Li Huai's question immediately made my heart sink.
Unless there are special circumstances, he always calls me Brother Yan.
Moreover, Dr. Sun is his mentor, so it's not strange that I call him Dr. Sun, but why does he call him that too?
How could this kid be so rude!
Is it because I just woke up and my mind isn't clear yet?
I reached out and patted his head twice, trying to bring him back to his senses.
Li Huai rubbed his head, seemingly not fully awake, and asked with some dissatisfaction:
"What happened? Why did you hit me?!"
I didn't answer, but lowered my voice and said urgently:
"Li Huai, something's happened! Luo Tianhe is acting strangely!"
"Tianhe? What happened to him? He was perfectly fine last night!"
Li Huai looked puzzled, as if he couldn't believe what I was saying.
He gave me something last night.
I took out the black box that was bound with cinnabar thread.
But it didn't open.
"There's an old copper coin inside, with a talisman engraved on it. Luo Tianhe said he got it from a Taoist temple, but I was with him all day yesterday. How could he have had time to go to a Taoist temple to get a talisman?!"
"Unless he went to ask for it in the middle of the night after we got back, but the Taoist temple can't be open at two or three in the morning, can it?"
Upon hearing this, Li Huai opened his mouth wide, then looked as if he was deep in thought.
"Tianhe has been having trouble sleeping lately. Maybe he couldn't sleep at night and went to ask for a talisman. Besides, you've never been to a Taoist temple at night, so how do you know if it's open?"
At this point, Li Huai looked heartbroken.
"Tianhe is your best friend, how could you doubt him?! He went to get a talisman for you in the middle of the night, which shows how important you are to him. If he knew you thought this way about him, how heartbroken he would be!"
Li Huai spoke very quickly and rambled on for a long time, leaving me somewhat stunned. Could it be that I was overthinking things?
But something's definitely wrong with this copper coin. Could he have been scammed by the people at the Taoist temple?!
Wait a minute, I suddenly realized again that his way of addressing Luo Tianhe is also wrong!
He usually calls him Brother Luo directly, so why is he calling him Tianhe all the time now?
I remained outwardly calm and composed.
"Maybe I'm just overthinking it."
"That's impossible. You must be overthinking it. You're probably just too nervous."
As he spoke, he walked to the table, picked up the glass of cold water and drank it all in one gulp, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
"Don't you know Tianhe? He genuinely cares about you, but he might have been deceived."
My lips twitched. The tea was leftover from last night; it was not only overnight but also ice cold. In this freezing weather, he drank it all in one gulp.
Moreover, although Li Huai is carefree, he has never wiped his mouth with his sleeve before.
This guy was definitely acting strange, and I cursed inwardly!
I met Zhang Wei and talked to her. It turned out that these two good-for-nothings had been possessed by ghosts.
"Li Huai, did you encounter anything strange after you came back last night?"
Li Huai turned around to face me, his face showing some impatience:
"No, I went straight to sleep when I got back yesterday. I'm exhausted. Chen Yan, don't scare yourself. Zhang Wei's case is strange, but we can't just assume everyone is acting strangely. We need to focus on finding that underground hideout and avoid infighting!"
You've started fighting amongst yourselves!
This guy is still putting on a show, but I told Luo Tianhe about what happened last night. I haven't had a chance to tell him how he knew we were looking for the underground hideout!
Could it be that Luo Tianhe woke him up after returning home last night, and then told him everything before going to sleep?
This is utterly absurd!
At the same time, a surge of anger welled up inside me. The thing behind this had actually secretly influenced both Li Huai and Luo Tianhe.
They seem to retain some sense of self, but about 70% of it has been distorted, making them different from before.
A sliver of hope still lingered in my heart, and I tentatively asked:
"Zhang Qiang said that the city is cracking down on prostitution and illegal publications recently, and the KTVs in Luotianhe are going to go out of business."
Upon hearing this, Li Huai nonchalantly curled his lip and shrugged, saying:
"So what if it goes bankrupt? It's not a big deal!"
Damn it, I'm 100% sure now!
Li Huai has been greatly affected! His personality has changed drastically!
“You’re right. Maybe I was just too nervous. Now that I think about it, how could Luo Tianhe lie to me? I’ll take that copper coin out and wear it close to my heart when I get back.”
I went along with what he said.
Upon hearing this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Li Huai's face.
"That's right, we're buddies, why would I ever hurt you!"
I forced a smile.
"Alright, I'll be going now. You can go see Doctor Sun later. I have to get back to work."
I gave him a deep look, turned and left. The door closed behind me, but I didn't leave immediately. Instead, I listened intently.
Since I closed the door, there hasn't been a sound from inside. Li Huai seems to have been offline and AFK.
I didn't linger. I quickly left the funeral home, hailed a car, and headed straight for my home.
When I got home, I first locked all the doors and windows, then drew the curtains tightly, my heart pounding in my chest.
Luo Tianhe and Li Huai, the two people I'm closest to and trust the most, have both unknowingly fallen into a trap!
That guy's influence is so pervasive that it's impossible to guard against!
The most urgent task now is not to investigate the case thoroughly, but to ascertain their status as soon as possible and to find ways to remove or stop their influence.
I first called Zhang Qiang, and then confirmed it again.
Zhang Qiang answered the phone quickly, his voice sounding somewhat urgent.
"So? Any leads?"
I rubbed my chin, wondering if I should test him first?
“We have some leads, Zhang Qiang. From now on, I'll follow your orders completely. If you tell me to go east, I won't go west; if you tell me to beat a dog, I won't chase a chicken. I only have one request.”
Zhang Qiang sounded somewhat puzzled on the other end of the phone, but still asked:
What are the requirements?
"Ahem, I'm so old and still don't have a boyfriend. Could you introduce me to Xiao An?"
After asking that question, I couldn't help but hold my breath. If Zhang Qiang was under control, he would definitely agree in order to make me obey.
Zhang Qiang was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then I heard an angry curse:
"You sloppy bastard, what are you talking about! Believe me or not, I'll kill you!"
Being scolded by him actually made me feel a sense of relief.
This at least shows that Zhang Qiang was not under control. I wonder if it's because of his identity as a police officer that he has a sense of justice protecting him.
"What I said just now was to test you. There is indeed a crucial clue. Listen to me."
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