner has been here for a long time, more than ten years."
"Oh." Zhou Yun nodded.
"The boss is from western Sichuan. He came to Hong Kong to escape his debts. He said he made a mistake back then, and the debt kept snowballing. He had no choice but to come here alone and open a restaurant." Fang Chengjin narrated slowly and deliberately, speaking with great elegance.
Hearing this, Zhou Yun became suspicious and questioned, "The rent here must be expensive, how did he manage to rent it?"
Land is incredibly valuable on Hong Kong Island, and even though this area is near a remote and dilapidated location, the rent is probably still quite expensive.
Fang Cheng spoke slowly and deliberately: "Because, people have died here."
Even though he was wearing a mask, Zhou Yun could feel his smile, and there was a hint of cunning in his eyes.
Oh, that's not surprising. Places where people have died are always in a hurry to lower prices and get rid of people.
Zhou Yun nodded. "Indeed, what people fear most is dying of poverty." She couldn't help but ask again, "How did you die?"
Fang Chengjin: "Have you ever heard of human flesh buns?"
Zhou Yun waved her hand, "Alright, I admit I was being cheeky." It was time to eat, so it was best not to listen.
As they were talking, the owner came over, carrying a tray. "Here you go, two bowls of noodles, please enjoy!"
The tray was placed down, and the dishes on the plates presented a stark contrast. One bowl was a simple bowl of noodles in clear broth, while the other was a bowl of braised pork intestine noodles glistening with red chili oil.
Fang Cheng carefully removed his mask, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat from the bowl of clear soup noodles.
Zhou Yun frowned, "Is this bowl of yours... tasty?"
It doesn't look like it has any flavor.
The owner smiled and said, "Don't underestimate this bowl of clear soup. It's a bone broth made from plain water, with the original flavor. I only added a little salt and ginger, and no other ingredients. It's so refreshing and sweet!"
Zhou Yun didn't like such bland noodles.
Fang Chengjin took a sip of soup and replied, "I can't eat random things."
Zhou Yun understood; it must be a problem with his nose. Perhaps ordinary people wouldn't notice anything, but for someone with a magnified taste bud, it could be quite unpleasant. Thinking about it this way, Zhou Yun felt some sympathy for Fang Chengjin.
Zhou Yun ate a few bites of noodles, and after a moment of silence, she couldn't help but ask, "How did your sense of smell become like this?"
"Fire." Fang Chengjin didn't seem particularly resistant to the question and uttered the two words fluently.
A fire? Zhou Yun raised an eyebrow, waiting for Fang Chengjin to continue. But Fang Chengjin stopped, no longer speaking, and just slurped his noodles.
It seems they are unwilling to reveal any more details.
Zhou Yun was puzzled. What was going on with the fire? She had investigated Fang Chengjin before coming, but hadn't found anything unusual.
Zhou Yun suppressed her curiosity and continued eating her noodles.
**
After the two finished eating their noodles, Fang Cheng gracefully pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth before putting his mask back on.
Seeing this, Zhou Yun thought to herself, "Professor Fang really has it tough. Will a mask even be able to block out those smells...?"
Fang Chengjin got up, went to the counter, scanned a QR code to pay, and the owner came over and complimented him, "Mr. Fang, your girlfriend is really beautiful."
Zhou Yun was standing not far from the door, but she didn't hear him. She just stood there with her hands in her pockets, waiting for him.
Fang Chengjin blinked, his expression unreadable as he wore a mask. He didn't explain, just nodded, put away his phone, and turned to leave.
Fang Chengjin walked towards Zhou Yun and said, "Let's go back."
Zhou Yun followed silently.
The two figures, one tall and one short, cast long shadows on the ground under the warm yellow light of the alleyway. The noodle shop owner, watching from behind, smiled broadly, "This is the first time I've seen Mr. Fang bring a woman here to eat noodles..."
**
After leaving the alley, Fang Chengjin led Zhou Yun out of Sham Shui Po and into a slightly sloping neighborhood. There were several taxis waiting by the roadside, as well as a bus stop.
Fang Cheng stood firmly in front of the bus stop and said, "Take bus number 23, and you can go directly to the school. We'll wait a moment; the bus will be here soon."
Zhou Yun nodded. She hadn't thought that much about it; she had originally planned to take a taxi home. The surroundings were quiet, with few pedestrians around, just a few here and there.
Zhou Yun suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" and turned her head to ask, "Which classroom am I going to have class tomorrow?"
She had just arrived in Hong Kong Island and hadn't received any detailed enrollment information, not even a course schedule. She had originally planned to call Fang Chengjin to ask, but she was busy with a case today and only now had time to inquire.
Fang Cheng thought for a moment, but didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took out his phone, opened the app, and sent a friend request.
"Approve it," he said.
Zhou Yun quickly opened her messaging app and added the friend.
Fang Chengjin's profile picture was a square with a pure white background and a black-bordered square in the center. His online name was also exceptionally proper, simply his real name - Fang Chengjin.
Zhou Yun couldn't help but find it amusing; this style really suited Fang Chengjin quite well.
With a beep, a message popped up in the notification box.
At this point, Fang Cheng said, "Come to this place at ten o'clock tomorrow morning."
Not at school? Zhou Yun wondered. Did they start their practical experience as soon as they enrolled? Or was there another new case waiting for them?
"What's wrong?" Fang Chengjin's voice was filled with confusion.
Zhou Yun looked up and met a pair of slightly cold and questioning eyes.
Zhou Yun shook her head, afraid he would misunderstand, "No, it's just that I'm not very familiar with Hong Kong Island."
"A taxi can take you directly there," Fang Cheng kindly reminded him.
Zhou Yun nodded, but seemed somewhat absent-minded.
Fang Cheng noticed that Zhou Yun seemed a bit dazed and surprised. After all, Zhou Yun had been a criminal police captain, so she shouldn't have such an awkward reaction. She seemed to lack a sense of security.
That's true, I'm unfamiliar with the place.
Fang Cheng reassured him again, "Don't worry, he's my only student."
only; the only one.
Zhou Yun was speechless. Just then, the bus arrived.
Zhou Yun said, "Then I'll be going now. See you tomorrow, Professor Fang." After saying that, she turned around and got into her car.
"Wait!" Fang Chengjin suddenly called out to her.
Zhou Yun turned around and looked over. "What's wrong?"
Fang Chengjin: "What brand of perfume are you wearing?"
He couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is this smell?" Fang Chengjin felt that the air smelled much better with Zhou Yun by his side.
Zhou Yun was stunned for a moment.
perfume?
Zhou Yun shook her head: "I didn't put on anything. Given my professional habits, we in this line of work are not allowed to wear perfume."
Fang Chengjin fell silent. Could it be the smell of human flesh? It smelled so good...
Zhou Yun asked again, "What's wrong...?"
Fang Cheng remained silent, waved goodbye, and then left.
Zhou Yun didn't dare to ask any further questions, but she felt a little confused.
The car drove away quickly. The night was alluring, and there weren't many pedestrians on the bus. Most of them were dozing off. Zhou Yun found an empty seat and sat down. She was still a little dazed. She looked down at the square profile picture on her phone, her heart pounding as if she had been tickled.
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