Chapter 3: The Character Card
The Kangyang District Public Security Bureau? That was the same unit where his cousin worked. And they were here for him?
A chill ran instinctively through Zhang Yuanqing's chest. He was about to creep to the bedroom door to eavesdrop when something occurred to him. He grabbed his phone and deleted the chat history and call log with Lei Yibing.
He then took the letter Lei Yibing had written, folded it neatly, and tucked it beneath the potted plant on the windowsill.
Only then did he have the confidence to crack the door open and observe in secret.
From the entryway came Grandma's voice, responding with a question of her own. "What do you want with him?"
She hadn't invited the individuals inside. She stood planted in the doorway, blocking the entrance.
"We need to ask him a few questions. Here are our credentials."
The speaker was a young woman, her voice husky and alluring.
Grandma's gaze lingered briefly on the credentials before she frowned and stepped aside.
Zhang Yuanqing chose that moment to open his door and step out. He sized up the investigators as they entered the living room.
The one in the lead wore a sharp black suit over a white dress shirt and black waistcoat, and he leaned on an ebony cane. His face was lean and angular, sporting a thin pencil mustache on each side of his upper lip. His hair was slicked back without a strand out of place.
The heavy English aesthetic, combined with that pencil mustache, conjured the image of a Republican-era gentleman freshly returned from studying abroad.
To the gentleman's left stood a strikingly beautiful young female investigator. Her features were cleanly sculpted, suggesting mixed heritage. A playful smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, and her large, dewy eyes sparkled with sharp intelligence.
She stood roughly 175 centimeters tall, blessed with legs that could rival a supermodel's. She wore a fitted uniform, and the hem of her blouse, tucked into her waistband, accentuated her slender waist and generous bust. Overall, she looked polished and capable.
The last investigator wore a blank, wooden expression. Black-framed glasses sat on his nose, his hair was slightly disheveled, and he radiated pure engineering student energy.
"I'm Zhang Yuanqing. What can I do for you?"
While Zhang Yuanqing studied them, the investigators were sizing him up in return.
With the same smile on her face, the mixed-heritage female investigator replied, "We're investigators from the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau and we have some questions for you. We hope you will cooperate."
"Sure..."
Zhang Yuanqing led them to the living room sofa. Grandma poured three glasses of water for the investigators, then stared at her grandson with plain confusion on her face.
She couldn't fathom what her warm, outgoing, socially gifted grandson, the boy she'd raised with her own hands, could have done to warrant a visit from bureau investigators.
The disheveled, glassy-eyed young investigator pulled out a small notebook and pen, uncapping it with a click.
The gentleman with the slicked-back hair settled into the sofa with both hands resting on his cane.
"Do you know a Lei Yibing?" he asked. His voice had a certain gravity to it.
So it really is about Bro Bing. They sure move quickly...
Zhang Yuanqing answered truthfully, "We've been best friends since we were kids. Why are you asking about him?"
A question flickered through his mind. His cousin was the captain of Squad Two at the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. If these three investigators had come to conduct a home visit, they would have certainly looked into his family background first.
By all common sense, once they learned they would be visiting the family of Squad Two's captain, their own colleague, shouldn't they have at least given a courtesy heads-up? After all, they worked in the system. How could they not understand basic professional etiquette?
Yet Zhang Yuanqing hadn't heard anything from his cousin. He clearly had no idea, otherwise he would have at least called to give a warning, even if he couldn't come in person.
"Oh, best friends!"
The man tapped one polished leather shoe lightly against the floor and explained in an unhurried cadence, "Here's the situation. Lei Yibing has gone missing. The Public Security Bureau in Hangcheng, Jiangnan contacted us. They found that on the morning before his disappearance, Lei Yibing mailed a package. The recipient was you."
His gaze was as deep and unfathomable as a still pond, boring into Zhang Yuanqing as though he could see straight through to his soul. "Is that true?"
