Chapter 58

Eighteen years, such a long time, what could happen in that period? It’s almost one-sixth of an average person’s lifespan. A barren small town could develop into a modern city, and a city at its peak could turn from prosperity to ruin. People are born, and people die. A child could grow into a young adult.

Eighteen years ago, Lu Siyu was eight years old. In that year, Song Wen was seven and a half years old.

Eighteen years ago in Nancheng, people watched old television sets, and the streets were filled with record stores, newsstands, playing all kinds of catchy songs. Time slipped away silently.

In September eighteen years ago, the case of Wushan Nursing Home was discovered. Like a butterfly flapping its wings, the fate of the entire city changed…

In the blink of an eye, eighteen years later, someone tore open the seal of time.

It’s the third night since the crime, 11:30 PM, inside a bar on the west side of Nancheng called WAITING. Customers gradually arrived. For some, it was time to go to bed, while for others, a beautiful day was just beginning. The bar was well-decorated but located in a relatively remote area.

Lu Siyu sat quietly in a secluded corner of the bar. The cool-toned lights reflected on his face, giving his complexion a cold tone that didn’t match the lively surroundings. He had called the contact provided by Wu Qing, who, upon hearing that Lu Siyu knew Wu Qing, straightforwardly quoted a price and arranged to meet at this bar. So, Lu Siyu was waiting here for the meeting.

At this moment, Lu Siyu lowered his eyes, fingers interlaced, placed on his crossed legs, unmoving. He seemed to be contemplating something, and his face showed neither happiness nor displeasure. The agreed-upon time from the earlier phone call had arrived, but the person he was waiting for had not appeared.

With recent crackdowns on business establishments, those women selling alcohol were nowhere to be seen, and the bar’s customers were fewer than usual. These days, it’s tough to run any business.

Since Lu Siyu arrived at the bar, people had been pointing and gossiping about him. He completely contrasted with the atmosphere here, like a well-behaved student who accidentally entered the wrong place. After repelling a few waves of well-intentioned customers, another man stumbled over from the bar counter. Clearly intoxicated, he sat down next to Lu Siyu without saying a word, “How come this little beauty is alone? Want me to buy you a drink?”

As he approached, a strong smell of alcohol swept over. Without any greeting, the man extended his hand and, relying on his tall and robust stature, reached for Lu Siyu’s face, “It’s late at night, the good times are short…”

Finally, Lu Siyu moved. His eyebrows slightly furrowed, he turned his head away from the man’s hand, showing an unpleasant expression.

The man became more enthusiastic, grinning as he moved closer, “Hey, accompany me for a drink. Can’t be without you for a good night.” While speaking, he pressed his body forward, extending his hand to embrace Lu Siyu’s waist.

This time, Lu Siyu didn’t tolerate it. He raised his eyes and muttered displeasingly, “Get lost.”

He detested physical contact and even more so the scent emanating from the man, a mixture of human odor and the smell of alcohol.

“Who are you telling to get lost?! Don’t you even ask whose turf this is?” The man’s anger was undisguised.

Lu Siyu stood up, taking a step back. In this position, he got stuck in the seat. The man also stood up, and his gaze seemed to be fixed on a butterfly trapped in a bottle.

Between the two, there was a coffee table as high as a knee. The man reached out to grab Lu Siyu’s collar; he was half a head taller than Lu Siyu, towering over him with a robust physique, completely disregarding him. With one hand, Lu Siyu pushed away his arm, and with the other, he swiftly punched him in the ribs. The man lunged forward, both parties exerting force, as if he had collided with Lu Siyu’s hand on his own.

In an instant, the drunkard felt like it wasn’t a fist that hit him, but a sharp knife stabbing into his ribs. Lu Siyu remained expressionless; taking advantage of the moment when the man bent in pain, he forcefully elbowed the back of the man’s heart. The man, in pain, let out an uncontrollable low moan, and his knees were about to buckle. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Siyu cleverly used his knee to push against the man’s, simultaneously delivering a single-handed knife-hand chop to the back of his neck. The man instantly collapsed, falling onto the coffee table.

Lu Siyu returned to his original position, grabbed the man’s collar, and coldly said in his ear, “Call your boss, Cao, out.”

The man grunted, looking at him with a hint of fear. He was a regular at this bar, often getting into fights every now and then, but being in such a miserable state, completely defenseless, was a first.

