Northern District, Beizhi Hospital. Ling Lie, with experience from last time, arrived with ease. Yu Yesheng blocked his path, his face extremely sour. “What are you doing here again?”

Ling Lie flashed his ID. “Police investigation.”

Yu Yesheng didn’t budge an inch, sneering, “Investigating what? The Yu Group operates legally. Is it your turn to cause trouble?”

Ling Lie calmly put his ID away. “Chairman Yu told me last time that if the police need anything, he will cooperate fully. I have a question to ask Chairman Yu today. Is it your place to interfere?”

Yu Yesheng couldn’t stand being provoked and immediately flushed with anger. “You!”

Ling Lie stepped forward and pushed aside Yu Yesheng’s shoulder. “Cousin, Chairman Yu might not want you to express your filial piety by opposing the police. Make way?”

Facing Ling Lie’s eyes that seemed veiled in cold mist at close range, Yu Yesheng felt inexplicably intimidated. By the time he reacted, he had already stepped aside.

Ling Lie took the opportunity to pass.

Yu Yesheng was annoyed. He hurried to catch up and anxiously grabbed Ling Lie’s left shoulder. Ling Lie stopped and glanced back.

Yu Yesheng felt like he had been cut by that look and quickly let go. “It’s not that I won’t let you see my dad; I’m reminding you that you’re not the only guest today.”

Ling Lie turned around. “Oh?”

The disgust and irritation on Yu Yesheng’s face became more obvious. “You… Yu Qin is inside.”

Ling Lie’s eyes changed slightly. He had thought Yu Qin might come; after all, he had just tested her not long ago. Yu Qin would most likely come to check on Yu Qianming. As for what they would talk about and what Yu Qin would hide, it was hard to judge. However, it was quite a coincidence that Yu Qin came at the same time as him.

“That monster, I don’t know what provoked her, coming every day to ask after his health,” Yu Yesheng said viciously. “I think she has bad intentions, coming to see how much longer my dad can last!”

Ling Lie: “She comes every day?”

“You find it strange too, right? My dad has been hospitalized here for so long, and she only visited twice before! Now she comes every day and stays for a long time. What are her intentions!”

Ling Lie asked again, “Since when has she been coming every day?”

Yu Yesheng said, “The day before yesterday!”

Ling Lie pondered silently. That was after the banquet. If Yu Qin really wanted to plot something with Yu Qianming, she wouldn’t appear every day. It seemed like she was deliberately watching Yu Qianming. But did watching Yu Qianming require Yu Qin to do it personally? Was Yu Qin waiting for someone?

The answer was clear at a glance; Yu Qin was waiting for him.

Ling Lie knew what was going on and smiled at Yu Yesheng. “Thanks.”

Yu Yesheng was confused. “Thanks for what?”

Ling Lie asked, “What does President Yu talk about with Chairman Yu every time she comes? Is it confidential? Is it convenient for me to knock now?”

Yu Yesheng said disdainfully, “She’s pretending to be filial and acting like a loving sister! She wants to soften my dad’s heart. Sick people care about family affection, but I am very sober; I can’t let my dad be deceived by her.”

Talking, the two had arrived outside Yu Qianming’s special ward. Four bodyguards stood at the door, two belonging to Yu Qianming and two brought by Yu Qin, guarding the ward strictly like a prison.

Ling Lie thought, even prisons don’t have this level of security.

Since he was here, he might as well meet Yu Qin. Ling Lie said, “Cousin, tell them to let me in?”

Yu Yesheng couldn’t stand Ling Lie, but he feared and loathed Yu Qin. In comparison, Ling Lie became lovable. He told the bodyguards to move aside. His own bodyguards naturally obeyed orders, while Yu Qin’s bodyguards looked at each other, still hesitating.

Yu Yesheng stepped forward irritably and threw a punch. Those two bodyguards weren’t pushovers either; they dodged the attack and pinned Yu Yesheng’s arm behind his back without directly hurting him.

But with this move, something fell out of Yu Yesheng’s pocket. Ling Lie had sharp eyes and tensed up suddenly when he saw what it was.

It was a charm!

But he couldn’t see the details clearly and couldn’t judge whether this charm was similar to Ji Chenjiao’s or Luo Manchai’s.

Yu Yesheng cursed loudly and was about to bend down to pick it up when the door suddenly opened, and Yu Qin stood at the doorway. Yu Yesheng froze instantly.

Ling Lie’s gaze shifted from the charm to Yu Qin’s face. At this moment, their eyes met. After this frozen instant, Yu Yesheng quickly picked up the charm, put it back in his pocket, and looked at Yu Qin with unkind eyes.

