The sky was darkening, and it was past the end of the workday. The city bureau was sparsely populated, with the overtime workers concentrated in the offices on the third floor, such as the Criminal Investigation Department, the Anti-Narcotics Division, and the Economic Crimes Unit. The fourth floor was even emptier, with the lights off.
The only sounds in the hallway were the footsteps of Yan Runping and Lin Heyu. Yan Runping was a friendly person, and as a pre-trial investigator, he was known for being talkative. His specialty was getting suspects to talk, and Lin Heyu was much easier to deal with than most suspects, so it didn’t take much effort for him to strike up a conversation.
“I’ve been to Haijing before. Not only does it have mountains, but it’s also by the sea. With both mountains and water, it’s really a great place.”
“Yeah, the scenery is nice.”
“Right, especially that big mountain. It’s called Cheng’an Mountain, right? It’s huge. I heard that the suspect in this case is hiding in the mountains, right?”
“Yes, there’s a scenic area there, but also some undeveloped areas, which makes the mountain search operation quite challenging.”
“Exactly, with people everywhere, it’s hard to even set up a perimeter. You guys really have it tough.”
…
After turning the corner, they arrived at the archives room. The electronic door required both an ID card and fingerprint to enter. Yan Runping didn’t rush to open the door. Instead, he opened a small booklet on the table, wrote down his name, and handed it to Lin Heyu. “Captain Lin, please sign in.”
Lin Heyu picked up the pen, quickly signed his name, and handed it back to Yan Runping. “You guys really follow the rules.”
Back in Haijing, when they worked late and needed to get something from the archives, Yuan Maoqiu would just use his fingerprint to enter without bothering with these formalities.
“No choice. People clock out, but the surveillance cameras don’t. See that one in the upper right corner?” Yan Runping leaned closer and quietly pointed it out. “A few years ago, it wasn’t this strict. But then more eyes were put on us, and if we don’t sign in, we get a warning.”
No wonder. Lin Heyu hadn’t paid much attention to their archives room. Maybe there was a camera at the sign-in desk too, but he had never heard of anyone being disciplined for entering the archives.
After passing through the electronic door, they were met with a long corridor leading to two archive rooms, each storing files and physical evidence from historical cases. The spare key Yan Runping had borrowed from Lao Pan finally came in handy. As the iron door swung open, Yan Runping felt for the light switch on the wall. With a “click,” the ceiling lights turned on one by one, illuminating the archive room as if it were broad daylight.
The iron cabinets in the room were neatly arranged in rows. Yan Runping said, “The cabinets are organized by year. The more recent the case, the closer to the front. For cases from twenty years ago, they’re probably in the last three rows.”
Lin Heyu nodded and walked past the rows of cabinets, watching the years on the labels decrease: 22, 21, 20, 19, 18… Beneath each year tag was a directory with the case files’ labels in order, with unsolved cases marked in red ink. The list detailed every case from the past year.
As a seasoned criminal investigator, Lin Heyu often traveled across the country to catch criminals. With his access to internal information, he was familiar with cases from various regions. At the annual meetings of the Public Security Bureau, his colleagues would often discuss cases, so even if Lin Heyu hadn’t personally worked on a case, he usually had a general idea about it.
Walking through the archives brought an indescribable sense of strangeness. As he passed each cabinet, iconic cases from the past came to mind, as if he were walking through the river of time, constantly revisiting moments that had already passed.
Finally, Lin Heyu stopped in front of the third-to-last row of cabinets. He glanced at the directory on the cabinet. There were three cases marked in red ink. Yan Runping walked over with a set of small keys. “I knew it would be in the back; we’re almost at the end.”
The files were neatly stacked in the cabinet. Yan Runping found the key, opened the cabinet, and started flipping through the files. “Oh, this cabinet is a bit unusual. It even contains closed cases, so don’t mix them up.”
Lin Heyu picked up a file. “Wasn’t this supposed to be transferred to the prosecutor’s office?”
“It was supposed to be, but the prosecutor’s office was under renovation at the time, so it was temporarily stored in our bureau. When the renovation was finished, they forgot to take it back. That’s why I said this one is special. The prosecutor’s office across from us was renovated that year.”
Yan Runping squatted down and pulled out a thick stack of investigation materials from the bottom. Lin Heyu squatted down as well, pulling out another stack. After just glancing at the cover, he put it back and grabbed the next one. Before long, they had gone through several stacks, but the results were disappointing. There were only three stacks in total, and none of the case covers matched. There was no investigation file for the explosion case in that year’s records.
Unwilling to give up, Lin Heyu checked the closed cases in the upper part of the cabinet, but still found nothing.
