NOS Chapter 49
by VolareYu Chunming, however, remained composed, as if his previous words were just a joke. He quickly changed the subject: “Has the IP address provided by Ai Hua been located? Is there any overlap with the suspect’s activity trail? What about the chat logs? Can they be recovered?”
Guan Yao pursed his lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down for a long time before he finally answered, “There is overlap. One location is very close to the Three Mine Family Compound. But the chat logs… I’m afraid we have to wait. First, the approval from above requires a process, and second, the operator’s backend recovery also takes time.”
“As expected.” Yu Chunming nodded.
“Moreover, we have an unexpected discovery,” Guan Yao said. “The IP address ‘H166’ stayed near Lin Zhimin’s driving school for a long period at the end of last year and before May of this year. We suspect that during this time, he was with Lin Zhimin.”
“Lin Zhimin…” Yu Chunming frowned slightly. “This ‘H166’ is really He Wang.”
“What kind of suspicion do you have?” Guan Yao asked.
Yu Chunming looked at him, “What about you? What kind of suspicion do you have?”
Guan Yao twitched the corner of his mouth: “Whatever suspicion you have, I have the same. Lin Zhimin is Qian Guowei’s childhood friend, and now Ai Hua has confirmed that Qian Guowei is very likely still alive. Although we can’t find conclusive evidence now, we have reason to suspect that this person, who is so familiar with the details of the crime, is very likely Qian Guowei himself. However, he is quite cautious, and his investigation and counter-investigation abilities are not something ordinary people can compare to.”
“Investigation and counter-investigation abilities…” Yu Chunming was thoughtful. “Previously, our profile of He Wang focused more on his actual life, believing that he might be an ordinary person involved in a vendetta or interpersonal conflict. But what if… He Wang’s actual life itself is fabricated?”
Guan Yao fell into a deep thought upon hearing this. Just then, Wang Zhen, who was preparing to lead his team back to the Municipal Bureau, strolled into the office, shaking the half-empty bottle of glucose with a beaming smile: “You look much better now, not like a dead man.”
For some reason, a trace of guilt flashed across Yu Chunming’s face when he saw Wang Zhen. He pressed his forehead and glanced at the blanket beside him, seemingly regretting that he hadn’t lied down in time to pretend to be asleep.
“What’s wrong?” Wang Zhen bent down with a chuckle to examine him. “Chunming, do you feel particularly sorry for me now?”
Yu Chunming leaned back slightly, turning his head to one side.
Wang Zhen continued with a chuckle: “Your teacher and I have been policemen for so many years, and I’ve only taken you and Han Chen as apprentices. Let’s not talk about you two getting together… ah, no, your two’s exceptionally close relationship, but just look at the troubles you’ve caused me, which one is a small matter?”
Yu Chunming changed the subject: “Ai Hua… have you finished interrogating her?”
Wang Zhen hissed: “Am I talking to you about Ai Hua’s matter?”
Yu Chunming began to focus on tidying up the small blanket.
“No, Chunming, your teacher and I are getting old. Can you be considerate and understand me, and not send me to the leaders to be scolded at every turn?” Wang Zhen sighed. “Do you know how angry Deputy Director Yu was with me today? I’ve worked under him for twenty years, and this is the first time he’s scolded me like this.”
Guan Yao was slightly curious: “Is it because of the case?”
Wang Zhen weakly nodded: “Sort of.”
“Sort of?” Guan Yao repeated.
What does “sort of” mean?
Wang Zhen continued to coax Yu Chunming, saying: “Apprentice, I’ve been treating you like an ancestor, how much do you hate me to resort to such tactics and make me a thorn in Deputy Director Yu’s side?”
Yu Chunming’s eyes flickered: “Sorry, I wasn’t very clear before interrogating Ai Hua.”
“You weren’t clear…” Wang Zhen was on the verge of tears. “You weren’t clear and you sent your teacher to his death? Apprentice, are you trying to kill your teacher to prove your own path?”
