Chapter 108 10

Chapter 108.10

Lin Hui’s younger sister was named Lin Wei. They grew up together, sharing a close and loving bond.

Though they occasionally squabbled over minor things like typical siblings, Lin Hui was, for the most part, a caring and responsible older brother.

Lin Wei was beautiful, with a small dimple on one cheek when she smiled. She had studied dance and played the guzheng, a natural beauty from childhood, adored by everyone. As she matured, she blossomed into an even more stunning young woman.

Unlike Lin Hui’s gentle and refined demeanor, Lin Wei was naturally vivacious. She loved to laugh, disliked solitude, and was always clever and mischievous.

Perhaps spoiled by her parents, Lin Wei was quite daring. As a child, whenever she got into trouble or performed poorly on exams and was too afraid to tell their parents, she would sweetly call him "Brother Huihui" repeatedly.

She would even bribe him with strawberry cake, asking her brother to help her out.

Lin Hui would always scold her briefly before dutifully handling the situation for her.

What else could he do? She was his beautiful younger sister—he had no choice but to spoil her.

Later, Lin Hui enrolled in a police academy in another city. During that period, excessive computer use led to nearsightedness, and he began wearing glasses.

While he was away studying, his sister continued to grow, successfully gaining admission to a high school.

Lin Hui harbored no grand ambitions; he simply desired an ordinary life.

After graduation, thanks to his solid academic performance and adequate corrected vision, he was assigned to a local police station in Yuncheng, becoming a low-key neighborhood police officer.

Lin Hui’s daily life was routine, mostly involving online fraud cases, patrolling, searching for lost cats, and conducting simple door-to-door checks on residents.

Lin Hui believed this was how his life would continue indefinitely.

Everything changed in Lin Wei’s final year of high school, which was also Lin Hui’s second year on the job.

Perhaps due to the heavy academic pressure, Lin Hui noticed his sister had become quiet and withdrawn. She smiled less, and the little dimple at the corner of her mouth vanished.

The sweet "Brother Huihui" of the past was replaced by a simple "Bro."

At first, Lin Hui thought it was just a phase—a part of adolescence that would pass once she got into college. But he never expected that it was during this time that his sister began to contemplate suicide.

Children have their own secrets and their own circles of friends.

Lin Wei battled depression, occasionally plagued by suicidal thoughts, which filled her with fear.

The Lin family parented relatively openly, so both Lin Hui and Lin Wei had their own phones from an early age.

Too scared to share her troubles with her parents or brother, Lin Wei could only confide in strangers online.

Eventually, she joined some strange online groups and met some questionable people.

One rainy night, Lin Wei didn’t come home. After waiting anxiously with no sign of her, Lin Hui and their parents decided to report her missing. The three then ventured out into the heavy rain to search the streets.

It wasn’t until early morning that Lin Hui found Lin Wei, disoriented and upset, a few bus stops from home. She was soaked, her hair plastered to her face, her body bruised, wearing only one shoe. Her phone was lost, and her clothes were torn.

The moment she saw her brother, Lin Wei broke into uncontrollable sobs, unable to utter a single word.

Heartbroken, Lin Hui held his trembling sister in his arms, feeling her shivers, and then notified their parents that she had been found.

After they returned home and calmed down a bit, Lin Wei confided in her brother, the police officer, about what had happened.

Her face pale and her body shaking from the cold, Lin Wei said, "Bro, I was tricked. I was just feeling depressed and curious when I added that person. He said he could help me, but... after we met, he forced himself on me. Then he tried to talk me into killing myself... Bro, I’m so scared. I ran away from him."

Lin Hui took his sister to the police station and the hospital for evidence collection.

Male DNA was found in her body.

Trembling, Lin Wei recounted the entire ordeal to a female officer.

The academic pressure was immense, and she had posted online about wanting to die, seeking release. But she hadn't truly made up her mind; she didn't even understand why she often felt that way. She was just venting her emotions.

Then, an ID named Mr. Square contacted her.

