Corpse Retriever

The two of them entered the house and saw A Li coming down the stairs.

”A Li, Little Yuan agreed to join the family, and your grandma let him take The Liu Clan’s Art of Observing Qi. Aren’t you happy?”

She’d meant to tease the girl a bit, maybe coax out a smile—hopefully those little dimples would show too.

But instead of joy, A Li’s eyes dimmed when she heard that.

”What’s wrong?” Liu Yumei looked hurt. ”Is our Art of Observing Qi really so embarrassing?”

A Li said nothing. She opened a door and stepped into the ancestral hall, then came back out carrying a stack of spirit tablets and walked back upstairs.

Liu Yumei turned to Aunt Liu and instructed, ”Make a new batch of spirit tablets. This time, don’t bring them into the house. Leave them outside. We’ll need them in three days—can’t afford to have any missing.”

”Understood. I’ve got it.”

”Was A Li just angry?”

”Looked like it.””In the past, when A Li stayed silent all day, I used to worry myself sick. Now she’s learned to express her feelings, and somehow I understand her even less. Strange, isn’t it?”

”Sure is. No idea who she takes after.”

”Watch your mouth.”

…

Walking down the street late at night, Li Zhuiyuan was still replaying that moment with A Li in his mind. As he walked, he absentmindedly touched his own face.

In the past, seeing A Li felt like his worn, peeling human mask was being stapled back onto his face—pin by painful pin.

But tonight, after seeing her, it felt like he’d grown new skin. It left him disoriented… and a little itchy.

Instead of returning to campus, he headed toward the food street outside the north gate. From afar, he saw the newly erected light rack flashing the name ”Old Sichuan.”

For the shops that thrived off the university crowd, the start of freshman season was prime promotion time.

College students are lazy. Win them over now, and you’ve got four years of stable business ahead.

Even though only freshmen needing military training had arrived so far, the outdoor seating at Old Sichuan was nearly full. It looked like expansion would be necessary soon.

When Li Zhuiyuan arrived, the police group was just wrapping up.

After seeing off his new coworkers, Tan Yunlong lit a cigarette and spotted Li Zhuiyuan.

”Uncle Tan, sorry I’m late.”

”No, no, I just came early. The others have families—they needed to eat and head home. Little Yuan, I’ll order you another grilled fish. Boss—”

”No need, Uncle Tan. I already had some snacks. I’m not hungry.”

He’d been sitting in Liu Yumei’s study for quite a while—there’d been no shortage of refreshments.

”Truly not hungry? Don’t stand on ceremony with me.”

”Uncle Tan, you and I don’t need to stand on ceremony.”

”Fair enough. Then how about a walk?”

”Sure.”

Tan Yunlong took out his wallet to settle the bill, but Li Zhuiyuan stepped ahead, pointed to the table they’d used, and the proprietress gave a knowing nod.

”Let’s go, Uncle Tan.”

As they crossed the street, Tan Yunlong laughed.

”Looks like you all eat here often—running a tab now?”

”A friend of ours owns the place.”

”Ah, that explains it.”

They used to pay like everyone else, but after Xue Liangliang had a word with the owner, the expenses for the four of them were simply deducted from his monthly share of the profits.

They’d been through life-and-death together. No one felt the need to fuss about money.

”Where’s Binbin?”

”Business is good tonight—he stayed to help out. I didn’t pull him away.”

”So you two haven’t had a meal together yet today?”

”I’m staying in your dorm tonight. I’ll share a bed with Binbin—hope that’s not a bother, Little Yuan.”

”Not at all. The dorm’s spacious.”

As they strolled, they soon entered the campus.

”Earlier, while inspecting Ran Qiuping’s office, I ran into that Yu Shu guy. I suspect he’s behind my special transfer this time.”

”Then that’s probably him.”

Yu Shu’s involvement wasn’t surprising.

After all, no matter how thoroughly the fire burned, it couldn’t erase the fact that the site had once been the “daoist field” of the Mao family. Based on that alone, it was natural for Yu Shu to take a look.

”But what does that have to do with me? I don’t even know him.”

”Uncle Tan, maybe it’s because of how well you handled those cases in Shigang.”

”Handled well? I just took him around to a few places, filed some special reports. Honestly, I felt like I was just killing time.”

”That’s exactly what they want. They’re not too concerned with the usual details of a case.”

”Now that you say it, I think I get it.”

”Either way, it’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

”All thanks to your shine.” Tan Yunlong exhaled a long puff of smoke. Both he and his son owed this kid more than a few favors.

”You’ve helped me a lot, Uncle Tan. With how close I am to Binbin, there’s no need for us to be so formal.”

”Yu Shu wanted to check out Binbin’s dorm. Binbin led him to a room with the red sausage.”

”Mm.”

”Little Yuan, is your situation something people like Yu Shu shouldn’t find out about?”

”Uncle Tan, it’s not that I can’t be discovered—I just don’t want to be tangled up with them. You just follow your heart and do your job. Don’t worry about me. Of course, if it doesn’t violate your principles and you’re willing to look out for me a bit, that’d be perfect.”

”Heh.”

They kept walking, without saying where they were headed, but their pace matched. Eventually, they arrived in front of an old classroom building.

Tan Yunlong checked his watch.

”Uncle Tan, how long until the time of the incident?”

”Less than an hour.”

”Do you think the killer might come back to check?”

”Hard to say. We’ll see.”

”Then I’ll wait with you.”

”Alright.”

Tan Yunlong liked this kind of conversation—where the other person understood exactly what he was thinking. No wasted words, just straight to the point.

Only downside was, after spending time with this young man, going back to talk with his own son always left him feeling frustrated. Nothing his son did could quite compare.

They stepped into the building and climbed the stairs, both instinctively keeping their footsteps light, careful not to make a sound.

With freshmen just arriving, classes hadn’t fully resumed yet. At this hour, the old teaching building was almost completely dark and eerily quiet.

As they passed a lecture hall on the third floor, the room number read CJ-302.

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