Yu Chunming was also surprised: “Can’t be… Deputy Director Yu isn’t that petty, is he? Would he… would he punish you just because you inquired about his private affairs?”
Wang Zhen grabbed Yu Chunming’s hand: “Although Deputy Director Yu is not that kind of person, my body and mind have been severely traumatized by this, so you have to compensate me well.”
The conversation finally got to the point. Yu Chunming immediately pulled his hand away, saying expressionlessly: “My IV drip is finished, ask the nurse to remove the needle, I’m going home.”
“Hey!” Wang Zhen grabbed Yu Chunming who was trying to get up. “No, you have to promise me one thing as compensation for me.”
Yu Chunming tried to seek help from Guan Yao.
But Guan Yao, this one hundred percent upright gentleman, was being mischievous at this moment. He smiled and said: “Team Leader Wang is your teacher after all, what can’t you agree to?”
“No, he’s just being unreasonable…”
“What do you mean unreasonable?” Wang Zhen immediately became serious. “What do you mean unreasonable? I was scolded by Deputy Director Yu for a whole morning, and you say I’m being unreasonable!”
Yu Chunming was so tormented by him that he started to get a headache again, so he agreed haphazardly: “Alright, alright, tell me what’s going on after you let go, stop being so… disrespectful to the elderly.”
As soon as Wang Zhen heard Yu Chunming agree, he immediately released his hand and stood up straight: “Chunming, you have to forgive me for those words I said to you last year.”
“I forgive you,” Yu Chunming replied without thinking.
Wang Zhen was stunned, somewhat incredulous: “You forgive me?”
“Yes, I forgive you,” Yu Chunming said.
Wang Zhen looked at Guan Yao, and then at his good apprentice: “You really forgive me?”
“I really forgive you,” Yu Chunming replied patiently.
Wang Zhen still couldn’t believe it. He pulled Guan Yao over and pointed at him, saying: “Officer Guan is a witness, you can’t go back on your word.”
Yu Chunming nodded: “Okay, Officer Guan is a witness, I won’t go back on my word.”
Wang Zhen instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
After he left, Guan Yao sat down again and tentatively opened his mouth: “Before… what were you not forgiving Team Leader Wang for?”
Yu Chunming fiddled with the tape stuck on the back of his hand, answering absentmindedly: “A small matter, I made a mistake, and he said something unpleasant when he scolded me.”
“A small matter?” Guan Yao stared at him motionlessly.
Seeing this expression, Yu Chunming suddenly smiled: “I remember, Officer Guan has never liked to inquire about other people’s private affairs, how come when it comes to me, you’re always asking this and that?”
“I…” Guan Yao’s words caught in his throat.
Yes, he never liked to inquire about other people’s private affairs, of course, this was based on the fact that he didn’t like others inquiring about his private affairs either.
Guan Yao had long drawn a clear line in his life. On one side was himself, and on the other side were the bustling and lively others. No one could get close to him, and he was too lazy to get involved in other people’s affairs.
Therefore, only friends like Shu Wen and Li Xiaotian, who had been with him for one or two decades, had the opportunity to get a glimpse of his inner world, and only they were qualified to ask about his private affairs. As for Guan Yao himself? Before meeting Yu Chunming, he didn’t seem to be curious about anyone.
No one would think that Guan Yao, who was always generous and smiling, was actually an aloof, cold, and closed-off person.
But Yu Chunming saw it at a glance.
He teased with a smile: “Does Officer Guan also want to know how Han Chen and I got together, and how we broke up, and what conflicts I have with my teacher Wang Zhen?”
“No, I just…”
“Just asking casually,” Yu Chunming interjected. “But whenever others talk about my past, you always prick up your ears to listen, Guan Yao, you’re not right.”
Guan Yao, you’re not right.
These words were like an enchanting sound that instantly pierced Guan Yao’s heart. He suddenly woke up as if from a dream, and finally slowly and sluggishly realized that he was very wrong.