“Let’s check over there. If it’s not here, it might be in the cabinet at the very back.”
“The very back?”
“Yeah, that cabinet is special.” Yan Runping winked at Lin Heyu. “Captain Lin, you’ve worked on so many cases. You must have encountered some strange ones, right? That cabinet holds them all. Any file you pull out could inspire an episode of a crime documentary.”
The two of them walked over to the cabinet designated for peculiar cases. This cabinet was placed separately against the wall, hidden in dim light, making it easy to overlook. There was no detailed directory on the outside of the cabinet, and when they opened it, they were practically blind. Each brown paper file folder was only marked with a date.
Yan Runping sighed, “Cold cases are always different. They don’t even have case names.” He randomly pulled one out, opened the string binding, and glanced at it. “Who organized this? The order is all wrong. They’re just making our job harder. Fortunately, there’s only one shelf.”
“Do you know the date of the explosion case?” Lin Heyu asked.
“Of course, I do. Let’s start with October.”
The two of them began searching from opposite sides of the cabinet. As they did so, Lin Heyu casually asked, “Was this old case well-known in Nanyi?”
“It was definitely well-known. It happened at Nanyi’s largest machinery factory, and it was an explosion. The older generation should all know about it, including some of the old detectives in our bureau who were involved in the investigation.”
“Oh, I see.”
“But Captain Lin, I’m curious. Why are you suddenly looking for this case?” Yan Runping smiled. “It doesn’t seem related to the kidnapping case, does it?”
“…It’s for something else,” Lin Heyu replied ambiguously. “A friend of mine is working on a bombing case, and I’m helping him find some information.”
A bombing case? Yan Runping was even more puzzled. He hadn’t heard of any recent bombing cases.
After half an hour, they had searched the entire cabinet twice. Lin Heyu and Yan Runping exchanged glances—nothing.
They had gone through all the October files and ended up opening each one to check inside since there weren’t many of them. Nanyi City had good public security, so there weren’t many cases in the entire archive, and those that made it into this cabinet were even fewer—only enough to fill one shelf over several decades.
Lin Heyu opened each file, and Yan Runping double-checked them, finally concluding that it wasn’t a matter of them not looking carefully; the investigation materials for the explosion case simply weren’t there.
“That’s strange. Where could it have gone?” Yan Runping muttered, rubbing his chin. “That case caused such a stir; there’s no way there wouldn’t be a single piece of paper about it.”
A case that had caused a sensation in Nanyi not only had no traces in the system, but even the archive room had no records of it.
———
It was dinnertime, and the aroma of food filled the office. Yuan Maoqiu, noticing a child present, thoughtfully ordered two Cokes. But the child didn’t drink any, instead earnestly advising the uncle to “drink less Coke,” seriously explaining the long-term health risks of consuming it, leaving Yuan Maoqiu stunned.
Sheng Guoning sighed, “Kids these days are something else. Their knowledge covers a wider range than us adults.”
Yuan Maoqiu was puzzled. “Is this kid in middle school? How can they not appreciate the joy of a cold drink?”
Lin Heyu and Yan Runping returned, both empty-handed, with one of them looking stern and the other puzzled—neither in a good mood. Yuan Maoqiu set aside his fried chicken. “What happened? Couldn’t find it in the archive room either?”
Yan Runping shook his head regretfully, deciding to ask Old Pan about it when he returned to work the next day.
Yuan Maoqiu patted Lin Heyu on the shoulder, “Hey, maybe it got lost. Our city bureau lost some things during the last move due to all the chaos.”
“It wasn’t moved,” Sheng Guoning said, “This building has been here for thirty years.”
“Even a renovation can cause things to get lost as long as it’s a big enough operation.”
“It wasn’t renovated either.”
“…No wonder the main building feels so old-fashioned.”
As Lin Heyu ate, he kept thinking about where the files might be, when he inadvertently noticed a child sitting diagonally across from him, diligently working on homework. The boy was fully focused on solving problems, completely undisturbed by the chaotic noise and tempting aroma of food around him.
You could tell from an early age that this kid would accomplish great things.
“Hey, A-Xue, come here!” Shen Ruirui suddenly called out. Yu Xue looked up, his eyes behind his glasses displaying a maturity beyond his years. “What’s wrong?”
“This problem is so hard. I can’t solve it. Please help me.”
“…” Yu Xue walked over and saw that Shen Ruirui was solving advanced math problems instead of resting after the meal. Her eyes blinked expectantly at him, and Yu Xue helplessly asked, “Aunt, why are you doing this?”
“You think I want to? It’s for a special discount code!” Shen Ruieui lamented, “This influencer shares huge discounts but only uses these impossible math problems!”
