Chapter 2 Revisiting the Place
Ahead is a very steep bend.
However, the high-speed race car showed no sign of slowing down.
The boy next to him shouted nervously, "Big brother, be careful! Be careful!"
The man gripping the steering wheel was focused, his gaze behind his glasses cold and stern.
He confidently curled the corners of his mouth, cutting a tricky right angle as he drove straight across the racetrack.
"Wow! That drifting was so cool!"
The man showed no joy on his face, and calmly and steadily began to conquer the next bend.
After several rounds, he had become quite adept at it, and the man sang all the way, leaving his opponents far behind.
On the final lap, he seemed to be in an empty field, easily crossing the finish line.
"Big brother, you're so handsome!"
The boy behind him was so excited that his eyes lit up and he stomped his feet, looking like he wanted to become an apprentice on the spot.
"Xiao Zhi, what are you yelling about? Don't disturb the guests while they're playing!"
The burly internet cafe owner chuckled apologetically to the bespectacled man, then sternly berated the boy, "Running out so early? Have you finished your homework?"
The boy called Xiaozhi retorted defiantly, "I finished writing it a long time ago!"
The man pulled the internet cafe owner aside and explained, "Please don't scold the child. It's because I haven't played games at an internet cafe for many years and I'm not familiar with the controls, so I asked him to teach me."
Ash chimed in from the side, "That's right, that's right! I didn't cause any trouble!"
However, the boy was also secretly wondering: the older brother is so skilled, what does he need me to teach him?
The internet cafe owner, a businessman by trade, immediately changed his tune upon hearing this and began praising his son: "Xiao Zhi knows all the games here inside and out. Just ask him for whatever you want to play! Xiao Zhi, introduce a few more to the customers!"
Xiao Zhi nodded eagerly in agreement, and the man, at his recommendation, started playing shooting games.
That dazzling display of skill was absolutely amazing!
After clearing the game, Ash exclaimed in a daze, "Big brother, you're an absolute sharpshooter!"
The man played a few more rounds and even taught the little boy some exclusive tips.
He glanced at the time and said, "Alright, I have to go now! Thanks for this, Ash."
Xiao Zhi reluctantly saw the man to the door.
Stepping into the sunlight, he noticed that his older brother's hair wasn't black, but a dark flaxen color with curled ends; he couldn't tell if it was naturally curly or permed.
Just then, a little white dog came running over, wagging its tail.
The man recognized it at a glance as the one he had risked his life to save a few days earlier.
The puppy seemed to recognize its savior, nuzzling and wagging its tail affectionately.
"Hey, that's strange! Haro is usually not close to strangers, but it really likes you, big brother!"
The man stroked the puppy's head, smiled, and said nothing.
The newly minted little fan asked, "Big brother, when will you come again?"
The man replied somewhat awkwardly, "That's hard to say. I promise I'll come often when I have time, okay?"
"Okay, okay!"
The little boy and the little white dog were overjoyed.
The man smiled and waved goodbye, but suddenly turned back, as if he had forgotten something.
Did big brother leave something behind?
The man patted his forehead and sighed with feigned worry, "Sigh! I'm really getting old; my memory is getting worse and worse. I was so engrossed in playing games that I forgot about the important thing!"
The man then pulled out a photo and asked, "Xiao Zhi, have you seen this boy before?"
The boy in the photo is wearing a junior high school uniform, has a handsome face, and looks to be about twelve or thirteen years old.
Xiao Zhi asked with a hint of wariness, "Why is big brother asking about this?"
Seeing this, the man waved his hands repeatedly and said, "Xiao Zhi, don't misunderstand. I'm not the kind of parent who would hit a child just because they play video games! This child is my relative. He told me yesterday that he lost something very important. He's searched everywhere but can't find it, so he suspects he lost it here. Also, his dad found out he came to the internet cafe that day, so he's too scared to come back. That's why he asked me to look for it for him."
Men have long since honed the ability to lie without batting an eye at work. After his explanation, Xiao Zhi immediately believed him.
"Hey! I knew you weren't like those parents who come to internet cafes looking for their kids. They don't even know how to use game tokens! Big brother, this young man was here last Friday night, I remember. What did he lose?"
"It's a talisman, obtained from a shrine. He's carried it with him since he was little; it's very important to him!"
The man then showed the little boy the photo.
Xiao Zhi thought for a moment and said, "There were a lot of people last Friday night because the popular game Dr.Virus released a new map, and a lot of people came to grind for it. If I had dropped out then, someone else might have gotten the loot..."
The man asked gravely, "Xiao Zhi, do you remember where he was sitting? Can I go look for it again? Please, please, this is a really important item. If his father finds out, he might get beaten to a pulp!"
These words stirred Xiao Zhi's sympathy, and at the same time, out of a desire to show off his good memory, he said incessantly, "Although this young man has only come once, I remember every word he said and every thing he did from the moment he walked in!"
