Fellow travelers
The darkness of night can sometimes be a good form of camouflage. At least when Cheng Xiangwu walked home covered in blood, she didn't encounter many people who paid her any attention. On the contrary, some dogs on leashes rushed towards her and barked, and their owners quickly apologized.
The pizza was a bit cold when I got home, but I warmed it up in the microwave and it became something to look forward to again. The aroma of oil mixed with herbal tea wafted through the air; tonight, the teapot was filled with lemon and verbena. Cheng Xiangwu threw away the blood-stained clothes that were stained with too much of the smell, took a shower, changed her clothes, and sat cleanly at the dining table, hanging her half-dry hair on the back of the chair, and casually tilted her head back to chew on the pizza.
Upon receiving the key, Golson excitedly hung the two bombs on it and admired it for at least ten minutes, clearly very satisfied with his keychain.
“…I see.” After hearing the whole story, Xiao Fu nodded. “They decided to define this series of events as organized crime. This is a highly flexible fool ship. I just wonder how many people they plan to put in it.”
This reminded Cheng Xiangwu of the driver's dark, hollow eyes. If someone were to be arrested, he would undoubtedly be one of the criminals. Perhaps he had something to say back then, but it's unknown whether he would have another chance to speak later.
“I don’t recommend you be optimistic about this. Putting aside the visible health conditions, those people probably can’t delve into the unseen aspects either,” Xiao Fu said thoughtfully. “However, how he managed to spot you in the crowd is also a question.”
“Yeah, I think it’s the kind of person who can’t blend in with the crowd,” Golson said, holding her pizza. She was already used to this kind of forced conversation.
“You have a good eye.” Xiao Fu smiled smugly. “However, for you, Sister Xiangxiang, blurring your own characteristics is the work standard. The appearance of such a person around you is a career crisis. Crises are everywhere and can be considered accidents.”
The assassin, whose career had been deemed to have suffered a major setback, frowned; the aroma of olives seemed odd.
“However, now, some of the answers are quite obvious,” Xiao Fu said. “The wax with unknown composition that Miss Gu Wanqiu mentioned must be related to your parents, and by extension, to you. That’s why you’re so popular.”
"Is that so?" Cheng Xiangwu herself didn't know.
“I’ve already said it, family and blood ties are just unreasonable things.” Xiao Fu picked up his teacup and swirled it. “If you want to ask any questions about it now, you can only ask someone from the Bai family, or you can try to revive your family’s reputation.”
"...The Bai family must know when to go find her?" Cheng Xiangwu sat up, her hair falling down her back, the wet ends seeping through the fabric and arousing a chill on her skin.
"Not tonight, let's decide on a time to go to that farm first." Xiao Fu took out his phone. "We can't miss this attraction."
The call didn't go through.
“Something happened over there, so Xie Wuchang definitely has to go help.” Cheng Xiangwu wasn’t too surprised, and then lifted her hair and leaned down.
“…Picking up trash isn’t her job.” Xiao Fu said, tossing down her phone, standing up, and walking towards the study. A moment later, she returned to the table with the camera.
The camera received enough power to restart during dinner time. After pressing the power button, the much-anticipated screen finally lit up. The palm-sized display honestly reflected everything the lens had captured. The black frame with white text indicated that something was floating around the viewfinder, and the focus frame was jumping around erratically.
No matter how you look at it, it's just an ordinary SLR camera. But the key point is that the side door is open, and a memory card is lying obediently in the card slot.
"First, I need to admit that I lack knowledge about modern electronic products. I tried to read the memory card using the computer in my study, but there was a formatting error. Further testing is beyond my capabilities," Xiao Fu said, opening the photo album while maintaining a certain distance from the camera and exercising his priority browsing rights.
Cheng Xiangwu then realized that there was actually a computer in his study.
"Actually, I don't know much about cameras. My parents picked this one out for me," Gorson said nervously, holding up the pizza.
"I've never used a camera before," Cheng Xiangwu said. "What's wrong with this camera?"
“…Nothing special, that’s the problem.” Little Fran’s voice softened as she squinted, staring intently at the screen. The light on her face shifted, making her already diffused light-colored pupils appear almost entirely filled with the whites of her eyes, like two glowing holes. Her expression shifted from confusion to thoughtfulness, then she raised her eyebrows, as if she understood something.
She suddenly lowered her camera, looked up at the two people in front of her, then looked down at the camera in her hand and smiled.
This person was clearly up to no good. Cheng Xiangwu held out her palm and said, "Let me see."
Xiao Fu didn't say anything, but smiled and put the camera into Cheng Xiangwu's palm. This silence made her even more suspicious.
Now is the time to reveal a corner of the truth.
The album displays the photos taken in reverse chronological order, so the first photo is a group portrait of the first-year students of Senhu No. 2 Middle School.
To accommodate the number of people, a wide-angle lens was used for the group photo. This made the classroom wall, which was perpendicular to the horizon, look like a pillar in the photo. The windows above the corridor were open and crowded. The sliding glass windows disappeared without a trace. In their place, each model silently lowered their head and arranged themselves in a silent and orderly manner, as if they had agreed beforehand, using the subtle differences in the top of their heads to show and distinguish their identities.
The key point is that those heads are still hanging properly on their necks.
"Is this at night?" Cheng Xiangwu recognized that the lighting in the picture was coming from a flash.
“Who knows?” Little Fran said with a smile, looking quite pleased with herself.