After speaking, Lu Siyu released him, wiping his hands disdainfully with a tissue from the table. The man turned to glance at him, muttered something under his breath, and then slinked away.

After a while, there was a commotion in the bar. A group of people approached from the other side, and someone extended a hand in greeting, “Hey, Boss Cao, why are you over here today?”

The one addressed as Boss Cao was a middle-aged man, not tall, with a round belly and almost completely bald. He looked like a laughing Buddha, but at this moment, there was a hint of displeasure on his fleshy face.

Boss Cao walked up to the opposite side of Lu Siyu. His fat face quickly changed to a smiling one; his face seemed to wear a mask that could turn angry in a second and smile in the next. “Don’t be angry, my friend. There are always some ignorant fools everywhere.”

The bar was a bit noisy, and Boss Cao’s voice was just slightly louder than the music.

Lu Siyu raised his eyelids to look at Boss Cao, pretending not to see that the man earlier was deliberately sent by Boss Cao to test him. He didn’t like dealing with these people and didn’t like arranging meetings in such places. This was the noisiest part of the city, and the smell of alcohol and smoke masked the scent of perfume, making him uncomfortable.

But the investigation had led him here, and Wu Qing had pointed the way. He had to come here. The man called Boss Cao used to be the head of the thieves in Nancheng. In recent years, he had cleaned up his act, not getting directly involved in crime but only dealing in stolen goods, specifically one type of dirt: identity.

In this era, electronic payments became more and more convenient, and people carried less and less cash. Phones were glued to everyone’s hands, but these identity documents, one per person, were indispensable. So, these thieves adapted to the times. Regarding identity cards, they looked for ones with similar gender, age, and appearance. As long as fingerprints were not checked, they could easily deceive inspections. Even fingerprints could be manipulated with enough money.

There are always people who, for various reasons, need a new identity, be it temporary or permanent. These individuals can find satisfaction with Boss Cao; whether it’s an ID card, academic credentials, household registration, Alipay, any document can be obtained for a price, and the ones he provides are absolutely authentic and usable. Anyone who has met Boss Cao can quickly acquire a new identity, undergoing a transformation and embarking on a new life.

Seeing Boss Cao seated, Lu Siyu took out a card from his pocket and handed it to Boss Cao. The agreed-upon amount of 20,000 yuan consultation fee and an additional 10,000 yuan for asking about a person were already in the card. Boss Cao passed the card to one of his subordinates, then gestured for someone to refill Lu Siyu’s cup with warm water. After a while, the person who went to withdraw the money returned and whispered a few words into Boss Cao’s ear, indicating that the money had been received.

Boss Cao then continued to smile at Lu Siyu, saying, “Who would you like to inquire about, my guest?” According to the rules, once the money was received, regardless of whether Boss Cao knew the information or not, there would be no refunds. However, Boss Cao had been in Nancheng for decades, and although his head was bald, his memory was sharp. If he didn’t remember someone, it would be difficult for others to obtain information.

Lu Siyu waved his hand, skipping the first question like this. He threw away 10,000 yuan without even hearing a splash, asking, “Do you know a person named Xia Weizhi?”

Knowing, of course, Boss Cao knew this name. However, his face wrinkled like an orange. “You’re giving me too much credit, my guest. Eighteen years ago, I was still a small-time thief. Besides, that side and our side are not connected.” In Nancheng, the social classes were distinct, and anyone from another faction was not to be touched.

Lu Siyu didn’t mind. He waved his hand, skipping this first question, and tossed away the 10,000 yuan. “Do you know a person named Zhang Peicai?”

Boss Cao’s face, previously wrinkled like an orange, relaxed. “This person, I know. He’s considered a client of mine, buying new identities and information from us. He’s pretty decent in his dealings, but he has offended quite a few people. Why? Do you need something from him?”

Lu Siyu spoke, “He’s dead.”

Boss Cao uttered an “oh,” but his expression seemed as if he had expected it. He probably had received information from other sources beforehand.

Lu Siyu asked again, “What was he investigating in the end?”

Boss Cao said, “We really don’t know. If you want to know the last identity he used, I can tell you.”

