Even when the criminal detectives got rowdy, they knew their limits. By just after eight in the evening, everyone had said their goodbyes and gone home. Xi Wan and Liang Wenxian wanted to stay behind to clean, but Ling Lie told them it was fine, just a matter of mopping the floor and wiping the tables.

Xi Wan looked around; the state of the apartment wasn’t too bad. The main mess was from the cooking stage, where Liang Wenxian, like a neat freak, had cleaned as he went. Everyone had been eating for a while, but he was still at the sink washing pots. It was just that Ji Chenjiao was drunk, lying on the sofa like a corpse, looking useless.

Xi Wan sighed and put her hands together in a prayer-like gesture towards Ling Lie. “Mr. Ling, I’ll have to trouble you to take care of our Captain.”

Ling Lie smiled and gripped the doorknob. “It’s what a roommate should do.”

The door closed, and the room that had been noisy for half the day suddenly fell silent. If one listened closely, they could still hear the young couple upstairs yelling at each other.

Since Ling Lie had moved in, the apartment had never been this messy. Ji Chenjiao was like a robotic vacuum cleaner; he couldn’t cook, but he was excellent at cleaning.

Although it didn’t need a deep clean, it still needed tidying. Ling Lie walked through a few rooms, then irresponsibly flopped onto the sofa, not wanting to move. He even kicked Ji Chenjiao. “Xiao Ji, move over a bit.”

If he were sober, Ji Chenjiao would have jumped up and suppressed him long ago. But now, he actually moved, pulling in his long legs.

Ling Lie, as if he had discovered a fun new game, kicked him again. “Xiao Ji, your legs are so long, they’re in the way. How about we chop them off?”

This time, Ji Chenjiao moved further away. But the sofa wasn’t very big, and Ling Lie pressed his advantage. Unable to move away, Ji Chenjiao had to fold his legs and hug them with his arms, a sight that made Ling Lie struggle to hold back his laughter.

“Xiao Ji, why are you so amusing?” Ling Lie poked the sole of Ji Chenjiao’s foot. Ji Chenjiao immediately recoiled like a snail whose antennae were touched, quickly pulling himself into a tight ball.

Ling Lie’s chest ached from holding back his laughter. He took up most of the sofa, propping up his legs like a lord. “Xiao Ji, are you still awake?”

From his corner, Ji Chenjiao let out a muffled “mmph.”

“Xiao Ji, aren’t you a neat freak? Look what a mess your teammates have made of our home.”

Ji Chenjiao turned his head unhappily and slowly looked around.

Ling Lie asked, “Isn’t it filthy? Look, I don’t even have a place to stand.”

Ji Chenjiao slowly nodded.

Ling Lie prompted, “Why don’t you go clean up?”

Half a minute later, Ji Chenjiao actually stood up from the sofa, walked steadily towards the balcony, took down a mop cloth from the drying rack, soaked it, and attached it to the mop.

Ling Lie was speechless. He’s actually cleaning?

He was just teasing Ji Chenjiao, not expecting that this man, so proud and cocky when sober, would be so obedient when drunk. And should it be said that elites have inherently strong control over their bodies? Ji Chenjiao mopped the floor without looking like a drunk person at all; his movements were clean and efficient. He had really become a robotic vacuum cleaner!

Ling Lie followed behind Ji Chenjiao. When Ji Chenjiao turned around, he even seemed to find him in the way, shooing him back to the sofa.

The coffee table and dining table in the living room were covered with leftover food that needed to be cleared. Ling Lie picked up a plate and bowl to demonstrate. “Move them to the sink, like this…”

Ji Chenjiao had no interest in his demonstration. He bumped him with his shoulder, placed the large plates on the bottom, the large bowls in the middle, and stacked the small bowls on top, carrying them steadily to the kitchen.

Ling Lie froze for a few seconds, then applauded loudly.

As if encouraged, Ji Chenjiao worked even harder. He wiped the tables clean and began to wash the dishes.

The hands that were used to holding a gun were also remarkably efficient at washing dishes. But Ling Lie noticed that he would wash for a while and then pause, as if his signal was lost and he was waiting to reboot.