Cheng Xiangwu continued flipping through the pages, and the screen lit up. The familiar classroom scene of Senhu No. 2 Middle School gradually overlapped with the part of her memory. There was no barbed wire, the walls were still intact, the desks and chairs arranged in pairs were still the same old design, the open snack bags were the brands that could be found in supermarkets, and playing cards and dice were scattered in the gaps.
Except for the first photo, all the photos are vibrant, with colors performing exceptionally well, showcasing everything captured by the photographer on that spring outing. The amusement park rides look brand new, the roller coaster tracks are blurred by the sunlight, the colorful lights are so bright they almost seem to leap off the camera screen and shine on their own, and the colorful flags look like crushed candy.
In the background, the sky is so blue it seems to drip down, and the flowing hair of several models depicts the presence of wind.
However, the models' faces were not favored by the camera. Only a few color blocks in the blurry happy faces depicted the direction of their emotions, but they were not specific and elusive. Acquaintances could recognize who they were, but could not identify their facial features.
Flipping back a few more pages, the bright and joyful spring outing days vanished without a trace after a single change of perspective.
The classroom space was gloomy and depressing, the outdoor area was gray and yellow with rain, and the green wire mesh above the corridor outside the classroom was neither able to block the rain nor keep out the wind, only dividing the sky with fine lines.
A student grinned mischievously as she clung to the barbed wire fence, while next to her stood Gorson, holding up a camera and wearing a helpless smile. Their hair was stuck to their cheeks by the rain, and the image captured a somewhat disheveled selfie of the two.
But at least this time their faces are clear.
As she switched between photos, Golson slowly moved closer, silently watching the viewer.
Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment, then turned off the camera and handed it to its original owner. Gorson looked at her, then at Xiao Fu, and took it. The camera wasn't heavy. She first rubbed the corners nostalgically, looked at the camera lens, and finally opened the photo album that she had filled in herself.
The only sounds in the room were faint operating noises, the tapping of fingernails and the turning of the wheel, like whispers.
The light and color reflected on her face changed several times, and the data-driven memories played out silently. She just looked down and watched. After a moment, a sigh squeezed out of her lungs and nose. That was her entire film review.
“I took all these photos, I remember.” She looked up and said doubtfully, “But the faces in the later photos are blurry, that shouldn’t be the case.”
"Could it be a problem with the camera settings or the camera shaking?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.
“If that were the case, only the faces shouldn’t be blurry,” Golson shook his head. “Besides, I think those photos are too saturated, but the photo information says they haven’t been color-corrected or filtered, it’s like…”
“It looks like it was drawn on.” Cheng Xiangwu thought of the simple line drawings in the city hall.
“Yes!” Golson nodded, then frowned. “But isn’t that even stranger…”
“I have a hypothesis that I need Miss Golson to verify,” Little F said with a smile, raising one finger.
Cheng Xiangwu looked at her silently, but she ignored her.
“Leave it to me.” Golson nodded without hesitation.
Little F walked up to Golson, wrapped his hands around her hands which were holding the camera, and brought them to her chest, pressing them close together.
“I hope you can fall asleep tonight with this camera in your arms,” Little Franz whispered, “and try taking some pictures after you drift off to sleep.”
Such statements are spoken as if they were secrets.
"Oh, okay." Golson was a little embarrassed, but her hand was still being held, so she couldn't leave.
After staring at her for a while, Xiao Fu smiled, let go of her hand, and took two steps back. "Good luck, Miss Golson. The key to solving the mystery is up to you."
“…I understand.” Golson nodded solemnly and gripped the camera tightly. “Leave it to me.”
Before going to bed, Cheng Xiangwu took off the sofa cover in the living room and threw it into the washing machine to wash it the next morning. When she peeked inside, she found a white shirt lying there, and then she remembered that the person sleeping in her guest room had no pajamas to wear tonight.
She went back to her bedroom, grabbed a long-sleeved shirt, and walked to the study door. She heard people talking inside, so she knocked. The talking stopped.
The door opened wide enough for one person, and Xiao Fu stepped out, still holding her phone with the screen lit up. She saw the fabric in Cheng Xiangwu's hand, critically pinched her left eyelid, put away her phone, and spread her arms wide, holding the clothes with both hands.
The front of the soft, light-colored, loose-fitting pullover features a serious cereal serial killer print printed directly in front of her.
“…Never mind, there’s no point in fussing over your pajamas.” Xiao Fu sighed and hung her new pajamas on her forearm. “I’ve talked to Miss Xie Wuchang, and she’ll ask the team for special permission to have a private activity tomorrow. I didn’t tell Miss Han Lingfeng what you were talking about earlier, so you know it yourself.”
“I see.” Cheng Xiangwu nodded.
“That’s right.” Xiao Fu nodded. “Let’s schedule the conversation with Miss Bai Yuntian for the day after tomorrow.”
After a while, she looked at Cheng Xiangwu, who was still standing at the study door with her arms crossed, and said, "Can't you leave if I don't tell you to?"
“So I can walk now.” Cheng Xiangwu tilted her head. “I thought you were going to ask me about my affair with the police again.”
Xiao Fu stared at Cheng Xiangwu's head for a long time, then leaned against the threshold and sighed.
"Hey Wuxiang, do you have a problem with me?" she asked.
"In what aspect?" Cheng Xiangwu asked as well.
“This usually happens when you make a request and then—” Little Fu paused halfway through his sentence, then laughed, “No, if you didn’t like something about me, you wouldn’t talk to me like this. You need something from me?”
