Yi Shi’s impression of Yu Xue was not the young talent, elegant and courteous person others described. Instead, he found him to be deep and elusive. Yu Xue habitually showed a gentle, polite smile, but this smile conveyed different meanings in various situations. To suspects, it was persuasive; to friends, it was caring; to dismissive leaders, it carried a hint of sarcasm. Now, to Yi Shi, it was probing.
But how should he tell Yu Xue the truth? The reality was even more fantastical than the riddle’s answer. Even Yu Xue might think he was too engrossed in sci-fi novels if he heard it all.
Li Changsheng and the others looked at each other, unable to believe it themselves, let alone Yu Xue. Their captain was famously astute and discerning in the province, often seeing through to the essence of things. Trying to deceive him was beyond Yi Shi’s capability.
Yi Shi understood this well. For other operations, he might have gone solo without a word, but this involved hostages’ safety, and he wanted to catch the criminal. Team cooperation was essential, and all decisions were in Captain Yu’s hands.
“It’s the man who caught Zhao Chenghu,” Yi Shi chose his words carefully, “I met him again this time.”
“The one from the mountain? He showed up?” Li Changsheng was surprised, “Are you two magnets? I heard the colleagues in the bureau searched for a week with no luck, but you run into him as soon as you go back.”
Shao Shiqing touched his chin and frowned, “I have a bad feeling about this. Xiao Yi, he’s been in contact with you all this time. Could he have some ulterior motive?”
Finally, Ding Ju found an opportunity to speak and nodded vigorously, “Yes, yes, I was thinking the same. He’s the one who caught Zhao Chenghu, and he’s the one who helped crack the code. Could this be a trap?”
“You mean he and the woman who delivered the letter are working together, trying to lure us in and take out both Haijing and Nanyi’s police forces in one fell swoop?”
“It’s not impossible. If there’s a bomb in that office building, and we all rush in, we could lose all our main forces.”
Li Changsheng slapped his thigh, “Damn, the more you say, the scarier it sounds. This feels like a plot from a Hong Kong cop film.”
They heatedly discussed the situation, while Yu Xue and Yi Shi remained silent. Yi Shi felt helpless. Lin Heyu was at least a fellow officer, yet he was being mistaken for a criminal’s accomplice. But his presence was hard to explain, so Yi Shi simply said nothing. Yu Xue, with his arms crossed, continued to stare at Yi Shi, clearly indicating that Yi Shi’s explanation was far from sufficient.
“…” Yi Shi met his gaze, remaining calm and composed, “That’s all there is to it.”
Li Changsheng asked, “Where is that man now? Did you bring him back to the bureau?”
“No.”
“…?”
Li Changsheng and the others were puzzled. This was very unlike Yi Shi. They couldn’t believe he didn’t realize the strange man’s potential significance to the case.
But Yi Shi’s expression was calm and indifferent, as if nothing concerned him. Yu Xue watched him for a while and then clapped his hands, “Alright, meeting adjourned.”
The room fell silent. Ding Ju was dumbfounded. Was the meeting really over? They had listened to an incredible analysis, with Yi Shi dropping bombshells, yet no conclusions were reached, and now it was over?
Li Changsheng and Shao Shiqing exchanged glances and nodded slightly, understanding the situation. Having followed Yu Xue for years, they were seasoned veterans. Hearing the word “adjourned,” they stood up in unison and left the room one after the other.
Ding Ju looked around in confusion. Were they really leaving? What kind of team was this???
Li Changsheng returned to hook an arm around Ding Ju’s neck, “Forgot our mascot. Captain Yu, we’re going for some skewers. Let us know if anything comes up.”
Only Yi Shi remained seated. Yu Xue filled his teacup and pushed the cookies toward Yi Shi, signaling him to try one.
The cookies were individually wrapped in small PVC bags with pink heart patterns, looking very girly. It was hard to imagine they were made by a scruffy old man. Moreover, they had been in the autopsy room, making them unappealing despite their fancy packaging and enticing aroma.
But Yi Shi wasn’t like most people. After hesitating for three seconds, he opened a bag and tasted a cranberry cookie.
The flavor was surprisingly good, sweet but not cloying. Even Yi Shi, who usually had no appetite, wanted another one. Yu Xue also took a cookie, “It’s sprinkled with fine sugar. Maybe he ran out of powdered sugar and hasn’t bought more yet.”
Yi Shi nodded blankly, “You seem to know everything.”
“If you’re interested, you can learn as much. I’ve told you before, your personality is too cold. You drive away those who want to get close to you.” Yu Xue leaned his elbow on the table, propping up his head, “But this time, there’s finally a change. Who is that man?”
Yi Shi didn’t rush to answer. Yu Xue waited for three minutes and sighed, “You were waiting for everyone to leave before speaking, weren’t you?”
Yi Shi slowly threw the cookie bag into the trash, “Do you remember the person I asked you to check last time?”
“Yeah, it was… Lin Heyu, right?”
“Yes, it’s him.” Yi Shi nodded, “He is indeed in Haijing, and he’s in Haijing City’s criminal investigation team. We just couldn’t find him.”
