Liu Chenyi led a team searching in the botanical garden all day, but they didn’t find any clues related to the case. Not to mention whether there were any buildings in the botanical garden that could facilitate the plan, merely hiding there would already be quite difficult.
The Cheng’an Botanical Garden was located at the tail end of the Southern Cheng’an Mountain range. It was jointly funded and built by Haijing Agricultural University, the Forestry Bureau, and the Botanical Research Institute, with 90% of the garden open to the public for visitors to enjoy. Due to relentless promotion by the Forestry Bureau and the Research Institute in recent years, the Cheng’an Botanical Garden has become a must-visit check-in spot within the Southern Cheng’an Scenic Area. Even on regular weekdays, it was crowded with people, and on weekends and holidays, it was so packed that it was hard to move. Because of this, the Cheng’an Botanical Garden had started planning for online reservations to control the number of visitors.
In such a crowded environment, it might indeed meet the abnormal psychological needs of a criminal wanting to intimidate or cause harm. However, the large-scale design of the garden, with flowers almost never exceeding knee height, sparsely distributed tall trees with precisely calculated distances, and greenhouses and glass flower houses all guarded at the entrances with visitors constantly coming and going, makes it really difficult to find a hiding spot in the entire botanical garden.
The team led by Liu Chenyi followed his speculation to the rose garden. As soon as they stood by the path, they immediately understood why Yi Shi had said, “The botanical garden, impossible.” This rose garden could be seen through at a glance. With Pang Daozi’s shrewdness, choosing this place would be equivalent to enlightenment, ready to surrender.
“Brother Liu, should we… continue searching?” a police officer following behind asked softly.
Liu Chenyi was not a native of Haijing. He settled here only after starting his job and regretted not coming to the botanical garden with his wife and kids last time, which wouldn’t have made him so embarrassed. He thought the botanical garden should at least have a building or some facilities, but the tallest structure was the miniature Dutch windmill in the tulip garden, which was only about 3 meters high, and with the windmill, it was less than 4 meters.
“…Search, let’s keep looking, don’t overlook any possibility.” This sentence was almost squeezed out through gritted teeth. Liu Chenyi didn’t dare to look at the faces of the team behind him, never feeling so embarrassed and ashamed. Years of accumulated prestige almost got ruined.
He blamed Yuan Kang for this. No wonder he didn’t make a single phone call while leading the operation; he must have been waiting to watch the joke behind the scenes, right?
And that Yi Shi wasn’t any good either. An arrogant kid with a notorious reputation, yet still kept in the team and trusted by Yu Xue. Either Nanyi had no one else to use, or there was some hidden secret.
Filled with resentment, Liu Chenyi spent the entire day in the botanical garden with his team, checking each area. By the end, the officers treated it like a team-building exercise, their hearts no longer in it, and he finally called off the search dejectedly.
In the hotel room, Yi Shi and Yu Xue were there. After watching that video, Yu Xue’s emotions were unsettled for a long time, and what he said was quite shocking, even involving events from twenty years ago.
“They came to Nanyi first. I wasn’t busy with studies at the time, so I went to deliver food to my aunt those days. I vaguely remember him talking to me, but I can’t recall what he said,” Yu Xue rubbed his temples, looking troubled. “It’s strange. When you asked me to check this name last time, I had no impression at all. Only today, after such a bizarre story, did I suddenly remember this part.”
“So you’re not sure if this memory was original or suddenly appeared.”
“Exactly.” Yu Xue opened his notebook, casually took out a pen, and bit off the cap, scribbling on the paper.
He drew a line, with a circle at each end, writing Lin Heyu’s and Yi Shi’s names: “Assuming the time at Lin Heyu’s place is twenty years ago, and we are twenty years later, then he is ahead on the timeline, and we are behind. Changes made at the front end will affect the back end. Have you seen ‘The Butterfly Effect’? Every time the protagonist went back and changed something, it would affect his future.”
Yi Shi’s eyes flashed: “You mean, if it weren’t for that video call, and you hadn’t seen that boy version of you, this memory wouldn’t have appeared?”