Where was this wrong?
In the excessive attention to Yu Chunming, in the eyes and heart that were always focused on Yu Chunming, and in his previous self-righteous dislike of Yu Chunming, just like a junior high school boy.
Guan Yao suddenly wanted to ask God, in these years, had he ever disliked or paid attention to anyone with such intense and colorful emotions?
Not one, and Yu Chunming was the first.
The nurse came to remove the needle, and the conversation came to an end. Under Guan Yao’s silent gaze, Yu Chunming finished his meal and took his medicine.
He picked up a cotton police uniform from Guan Yao’s like nothing had happened, and then said like nothing had happened: “As long as you ask, I will definitely answer about my affairs. So, if you want to know something, don’t keep it in your heart.”
Guan Yao didn’t speak, his palm clutching a few White Rabbit candies.
“I’ll go take another look at Ai Hua before I leave, you don’t have to worry about me, it’s not my shift tonight, I’ll go home,” Yu Chunming waved to him.
The overhead light in the office on the second floor of the Linchang Police Station was a bit old and always flickered from time to time, making people’s eyes ache.
Guan Yao sat on the sofa, unconsciously pressing his palm against the blanket that Yu Chunming had covered himself with – the surface seemed to still retain the person’s body temperature and scent. He took a deep breath and suddenly felt his heart beating fiercely.
An answer had emerged from the bottom of his heart, but Guan Yao didn’t dare to admit it just yet. He began to fear, began to evade, and began to be in a dilemma, indecisive.
Who would have thought? Who would have thought that just one Yu Chunming would suddenly make the always steadfast and brave Captain Guan become cowardly.
Yu Chunming was calm and collected. He walked downstairs, meeting Han Chen’s gaze head-on: “Where is Ai Hua? Has she been transferred to the detention center?”
“Not yet, transferring soon,” Han Chen replied.
Yu Chunming nodded and turned to walk towards the interrogation room.
But Han Chen grabbed him: “Do you know that Guan Yao carried you upstairs in front of everyone in the station today?”
Yu Chunming raised an eyebrow slightly: “Is that so?”
Han Chen stared at him tightly: “Are you really together with Guan Yao?”
“What does it matter to you whether it’s true or not?” Yu Chunming waved Han Chen’s hand away. “Don’t pull me, you’re making my head spin.”
Han Chen ignored him and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him directly in front of him: “Chunming, give me another chance, please give me…”
“Team Leader Wang,” Yu Chunming didn’t respond to Han Chen’s almost frantic plea. He stretched his head and looked behind Han Chen, “Team Leader Wang, take your apprentice away.”
Wang Zhen, hiding at the corner, blinked his eyes and cleared his throat. He had originally wanted to be an onlooker, but he didn’t expect Yu Chunming to have such good eyesight, discovering him in the corner at a glance, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward, pulling Han Chen’s hand away from Yu Chunming: “What are you arguing about here, are you going to pay for dinner tonight? Let’s go, the task force has a pile of things to do.”
Han Chen’s eyes were red, and he retreated a few steps, his face full of unwillingness.
Yu Chunming said leisurely: “Don’t be sad, I’m not together with Guan Yao yet, because… I’m still in the process of pursuing him.”
After saying that, he smiled at Han Chen.
These words weren’t entirely true, but Yu Chunming was amused by them after he said them. He stuck his hands in his pockets, strolled over to swipe open the door of the law enforcement area, and gave Ai Hua, who was sitting in the interrogation chair with a look of deep hatred, a rather friendly smile.
“I left in a hurry this afternoon, and I forgot to ask you something,” Yu Chunming beckoned to Meng Changqing. “Help me record the statement.”
Ai Hua was a little puzzled: “Officer, what other questions do you have?”
Yu Chunming pulled out a chair and sat down. He asked, “What’s your blood type?”
“Blood type?” Ai Hua was surprised.