Zhang Yuanqing put on an expression of stunned bewilderment. "Missing? How is that possible...?"
The individual resembling an engineer, who was busy taking notes, cut in with a reminder. "You only need to answer yes or no."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded, his face heavy with concern. "Yes. I received a package earlier today, but it was not labeled with the sender’s name. I was wondering who'd sent it."
Denying it would have been pointless. If the bureau could access the delivery records, checking the neighborhood surveillance cameras would be even easier.
The refined gentleman nodded and asked, "What was inside the package? I'd appreciate an honest answer. This is an extremely important lead for us."
Grandma let out a sigh of relief while simultaneously starting to worry about Lei Yibing. She'd watched that boy grow up too, even though their families had lived apart for years.
Zhang Yuanqing answered, "There was nothing in the package. It was empty."
"Empty?" The gentleman narrowed his eyes, and that gaze, the one that seemed to pierce into a person's very heart, focused itself on Zhang Yuanqing.
He had lied, yes, but the black card had vanished into thin air. Whether the contents were gone or had not been there in the first place, in the end, the result was the same. Zhang Yuanqing didn't flinch. He met the man's eyes with earnest composure. Search all you want...
"When I opened the package, I found it was empty. Just protective air cushions inside. Actually, the package is still in my room if you'd like to see for yourselves."
If his suspicions about Lei Yibing's disappearance were correct, he needed to keep quiet for the time being. He would wait for his cousin to get home from work and explain everything then.
When it comes to such potentially dangerous situations, the safest thing to do would be to consult family first.
The gentleman gave his female subordinate a subtle look. With the same smile on her face, she strolled into the bedroom. A moment later, she returned to the living room and gave her companions a small nod.
The gentleman considered this briefly, then said to Zhang Yuanqing, "If you don't mind, we'd like to inspect your room and computer. Also, may I see your phone?"
Zhang Yuanqing unlocked his phone without so much as a blush and handed it over. Inspect the computer, fine, but please don't open the browser history or the folder labeled "Study Materials" on the hard drive...
The gentleman took the phone while the female investigator entered the bedroom again.
He held the phone in one hand, swiped through a few menus, then returned it to Zhang Yuanqing and waited patiently.
Fifteen minutes later, the female investigator strode out. This time, she shook her head.
The gentleman gave a small nod and said warmly, "Thank you for your cooperation. We won't take up any more of your time."
"Can you tell me what happened to Lei Yibing?" Zhang Yuanqin asked hurriedly.
He asked the question partly out of genuine concern, and partly to sell his cover story. Hearing that a childhood friend had vanished and not asking a single follow-up question would have been far too suspicious.
The gentleman answered patiently, "Lei Yibing disappeared from his dormitory room. The hallway surveillance cameras didn't capture any footage of him leaving. According to one of his roommates, the roommate got up to use the bathroom that night and saw Lei Yibing still sleeping in his bed. But in the morning, he was gone.
"Since they were unable to reach him for twenty-four hours, their academic advisor notified the school administration, and the school immediately called the police. If you want more details, you'd need to contact the local bureau directly."
That account exactly matched what Uncle Lei had said. It seemed the local bureau had made zero progress. Either that, or you don’t want to tell me what you know...
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "I understand."
The gentleman led his two subordinates toward the security door. Halfway there, he stopped, turned around, and said, "If you come across any leads, you must notify us immediately. Whatever you do, don't hide anything from us."
Zhang Yuanqing was about to nod when the man smiled. "Otherwise, the next person to go missing might be you."
The meaning behind that smile ran deep.
The next person to go missing... might be me? What does that mean? Was that a threat? Hand over the black card or vanish just like Bro Bing?
Then again, what was even going on with that card? It had disappeared into thin air. Even if he wanted to hand it over, he couldn't.
He returned the officer’s smile with one that held no warmth whatsoever. "Thanks for the warning!"