“Can’t find him? Is he an undercover agent whose records were erased?” Yu Xue’s finger tapped the table rhythmically, “Undercover records are wiped from the internal network, known only to the contact person. That would make some sense…”
“He’s not undercover.” Yi Shi paused, “He’s now the captain in Haijing.”
Yi Shi’s information left Yu Xue puzzled, but his clear eyes showed he wasn’t making things up. Yu Xue pondered for a few seconds, and his expression gradually turned strange, “He’s ‘now’ the captain in Haijing. This ‘now,’ does it refer to him or to us?”
“…Him.” Yi Shi’s eyes flickered slightly. Yu Xue was too perceptive, able to grasp the key points with minimal hints. Lying to him was futile.
Yu Xue sipped from his cup and took two gulps before slowly speaking, “Yi Shi, I want to believe you, but this seems impossible. I’m not dismissing it outright because I’ve studied physics in college. This is only a theoretical concept, not proven. Do you understand?”
“I encountered it.” Yi Shi said calmly, “There’s a time difference between his world and mine, an opposite mirror reflection. I can’t even tell whose timeline is ahead or behind. In my Haijing, he hasn’t appeared yet; in his, the building exists, but here it’s not planned yet.”
“Debating the timeline is pointless. They’re two different worlds.” Yu Xue regretted his words, “No, I haven’t accepted your strange story yet. We solve cases with evidence. Unless you can provide convincing proof…”
“…Would contact information count?”
“No, being able to communicate online makes me more skeptical of your story.”
Yi Shi frowned. His eyebrows were naturally neat, not needing grooming to stay in shape. When he frowned, with his pale, almost lifeless face, he looked like a delicate beauty in distress.
The atmosphere in the room was silent, and Yu Xue didn’t feel like eating cookies. After opening one, he placed it aside. Yi Shi lowered his head, seemingly pondering how to prove his claims. It was indeed quite challenging. Imagine someone coming to you and saying they encountered a man from a parallel world—you’d think they were seriously ill and suggest they take a cab to see a psychiatrist or neurologist.
Just then, his phone chimed with a message from Lin Heyu.
[Is Yu Xue your colleague?]
Yi Shi subconsciously looked up at Yu Xue, who was drinking tea: [Yes, Captain.]
[You can tell. He’s had a presence since he was a child.]
Since he was a child? Yi Shi was stunned and immediately asked if Lin Heyu had met Yu Xue. Lin Heyu’s response didn’t disappoint him. Not only had he met him, but the boy was very considerate and had come to the police station to bring his aunt dinner.
Yi Shi finally thought of something that could prove his words.
[Can you do me a favor?]
After finalizing the details, Yi Shi put down his phone and looked at Yu Xue, “Did you know how to cook when you were in middle school?”
Yu Xue was stunned for a few seconds and then nodded, “Yes, my parents were doing business out of town, so I cooked for myself most of the time.”
“You were living with your aunt?”
“How do you know?”
Yu Xue stared at him, feeling a subtle unease, sensing that Yi Shi was about to reveal something significant. In his memory, he rarely shared things about his life before college with anyone, not even Qi Wenyu. Yi Shi knowing this was unexpected.
A bell rang; it was the standard WeChat video call ringtone. Yi Shi answered the call. The lighting on the other end was dim, and the camera was shaky. After a few seconds, it stabilized, showing only half the screen clearly. Below was a messy stack of A4 papers and folders, suggesting the phone was propped up on a pile of documents.
The video was from the rear camera, and the odd angle suggested it was taken surreptitiously. The camera faced the office entrance, where a few uniformed officers were visible. The most noticeable figure was a slender boy tidying up a desk.
Yu Xue suddenly stood up, his eyes wide with surprise.
He couldn’t be mistaken. Despite the dim lighting and poor angle, that silhouette and figure were all too familiar. Especially the black jacket the boy was wearing—Yu Xue clearly remembered it was a birthday gift from his mother during one of his middle school years. He liked it so much that he wore it for nearly a month straight.
Someone called out, “Yu Xue!” The boy who was tidying up looked back towards the camera. That face was still childish, with steady and composed eyes full of presence, imprinted through an unknown network into Yu Xue’s eyes.
Yu Xue was too shocked to speak. The most bizarre thing had happened—he was looking at his younger self from twenty years ago. The sensation was strange and eerie, even a bit creepy.
He collapsed into his chair, his face pale and tinged with blue. Yi Shi had already ended the video call and poured him another cup of water. Before he could hand it over, he heard Yu Xue muttering to himself.
“…Twenty years ago, there was a major case. Haijing sent people to Nanyi to assist with the investigation. During that time, my aunt often worked late, so I frequently brought her dinner at the police station.”
“That day, three people from Haijing arrived, including their captain—tall, strong, and stern-looking. He seemed a bit fierce. I think his name was… Lin Heyu.”
Yu Xue looked up at Yi Shi, his expression more serious than ever. “I’m not sure if this is something that happened and was forgotten or something new that suddenly appeared, but it’s definitely in my memory.”
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