[02/25, 07:54, Qitian Express Hotel, Nanyi City]
Yu Xue had been unresponsive.
“Any news? Have they contacted you?” Lin Heyu asked.
Yi Shi shook his head and muttered to himself, “I should have sent him a message last night.”
“Even if you had sent it, he might not have replied.”
Yi Shi’s face was full of question marks. Interrogating criminals was a daytime job, and Zhao Chenghu should have been dealt with by now. He didn’t believe Yu Xue would drag it out until evening without resolving it.
Lin Heyu finally realized there was someone more clueless than himself and gently reminded, “Doesn’t he have a boyfriend?”
Boyfriend…? Yi Shi’s eyes widened, and he began to recall Yu Xue’s ambiguous expression from that night. He suddenly understood the deeper meaning of the statement. His face slowly flushed from his neck to his cheeks as he hurriedly nodded to cover his embarrassment.
How did he not think of it before? Yu Xue wasn’t single. After going home, he was certainly not as idle as Yi Shi. Ignoring messages from outsiders was quite normal.
Yuan Maoqiu, who had been a background character all along, suddenly coughed a few times. Lin Heyu and Yi Shi turned to look at him, and Yuan Maoqiu awkwardly waved his half-eaten mushroom vegetable bun. “Nothing, nothing, just choked on my food.”
The two in front turned back, and Yuan Maoqiu thought to himself: this Sheng Guoning is impressive. He was still teaching him the basics, and now he’s already built a small house. It seems high-rise buildings are just around the corner.
Nanyi City Bureau was now in sight. Yi Shi looked up and scanned the building, feeling a sense of familiarity. What was familiar was that the layout was the same: the main building’s steps directly faced the entrance, with the parking lot on the left, dormitory building on the right, and further back were the multifunctional complex and the sports field. The layout was identical to the Nanyi City Bureau he knew; what was unfamiliar was the building’s appearance: it was blue-gray, much duller than the main building he saw daily, and the titanium sign at the entrance had lost its shine, with several fine scratches on its surface.
Yi Shi took out a photo of the Nanyi City Bureau from his phone and held it up for comparison. Yuan Maoqiu leaned over. “Hey, when was this photo taken? It must be quite old, right?”
Yi Shi didn’t answer, and Yuan Maoqiu continued, “The building looks so new; it must have been taken at least ten years ago.”
“Twenty years ago.”
“Oh, that explains it. Yesterday, when chatting with the policewoman from Nanyi, she said this building hasn’t been renovated in thirty years, and it’s almost an antique now.”
So far, only the external differences had been noted. The internal facilities, decoration, and departmental distribution were still unknown. Yi Shi’s curiosity was piqued, and he was eager to explore inside. He took out his mask from his pocket and put it on, giving a slight nod to Lin Heyu. Lin Heyu nodded in return, his expression serious, and took out his identification from his pocket.
Yuan Maoqiu was puzzled. What were these two up to? They were acting as if they were entering a crime scene. He grabbed Lin Heyu’s arm and whispered, “Hey, why the secrecy for just entering the city bureau? Didn’t you say he was here to help with the case?”
When Lin Heyu first mentioned bringing Yi Shi to the city bureau, Yuan Maoqiu had expressed doubts. Later, when he heard they were “colleagues,” he didn’t ask further. He had even remarked that Yi Shi’s face was a waste for being a police officer and should go audition for a talent show to compete with those young stars.
“It is about the case.”
“Why cover your face while investigating a case? Did you lie to me earlier?” Yuan Maoqiu was stunned, and a terrifying thought crossed his mind. He tightened his grip on Lin Heyu’s sleeve. “Hey, Lao Lin, don’t make a principle error! We are people’s police, standing on the side of justice. Breaking the law is worse, no matter the circumstances. Judges won’t listen to your complaints!”
“…” Lin Heyu didn’t want to know what Yuan Maoqiu was thinking, as his remarks indicated his guesses were completely off base.
Yi Shi, however, had exceptionally good hearing and clearly understood. He casually said, “I am indeed a police officer and have some connections with your father.”