In any case, he would wait for his cousin to get home before making any moves.
Bro Bing clearly hadn't wanted the card falling into the Public Security Bureau's hands. Otherwise he wouldn't have mailed it to him. Besides, as his best friend and lifelong brother, he trusted that Bro Bing would never ever set him up...
Grandma's face darkened, and her voice turned ice-cold. "I won't be seeing you out."
What was wrong with this man, cursing her grandson out of nowhere?
The gentleman smiled faintly, pulled a business card from the left pocket of his suit jacket, and extended it toward Zhang Yuanqing. "Feel free to contact me anytime."
Once Zhang Yuanqing accepted it, the man led his two subordinates away.
After they left, Grandma spoke with heavy worry in her voice, "How did Ah Bing go missing?"
She let out a sigh, then said, "I should find time to visit Ah Bing's mother."
The two families had been neighbors. The bond built over a decade of running into each other day after day did not disappear that easily.
Zhang Yuanqing’s face was drawn with exhaustion. "Grandma, I didn't sleep well last night. I'm going to rest in my room. If I'm not up by lunch, don't bother waking me. When Grandpa gets back, tell him what happened and have him call Uncle Lei."
He'd stayed up until two or three in the morning playing games with his aunt, and he’d been jolted awake that morning by his old illness. He was already running on a sleep deficit, and on top of that, he'd forced his brain into overdrive searching for the black card. By this time, his head was swimming with wave after wave of dizziness.
He waited for Grandma's nod before retreating to his room.
He shut the door, kicked off his shoes by stepping on each heel, and threw himself facedown onto the bed. Instantly, he fell into a dead sleep.
***
Inside the black commercial vehicle, Li Dongze sat in a leather seat, his gold-handled cane leaning against the armrest. Cradling a wine glass in his palm, he gently swirled the burgundy liquid.
He turned his head toward the mixed-heritage beauty seated beside him. "Guan Ya, what did you find in his room?"
Guan Ya lounged lazily in her seat with her long, slender legs pressed together seamlessly. The serious expression on her pretty face was a stark contrast to her earlier smile.
"I found something major."
Li Dongze's expression sharpened. "Go on."
In the back row, the individual resembling an engineer lifted his gaze from his phone and looked over.
Guan Ya's tone was grave. "That kid has a thing for mature women in black stockings. His 'study materials' were packed with them. But his recycle bin was spotless. That's just not logical. Also, his social circle is ridiculously wide. He's in every kind of group chat imaginable, but the only ones he's actually active in are his gaming group and a group for... men of culture. Every other chat was set to mute. His room had nothing in the way of entertainment besides a game console. The kid is actually kind of a loner."
She paused. "By the way, Squad Leader, you know what a man of culture is, right?"[1]
The mixed-heritage beauty grinned and moved her fist up and down in an unmistakable gesture.
Her two companions sat there blinking in stunned silence. Li Dongze quickly raised a hand to forestall any further comments from her, and his voice turned sharp with anger. "Oh, good Lord... I really want to kick you. I'm asking you about serious business and you come at me with this nonsense. I've told you a hundred times, stop being vulgar, and stop telling dirty jokes. It's a terrible habit. Completely graceless."
The long-legged beauty showed zero fear in the face of her superior's fury.
"Don't be so stuffy," she said with a grin. "A little humor keeps the mood alive."
The grin slowly faded from her face. "That said, I didn't find anything suspicious on his computer. Underneath the potted plant on the windowsill, though, I found a letter Lei Yibing sent him. Lei Yibing definitely mailed him something. We just don't know what yet."
Li Dongze was silent for several seconds, his eyes closed in contemplation. "We’ll come back again tomorrow. Heh... assuming he hasn't disappeared by then."
Objects from that world were a disaster for ordinary people.
1. The raws here are "LSP," short for "老色批" (lǎo sè pī), internet slang for... well, a man of culture. ☜
