Chapter 84 06

Chapter 84.06

That night, inside the car.

He Lin cut straight to the chase: "Hello, excuse me, have you ever contacted Yuncheng Newspaper?"

The other end remained silent but didn't hang up.

"Three years ago, did you contact a journalist?" He Lin pressed on.

The man still didn't speak.

He Lin probed further: "It was about the kindergarten incident…"

Finally, the man responded, asking, "Who are you?" From his voice, he sounded like an adult male.

He Lin replied concisely: "Yuncheng Public Security here. We're currently investigating a related case. Do you have any leads?"

The man on the other end said, "You've got the wrong number."

Then, the call was abruptly cut off with a click.

He Lin handed the mission phone back to Li Shang. As he passed it, his fingertips brushed against Li Shang's hand, which felt slightly cool.

He Lin remarked, "It sounded like the other end was at a construction site or some kind of factory. They were still working at this hour, and there were quite a few people around—it was pretty noisy."

He had deliberately mentioned information that ordinary people wouldn't understand, without revealing too much. But if the other party was the source of the information or someone in the know, they would certainly grasp his meaning.

The other party's reaction was strange—they didn't hang up immediately. But just as He Lin thought they were making progress, the call ended abruptly and unexpectedly.

After a moment of thought, Li Shang said, "It’s possible that different people answer the phone at different times. Let’s try calling again during business hours tomorrow. At the very least, we can check if it’s the same person answering."

He Lin replied, "Alright. Later, we’ll discuss and see what other leads we can follow up on."

.

That evening, He Lin and Li Shang arrived punctually at Director Chen’s home.

Director Chen’s home was decorated in a modern Chinese style favored by people of his age, furnished entirely with wooden furniture.

However, he hadn’t opted for expensive woods like rosewood but rather more affordable pine, giving the space a very understated and simple feel, with a faint scent of wood lingering in the air.

The furniture suited his old-school, bureaucratic demeanor quite well.

Director Chen wasn’t surprised to see Li Shang with He Lin and invited them into his study.

He Lin set down the gifts he had brought.

Director Chen waved his hand dismissively, "No need for formalities when you visit."

He Lin smiled and replied, "You were the one who recruited me back then. You’re like a mentor to me. How could I visit your home empty-handed?"

Director Chen laughed heartily and opened a cabinet to fetch tea utensils to serve them tea. He Lin stopped him, "No need, we’ll just sit for a bit. We’ll leave after discussing the matter."

Director Chen didn’t insist, "Alright then, let’s get straight to it. It won’t be convenient to talk once my wife and child return."

He Lin didn’t beat around the bush either. He sat down and laid out the entire case and related circumstances. He didn’t dare tell Director Chen that all the children they had contacted so far had passed away, only hinting vaguely that there were some unusual occurrences.

After hearing just a few sentences, the smile vanished from Director Chen’s face. The more he listened, the deeper his frown became, and for a moment, he fell silent.

After He Lin finished speaking, all three of them lowered their heads without a word.

The air seemed to freeze.

After a moment of contemplation, the old man said, "Since you’ve come to me, you must already have your own ideas."

He Lin responded softly in affirmation.

After asking him, Director Chen turned to Li Shang, "Officer Li, what’s your take?"

He Lin suddenly had a feeling that Li Shang’s response at this moment was crucial, perhaps even more important than his own decision.

Li Shang’s handsome face showed no expression, but his gaze was firm. He replied with a single word, "Investigate."

Director Chen nodded, finally making his decision, "Alright then, let’s investigate. Get to the bottom of it."

He then elaborated, "He Lin, don’t go through the official system. Wait, I’ll give you a signed document authorizing the investigation into Yu Jinghui’s disappearance case, stamped with the municipal bureau’s official seal. Avoid leaving any electronic records. Then, investigate discreetly, keep it within your department, and don’t let anyone else know."

After a moment of thought, he added, "The sooner this matter is resolved, the better. I’ll give you some time, but this case can’t drag on for too long. If there’s no progress in half a month, we’ll reassess."

He Lin acknowledged, "Half a month is enough."

This aligned with their earlier estimate.

Director Chen’s gaze was sharp, "If you encounter any problems, report directly to me. I’ll grant you all the authority I can and support you wherever possible."

The old man added with concern, "Also, make sure to prioritize your personal safety. When going out on operations, always go in pairs of at least two, and carry your service firearms. Also, during this period, avoid going home. Both of you should stay in the municipal bureau’s duty room. No matter how capable outsiders are, they won’t dare cause trouble on our turf."

He Lin agreed.

Director Chen then went into detail about the precautions to take during the investigation and the departments and interests they might encounter. Finally, the old man said, "In short, proceed carefully for now, and we’ll communicate promptly if anything comes up."

