At 12:40 PM on November 18th, 4221 of the Cangli calendar, it was cloudy.
In the courtyard, Gao Siming, dressed in simple white winter clothes, sat in an electric wheelchair.
The plum tree in front of me is already covered in pink and yellow blossoms. The wind blows, and petals fall one by one.
It landed on Gao Siming, on the parrot cage in the plum blossom tree, and on the striped kitten playing with its tail on the ground.
Gao Siming picked up a few birdseeds and said, "Little Yellow and Little Green, eat more, otherwise I'll leave them for Little Flower to waste."
The little parrots, of course, couldn't understand their owner's jokes; they were content as long as they had food and water.
Amidst the chattering of parrots scrambling for food, Gao Siming's cell phone rang from his wheelchair.
Gao Siming turned around with difficulty, "Li the Fool is calling!"
"Hehe, this little fool got here pretty fast!"
Gao Siming muttered to himself as he answered the phone, "Li Shazi, you're late today. The cook has already washed the dishes."
Li Nan on the other end of the phone was stunned. Why was this old guy thinking of me coming over for a free meal? But then he thought about it and realized that it was already past noon, another day he had been so busy with work that he forgot to eat lunch.
A thief never leaves empty-handed. Since we've come to Gao Siming's house, how can we go back hungry?
Pshaw, I, Detective Li, am here on serious business! Not to freeload! Of course, if there's a big meal, then never mind.
"Brother Gao, do you really think I'm just a good-for-nothing? I..."
Before Li Nan could finish her excuses, Gao Siming interrupted, "Stop rambling. I saw your green hair. Hurry up, the key is in the usual place. There should be half a fish left in the pot. If you want to eat, hurry up."
Li Nan arrived at the villa entrance, easily found the key to the gate, opened the door smoothly, and walked into the yard.
"Hey, what brings our great Detective Li here today?" Gao Siming sat in his wheelchair, playing with his phone, their usual way of greeting each other.
"I got so thin from hunger that I was blown here by the wind!" Li Nan replied with a grin, a far cry from his serious demeanor at the Anding Division.
As he spoke, he strode up to Gao Siming, gave his electric wheelchair a graceful 180-degree turn, and pushed it into the inner room.
"Brother Gao, you shouldn't have mentioned it. It made me realize I haven't eaten yet. Detective Brother is starving!"
"Look at you, so pathetic!"
Once inside, Li Nan closed the door behind her, not forgetting to let the little tabby cat that had been wandering outside in as well.
Looking at the table laden with dishes in the dining room, Li Nan couldn't help but swallow hard and said, "Brother Gao, is this the half fish you were talking about?"
Pushing Gao Siming to the dining table, Li Nan asked again, "Brother Gao, have you learned a new skill? You actually knew I was coming?"
Gao Siming glanced at Li Nan, picked up his phone and said, "My phone has been pushing 'Case 1117' notifications since this morning. Liu Xiangdong also told me his girlfriend is dead. As for the Honghu Society, aren't you going to come to me?"
Gao Siming looked at Li Nan, who was already getting ready to eat, and continued, "You want to eat all by yourself? Hurry up and hand me your bowl and chopsticks!"
Li Nan smiled sheepishly, swallowed a piece of fish, and then said sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I forgot all about it as soon as I saw Brother Gao's delicious food!"
As he spoke, he served Gao Siming a bowl of rice and handed him chopsticks.
"Seeing this table full of delicious food, I thought Brother Gao had recovered."
"Stop joking around, I've accepted my fate. There are currently no cases of complete recovery from DSTH worldwide!"
DSTH, or multiple demyelination sclerosis, is a rare disease caused by an autoimmune disorder of the nervous system. The incidence rate is higher in areas with higher latitudes, but the probability is less than one in 100,000.
Upon hearing the term DSTH, Li Nan's previously tense heart finally relaxed a little.
Yes, Brother Gao suffers from the rare disease DSTH, which has even affected his ability to take care of himself. Is it possible for him to commit a crime? How would he commit a crime? With his imagination?
Thinking of this, Li Nan wished she could slap herself twice. The man sitting in the wheelchair in front of her was her childhood friend, her good older brother, and her savior in college.
How could I have associated him with these murders?
If we really want to connect them, just like in 2019, we can only do so as victims.
"Pah, pah, pah," Li Nan thought to herself, "Why can't they think of something better?"
As a policeman, Li Nan was just as decisive and efficient as he was when eating and working. While Li Nan was already full, Gao Siming was still slowly and deliberately chewing his food. DSTH affects the entire nervous system, and it's said that it also affects the chewing muscles. Every meal was a source of pride for him.
"You've finished eating, so tell me why you came today!" Gao Siming wiped his mouth with a tissue and asked, "They say you're obligated to help someone who's eaten your food. Since you've eaten my meal, you must help me find the real culprit and get justice for my Honghu Society!"
As Gao Siming spoke, tears welled up in his eyes. He blinked, took a tissue, and wiped them away.
"Brother Gao, as you know, this is a criminal case, and there are many things I can't say."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
"We haven't found many clues yet, but I'm pretty sure the killer is connected to the Honghu Society!"
"How so?"
Li Nan walked over and pushed Gao Siming into the tea room on one side of the living room. She poured herself a cup of Pu'er Maojian tea, looked around but couldn't find what she wanted, and then slowly began to mutter.
"When the plum blossoms bloom, the bitter cold arrives; when the apricot leaves fall and turn yellow, she is no longer here. The sea of learning is boundless, and there is no boat to cross it; only the orioles and sparrows sing of spring at the hall gate." The last line was engraved on the back of the deceased! This poem should only be known by members of the Honghu Society, and only a murderer connected to the Honghu Society would have engraved it on the back of the deceased.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
