Chapter 15
After calming down for a while, his confused eyes became sharp again. He quickly entered a few numbers on the electronic shackles on his wrist, and the shackles opened with a click.
He removed the micro camera from the inside and walked into the compartment inside the bedroom closet. He was surrounded by photos on the wall. Many faces had "X"s drawn on them, which looked a bit eerie in the pale light.
Lin Xian took out a computer that he usually didn't use, exported the video of the club in the mountains, watched it frame by frame, marked the key time nodes, edited a backup, uploaded one copy to an anonymous email address, and saved another copy to a USB drive.
In the basement, illuminated by crystal chandeliers and vintage furniture, Zhou Yaohui and Zhou Xinzhang sat not too far apart. Lin Xian crossed his arms in front of him, seemingly respectful, but actually so he could capture their conversation clearly.
Everyone around was very quiet and the conversation between father and son could be heard clearly.
"Xin Zhang, when will the next batch of Blue Flame be shipped?"
"Dad, the police are very tight lately, please wait a little longer."
"You're a steady hand, and I've always trusted you. But sometimes, you can't get a tiger cub without learning from it—how's Galanxiang doing?"
"Don't worry, everything is going smoothly with Galan Incense. The advantage of high technology is that it's concealed. Made into incense sticks, the police will never guess that this is actually a low-end version of Blue Flame. There will be a new deal soon."
"when?"
"Next Wednesday night at nine o'clock, Yulong KTV, room 302."
"Alright, we need to hurry. We have people on the police side too. I'll have the South City branch keep an eye on things and make sure the cops outside don't mess things up."
After the video was delivered to the email address of a user named "Nixingzhe", Lin Xian closed his computer and breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking at the photos on the wall, he stood up and drew an "X" with a red pen on the face of a man wearing a floral shirt and holding a cigarette in his mouth.
That was Lao Hai, who had always been suspected of being a police undercover agent. He was probably buried in an unknown place in the mountains.
Lin Xian sighed and took the photo on the side. The man with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes and the woman with gentle eyebrows were smiling at him.
"Dad, Mom, I can't hold on any longer..." He whispered to himself, a tear sliding down from the lens and silently dripping onto the bright and dust-free glass of the photo frame.
Lin Xian closed his eyes.
Then he pulled out a dusty album filled with mostly old, grainy photos. There were pictures of elderly villagers holding buckets, orphanage children clutching dolls, and families of mining disaster victims. Names and dates were written in the blank spaces next to each photo.
After flipping through a few pages, he found the photo from nine years ago. Sunlight filtered through the greenery, illuminating the young man's pale, thin profile. The Chengtian Temple Pagoda was in the background. Written in the blank space beside it was: August 25, 2016, Tongchuan County, Lu Chengtian.
He took the micro photo printer, connected it to the Bluetooth of his mobile phone, printed out the photo of Lu Chengtian that was trending under the Jinyuan Building, and spread out the two photos in his palm.
He has indeed changed a lot.
At that chain restaurant, he said, "You are the only family I have."
Lin Xian turned the two photos upside down and stuffed them into the gap of the photo frame of his parents.
A deep fatigue washed over him. He pulled a blue and white medicine box from the drawer of his bedside table, took out a few pills, and went to the living room to swallow them with water, which caused him to cough violently.
When he was about to go to the living room to smoke another cigarette, he saw the medicine Lu Chengtian brought from the hospital on the coffee table. After a pause, he put down his lighter, took out the medicine, and took it according to the instructions.
He slept soundly that night, and rarely did he have those bizarre dreams that exhausted him.
But he was still wrapped in dreams.
On the endless seashore of Shenzhen-Hong Kong City, his father and mother held his young child in their hands and played a game of hide-and-seek with the surging waves, while their laughter and the cries of seagulls echoed in the sky.
He also dreamed of the lush Chengtian Temple, where a young man ran towards him in the light, leaving behind the thick darkness, just as he had hoped.
·
"Lin Xian——" Lu Chengtian woke up calling someone's name.
He lifted the quilt and took a look at his lower body. He was instantly petrified and hurried into the bathroom to get rid of himself.
Stimulated by the cold water, he gradually woke up.
Tunqin's words kept ringing in his ears, like a maggot on his bones. "Officer, you know, these drug bosses all like this, it's so exciting—"
"Lu Chengtian, are you crazy?" The cold water hit his face under the high pressure brought by the shower. He grabbed his hair and asked himself over and over again.
In the dream, Lin Xian just touched his face and asked him, "How did you get through all this?" It was just like what really happened last night, it couldn't be purer.