.

At 9:30 p.m., the two left Director Chen’s home.

With the leader’s signed document in hand, it felt like holding official authorization—at the very least, investigating this case was now legitimate.

He Lin carefully stored the signed and stamped paper, then said to Li Shang, "Let’s go, pack up and head back to the municipal bureau."

Before the case was solved, they would likely be staying at the municipal bureau for a while, so they naturally needed to fetch some daily necessities and changes of clothes.

He Lin’s home was closer, so they stopped by there first. After he gathered his things, they made their way to Li Shang’s place.

It wasn’t He Lin’s first time visiting Li Shang’s rented apartment, and this time he was even more familiar with the route.

Li Shang packed his clothes and, after a moment of hesitation, tucked a few bottles of medicine into his backpack. He didn’t want to take his medication in front of He Lin, but given his current physical condition, he wouldn’t last long without it.

When Li Shang came out to tell He Lin they could leave, he saw He Lin standing in front of the refrigerator, holding a blue fridge magnet and studying it intently.

Li Shang’s breath caught, but he urged him, "Let’s go. What time will it be by the time we get there?"

He Lin, still holding the fridge magnet, frowned slightly and said, "This fridge magnet looks familiar to me. It’s like... I had one like it before."

His mind felt fuzzy, as if something warm was slowly surfacing, but he couldn’t quite recall it.

Li Shang’s heart raced, but he said coldly, "The tissue brand I buy is the same as yours. Is it really that strange to have the same fridge magnet?"

Only then did He Lin put the fridge magnet back. He took Li Shang’s backpack and carried it downstairs.

After finally finishing packing and washing up, they lay down on the beds in the duty room.

He Lin was exhausted and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Li Shang's body was exhausted, but his mind was wide awake.

His chest ached dully again, and he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He Lin didn’t remember the fridge magnet, but he remembered it clearly.

In his memory, it was the first time they had a disagreement…

Li Shang lay on the bed in the duty room, sunk into memories.

It was the second year after He Lin joined the team, not long after they'd gotten together.

At that time, he'd been assigned an extremely dangerous mission that required five participants.

Before setting out, he had hesitated but ultimately decided to keep it from He Lin and not take him along. Then, without warning, he took off without a word. When he returned, he had a wound on his chest.

He had anticipated that He Lin would have complaints.

On the way back, he specifically picked a blue fridge magnet for He Lin.

Rong Qing didn’t even wait to get back to the apartment; he went to find He Lin right after debriefing at base.

That day, He Lin was tidying up in the equipment room.

As soon as they met, he pulled out the fridge magnet and shoved it at him: "Got this for you."

He Lin, unlike his usual eager self, gave it a dismissive glance. Without even looking at the fridge magnet, he raised his hand and brushed it aside. The fridge magnet in Rong Qing’s palm hit the ground with a clatter, rolled twice, and stirred up dust.

Rong Qing frowned slightly, stared at the magnet on the ground for a moment, took a deep breath, and asked, "What, don’t like it?"

He Lin retorted, "There was a mission? Why didn’t you take me?"

He Lin’s tone was pretty aggressive, and he took a step forward, straightening up to look directly at Rong Qing, as if determined not to drop it without an explanation.

Rong Qing had expected this question, but He Lin’s attitude still annoyed him.

However, since he had indeed acted inappropriately in this matter, Rong Qing took a step back quietly without showing any emotion. He said calmly, "You should follow the chain of command."

He Lin looked somewhat unwilling, as if he thought the answer was a cop-out.

After hearing this, He Lin didn’t move, still standing straight.

He Lin kept staring at him, as if trying to force an answer out of him.

For a moment, the two stood at a standoff, and the atmosphere began to freeze.

Rong Qing suddenly felt a bit of regret. He realized he shouldn’t have come to find He Lin right after returning. Perhaps he should have waited for both of them to calm down and found a suitable opportunity to talk properly.

He glanced at the fridge magnet on the ground, feeling a bit hurt. But then he thought, since it was already given, it was up to He Lin whether he wanted it or not.

Rong Qing turned to leave, but at that moment, He Lin moved, stepping forward to block his path.

Rong Qing turned sideways, not wanting to get into it with him. He tried to squeeze past from the side, but He Lin blocked him again, refusing to yield.

The man before him remained silent, but his eyes were dead stubborn.

Rong Qing finally waved his hand to push him aside. Seeing this, He Lin thought Rong Qing was about to throw hands and instinctively raised his hand to block, shoving Rong Qing back. The push hit right on Rong Qing’s injured chest.

Rong Qing’s wound seared with pain, his breath caught, and a sharp pain spread through his chest. He seemed to hear the sound of freshly healed flesh tearing open again.

