WWY Chapter 74
by VolareTuxi Ling’s suggestion was to send Lan He home once his fever broke, as there was a nanny to take care of him, ensuring richer nutrition and faster recovery. However, Lan He simply refused, feigning dizziness at the slightest hint of leaving, vowing to defend his right to stay in the two-bedroom apartment.
After two days of this charade, their relationship gradually warmed up, but a flurry of messages from Shengbo Xia whisked Tuxi Ling away.
In the past few days, in order to find the firearms from the abandoned factory in Yuan Village, the Municipal Bureau organized a dragnet, setting up checkpoints on land and water to apprehend suspects and suspicious vehicles. Two hours ago, a medium-sized van was intercepted at the highway exit leading to a neighboring city. Inside, hidden beneath a layer of fruit, they found ten boxes of 7.62mm caliber bullets.
Tuxi Ling inserted his SIM card into the newly arrived phone he had ordered online, then sent Lan He home before rushing back to the team, where the interrogation of the vehicle owner had already concluded.
Shengbo Xia, like a loyal follower, reported to him, “The driver helped them transport goods the day before we found the abandoned factory. He didn’t know what it was at the time, but halfway, after transferring it to another truck, the other party said they didn’t want the boxes and he could do whatever he wanted with them. Later, he found out they were bullets, and greed took over. He didn’t have a sales channel, so he wanted to hide them first and slowly find a buyer.”
Tuxi Ling was somewhat exasperated. “Find a buyer? What was he thinking?”
Shengbo Xia replied with a hint of schadenfreude, “Hehe, what an idiot!”
Tuxi Ling pondered, “Why did they abandon the bullets?”
“Bullets aren’t as valuable as guns, right? Maybe they didn’t have enough transportation capacity?”
“But weren’t they afraid the driver would report them to the police? Do we know the license plate number of the truck they transferred to?”
“That night, it was raining heavily, and he handed over the goods on a rural road. No vehicles or pedestrians passed by during the exchange, and he couldn’t see the license plate clearly. He said it was mostly covered in mud. He probably wasn’t lying; if they were driving on muddy roads, the license plate would easily get splashed with mud.”
“What were they going to do in the neighboring city? Sell the guns?”
“Most likely, they planned to sell the guns and then run. The neighboring city has started a lockdown and investigation. Director Liu even said this morning that we should send some people over to help.”
“If they were selling guns, it means they had already found a buyer. Why not sell the bullets too? Why give them away halfway? Doesn’t that seem unnecessary?”
“…Ah!”
Shengbo Xia scratched his head, without an answer.
–
Auntie Long’s love was like a cataclysmic event.
“Lan He, how could you not go to the hospital with a cold!”
“Eating take-out for three days? It’s so bad for your health! Honestly, how could Officer Ling be so unreliable!”
“What do you want for lunch? I’ll make it for you!”
Lan He casually said anything, and an hour later, he was surrounded by scallion oil abalone, steamed pork ribs with rice flour, dried scallop egg custard, mushroom chicken soup, and a large plate of original-flavored crayfish.
He held his chopsticks, hesitant to start.
It was such a strange meal, both greasy and light!
Not having much of an appetite, he ate the egg custard until the bowl was empty. Auntie Long, looking at the large amount of food left on the table, was very worried. “How can you eat so little? Have another bowl of soup!”
Lan He, clutching his stomach, begged for mercy. “I’m going to throw up…”
He secretly lamented that his physical condition was indeed not good. His boyfriend was working like a tiger, while he was still feeling sickly!
However, it seemed that his bad mood was an even bigger factor than the cold.
Only two hours after separating, he already started to miss Tuxi Ling. He guessed that Tuxi Ling was definitely not thinking about him; his mind was only on the case.
He returned to his room, took out his notebook from the drawer, flipped to the page that Si’nian He had interrupted, and continued brainstorming.
Perhaps due to the cold, he felt restless and found it difficult to recall information, so he decided to compromise and put it on hold for now.
Anyway, there were only six pages left to restore.
He rubbed his throbbing head and reached back to pull out a copy of “Chess Endgame Solutions (Illustrated Edition)” from the bookshelf.
On the cover, only a king and queen were positioned alone on the chessboard, with the “king” already cornered by the “queen.”
Lan He smiled softly. “Single queen kills single king, are you giving me a tutorial?”
The book had a total of 25 pages, just like the notebook that Qin Man had left behind. He glanced at the chess pieces on the first page, then reopened his copied notebook. The chess pieces and text corresponded to…
With, Leave, Tyrant, Order, Two, Ridge, Think.
?
He closed the book, looked at it repeatedly, and felt unsure.
Did he think wrong?
Before he could figure it out, his phone rang.
He thought it was Tuxi Ling, but when he picked it up, it was Si’nian He. He immediately felt a churning in his stomach.
This was what physiological nausea felt like!
He didn’t want to answer, but thinking that their relationship was so bad now, he wouldn’t call unless it was important. After hesitating, he answered it.
“Brother.” Si’nian He’s voice was calm as usual. “The cemetery called, saying that the rain a few days ago caused a small landslide, and Dad’s tomb was damaged by rocks. They need a family member to sign for the repairs.”