The question was eventually thrown back at her. Cheng Xiangwu looked at the person in front of her who was acting like an interviewer and sighed, "Let's go inside and talk."
Xiao Fu didn't say anything, turned around and walked into the warm light of the study, leaving the door a crack open.
Although this room is called a study, it can also be used as a temporary guest room if the foldable sofa in the corner is unfolded. However, it has lost this function due to the pressure of a lot of clutter. The most conspicuous item among the clutter is a trench coat that has recently been to the dry cleaners. With a wave of his hand, Xiao Fu covered it with another garment.
The study's window faces the door, and under the window is a right-angled desk. On one side is a desktop computer that has been there for who knows how long, and on the other side are a large number of tools and papers. The bookshelves along the wall are filled with more than the owner had imagined.
"You're still doing experiments in my house." Cheng Xiangwu looked at the scales, magnifying glasses, spectrometers, and other instruments lined up like a row, and felt that her relationship with this area had become unfamiliar.
"This is at most an observation record," Xiao Fu corrected, dissatisfied. "It's much safer than smoking indoors."
After saying that, she sat down on the only chair in the room that could carry a person, turned around to face the back, and asked, "Ask away, what is it?"
Cheng Xiangwu didn't intend to sit down, and asked, "What do you want from Sen Sen?"
“A crucial clue,” Little Franz replied casually.
"About that unidentified flying object?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.
“Of course,” Little Franz nodded.
“…Now I really have a problem with you,” Cheng Xiangwu said. “You don’t trust her at all. How could you entrust her with such a crucial step?”
"You think you're a professional?" Little F sneered.
“No, I just understand you,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
The person in front of me is not a detective at all, and she never asks for payment from any party. But unlike a pure seeker of truth, her reasons for pursuing the truth are often more pragmatic than the truth itself. No matter how her attitude changes, her pursuit of practicality and efficiency will never change.
Judging from her reaction to the demonic ventriloquism that failed to work during the day, her attitude didn't change much.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fu's expression remained unchanged, and he propped himself up on one leg.
“If you’re worried I’ll ruin things for you, then answer another question first,” Cheng Xiangwu asked. “What do you want from me, from this place?”
At first, the woman, knowing she was unwelcome, stood outside the door and used the excuse of "seeking cooperation" to get the homeowner to let her in. She said she needed someone to show her the way, but she was clearly adept at dealing with law enforcement. She said she needed a place to stay, but there were many better hotels in Mori Lake City that didn't require identification. She said she needed protection, but she didn't disappear the next morning after getting the gun.
"Now you're going to start criticizing me for not doing my job properly?" Little Fu asked, propping his head up with his hand, his tooth wobbling slightly.
“Answer the question. You have the key to this place now. Is there anything you can’t say?” Cheng Xiangwu said. Considering the strange things that had been happening around her recently, she couldn’t ignore the strangest thing in her life.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fu first laughed, then looked to the side, opened his mouth as if to say something, but finally closed it again.
“Then I’ll tell you.” She swiveled her chair to face the window, outside which was the quiet neighborhood shrouded in darkness. “You’ve tried it yourself. That UFO is just like the stereotypical alien and UFO combination. It makes an appearance and then disappears. And most of its kind would rather drown than be stranded.”
She turned her head, her eyes, devoid of any smile, narrowed with an amusement, their light shimmering. "But it turns out that the mineral can be mined and utilized, so I must obtain it, and it must be the purest, the most perfect and complete one."
“You want to strip someone’s clothes off,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
“…You can use the words that way if you want.” Xiao Fu paused with dissatisfaction, then continued, “And although that being is not a living being, its behavior is similar to predation, so its extended purpose is not hard to guess. Considering Miss Gu Wanqiu’s remarks, and the effect of that language, I suspect that this anomaly is not the first one here.”
As she spoke, her mood improved, and her voice became more cheerful. "If that's the case, then there must be some kind of stable source of hunger deep in the mining area. I'm really curious what they dug up from underground. It must be an energy source that's even more attractive than coal."
As she spoke, she took out a gold, round, covered pocket watch-shaped instrument from her pocket, placed it in her palm facing Cheng Xiangwu, stepped forward to take it, felt along the edge to find a clasp, pressed it, and the round cover flipped up, revealing a blank disc and a single, swaying pointer.
"A compass?" Cheng Xiangwu shook it, and the pointer drooped helplessly due to gravity. "You made it."
"I consider this an improvement," Little Fu said proudly. "It works by pointing to a specific metal in the vicinity within a certain range. Okay, give it back to me."
"Are you planning to pry nails out of someone's house?" Cheng Xiangwu closed the lid and put it back in her palm, which was swaying back and forth.
“That’s so inefficient. It’s just for detection.” Little F put away the instrument and shook his finger. “I dare say we’ll eventually go to that mining area.”
"When did you meet a friend who can fly a helicopter?" Cheng Xiangwu asked with a surprised expression.
“…I don’t know him,” Little Franz said, dissatisfied. “But I hope you can keep an open mind.”
“Oh, you expect me to fly?” Cheng Xiang nodded.
"Five-spice," Little Fu said with a smile. "If you're sleepy, go to sleep. You can have anything in your dreams."
Before bed tonight, Goulson asked a profound question.
"Sister Xiangxiang," she asked, "do you think the soul really exists?"
How could Cheng Xiangwu answer this? She looked up at the ceiling and said, "I can't see."