“Yes. Otherwise, I really can’t explain why I have no recollection of Lin Heyu and that major case.” Yu Xue poked his forehead with the pen’s rear end. “I’ve had excellent grades from a young age, not because I studied hard, but because I have a superb memory. I still remember many of the required texts from middle school very clearly.”
Yi Shi resonated with this point. His mind was also sharp in terms of memory, but when it came to Lin Heyu, it was like his hippocampus was diseased, forgetting everything about him. If only he had this phenomenon, it might be considered a coincidence, but if even Yu Xue experienced it, then the problem lay with Lin Heyu and his mirror world.
With the timestamp of the young Yu Xue, Yi Shi could temporarily confirm that his world’s timeline was after Lin Heyu’s. The February over there might be twenty years ago; that Clover Building once existed in Haijing many years ago and was later planned into office buildings.
“Do you think we can find it in the archives?” Yi Shi asked.
“I’m not sure about that. I didn’t find any information on him in the internal records, and I can’t recall the case, not even the type. We don’t have time to sift through now,” Yu Xue smiled, “but there’s a method that is most straightforward and provides the most comprehensive information.”
The two locked eyes, and Yi Shi gradually understood something from his gaze: “…Ask him directly?”
Yu Xue patted Yi Shi’s shoulder. Talking to a smart person was indeed time-saving and efficient; just a glance could convey his unspoken meaning.
Everyone has curiosity, and Yi Shi was no exception. Because of his indifferent nature, the appearance of such a mysterious man from another world full of riddles ignited his desire to solve the mystery. His urge to understand Lin Heyu grew stronger, and he increasingly wanted to recall what had happened between them.
Yu Xue was indeed worthy of being the captain, with excellent psychological quality. After a few sips of tea, he accepted such an incredible story and could still sit down and strategize with him. Maybe it was because he took elective physics courses in college, or watched a lot of sci-fi movies, and fantasized about time travel and high-dimensional space when bored. He just didn’t expect real sci-fi to be right beside him. Facts proved that the end of science is indeed theology. Parallel worlds are so magical, suitable only for books like “Unsolved Mysteries of the World.”
With such strong evidence, Yi Shi’s decoding of the code made sense. Yu Xue got up to make a call to Yuan Kang, and returned within five minutes: “The original team has already sent people to contact the person in charge of the Jiade Office Building, and they will soon start checking the building for any high-risk items.”
“Don’t make too big a move,” Yi Shi reminded.
“Of course, we still need to lure the snake out of the hole. I’ve already reminded him, Yuan Kang understands.” Yu Xue continued, “I said that this operation would be led by our Nanyi team, so he just needs to send a few people. The ones coming tomorrow should be familiar faces from the Criminal Investigation Team One and the bomb disposal team.”
Yi Shi nodded. It wasn’t about having many people, but about having elite ones. A large group marching over would easily expose their intentions. If Pang Daozi and his gang saw it and changed their plan, what then?
Their main goal was to rescue the hostages. Having the bomb disposal team on-site was sufficient. They just needed to focus on capturing the accomplices. Even if they couldn’t catch Pang Daozi, his subordinates could still provide some information.
With the plan settled, Yu Xue felt relaxed enough to snack. He opened a small cookie and handed one to Yi Shi. Yi Shi hesitated for a long time but couldn’t resist asking, “What did you say to Yuan Kang?”
“Nothing much, I just said that my team had cracked the code: 7:30 AM on the 1st at Jiade Office Building.”
Yi Shi was stunned, finding it hard to believe it was so simple: “Didn’t he ask anything?”
“What would he need to ask? Liu Chenyi’s face was on the line, and he was eager to have someone help him out,” Yu Xue chuckled. “Besides, I said we are the main party responsible, which means taking on the responsibility. If anything goes wrong, he won’t have to take the blame. Even if it turns out to be a wild goose chase, Nanyi will take the heat from above. Why wouldn’t he agree to such a good deal?”