“Officer Ling is here too,” Yu Qin said politely.

“What a coincidence,” Ling Lie said. “Did I disturb you? I’ll find a place to wait.”

Yu Yesheng mocked, “Aren’t you here to investigate a case with my dad? Since when do police have to wait?”

He said this to Ling Lie, but his sarcasm was directed at both Ling Lie and Yu Qin. Yu Qin sighed. “Come in, Xiao Ge.”

Xiao Ge, a feigned affectionate address. Ling Lie recalled the years he lived in the Yu family. He was Yu Ge, a name revealing sharpness, hiding sincere blessings for a child. Unfortunately, he was not that child, and he wouldn’t receive any blessings.

Hearing the commotion outside, Yu Qianming let out intermittent groans.

Ling Lie, Yu Qin, and Yu Yesheng entered together. Yu Qin sat on the sofa somewhat far from the bed, indicating she was leaving space for Ling Lie and Yu Qianming to communicate. Yu Yesheng was very wary of Yu Qin and hurried to the bedside to check Yu Qianming’s indicators and IV tubes.

Ling Lie stood by the window. “Chairman Yu, I’m here to bother you again.”

Yu Qianming was in decent condition and showed no surprise at Ling Lie’s visit. “Ask whatever you need.”

Ling Lie had his back to Yu Qin but could feel an intense gaze. Yu Qin’s purpose in coming to see Yu Qianming every day was indeed to wait for him, to see what he would say to Yu Qianming.

Ling Lie said, “Chairman Yu, I’m still here for Rongmei. In the process of investigating the Sun Jing case, we found that Rongmei’s layout seems to have borrowed from the bloody witchcraft of a Pacific island. Are you aware of this?”

The wrinkles on Yu Qianming’s face hid his expression, but Yu Yesheng couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Are you sick?”

Ling Lie said, “The police have obtained relevant evidence, and the fire will be re-investigated. Soon, you will receive notifications to assist in the investigation. I came today to remind you in a private capacity.”

Yu Yesheng froze. “Assist in the investigation?”

Ling Lie turned back and glanced at Yu Qin. “I communicated with President Yu a while ago, right, President Yu?”

Yu Qin remained noncommittal.

Yu Qianming looked at Yu Qin, his eyes filled with a complexity hard for others to understand. A moment later, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Ling Lie. “Investigate Rongmei as much as you can, including that fire. We are indeed profit-seeking merchants. We secured that land with almost no cost, but this is a mutually beneficial matter for both the Yu Group and Chaoxia County. Re-investigating is fine; it might just clear our name.”

Yu Qianming spoke very slowly, even more watertight than Yu Qin. “As for some Pacific island, that’s nonsense. Even if the blueprints are exactly the same, does that prove the Yu Group is guilty? The Yu Group has developed to today’s scale not by doing things against nature and reason.”

The ward fell silent. Ling Lie looked at those eyes that still flickered with shrewdness amidst old age. After a moment, he stood up and said, “With your statement, I’m relieved. I also don’t hope the Yu Group is implicated in crimes.”

When Ling Lie left the ward, Yu Yesheng insisted on seeing him off because he didn’t want to be in the same room with Yu Qin. After passing through the long corridor, Ling Lie said, “What fell on the floor just now? It looked like a Peach Blossom Charm. Did a girl give it to you?”

“What Peach Blossom Charm? That’s my dad’s Peace Charm,” Yu Yesheng said, taking it out and speaking mysteriously. “Here, asked from a master.”

This time Ling Lie saw it clearly. The pattern on it was opposite to Luo Manchai’s and similar to Ji Chenjiao’s. It was a disaster-blocking charm. Together with Luo Manchai’s, they formed a pair.

Ling Lie’s heart beat slightly faster, but his face remained calm. “Since it’s a Peace Charm for Chairman Yu, why do you have it on you?”

“You don’t understand this, do you?” Yu Yesheng was very keen on mocking Ling Lie. “The master said that this charm must be carried by the closest child, full of the child’s reluctance to part and desire to keep him, to maximize the blessing.”

Ling Lie thought to himself: Bullshit.

Yu Yesheng added, “I don’t really believe in this stuff, but since they asked me to carry it, of course I’ll carry it. It’s harmless anyway. Keeping it with my dad, him seeing it every day reminding him he’s a sick man, that’s bad.”

Ling Lie took out his phone and aimed the camera at the charm. Yu Yesheng quickly covered it. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to ask for a charm too.” Ling Lie moved fast and had already taken the photo, but said, “What’s there to hide?”

Yu Yesheng put the charm away, somewhat wary. Ling Lie sighed. “Fine, if I can’t take a photo, I won’t. I can’t hire the masters you wealthy families hire anyway.”