“Blood type?” On a certain day twenty-three years ago, the current Deputy Director of the Provincial Department, the former Deputy Captain of the Songlan Municipal Bureau Criminal Investigation Detachment, Yu Zhenshan, was standing on the large steps in front of his house, looking at the boy hiding behind Jiang Min.
“Yes, blood type,” Jiang Min grabbed the back of Jiang Xin’s collar, pressing this thin, dark boy in front of Yu Zhenshan. “He and you both have blood type A, I have blood type O, this is your child.”
Yu Zhenshan still maintained the proper etiquette, answering: “Jiang Min, don’t play this kind of joke with me.”
“I’m not joking,” Jiang Min raised her head, looking at Yu Zhenshan with her eyes that were still very beautiful but no longer bright. “He was born in March nine years ago, you calculate when I got pregnant with this child.”
Yu Zhenshan frowned.
Jiang Min pinched Jiang Xin’s shoulders, pushing him forward: “Tell him yourself, when is your birthday.”
Jiang Xin pursed his lips and didn’t speak, because he clearly remembered that on the very night he was taken on the train by Jiang Min, a man in an old-fashioned military green uniform took twenty yuan from Jiang Min and promised to change his birthday from July 17th to March 5th.
So, which one should he answer now?
If time could be reversed, Yu Chunming would definitely not choose to be silent at that time. He would loudly speak the truth, and then let Jiang Min beat him up in a fit of rage, finally returning to Za Mu Er as he wished, continuing to be Guan Yao’s younger brother.
Unfortunately, time had no “ifs.” Twenty-three years ago, Jiang Xin could only stare with wide eyes, timidly looking at Yu Zhenshan, looking at the man who was about to play the role of “father” in his life.
“You have to leave him,” Jiang Min said lightly. “I have no money, and no food at home, I can’t afford to raise him. If you don’t want him, I’ll send him to the entrance of the Songlan Municipal Bureau, let your leaders take a look.”
“Jiang Min, don’t be unreasonable. Without a paternity test report, it’s impossible for me to recognize this child, no matter how much his birth date, blood type, and I are related.” Yu Zhenshan was still relatively calm. He looked at the boy, and then turned to look at Wang Meng, who had come out to look for him because he hadn’t returned for too long, and said, “I’m already married, and I have a new family. We agreed in the beginning…”
“We didn’t agree!” Jiang Min suddenly shouted loudly. “When we got married, you promised me that you would take care of me and protect me for the rest of my life, why did you go back on your word? I was framed, why don’t you believe me? Now I’ve brought your child back, and you’re not even willing to raise him for me! Yu Zhenshan, you, you are the most heartless person in the world!”
“Jiang Min…”
“Leave the child behind,” Wang Meng said at this time.
Yu Zhenshan looked at her in disbelief.
“Leave the child behind, if this matter gets to the work unit, how will you get promoted at the end of the year?” Wang Meng walked down the steps, pulling Jiang Xin’s hand. “What paternity test report are you talking about, no hospital in Songlan can do that now. When our department has any needs, we have to submit a report first and then send it to the capital for testing, and the capital may have to send the sample abroad. If this matter spreads, don’t you know what the impact will be? Will the leaders still give you the opportunity? Besides, the child is also getting older, it’s good to send him to school, it doesn’t matter, Huanhuan and Changchang can also understand.”
“But…” Yu Zhenshan wanted to say something more, but in the end he silently agreed.
Jiang Min smiled lightly at him, releasing Jiang Xin’s hand. Then, this woman, who came and went freely, turned around and left like a gust of wind, without a trace of nostalgia.
She didn’t hear Jiang Xin crying and calling for his mother, and that was the last time Jiang Xin called out the word “mother.”
[The author has something to say]
So, Chunming is actually not Deputy Director Yu’s biological son, which should be evident from Yu Zhenshan’s complex attitude towards him.
PS: Yu Huan and Yu Chang are twins. In that era, it was still necessary to actively respond to the one-child policy, although Deputy Director Yu and Teacher Wang raised three children in one go.
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