Over the years, Lin Xian often visited his dreams, but every time he woke up in the happiness of being loved by his brother, and had no thoughts of breaking the rules.
But why did I react like that this time?
If Lu Chengtian was just a young boy who was just beginning to fall in love at this moment, he would definitely hate himself for having such thoughts about his savior.
But as an adult, he began to analyze calmly: Is it true that Zhao Yiqing said that I really like him? If he knew that I liked him, would he hate me?
With a head full of messy thoughts, he hurriedly washed up and rushed to work, and his plan of running ten kilometers in the morning was rarely interrupted.
When they arrived at the parking lot behind the Municipal Bureau and saw the tall Wrangler, Captain Lu felt a rare sense of panic in his heart.
As soon as he entered the office, he saw Lin Xian sitting elegantly on his black leather sofa with his legs crossed. He held a paper cup of hot water in his hand and took a sip from time to time.
Chen Fei, who was suffering from the pressure of work and leadership but still looked full of energy, saw him first and waved to him: "Captain Lu, good morning."
"Editor-in-Chief Lin and Reporter Chen, are you here so early?" Lu Chengtian checked his phone. It was only 8:20, too early to get to work. He and Chen Fei exchanged glances, not even daring to meet Lin Xian's gaze.
"Then, in recognition of our diligence, can Captain Lu lead us to an amazing exclusive?" Lin Xian, wearing a light camel coat and a beige turtleneck sweater, smiled warmly and looked gentle and harmless - as if the killer with the long sword was temporarily possessed by an evil spirit.
Chen Fei was also very tactful and made a "please" gesture with a pleading look.
"As long as we review it before publishing, it's no problem." Lu Chengtian said lightly.
Lu Chengtian was so kind to the media that Chen Fei wanted to kneel down before him, hug his thighs and call him "ancestor." Before she could finish imagining the scene of that servile behavior, Lu Chengtian said, "This jumping case may involve some criminal gangs. It might be dangerous for reporter Chen to go. Our people still have to conduct a lot of investigations and interviews, so I'm afraid we don't have anyone dedicated to bodyguards. Editor-in-Chief Lin, what do you think..."
Lu Chengtian couldn't say the following words too directly in front of Chen Fei, but the meaning was "Don't come here and make trouble, go somewhere cooler."
Chen Fei felt as if she had been struck by lightning when she heard her editor-in-chief say without hesitation, "No problem, she won't go."
Lin Xian patted her shoulder lightly and whispered, "I'll send the materials back to you, and you will be the main writer. This will be more efficient. Be obedient and drive back by yourself." As he said that, he threw the Wrangler keys to Chen Fei.
Looking at Chen Fei's pitiful back, Lu Chengtian finally got rid of the awkward atmosphere of last night and chuckled, "Your Wrangler is really worthless. You just give it to someone else? How are you going to get back?"
"Didn't you suggest I move in with you?" Lin Xian asked with genuine confusion. "I'll accept the offer. It's free rent, and I get a free driver and bodyguard. How great!"
Lu Chengtian felt like he was experiencing a Myanmar earthquake. He actually agreed to this? Didn't he care about what happened last night?
Before he could compose himself to reply, Director Guo walked in with a thermos cup containing a handful of soft and juicy wolfberries.
Seeing Guo Jing'an, Lin Xian stood up and walked forward as if nothing had happened. He shook hands politely and said, "Director Guo, nice to meet you. I'm Lin Xian from the in-depth reporting department of Mirror View magazine."
Guo Jing'an shook his hand firmly, gave him a deep, complex look, and then smiled, "Editor-in-Chief Lin, I've heard a lot about you. Thank you to Mirror View for putting our Municipal Bureau on the hot search list. Xiao Lu finally got a chance to bring honor to us."
Lin Xian continued to use social etiquette: "No, no, it's all Captain Lu's personal charm. We're just taking advantage of your bureau's talent bonus."
Lu Chengtian looked at the two people acting, his thumb and index finger on his side rubbing unconsciously as his thoughts raced.
At this moment, Guo Jing'an patted his head. "What are you daydreaming about? President Yun of Mirror View told me that Editor-in-Chief Lin has been undercover in Myanmar and holds a PhD in psychology from Columbia University. He's very experienced. Journalists and police are both investigators. You shouldn't always be prejudiced against them. You should listen more to their opinions."
"I have no prejudice against Editor-in-Chief Lin." Lu Chengtian said helplessly.
"That's good. Let's solve this case as soon as possible and give society an explanation. There's a huge online uproar right now, with all sorts of rumors going around. It's impossible to suppress it. We'll have a morning meeting soon, and after it's over, you'll go out on the field."
