[02/10, 07:56, Time Flies (Pingju Square Branch)]
Dongli University of Technology is a well-known university in China, located in the capital of the neighboring province of Nanyi, Shengzhou. Lian Jingyuan was invited to participate in a large quantum physics seminar starting on February 12, lasting for a week.
Currently, during the winter vacation, he found a travel guide and drove from Shengzhou to Nanyi, planning to explore more after the seminar and make the most of his holiday. However, he didn’t expect to encounter unexpected rewards on this trip, such as experiencing inexplicable phenomena and coming into close contact with parallel worlds again.
Solving Yi Shi’s financial issues meant, in simple terms, paid consultation. Lian Jingyuan readily agreed, considering knowledge priceless—this could be regarded as research funding. Moreover, the fee he proposed was quite reasonable; he only asked that Yi Shi’s whereabouts remain confidential and not be disclosed to anyone.
“I understand. There may be some terrible butterfly effects. Don’t worry; as an academic researcher, I’m well aware of this.” Lian Jingyuan put away his sketchbook with a smile. “Shall we change locations? It’s not convenient to discuss here.”
“Hotels or inns won’t do. Do you have any other accommodations?”
“How coincidental! I’m not staying in a hotel either; a friend of mine has a house here.” Lian Jingyuan invited him, “Then you can come with me?”
Yi Shi stood up, casually picked up his bag, and followed him out of the café. They took a taxi to a high-end residential area in the He Tian district, which was an affluent neighborhood where property prices were sky-high. Yi Shi had previously arrested a wealthy second-generation individual who had killed his wife while under the influence of drugs, and even that house sold for millions, even though it was a haunted property.
His guess was correct; Lian Jingyuan’s friend was either wealthy or noble, living in a spacious flat decorated in a subtly luxurious style. However, the place felt quite desolate, lacking warmth and seemingly uninhabited for a long time. Lian Jingyuan explained, “Both he and I are from Shengzhou. This property in Nanyi was bought as an investment, and he rarely comes here. But it’s better to inform him that I’m bringing someone back, so please wait a moment.”
He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows on the balcony to make a call. Yi Shi didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but his keen hearing made it impossible to pretend he didn’t hear. He caught the name “A-Lu” and heard Lian Jingyuan repeatedly mention “ordinary friend,” which made him doubt whether the homeowner would rush over from Shengzhou thinking he was a “third party” in some kind of love affair.
Lian Jingyuan arranged for Yi Shi to stay in a south-facing guest room with a broad view and ample sunlight. Through the floor-to-ceiling window, he could see the majestic Su Bo River. Yi Shi turned on the TV and switched to the news channel, just in time to catch the latest developments on the Haijing “1.21 Kidnapping Case”—the Haijing police had found a body on Cheng’an Mountain, identified as one of the kidnappers, Lin Erde.
Calculating the dates, in two days they would exchange the young Jiang Dongliang for five million in ransom. At this point, the other suspects would likely have already relocated to Nanyi.
“Are you concerned about this case too?” Lian Jingyuan entered the room holding a cup of tea, which he handed to Yi Shi. “It’s really a declining society; people will stop at nothing for money, not even sparing children.”
“They won’t have a good outcome,” Yi Shi replied as he took the teacup, thanking him.
“Let’s hope so.” Lian Jingyuan noticed that Yi Shi’s right hand had been hanging at his side and hadn’t moved since they met. Unable to resist, he scrutinized him several times. Yi Shi felt his probing gaze and candidly admitted, “Gunshot wound.”
“A gunshot wound?” Lian Jingyuan was surprised. “You’re a…”
“A police officer.”
Connecting the dots that Yi Shi was from a parallel world, Lian Jingyuan couldn’t help but speculate in increasingly bizarre directions, “You… aren’t here to investigate a case, are you?”
Yi Shi gave him a faint glance, and his expression revealed everything.