Yuan Maoqiu was taken aback. “My father?”
“Yes, he mentioned some things about you when you were young, like how you liked mature older sisters when you were in third grade…”
“Stop, stop, stop!” Yuan Maoqiu’s face turned green. “How could my dad tell you these things?! Damn, you really know him! Who exactly are you?”
He scrutinized Yi Shi from head to toe. He was so young, seemed quite familiar with his father (otherwise, how would he know such embarrassing details), and was a “colleague.” All these pieces of information combined, Yuan Maoqiu’s mind conjured two dramatic scenarios.
One was about a mistake made by the vice chief years ago, leading to a rivalry between an illegitimate child and a legitimate one; the other was about the vice chief being infatuated with a young police officer, rekindling a passionate affair.
Yuan Maoqiu covered his face. Regardless of which scenario, it was unbearable for him! In just a minute at the entrance of the Nanyi City Bureau, he was caught in a fierce internal struggle.
Yi Shi noticed Yuan Maoqiu’s changing expressions and was confused. He had only mentioned this to dispel Yuan Maoqiu’s doubts, but it seemed to have the opposite effect, making things worse.
There was nothing he could do. He had his own reasons for keeping the mask on, which Lin Heyu had given him before leaving the hotel, suggesting it might be useful when meeting Sheng Guoning.
Even if Lin Heyu hadn’t mentioned it, Yi Shi would still have this intention. The two worlds are intricately connected. If they were strangers, it would be fine; a single meeting might not lead to further encounters, like the girl with a ponytail in the hotel. But Sheng Guoning was different. They would become father and son, and having contact before the adoption posed a certain risk. An unforeseen incident could drastically alter his current life.
The concept of the “Butterfly Effect” from the well-known high-rated sci-fi film is familiar to everyone. As an audience, we understand the idea of how a small action can trigger widespread consequences. Yi Shi, now experiencing it firsthand, was especially cautious in such situations.
“What’s going on with him?” Yi Shi asked Lin Heyu, actually wondering if they should wait for Yuan Maoqiu to join them.
“Don’t worry about him,” Lin Heyu said, pulling Yi Shi along. “Let’s go in.”
Haijing and Nanyi were working on the case together. Over a few days, the security guards at the entrance had memorized Haijing’s faces and were very polite, not even asking for identification: “Good morning, Captain Lin. Didn’t you go out with Captain Sheng today? And this is…”
“A colleague here to get some documents.”
“Oh, I see. Two places handling a case is inconvenient. There was someone who came to deliver something earlier, just went in a while ago.”
“Who was it?”
“I saw that he had identification from your forensic department, a young guy with glasses who looked like a student.”
Qi Wenyu. Yi Shi fell silent, adding another person to avoid.
They went up the stairs from the first floor of the main building. The Criminal Investigation Division was on the right on the second floor. The layout was exactly as Yi Shi remembered; he could find the office with his eyes closed. The large office was already bustling at this hour. Lin Heyu pushed open the door, and Yi Shi immediately spotted Yan Runping, who was drinking porridge with a jar of pickled vegetables on the desk.
“Good morning, Captain Lin. Yuan Maoqiu, why are you wearing a mask? How will you flirt with the policewoman with your face covered… hey?” Yan Runping stood up and stared at the unfamiliar man behind Lin Heyu. “Who is this? I wondered why someone’s head seemed to shrink overnight.”
“A colleague.”
“Oh, a new colleague. Hello.”
Yi Shi barely raised his head, nodding quickly as if he heard it. Visiting the city bureau was indeed full of dangers. The man before him was the “Iron-Mouthed Lao Yan” who had undergone stomach surgery twenty years later. Now, he looked young and strong, but with his eating habits… Yi Shi’s gaze fell on the jar of pickles, wondering why he was afflicted by stomach cancer.
Not only Yan Runping looked familiar, but also Shao Shiqing, who sat at a long table looking youthful. They probably couldn’t imagine that the “Haijing colleague” now was someone who would be their future colleague twenty years later.