Before Guo Jing'an turned and left, he gently patted Lin Xian's shoulder and looked at him gently: "The best way to resist rumors is to reveal the truth. Please."
Lin Xian still maintained that elegant and decent smile and watched Director Guo leave.
·
Guo Jing'an sat at the end of the conference table, with Deputy Director Liang Long next to him. Zhao Yiqing and Lu Chengtian, as the main persons responsible for the jumping case, sat next to the leader.
Many people were attracted by the person next to Lu Chengtian.
The air conditioning in the conference room was turned on very high. Lin Xian calmly took off his coat and hung it on the back of the chair behind him. He was wearing a beige turtleneck sweater with excellent texture, black thin-framed glasses, and his hair was carefully styled with hairspray, with a strand hanging in front of his forehead.
His slender white fingers twirled the gel pen, and he occasionally glanced sideways at Lu Chengtian beside him. His face, which could be on the cover of a magazine, was so exquisite that there was no dead angle.
"Sister Xiaohei, who is that handsome guy next to Captain Lu?" A young policewoman poked the tech-geek girl Luo Xiaohei next to her, with a clear expression on her face saying "Look at the handsome guy, may he live a long and happy life."
Luo Xiaohei unleashed his "box-opening" skills, clacking away on the keyboard until all of Lin Xian's information appeared. The policewoman, taking a slack before the meeting, took a quick look around and commented, "An older, high-quality young man, still unmarried. Wow."
"What? You don't like Captain Lu anymore? You don't want to be with him anymore?" The beautiful blonde girl, who was not attracted by any male beauty and was only obsessed with two-dimensional uncles, chewed bubble gum and blew a huge bubble carelessly.
"Of course Captain Lu is the most handsome. He looks cold and abstinent, but he's actually very gentle..." The policewoman's eyes wandered between Lu Chengtian and Lin Xian, quickly stating her stance and adding, "I think they're quite a good match."
"Who are they?" The straight girl Luo Xiaohei looked confused.
There was a row of Arhats sitting opposite, and the only woman was the cold and aloof female forensic doctor Chen Yi. But the fact that she had a girlfriend was like Zhao Yiqing's love of going to gay bars, and it had become an unspoken secret among everyone.
Who else can be paired with whom?
"Of course it's Captain Lu and Editor-in-Chief Lin. Look at their temperament and height difference, how adorable they are! A younger and more mature guy would be the best!" The young policewoman thought about the BL dramas she usually watched to relieve work pressure, and felt that if these two were to shoot a pure love drama, she would definitely be willing to subscribe to a certain video software instead of buying a second-hand account on Taobao.
Luo Xiaohei: "Although I haven't thought about it, it doesn't seem impossible..."
The little policewoman said excitedly: "Yeah, yeah!"
At this moment, Guo Jing'an put down his thermos, cleared his throat, and signaled the meeting to begin. "Let's start with the killers hunting Chengtian and Editor-in-Chief Lin. Currently, both the high school student suicide and the police officer attack are linked to drug trafficking gangs, so we can't rule out the possibility of a combined case."
As the first person to speak, Ma Qiang released the first PPT which was the scene of the fight between Lin Xian, Lu Chengtian and the killer Tun Qin.
"Judging from the fingerprints on the gun, Captain Lu took the gun and killed Tunqin in self-defense. The other thugs are still in the hospital. After interrogation, it was found that they all saw the reward on the dark web and then supported Tunqin. The reward post has been withdrawn, but according to their confessions, they assisted Tunqin in killing two targets. The other party also sent them Tunqin's real-time location. It must have been completely premeditated." Ma Qiang said.
Lu Chengtian said, "Indeed, after I discovered Tunqin, he deliberately led us to the ruins on the outskirts of the city on his motorcycle. The thugs quickly drove over to pick him up."
"Why would the drug trafficking gang go to such great lengths to hunt down a deputy captain of the city bureau's criminal investigation detachment, and even the editor-in-chief of a magazine? Hunting me down sounds more reasonable." Zhao Yiqing, who had been sketching something in his notebook, looked at Lu Chengtian when he heard this.
In just a few seconds, Lu Chengtian had quickly come up with a story for himself and Lin Xian, trying to portray himself as Tun Qin's main target. However, Lin Xian gently kicked him under the table and said politely, "Sorry, let me, an outsider, interrupt."
Everyone looked at him intently, but he glanced at everyone present calmly, crossed his long hands on the table, and said slowly, "Tunqin was probably after me. I used to be an undercover reporter in the Golden Triangle. I was lucky to be with Captain Lu this time, so I was able to escape with my life. If there's anything I can help you with in the future, please feel free to do so."