Lian Jingyuan was shocked for a long time before gradually digesting this astonishing information. He realized that he had only seen such plotlines in TVB dramas; he never expected to encounter a case of inter-world pursuit in reality. Art truly comes from life; sometimes it doesn’t even exceed life, but is far more extraordinary and exciting.
The next day, Yi Shi borrowed Lian Jingyuan’s car and headed straight for Xie Gang’s adult shop.
The place hadn’t been organized yet; the small clinic’s sign hung brightly. Yi Shi walked into the shop, where Xie Gang was lounging in a white lab coat that had turned yellow from washing, looking the same in both worlds. This suggested that the individuals involved in the case wouldn’t change between the two worlds.
Xie Gang lay on a recliner, too lazy to get up, and asked casually, “What’s bothering you?”
Yi Shi got straight to the point, directly asking about Pang Daozi. Xie Gang scrutinized him, unsure where this unfamiliar kid came from, and didn’t respond. It was risky to casually disclose matters concerning someone like Pang Daozi; he didn’t want to wade into troubled waters with someone potentially dangerous.
“Not going to say?” Yi Shi smiled faintly.
If someone familiar with him had been present, they would surely sweat for Xie Gang because whenever Yi Shi revealed that kind of smile, the other party would always end up injured.
“Oi! Oi! My arm is going to break! I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Pang Daozi called me a couple of days ago!” Xie Gang cried out, pressed to the ground, with one arm twisted painfully behind his back at an increasingly absurd angle, tears streaming down his face.
“What did he say?”
“He asked when I was available to have my blood tested and to report my blood type back to him.”
“When?”
“On the 19th! Ouch, can you lighten up a bit? My arm is really going to break!”
Only then did Yi Shi release his grip and remove his foot from Xie Gang’s back. This guy was still as useless as before; catching him was like shooting fish in a barrel. Even with one arm incapacitated, he could still manage to keep a firm hold.
Xie Gang climbed up, rubbing his waist and massaging his shoulders, no longer daring to underestimate the young man before him. Although he didn’t know who Yi Shi was, the ferocity in his eyes was too intimidating, so it was better to avoid provoking him.
On the 19th, Pang Daozi didn’t show up but sent a lackey instead. Yi Shi recognized him as a familiar face, someone who usually followed along, doing odd jobs and driving. He brought three blood samples marked with numbers, reminding Xie Gang not to mix them up. With modern technology, simple blood type test strips had been invented, but for accurate results, glass slides were still needed. Xie Gang took the blood samples into the basement, telling the lackey to wait for a moment.
Yi Shi sat in the basement, watching Xie Gang bent over the table testing the blood type. They still had four hostages left, yet only three blood samples were delivered, indicating that yet another child had suffered a tragic fate. These people deserved a thousand cuts for what they had done.
“Besides the blood type, check the gender too,” Yi Shi glanced at the centrifuge on the table. Xie Gang didn’t dare to refuse and immediately took out the necessary reagents. The lackey grew impatient and urged him on, prompting Xie Gang to snap back angrily, asking if it could be done any faster. If he could do it so quickly, he should do it himself.
The three blood samples were labeled as “1, Type B, XY,” “2, Type O, XX,” and “3, Type A, XY.” Yi Shi picked up the sample labeled “XX.” In his memory, Yang He’s blood type was O, which was the most difficult to match, as it required donors with the same blood type. Ironically, the only matching blood type among the samples was the one labeled “Type O.”
In that case, if there was no matching blood type among the hostages, who would Pang Daozi be giving to Yang Wei Yi?
He ripped off the label for the “O” type and wrote a new one that read “AB,” changing the 2nd sample to “Type AB, XX.” He handed all three samples to Xie Gang for him to take upstairs.
The lackey picked up the samples and asked, “Type B, Type AB, Type A—why is there no Type O?”
Xie Gang wiped the sweat from his forehead, “I don’t know either. Let me ask—what does Brother Pang need the blood type for?”