Ling Lie said, “Xiao Ji?”

Xiao Ji’s signal reconnected, and he continued washing.

Ling Lie’s own life was primitive and rough. Before coming to Xiarong City, he had never even used smart home appliances and had been teased by Ji Chenjiao who remotely controlled the air conditioner. He always held a very simple belief—the smarter something was, the more he should stay away from it. It wouldn’t matter if he returned to live alone in the mountains in the future.

After all, he came from the mountains. Everyone he cared about had already, was currently, or would eventually leave him. He wouldn’t live until death in this seemingly high-functioning society; one day in the future, he would leave alone.

But at this moment, for the first time in his life, he experienced the wonder of smart appliances—even though Xiao Ji wasn’t a real smart appliance.

He sat back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and continuously issued commands to the Xiao Ji robot until the home was tidy and clean as new.

Ji Chenjiao lay on the sofa, motionless. Ling Lie called him a few times, but there was no response. Ling Lie squatted in front of him. “Xiao Ji?”

Xiao Ji was like a device that had run out of battery, no longer responding.

Ling Lie retreated quietly, thinking that if a sober Xiao Ji remembered being ordered around like a robot tomorrow, he would deny it to his death.

“Ah—” Ling Lie remembered he had business tomorrow, which would give him a legitimate reason to avoid seeing Ji Chenjiao.

He logged into the ticket-purchasing website; there were still tickets for the early morning high-speed train to Feng City. He bought one immediately, cooked a bowl of hangover soup for Ji Chenjiao, placed it on the coffee table, and went to his room to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Ji Chenjiao woke up. He didn’t remember being ordered around by Ling Lie, but he did remember cleaning and Ling Lie tickling the sole of his foot.

A ring of spotlights was on in the living room, the light very dim. Ji Chenjiao saw the hangover soup. After drinking it, he felt much better and decided, for the soup’s sake, to forgive Ling Lie for tickling his foot.

Not long after Ji Chenjiao returned to his bedroom, Ling Lie got up. He had to catch the 5:59 a.m. train, and it was already five o’clock.

In summer, the sky brightens early. By the time the train started, the city was already waking from its slumber. The white high-speed train sped through the morning mist towards the dawn, as if passing through a long, lightless tunnel.

Even though it was the earliest train, the carriage was full. What this world doesn’t lack are people rushing about for their lives, from the darkness before dawn to the darkness after midnight, endlessly.

Ling Lie sat by the window, watching the receding scenery with a blank expression. At first, the glass clearly reflected his face, but later his features faded, merging with the thriving summer fields.

Every year, on the way to Feng City from different places, his heart would become particularly heavy. It was as if he wasn’t on any mode of transport, but returning to reality from a bizarre and motley dream.

He had been pulled back to the right path from a track of eternal damnation by a person resting eternally there.

Today wasn’t any special day; anyway, he almost never made it for that person’s death anniversary. Missing it was also good, as he wouldn’t have to run into other people visiting the grave.

Before noon, the high-speed train arrived at Fengcheng. Compared to Xiarong City, Feng City was just a small coastal city. The bus stopped at a station near the edge of the city, where many unlicensed tricycle taxis were parked, their drivers shouting for customers.

Ling Lie got into one. The driver asked him which gate he was going to, and he replied practicedly, “Southeast Gate.”

This was the local jargon for the cemetery, something only a frequent visitor would know. As the tricycle sputtered along, the driver asked, “Need to bring anything?”

Ling Lie said, “No, just go straight there.”

The driver sized him up in the rearview mirror, probably thinking he was too stingy. The road was lined with shops selling flower wreaths, paper money, and other offerings. Who would come to pay respects to their ancestors empty-handed?

Arriving at the Southeast Gate, Ling Lie handed the driver a ten-yuan bill. The driver found it even stranger; he had already held out his QR code, yet someone was still using cash.

Ling Lie ignored the driver’s surprised gaze and walked towards the cemetery.

The weather was bad today, and it wasn’t a holiday, so there were very few people paying respects. The cemetery was very deserted.