Yu Yesheng snorted. “At least you have self-awareness.”

Ling Lie said, “Which master is it? How much did it cost? I’ll try too.”

Yu Yesheng scoffed. “You? Ling Lie, listen clearly. Since you gave up the name Yu Ge and left the Yu family, you can never live the life of the wealthy again. Do you really think being a policeman gives you everything? You’re dreaming!”

Ling Lie raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, everything you said is right.”

Seeing Ling Lie show weakness, Yu Yesheng felt very comfortable. At this time, they had left the building, and Yu Yesheng turned to walk into the garden. Ling Lie stood there for a while before heading to the parking lot.

Just as the car was about to start, Ling Lie suddenly saw a car stop in the distance, and a familiar person got out of the driver’s seat.

Fu Chixun. The distant successor Fu Huizhi was grooming.

Ling Lie leaned towards the steering wheel. Why would he be here?

Municipal Bureau. Further clue collection was underway. Ling Lie told Yu Qianming that the police had solid evidence. In fact, they didn’t have any at this stage. All the Serious Crimes Unit had was the “one-sided word” of Tu Wang, a foreigner, which could only serve as a clue, not evidence to require Rongmei to assist in the investigation.

But Ji Chenjiao had already contacted authorities in history, geography, and folk beliefs from several universities in Xiarong City and the capital, asking them to provide a professional conclusion after analysis. If the conclusion supported the Serious Crimes Unit’s deduction, the next round of investigation could begin.

Ling Lie handed his phone to Ji Chenjiao. “Take a look.”

Ji Chenjiao zoomed in on the picture to the maximum, frowning deeply. “It really is the Yu family.”

“But this clue, like that so-called altar, cannot serve as direct evidence.” Ling Lie lay on the table. “I also saw Fu Chixun at the hospital.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Hmm? Why was he there?”

“Don’t know. Maybe visiting someone?” Ling Lie said. “The Yu family wanted to hire a killer to murder Luo Manchai, and Fu Chixun played tricks to drive Luo Manchai to suicide. These two families actually got together.”

Ji Chenjiao: “Does the Zhuiting Group know that it was the Yu family who ‘cut in line’? So they want to play some tricks?”

“But how could they find out about the Yu family?” Ling Lie said. “We got the blueprints and the charm. What do they have?”

At this moment, Shen Qi ran over. “Brother Team! Hey, my brother is back too!”

Ji Chenjiao asked, “What is it?”

Shen Qi: “Didn’t you ask me to check with various sub-bureaus and police stations to verify if any cases involved charms? found it! There was one in the East City Sub-bureau!”

The next day.

The earliest place to wake up in the city is probably the vegetable market. At just past seven in the morning, the Huihao Vegetable Market on Wanlong Street in the East District was already overcrowded and extremely noisy.

Trucks emitting peculiar smells stopped at the entrance of the vegetable market. Workers labored to unload vegetables and fresh meat. Their speed was already the fastest, but the vendors waiting below still urged them impatiently.

There was a traffic jam ahead, so they couldn’t drive in. Ji Chenjiao parked the car in the alley opposite. Ling Lie had already gotten out of the car before him and walked towards the vegetable market.

“Shops like this at the front usually sell things a bit more expensive, but their stuff isn’t necessarily the best. Look at those with only a shabby storefront and an arrogant boss; they have exclusive skills, like some secret recipe pickled vegetables, ancestral cured meat, or old mother’s braised dishes.”

Ling Lie squeezed a path through the crowd. Walking was already laborious, but he didn’t forget to turn back and educate Ji Chenjiao. “When you encounter that kind of shop, just buy blindly; they are all treasures.”

Ling Lie wore a snow-white tracksuit today. There were hardly any dry spots on the ground of the vegetable market, especially near the fresh food area. After walking for only a while, Ling Lie’s snow-white trouser legs were splashed with a dozen mud spots.

Ji Chenjiao frowned watching this. Although the ground was dirty, as long as one paid attention to their steps, mud spots wouldn’t splash onto the legs. Even if accidentally splashed, it would be just one or two spots. How could anyone splash a large patch like Ling Lie?

Did this person have hooves?

Ling Lie seemed not to care about his stained pants, slipping excitedly to a fried cake stall and turning to ask, “Xiao Ji, do you want to eat?”

The oil for frying cakes had been used countless times. It was a meat cake. The boss wrapped the meat with bare hands, flattened it, and threw it into the pot. Ji Chenjiao lost his appetite just looking at it and didn’t want Ling Lie to eat it either. “Are we here to browse the vegetable market?”

