Chapter 3

Kangyang District Security Bureau investigators? The unit where my cousin works, looking for me?

Zhang Yuanqing instinctively felt a chill, about to sneak to the bedroom door to eavesdrop, but suddenly remembered something, opened his phone, and deleted the chat and call records with Bingge.

He then folded the letter from Bingge and placed it under the potted plant on the windowsill.

Only then did he open the door a crack and observe secretly.

From the entrance, his grandmother’s voice came, asking without answering:

“What do you want with him?”

She did not invite the investigators in but blocked the doorway.

“We need to ask him some questions. Here are our credentials,” said a woman, her voice sensual.

Grandmother’s gaze lingered on the credentials, then frowned and stepped aside.

Zhang Yuanqing timely opened the bedroom door and scrutinized the investigators entering the living room.

The lead investigator was dressed in a black suit, paired with a white shirt and black vest, holding a black ebony cane, with a lean face and a mustache, his hair meticulously styled in a pompadour.

This strong British style and the mustache made one think of a gentleman who had returned from abroad during the Republican era.

To the left of the gentleman was a young female investigator with a beautiful face, her features very three-dimensional, seemingly of mixed heritage, with a smile on her lips and lively, watery eyes.

She was about 175 cm tall, with legs as long as a supermodel’s, dressed in a suit, the hem of her blouse tucked into her pants, outlining her slender waist and ample chest, looking efficient and refined.

The last investigator had a wooden expression, wearing black-rimmed glasses, his hair slightly messy, exuding a strong tech-nerd vibe.

“I am Zhang Yuanqing. What do you want with me?”

As Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized them, the investigators were also sizing him up.

The mixed-heritage female investigator smiled and said:

“We are investigators from the Kangyang District Security Bureau. We have some questions for you. Please cooperate with the investigation.”

“Sure...”

Zhang Yuanqing led them to the living room sofa, where his grandmother poured water for the three investigators and then stared at her grandson, puzzled.

She couldn’t imagine why her outgoing, sociable grandson, whom she had raised, would need to be questioned by the Security Bureau.

The young investigator with messy hair and a blank stare took out a notebook and pen, unscrewing the cap.

The man with the pompadour sat on the sofa, holding his cane with both hands, and said seriously:

“Do you know Lei Yibing?”

Indeed, it’s about Bingge, and they came so quickly... Zhang Yuanqing answered truthfully:

“We’ve been friends since childhood. Why are you suddenly asking this?”

A doubt flashed through his mind. His cousin was the captain of the second team of the Kangyang District Security Bureau. Since these investigators had come to visit, they must have checked his family background.

Logically, knowing that they were visiting the family of a colleague, they should have communicated and informed him.

People in the system should understand these social norms, right?

But his cousin had shown no signs of knowing, which was clearly not the case, or he would have called to inform him.

“Oh, a close friend!”

The man lightly tapped his shiny leather shoes and said calmly:

“It’s like this, Lei Yibing has gone missing. The Security Bureau in Hangcheng, Jiangnan Province, contacted us, saying they found that Lei Yibing had sent a package in the morning before he went missing, and the recipient was you.”

His gaze, deep and penetrating, fixed on Zhang Yuanqing, as if he could see through his heart. “Is this true?”

Zhang Yuanqing showed a look of shock and confusion: “Missing? How is that possible...”

The tech-nerd making notes interjected:

“You only need to answer yes or no.”

“Yes, I received a package just now, but the sender’s name was not written. I was wondering who had sent it to me,” Zhang Yuanqing nodded solemnly.

Denying it would be useless; if the police could trace the package, they could easily check the neighborhood surveillance.

The man with the pompadour nodded and asked:

“What was in the package? Please answer truthfully; this is a crucial clue for us.”

The grandmother, who had been relieved, now felt worried for Lei Yibing.

That child had grown up under her watch, even though they had moved away years ago.

Zhang Yuanqing replied:

“The package was empty, nothing inside.”

“Empty?” The man with the pompadour narrowed his eyes, his penetrating gaze scrutinizing Zhang Yuanqing.

Although I lied, the black card is gone, so it’s the same as being empty. I’m not afraid of your investigation... Zhang Yuanqing met his gaze sincerely and said:

“When I opened the package, it was empty, only with anti-shock padding. By the way, the package is still in my room. You can check if you don’t believe me.”

If Bingge’s disappearance is as I suspect, I need to keep it secret for now and wait for my cousin to come home before explaining everything.

It’s best to discuss such risky matters with family.

The man with the pompadour gave a nod to his female subordinate.

She smiled and entered the room, returning to the living room a moment later, nodding slightly to her colleagues.

The man with the pompadour pondered for a moment and said:

“If it’s convenient, we would like to inspect your room and your computer. Also, please let us see your phone.”

Inspecting the computer is fine, but please don’t open the web history or the learning materials on the hard drive... Zhang Yuanqing unlocked his phone screen without hesitation and handed it over.