After saying that, he made a gesture to his subordinate, who soon brought a small piece of paper. Zhang Peicai’s new name was Wang Rui, accompanied by an ID number and a mobile phone number, written in pencil. Lu Siyu glanced at it, and the note was casually left to soak in the water cup in front of him. The ink on the paper dissolved as it touched the water.

Seemingly feeling that his service was not thorough enough, Boss Cao rubbed his hands and asked again, “My guest, why are you curious about Xia Weizhi?”

Lu Siyu was straightforward, “I want to know if this woman is dead or alive and where she went.”

Boss Cao said, “In any case, she hasn’t come through my hands.”

Boss Cao, when asked, either didn’t speak or never lied. Then Boss Cao thought for a moment and added, “In terms of thievery, I am the ancestor of the current kids in Nancheng. As for murder, Xia Weizhi is the ancestor of those killers.” He took a sip of his drink, leaned back on the sofa, and continued, “In this world, the best and the worst are ultimately humans. People can become Buddhas, and they can also become demons.”

Xia Weizhi was like a shadow enveloping Nancheng in an era when media information was not well developed. Her time in killing, the highest body count, and the ruthlessness of her methods all made her the absolute number one in Nancheng. Although Xia Weizhi was cruel and widely condemned, it had to be admitted that she had a small group of followers. Some believed she represented justice, cleaning up society’s garbage. Some even admired her, studying her various methods, trying to understand and replicate them.

In such a vast world, the existence of such extreme individuals was not surprising.

Lu Siyu changed the question, “Did she once have an intimate male friend?”

Boss Cao hesitated for a moment and nodded gently.

With the affirmative answer he received here, Lu Siyu’s brow relaxed.

In his previous profile, the crucial missing pieces were filled. A senior man capable of shaping her life.

Perhaps it was for this reason that this case was combined with the 519 case. The coldest and hottest days of the year happened to be during winter and summer vacations. The usual monthly time for murders, maybe the time they met, or perhaps, after their encounter, he rarely appeared, careful enough to maintain a hidden identity. This explained why he had no presence among numerous witnesses. However, he must be closely related to Xia Weizhi’s fate.

Lu Siyu took a deep breath; he seemed like someone running, chasing a shadow, and now, it felt like he was finally getting closer to the answers he sought.

“I advise you not to investigate the things behind this.” In what seemed like a well-intentioned warning, Boss Cao’s eyes stared at Lu Siyu’s face, adding meaningfully, “Be careful. Don’t get caught by those people.”

Lu Siyu responded, “Thank you for your concern.” To uncover the truth of the past, he had long transformed into a relentless ghost. In this world, what was there to fear?

Boss Cao laughed heartily, and the flesh on his chest heaved with his laughter. “There are too few wealthy and generous benefactors like you.”

Lu Siyu acknowledged with a sound, having already obtained the answers he wanted, he stood up, ready to leave.

Everything that happened in this corner earlier was drowned out by the various music in the bar. One of Boss Cao’s new subordinates had been standing behind him, and now, watching Lu Siyu leave, he whispered, “It’s still good to earn money from these rich young masters. It’s much better than dealing with those poor and troublesome cops.”

Boss Cao glanced at his subordinate, blaming him for having a narrow view. “Who said he’s not a cop?”

“What…” The subordinate was suddenly struck dumb, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

“Why so surprised? Anyway, everything else is negotiable, but we don’t get involved in that matter over there.” After saying these words, Boss Cao’s gaze swept toward the dance floor beside him, where shadows danced amidst chaotic scenes. He picked up some fruit from the nearby table, peeled an orange, and stuffed several segments into his mouth. He had been an informant for Wu Qing in his early years, and now it seemed that this young cop might be even more troublesome than Wu Qing.

Lu Siyu stepped out of the bar’s door, and outside, it instantly became quiet.

Vague sounds of dispute could be heard at the bar’s entrance. He took out a pair of glasses and wore them on his nose. It was nearing midnight, and the parking lot of this bar was not logically arranged; one had to go through an alley to reach it.

There were still some puddles in the alley, perhaps with a bit of spilled oil, reflecting colorful lights like fish scales under the streetlamp. Lu Siyu walked briskly, his gaze scanning the ground. In the puddles, he could see sporadic and elusive shadows.

In the night breeze, unfriendly glares were everywhere.

Lu Siyu pushed up his glasses, walked through, and he didn’t make a move, and those people didn’t either.

TN:

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look long into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.