Ling Lie came to an ordinary tombstone and looked at the yellowed photograph. “Uncle Wei, I’ve come to see you.”

The owner of the grave was named Wei Zhiyong, a criminal detective.

Compared to the elite police officers Ling Lie would later meet, Wei Zhiyong was overly ordinary, as simple and unadorned as this plain tombstone. Even his death lacked any dramatic flair; he died of illness, not in the line of duty.

But this ordinary detective was the first savior in Ling Lie’s life.

Ling Lie came to see Wei Zhiyong almost every year. He never brought offerings nor said much, just took a look and stayed for no more than ten minutes. It was like an obligatory but tasteless holiday.

After leaving the cemetery, Ling Lie took a tricycle back the way he came, waited a long time for a bus, and returned to the city center.

Wei Zhiyong had a good-for-nothing son named Wei Liang. Since he was already here, he planned to see if Wei Liang had made something of himself after getting out of prison.

“Liangzi, are the lotus root slices not cut yet? Hurry, hurry!”

The hot pot restaurant, located in an old alley, was exceptionally busy. It was already past the lunch rush, but customers were still pouring in. Ling Lie sat alone in a corner under the windbreak. The owner was initially reluctant to serve a solo diner, but when he saw that Ling Lie ordered all the most expensive signature dishes from the top of the menu and not a single vegetable, his sullen face immediately broke into a smile.

Next to him was a large table of people who would finish a plate of food in less than a minute and kept urging the owner to serve faster.

This hot pot was famous for its spiciness. Although Ling Lie could handle spicy food, his stomach started to ache faintly after a few chopsticks of duck intestines. He ordered another pot of iced peanut milk and listened to a man who looked like the boss calling out “Liangzi this, Liangzi that” while he blanched tripe.

The Liangzi cutting vegetables in the back kitchen was Wei Zhiyong’s only son, Wei Liang. The restaurant was called Old Master Liang’s Hot Pot and had been open for over thirty years. It was initially run by Wei Liang’s maternal grandfather, Old Man Liang, then passed to Wei Liang’s uncle, and now that the uncle had retired, the owner was Wei Liang’s cousin.

The fact that a scumbag like Wei Liang still had this path was thanks to the good karma his detective father had accumulated.

Ling Lie heard a commotion behind him, and a large jug of peanut milk was slammed onto the table with a thud. The person who brought it didn’t even say “Here’s your peanut milk” before turning to place a plate of lotus root slices on the next table.

Ling Lie looked up.

That table shouted again, “Where’s the large-cut kidney? When is the eel I ordered coming?”

Wei Liang’s face was full of impatience. “Stop rushing.”

Liang’s cousin hurried over and pushed Wei Liang’s shoulder. “Is that how you talk to customers? Get back in there and cut vegetables!”

Wei Liang muttered a few words and returned to the back kitchen without looking back.

Ling Lie stared at Wei Liang’s back for a while, knowing the other man hadn’t recognized him. But he recognized Wei Liang at a glance. A scumbag, after all, is still a scumbag even after being “reformed” by prison.

The ridiculous thing was that he had once wanted to take the fall for Wei Liang, just to repay Wei Zhiyong’s kindness.

Over a decade had passed. Wei Liang was out of prison, having transformed from an arrogant young scumbag into a mediocre adult scumbag. Ling Lie suddenly lost interest. He finished cooking all his food, paid the bill, and left.

Ji Chenjiao slept until noon. He didn’t have to work today. The door to Ling Lie’s bedroom was wide open, and no one was there. Knowing his style, he had probably gone off to set up a stall somewhere.

In the past, he would worry that Ling Lie was secretly up to something strange. Now that Ling Lie’s identity was clear, he no longer had to worry about whether he was a friend or foe. It was just rather amusing. Could you imagine that the man selling shoddy dolls, cheap roses, and marinated clams at a street stall was an elite from the special operations team?

Seeing how clean the apartment was, Ji Chenjiao figured Ling Lie must have been exhausted yesterday. Although he had also cleaned, he was probably not much help while drunk, so the bulk of the work naturally fell to Ling Lie.