Lan He frowned slightly. “You can sign it.”
“The management office said that we both signed it at the time, and now they require both of us to sign it. It’s their regulation. Can you make a trip?”
Lan He pursed his lips. “Okay.”
Si’nian He asked, “Shall I pick you up now? I’m on the expressway, about ten minutes away.”
After hanging up, Lan He grabbed a jacket and went downstairs while putting it on. Auntie Long, who had just finished cleaning up the dishes, asked, “Lan He, where are you going? Don’t run around when you’re sick!”
“Dad’s tomb is damaged. I need to sign for the repairs. I’m going with Si’nian.”
“Oh, be careful on the road!”
Auntie Long was somewhat gratified to hear that he was going out with the young master. She thought that Lan He had no relatives and not many friends, so it was best if the two brothers could put aside their differences and take care of each other.
A few minutes later, Si’nian He’s car stopped outside. Lan He got into the passenger seat. Si’nian He turned to look at him and smiled. “Brother, that outfit looks really handsome on you!”
Lan He looked down and noticed that he was still wearing the white cashmere coat.
Tuxi Ling hadn’t even complimented him on this coat! Who did Si’nian He think he was!
He regretted sitting in the front seat.
He glared at him coldly and said, “Drive.”
Money makes the world go round. The signing process went smoothly, and the person in charge of the cemetery management office guaranteed that it would be repaired to its original condition within three days.
Since they were here, they naturally had to visit their father’s tomb, especially since Lan He now knew that Weiyu He prioritized him in everything. He inexplicably felt a pang of guilt for his previous attitude towards him.
Leaving the management office, he took the initiative to walk towards the tomb area. Si’nian He was stunned for a moment, then followed silently, always a meter behind him.
The damage was indeed severe. The paths and steps were covered in silt and leaves, and the cemetery staff was cleaning.
The two chose a clean path, maintaining silence throughout. Even when they arrived at Weiyu He’s tomb, no one spoke. Lan He bowed to the tombstone, then went to the side of the tomb and saw that a corner of the marble had been chipped off.
He reached out and gently touched the scar, feeling a sudden wave of sadness, but then thought it was absurd and let his hand down.
Suddenly, he saw a row of numbers on the tomb entrance, which was the number assigned to each tomb for cemetery management purposes.
WL1680204.
It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck his mind. An hour earlier, the chess endgame and the words in the notebook flashed through his mind one by one.
With, Leave, Tyrant, Order, Two, Ridge, Think.
Was it a tomb?
But Qin Man had sent the poem home in the spring, and Weiyu He wasn’t dead then!
He withdrew his hand and turned to walk out of the cemetery, his pace much faster than when he came. Si’nian He was caught off guard and hurriedly bowed to the tombstone before following him.
“This tomb seems to have a nice environment. Was it bought in advance? I remember that I signed the papers after Father died?”
Hearing him speak, Si’nian He felt a little aggrieved. His brother had even omitted the honorific…
“It was bought in advance. Father found a feng shui master to look at it. We used to pay the management fees every year, but the price for an empty tomb is different, and the documents to be signed are also different. At that time, as an ownerless tomb, Father signed it himself.”
Lan He nodded.
So, the tomb existed long ago, and so did the number.
On the way back to the city, Lan He sat in the back seat. Si’nian He felt like he was just a tool of a driver, but he only dared to glance at his brother in the rearview mirror before starting the car, swallowing hard without saying anything.
The car’s air freshener emitted a fresh tea fragrance, and the scenery outside the window flashed by. Lan He, still weak from his recent illness and the long journey, fell asleep on the bumpy car ride. When he woke up again, he found himself on an unfamiliar bed.
He suddenly clenched the sheets beneath him, slowly sat up, and surveyed the room.
The decoration was understated and luxurious, the furnishings were simple. A small table stood against the wall, and many photos were pasted on the wall above. The light was too dim to see clearly. The second floor had only one bedroom, directly connected to the stairs leading down. Judging from the height of the setting sun, he was probably on the second or third floor, and the lush mountain scenery outside the window indicated that he was not in the city.
Finding no phone in his pocket, he had a slight suspicion.
“Brother, you’re awake?” Si’nian He’s voice came from the stairs. He was carrying a glass of milk and a plate of bread. “Are you hungry? Let’s just have something simple tonight. I’ll bring you something delicious back tomorrow!”
Lan He didn’t show any panic and casually asked, “Where is this?”
Si’nian He blinked playfully. “My secret base!”
Lan He suddenly grabbed the pillow next to him and threw it at him. “Stop fucking pretending with me! Send me home!”
“Brother, it’s said that leaving your original environment can make you more clear-headed.” Si’nian He put away his smile and placed the bread and milk on the small table. “You should just stay here for a few days, calm down, and think carefully about how to get along with your brother. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone disturb you.”
Under Lan He’s murderous gaze, he took out a remote control. “Oh right, I just had a set of smart systems installed a few days ago. Now I control everything in this house, including the doors, windows, power, kitchen fire, and every facility you can think of.”
Lan He looked at him coldly. “Are you kidnapping me?”
Si’nian He frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with the word “kidnapping.” After thinking for a moment, he corrected with a smile, “It’s imprisonment.”