Chapter 25

After class, Xu Yan went to the school canteen for breakfast, and he also brought two buns and a cup of soy milk for Zhu Youxiang. He carried the breakfast and leisurely strolled out of the school. When he passed by the Fengyuan residential area, he noticed that there were even more police cars at the entrance than in the morning, about a dozen of them. The police were bustling about like a swarm of ants.

Seeing such a large-scale operation, Xu Yan was a bit worried. He hesitated for a moment but decided to go and see what was happening. Xu Yan knew that even if he stood nearby, he might not be able to figure out much about the police investigation, but he felt more at ease by taking a look.

Xu Yan, holding the breakfast, strolled in. The security guards at the entrance saw him with an oil stick in his mouth and a cup of soy milk in his hand, assuming he was a resident returning from buying breakfast. They did not stop him, and Xu Yan easily entered the Fengyuan residential area.

Xu Yan was initially worried that he might be suspected by the police if he got too close to the scene. However, once he entered the residential area, he immediately relaxed: the parking lot had been cordoned off, and a large crowd of about one or two hundred people was gathered around the perimeter. With so many people watching, adding one more person wouldn't raise any suspicion.

Thus, Xu Yan effortlessly mingled with the crowd. He saw an old man in a汗衫 (sleeveless shirt) fanning himself and looking at the commotion with a rather friendly expression. Xu Yan approached him and asked, "Sir, so many police cars are here, and they've cordoned off our parking lot. What's going on?"

The old man, who had been watching for a long time, finally had the chance to show off his knowledge. He became excited and said enthusiastically, "Young man, is your car parked in the lot?"

"No, I don't have a car—Sir, what happened here?"

"Oh, young man, it's a good thing you don't have a car in there! Our Fengyuan residential area has suffered a disaster! According to the police, last night, several people fell from somewhere and died in our parking lot. The police are now investigating the scene, and some doctors in white coats have already gone in to examine the bodies."

A middle-aged woman chimed in, "Hey, Old Zhang, those aren't doctors; they are forensic experts from the police! This is a big deal. Look at those police cars with such small license plates; even the city bureau's top officials have been alerted."

Xu Yan feigned surprise, "Oh, people died? Several of them? This is a big deal. But I don't understand—our parking lot is flat and there are no tall buildings around. How could people fall and die here?"

The old man became agitated, "Exactly! I told the police that it's impossible for them to have fallen to their deaths. There are no tall buildings around our parking lot. But the police are stubborn and insist it was a fall. I think there might be some foul play or a cover-up!"

The middle-aged woman interjected, "Hey, Old Zhang, don't talk nonsense. The police have a lot of experience, and they have forensic experts. They know what they're doing. Do you think you know more than they do?"

"Hmph, women are short-sighted. Look around, young man. The buildings are so far away. How could anyone fall from such a height? There's no place for them to fall from!"

"You have a keen eye, Sir. That's indeed the case..."

Xu Yan pretended to look around, following the old man's direction. He saw several police officers in plastic gloves talking to each other in the parking lot. Among them, a tall young female police officer caught his attention. She wore sunglasses and a mask, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. She had a slender and long-legged figure, and her posture was very upright and commanding. Although her face was hidden behind a mask, from her silhouette, Xu Yan could tell she was a beautiful and attractive woman.

The young female police officer, though not very old, had only a two-bar one-star rank, but her position seemed high. Several police officers were discussing around her, all facing her and speaking to her. Occasionally, police officers investigating the scene would approach her to report, and she would either take notes or quickly respond. Her demeanor was that of a leader commanding the scene, exuding a strong presence.

Actually, no matter how beautiful or capable the female police officer was, it didn't concern Xu Yan. However, something made him very afraid: as she spoke, she gestured towards a high point in the air, and the direction she pointed was precisely towards the building where Xu Yan lived. After observing for a while, Xu Yan confirmed that she had pointed in that direction several times, even directly pointing at the building where he lived, speaking seriously to the police officers around her, as if instructing them to investigate the building.