Ling Lie looked innocent. “But I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

Yesterday Shen Qi found out—the victim Yong Huihao was fifty-one years old. He came to Xiarong City from the countryside twenty years ago. At first, he was just a peddler carrying a shoulder pole selling vegetables in the streets and alleys. Later, he saved some money to settle down and rented a storefront to sell pork.

Yong Huihao was quick-witted and enthusiastic, and his wife was also hardworking. Plus, the policies were good in those years. The couple spent a few years expanding the storefront and built the Huihao Vegetable Market ten years ago. The current Huihao Vegetable Market is double the size of when it was first built, doing wholesale, retail, and imports, considered the largest vegetable and fresh food supply base in the east of Xiarong City.

Driven by the Huihao Vegetable Market, almost all of Wanlong Street did related businesses. Before Huihao Vegetable Market made its fortune, Wanlong Street only had dilapidated old houses. People nearby spoke highly of Yong Huihao, saying he revitalized the whole street and was the “Street Master” of Wanlong.

But this rather glorious “Street Master” was killed in his home on June 23rd this year.

The East City Sub-bureau found that Yong Huihao’s wife died of illness two years ago, and both their son and daughter were abroad. Yong Huihao lived alone in Jinxiu Heyuan, a mid-to-high-end residential area in the East District.

Living in the same community was a vendor from Huihao Vegetable Market named Xu Pingqian, a few years younger than Yong Huihao, a bachelor, good-looking. Other markets had “Vegetable-Selling Xishi” [a legendary beauty], he called himself “Vegetable-Selling Pan An” [a legendary handsome man].

Also because he looked decent and was glib-tongued, getting along better than the taciturn or fierce male vendors in the market, many aunties and older women liked to buy vegetables at his stall. He became one of the top earners in the market. Feeding only himself, he could afford to buy an apartment in Jinxiu Heyuan.

As early as when Yong Huihao’s wife was alive, there were rumors in the vegetable market that Xu Pingqian and Yong’s wife were making eyes at each other, suspecting an affair. Yong Huihao had questioned his wife and made trouble for Xu Pingqian because of this. But both denied it to death. Without evidence, Yong Huihao couldn’t do anything to them.

Later, Yong’s wife fell ill, and Xu Pingqian visited while Yong Huihao was away. Yong Huihao learned about it afterward but could only swallow his anger considering his wife didn’t have much time left.

After Yong’s wife passed away, Yong Huihao intended to kick Xu Pingqian out immediately. But a new vegetable market opened nearby, and competition was fierce. Many regular customers went to the new market. If he kicked out Xu Pingqian, the “Vegetable-Selling Pan An,” he would inevitably lose another wave of customers.

Yong Huihao started from scratch to reach his current status; his mentality could naturally stand the test. Instead of kicking Xu Pingqian out, he treated Xu Pingqian to meals a few times, telling him to do business with peace of mind.

But starting from the second half of last year, vendors witnessed Yong and Xu arguing multiple times. After the incident, the sub-bureau investigated and was told that Xu Pingqian was greedy and demanded more profit concessions from Yong Huihao. Yong Huihao, remembering the unclear nasty business between Xu Pingqian and his late wife, got angry and hit Xu Pingqian in front of everyone.

After that, Xu Pingqian didn’t do business for a few days. Everyone thought he was going to change location, but unexpectedly, he came back to sell vegetables a week later as if nothing happened, and Yong Huihao continued to call him brother.

But peace was temporary. Two months later, they had conflicts again, over the same old issues. The vendors had a low opinion of Xu Pingqian, saying that since he wasn’t married at his age, he must have a fickle heart, relying on his looks to flirt with aunties all day, an old gigolo.

Everyone praised Yong Huihao endlessly, saying Boss Yong was a man of chivalrous heart, doing his utmost for his wife and brothers.

In short, when the two had conflicts, the vegetable market stood on Yong Huihao’s side.

In early June, Yong Huihao ran to Xu Pingqian’s storefront to vent his anger, asking when he would return the more than 50,000 yuan he owed, and if he couldn’t pay, use the storefront as collateral. Xu Pingqian bowed and scraped, promising to pay recently. But after this day, Xu Pingqian never came to the vegetable market again.

Everyone guessed if he had run away until June 23rd, when Yong Huihao was killed in his own home.

The sub-bureau found Xu Pingqian’s footprints and fingerprints in Yong’s house. Jinxiu Heyuan’s surveillance also captured Xu Pingqian visiting the community before the crime. Neighbors also informed that they heard the two arguing.