“Right?” Golson sighed. “I think about this every time I see that cloaked figure. If souls don’t exist, then what are those things that are talking to me? If souls do exist, why are they willing to be locked up in that cloak, completely indifferent to their past?”
She held the camera in her arms, the sound vibrations traveling through her chest and skin to the camera, then spreading into the air.
Just as Cheng Xiangwu was deep in thought, Gorson laughed.
“I’m actually thinking about the answer.” She laughed. “The question of whether the soul exists can actually be such a real problem, even though it has existed for so long.”
“There’s nothing we can do about it,” Cheng Xiangwu said. “But your sister Fufu said that the soul does exist.”
According to Xiao Fu, the existence of the soul is a fact, but many of the facts she utters lack an explanation that can be accepted by the facts themselves. Cheng Xiangwu is willing to skip the verification process and believe those facts, so now when others ask her related questions, she can only choose to quote the original text.
“Oh.” After waiting a while and not hearing anything more, Golson realized that the original author had never explained her argument.
She sighed.
"See you tomorrow morning," she said softly. "Goodnight."
“Mm,” Cheng Xiangwu replied.
About eight hours had passed. She stood by the bed and looked down at the person whose posture had not changed at all compared to eight hours ago. Although it was Saturday, this person had no reason to stay in bed.
Based on a simple observation, Gorson's vital signs were not abnormal, but this situation reminded Cheng Xiangwu of Zhang, who still showed no signs of waking up.
In the brightly lit room at dawn, the camera lens met her gaze, and a fleeting glint of light flashed by.
She thought for a moment, then reached for the camera, but couldn't pick it up. The silent electronic device remained motionless, as if soldered into Golson's hands. Cheng Xiangwu frowned, bending down to try and pry open her fingers. Logically, a person in their sleep shouldn't be able to control their muscles, and a high school student with little training experience shouldn't be able to fight her, but the person in front of her was an exception.
There is no adhesive between the skin and the camera casing; they actively refuse to separate.
Cheng Xiangwu then dislocated the wrist bone and reattached it after taking the camera away.
"Wow—" Golson gasped and woke up with a start. Her upper body bounced off the mattress and folded up, her hands radiating downwards to support her weight before quickly swinging them away. The red and swollen patch on her wrists made her cry out in pain.
“…Sorry.” Cheng Xiangwu placed the camera on the bedside table and turned to get the bandages.
After securing the injured wrists, it was past Cheng Xiang's usual time to go out for breakfast. Knowing she had a three-hour drive ahead, she decided to go out for breakfast and also stop by the supermarket for supplies.
Weather forecasts are broadcast on television.
While she was tidying up the things in the washing machine, Xiao Fu sat at the dining table looking through the camera's memory card, while Golson lay down beside her, ready to answer her questions at any time.
The first picture in the album wasn't a group photo, but rather some colorful campus scenery.
"Anyway, I was just sitting in the hallway when suddenly my foot slipped and I felt an intense pain in my wrist, and then I woke up." Gorson placed his palm on the table, and his chin on the table as well.
“…I see.” Little F turned off the camera and placed it in front of Gorson’s face. “Keep your personal belongings safe. But to prevent your sister Xiangxiang from making further personal attacks on you, don’t sleep with it with you anymore.”
Cheng Xiangwu clipped the sofa cover in place and remained silent.
"Hey, isn't this one of those kinds of scenarios?" Gorson, holding the camera, was actually quite excited. "If you can't wake up from sleep paralysis, Xiangxiang taking the camera away is the best course of action in the horror scenario coping manual."
"The so-called sleep paralysis is for the performance, but your behavior wasn't meant to scare her, was it?" Xiao Fu pointed to the people outside the balcony.
Cheng Xiang hung up the clothes without saying a word.
“I wouldn’t do such a thing.” Golson waved his hand with a smile, then winced in pain and asked, “Then why can’t I wake up?”
"Simply put, it's because your cognition is bound to it; it needs to maintain a connection with you for a long time to keep the results in line with the requirements of cognition," Xiao Fu explained. After listening, Golson looked at her with the same expression and posture, as if he was thinking.
"Don't we need to explain this with the soul?" Cheng Xiangwu said, walking back into the house.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Fu sighed slightly, took the camera from Gao Ersen's hand, pointed the lens at Cheng Xiangwu, and asked, "Xiangwu, why are there apples on the ground?"
The question was really absurd, but people in front of the camera couldn't avoid it. Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment and replied, "Someone accidentally dropped the apple on the ground."
Click! The casual respondent was photographed.
“Your answer has two parts.” Little F lowered his head to check his work. “The apple fell because of gravity, and the apple originated from someone who was careless. Both sides can be further explained: who was that person, why was it careless, and why did that person have an apple? What is gravity, and why is the apple affected by it?”
"...You're not expecting me to explain those things, are you?" Cheng Xiangwu pointed to himself in confusion.
“…No.” Little Franz was silent for a moment, then smiled. “You don’t have that mission, but I do, especially for the latter part. The ever-expanding boundaries of cognition, the undeniable logic, the clumsy language system—each is an accomplice, yet one day they will also become obstacles. When we see the apple, it’s already on the ground. If no one explains how it got there, are we supposed to explain it with magic? We don’t have that talent. Magic would kill us. We can’t accept an apple brought by magic.”
Cheng Xiangwu, feeling criticized, had nothing to say.
"As for the first part, all our answers are guesses, all our explanations are belated attempts to fix things, and any explanations based on the results are just sophistry, attempts to increase the accuracy of our claims based on evidence. But, Spices, we can't give up thinking," Little Franz said, looking at Goulson. "Because the apple is already on the ground."
