Chapter 196 03

Chapter 196: 03

Once everything was settled, He Lin and Li Shang discussed having a farewell dinner with their colleagues from the Missing Persons Investigation Unit before their departure. They specifically invited Lin Hui and Jin Tingrui.

During this gathering, He Lin went all out to keep spirits high. Everyone was already familiar with each other, and since it wasn’t their first time dining together, the mood was quite lively for a while.

However, after a few rounds of drinks, when the conversation shifted to their impending separation, a somber mood fell over the group.

Yet, deep down, they all understood that while He Lin and Li Shang faced a challenging road ahead, possibly even new dangers, they were also moving on to better prospects. Though reluctant to see them go, everyone offered their heartfelt blessings.

Saying too much would only add unnecessary sadness, so in the end, everyone raised their glasses, letting everything remain unspoken.

After a satisfying meal and enjoyable company, everyone left the private room. Lin Hui was still reminding Li Shang to take care of himself and not overwork.

At the service counter, He Lin finally managed to outmaneuver Jin Tingrui and secured the privilege of paying the bill.

As everyone walked out of the restaurant, Fang Jue was still clinging to He Lin, crying uncontrollably, his face streaked with tears and snot. It wasn’t until He Lin gently patted his head and said, "What’s there to cry about, you big man? It’s not like we’re parting forever. Work hard, gain experience, and grow quickly. I’ll be waiting for you at the Provincial Department, waiting for you to become a true detective and fight alongside me again."

Hearing this, Fang Jue sniffled and stopped crying. His eyes sparkled as he looked at He Lin, as if given immense hope. Without even wiping his face, he stood on the sidewalk, his face tear-stained, saluted He Lin, and stammered through sobs, "Captain He, don’t worry... I will... I will definitely come to the Provincial Department to find you. When the time comes... when the time comes, you..."

Fang Jue’s display was quite embarrassing, and Wu Yunsheng, unable to watch any longer, pulled him away and practically shoved him into a taxi.

"Get in already," Wu Yunsheng said, pushing Fang Jue, who was still trying to stick his head out to pledge loyalty to He Lin. He then turned back to He Lin and said, "I’ll take this silly kid home. Don’t worry about him. You two stay safe out there, and come back to visit when you have time."

He Lin stood beside Li Shang, watching as the others left one by one in their cars. Then he took Li Shang’s hand and said, "Let’s go, we’re heading home too."

.

Finally, the day arrived for them to report to the Provincial Department. They woke up early, loaded some everyday essentials into the car’s trunk, and had already packed and arranged for couriers to pick up other items that were inconvenient to carry. These were expected to arrive around the same time as them.

After turning off the water, electricity, and gas, they did a final check of the house, got in the car, and headed to the Provincial Department to report.

Deputy Director Zhang personally received them and provided them with a talent apartment in a residential area near the Provincial Department. While it couldn’t compare to He Lin’s spacious home, it was much larger than the police dormitory.

Before their arrival, Deputy Director Zhang had specifically mentioned that this apartment was temporary housing reserved by the department for the two of them.

Seeing the knowing look Deputy Director Zhang gave him and He Lin, Li Shang even suspected that He Lin might have had a word with their old superior beforehand.

He Lin took the keys, found the address, and opened the door.

The apartment had one bedroom and one living room, with a functional kitchen for cooking and a clean bathroom. It was essentially ready for immediate occupancy.

After moving their belongings from the car upstairs, He Lin went straight into the bedroom to tackle the two single beds.

The beds were the type that could be disassembled and reassembled. After studying them for a while, He Lin took both beds apart into steel frames and wooden boards. Without even finishing the unpacking, he pulled Li Shang out and headed straight to the mall.

"What do you want to buy?" Li Shang asked from the passenger seat, somewhat confused.

"Mattresses. Otherwise, we’ll have to sleep on the floor tonight," He Lin replied, driving while checking his phone for directions at red lights.

At the mall, He Lin led Li Shang directly to the mattress department. Since it was a weekday, there weren’t many customers in the store. A salesperson greeted them warmly as they entered.

Li Shang wasn’t particular about where he slept or what the bed was like; he would have been fine with a mat on the floor. So while He Lin chatted animatedly with the salesperson, Li Shang found a comfortable sofa and sat down to wait.

Soon enough, He Lin came over and called him, leading him to a specific mattress. "Try this one."

Li Shang sat on it but didn’t feel anything particularly special. Just as he was about to stand up, He Lin pressed down on his shoulders. "Lie down and try it." Without waiting for Li Shang’s opinion, he gently pushed him down onto the mattress.

To be fair, the mattress was indeed very comfortable—just the right firmness, with strong support. Li Shang had an old back injury, and an uncomfortable bed would cause him pain after sleeping on it for too long.

Li Shang didn’t care, but He Lin was looking out for him.

He Lin lay down next to him, and the two of them tried out the mattress together.