He often chatted with her, feigning understanding of her struggles, and claimed he could help her end the pain.

As a young girl who had just reached adulthood, her guard wasn’t high enough. Eventually, he repeatedly asked to meet in person.

One day, feeling particularly low, Lin Wei agreed. But as soon as they met, the man took advantage of the situation and assaulted her. Then, he began instructing her on how to kill herself.

Terrified, Lin Wei pretended to cooperate but seized the moment when he let his guard down to escape in a panic.

The ID was subsequently deleted, and it had been registered using purchased identity information. The apartment where the man had taken Lin Wei was empty, and the rental had been made under a fake identity.

Lin Wei was brave, forcing herself to stay calm and provide the police with as much information as possible.

Based on her description, the police created several composite sketches. However, since the man had been wearing a mask, they were unable to accurately reconstruct his appearance.

Lin Wei recalled, "He was wearing a mask, so I could only see his eyes. But I remember his voice—it was a deep male voice... He kept urging me to kill myself."

With no other leads, the police could only continue searching for suspects and then have Lin Wei identify them.

But the man seemed to have vanished without a trace, never to be found again.

After the incident, both the parents and Lin Hui were filled with regret and self-blame. The family felt that their negligence had allowed things to escalate to this point.

Lin Wei took a leave of absence from school and began psychological therapy.

It wasn't until six months later that she gradually emerged from the shadow of the event. The smiling sister finally returned.

It seemed like everything was moving in a positive direction.

The family began discussing when Lin Wei should return to school and take the college entrance exams.

Their mother, a pharmacist, was very busy with work, so during that period, Lin Wei occasionally went to her therapy sessions alone.

Lin Hui clearly remembered that day—it was his birthday. To surprise his sister, he specially bought Lin Wei her favorite strawberry cake.

He was already near home, looking forward to seeing his sister, when he overheard people on the street whispering.

"There’s a girl in that alley—something happened to her."

"Yeah, right on the main road, someone just..."

A sense of dread suddenly washed over Lin Hui. Following the gazes of the crowd, he saw a group of people gathered near the entrance of an alley not far ahead.

That road was the route his sister always took on her way back from therapy.

Without a second thought, he rushed forward, pushing through the crowd.

The scene before him left Lin Hui’s mind blank. He saw, unable to believe his eyes, Lin Wei curled up on the ground about five meters from the alley entrance.

A knife was plunged into his sister’s chest, and blood slowly spread across her body.

Lin Hui rushed to his sister’s side, the strawberry cake falling from his hand.

Someone was calling for emergency services. Lin Hui, with trembling hands, took off his coat and pressed it against Lin Wei’s wound, hoping to stop the bleeding.

He lifted the barely breathing Lin Wei. Her red blood stained the scattered cake box on the ground, mixing with the color of the strawberries.

Lin Wei was still breathing shallowly. The girl slowly opened her eyes.

Lin Hui’s heart raced. He asked, "Who was it? Who hurt you?"

Lin Wei, with her blood-stained hand, gripped his sleeve. In a weak voice filled with endless fear, she whispered to him, "Brother, it was him, that man. I heard him ask me, 'Why aren’t you dead?'... I’d recognize his voice anywhere... He... he..."

Lin Hui suddenly noticed Lin Wei’s gaze fixed, her eyes full of terror.

He followed the direction his sister was looking.

Lin Hui raised his head and quickly scanned the crowd.

He saw a young man wearing a mask among the onlookers. The moment their eyes met, the man turned and headed toward a secluded area.

One of the characteristics of criminals—returning to the crime scene...

Lin Hui was furious, his eyes wide with rage. He instantly realized that his sister had been marked as prey by the man. That person was waiting for her to die; he wanted to make sure she would not survive.

Her escape was an accident. He did not want to leave behind a living witness who could identify him.

Although he wanted to tear the man apart, Lin Hui chose to stay with his sister rather than chase after the murderer.

He held Lin Wei tightly, comforting her in a trembling voice, "You’ll be fine. Brother won’t let anything happen to you."