She handed the camera to Gorsen. On the screen was Cheng Xiangwu carrying a laundry basket. The sunlight from the window illuminated every line of light and shadow on her body. The doorknob in the corner was cut in half by the edge of the camera. It was a somewhat out-of-focus photo.
“In my eyes, every photo in this camera is like that,” Little F said, his hands folded on his knees. “Including the ones you took last night.”
“…This.” Golson paused, then quickly switched the screen to the gleaming campus. “This one—”
“A very blurry, dark scene,” Little Fer replied.
“Then…” Golson broke out in a cold sweat, switched the screen to the portrait of the deceased, and nervously awaited feedback.
“The same goes,” Little Ferguson replied, “and no one looks like him.”
Gorsen fell silent. Cheng Xiangwu put down the laundry basket and came over. She picked up the camera, glanced at it, and then switched to her own photo. The person in the photo looked slightly different from the person in the mirror. Even knowing that it was the same person, it was still hard not to feel a sense of incongruity when looking at it.
"How is it?" Little F tilted his head and asked, "Does it align with your self-perception?"
“…There are some differences,” Cheng Xiangwu said truthfully, “but—”
“But the difference is minimal, no need to worry about it,” Little Fer answered in advance, adding, “I dare say that the content of those dream photos you and Miss Golson saw was the same. What you see in dreams is a reflection of your cognition. How can you guarantee the authenticity of a sleepwalker’s work?”
"Then why can you see things differently?" Golson looked up, puzzled. "If it's just me, that's fine, but many people, including that mayor, seem to see the same thing. Why is that...?"
“Why don’t you explain this apple?” Little Fu laughed. “Keep thinking and get moving too. We should get going. Miss Xie Wuchang will be meeting us at a police station.”
"Isn't Sister Fufu driving?" Golson turned and asked. "There shouldn't be any traffic this morning."
“The paranoid patient asked me for some autonomy,” said Little Franz.
“Oh, I see.” Galson thought quickly this time. “She’s probably worried we’ll leave her on the mountain, hahaha—”
The balcony door was locked. "Let's go," Cheng Xiangwu said, putting on her coat.
Today was a cloudy day with patches of white clouds drifting neatly in one direction, occasionally letting in a few rays of sunlight to brighten the first day of the weekend in Mori Lake City. The streets were less crowded than on weekdays, but there were still many people preoccupied with household chores, preparing materials for lunchtime, which is even more important than on weekdays.
Idle chatter drifted into my ears, some of it discussing yesterday's car accident.
"The news said that street was washed with high-pressure water guns all night and it's still closed. Luckily, it's Saturday today." Gorson said, standing by the snack shelf, looking at the packaging. After hesitating for a long time, he finally chose grape-flavored fruit hard candy.
"There's too much trash on site, and the corners and walls are hard to clean." Cheng Xiangwu nodded. He wondered if the truck's front end had damaged the fire hydrants. If so, they would have to send a fire truck to wash the ground.
In any case, the mayor is the one with the biggest headache. If this happened in a big city, it would inevitably cause panic and unrest for a period of time, and just maintaining traffic would be a struggle. It's hard to say how long it can last in Senhu City.
Xiao Fu was carrying a box of bottled tea into a handcart when he was patting the dust off his hands when Cheng Xiangwu's car rammed into him.
"I haven't applied for a car accident simulation," Xiao Fu reminded him as he swerved to avoid the lane.
“I applied for it for you,” Cheng Xiangwu said. “Couldn’t you have bought water after you got on the bus?”
“Convenience stores don’t sell this flavor,” Xiao Fu said matter-of-factly. “Besides, I’ve noticed you haven’t trained these past few days, so taking this opportunity to carry weights for a distance can be considered a warm-up.”
Cheng Xiangwu had nothing more to say.
Gao Ersen quietly put a bag of original flavor potato chips into the shopping cart. It was a buy-one-get-one-free birthday promotion, so she also took a bag of cucumber flavor. "The news also said that a celebrity is coming to Senhu in the next couple of days to sing that song 'Dulududududu'. Is his name Fang Chan? He must be attending that birthday party."
The melody sounded familiar. Cheng Xiangwu realized that this was the song playing in the supermarket's background music.
“It could also be someone who works,” Xiao Fu said, looking at the person pushing the cart. “That is, your colleague.”
"It doesn't count until the contract is finalized," Cheng Xiangwu said, taking a can of mixed nuts from the shelf and then picking out some chocolates. "That's about it. Is there anything else you want to see?"
Xiao Fu tossed another can of insect repellent spray into the car. "Ready?"
"Would you like to buy some cat treats?" Golson asked.
“That makes sense.” Cheng Xiang nodded and turned to the pet section to get a box of cat treats.
So when Xie Wuchang saw the three people at the police station entrance, he thought he had been taken away to be a driver for a picnic.
"...Why is there another case of water?" She quickly composed herself, took out her car keys, and headed towards the parking lot. "Anyway, let's put the things in the car first. We'll have to wait a while. You can wait in the car if you want."
“Then I’ll wait in the car!” Gorsen quickly decided on her waiting seat. Xie Wuchang looked at the camera hanging around her neck as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing.
"How could I miss such a good show?" Xiao Fu said without hesitation as he entered the police station.
"What are you waiting for?" Cheng Xiangwu asked, putting the things in the trunk. After thinking for a moment, she took out the candy and tossed it to Gorson in the back seat. She had some chocolate with her.