Ungrateful little shit, Rong Qing cursed inwardly.

He was about to kick He Lin aside when he spotted the camera above them.

Rong Qing swallowed his anger and asked He Lin, "It is what it is. What kind of answer are you insisting on getting from me? Not enough spots, not enough time, you weren’t suitable, or not skilled enough?"

Rong Qing licked his lips and couldn’t help adding, "And also, insubordination, not following arrangements. Have I been too good to you usually, making you think you have the right to question your superior’s decisions?"

"He Lin, remember this: you’re a SWAT officer. Your top priority is to obey orders. What right do you have to give me shit here? I’m telling you, even if your performance is excellent, if you don’t know how to follow orders, I can still make you leave. Step aside, don’t block the way."

Rong Qing said this, but deep down, he had his own considerations. He Lin’s performance was right on the borderline for this mission. But even with good performance, he hadn’t participated in many missions, and experience was a weak spot.

He wasn't 100% sure if he could bring him back safely. Moreover, the leadership had emphasized using experienced team members as much as possible, which was why he chose to conceal it from He Lin.

Originally, Rong Qing hadn’t intended to say such harsh words, but He Lin’s persistence had truly angered him, and he lost his cool momentarily.

After letting it out, half of his anger dissipated. Rong Qing realized that He Lin must have spoken to the leadership during this time. He had mistakenly interpreted Rong Qing’s "protection" as unwanted "pity treatment."

He Lin looked up, his gaze firm: "I’m not disobeying orders. I just want you to know that you should trust me. I’m not some weakling under your protection; I’m your partner, fighting alongside you. What you can do, I can do too."

Rong Qing was slightly taken aback, then felt somewhat relieved and a bit proud.

He hadn’t misjudged He Lin after all; the kid had something to him.

Rong Qing’s tone softened a bit, but he also pointed out bluntly: "I wasn’t babysitting you. I was only considering the suitability for the mission. If you want to keep up with me, you still have a way to go."

He Lin pondered for a moment, his eyes resolute: "I don’t want to just follow you. I want to strive to become even better, to surpass you, so you can trust me with your back. I want to be your true partner, not some dead weight you have to weigh the pros and cons for, after vetting for safety, always protecting under your wing."

He paused and said, "Rong Qing, what I’ve always wanted is to stand shoulder to shoulder with you."

He Lin’s eyes held the determination unique to youth, and even Rong Qing, who was accustomed to taking on responsibility alone, was somewhat moved.

So he nodded, accepting this sentiment: "Alright, I promise you. I’ll give you absolute trust. But the condition is, you have to back it up."

Finally recognized, He Lin looked at him excitedly, then suddenly frowned as his gaze fell on the bandage visible at Rong Qing’s collar: "You’re injured?"

As if the earlier unpleasantness had never happened, He Lin reached out to hug him but was afraid of touching his wound. Remembering that he had just fought with him, the corners of his eyes uncontrollably turned slightly red, his voice tinged with self-reproach: "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Rong Qing shook his head.

He Lin asked again, "Does it hurt?"

Rong Qing said flatly, "No."

This kind of pain was nothing more than a minor injury to him.

But He Lin tightly held his hand, slightly lowering his head, wanting to rub his cheek against the back of Rong Qing’s hand, as if this could convey his unease and worry.

Before he could make contact, Rong Qing bat his hand away, gesturing with his eyes toward the camera above. Then, like it was nothing, he walked straight out.

Later, however, he spotted that fridge magnet, once discarded by He Lin, in a corner of the refrigerator. It had been wiped clean of dust and was properly stuck on the fridge door.

He knew that He Lin must have secretly picked it up after he left.

Lying in bed after recalling all this, Li Shang let out a small sigh. So much time had passed since those events.

The situation back then was somewhat similar to He Lin not wanting him to participate in the investigation today, yet completely reversed.

By the light of the night lamp in the duty room, he turned his head to look at He Lin lying on the other bed.

The two beds in the duty room were two meters apart.

He Lin lay sleeping on his side, his well-defined nose and striking eyes showing how much he had matured since they first met at fourteen.

By now, it seemed he had kept the promise he made back then.

Li Shang gazed at him almost greedily, as if he could never get enough of the sight.

After watching for five minutes, Li Shang checked his phone—it was after midnight. He forced himself to turn over and go to sleep. There was still a lot to do tomorrow.

The tricky case at hand needed further investigation.

.

Li Shang wasn’t sure what time he finally fell asleep. He’d slept lightly, a foggy state, as if his body had gone into hibernation due to extreme fatigue rather than normal deep sleep.