Lin Wei’s tears kept flowing. Her chest rose and fell slightly as she sobbed uncontrollably, "Brother, I regret it so much. I shouldn’t have gone to see him that day."

If she hadn’t gone out alone on that rainy night, if she hadn’t added that person in the first place, this tragedy would never have happened.

His sister shook in Lin Hui’s arms, saying she was in pain. Her face was pale, her eyes glazing over, tears streaming down her face, blood at the corner of her lips.

She said, "Brother, I don’t want to die. I want to live."

However, that knife had pierced Lin Wei’s heart.

Before the ambulance could arrive, his sister closed her eyes forever in Lin Hui’s arms.

"Happy birthday, brother..."

These were Lin Wei’s last words.

Lin Wei, who used to sweetly call him "brother," died on the day she wanted most to live.

The alley was secluded. The man wore gloves during the crime, and the knife had no fingerprints.

Aside from Lin Hui, no one else noticed the man acting strangely. There were no surveillance cameras nearby to capture the scene.

The municipal bureau deployed police forces to search and investigate, but the case remained unsolved, becoming an cold case that year.

Their mother was devastated by grief after her daughter’s death. She blamed herself intensely, believing that her failure to pick up Lin Wei led to the tragedy. Although Lin Hui constantly comforted her, she never recovered and soon fell seriously ill, passing away.

The once happy family of four was now reduced to just him and his father.

From then on, Lin Hui was no longer content with being an ordinary police officer at the local station.

His sister’s departure left a wound that could never heal.

His life diverted from its original path. He wanted to join the municipal bureau, wanted to be part of the Criminal Investigation Department, wanted to catch those evil people.

Since then, Lin Hui never celebrated his birthday again and never ate strawberry cake again.

He worked tirelessly, fighting evil relentlessly, not only for justice but also driven by his own personal resolve.

.

Lin Hui’s memories were interrupted by the train’s announcement. He opened his eyes.

A gentle female voice announced.

"Next stop, Ningcheng. Please prepare to disembark."

Lin Hui took a deep breath. He was ready to face his life.

.

Monday afternoon.

Rong Qing finished up the documents at Tianning Base.

Just as he finished, Coach Zhao sent him a message: "Captain Rong, if you’re here, come to my office."

Thinking his supervisor had something urgent, Rong Qing hurried to Zhao Lingyue’s office.

As soon as Coach Zhao saw Rong Qing, he smiled and produced a small bucket with some water inside: "Captain Rong, you’ve worked hard lately. I’ve reviewed the documents, and the work has been done well. The base really can’t do without you. Also, I heard from Shi Ren that you have a friend who’s sick and you’ve been keeping him company at the hospital. Here, these are a few wild crucian carp I caught yesterday. Take them to nourish your friend’s health."

Coach Zhao was known around the base as an avid fisherman. He had fished in several nearby rivers and was quite skilled. Many of the base’s middle and senior management had received gifts from the old man.

Rong Qing looked down awkwardly at the few small black crucian carp swimming in the bucket.

He wanted to say he didn’t know how to cook them, but feeling it was the leader’s thoughtful gesture, he accepted it and thanked him.

Zhao Lingyue seemed to notice his hesitation. After all, rumors about Rong Qing’s poor cooking skills had reached the old man’s ears. But such a talented young captain, capable and efficient, quick in his actions...

Zhao Lingyue thought, how bad could his cooking made by someone like this really be?

The old leader patted him on the shoulder and said, "If you don’t know how to cook it, ask Xing. When his family was hospitalized, he cooked for his wife every day."

The "Xing" Coach Zhao referred to was Xing Weixun, captain of the "Mangshe" team, nicknamed "Special Ops Xing," who was also quite easy to talk to.

Rong Qing thought, this time he had enough time to look up recipes and even had expert advice. Surely nothing could go wrong, right?

After leaving Zhao Lingyue’s office, Rong Qing returned to his apartment. He had never prepared live fish before, and his kitchen was rarely used. After a moment’s consideration, he decided to send a message to Xing Weixun first.