"Wait for the relative of the person who provided our testimony." Xie Wuchang locked the car door after it was lowered and walked back as he said, "I remember you were there at the time, it was Xu Lidong."
“I remember,” Cheng Xiangwu said knowingly. “You were sent to say nice things.”
“That’s how it is.” Xie Wuchang grinned and adjusted his brown sunglasses. “Dr. Lin, being a local, would have been more suitable, but according to procedure, the staff at the accident scene yesterday had to ask about her mental state, and she has to be busy today, and I just happen to be away.”
There was relief in her tone, but it was unclear which side she was referring to. Cheng Xiangwu thought about the sounds of vomiting that had been heard all over the place yesterday and guessed that quite a few people must have had nightmares last night.
During their conversation, the two returned to the police station. As soon as they entered, they met the gaze of a young woman dressed in comfortable casual clothes. Her slightly tired face was about 80% similar to Xu Lidong's, but she was more composed and reserved. She wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses similar to Lin Che'an's, and was obviously her older sister who was a teacher at No. 1 Middle School.
"It's Xu Chunfen, Ms. Xu, right?" Xie Wuchang took off his sunglasses and said with a smile, "Thank you for making this trip."
"That's not true." Xu Chunfen smiled politely and shook her head. "Xu Lidong, what did my sister do wrong?"
“Don’t worry, the incident was caused by a report that Ms. Xu Lidong was suspected of selling falsely advertised health products, but she was only an accomplice, not the perpetrator, and did not cause much economic loss.” Xie Wuchang explained as he led Xu Chunfen into the police station. “Moreover, she had a good attitude, took the initiative to admit her mistakes and provided us with very important information, and she can now be released.”
“…I see. Thank you officers for taking care of her.” Xu Chunfeng smiled unchanged, nodding as he followed.
“It’s not troublesome. In fact, it would be better to say that our operation would not have been so efficient without her help.” Xie Wuchang shook his head. “It is common for young people like Ms. Xu Lidong to be misled by people in society. The police officers at the local police station and her neighbors all say that she is essentially a good person, but she just lacks some guidance.”
Xu Chunfen listened to all the kind words, her face bearing a friendly smile, occasionally nodding in response, sometimes agreeing. The two walked to the row of stainless steel chairs at the entrance of the conference room, their conversation echoing down the corridor, with Cheng Xiangwu following silently behind.
“Then, please sit here for a moment while I bring Ms. Xu Lidong over to sign the documents,” Xie Wuchang encouraged. “It’s just a routine procedure, and then you two can go home.”
"Thank you for your hard work," Xu Chunfen said with a smile, without sitting down.
The moment Xie Wuchang disappeared around the corner, a long sigh escaped Xu Chunfen's nose, hunching her straight back. The smile vanished from her face, leaving only her furrowed brows and drooping eyelids, revealing her less-than-optimistic mood.
The police station corridor has no windows for natural light. The incandescent lights overhead illuminate the room but do not provide any sense of brightness. The space is gloomy and green, and the shadows cast by objects resemble stains on the walls and floors, mingling with real dirt and encroaching on people's living space.
Cheng Xiangwu sat down in a seat some distance away from her, not wanting to disturb her worries. Xiao Fu wasn't nearby; he had obviously gone to the prison area. A moment later, a police officer walked into the conference room with several documents, his keychain at his waist rattling like a bell. Xu Chunfen looked up and noticed someone sitting next to her. Her shoulders shrugged, and a friendly smile instinctively appeared on her face.
"I'm waiting for someone too, don't mind me," Cheng Xiangwu said, she really didn't mean to scare anyone.
"I see." Xu Chunfen nodded. "You look quite young, are you waiting for your family member as well?"
This made Cheng Xiangwu realize that the other party had misunderstood something, but she didn't want to explain too much, so she just nodded casually.
“…If it weren’t for my sister, I would never have ended up in a police station in my life.” Xu Chunfen said with a bitter laugh, looking at the corridor wall. “Every time we meet like this, it’s unpleasant. Why can’t these people learn their lesson?”
“…I see.” Cheng Xiangwu didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t empathize at all, and saying more would expose this fact.
“That’s how it is.” Xu Chunfeng sighed again, this time not for long. “And I’m a teacher, yet she just won’t listen to me. Although she’s not a student anymore, doesn’t that just prove she hasn’t learned what she should be learning?”
The listener turned her head, her profile, which couldn't hide her gloomy smile, staring intently at the wall in front of her. Even if there was nothing there, she had something she could throw at it that didn't need a response.
"...I'm sorry to have made you listen to my rant." Xu Chunfen turned her head and adjusted her glasses. "I hope I didn't disturb your mood."
"It's nothing," Cheng Xiangwu shook her head.
Footsteps came from behind the corner. Xu Chunfen paused, turned around to face the passageway where someone was about to appear, and Xie Wuchang, who was leading the way, nodded after making eye contact with her. Xu Lidong was following behind her.
She looked much more disheveled than before, but her spirits were good. When she turned the corner and saw Xu Chunfen, she paused, looking a little scared, but couldn't help but happily call out softly, "Sister, you're here."
“…Let’s go inside and talk.” Xu Chunfen smiled and waited for Xie Wuchang to open the door.
The three entered the conference room and the door was closed, effectively cutting off the conversation between the two sides.
“You’re sitting here like you’re waiting for someone to get out of prison.” Xiao Fu walked around the corner and sat down directly opposite Cheng Xiangwu.