“Last Friday was particularly crowded, and he arrived later than the other students. The place was full and there were no seats available, so he begged me to give him even an old computer. I pointed him to the one closest to the corner. That machine had a very old graphics card and always dropped frames, so it was usually not used by customers.”
"I didn't recognize the young man, but he was incredibly generous, clearly having spent a lot of money on in-game purchases. Even though it was Friday, he wasn't wearing his school uniform or carrying a backpack, and he came alone. Curious, I asked him if he wasn't skipping school anymore. He told me no, he'd booked a hotel nearby, the really luxurious Imperial Hotel. He'd left his backpack there after school and changed his clothes because he was afraid people would recognize him and tell his parents. He begged me not to tell a word if anyone asked about him! He also said he planned to finish grinding the new map tonight. Wow! No wonder he's from a wealthy family!"
Following Xiao Zhi's directions, the man went to the computer in the corner and crouched down to search carefully.
As the man searched, he casually remarked, "He must have been out late. No wonder his dad found out later."
Xiao Zhi chimed in, "Yeah, he played until about 2:30 in the morning."
"You weren't asleep then either?"
"Ugh! I'm a night owl, I can't sleep until 3 AM, and my dad doesn't care. Oh right! Before I left, the guy said he was hungry and asked if there was anywhere to eat nearby. I told him there was a vending machine up ahead with rice balls that were really good."
The man nodded and said, "I'm a little hungry too, I'll go buy one later... Hey, I think I found it!"
Really?
The man blew on a small purse repeatedly, then sighed, "Sigh! I'll have to wash it before returning it to him. Xiao Zhi, thank you so much today!"
You're welcome! Goodbye, big brother, please come again soon!
The man left the internet cafe and quickly found the vending machine.
"Great, there are security cameras."
The man silently noted it down and left without buying anything.
For his own safety, he is currently not suitable to be exposed in any place where there is surveillance footage.
Therefore, it was inconvenient for him to personally go to that hotel to investigate.
The man returned to his car and began organizing the intelligence he had gathered.
This is a brand new car that I just picked up a few hours ago.
A blue GT86, a Toyota sports car.
He wasn't quite getting the hang of driving.
But at least I have a suitable means of transportation, which is much better than my old, dilapidated second-hand motorcycle.
As for the man's old car, it has already been handed over to his companions to dispose of.
At this moment, the man couldn't help but realize the importance of his teammates.
His superior once told him: "Infiltrating is a hellish arena that tests people's hearts."
Jingguang was very fortunate to have a partner he could entrust his life to.
Although it took him a long time to make the other person understand his "frozen adventure," the advantage of Zero is that once they believe in you, they will stand firmly on your side.
They discussed countermeasures together, drafted their story for the police, and planned how to deal with possible questioning from the organization...
The reason why his undercover identity was exposed remains unknown. He can't trust anyone except Zero, not even his superiors.
Therefore, Jingguang had to hide and go into hiding everywhere.
On the first night, Jingguang chose an abandoned two-story parking lot as his temporary lodging.
One floor above ground and one floor below ground.
The underground parking lot is quite warm in winter, and there's even a guardhouse where you can rest.
It was a secluded place, undisturbed by anyone.
His only companions were mice, insects, and wild cats.
It was an ideal place to stay for a fugitive.
However, things took an unexpected turn, and Jingguang was soon forced to leave.
After Jingguang finished organizing the intelligence, with some lingering feelings, he wanted to take another look at that parking lot.
It's not far from here, only about a 20-minute drive.
Returning to this familiar place, Jingguang felt a mix of emotions.
He got out of the car and saw the bloodstains still on the ground. His memory seemed to instantly return to the early hours of last Saturday.
Jingguang arrived here riding a secondhand motorcycle.
I spotted the two men lying in a pool of blood at a glance.
One is already dead, and the other is seriously injured and in a coma.
Jingguang quickly performed first aid on the surviving person and used the phone that had fallen to the ground—it was unclear whether it belonged to the injured or the deceased—to call an ambulance and the police.
"Meow—"
A stray cat poked its head out from under the car.
"It's dangerous here, let's go! I have to go too, we can't be openly in the sunlight right now."
But the cat didn't seem to want to leave, and retreated back under the car to curl up in a ball.
Jingguang sighed silently and said, "I really can't do anything with you, but you see, I have no home and can't take you with me on the streets. The police and doctors will be here soon, so please keep an eye on the crime scene until then!"
"Meow—"
Now the two men are gone, the car is gone, and even the cat, supposedly the only witness, has been taken in for questioning by the police.
In the empty parking lot, only the faint traces of blood on the ground still testify to what had happened.
Jingguang knelt on the ground, and after a long while let out a long, heavy sigh: "I'm sorry..."
"I'll leave the rest to the police."
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