“For organ transplantation. Hey, Xie Chijiao, can organs be transplanted if the blood types don’t match?”
“Well, it depends on the situation. It varies with the type of organ being transplanted. For example, organs like the liver that are immune-tolerant have less strict transplant conditions; matching blood type is enough. For kidneys or bone marrow, in addition to matching blood type, we also need to do HLA and PRA…”
The lackey impatiently interrupted, “Stop, stop! I can’t understand the complicated stuff. Just tell me, if the blood types don’t match, what’s the consequence?”
“Uh… differing blood types is a last resort. As long as it complies with transfusion principles, it’s fine. Type O can donate blood to any type, while Type AB can accept blood from any type…”
“Oh, I see,” the lackey nodded. “Got it. Pang Ge will contact you if he needs something.”
As soon as he left, Yi Shi followed right behind, driving for half an hour before entering Jinghe Garden. This was a residential community, and hostages likely wouldn’t be hidden in places with heavy foot traffic. During previous investigations, Zhao Chenghu, who had been slacking off, lived in one of the lackey’s homes for half a year, but he was no longer around, as today was the day to collect the ransom.
Yi Shi glanced at the time on the central console and immediately turned around to head back to his place. Lian Jingyuan was dressed sharply in a suit, adjusting his appearance in front of a mirror. Hearing the sound of the door lock, he instinctively looked at the wall clock, “You’re back so early? There’s still an hour left.”
“I wanted to drop you off first.” Yi Shi paused, “Will you be able to get back on your own tonight? I still need the car.”
Lian Jingyuan had a dinner gathering with several academic colleagues that evening, and the location was quite far out in the suburbs. Hearing that Yi Shi needed the car, he readily agreed, saying that he could simply return with someone else’s vehicle.
A bright red sun hung in the sky, surrounded by billowing clouds of orange and gold, with hints of pink and purple mixed in—a masterpiece of nature that made even a spilled palette of colors look exquisite. Lian Jingyuan sat in the passenger seat, admiring the scenery while Yi Shi focused on driving. Classical music flowed from the speakers, filling the small space with an elegant and melodious ambiance that was enchanting.
As they approached an intersection, Yi Shi was already in the straight lane when he suddenly signaled to turn left. Lian Jingyuan turned back in confusion and noticed Yi Shi’s eyes fixed ahead, the tension in his face visible even through his mask.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s a Volkswagen in front; it’s the kidnappers’ car.”
Upon hearing the word “kidnappers,” Lian Jingyuan quickly leaned forward, “Is it coming towards us? Which one?”
“The one opposite us.”
As the green light turned on, the vehicles ahead began to turn onto the overpass. Yi Shi pressed down on the accelerator, turning the steering wheel left and right, making the Chevrolet slither through traffic like a snake, smoothly overtaking several cars.
Lian Jingyuan gripped the seatbelt tightly, feeling a thrilling tension akin to a chase scene in an action movie. He was just an academic teacher who knew nothing about confrontation; if conflict arose, how would he protect himself?
“Sorry for delaying your dinner,” Yi Shi remarked.
Lian Jingyuan forced a smile. Had he known this would happen, he would have preferred not to come at all.
Maintaining a distance of two cars from the Volkswagen, Yi Shi switched to the adjacent lane and began driving steadily. Their car remained positioned at the right rear of the Volkswagen, not tailing too closely and staying off the same track. Behind them was a Buick, and Yi Shi frequently glanced at the rearview mirror, identifying the Buick’s license plate as belonging to the Nanyi City Police Department.
The Buick had already overtaken two cars and was now attempting to pass another one to get right up behind the Volkswagen. Yi Shi furrowed his brows; the distance was too close. With such an urgent approach, even a blind person could see there was a problem, especially since the criminals had already noticed the Haijing City Police following them and would be more alert to anything unusual behind them.
