After purchasing items on the dark web, Li Ming went to a distant supermarket to buy a dozen nutrient solutions. Yang Yu's grocery store had them, but if he had gone there, he wouldn't have been charged.
It was not until mid-afternoon that he fully rested. He had planned to exercise, but an unexpected visitor arrived.
"Yang Yu?" The girl standing outside Li Ming's door had shoulder-length, sleek, black hair, a delicate oval face with light makeup, bright eyes, white teeth, a well-defined nose, and her reddish lips were pursed into a line.
She was also wearing some kind of uniform, a wine-red jacket over a white shirt, with a skirt that just reached her knees, and her calves were white and straight.
"Li Ming…," Yang Yu's eyes were red. "I'm sorry, I didn't know about Uncle Li…"
The two families were close, and Li Changhai was usually good to her. They met often, and hearing the sudden news naturally saddened her.
"No matter, it's all in the past." Li Ming found it hard to muster a sad expression, so he simply changed the subject and then moved aside to let Yang Yu in and poured her some of the drink he had just bought.
"Grandpa and dad didn't even tell me. I didn't manage to attend the funeral…" She sat down somewhat self-reproachful.
"Don't mind it… You were taking an exam at the time and shouldn't have been disturbed," Li Ming consoled her and sized up Yang Yu. This girl was not to be underestimated. Beneath that tender skin, she harbored impressive strength, no less than his current self.
His former self had seen it personally when a punch from her had pierced through a thin wall.
Yang Yu, uncomfortable with Li Ming's staring, muttered to herself that grandpa wasn't wrong, he really had changed.
In the past, he couldn't even hold a conversation with me for long, but now he even dares to stare at me.
"Haven't you stared enough?" Yang Yu turned her head to meet Li Ming's eyes.
If it were his former self, his face would have turned red by now, but Li Ming just uttered an "Oh" and looked away, "Sorry."
Yang Yu's personality was just like that, bright and cheerful, never hiding her true feelings, unlike his former self, who was like a creature crawling in the dark.
"By the way, how did your exams go?" Li Ming asked.
The topic change was so smooth, had he really changed that much?
Yang Yu glared, trying to detect embarrassment, but ultimately she couldn't get through his thick skin. "Do I even need to say it? I've always been top of the class, a stable position in the Capital Institute of Technology."
"Congratulations," Li Ming replied noncommittally but his thoughts wandered. It was this institute again.
The reason his former self did not resist Li Changhai's arrangement was that Yang Yu had mentioned she was going to the Capital Institute of Technology.
Such an old bootlicker… Not really, or rather, his former self spoke very little in front of Yang Yu, due to his inferiority complex.
More often, it was Yang Yu who cared for his former self, and sometimes, it was she who drove away those who bullied him.
"That's the Capital Institute of Technology, the best education, a custom-tailored evolution path for our civilization's most outstanding youths, the opportunity for intercultural exchange, the expansive interstellar. I really want to see it…" Yang Yu said dreamily, supporting her chin.
Just then, another person entered the still-open shop door, a man so burly that even the light in the shop seemed to dim noticeably.
"Yu'er?" the man said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Dad?" Yang Yu was also surprised and then frowned. "Why do you ask why I am here, why didn't you tell me about Uncle Changhai…"
She cut herself off halfway, remembering Li Ming was there, and just snorted coldly.
Yang Peng, one of the city's security chiefs, with a promising future.
"I was afraid…" Yang Peng said sheepishly, his gaze shifting, but he felt it was not good to say he was afraid it might affect Yang Yu, especially since it was Li Ming's father who had died.
"Uncle Yang…" He greeted him proactively, easing Yang Peng's embarrassment,
At the same time, Yang Peng's eyes held a hint of surprise; Li Ming seemed different.
He took the opportunity to ask, "How have you been resting these past few days?"
"Not bad, thanks for asking, Uncle Yang. Old Yang often comes to see me. He's getting on in years, so please urge him to rest more. I can take care of myself," Li Ming said as he brought over a stool.
Saying so much, covering all bases, was this really something Li Ming could say?
Yang Yu looked at Li Ming in surprise. Her dad often said she was careless and spoke without thinking—such words, she could never say.
Yang Peng helplessly said, "You know how he is. Just take care of it, otherwise, he won't be able to sleep tonight again."
Li Ming smiled, "Uncle Yang, are you not busy today?"
Was this his way of asking what he was doing here today? Yang Peng suddenly felt like he was dealing with that cunning chief Fox.
"Something happened, it is somewhat related to you, just came to ask routinely." Yang Peng said briefly, casually throwing out a metal sphere that split open on four sides, hovering midair, blinking red.
"Name," he asked.
"Dad!" Yang Yu said angrily, "Are you interrogating a criminal?"
"Yu'er, stop it, it's recording," Yang Peng frowned.
"Don't think I don't know, it can be deleted!" Yang Yu stepped in front of Li Ming, as always, "Uncle Changhai just died, and you're interrogating like this, what exactly is going on!?"
"It's not... this... just routine business." Yang Peng was helpless; he had no way to handle this daughter of his.
"Yang Yu, stop it..." A large hand rested on Yang Yu's shoulder, Yang Peng's brows and eyes twitched, "Uncle Yang is working."
Yang Yu turned to look at Li Ming, her eyes calm as a placid lake, unexpectedly making her involuntarily calm down. She muttered "oh," then looked at Yang Peng and huffed coldly before stepping aside.
Yang Peng took a deep breath and began the record anew.
"Name."
"Li Ming."
"Age..."
"..."
"Last night, from seven to eight, where were you?" he asked pointedly.
"At home, sleeping." Li Ming then showed a trace of perplexity.
"Is there someone... " Yang Peng paused, "someone who could verify this?"
Yang Yu glared angrily.
"None." Li Ming shook his head.
"I need to check your home's security system," Yang Peng said, to which Li Ming nodded: "Okay, but it has been crashing these past few days, and my father didn't install any surveillance in the house."
"I almost forgot, your dad doesn't trust this technology," Yang Peng said offhandedly. Li Ming chuckled; it wasn't lack of trust really, but more like fear of his own secrets being exposed.
"Yesterday, a certain Ma Wu and Wang Bo came to look for you, they said there was a conflict?"
"A verbal dispute," Li Ming sighed helplessly, then posed curiously, "Does your visit today have something to do with them?"
"They, are dead."
"Dead..." Li Ming was first stunned then showed a mix of relief and gritting frustration, only to realize Yang Peng wasn't paying him any attention.
Yang Peng really was here just on routine business; Li Ming wasn't a suspect, but since he had met with the deceased on the day of their death, Yang Peng naturally came to inquire.
"Well, no other business then," Yang Peng said succinctly, "Don't leave Silver Grey City for the next while, I might need to see you at any time."
Afterwards, he stood up, retrieved the recording sphere, and patted Li Ming on the shoulder, "Be a man, you've got to stand tall and face the world."
"Those two scoundrels, good riddance, particularly that Wang Bo, he used to always..." Yang Yu finally spoke, seemingly taking pleasure in their misfortune.
"Didn't even say a word to me when you came back," Yang Peng glared at Yang Yu, then prepared to leave. He reached the doorway when suddenly, his steps halted, and looking towards the staircase leading to the second floor, his mind slightly stirred, he turned, "Li Ming, you don't mind if I go up to take a look, do you?"
Li Ming's heart clenched; why did he suddenly think to go up and check?