Lin Heyu picked up a stack of open documents from the desk and asked Yan Runping, “Can we use a small office?”
“Aren’t the meeting rooms all assigned to you Haijing people?” Yan Runping pointed with his chopsticks to the opposite side. “Xiao Zou and the others are there.”
“Find an empty room.”
“Then use Captain Sheng’s office? He doesn’t like going there and prefers mingling outside with us.” Yan Runping pulled out a key from a drawer. “It’s absolutely fine if you use it, Captain Lin. Captain Sheng would be eager to please you now.”
“…” Lin Heyu took the key with a straight face, and Shen Ruirui exclaimed, “Lao Yan, how come you have every key? Are you a professional locksmith?”
Yan Runping refuted that it was because Captain Sheng often misplaced his keys, leaving one here. Fortunately, the office never had confidential documents, or he wouldn’t dare handle this hot potato.
After closing the office door, the noise from outside was cut off. Yi Shi casually pulled out a chair and sat down. “This place hasn’t changed. The bookshelf and desk are the same.”
“Probably too lazy to replace it. My office is also from the old bureau,” Lin Heyu sat across from Yi Shi, handing him a stack of bound documents. “Take a look at this.”
Yi Shi took the documents. The prominent title read “Haijing ‘01.21 Kidnapping Case’.”
This kidnapping case was the difficult case Lin Heyu was currently working on. It occurred on January 21, with the leader of the criminals being “Tu Laogui” who hijacked a luxury kindergarten bus and demanded ransom from the families, using children as hostages.
Seeing that the main suspect was “Tu Laogui,” Yi Shi frowned, feeling an unusual sensation rise from his heart.
[…In a few days, Tu Laogui came and openly discussed kidnapping children with Pang Daozi. They had already scouted the location and would likely act soon.]
“According to your description, Pang Daozi and Tu Laogui plan to kidnap from the kindergarten, right?”
Yi Shi reviewed the case details again, remembering the incident’s time and place. On January 21, the kidnapping happened at 9:24 AM, the report was made at 11:56 AM, at Weisen International Kindergarten, 234 Hongfu Avenue, Pingsha District, Haijing City. The total hostages were 18, including 16 children and 2 teachers.
The data included Xiao Shitou, but in Lin Heyu’s documents, it had been updated to 17 children, with an additional Gardenia.
“You don’t look right. If you have any questions, just ask.”
Yi Shi looked up at Lin Heyu and finally spoke, “Do you think it’s possible that something you’ve already experienced, I might go through again?”
“We’re in different times, so there is indeed a time difference. It’s possible,” Lin Heyu pointed at the investigation materials in Yi Shi’s hands. “Are you referring to this case?”
Yi Shi picked up a piece of paper from the desk, wrote down two names, “Tu Laogui” and “Lin Erde,” and slid it to Lin Heyu. “The Tu Laogui in this kidnapping case is the latest suspect in my case, while Lin Erde is his subordinate. In your case, he’s already dead, but in mine, he’s involved in a bombing case and killed hostages.”
“And they are indeed planning to kidnap children. Yu Xue and I came back to get the specific time and address to catch them all.”
Lin Heyu was slightly surprised but not baffled. Instead, he said, “The bombing case, tell me more about it.”
He had a vague sense that Yi Shi’s case might have a significant connection to their current case.
“The bombing incident happened on October 30 at the Nanyi Machinery Factory, led by a criminal group headed by someone known as Pang Daozi…”
“Pang Daozi?” Lin Heyu frowned. “Is he Pang Nengshui, who lives on Turtle Back Mountain?”
Yi Shi nodded. “Do you remember that day at the cemetery when I asked you about the case?”
Lin Heyu nodded, and Yi Shi continued, “The day before, we were conducting an arrest operation on Turtle Back Mountain. It was you who helped us capture Pang Daozi’s accomplice, Zhao Chenghu.”
The two looked at each other, both shocked, confused, and puzzled.
But amidst this strange and complex emotion, they could grasp a few thoughts, such as the connection between the cases, the events they would face next, and the peculiar timeline.