“…,” Yi Shi lowered his gaze, “You knew all along.”
Being as wise as Yu Xue, from the moment he received the news in the morning that Liu Chenyi led a team to the botanical garden, he anticipated that Yuan Kang would agree to whatever he proposed. How the code was cracked didn’t matter. What Yuan Kang needed was an opportunity to restrain Liu Chenyi and make him behave. Thus, Yu Xue extending an olive branch at this moment was a timely help.
Knowing this, Yu Xue still forced him to reveal the existence of Lin Heyu. Was it out of genuine curiosity or some other purpose?
For a moment, Yi Shi felt mixed emotions. The more he couldn’t figure out Yu Xue, the deeper he seemed, like a bottomless pond.
“Don’t show that expression; this is also a kind of leadership art,” Yu Xue smiled faintly. “In the future, you just need to remember, there are plenty of ways, and they are simple. The premise is that you must convince me and give me a convincing reason.”
———
Around 8:30, Yi Shi had just finished his shower when Ding Ju returned with skewers. As he opened the door, he saw Yi Shi standing under the air conditioner, head down, drying his hair, exposing a slender, fair neck like a translucent and smooth jade.
Ding Ju quietly closed the door, trying not to make a sound to avoid disturbing Yi Shi. It’s not for nothing; he instinctively had some awe for Yi Shi. One reason was his ruthlessness, another his cold demeanor, and a third his sharpness.
This “sharpness” wasn’t just about being smart but the kind of wisdom condensed into essence. At the skewer shop in the evening, they talked mostly about Yi Shi and his decoding of the code, feeling increasingly impressed upon careful consideration. Then Yu Xue assigned the tasks for tomorrow in the group chat, and they instantly understood that Yi Shi had managed to persuade their toughest captain. What else couldn’t he do?
“Don’t say it, Yi Shi seems quiet, but he’s really capable,” Li Changsheng handed Ding Ju a skewer of grilled squid. “Wolfdog, you’re sharing a room with him. Have you learned a lot?”
Mentioning this, Ding Ju felt uneasy. Usually, when they went on business trips, Yi Shi would always pay out of his pocket for a single room. This time, there were no single rooms left, so Yu Xue arranged for them to share one. Ding Ju expected Yi Shi to refuse, given that he always had “special treatment” in the team. It wasn’t because he was precious but because he had very poor sleep quality. The slightest noise would wake him, and once awake, he couldn’t sleep deeply again. By morning, his face would be pale as a ghost.
Unexpectedly, Yi Shi had no objections. He took the room key and moved in. Ding Ju reluctantly followed, and from that day, his nightmares began.
Yi Shi was naturally quiet, unlike other teammates who chattered incessantly, even killing time by playing mobile games together. He was extremely quiet but had a strong presence. You couldn’t ignore him, nor could you easily strike up a conversation with him. Ideally, each doing their own thing without interfering would be great, but Ding Ju always paid attention to Yi Shi, noticing what he was doing, making it hard to focus on his tasks.
Occasionally, Yi Shi would talk to him, but it was always about the team or cases, with almost zero other communication. After a few days, Ding Ju summarized that he felt so anxious because sharing a room with Yi Shi was like being in the same room with a high-ranking leader, fearing the consequences of offending him.
“Don’t even mention learning from him; I’m afraid I’ll end up in heaven,” Ding Ju sighed despondently.
Shao Shiqing laughed, wrapping his arm around Ding Ju’s neck: “Brother, honestly, Yi Shi looks cold, but he’s a good person. He’s just not good at initiating communication. If you ask him about things he’s interested in, he’ll definitely analyze and explain them seriously.”
“Interested?” Ding Ju was curious. “Does he have interests?”
“Yes, investigating cases, isn’t it?”
Ding Ju covered his head, feeling as if he had been put under a tightening curse: “That’s work!”
