Wang Zhiyuan was beat. After a long day, he took a cold shower in the bathroom with his eyes closed, shivering as he climbed into bed. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine he was still in his old home, lying on that big, comfy, clean bed.
And just like that, he dozed off.
The next morning, when he opened his eyes to the grubby room, it didn't disgust him as much as the day before. But the grimy, yellowish-black stains on the walls made him think of cockroaches and rats, and he couldn't help but feel itchy.
Maybe after this case wraps up, he should look into getting a decent place. He remembered that back in '04, the housing market wasn't as insane as it is now. It was a good time to get in. Wang Zhiyuan had to think long-term for himself, he is no longer Zhou Zhaotao. He couldn't rely on Wang Zhiyuan's education, and he didn't have any special skills. Being a detective seemed like the only solid option. He wondered what his relationship with Li Chen was. If he could get in good with him, maybe he could get back to what he was good at.
As he was getting dressed and making plans, his phone rang. It was Bighead, as chipper as ever, like nothing happened last night.
Wang Zhiyuan played along, telling him he had to go to the bus station today and couldn't catch a ride with him. He asked him to come back tomorrow.
Before hanging up, Bighead suddenly said, "If something's up at home, don't keep it to yourself. We're brothers, man. You can talk to me."
Wang Zhiyuan paused. Bighead's words seemed to hint at something. But Bighead didn't seem to know anything last night, so he must have found out something after he left. Wang Zhiyuan thought of Ding Shuqing.
That detective commander was no simple character. He probably knew way more than Wang Zhiyuan did. Getting information out of him wouldn't be easy, but maybe he could get something out of Bighead.
He added "Grab late-night snacks with Bighead and pump him for info" to his mental to-do list.
He glanced at the clock – almost 8 AM. He headed out and started jogging down the street.
No gym, so he had to go old school with his workout. Running to the bus station would take about an hour – a good workout. But he overestimated his stamina.
He was in a 28-year-old body but felt weaker than his 40-something self. After just 10 minutes, he was huffing and puffing, feeling light-headed.
He leaned against a lamppost, gasping for air.
But working out was as much about willpower as it was about physical strength.
He ran a bit, rested a bit, and finally made it to the bus station. It was around 9:30 AM. He walked in and realized he forgot to buy roses, so he ran out to find a flower shop. By the time he got back to the bus station with the roses, it was almost 10 AM.
Wang Zhiyuan stood there with the roses, scanning the crowd for a pair of young people.
Wang Rui sounded like a guy's name, but Lin Moran was ambiguous. He decided to keep an eye on all the couples.
Whack.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Wang Zhiyuan spun around and saw a face he thought he'd never see again, grinning at him. Before he could think, he swung a punch at the guy.
Wang Zhiyuan might not be the strongest, but he was still a guy. His punch sent the other guy sprawling on the floor.
"What the hell, man?!"
Wang Zhiyuan snapped back to reality as a young man grabbed his arm. The guy was fuming, "Why did you hit him?!"
"Rui, chill," said the guy on the floor as he sat up, wiping his mouth. He looked at Wang Zhiyuan, whose face was as cold as ice, and said nonchalantly, "Dude, I think you got the wrong guy."
Wang Zhiyuan glared at him, thinking, 'Even if you turned to ashes, I'd still recognize you!'
The guy called Wang Rui said, "Should we call the cops?"
Security from the bus station was already eyeing them and making their way over.
Wang Zhiyuan looked at Wang Rui and asked, "Your name's Wang Rui?"
"Yeah, what's it to you?" Wang Rui replied.
Wang Zhiyuan turned to the guy he punched and asked, "And you're Lin Moran?"
Wang Rui looked surprised, "How'd you know?"
Wang Zhiyuan said, "I'm Wang Zhiyuan, a detective. I'm here to pick you guys up."
Wang Rui looked shocked, and glanced at Lin Moran.
Lin Moran tried to smile but winced because of his mouth. He said sarcastically, "Guess you got the right guy then."
Wang Zhiyuan broke free from Wang Rui's grip and coldly said to Lin Moran, "Just testing your reaction."
Lin Moran laughed again with the corner of his mouth that wasn't injured, "Ah, I see."
His laughter irked Wang Zhiyuan. When this face belonged to a guy named Li Xingchen, he never laughed like this. Back then, Zhou Zhaotao would go out of his way to make him laugh, but it rarely worked. Now, he was grinning like it was second nature. Was this to show how well he had fooled him before?
Wang Zhiyuan was seething. He clenched the roses so hard the thorns pierced his palm. He said coldly, "Let's go."
Lin Moran and Wang Rui followed him.
Originally, Wang Zhiyuan planned to call a cab back to the station, but he changed his mind and headed for the bus stop.
Wang Rui and Lin Moran didn't have much luggage, but it was still a hassle to carry it through the streets. Wang Zhiyuan didn't slow down for them.
Luckily, the bus stop was near the bus station.
Wang Zhiyuan didn't usually take the bus, but he knew the way. When paying, he absentmindedly threw in ten bucks. Wang Rui and Lin Moran thought he was paying for them and felt a bit grateful.
The trio made their way back to the station, each lost in their thoughts.
As Wang Zhiyuan approached the station, he heard roaring laughter inside. He paused, wondering if there was a breakthrough in the case.
Tadpole was the first to see him and pointed, laughing, "You actually went with the red roses?"
Wang Zhiyuan was confused.
Bighead, red in the face from laughing, came over and said, "Haha, the commander was pulling your leg! He was supposed to pick them up, but it ended up being you!"
Wang Zhiyuan thought, 'I knew the red roses were weird.'
As the laughter died down, Lin Moran and Wang Rui made their entrance.
The room went silent.
Ding Shuqing looked at Lin Moran and asked, "What happened to your mouth?"
Wang Rui was about to speak, but Lin Moran tugged at him. Lin Moran scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin, "I bumped into something in the restroom at the gas station on the way here."
Wang Zhiyuan shot him a glance.
Bighead, Tadpole, and the others were seasoned detectives. They could tell a bump from a punch. But since Ding Shuqing didn't say anything, they kept quiet.
Ding Shuqing casually said, "Be careful. You're a detective. If you can't avoid bumping into things, how are you going to catch criminals?"
Lin Moran quickly nodded in agreement.
Ding Shuqing continued, "We've got a big case on our hands and no time for you guys to settle in. How about this: one of you pair up with Bighead, the other with Bruiser. Learn on the job."
Bighead looked at Wang Zhiyuan and pulled Lin Moran towards him, "I'll take this boy."
Ding Shuqing looked at Wang Zhiyuan and asked Bighead, "You like him?"
Bighead grinned, "That little bruise on his mouth is kinda endearing."
Ding Shuqing said, "Well, I'm going to mess with your plans. You, what's your name?"
"Lin Moran," he replied.
"Alright, Lin Moran, you're with Bruiser. That's Wang Zhiyuan, the guy who picked you up. And you, Wang Rui, you're with Bighead." Ding Shuqing made the final call.