The bombing case at the Nanyi Machinery Factory twenty years ago was likely the same case Yi Shi had experienced. Lin Heyu had spent the previous night looking for files about this bombing but found nothing. He was most curious about how the case had concluded.
The statements from the registration police sister were too vague to reveal details about the investigation. Additionally, if it was indeed a case from twenty years ago, theoretically, there should be two versions of Yi Shi at this time: an adult Yi Shi and a younger Yi Shi. This sounded sufficiently sci-fi, and Yi Shi probably wouldn’t believe there was a miniature version of himself.
“Do you have any childhood photos?” Lin Heyu asked, looking up.
Yi Shi was taken aback and shook his head innocently. He didn’t like taking selfies; his phone was filled with crime scene photos, corpses, and evidence images. Besides, who keeps childhood photos on their phone?
“What’s the point?”
Lin Heyu smiled. “I want to see if you looked as cold and indifferent as you do now when you were a child.”
Before finding the files and clarifying the truth, it was better not to tell him. People are like this; when faced with unknown fears, they tend to lose their composure. More specifically, Lin Heyu would fear that any accidents involving Yi Shi were caused by him, and he would deeply regret it.
Yi Shi rubbed his nose. “I don’t remember; I have little impression of my childhood.”
Since he couldn’t see the younger Yi Shi, leaving a current photo was fine. Lin Heyu took out his phone, pretending to look for evidence photos while secretly aiming the camera at Yi Shi and taking a shot.
Just after taking the photo, the office door was pushed open. Sheng Guoning stood at the door, holding a car key, looking excited. “Big Brother-in-law! Zhizhi invited me to dinner tonight! Can you tell me what she likes? I want to get her a gift!”
Lin Heyu’s earlier good mood vanished instantly.
Sheng Guoning noticed the unfamiliar person in the office and greeted him. “Hello, I’m Sheng Guoning. You’re from Haijing too, right? I heard from Lao Yan that you’re here for documents.”
Yi Shi nodded, pulling his mask up slightly, as if it was inconvenient to speak.
“Caught a cold? Nanyi’s spring has a big temperature difference between day and night. Take care of yourself,” Sheng Guoning exchanged pleasantries with Yi Shi and then went back to pestering Lin Heyu. “Big Brother-in-law, help me out! I really want to make a good impression on Zhizhi.”
Lin Heyu couldn’t accept this man as his brother-in-law and looked at him coldly. “Dinner with Zhizhi? Did you get back the five million?”
“We’re investigating! That’s definitely the top priority! My plan is to have two hours for dinner, then come back to work. Doesn’t that work?” Sheng Guoning scratched his short hair. “I promise, it won’t delay the case progress. Just give me two hours!”
“Work overtime? Ha, are you really willing to rush back? You and Zhizhi don’t have much to talk about. Two hours might be too much; it’s better to…”
“Cough.”
A brief cough interrupted, and Lin Heyu turned to see Yi Shi’s dark eyes, as if asking: Do you want me to have no adoptive parents?
Lin Heyu was at a loss for words and changed the subject. “…It’s better to buy Chaozhou milk pudding. She loves it.”
“Chaozhou milk pudding? Okay, I’ll remember.” Sheng Guoning smiled. “Girls who like snacks are really cute.”
Outside, Yan Runping called out, “Captain Sheng! The big boss is looking for you! Go report to the office!”
Sheng Guoning replied and rushed out.
“He’s a good person; otherwise, I wouldn’t have called him ‘Dad’ for so many years,” Yi Shi said coldly.
“…” Lin Heyu covered his forehead. “Stop talking. It’s a bit chaotic.”
Yi Shi’s calling him “Dad” made Lin Heyu feel like he was being demoted as well.
What to do? Should Sheng Guoning and he keep to their own roles? He (SGN) would call him (LHY) brother, and he (LHY) would call him (SGN) dad?
‘Brother, what are you looking for? Dad will help you find it?’ When a major scene is on oneself, one can’t laugh it off—troublesome.
_____
Author’s Note:
Lin Heyu: The hierarchy is confusing; my head hurts.