"How is it? Pretty good, right?" Seeing Li Shang’s expression, He Lin knew he was satisfied. He got up and said to the smiling salesperson behind them, "We’ll take this one. Please write up the order."

Li Shang casually picked up the price tag, glanced at it, and almost choked. He flipped it over several times to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, then hurried after He Lin. "Are you crazy? Did you see how much this thing costs? We're in temporary housing—why are you buying something so expensive?"

He Lin frowned, completely disagreeing with Li Shang. While showing the salesperson his payment code, he explained, "Whether it’s expensive depends on who’s sleeping on it. I think you deserve something this expensive. You work so hard during the day—you need to sleep comfortably at night."

When it came to twisting words, Li Shang was no match for He Lin. Still, he mumbled under his breath, unconvinced, "If you’d just ease up a few times, I’d sleep just fine."

After purchasing the mattress, He Lin declined the delivery service. Instead, he vacuum-sealed it and dragged it out of the store himself. Li Shang offered to help, but He Lin refused.

They folded down the back seats of the car to fit the compressed mattress inside.

Li Shang had no idea where He Lin found the strength, but he managed to drag it all the way back to the dorm.

Back at the dorm, He Lin didn’t rest. He took off his jacket, put on a tank top, and dove back into the bedroom. By the time Li Shang finished organizing his things and went to check on him, He Lin was sitting on the floor in a tight, dark tank top, reassembling the two disassembled beds into one.

At some point, He Lin had started wearing only tight tank tops at home. His muscles, constrained by the tight fabric, looked even more defined.

He Lin was sweating profusely from the effort, beads of sweat dripping from his chin and sliding down his neckline to his chest.

Standing at the doorway, Li Shang’s gaze flickered, his expression unreadable.

Noticing Li Shang, He Lin looked up and grinned widely. "Almost done. Let me test how sturdy it is."

He Lin sat on the bed he’d assembled, rolled around on it, and even stood up and stomped on it a few times. The bed didn’t shake or make any strange noises.

Satisfied, He Lin dragged the mattress over, opened the vacuum seal, and with Li Shang’s help, they placed it on the bed frame.

The mattress still had its inner plastic wrap, and the sheets hadn’t been put on yet, but He Lin was already eager to try it out.

"So comfortable," He Lin said, lying down first and pulling Li Shang, who was still standing by the side, onto the bed with him.

Taken by surprise, Li Shang fell into He Lin’s arms, and the two tumbled together on the bed.

"Ouch..." Li Shang, embarrassed and annoyed, jabbed He Lin in the chest with his elbow.

"Are you trying to kill your man?" He Lin released Li Shang and rubbed his chest.

"Did it hurt? I didn’t use much force." Seeing He Lin wincing, Li Shang felt guilty, thinking he might have actually hurt him. Just as he was about to get up to check on He Lin, He Lin flipped over and pinned him down again.

"You..." Before Li Shang could say anything, He Lin cut him off with a kiss.

Only when Li Shang was out of breath and speechless did He Lin pull away. He leaned down, holding Li Shang close. "Just thinking about coming home from work every day and sleeping next to you on this bed makes me so happy I don’t know how to express it."

Li Shang stroked He Lin’s back. "Haven’t we always been like this?"

He Lin nuzzled into Li Shang’s shoulder, his voice muffled. "It’s different, Li Shang. You know it’s different."

He lifted his head to kiss him again, but this time Li Shang quickly rolled away and avoided him.

Li Shang got out of bed from the other side and threw the jacket from the door onto He Lin’s face. "Quit daydreaming. Hurry up and finish tidying up."

Later, the couriered luggage started arriving. Li Shang wanted to help unpack, but He Lin still wouldn't let him, telling him to just rest instead.

He Lin worked alone for a day and a half, finally getting everything organized in their new home.

After showering, the two of them lay together on the newly made large bed and quickly fell asleep.

On their first day after getting settled, Deputy Director Zhang took He Lin and Li Shang to Director Xu’s office.

The senior leader of the provincial bureau was named Xu Mingyuan, and everyone called him Director Xu.

After meeting He Lin, Director Xu got straight to the point: "Welcome to the provincial bureau. This case is highly significant and complex. I hope both of you will work hard and solve the case quickly."

Having worked in the police system for many years, both were well aware that major cases like this could take months, or even years, to investigate—it was likely to be a protracted battle.

Then Director Xu turned to Li Shang: "Officer Li, since this case involves multiple police units and departments working together, there will be a need for unified command. I personally requested you from Tianning Base to serve as the commander. You will be responsible for coordinating the personnel of the task force and can urgently mobilize several SWAT teams."

The position held a relatively high rank, and in one corner of the task force’s office, there was a private office.

Tianning Base had already briefed Li Shang on these responsibilities, so he was not surprised. Moreover, the tasks involved were areas he was familiar with and excelled in.

Then Director Xu added: "In addition, there is one more highly important task that you will be responsible for—the command and coordination of major incidents involving the SWAT team…"