Ji Chenjiao wanted to send Ling Lie a message to ask where he was, but he wrote and deleted the text several times. The more he thought about it, the more he felt this kind of checking-up behavior was a bit shameless. Even Xi Wan and her husband didn’t message each other “Honey, where are you?” all the time.

In the fridge, there was a vacuum-sealed smoked goose that had been put there at some point. The instructions said it just needed to be steamed to be eaten. Ji Chenjiao looked at it, then put it back, deciding to wait for Ling Lie to return.

The serious crime squad rarely had free time. In the past, Ji Chenjiao never felt uncomfortable being at home alone, but now, it felt empty. As if with one person missing, he became restless and wanted to send a message every so often.

To keep himself from acting like he was checking up on him, Ji Chenjiao opened his notebook full of clues and calmed himself down to think about two recent cases that were not yet fully solved.

One was the culprit who framed Ling Lie, and the other was Xu Jiajia. Xu Jiajia had definitely escaped. There were two key clues related to him: “Snow Child” and “Floating Light.” The local police had limited information and currently didn’t know if “Snow Child” was related to “Floating Light.” How did a new drug like “Snow Child,” which had appeared in the north, suddenly show up in Xiarong City, a region south of the Yangtze River? Was Xu Jiajia rescued? In what capacity?

Ji Chenjiao put down his pen, feeling he should discuss this with Xie Qing to get as much information as possible about “Snow Child.” Since “Snow Child” had already appeared in Xiarong City, even if he wasn’t on the task force, he should understand the details.

The afternoon passed in a flash. Ji Chenjiao went to the city bureau for an hour of cardio. Seeing the sun sinking in the west, and Ling Lie still not back, he figured he now had a good reason to send a message.

Ling Lie received the message while on the high-speed train back to Xiarong City.

Xia Chengshi: [Image.jpg][Image.jpg]
Xia Chengshi: [Where is the steamer?]
Xia Chengshi: [If you don’t come back soon, there’ll be no dinner for you.]

Ling Lie enlarged the pictures. It was the still-packaged smoked goose and a plate of uncooked green vegetables. A smile immediately appeared in Ling Lie’s eyes. He regretted that seeing the scumbag had delayed his return trip. Look, Xiao Ji was hungry and knew how to find food for himself.

Ling Lie: [Hmm? You can’t find things in your own home and you’re asking a tenant?]

Ten minutes later, Ji Chenjiao replied with a series of ellipses.

Another five minutes passed. Xia Chengshi: [So are you eating or not? What were you doing today?]

Ling Lie wondered if this was him being checked on. Just as he was about to reply, Ji Chenjiao retracted the message.

Ling Lie deliberately asked: [What did you retract?]

Xia Chengshi: [Nothing, just a typo.]

Ling Lie was even more amused. He could imagine Ji Chenjiao’s expression through the screen—wanting to ask about his whereabouts for the day, but feeling awkward after asking and quickly retracting it.

The gloomy mood that always followed his annual grave visit lightened considerably because of this back-and-forth messaging. Ling Lie said: [Where was your typo? Type it again.]

Xia Chengshi: [Sweating yellow face emoji.jpg]

The broadcast had already started announcing the upcoming arrival at Xiarong City. Ling Lie suddenly had a strange, unfamiliar feeling.

No matter where he went, for him it was always “going to,” not “coming back.” This was the first time, as the train was about to reach its destination, that he felt he was “coming back.” Because someone was waiting for him, not for a mission, not for any other reason, but simply waiting for him as a person.

As he walked towards the carriage door, a smile he didn’t even notice appeared on his lips as he typed.

[Home in forty minutes. If you start steaming it now, we can eat as soon as I get home.]

Three days later, Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao were invited by the task force to participate in a video conference with the special operations team. Perhaps due to a change in his state of mind, when facing his superior Shen Xun again, Ling Lie’s subconscious resistance had almost disappeared.

The main purpose of this meeting was to exchange intelligence. The special operations team needed as much information as possible from Xiarong City about “Snow Child” and the dark web site “Floating Light.”

Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao were the main forces during the initial investigation. After they took turns speaking, Ling Lie asked Shen Xun, “You’re so interested in ‘Snow Child’ and ‘Floating Light.’ Is there some connection between the two?”

Ji Chenjiao hadn’t expected Ling Lie to speak to his superior in such a tone and glanced back at him.

Shen Xun, however, seemed accustomed to it. “There are three clues I can disclose to you now. First, ‘Floating Light’ has been extremely active in the past year, changing its previous strategy of laying low whenever possible.”

As he spoke, a chart drawn by the special operations team appeared on the screen. Starting from January of this year, the line representing the activity level of “Floating Light” was rising almost vertically.

“This means that more and more illegal transactions are being conducted through it, and its influence in the dark web world is gradually expanding. Of course, its trading area is currently concentrated abroad, with very few transactions entering our country, which is why it hasn’t yet attracted much attention from various regions.”

Ling Lie asked, “What caused it to change its strategy?”

Shen Xun said, “All the dark web sites that emerged around the same time as it have been taken down, and new ones are being pursued and blocked by police in various countries. This may have given it an opportunity for explosive growth. We believe its behind-the-scenes controller may have changed. This new person is a fervent radical, using the shell of ‘Floating Light’ to conduct business that ‘Floating Light’ never dared to do in the past.”

“Second is ‘Snow Child.’ Including your Xiarong City, although it has appeared in seven cities, the number of people affected is not large. From this point, its impact is limited. For some unknown reason, its creator has not been able to spread it widely.” Shen Xun continued, “There is a common characteristic among those involved with ‘Snow Child’—they are all foreigners.”

This was somewhat unexpected for Ling Lie. “Foreigners?” Although Xu Jiajia was, by bloodline, a pure native of Xiarong City, in terms of nationality, he was a citizen of Country Y.

Shen Xun nodded. “It seems that foreigners find it easier to obtain ‘Snow Child.’ This leads to the third clue I want to mention—they purchased ‘Snow Child’ through ‘Floating Light.'”

The conference room fell silent. These two malevolent names being linked together felt like a storm brewing in the north was about to sweep south.

“We have already dispatched a large number of team members to those six northern cities. The appearance of ‘Snow Child’ in Xiarong City is most likely an exception.” After a brief discussion with the task force, Shen Xun turned to Ling Lie. “Starting today, you will serve as a special consultant to the task force. Any problems?”

The refusal was already on the tip of Ling Lie’s tongue, but he couldn’t say it in such a setting. He nodded. “Roger.”

Team Leader Wen smiled. “Little Ling is a member of the serious crime squad, so he’ll still operate with them as usual. If I really need him, I hope Little Ling won’t refuse.”

Shen Xun’s gaze swept between Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao, and he let out a meaningful “mm.”

After the meeting, Ji Chenjiao remained seated and looked up at Ling Lie. “Consultant Ling.”

Ling Lie retorted, “Sarcastic.”

Ji Chenjiao laughed. “I learned from you.”

As they went downstairs together, Ji Chenjiao became more and more curious about Ling Lie’s distant relationship with his superior and why a member of the special operations team was working odd jobs in Xiarong City. “Were you ostracized by your team?”

Ling Lie stopped. “Do I look like I’d be ostracized?”

This time, Ji Chenjiao wasn’t being sarcastic. “You do seem like the type to get ostracized.”

Ling Lie put on a superior air. “Xiao Ji, slandering your superior means no dinner for you tonight.”

Ji Chenjiao was speechless. Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile!

After beating around the bush for a long time, Ji Chenjiao still couldn’t find out what had happened to Ling Lie in the special operations team. Interrogating this person was more troublesome than interrogating a suspect; he was a master at playing dumb.

Ji Chenjiao remembered the day they ate the smoked goose. Ling Lie only came back in the evening. When asked where he went, Ling Lie said he went to see a scumbag not worth seeing. When pressed further, Ling Lie just focused on eating the goose, like a little pig.