The man with the pompadour took the phone, and the female investigator re-entered the room.

The man with the pompadour held the phone in one hand, swiped his thumb a few times, and then returned it to Zhang Yuanqing, waiting patiently.

After about fifteen minutes, the female investigator, with her long legs, came out and shook her head.

The man with the pompadour nodded and said gently:

“Thank you for your cooperation. We won’t disturb you further.”

Zhang Yuanqing quickly asked:

“Can I ask about Lei Yibing’s situation?”

This was both out of genuine concern and to maintain his cover. Not asking about his childhood friend’s disappearance would be suspicious.

The man with the pompadour answered patiently:

“Lei Yibing went missing in his dormitory. The hallway surveillance did not capture him leaving. According to a roommate, he saw Lei Yibing sleeping in bed when he went to the bathroom that night.

“But in the morning, he was gone. After 24 hours without contact, their counselor notified the school, and the school immediately reported it to the police.

“For more detailed information, you should call the local Security Bureau.”

This matches what Uncle Lei said. It seems the local Security Bureau has made no progress, or perhaps this guy doesn’t want to tell me... Zhang Yuanqing nodded:

“I understand.”

The man with the pompadour led his two subordinates to the security door, stopping halfway to turn and say:

“If you have any leads, you must inform us immediately. Do not hide anything from us.”

Zhang Yuanqing was about to nod when he heard him say with a meaningful smile:

“Otherwise, the next one to go missing might be you.”

The next one to go missing is me?

What does he mean by that, threatening me? Not handing over the black card will make me disappear like Bingge?

Come to think of it, what’s up with that card, disappearing into thin air... I can’t even hand it over if I wanted to.

“Thanks for the warning!”

He gave a smile without much warmth.

No matter what, I’ll wait for my cousin to come home before deciding.

Bingge wouldn’t want the card to fall into the hands of the Security Bureau, or he wouldn’t have sent it to me.

Besides, as a close friend and childhood buddy, I trust that Bingge wouldn’t betray me.

The grandmother’s face darkened, and she said coldly:

“No need to see you out.”

What’s wrong with this guy, cursing my grandson like that?

The man with the pompadour smiled, took a business card from his left pocket, and handed it over, saying:

“Contact me if you have any issues.”

After Zhang Yuanqing took the card, he led his subordinates out.

“Why did Bing go missing? I’ll go see Bing’s mom when I have time,” the grandmother said worriedly after they left.

The two families used to be neighbors, and they had known each other for over a decade, so there was some connection.

Zhang Yuanqing, looking tired, said:

“Grandma, I didn’t sleep well last night. I’ll rest in my room. If I’m not up by noon, don’t wake me.

“If Grandpa comes back, tell him about this and ask him to contact Uncle Lei.”

He had stayed up until 2 or 3 AM playing with his aunt, and his old ailment had flared up, causing him to wake up. He was already sleep-deprived and had overexerted himself trying to find the black card for Bingge.

His brain was now foggy with fatigue.

After the grandmother nodded, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room.

He closed the door, kicked off his shoes, and fell into bed, falling into a deep sleep.

...

In the black business car, Li Dongze sat in a leather chair, a gold-handled cane leaning against the side, his palm cradling a wine glass, swaying the crimson liquid inside.

“Guan Ya, what did you find in the room?”

He turned his head to look at the mixed-heritage beauty beside him.

Guan Ya lounged in the chair, her long legs tightly pressed together, her face serious:

“I found something significant.”

“Tell me,” Li Dongze said seriously.

The tech-nerd in the back row also looked up from his phone.

Guan Ya’s tone was serious:

“That kid is a fan of mature, dominant women. His learning materials are full of mature, dominant women, but his trash can is spotlessly clean, which is highly unusual.”

“His social circle is very broad, with all kinds of groups, but he is only active in gaming and LSP groups, with the rest set to message blocking... His room, except for the gaming console, has no entertainment items, indicating he is somewhat introverted... Oh, Captain, do you know what LSP means?”

The mixed-heritage beauty made a suggestive gesture.

The two colleagues were taken aback, and Li Dongze quickly raised his hand to interrupt, angry:

“Oh, my God, I really want to kick your ass with my boot. I’m talking about serious matters, why are you saying such nonsense? I’ve told you many times, don’t be a pervert, don’t tell dirty jokes. Your habits are very bad and very unrefined.”

The long-legged beauty was unafraid of her angry superior and smiled:

“Don’t be so boring. Appropriate jokes help to lighten the mood.”

She slowly retracted her smile and said:

“I didn’t find anything suspicious on his computer, but I found a letter from Lei Yibing under the potted plant on the windowsill. Lei Yibing did send something to him, likely a character card, but we don’t know what profession.”

Li Dongze was silent for a few seconds, closing his eyes to rest:

“Come back tomorrow, if he hasn’t gone missing.”

...

PS: Thank you to everyone for the support and the silver alliance.