Character Card

Investigators from the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau? The unit where his cousin worked—and they were looking for him? An instinctive chill ran through Zhang Yuanqing. He was about to go to the bedroom door and listen in when something occurred to him. He opened his phone and deleted the chat history and call records with Brother Bing. Then he folded the letter Brother Bing had written him and pressed it beneath the potted plant on the windowsill. Only then did he relax enough to open a crack and watch from the shadows. From the entryway came his grandmother's voice, answering a question with a question. "What do you want with him?" She did not invite the investigators in. She blocked the doorway. "We need to ask him about a few matters. These are our credentials." The speaker was a young woman, her voice sultry. Grandmother's gaze lingered briefly on the credentials. Then she frowned and stepped aside. Zhang Yuanqing opened his door at just the right moment and studied the investigators as they entered the living room. The one in front wore a black formal suit over a white shirt and black vest, and leaned on an ebony cane. His face was lean, he wore a small mustache in two neat points, and his slicked-back hair was combed without a hair out of place. That thick British style, together with the little mustache, made one think unbidden of a gentleman returned from overseas in the Republican era. To the returned gentleman's left was a beautiful young female investigator. Her features were sharply defined; she seemed mixed-race. A smile hovered at the corners of her mouth, and her bright, watery eyes were full of life. She was about 175 centimeters tall, with long legs that could rival a supermodel's. She wore a formal suit, the hem of her blouse tucked into the waist of her trousers, outlining a slender waist and a full chest—crisp and polished. The last investigator wore a wooden expression and black-framed glasses. His hair was slightly messy, and he had the air of an engineering nerd. "I'm Zhang Yuanqing. What do you want with me?" Even as Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized them, the investigators were sizing up the young man. The mixed-race female investigator said with a smile, "We're investigators from the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. We have a few questions we'd like to ask you. Please cooperate with the investigation." "All right." Zhang Yuanqing led them to the living-room sofa. Grandmother poured each of the three investigators a glass of water, then stared at her grandson in puzzlement. She could not imagine what would bring bureau investigators to the door to question the warm, outgoing, socially adept child she had raised with her own hands. The young investigator with messy hair and a vacant gaze took out a little notebook and a pen, and unscrewed the cap. The man with the slicked-back hair sat on the sofa, both hands resting on his cane, and said gravely, "Do you know Lei Yibing?" So they really had come about Brother Bing—and so quickly. Zhang Yuanqing answered honestly, "We've been friends since we were little. Why are you suddenly asking about this?" A doubt flashed through his mind. His cousin was the captain of Team Two at the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. If these three investigators had come to the door, they must have checked his family background. By rights, once they knew they were visiting the family of Team Two's captain—colleagues, all of them—shouldn't they have passed word along, offered a greeting? People inside the system who didn't even understand this much of how things worked? Yet there had been no movement at all from his cousin. He clearly didn't know. Otherwise, even if he didn't come along, he would have called to give Zhang Yuanqing a heads-up. "Oh. Close friends!" The man gave his gleaming leather shoe a light tap and said, unhurried, "It's like this. Lei Yibing has gone missing. The Public Security Bureau in Hang City, Jiangnan Province, contacted us. They found that on the morning before he disappeared, Lei Yibing mailed a parcel. The recipient was you." His gaze, deep as a still pool, fixed on Zhang Yuanqing as if it could see through a person's heart. "Did this happen?" Zhang Yuanqing put on a look of shock and bewilderment. "Missing? How is that possible?" The engineering nerd taking the statement spoke up in reminder. "You only need to answer yes or no." "Yes. Just now, I received a parcel, but it didn't have the sender's name on it. I was still wondering who had sent it to me." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, his expression heavy. Denying it would be useless. If the bureau could trace a delivery, checking the neighborhood surveillance would be even less trouble. The slicked-back man nodded and asked, "What was in the parcel? I hope you'll answer truthfully. For us, this is a very important lead." Beside them, Grandmother let out a breath of relief, yet she could not help worrying about Lei Yibing. She had watched that child grow up, even if the families had moved apart years ago. Zhang Yuanqing answered, "There was nothing in the parcel. It was empty." "Empty?" The slicked-back man narrowed his eyes. That gaze, as if it could see through people, scrutinized Zhang Yuanqing. I lied, but the black card vanished into thin air. That's no different from empty. I'm not afraid of you checking. Zhang Yuanqing did not flinch. He met the man's eyes sincerely and said, "When I opened the parcel, I found it was empty. There was only the cushioning air pad. Right—the parcel is still in my room. If you don't believe me, you can go look." If Brother Bing's disappearance was what he suspected, he had to keep it hidden for now and explain everything only after his cousin got off work and came home. For something that might carry risk, talking it over with his own family was naturally the safest course. The slicked-back man signaled his female subordinate with a look. She went into the room with a smile. A moment later she returned to the living room and gave her companions a slight nod. The slicked-back man considered, then said, "If it's convenient, we'd like to check your room, and your computer. Also, please let me see your phone." Checking the computer is fine, but please don't open the browser history, or the study materials on the hard drive. Without a blush or a flutter, Zhang Yuanqing unlocked his phone and handed it over. The slicked-back man took the phone, and the female investigator went back into the room. He held the phone in one hand. After a few simple swipes of his thumb, he returned it to Zhang Yuanqing and waited patiently. A short while later, the female investigator came out on those long legs. This time, she shook her head. The slicked-back man gave a slight nod and said mildly, "Thank you for your cooperation. We won't disturb you any further." Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly asked, "May I ask about Lei Yibing's situation?" He meant it, and it was also to keep the lie intact. Hearing that his childhood friend had gone missing and not asking any further would be far too suspicious. The slicked-back man answered patiently, "Lei Yibing disappeared from his dormitory. The surveillance in the hallway didn't capture him leaving. According to one roommate, when he got up to use the bathroom that night, he still saw Lei Yibing asleep in bed. "But when morning came, he was gone. Twenty-four hours later, because they couldn't reach him, their counselor notified the school, and the school immediately called the police. "For anything more detailed, you'll have to call the local Public Security Bureau." This matches what Uncle Lei said. Looks like the local bureau hasn't made any progress at all. Hmm. Or maybe this guy just doesn't want to tell me. Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "I understand." The slicked-back man led his two subordinates toward the security door. Halfway there he stopped, turned, and said, "If you come across any leads, you must notify us promptly. Do not conceal anything from us." Zhang Yuanqing was about to nod when he heard the man say, his smile laden with meaning, "Otherwise, the next one to go missing might be you." The next one to go missing would be me? What did he mean by that? A threat? If I don't hand over the black card, I'll vanish off the face of the earth just like Brother Bing? Then again, what was going on with that card? It disappeared out of thin air... Even if I wanted to hand it over, I couldn't. "Thanks for the reminder!" He answered with a smile that held little humor. Whatever the case, he would wait until his cousin got off work and came home. Brother Bing definitely would not want the card to fall into the Public Security Bureau's hands, or he would not have mailed the thing to him. Besides, as his close friend and childhood companion, he believed Brother Bing would not set him up. Beside them, Grandmother's face darkened. She said coldly, "I won't see you out." What was wrong with this man, cursing her grandson for no reason? The slicked-back man smiled, drew a business card from the left pocket of his suit, and held it out. "Contact me anytime if anything comes up." Once Zhang Yuanqing had taken it, he led his two subordinates away. "How could Ah Bing go missing? Ai. I'll find time to go see Ah Bing's mother." After the visitors had left, Grandmother said, full of worry. The two families had once been neighbors. For more than ten years they had run into each other constantly, and there was still some feeling between them. Zhang Yuanqing said wearily, "Grandma, I didn't sleep well last night. I'm going back to my room to rest. If I'm not up by noon, don't call me. "If Grandpa comes back, tell him about this and have him get in touch with Uncle Lei." Last night he had stayed up playing with his little aunt until two or three in the morning. This morning his old condition had flared and jolted him awake. He was already short on sleep, and searching from Brother Bing all the way to the black card had forced him to overdraw his mind again. By now he was so tired that waves of dizziness washed through his head. After Grandmother nodded, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room. He shut the door, stepped heel against heel to kick his shoes off, and flopped onto the bed, falling into a muddled sleep. In a black business car, Li Dongze sat in a soft leather seat. His gold-handled cane leaned against the seat beside him. In his palm he cradled a stemmed glass, swirling the scarlet wine. "Guan Ya, what did you find in the room just now?" He turned his head toward the mixed-race beauty in the seat beside him. Guan Ya lounged lazily against the soft seat, her long legs pressed flush together. Her pretty face was grave. "A major discovery." "Speak," Li Dongze said solemnly. The engineering guy in the back also looked up from his phone. Guan Ya's tone was serious. "That kid is obsessed with black stockings and mature older-sister types. His study materials are full of mature women, yet his trash bin is that clean. It's completely unreasonable. "His social circle is very broad—he's in every kind of group—but he's only active in gaming groups and LSP groups. The rest are all muted. Aside from a game console, his room has no entertainment at all. The kid's actual personality is a bit reclusive... Oh, right, Decurion, you know what LSP means, don't you?" The mixed-race beauty grinned and made a stroking gesture. His two companions listened in a daze. Li Dongze hurriedly raised a hand to cut her off and said angrily, "Oh, my God, I really want to kick your backside hard with my boot. I'm talking business with you. What are you saying all this nonsense for? I've told you many times—don't play the lecher, don't tell dirty jokes. This habit of yours is very bad. Very inelegant." The long-legged woman was not the least bit afraid of her angry superior. She laughed. "Don't be so boring. A proper joke helps liven the mood." She slowly put her smile away. "I didn't find anything suspicious on his computer, but under the potted plant on the windowsill I found the letter Lei Yibing sent him. Lei Yibing really did send him something. If nothing unexpected has happened, it's a character card—but I don't know what class." Li Dongze was silent for a few seconds, then closed his eyes to rest. "Come by again tomorrow. Heh—if he hasn't gone missing."