Lin Xian's words were half-truths, but to outsiders, they sounded incredibly candid. The people at the conference table began to whisper. "Impressive! There are still war correspondents these days." "Better than being undercover. At least they can come back safe and sound." "This guy looks like a pretty boy who can't handle any hardship, and he actually went undercover in the Golden Triangle..."
Guo Jingan cleared his throat and said, "We can discuss this later. Ma Qiang, please continue."
After hearing Lin Xian's confession, Zhao Yiqing looked at him with some surprise, his fingertips resting on his temples as he pondered. If Lin Xian had truly been an undercover reporter in the Golden Triangle, how could he explain the surveillance footage of him at the drug-loading scene? Now that he was being hunted by the Golden Triangle's drug lords, could he still gain the trust of the domestic drug cartels? What secrets did he hold?
Moreover, when he raised this question just now, Lu Chengtian's subconscious nervousness and protective desire when he looked at Lin Xian made him even more concerned.
At present, the Municipal Bureau not only did not list him as a suspect, but instead invited him to participate in the investigation and reporting. This would be almost impossible if Lu Chengtian had not personally facilitated it and Director Guo had not tacitly agreed.
Zhao Yiqing took a deep breath and suddenly wanted to go out and smoke a cigarette.
Ma Qiang continued to flip through the PPT, and the screen showed Tunqin's record of assaulting police officers more than fifteen times on the China-Myanmar border.
"We contacted the border police. He is one of the confidants of the Burmese drug lord 'Snake'. This time he was sent to hunt down Editor-in-Chief Lin, and with the addition of a few □□, it can be seen that the other party really hates Editor-in-Chief Lin very... to the core." After carefully searching in the poor vocabulary library, Ma Qiang found this word.
"How did Editor-in-Chief Lin offend the Spirit Snake? He actually sent his confidant to kill a weak scholar like you?" Zhao Yiqing closed the notebook he had been scribbling in. It was a sketch of a person - not Lu Chengtian, but Lin Xian.
Lu Chengtian's expression tensed involuntarily. He had questioned Lin Xian, but to no avail. Aside from the ambiguous words Tun Qin left before his death, he had no idea what Lin Xian had experienced in Burma.
At this moment, he wanted to know, but was also afraid that Lin Xian would not be able to justify himself, and he felt a little uneasy for a moment.
But Lin Xian remained quite composed. "His drug maker, in a fit of rage, gave me his improved formula as a birthday present. He later died in an accident at the drug factory, and I found an excuse to return home. Lingshe was worried I'd develop a new drug to seize the market. If that were the case, he'd lose over a billion. It's understandable why he wanted to kill me."
"What about the formula?" a drug enforcement officer asked sensitively.
Lin Xian laughed and said, "I'm a liberal arts student. I know nothing about chemistry, and I have no intention of crossing the legal line. I just want to be a law-abiding citizen and make a living at the magazine. There's no point in keeping that thing, so I destroyed it a long time ago."
In the eyes of the drug trafficking gang, the sky-high wealth was just a piece of light paper to Lin Xian. Some people present couldn't help but respect this undercover reporter, while some people showed suspicion in their eyes, such as Zhao Yiqing and Lu Chengtian.
"Editor-in-Chief Lin's understanding of drug trafficking groups is probably deeper than some of our comrades here. In addition to reporting this time, we also hope that Editor-in-Chief Lin can serve as our consultant. We can establish contact in the future and strengthen cooperation between the two sides." Deputy Director Liang, who had been silent all the time and had a deep wrinkle between his eyebrows, said.
Not to mention Zhao Yiqing, this conclusion even surprised Lu Chengtian. Did the city bureau leaders believe him so easily?
Lin Xian smiled warmly, "Director Liang, you're too kind. I only barely scratch the surface. I also want to thank the Municipal Bureau for their trust and for giving Mirror View this honor."
Lu Chengtian glanced at him sideways, feeling that this man's masks combined were enough to play all of Shakespeare's roles.
After Ma Qiang finished introducing the situation of the killer Tun Qin, Zhao Yiqing began to introduce the situation of the jumping case that was jointly investigated with the North City Branch.
"The Beicheng Branch dispatched a significant number of officers, primarily through surveillance footage, to track the deceased Liu Yaoyao's whereabouts over the past month. They discovered that, aside from commuting between school and home, she frequently frequented a karaoke bar called 'Yulong' on Sundays or after school."