At that moment, staring at Yi Shi, Ding Ju suddenly wanted to know how the solution to the riddle was deduced. His curiosity was clawing at him like a cat. But asking directly would be too abrupt. He accidentally noticed that Yi Shi was wearing a white T-shirt, something he hadn’t seen in the past few days, so he asked, “Just bought it?”
Yi Shi freed up one hand and pointed to the small backpack on the table.
Ding Ju felt awkward, realizing he had forgotten that Yi Shi had gone home to get some clothes. Such a foolish way to start a conversation must have made Yi Shi despise him even more.
“Are you very afraid of me?” Yi Shi turned around and looked at Ding Ju blandly.
His hair was still not dry, short hair a bit messy, his eyes softened by the steam, and he was wearing a simple, casual T-shirt, breaking his usual stern image. Ding Ju scratched the back of his head, tongue-tied: “N-no… no…”
Did he or didn’t he? Yi Shi couldn’t be bothered to delve deeper and placed the towel on the table.
He was wearing short sleeves, and the hideous scar on his arm was glaringly exposed. Ding Ju mustered up the courage to ask, “How did you get such a severe injury on your hand?”
Yi Shi glanced at it, his tone indifferent: “Old injury, had it since I was a child.”
This scar was from before he was adopted. His adoptive parents said it was due to a major fire where his biological parents perished, leaving him an orphan.
“How did you—how did you—” Ding Ju was trying to find the right words. Given it was an old injury, such a big scar couldn’t have passed the physical examination. How did Yi Shi join the police force?
Yi Shi knew what he wanted to ask. He passed the physical exam because Sheng Guoning helped him, the only time he used a “privilege” in this field.
Seeing Yi Shi not answering, Ding Ju tactfully changed the subject to the code. Yi Shi couldn’t reveal Lin Heyu’s existence, so he made up an excuse, saying he accidentally discovered the clue through a mirror. Whether it was true or not, they would find out tomorrow.
“It’s true, it must be true.” Ding Ju nodded vigorously.
Yi Shi’s brows furrowed briefly: “Why are you so sure?”
“Because you’re amazing.”
This sentence almost came out reflexively. Yi Shi stared at him for a while: “Thank you.”
The phone rang, Yi Shi went to answer it, and Ding Ju stood there, perhaps because he was right in front of the warm air vent, sweating, which also gradually dispelled his fear of Yi Shi.
The figure standing in the hallway was tall, thin, and slender. If one judged this man as weak based on these outward appearances, they would suffer a big loss. Sometimes a beautiful appearance doesn’t need an interesting soul; an indestructible spirit can be more moving.
The call was short. Yi Shi came in, picked up his coat, but didn’t hurry to put it on. Instead, he stood by the door looking at Ding Ju.
“…” Ding Ju felt his scalp tingle under Yi Shi’s gaze: “W-what’s up?”
Yi Shi pointed to the phone on the bed. Ding Ju hurriedly picked it up, seeing a message instructing them to go to the city bureau for a brief meeting, sent a minute ago. Apparently, Yi Shi’s call was from their captain.
He scrambled to find his uniform and change his shoes, looking up to find Yi Shi still at the door. A thought flashed through his mind, almost unbelievable: “Were you waiting for me?”
Yi Shi nodded, what else? He didn’t have a habit of watching others change clothes.
Ding Ju felt flattered, hurriedly putting on his shoes, throwing his uniform jacket over his shoulders, and walking out with Yi Shi. He secretly glanced at Yi Shi a few times, and on the last occasion was unfortunately caught. Without even turning his head, Yi Shi asked, “What are you looking at?”
“Uh… why did you wait for me?”
Given Yi Shi’s lone-wolf nature, “waiting for someone” seemed more magical than the sun rising from the west.
Yi Shi finally turned around, his dark eyes rarely showing confusion: “Aren’t we on the same team?”
He asked matter-of-factly, leaving Ding Ju speechless.
Right, they were teammates, working together and advancing and retreating together was the most normal thing.
Ding Ju’s mood inexplicably brightened. Since joining the team, this was the first time he felt truly regarded as a “teammate” by Yi Shi.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for the translation!