Chapter 1
When Chen Pu and Li Jincheng just graduated, they shared a two-bedroom apartment.
The two even had an argument over what kind of house to rent. Chen Pu wants to rent a super luxurious four-bedroom apartment in the city center. He will live in the master bedroom, Li Jincheng will live in the second bedroom, and there will also be a gym and a study. The last two are under his name, so Li Jincheng only needs to pay for one.
Li Jincheng refused. Having been adopted by his uncle and aunt since he was a child, he was used to living within his means and not owing anyone anything, because he had already owed too much by the time he grew up.
Li Jincheng originally wanted to rent a house in Chaoyang Home because it was close to his workplace and cheap. Chen Pu refused to go, saying that he felt disgusted when he saw that community. Moreover, Chen Pu was working in another branch at that time, and he used the excuse that the place was not close enough for work. In the end, the two of them compromised and rented a mid-range two-bedroom apartment, which Li Jincheng could easily afford.
During that year, the two were in different police stations and were no longer inseparable. Sometimes they would only watch a game together and eat peanuts after get off work in the evening; sometimes they would only go out to eat together or play basketball on weekends. But that feeling is very secure, because you know there is always someone behind you who understands your aspirations and shares your temperament. You can share with this buddy any troubles or happiness that are difficult to talk about with others. He will always support you unconditionally and treat you well. He is like a reef with soft edges and tough texture, standing on your life path.
Of course, there are contradictions. For example, Chen Pu kept his socks unwashed for a week, and Li Jincheng washed them for him while scolding him. Chen Pu suggested hiring a cleaner, but Li Jincheng, who had been frugal since childhood, scolded him for being stupid and lazy as a pig. It was such a small house, but he still needed to hire someone to do the housework.
Another time, Chen Pu had spent all his money and could not withdraw it from his financial management account, so he borrowed 2,000 yuan from Li Jincheng. As a result, he used the 2,000 yuan to buy a T-shirt and continued to borrow money from Li Jincheng for meals, which made Li Jincheng very angry.
At that time, Chen Pu was fancy and coquettish. He bought a lot of brand-name clothes and shoes, loved to perm his hair and get shaves. Most of the brand-name clothes he bought were low-key and luxurious with hidden logos, which his boss couldn't tell. He even praised him for looking more energetic than others when wearing similar T-shirts. Only Li Jincheng knows how repressed and spendthrift this guy is.
Once, the two of them were drinking beer and eating skewers, and they talked about getting married and having children in the future. Chen Pu said, "Of course I will be the godfather of your child in the future."
Li Jincheng frowned when he heard this. He said, "It's okay to be a brother, but there's no need to be a godfather. What if you lead the child astray and spoil him?"
What troubles did the two young detectives have at that time? He doesn't care if his leader scolds him, and he continues to drink as usual if the case cannot be solved. Anyway, he has his masters and captains to support him if the sky falls. The two of them are so outstanding and handsome, and they will definitely have a bright future as elite criminal police.
More than a month before Li Jincheng disappeared, Chen Pu had to go on a business trip to participate in an important mission and was not even allowed to bring his cell phone. It was not until he returned to Xiangcheng that he learned that something had happened to Li Jincheng. At that time, the branch also organized a large force to search for a period of time. Chen Pu searched with Li Jincheng's colleagues before dawn, after get off work, and on weekends when there was no case to handle.
But they found nothing.
Since Li Jincheng took the unreported personal action after get off work that day, he cannot be considered missing on duty. Later, because other more important cases came up, the Li Jincheng case had to be put on hold temporarily, and he would look for it when he had time.
Only Chen Pu still goes to look for him every free weekend. Gradually, he changed, becoming silent and unkempt. Those beautiful clothes were thrown in the closet and I never had the heart to wear them again. Not much money was spent, but the hygiene was still not maintained. Without Li Jincheng, his mother sent a cleaning lady over, but she was not allowed to enter Li Jincheng's room.
From childhood to adulthood, Chen Pu seldom cried, he always made others cry. During the first six months after Li Jincheng disappeared, he sometimes sat alone at home and cried with his face covered. I put ice on my face early in the morning for fear of being noticed.
Later, one night, he had a dream. He dreamed that Li Jincheng was wearing the clothes he wore on the day he disappeared. He was covered in blood, looked much thinner, and was very dirty.
Li Jincheng smiled gently as usual and said, Chen Pu, I'm dead. I was murdered by someone. You have to seek justice for me. I am a criminal policeman and I cannot disappear from this world without knowing the reason.
When Chen Pu woke up, half of his pillow was wet with tears. He knew that he would never get over this.
Because if even he gave up the search, Li Jincheng might be buried in some dark place and never see the sun again.
After all, he is a person who likes to bask in the sun, because his aunt is a Chinese medicine practitioner and she said that this can replenish yang energy.
Chen Pu made up his mind at that time that he would find the day when he could still breathe, and he would see his body if he was alive or his body if he was dead.
——
Chen Pu brought Li Qingyao to Room 101, Building 17, Chaoyang Home, where Liu Huaixin had rented seven years ago.
This time Chen Pu did not bring anyone else to join the group because he knew she would definitely come.
Building 17 is quite far from where they live now, on the other diagonal of Chaoyang Home. Due to the terrain, this house is a certain distance away from the surrounding buildings. It has only five floors, with two units and four households on each floor.
The house is very old, with peeling walls and small advertisements posted everywhere. Room 101 was at the east end. They walked into the unit door, but found that the door of 101 was sealed with a white cement wall. They walked around the house and saw that the main door was in a small courtyard. There were some vegetables planted in the yard, and clothes were hung out to dry. Someone was busy cooking in the kitchen.
Li Qingyao went forward and knocked on the door. A woman in her thirties opened the door and looked at them in confusion. The two showed their police officer IDs and after a brief conversation they found out that there were two couples renting here. Both of them came to Xiangcheng from the countryside to work. They rented the house two years ago and knew nothing about the previous tenants, but provided the landlord's contact information. Chen Pu called his colleagues at the bureau and asked them to check the woman's and other people's ID cards, and found nothing unusual.
The two of them went into the house again and looked around. It was a three-bedroom apartment with a large living room. Seven years have passed, and there is no trace of Liu Huaixin's life in the house.
Li Qingyao called the landlord and from the sound of his voice he sounded like a young man who was working in the Southern Economic Development Zone, a 40-minute drive away. Li Qingyao made an appointment with him and drove over immediately to meet him.
The three of them agreed to meet at the cafe downstairs in the office building.
The landlord's name is Zhou Hui, he is in his thirties and just returned from studying abroad three years ago. When asked about the Chaoyang Home house, he said that because he was abroad, he had no idea about the previous tenants and the house was rented out by his widowed mother. His mother died of illness two years ago.
"Are there any rental records, account books, or bank transfer records from that time?" Chen Pu asked.
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