After what felt like ages, the medical report finally came in, and everything was A-OK. In the doc's words, Lin Moran had just cracked his noggin, and a few stitches would patch him right up.
Wang Zhiyuan couldn't help but be amazed at Lin Moran's resilience. The guy had his head sewn up and was bouncing around like nothing happened. If it wasn't for Ding Shuqing calling and ordering him to stay put in bed for a few days, he'd probably be raring to get back to work.
But while his body was stuck in bed, Lin's mind was racing about the day's events. "Master Bruiser, do you think…"
"Don't call me Master Bruiser," Wang Zhiyuan cut in, sounds weird. "Just Master or Bruiser will do."
Lin Moran blinked, then broke into a grin, probably thinking he'd finally won Wang Zhiyuan over with his charm. Little did he know that Wang was just trying to get close to him to figure out what his deal was.
Either way, both of them felt like they were making progress towards their goals, and their spirits were high.
"What were you about to say?" Wang Zhiyuan handed Lin a peeled orange.
Lin took it and said, "I think there's more to that car crash today. Any word from the captain?"
Wang Zhiyuan peeled an orange for himself. "Nothing yet."
Lin Moran munched on a couple of orange slices, then blurted out, "Do you think Qian Haiyang found out we were tailing him and sent someone to warn us off?" The hospital room was empty, so they could talk freely.
Wang Zhiyuan noticed that ever since he let Lin call him Master, Lin had gotten way too comfortable. He replied coolly, "You should worry about your head, that's more important."
Lin Moran laughed even harder, his injured mouth curving into a smile.
Wang Zhiyuan frowned. "Did you hit your head too hard?"
Lin Moran replied, "A small price to pay for a Master who cares about me!"
Wang Zhiyuan's face darkened.
Lin Moran's smile froze. "I was just kidding."
"What's the joke? Share it with us," Bighead burst into the room, followed by Wang Rui.
Lin Moran straightened up. "Bro Song!"
Bighead, whose real name was Song Dawei, was taken aback by being called by his real name. He laughed, "Hey, you look like you're in top shape. What doesn't kill you, huh?"
Lin Moran replied, "Just a scratch."
Wang Rui brought a chair for Bighead and sat at the foot of the bed. He shot Wang Zhiyuan a disgruntled look.
Bighead clapped Wang Zhiyuan on the shoulder. "What happened? Your new apprentice is already banged up?"
Lin Moran jumped in, "Not my Master's fault. That car was gunning for us."
Bighead's face turned serious. "You sure it was deliberate?" He glanced at Wang Zhiyuan.
Lin Moran looked at Wang Zhiyuan too.
Wang Zhiyuan hesitated. "Could've been an accident."
Lin Moran looked surprised.
Bighead slapped Wang Zhiyuan on the back. "You're getting good at playing your cards close to your chest. The driver's name is Chen Jili, works at a cement factory. Got his license less than two months ago. No obvious connection to Qian Haiyang."
Wang Rui chimed in, "Qian Haiyang's loaded and influential. He could easily stage an 'accident'."
Bighead nodded. "True. But we don't have anything solid on him, even if he did kill Zhou Zhaotao. He's got no reason to pick a fight with us now."
Lin Moran pondered, "Maybe he wanted to show us who's boss?"
Bighead said, "The car's totaled. If you two weren't so damn lucky, we might be paying our respects right now. Knock on wood! Just saying, don't take it to heart. But this crash doesn't look like a warning, more like an attempt to silence us for good." He noticed Wang Zhiyuan's stern face and patted his shoulder. "Hey, don't tell me you're taking this personally?"
Wang Zhiyuan removed Bighead's hand. "I'm thinking, what if Qian Haiyang knows something we don't?"
Bighead paused.
Wang Rui said, "Yeah, like in the movies! Something we overlooked could crack the case wide open!"
Bighead was skeptical. "You think?"
Wang Zhiyuan said, "Go back to the station and check the evidence again. See if we missed anything."
Bighead, now on fire, jumped up. "Alright. Wang Rui, with me. Bruiser, keep an eye on Lin."
Wang Rui reluctantly glanced at Wang Zhiyuan and Lin Moran.
Bighead smacked him on the head. "What are you waiting for? Go find a girlfriend or something."
Wang Rui's face turned red, and he followed Bighead out like a lost puppy.
With Bighead gone, the room went quiet.
Wang Zhiyuan, with nothing else to do, started peeling another orange. Suddenly, Lin Moran blurted out, "Could Zhou Jin have done it?"
Wang Zhiyuan's hands froze.
He had thought of this possibility. As Bighead said, Qian Haiyang had no reason to attack them. But Zhou Jin might, especially since Wang Zhiyuan had hinted at knowing something about a buried body during questioning. Zhou Jin might have hired someone to kill them. And with the police investigating Zhou Zhaotao's murder, he could pin it on the same killer.
But Wang Zhiyuan didn't want Bighead to know this. He couldn't explain how he knew about Zhou Jin's secrets.
Luckily, Lin Moran brought it up after Bighead left.
Wang Zhiyuan deflected, "Why would you think that?"
Lin Moran tested the waters, "During questioning, he seemed scared of you?"
Wang Zhiyuan's expression cooled again. "Guilty conscience."
Lin Moran perked up, "Do you know what he's guilty of?"
"Anyone hanging with Qian Haiyang is up to no good," Wang Zhiyuan paused, then added, "I was just bluffing during questioning. Who knows what skeletons he's got in his closet."
Lin Moran's eyes twinkled, then he laughed. "Master, you're a genius! He looked like a mouse caught by a cat."
"Really?" Wang Zhiyuan said, "I'll look into him tomorrow."
Lin Moran eagerly said, "I'll come with you."
Wang Zhiyuan said, "If the captain agrees, I don't mind."
Lin Moran's face fell. "But you're my Master, put in a good word for me."
Wang Zhiyuan said, "What am I supposed to say? That I'll hold your hand every step of the way?"
Lin Moran pouted.
Wang Zhiyuan looked at Lin Moran and noticed that the more he saw him, the less he resembled Li Xingchen. Was this one of the butterfly effects of reincarnation? Zhou Zhaotao died three years early, and Li Xingchen, the undercover cop who couldn't keep his cool, no longer exist. Was the memory of Zhou Zhaotao and Li Xingchen's shared existence about to fade too?
Wang Zhiyuan felt a tightness in his chest. He looked down at his own beer belly and wondered about the future. It all seemed so uncertain.
Why was he reborn?
Was it just to be a washed-up cop with a beer belly?
Or was it…
To erase every trace of Zhou Zhaotao's existence – body, soul… and memory?