After the autopsy, the forensic doctor judged that the murderer was very skilled with a knife. The weapon used was a meat cleaver common in vegetable markets. Traces of animal tissue were also left in Yong Huihao’s fatal wound. This also fit Xu Pingqian’s identity—he sold pork and used to be a butcher; his use of knives was not comparable to ordinary people.

The police immediately listed Xu Pingqian as a key suspect and dispatched a large police force to search.

Xu Pingqian’s phone had been turned off on the night of the 23rd. On the morning of the 25th, a resident doing morning exercises reported finding a body in the river.

The body belonged to Xu Pingqian. The autopsy showed the time of death was early morning on the 24th, and he had consumed excessive alcohol.

In the grass by the river, the police also found a meat cleaver with unwashed bloodstains, perfectly matching Yong Huihao’s fatal wound.

The case became clear. Xu Pingqian and Yong Huihao had a long-standing grudge, finally erupting when Yong Huihao threatened him with the storefront. On the night of the 23rd, Xu Pingqian came to Yong Huihao’s house after drinking, maybe already harboring murderous intent, or maybe just wanting to negotiate with Yong Huihao again. But obviously, the negotiation turned into a quarrel, and Xu Pingqian killed Yong Huihao with the prepared meat cleaver.

After fleeing the scene, Xu Pingqian drank again, unable to face the fact that he killed someone, and finally chose suicide—of course, it was also possible that he was so drunk and delirious that he accidentally fell into the river.

With the suspect dead, the sub-bureau closed the case.

This morning, Ji Chenjiao planned to visit the Huihao Vegetable Market before going to the sub-bureau. He and Ling Lie left early, both with empty stomachs.

So it was reasonable for Ling Lie to clamor about being hungry.

Ji Chenjiao: “I’m not eating. You buy yours.”

Ling Lie still bought two. The fried cakes were freshly fried, wrapped in oil paper. One bite, and white steam came out from the heat.

Ji Chenjiao was originally disgusted, but seeing Ling Lie eating with relish, he suddenly felt a bit hungry too.

The breakfast stalls in the vegetable market sold similar things. Ji Chenjiao decided to buy some bread to fill his stomach after leaving later.

“Here.” Ling Lie handed the remaining fried cake in front of him. “Yours.”

Ji Chenjiao turned his face away. “I said buy your own.”

“But I saw you staring at my cake just now.” Ling Lie pushed it forward again, almost poking Ji Chenjiao’s mouth. “Actually, you want to eat it too, right, Xiao Ji?”

“Who said…” Just as Ji Chenjiao was about to refute against his will, the cake entered his mouth.

Ling Lie: “Now it has your saliva on it. You wouldn’t make me eat it, would you? That’s not how you eat a boyfriend’s saliva.”

“…” Ji Chenjiao had to take the fried cake and take a bite. Oily as it was, it tasted really good.

Ling Lie: “How is it? Delicious?”

Ji Chenjiao: “It’s okay. Don’t buy it next time.”

It has been more than three months since Yong Huihao was murdered. The vegetable market named after him was hardly affected, still as lively as usual. His children returned to handle his funeral affairs and transferred the vegetable market to the owner of a nearby vegetable market. Now the two markets develop together, and the other party didn’t change the name Huihao.

Walking in the vegetable market, Ji Chenjiao had a feeling—Yong Huihao seemed to have been forgotten by people.

There was no problem with the East City Sub-bureau’s handling of this case. With such clear clues at the time, Xu Pingqian was the nailed-down murderer. The chain of evidence was complete, making it hard to imagine the murderer might be someone else.

But now, this case must be re-investigated. Between the 23rd and the early morning of the 24th, the person killed was probably not just Yong Huihao, but also the exploited Xu Pingqian.

Ling Lie finished the fried cake, crumpled the oil paper into a small ball, and threw it into the trash can. “Crime is upgrading. They deliberately found someone to frame back then, but when killing Luo Manchai, they already dared to let surveillance capture it.”

Ji Chenjiao thought of a chilling possibility. “Other self-produced and self-sold cases might also have problems.”

East City Sub-bureau, Criminal Investigation Squadron.

The atmosphere was a bit oppressive. A case solved a few months ago had problems. The Serious Crimes Unit came early in the morning to “inquire about crimes,” and the squadron leader’s face was very ugly.

Ji Chenjiao didn’t mean to blame them, but just proposed to chat with the criminal police who investigated the case at the time and needed all investigation reports.

The squadron leader retrieved the original photos from the scene investigation. The charm was photographed very clearly, differing from Luo Manchai’s only in color.

But Yong Huihao’s children had disposed of his belongings, and the original charm had been burned. A single photo couldn’t form a complete chain of evidence.

However, no matter what, the second “Feng Shui Fish” had appeared.