Xu Yan's heart pounded, and his legs felt weak. He was extremely afraid but dared not leave. He watched the female police officer from a distance, wishing he could rush over and cover her mouth to stop her from talking.

"Xu Yan, what are you doing here?"

Suddenly, someone called his name from behind, and Xu Yan jumped, turning around to see a police officer standing under a tree. For a moment, Xu Yan's legs felt weak, and he almost knelt down, ready to say, "I didn't do it!"

Fortunately, Xu Yan recognized the police officer as a familiar face, Liu Biyun, a young officer from the local police station. The other police officers were either investigating the scene or maintaining order at the entrance, but Liu Biyun was doing nothing, sitting on a motorcycle under the tree, fanning himself with his hat.

From the moment he saw the police officer to recognizing Liu Biyun, it took less than half a second, but in that short moment, Xu Yan felt as if he had experienced a dramatic shift from hell to heaven. Cold sweat instantly soaked his back, and his body felt limp, as if he had been electrocuted.

He forced a smile, "Officer Liu, hello, nice to see you again." — Xu Yan's smile was stiff, as if squeezed out of a rock.

Fortunately, Liu Biyun didn't notice his strange expression. His face was sour, as if someone owed him money. He waved his hand, signaling Xu Yan to come over and asked, "Xu, do you have a cigarette? Can you lend me one?"

Xu Yan breathed a sigh of relief and shrugged, "Sorry, Officer Liu, I don't smoke, and I don't have any cigarettes."

Liu Biyun looked gloomy, "That's a real bummer... I guess I'll have to smoke my own."

He took out a pack of Yuxi cigarettes from his pocket, the seal still intact.

Xu Yan looked at him in surprise, thinking, "You have your own cigarettes, why ask me?"

Liu Biyun slowly opened the pack, noticing Xu Yan's surprised look, and chuckled, "They're still sealed. I was hoping to save them—oh, you said you don't smoke, so you don't need them."

In that instant, Xu Yan was truly amazed by the shamelessness of the police officer—considering so much for a single cigarette, was it really necessary?

Liu Biyun lit a cigarette, sat on the motorcycle, and puffed away, looking very unhappy, as if someone had just offended him.

Xu Yan gathered his courage and asked, "Officer Liu..."

"Hey, just call me Liu Zi," Liu Biyun interrupted, "Are you bored, coming here to watch the commotion? I can't even leave, but you're here being idle—oh, you bought buns, what kind?"

"Fresh meat..."

"Oh, I've been running around all day, from last night until now, at least ten miles. The city bureau guys are real bastards, they didn't even provide breakfast and won't let me leave... I'm starving..."

Now, Xu Yan had a good understanding of Liu Biyun's character. He immediately realized why Liu Biyun had approached him—he wasn't just seeing him, he was seeing the breakfast in his hands.

Xu Yan, with a sense of duty, offered the buns with both hands, "Officer Liu, I've already had breakfast. These buns and soy milk are fresh. If you don't mind, try them; they taste pretty good."

"Oh, Xu, how can I accept this...?" Liu Biyun smiled, taking the breakfast while saying, "How much did it cost? Here, I'll pay you... Oh, two yuan, is that enough? Sorry, I don't have change, I'll owe you. Come to the police station next time, and I'll pay you back... Remember to come, I'll definitely pay you back."

Xu Yan was both amused and exasperated, thinking, "Who would go to the police station just to collect two yuan?"

Watching Liu Biyun devour the buns, Xu Yan cautiously asked, "Officer Liu, I see the other police officers are working, but you're here cooling off. How can you do that?"

"Hmm... hmm..." Liu Biyun, with his head down, mumbled, "You don't understand. They're from the city bureau, and I'm from the local station. The other officers from the district have already left, so why should I help them?"

