ETIODIACS 19

Chapter 19

“Coach Luo?”

The low, quiet call pulled Luo Jingyao out of her overwhelming shock. She blinked and realized that Brother Zhao had somehow already opened the door. He was standing there, looking at her with curiosity.

“Is the hallway too dark? How about you wait until I finish taking my medicine, then I’ll walk you out.”

As he spoke, the sweat that had seeped out from the pain dampened his forehead and the tip of his nose. Under the light of the motion sensor lamp above him, they glimmered faintly, making the lines carved by time on his face appear even more real.

“No need. I’m not afraid.”

Luo Jingyao’s heart tightened, but she forced herself to reply in a casual tone. Then she slowly turned around.

Before leaving, she casually glanced past him into the room behind him. Unfortunately, the lighting was too poor, and she still couldn’t make out what the inside looked like.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Her unhurried footsteps echoed through the long, empty corridor. It wasn’t until she heard the click of the door closing that Luo Jingyao finally dared to turn her stiffened body around.

Brother Zhao’s figure had already disappeared.

The sudden extinguishing of the motion sensor light above her plunged the end of the corridor into endless darkness.

She took a deep breath, unconsciously quickening her pace as she left. By the end, she was almost running, rushing out through the side entrance of the mall.

The cool night breeze brushed against her cheeks. Watching the cars speed past on the street, Luo Jingyao suddenly felt as if she had crossed into another lifetime.

She turned her head and looked back at the mall once more. But before she could think too deeply about it, she hurried toward the subway station without daring to delay for another moment.

A little over an hour later, Luo Jingyao appeared beneath the Tianjin City Public Security Bureau building.

After signing a contract with the police bureau earlier, she had received an access card for the entrance. Unfortunately, it only allowed her into the compound—it couldn’t get her into the solemn office building in front of her.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to wait long.

Someone pushed open the glass doors and strode toward her.

“Coach Luo! Our captain told me to come down and bring you upstairs.”

The person was Pang Guang. He was the kind of person whose voice arrived before the rest of him did. His booming greeting nearly carried two miles away.

Luo Jingyao glanced uncertainly at the time on her watch.

It was already past ten at night.

How was this guy still acting like he’d been wound up with a spring? He was strangely energetic.

While she was wondering about it, Pang Guang had already reached her. When he lowered his head and saw the bag in her hand, his eyes immediately lit up. He quickly reached out and took it from her.

“Oh, come on, Coach Luo, you’re already here—why did you have to bring gifts too?”

“…This shop’s congee is pretty good. You guys work late on cases all the time. You should eat something to keep your strength up.”

As she spoke, Luo Jingyao inexplicably looked away, feeling a little guilty.

“Come on, come on. Let’s go upstairs and talk.”

Pang Guang eagerly led her inside. The moment they entered the elevator, he pulled out a crispy sugar pastry from the bag and stuffed it into his mouth. Then he gave her a teasing look.

“I heard… you went to that training camp by yourself today?”

“You really are something, Coach Luo.”

He chewed as he spoke, his eyes full of admiration.

“Didn’t you feel scared when you saw our Captain Lin’s face? In all these years, as far as I know, aside from you, everyone else who openly went against him is probably sitting in prison.”

“What am I supposed to be afraid of?”

Luo Jingyao shot the young man a strange sideways glance.

“You’re the ones who have to spend every day with him, not me.”

Besides, she was planning to disappear after finishing this job anyway. Naturally, she had nothing to fear.

Hearing that, Pang Guang looked at her with even more respect. After finally swallowing the food in his mouth, he continued:

“Earlier, Captain Lin sent the few handwriting samples you gave us to the forensic department. Unfortunately, after comparison, they didn’t find anything unusual.”

“I’m still working on the background investigation of the training camp owner and the medical records of the two victims. We couldn’t find anything through the police database, so now I’m trying to get information from the courts and hospitals. But since it crosses different systems, the procedures are pretty troublesome.”

While the young man updated her on the latest progress of the investigation, the elevator reached the seventh floor.

As the doors slid open, Pang Guang shot out first. Carrying the huge bag of congee, he swaggered over to the special case investigation team’s office and kicked the door open.

“Surprise! Tonight’s entire meal is sponsored by Coach Luo!!!!”

The only response he received was a sea of silence.

Even Luo Jingyao, standing behind him, lowered her head and pressed a hand to her forehead.

She could feel her old habit of secondhand embarrassment returning.

Even her toes were exhausted.

“Everyone, officers, thank you for your hard work. Have some congee first and warm up your stomachs.”

Since she was already here, Luo Jingyao managed to suppress the urge to turn around and run. She carefully stepped into the office and helped greet everyone.

The moment they saw her, the atmosphere in the office immediately became warmer. Guo Zhen and Pan Chang both stood up to greet her and thank her, then dragged Pang Guang over to the side table to divide up the food.

Leaving Luo Jingyao standing there, dazed, as she watched the tall figure approaching her.

Lin Jiafan stopped in front of her. He had originally wanted to say something, but then he suddenly caught a faint trace of something in the air.

“You drank?”

His tone carried a hint of disbelief, and his sharp brows immediately drew together.

Feeling embarrassed, Luo Jingyao took a small step back and rubbed her hands together awkwardly.

“It couldn’t really be avoided. Just some necessary socializing between coworkers. Officer Lin should understand, right?”

Understand?

Lin Jiafan almost laughed from anger.

He had originally thought that, judging from her appearance, she was a well-behaved type.

Who would have guessed she was actually this reckless?

Slightly irritated, he pinched the space between his brows and didn’t continue arguing about it.

“Since you drank, you should go home and rest earlier. Don’t worry, Coach Luo. Once we have further results on Boss Jiang and the two victims, and once we confirm it won’t affect the investigation, we’ll inform you truthfully.”

After all, she was the one who provided the relevant clues. She had the right to know.

“I’ve always trusted Officer Lin.”

Luo Jingyao smiled with a hint of ingratiation. Turning around, she picked up a bowl of congee from the table and stuffed it into his hands.

“Oyster seafood congee. You work overtime so often—make sure you take care of yourself and eat something nutritious.”

“Pfft!”

On the sofa, Pang Guang, who had been buried in his food, finally couldn’t hold it in. The mouthful of congee he had just taken went straight back into the bowl.

Guo Zhen, who was slightly older, was even more direct.

“Oysters… Captain Lin, are you suffering from kidney deficiency?”

Pan Chang immediately joined in, shaking his head dramatically.

“Coach Luo, you can’t just casually say a man isn’t capable!”

The only response they received was Luo Jingyao’s completely confused expression—

and Lin Jiafan’s cold glare slicing toward them.