"What did you hear?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.
“It’s not very useful, but Miss Xu Lidong is indeed reflecting on her actions,” Xiao Fu said. “We’ll have to wait for Miss Han Lingfeng to question the driver about the cause of your car accident, if we’re lucky.”
"A car accident?" Cheng Xiangwu was taken aback. "What does this have to do with Xu Lidong?"
"...In my opinion, that driver shouldn't have had the opportunity to stage such a great escape." Little Franz rested his head on his hand, deep in thought. "Either they had more secret inside information channels, or..."
She was speaking when a loud slap suddenly rang out in the meeting room, probably a slap.
“…Or maybe that Miss Xu Lidong has another informant on her side.” Xiao Fu added the second half of the sentence, “But when I looked at the cell block, it was indeed as empty as if the world had ended.”
“Most of these prisoners are in the South Suburbs Prison,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
In Moriho City, apart from the city's Public Security Bureau, there are no dedicated detention centers or detention facilities around the police stations. For example, this place only has a separate cell area inside the building for short-term administrative detention.
“That’s not the point.” Little Fu paused, “Or is that the point? I’ve noticed before that the local police station seems to be busy with street safety issues, but I don’t know what they’re busy with. Do you know anything about it?”
“You’re asking me?” Cheng Xiangwu had no idea about this. “Why don’t we ask Xie Wuchang later?”
“…Hmph.” Little F chuckled inexplicably. “They’re not popular here.”
Suddenly, the conference room door was flung open, and the echo of the door slamming against the counter echoed down the corridor. Before it bounced back, Xu Lidong rushed out of the conference room and ran with wide, quick strides, her head bowed low.
“…This is truly outrageous.” Xu Chunfen’s cold voice came from the slightly apologetic conference room, then quickly turned apologetic. “I’m so sorry, Officer Xie. I will definitely bring her to apologize to everyone next time.”
"...No need, Ms. Xie, we—" Xie Wuchang's voice was somewhat embarrassed.
"It definitely will," Xu Chunfen said with certainty and indifference, her voice gradually moving outwards. "Then I'll be going now."
“…Please take care,” Xie Wuchang said.
As footsteps echoed outside the door, Xu Chunfen quickly noticed an extra person in the corridor after leaving the meeting room. She paused, frowned, and averted her gaze, then quickened her pace and left the police station.
"Looks like I have another identity now, a convict." Xiao Fu sneered at Cheng Xiangwu. "You'd better not be cursing me."
“If that’s really the case, then we don’t need to worry about the prison anymore.” Cheng Xiangwu said, standing up. “Let’s go, it’s about time to set off.”
Xie Wuchang walked out of the conference room with a few sheets of paper, turned off the lights and locked the door, put on his sunglasses and looked at the two of them, "Let's go."
Navigate to No. 1 Qingshan Road using the mobile map. The weather was good and the road was clear. The whole journey took about three hours.
"This is really far. I wonder if this road was built just for this farm." Xie Wuchang muttered as he fastened his seatbelt. "I hope we find something."
The destination was almost in the northernmost part of Senhu City. If you scrolled up the map further, you would see a stretch of green mountains. Cheng Xiangwu zoomed out and guessed that the mining area was not too far from the farm, but there were no similar landmarks marked on the map.
"If they don't open the door, can you figure something out?" Cheng Xiangwu asked, releasing his finger to return the navigation to normal.
The vehicle entered the street and headed towards the highway exit.
“I can’t do this without reasonable grounds, and our actions aren’t within the scope of the task force’s investigation, but I’ll try my best to persuade them to cooperate,” Xie Wuchang said. “By the way, how did you find this address?”
“We have a reliable informant,” Goulson said smugly from the back seat.
"...Alright, you all know that." Xie Wuchang sighed. "Have you contacted the people inside?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiangwu turned around from the passenger seat to look at Xiao Fu, and Xiao Fu looked at Cheng Xiangwu.
“…Alright.” Xie Wuchang adjusted his sunglasses. “I looked into this farm. Although it occupies a considerable area, its revenue is very average compared to other farms of the same size. Also, it probably stopped operating more than a decade ago because it is too far from the city and transportation costs couldn’t keep up.”
"Then why was it built in the mountains in the first place?" Golson wondered.
"It was probably just a self-sufficient mountain dwelling at first, and only later became a breeding farm," Xie Wuchang said thoughtfully.
“Oh! That must be one of those artificial lakes developed in cooperation with the government.” Golson understood, but was puzzled. “If that’s the case, then why are there still transportation problems?”
“…Yes.” Xie Wuchang muttered to himself, “Why?”
The vast mountainous area north of Moriko City is a karst landscape, appearing as a lush, undulating expanse on maps or from the air, but from certain angles, large areas of exposed rock can be seen. The area is characterized by vibrations caused by construction work, specifically mining, as well as common ground subsidence and sinkholes in the north, and by land degradation and drought resulting from human activities.
For this reason, BaiBai Co., Ltd.'s environmental protection projects are often referred to as "inflating a leaky balloon" and other more uncivilized and unfriendly metaphors.
The area is characterized by natural underground mines, lava caves, and underground rivers. If safety measures are in place, the natural environment could be a great tourist attraction, provided there are no groundwater pollution concerns. However, tourism in Moriko City has been sluggish until recently when it began to recover.
"Based on the information provided by the source, the farm has quite interesting rules. Perhaps this is because these rules are somewhat incompatible with those of your city," Xiao Fu said in a relaxed tone.