Xing Weixun asked him, "Crucian fish soup? Which kind do you want to learn?"

Rong Qing replied, "My friend is in the hospital. The kind you made for your wife when she was hospitalized to help her recover."

Xing Weixun understood immediately and said, "Congratulations."

Rong Qing didn’t know what he was congratulating him for—perhaps congratulating He Lin for being out of life-threatening danger?

But he politely replied, "Thank you."

Then, Xing Weixun patiently explained the key points to him and shared some secrets: "Remember to pan-sear both sides of the crucian carp, then add boiled water. If the soup isn’t creamy white, there’s a trick—you can add some milk. Also, remember not to add salt. Salt reduces its nutritional value."

After getting advice from Xing, Rong Qing specifically went to buy a box of milk. The base’s small supermarket had a limited refrigerator section, and fresh milk was already sold out by that time.

Rong Qing bought a can of Wangzai Milk, remembering that He Lin used to like drinking it.

Although he had never seen how to make fish soup, he had at least tried it in restaurants before, and He Lin had made it for him before. Rong Qing looked up some instructions, reviewed the steps, and got started.

The last time he dealt with small fish like this was during a biology dissection class in school. There weren’t any proper tools at home, so he dug out the kitchen shears He Lin used for cooking.

Rong Qing wanted to be quick and efficient, but the slippery fish just wouldn’t cooperate.

The kitchen scissors had been sitting around for two years and were no longer sharp.

While scraping scales, the scissors scraped against the slimy surface with a scratching sound. It was a miracle he didn’t cut his hand.

After an hour-long struggle with the small crucian carp, breaking a sweat, Rong Qing finally finished handling them.

He thought to himself, these fish are way too difficult to prepare.

While washing the fish, he found himself missing He Lin again. When He Lin was around, he would even remove the membrane from hard-boiled eggs and peel shrimp for him—Rong Qing never had to cook for himself.

Finally completing this step, Rong Qing began frying the fish. Perhaps because there wasn’t much oil left, the skin of the first few fish came off. One of them, for some reason, was tough as nails—even after being cleaned, it still flopped around when tossed into the pan. If Rong Qing hadn’t dodged quickly, the hot oil would have splashed in his face. The remaining fish ended up a bit burnt, filling the kitchen with smoke and making him cough.

Detachment Commander Shi had specifically reminded him to add boiling water to simmer.

After pouring in the water, there was a slight burnt smell. It simmered for half an hour, but for some reason, the broth didn't turn white.

Feeling unsure, Rong Qing opened the Wangzai Milk and added some—the color finally changed. He doesn't really like milk, and with half a can left, he didn't know what else to use it for. Not wanting to waste it, he thought since it's nutritious, he might as well add it all in.

Worried it might not be fully cooked, Rong Qing remembered He Lin mentioning to cook on low heat when making soup, so he kept it on low heat all afternoon.

By 6 p.m., after all that work, the fish had completely cooked through in the pot, and the soup was finally done. Just as Rong Qing was about to taste it himself, Shi Ren called: "I have some business in Ningcheng later. Are you going to the hospital tonight? I can give you a ride."

Rong Qing thanked him, quickly packed the soup into a lunchbox with a spoon, grabbed the thermos, and headed downstairs.

Detachment Commander Shi asked about He Lin’s condition and kindly drove him all the way to the First Affiliated Hospital.

Rong Qing went upstairs to the ward, where Fang Jue was still in the room.

He Lin instructed Fang Jue, "Go get something to eat and come back later. Captain Lin from the criminal investigation team is coming. I’ll have an important task for you."

Fang Jue asked, "What task? Babysitting?"

He Lin held back from saying "you’re the one who needs babysitting" and replied, "Just hang out with Captain Lin these next few days and help him relax."

Fang Jue had never received such a strange work assignment: "But what about the case…"

He Lin reassured him, "We’ll handle the case. If we’re short-handed, we’ll bring in more people. Just keep an eye on Captain Lin and make sure he doesn’t get involved."