He was woken by a rhythmic sound, and soon his brain registered it—the Mission Machine was ringing.

Li Shang opened his eyes, his head still slightly dizzy. This number was one he had requested from Shi Ren, only activated yesterday. Only one call had been made from it. Since the Mission Machine automatically blocked spam calls, this had to be the callback he was waiting for.

He struggled to sit up and reach for the phone, but his body, still heavy with sleep, refused to obey. His limbs felt weak.

In moments like this, he could only rely on He Lin. Before he could even call out his name, He Lin was already woken by the noise.

He reacted quickly, rolling out of bed, strode to the desk in a few steps, and picked up the phone.

"Hello."

He Lin’s voice was calm and alert, betraying no sign he’d just been asleep.

Hearing him answer, Li Shang finally relaxed. He turned over, curled up in the blankets, listening to He Lin’s conversation while waiting for his body and mind to wake up gradually and regain control.

The voice on the other end belonged to the same man as yesterday, but his tone was noticeably more polite this time: "What should I call you, officer?"

He Lin replied, "Last name He."

The man briefly explained, "Officer He, you can call me Lao Wang. That was a public phone yesterday; there were people around, so it wasn’t convenient to talk. The reporter I was in contact with before seems to have gone missing."

He Lin responded, "I know. The police are looking into it as well."

"Probably those people’s doing. I have information on the kindergarten case, but I can only discuss it in person, and you have to keep it confidential," the man said.

He Lin replied, "Alright, I won’t reveal your identity. We’ll do our best to ensure the witness’s safety. When can we meet?"

"In the morning, 8:30. I’ll send you the location in a moment."

He Lin said, "You can reach me at this number."

After hanging up, He Lin let out a sigh of relief—the investigation had taken another step forward.

He looked at Li Shang: "Good thing we made that call yesterday." As soon as he finished speaking, the Mission Machine dinged, displaying an address.

Li Shang propped himself up in bed and asked, "Where’s the meeting?"

He Lin read it out to him.

Li Shang frowned slightly: "The scrap metal recycling center in the north of the city. It’ll take about an hour to drive there."

He Lin had slept well last night and was now energized and determined. He got up and changed: "We still have some time. Rest a bit longer. I’ll go grab breakfast, and we’ll head out after eating."

Li Shang gave a low hum of acknowledgment.

He Lin asked him, "What do you want to eat? Soy milk again?"

"Yes," Li Shang replied briefly. "Two red bean buns."

By the time He Lin returned with breakfast, Li Shang was already up.

After washing up and getting ready, he had returned to his usual calm and composed self.

He Lin looked at him.

Today, Li Shang was wearing a different style of white shirt, crisp and wrinkle-free. Except for the top button at his neck, which was undone, every other button was fastened perfectly, including the two on the cuffs. Over the shirt, he wore a gray trench coat. He looked impeccably clean and orderly.

Yet, from the slightly open collar, a small red mole was visible on his collarbone, like a tiny drop of blood on snow-white skin.

He Lin quickly averted his gaze. For some reason, the sight made his teeth itch.

Li Shang placed the record book and handcuffs in his bag and, just in case, brought along the bodycam and voice recorder, though they might not be needed today.

Then he handed the Mission Machine to He Lin: "You hold onto this for now."

The two sat in the break area of the pantry and quietly ate breakfast.

He Lin sent a message to Wu Yunsheng, briefly outlining the work arrangements.

Then, shortly before 7 a.m., they set off. He Lin drove toward the north of the city. It was still before rush hour, and the wide streets were nearly empty of cars and people. Only autumn leaves covered the ground, rustling softly under the tires.

They arrived in the area at 8:20 a.m. He Lin parked at the entrance. It was a scrap recycling station that only handled metal waste, so there was relatively little odor.

Inside, stacks of crushed cars and several used vehicles waiting to be sold were visible.

A few minutes later, a large truck carrying metal scrap drove in. A man in his thirties got out and called over a few workers from the station to unload the truck.

He Lin walked over and called out, "Mr. Wang?"

The man nodded. "Come on, I’ll take you to see that used car."

He Lin and Li Shang followed the man through half the scrap yard and got into an old Audi.

The man sat in the front, while the two of them took the back seat.

Without a word, the man extended his hand toward them.

Understanding, He Lin handed over his police badge. The man opened it, looked, then turned to Li Shang.

Li Shang also handed over his credentials.

It was better for everyone to be cautious at a time like this.

After checking both, the man returned their badges. Seeing that no one was around, He Lin said quietly, "The municipal bureau recently launched an investigation into Reporter Yu’s disappearance, and that’s how we came across the kindergarten matter."

Mr. Wang turned around, his eyes intense: "I know what happened at that kindergarten."