"What rule?" Xie Wuchang looked in the rearview mirror.
“The people inside can’t kill any creatures other than fish and shrimp,” Golson said, adding, “Not even the cats.”
"Isn't that strange?" Xie Wuchang asked, puzzled.
“It’s very hypocritical,” Golson nodded.
"No, I mean," Xie Wuchang glanced at Cheng Xiangwu sitting in the passenger seat, "Du Ke, the partner of the owner of Wuxianglou, was also born in a breeding farm, right? As far as I know, this restaurant doesn't pick and choose its ingredients."
Of course, Cheng Xiangwu thought to himself, after all, if you only serve fish, you can't call it a restaurant.
"Huh—" Gorson was clearly hearing this for the first time, "Are we going to Xiangxiang's dad's house?!"
“They’ve never let me in,” Cheng Xiangwu said, propping her head up with her hand. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this rule.”
In her memory, this person never hesitated to kill anyone. Of course, Cheng Xiangwu did not remember that her father had killed anyone when he was alive.
“Ah, oh.” Golson’s voice trailed off.
“The older generation is the best at shaping their own image, the so-called masters of the house,” Xiao Fu said.
"Do you keep cats at home?" Xie Wuchang asked.
"No," Cheng Xiangwu said. "I'll feed stray cats."
They would also help catch the cats and take them to be spayed or neutered; Cheng Song's cat-catching skills were exceptional.
"...To be honest, I still can't believe that the cat was the culprit." Xie Wuchang sighed. "You guys accepted it very quickly, though."
"Once I've seen it, I accept it," Cheng Xiangwu said.
The highway north was clear, and Xie Wuchang turned on the radio to broadcast local news, replaying yesterday's press conference.
“You’ve met with that mayor,” Xie Wuchang stated.
"The sign you gave me," Cheng Xiangwu replied.
“No props will be given out at the press conference; you’ve met privately,” Xie Wuchang said. “And what did she talk about with you?”
“Yes,” Cheng Xiangwu said. “After the press conference, the mayor’s bodyguard came to me and said that my questions were very constructive.”
“I also read your part of the speech. To be honest, it was alright.” Xie Wuchang said tactfully. “That bodyguard was the one who kicked me out. She’s a dangerous person, but she seemed to treat you guys quite well.”
“Only 'you',” Little Franz sneered, “Your attitude towards me, a foreign media outlet, is chillingly extreme.”
"I didn't hear that any media were kicked out yesterday?" Xie Wuchang asked in confusion.
“Of course I won’t let myself get to that point,” Little Franz said, dissatisfied.
"...So what did you talk about?" Xie Wuchang asked.
“Let me choose one here.” Little F said thoughtfully for a moment. “How about we confess our contact with you and agree to act as her inside agent to steal your progress information and cause trouble as needed?”
"I don't think this option is very likely. You two have too little initiative," Xie Wuchang said with a smile. "Let's switch to the other side. Let's have you cooperate with Mayor Na to resolve the Senhu No. 2 Middle School and related cases before us. This option is the safest."
"Did you choose this one because the original and most important piece of evidence is now on her neck?" Little F asked.
“And because you know you can’t escape the connection, all of you,” Xie Wuchang said firmly. “This is an obstacle you must overcome. Only after you reach this point can many of your actions and experiences be explained. And Ms. Fu, you also said that we are ‘competitors’.”
Her brows were furrowed, as if she lacked confidence in her spoken words or inner thoughts.
"After thinking this through, you still decided to be our driver?" Little Fran asked, then added, "Is this a threat? Then we're being kidnapped."
Looking in the rearview mirror, Cheng Xiangwu was not surprised to find that Xiao Fule was involved in this identity.
“Do you remember when I first met you? I went to that police station to find a local police officer I had contacted beforehand, but he had been transferred ahead of schedule.” Xie Wuchang first mentioned another matter.
"Is she still alive?" Cheng Xiang asked five times.
"...Of course he's still alive." Xie Wuchang glanced at Cheng Xiangwu, then looked back at the situation. "At the time, I thought the mayor had somehow found out about our connection and that's why she made the transfer, so I didn't contact her again. Later, our team's communication with the Municipal Public Security Bureau wasn't smooth. Their director has a higher administrative rank but less on-site policing experience than our team leader. He'll cooperate, but he won't listen to our opinions."
I inadvertently reconnected with that police officer and learned that her transfer was arranged by the city's Public Security Bureau chief. She believes we were outsiders hired by the mayor to obstruct their department's work during their recent activities. I suspect they're afraid we'll uncover something else, but firstly, we have no evidence, and secondly, we have no right to interfere in local affairs.
She didn't mention what happened next, but some people have already started to get carsick because of this office topic.
At this point, Xie Wuchang noticed Xiao Fu's increasingly disgusted expression in the rearview mirror and said helplessly, "Okay, let's not talk about that. The important thing is that the police officer brought me some information. Thirteen years ago, corpses occasionally went missing in Senhu City. Most of the cases were unsolved, or even never filed in the first place. But most of these corpses were unidentified, and even if they were missing, there was no way to find them. Whether this information is related to the cases is unclear, but it does indicate that the mayor was not the mastermind behind the series of cases."
What I want to say is that, at least in terms of objectives, we are not on opposing sides. Based on that, as drivers, could you please tell me directly about your progress, and your and the mayor's objectives?
The radio broadcast announced that the demolition project of the senior high school section of Senhu No. 2 Middle School had officially begun.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com