Seemingly wanting to help his junior, Yi Shi switched back to the lane beside him, positioning himself in front of the Buick to prevent it from continuing to chase.
On the ramp leading off the overpass, despite it being a solid line, the Volkswagen swerved quickly. Yi Shi was caught off guard and instinctively followed suit. In a flash, he recalled the information provided by Lin Huayu: the Volkswagen carrying the ransom had gone missing in this section due to a “road accident.” In his line of sight, the blue front of a small truck emerged from the ramp, its horn blaring urgently.
Cold sweat broke out on Yi Shi’s palms and forehead as his mind raced with thoughts of how to keep Lian Jingyuan safe. With almost no time to make a choice, he sharply turned the steering wheel to the right and slammed on the brakes. The car narrowly brushed past the small truck, sparks flying as the body of his car scraped against the metal. The metal panel and door on his side had suffered serious deformation.
Finally coming to a stop, Lian Jingyuan’s face was pale, his heart racing as if it were about to leap out of his throat. He was unhurt but quickly unbuckled his seatbelt to check on Yi Shi. “Hey, are you okay? Did you get hurt?”
Yi Shi had already unfastened his seatbelt and had tried to move away from the door during the collision, but he was still scratched by sharp metal, and his previously injured right arm suffered another blow.
“You’re bleeding! Don’t move; I’ll call 120!” Lian Jingyuan quickly took out his phone, but Yi Shi stopped him. “It’s just a minor injury. The traffic police will come to handle the accident; I can’t stay here.”
“What about you?”
Yi Shi pointed to the open field beyond the guardrail. Lian Jingyuan understood immediately, adjusting his seat back to let Yi Shi exit through his side of the door. The two cars were parked at the ramp’s edge. Yi Shi crouched down and moved around to the back of the truck, signaling to Lian Jingyuan to find a chance to return.
The truck driver was in shock, blood streaming from his head, trying to staunch the wound with his clothing while cursing. Lian Jingyuan steadied himself, looked around the driver’s cabin, and realized it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to go down in such a pristine state. So, he smeared some blood from the metal shards onto his hands and limped out of the car.
“Do you even know how to drive?! This is a ramp; you can’t change lanes over a solid line! You must take full responsibility for this!”
Lian Jingyuan couldn’t refute the driver’s accusations and calmly replied that they would wait for the traffic police to determine fault and decide how to compensate. After such a ruckus, he didn’t get to eat, and the car was towed to the 4S shop. By the time he got home, it was nearly midnight.
As if life had a knack for tormenting him, the landlord suddenly showed up.
He Lu anxiously checked to see if Lian Jingyuan was hurt. When he noticed the blood stains on Lian Jingyuan’s hands, he was terrified and insisted on taking him to the hospital. Lian Jingyuan chuckled helplessly, using a wet tissue to wipe off the dried blood, “It’s not mine.”
“Whose is it then?” He Lu was taken aback. “Wasn’t it your car?”
Lian Jingyuan nodded, and He Lu realized that it must have been the person staying with them. “Is it your friend who’s driving? What kind of person is he? If he’s careless with someone else’s car, how are you supposed to deal with this?”
“The situation was quite complicated at the time, so it’s hard to explain in just a few words,” Lian Jingyuan shook his head, feeling only a desire to rest; his head was spinning and his body ached as if it were falling apart.
He Lu made sure Lian Jingyuan was settled in before heading to another guest room to sleep. In the middle of the night, he was jolted awake by the sound of the door unlocking. He quickly got up and found a tall, slender stranger standing at the entrance.
“Bang!” The living room light turned on as the person removed their mask and placed it on the shoe rack; the movement was casual and natural.
Rubbing his eyes, He Lu recognized the visitor’s appearance and immediately felt a surge of alarm.
This—wasn’t their appearance a bit too striking? It would be hard for Jingyuan to avoid having picky taste in friends when he was surrounded by people like this every day.