In the following days, Ling Lie and Ji Chenjiao were busy with their own matters. Ling Lie went to the task force a few times, while Ji Chenjiao visited Ji Nuocheng at the detention center. The police investigation into Ji Nuocheng had concluded. The prosecutor’s office was currently organizing the materials and would soon file a public prosecution. Ji Nuocheng had hired a well-known criminal defense lawyer, and it looked like he was preparing to take the path of actively pleading guilty, shifting the blame for incitement to Zhou Yun, and striving for a suspended death sentence.

Ji Nuocheng had aged a lot, and his eyes lacked their former light. He stared at Ji Chenjiao, his voice low. “I’ve wronged Xu Yinyue and her son, and I’ve wronged Zhou Yun, but to you, I have a clear conscience. The name I gave you carried my and Zhou Yun’s blessings for you. We genuinely hoped you would grow up well and become a healthy, successful person. We did have selfish motives in adopting you, wanting to accumulate good karma to offset our past sins, but we never thought of harming you. Think about it, if you had grown up in the orphanage, would you be where you are today?”

These words stirred the darkness surging in Ji Chenjiao’s blood. He had always known he wasn’t as upright as he appeared on the outside. He often had strange, obsessive thoughts that were innate, present since he first formed memories.

Even after becoming a police officer, he would feel excitement or breathlessness at various bloody crime scenes. He had repeatedly suspected he was unfit to be a police officer and had even sought counseling from a psychiatrist.

Perhaps he had inherited some evil gene. If left unchecked, what awaited him was likely depravity.

Ji Nuocheng was right about at least one thing: the Ji family had indeed provided him with a near-perfect environment for growth. Disregarding what Ji Nuocheng and Zhou Yun did to Xu Yinyue and her son, they were model parents. Under the influence of such a family, he grew up smoothly and managed to control the clamor in his blood. Later, the responsibility on his shoulders and the police uniform on his back became a shackle, a shackle he wore willingly.

Before the visit ended, Ji Nuocheng said with red eyes, “On the day of the trial, I hope you can come and see me.”

Ji Chenjiao knew what this meant. Ji Nuocheng wanted him to appear in court as a witness to prove he was a good father. This wouldn’t affect the conviction, but such humanizing elements could influence the sentencing.

Ji Chenjiao took a few steps back, said nothing, and watched as the detention center officers led Ji Nuocheng away.

Leaving the detention center, he suddenly had a strong urge to see Ling Lie immediately. There was no particular reason, perhaps just because of that apartment in the family courtyard. Only after Ling Lie moved in did the kitchen finally have life. When a kitchen has life, it becomes a home.

A torrential downpour began in Xiarong City. The road from the detention center back to the city bureau was completely congested. It was still afternoon, but the sky was so dark there was no light. Car lights flashed, and the surrounding buildings were all lit up.

Ji Chenjiao, feeling agitated, called Ling Lie, but his phone was off. An ominous feeling arose in him for no reason. When he first met Ling Lie, Ling Lie would turn off his phone whenever he wasn’t using it. He had broken Ling Lie’s phone and compensated him with a new one. After that, he had made a rule that Ling Lie was not allowed to turn his phone off.

But in that instant, it was as if they had gone back several months.

Why was Ling Lie’s phone off?

Finally reaching the side road where the city bureau and the family courtyard were located, Ji Chenjiao, without an umbrella in his car, dashed directly into the curtain of rain.

Ling Lie was not home.

Ji Chenjiao ran towards the city bureau while dialing his phone, but Ling Lie’s phone was still off. He rushed to the serious crime squad, but there was no sign of Ling Lie.

At this moment, Ling Lie was on a plane, his clenched fists showing bulging veins, his eyes so red they looked like they might bleed.

Rewind three hours. He had just left the task force and was planning to go to the wet market. Although the market didn’t have the best produce in the afternoon, Ji Chenjiao had gone to the detention center today and would probably be in a bad mood. He wanted to cook something nice to cheer him up.

However, halfway there, he received a call from Shen Xun. Thinking it was about “Snow Child” again, he answered, only to find Shen Xun’s tone was off.

“Ling Lie, Wei Liang is dead. A week ago.”