"Coincidentally, our informant also reported that a new drug had recently appeared at Yulong KTV. It was none other than Galan incense, which looks almost identical to ordinary incense sticks and is blue in color. Forensic Doctor Shen compared the sample provided by the informant with the incense ash found on the rooftop of the Jinyuan Building where Liu Yaoyao died, and concluded that they were the same substance. Judging from its composition and efficacy, Galan incense is a low-end version of Blue Flame."
Guo Jing'an slammed the teacup onto the table.
"This new type of drug has already harmed the student population. We must quickly find the source and dismantle the drug trafficking chain. Zhao Yiqing, you lead the anti-drug team to infiltrate Yulong KTV first. Wear disguises and conduct reconnaissance. Be sure not to alert the suspects."
He looked at Lu Chengtian again and said, "Let Chengtian be responsible for the campus bullying and sexual assault cases. A high school girl with excellent character and academic performance has encountered so many things at the same time. We must give an explanation to the deceased and to the people. Otherwise, who will dare to let their children go out with confidence in the future?"
"Okay, Director Guo, I understand." After the meeting, Lu Chengtian collected his notebook and asked Lin Xian, "Do you want to go with the school or the drug dealer?"
He had thought Lin Xian would be more interested in Galanxiang, but as Lin Xian put on his coat, he lazily said, "Compared to drugs, school bullying and sexual assault get more attention and are quicker to publish. I'd better stay with you, otherwise I won't be able to explain to President Yun when I get back."
"Okay." Lu Chengtian said as he walked, his pace was very fast, but he was still surprised that Lin Xian did not choose to follow the investigation of the anti-drug team.
After walking a few steps, he asked casually, "By the way, you said this morning that you wanted to move in with me. When is that?"
Lin Xian was walking at a leisurely pace, but was suddenly left several steps behind by Lu Chengtian. She had no choice but to quicken her pace: "People pretend to be busy when they're embarrassed. Are you walking so fast because you think this question is embarrassing?"
Lu Chengtian suddenly stopped and turned around, and Lin Xian bumped into him without paying attention.
Lin Xian: ...
Lu Chengtian, relying on his height advantage, looked down at him slightly, with a condescending tone: "Don't use your psychological theories to presume on others. I walked fast because just now in the meeting, I heard someone's stomach growling with hunger, and their ears are almost calloused. So I decided to buy breakfast on the way before leaving for the field work."
Lin Xian took a small step back, their breathing close enough to be heard. Lu Chengtian, half a head taller than Lin Xian, looked down at her with an imposing gaze, while Lin Xian, feeling a little insecure about having to accept a gift, held her head slightly higher.
From Zhao Yiqing's perspective, as he was walking down the stairs, the two of them were staring at each other affectionately. He walked past them with a nonchalant attitude, bumping into Lu Chengtian intentionally or unintentionally. He said "excuse me" insincerely, glanced at Lin Xian with a complicated look, and then walked down the stairs slowly.
After Zhao Yiqing's back disappeared into the distance, Lin Xian's beautiful lips curled up into an arc: "Xiao Lu, how does it feel to be secretly loved by a rich second-generation guy?"
"Do you have the ability to read minds? What else can I do? It just ended in vain." The sunlight cast the shadow of the window frame on the stairs. Lu Chengtian stepped on the light and shadow, walking forward as if nothing had happened.
Lin Xian looked at him in surprise. "Why, you can't accept being with someone of the same sex? Zhao Yiqing has a good personality, is image-conscious, has career aspirations, comes from a wealthy family, and is a colleague of your age—you two are quite a good match."
As a shrewd person among shrewd people, Lin Xian certainly could not fail to notice that Zhao Yiqing had been giving him such a hard time during the meeting, not only because of the doubts in the case, but mainly because of Lu Chengtian's overly intimate and protective attitude towards him. The bump at the stairs just now basically confirmed his suspicions.
"Some people, no matter how well-matched they seem, are only friends." Lu Chengtian paused, looked at Lin Xian and said, "Not everyone is as lucky as you, to have the person you like also like you."
Lin Xian raised an eyebrow and curled up the corner of his lips: "Oh? How come I didn't know?"
"You and Zhou Mubai, don't they count?" Lu Chengtian continued to walk forward slowly, his hands in his pockets, looking nonchalant.
Lin Xian followed behind him and chuckled, "You seem to care about Zhou Mubai a lot? If you think that someone forcibly growing strawberries on my neck means that he and I are truly in love, then I really have no excuse."
"Oh." Lu Chengtian said lightly.
A few pale green tips sprouted from the ancient willow trees beside the parking lot. Spring was about to return to this coastal city.
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