“…Can’t you just wait for the answer in the comments?”
Shen Ruirui patted her nephew’s head and said earnestly, “Ah, A-Xue, you’re still too naive. By the time the answer shows up in the comments, the deal will be gone.”
Yu Xue pursed his lips, “Alright, give me five minutes.”
“Five minutes is enough?” Shen Ruirui was amazed. The world of a genius was truly incomprehensible.
“Yes, I’ve done similar problems before. This one isn’t too difficult.”
Yu Xue copied the problem down and sat nearby, coincidentally right across from Lin Heyu. Lin Heyu had been discreetly observing him. In less than five minutes, Yu Xue handed the answer to Shen Ruirui, who successfully redeemed the discount and hugged him in thanks.
“Alright, Aunt, can you let me go now?” Yu Xue glanced at his desk, “I still have two more problems to finish.”
By the time Lin Heyu finished his takeout, Yu Xue had completed his assignments, packed his bag, and returned to the seat across from Lin Heyu with a book titled “Selected World Detective Stories”.
“Uncle, do you have something you need from me?” Yu Xue looked up, his gaze steady and unflinching as he met Lin Heyu’s eyes.
Lin Heyu realized he had been paying a bit too much attention to the boy, but during that time, they hadn’t once made eye contact. He thought Yu Xue hadn’t noticed his gaze, but who would have thought the boy had already sensed it?
His curiosity about Yu Xue stemmed from the fact that Yu Xue would become Yi Shi’s future leader. In his memory, this leader was the only person around Yi Shi who shared similar ideas and could even be considered a “friend.”
“Are you planning to attend the police academy in the future?” Lin Heyu asked.
Yu Xue looked down at the book in his hand and smiled faintly, “Why do you ask? Is it because I’m reading a detective novel?”
“Yes, your mind and personality seem well-suited for this profession.”
“Then you’re going to be disappointed.” Yu Xue tilted his head slightly, replying crisply, “I prefer being a detective over being a police officer.”
This answer didn’t surprise Lin Heyu, as he himself had once fantasized about becoming a modern-day Sherlock Holmes during his school days. However, from a practical standpoint, he didn’t hesitate to burst the middle schooler’s bubble, “Although that profession sounds cool, it’s not allowed in our country. If you’re interested, you can look into the regulations from the Ministry of Public Security.”
“I know. In 1993, the Ministry issued a notice prohibiting the establishment of ‘private detective agencies’ by civilian institutions,” Yu Xue said, placing his book on his lap and stretching, “Since it would face suppression from the public security, prosecution, and judiciary, and I’d constantly have to look over my shoulder, I might as well not do it at all. I’ll just stick to reading detective novels.”
“Why don’t you want to join the police force?” Lin Heyu became more curious. If Yu Xue didn’t want to join the police, how did he end up becoming Yi Shi’s superior?
“The police force is too strict, and many things would be too limiting. I don’t like it,” Yu Xue said disinterestedly. “You have to follow orders and obey commands in everything. I have a lot of ideas that might not conform to the rules, and if I break the rules, I’d get punished. It’s not worth it.”
Lin Heyu stared at him, suddenly realizing why Yu Xue would eventually become Yi Shi’s superior and maintain a good “friendship” with him.
It was because they were the same type of person. At his current age, Yu Xue still revealed his thoughts openly, but with his intelligence, in a few years, he would be able to hide his true thoughts well, discreetly “selecting” those who could coexist with him.
“There are no rules without regulations. In a large organization, strict rules are the best way to ensure everyone works towards the same goal,” Lin Heyu said in a calm tone. He paused for a moment before adding, “Maybe one day, you’ll have a good partner who can handle the ‘unbound’ side for you. He will be an indispensable part of your team.”
Lin Heyu stood up to throw away his takeout box, while Yu Xue lowered his eyes, staring at the detective novel in his hands. Lin Heyu’s words planted a seed in his mind, which began to sprout.
…An indispensable part? In the rigid police force, would they allow someone who disregards the rules and takes risks to stay? In other words, would anyone be willing to disregard their future, abandon the rules, and focus solely on solving cases?
If such a person existed, Yu Xue would gladly keep them by his side.
___
Author’s Note:
By now, readers should have some inklings about the direction of this story. Many events and causal relationships in the text are interconnected.
For instance, Yu Xue’s later willingness to join this profession can be seen as a result of the hints given by Lin Heyu; but at the same time, the reason Lin Heyu spoke to him was precisely because he knew Yu Xue would become Yi Shi’s future superior.
It’s difficult to untangle the sequence of these cause-and-effect relationships; perhaps it can be seen as a kind of loop.