Fang Jue still looked confused, so He Lin briefly explained Lin Hui’s situation.

Fang Jue suddenly understood, "Understood, Captain He. I’ll make sure to take good care of him."

He Lin nodded and added, "Let me know if anything comes up."

He Lin had initially seen this as a difficult situation.

He couldn’t let Lin Hui work on the case, but he also didn’t feel comfortable leaving him alone.

After much thought, he came up with this perfect solution. Since he was recently ill, Fang Jue had been stuck in Ningcheng anyway. Now that Lin Hui was coming, Fang Jue could keep an eye on him, and Lin Hui could also mentor Fang Jue.

With everything arranged, He Lin felt relieved.

Li Shang, who had been listening nearby, took over while Fang Jue went to eat. He then opened the thermos on the table.

He Lin, who had been calmly leaning against the hospital bed giving instructions moments before, suddenly widened his eyes, his hands trembling slightly.

An usually cold and aloof beauty, someone who never cooks, had actually made fish soup for him to help him recover?

What special treatment was this? What a touching moment!

But remembering the dough Li Shang made last time, along with some hazy memories, He Lin felt a bad feeling.

Looking at the crucian carp soup before him, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t touched, but it was also true that he was scared to try it.

He Lin tried his best to control his expression, not wanting Li Shang to see the internal struggle he was going through. He forced his voice to sound steady: "You already have base matters to handle. It’s enough that you’re staying with me. Why did you go through the trouble of bringing soup? Did you... make it?"

Li Shang nodded and explained, "Coach Zhao from the base gave me some wild crucian carp today. It’s good for building blood and immunity, perfect for your recovery, so I made it."

As he spoke, Li Shang carefully took out the soup: "I came as soon as it was ready. I haven’t even tasted it yet."

Hearing this, He Lin’s feelings grew even more complicated. He didn’t know whether to consider himself unlucky or lucky to have Li Shang’s hard-made soup right in front of him.

Just as Li Shang picked up a spoon to taste it first, He Lin snatched the thermos away: "You made this for me, so I’ll try it first."

After saying this, He Lin tightly gripped the spoon, lowered his head, and wore a determined look.

He first looked at the soup—to be honest, it didn’t look bad. At least the broth was white.

After steeling himself, He Lin gently scooped a spoonful and put it in his mouth.

Good news: it’s cooked.

Bad news: everything else is bad news.

How to describe the taste? The gallbladders of a few fish must have been punctured during gutting, the black membrane inside wasn’t fully removed, and it was unclear if the gills were taken out. It had a strong, earthy fishy taste. Some of the fish were burnt, and combined with the bitterness of the gallbladder, the first sip was overwhelmingly bitter and fishy.

But that wasn’t the worst part. What He Lin couldn’t understand was that amidst all these flavors, he also detected a sweetness—like Wangzai Milk.

Since when do recipes call for Wangzai Milk but no salt?

Calling this "crucian carp bathwater" would be putting it nicely.

Sure, humans shouldn’t drink arsenic, dogs shouldn’t eat chocolate, and fish definitely shouldn’t take a Wangzai Milk bath.

He Lin struggled for a while, his throat convulsing. The aftertaste of that sip was intense, and it took all his effort to suppress the urge to vomit.

His gaze toward the soup now held a hint of fear.

Originally, He Lin had thought, how bad could it really be?

After all, he was in a hospital. Unless it killed him with one sip, he’d be fine.

Now, He Lin realized that given Li Shang’s skills, it probably wouldn’t kill him, but if he drank it all, he might be here all month.

He Lin looked up at Li Shang’s expectant face, forced a smile, and said, "The flavor is quite... unique. You can tell they’re wild. Thanks for your hard work."

He Lin didn’t dare to say the rest of the sentence: Who taught you to make this? Burn the recipe and cut them off!

Li Shang explained, "Team Leader Xing taught me. Back when his wife was hospitalized, he made this for her every day."