"The district officers have already left?"

"All of them. Now, the city bureau's criminal investigation team is handling the scene."

Xu Yan lowered his voice, "Brother Liu, I noticed that young female police officer looks very capable... Is she from the city bureau?"

Liu Biyun chuckled, looking at Xu Yan with a knowing smile, "You have a good eye... I bet you're not just impressed by her skills, but by her beauty, right?"

Xu Yan "shyly" lowered his head—honestly, he was so scared that he had no interest in anything else. Even if the female police officer were a goddess, Xu Yan wouldn't have the heart to pay attention. What he wanted to know was her position and whether her words carried weight, and if the police would follow her instructions.

"Ha, it's no big deal to tell you. Her name is Zheng Qiuyi, and she's the deputy captain of the city bureau's criminal investigation team. Her nickname is 'Lipstick Tiger,' and she's very capable. I was tricked by her today and can't even go home..."

Liu Biyun patted Xu Yan's shoulder and said with a smile, "Brother, I have good news for you. Lipstick Tiger is not married and doesn't even have a boyfriend. Go for it, pursue her, and you'll save yourself thirty years of hard work!"

Xu Yan forced a dry laugh, "Brother Liu, you're joking. There are so many handsome guys in the police force, how could she look at me?"

"Ha, who knows, Xu. You young people nowadays talk about 'fate.' If fate strikes, anything is possible!"

Liu Biyun chuckled, but it was clearly a joke. He didn't take it seriously. In his view, a deputy captain from the city bureau's criminal investigation team and a young college student like Xu Yan were from two different worlds, with no chance of intersecting.

"Brother Liu, is this case being handled by Deputy Captain Zheng?"

Liu Biyun had finished the buns and was now drinking the soy milk. He said while drinking, "Most likely, she's in charge. Don't let her delicate appearance fool you; she's solved several major cases, like the 11.9 armed murder case and the 3.7 major gun battle. She even received commendations from the Ministry of Public Security. I was really tricked by her today..."

"Ah, Brother Liu, what happened?"

"Today, I had bad luck. When the city bureau's criminal investigation team arrived, the district officers were preparing to leave. Lipstick Tiger asked who was the first to arrive at the scene. That bastard Liang Ke from the district immediately pointed at me, saying I was not only the first to arrive but also the local police officer familiar with the residents. Lipstick Tiger immediately said, 'Since that's the case, let him stay and join the special task force to assist us.' Just that one sentence, and I was tricked! I was about to finish my shift and go home, but now I have to stay and help these pests, and I don't know when this will end..."

As Liu Biyun rambled on, Xu Yan occasionally chimed in, but his heart sank: this was bad! The female police officer seemed very capable, and since she was in charge of the case, the investigation would follow her lead. If she suspected the high-rise where he lived, the police would eventually find him...

Oh no, did he leave any traces from the fight with the criminals last night? One of the criminals had a gun that Zhu Youxiang had knocked away. Did he clean it up? Oh no, did he put it in the trash bag and throw it out? If the garbage collectors found it, it would be another clue...

The biggest problem was Zhu Youxiang. She had no ID or household registration. If the police found out, it would raise suspicion. And Zhu Youxiang knew nothing; if she was questioned, she might immediately reveal something... Oh no, are the police already searching his home?

Xu Yan was increasingly afraid and wanted to run home immediately, but Liu Biyun was still rambling on. Just as Xu Yan was thinking of how to get away, he heard a female voice say, "Hey... Liu from the Chang'an Street police station, what are you doing here?"

Xu Yan and Liu Biyun turned around, both startled. The beautiful female police officer was already standing very close behind them. At that moment, the training of the police officers was evident. Liu Biyun quickly threw the half-eaten bun and the soy milk behind him, jumped off the motorcycle, and stood straight, looking serious, "Report, Captain Zheng, I am gathering information from the surrounding residents. What are your instructions, sir?"