He Lin remembered it and realized why there was no salt in the soup.

That was for his wife who had just given birth!

It was meant to boost milk production!

He Lin wasn’t going to produce any milk from drinking it, but it was certainly potent enough to be the death of him.

Perhaps He Lin’s expression was so unreadable, but Li Shang glimpsed the despair in his eyes.

Noticing that He Lin was holding the soup without any hurry to drink it, Li Shang grew suspicious of the flavor. He had some self-awareness about his cooking skills and extended his pale hand, saying, "Let me try it..."

"It’s still hot!" He Lin immediately pulled the thermos close to his chest. "Why are you competing with an invalid over this? There’s not even enough for me. You should eat something else."

He Lin didn’t blame Li Shang at all. In fact, he appreciated Li Shang’s effort. He didn’t want to discourage him or make him sad.

Besides, Li Shang wasn’t that fussy about food.

He Lin even suspected that if he frowned or said it didn’t taste good, Li Shang would calmly drink the entire thermos without a change in expression.

If someone had to suffer, he’d rather it be him.

Just then, Lin Hui arrived. He knocked on the hospital room door and rushed in without waiting for a response.

He Lin saw his savior and immediately asked, "Captain Lin, you haven’t had dinner yet, right?"

Lin Hui glanced at Li Shang sitting by the bed and He Lin clutching the insulated container, then nodded.

He Lin took the opportunity to bark at the man beside him, "Hey, Li Shang, go buy a takeout meal for Captain Lin from the cafeteria downstairs. Get one for yourself too. You can’t easily order in here, and if we wait any longer, there might be nothing left. I’ll briefly discuss the case with Captain Lin first."

His tone was authoritative, almost as if he was trying to dismiss Li Shang. But considering He Lin hadn’t fully recovered his memory yet, Li Shang didn’t say anything and obediently left with his phone.

As soon as Li Shang was gone, He Lin moved the soup away and kept a wary eye on the door, afraid that Li Shang might suddenly return.

Then, He Lin prepared to get out of bed and whispered, "Lin Hui, cover for me. I need to go pour out the soup..."

Lin Hui found it strange. He had no idea what game these two were playing today, and why they needed him as an accomplice. Having just arrived hungry, he hated seeing good food wasted.

His gaze fell on the steaming, creamy white crucian carp soup. "Did Li Shang make this? It looks decent. Why are you pouring it out?"

He Lin didn’t bother explaining and simply handed him a clean spoon. "Try it."

Lin Hui sat down, scooped a spoonful of soup, and took a sip. As he savored the taste, his expression cleared in shock.

He gave He Lin a meaningful glance, then glanced in the direction Li Shang had left and asked quietly, "Did you offend him?"

Without waiting for He Lin’s reply, he stood up decisively. "I’ll dump it!"

He Lin was genuinely grateful for this gesture.

He clasped his hands in gratitude toward Lin Hui’s retreating back. Captain Lin was truly a real bro!

As Lin Hui cleaned up the thermos, he looked at the fish’s still-open eyes and sighed regretfully, "This fish died for nothing."

After pouring out the soup and washing the thermos, he still felt a residual horror.

He Lin whispered conspiratorially, "When Li Shang comes back, tell him I drank it all."

Originally, on his way over, Lin Hui had been lost in thoughts of Lin Wei’s passing, feeling heavy-hearted.

But now, he was completely traumatized by that fish soup and even felt the need to comfort He Lin first.

He warned He Lin, "Whatever you do, don’t let your Li Shang develop a passion for cooking."

Lin Hui emphasized the words "your Li Shang" heavily, his tone teasing. However, He Lin didn’t mind the joke at all. He accepted it readily and replied very naturally, "It’s fine. His heart isn’t in it anyway."

After saying this, He Lin cautiously glanced at the door. Seeing no sign of Li Shang returning, he sighed and added, "Luckily, he’s busy."

At that moment, Li Shang, who was carrying the takeout meals upstairs, sneezed.