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墨書 Inktalez
The alarm clock went off at 7:15 in the morning, waking me up on time. I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. I had a dream last night, dreaming of Luo Qian again. She was standing not far from me on the street, looking at me. I wanted to run towards her, but found my legs heavy as if they were filled with lead, unable to move, only able to desperately call her name. But she remained still. Perhaps due to the heavy fog, I gradually couldn't see her face clearly. I think I must love her, so much so that I hope to see her again even in my dreams.
Last week, I resigned from the company. Everyone, including my leaders and colleagues, was surprised by my resignation. Everyone asked me about the reason for leaving. On the day of my resignation, I packed up the files and Thinkpad computer on my desk in a cardboard box, and just as I was about to leave the company, my colleague Xiao Hui walked over. "Where are you going?" Xiao Hui hugged me and asked with a smile, as if he didn't want me to leave. My relationship with Xiao Hui has always been good. Before leaving, I helped him collect the final payment from a client and handed over the details of some project deliveries. He should be quite grateful to me.
"To where I should go," I replied to him...
Thinking about this, I got up from the bed, straightened my clothes, and then went to the kitchen to make breakfast, which took about half an hour. I carried a small plate with steamed buns, dumplings, eggs, and a box of yogurt to the old man. He was sitting slumped on the sofa in the living room, and reluctantly glanced at me, then struggled to prop up his bulky body with both hands. I hesitated for a moment, intending to help him, but he forcefully pushed my hand away. "Get lost!" he angrily scolded.
I chuckled disdainfully in my heart and ignored him. I went straight back to my bedroom. As usual, I would have opened the computer to search for updates on the Luo Qian death case, always keeping an eye on how the case was progressing. But I wasn't worried at all about the ability of our police comrades. Often, a case may encounter obstacles in the initial investigation stage, perhaps getting stuck at a certain point or going down a dead end. But you should know that police work is like the training of monks in a Shaolin temple. Often, it's just a matter of a sudden realization. Their long-term investigative abilities have already trained them to be different from ordinary people. Their keen observation skills and mastery of analyzing details of clues are just like the monks sweeping the temple grounds, suddenly understanding a Buddhist principle while sweeping. So, when they find me, it's just a matter of time.
I picked up the teacup and took a sip, preparing to continue browsing the relevant progress reports. The phone rang.
"Hello, this is Liu Bing." A smoky voice came through the phone, as if there was phlegm in the throat, ready to be coughed up at any moment.
"What's up? Is there something wrong?" I responded with a curious and surprised tone.
"Let's have lunch together at noon. It's been a long time since we got together. How have you been recently?" Liu Bing said in a very casual tone.
"Sure, the usual place?" I responded.
"Okay, let's meet at the usual place, the Teochew-style beef hotpot restaurant. Don't be late," Liu Bing said and then hung up the phone.
I hung up the phone and let out a sigh. Teochew-style beef hotpot rose to fame in the 1940s. The traditional method involved adding satay sauce to the pot and using a rich broth as the base. Over time, it became simpler, with the hotpot base for beef only consisting of beef bone broth and white radish, which is more conducive to bringing out the original flavor of the beef. This hotpot restaurant is not far from my home, about a ten-minute walk. From my college days to working after graduation, this place is where my friend Liu Bing and I often dined, carrying many memories. I've mentioned before that although Liu Bing is a bit lazy and sloppy, he's not unlikeable, and I quite enjoy being friends with him. During our college days, we often participated in various interest groups and work-study activities. Whenever we earned some extra money or had activities with the groups, we would choose this Teochew-style beef hotpot for a meal together.
As soon as I walked into the restaurant, I saw Liu Bing waving at me from the door, signaling for me to join him at the table near the street. I walked straight over, and the dishes were already ordered. The hotpot base for beef was a milky white beef bone broth with white radish. There were several plates of beef, sauces, a platter of fresh vegetables, fried bean curd sticks, and corn by the pot.
"Wow, quite a feast, huh? What's up, anything good?" I sat down with a smile on my face.
"Nothing much, it's been a long time since we gathered, just want to chat. Hey, by the way, want some drinks?" Liu Bing looked at me intently.
"Waiter! Bring two bottles of Pearl River beer over here," Liu Bing didn't wait for my answer and reached out to find the waiter.
We were silent for about half a minute without speaking to each other. I looked at him as he quietly lowered his head to pick up some food and put it into the pot. The soup in the pot was boiling and bubbling. Liu Bing picked up a slice of pork belly, dipped it in some satay sauce, and put it into his mouth.
"We haven't seen each other for almost a year, right? How have you been lately, are you doing okay?" I also picked up a slice of fresh red beef and put it into the pot.
"Okay, so-so. I've been busy lately, dealing with a case, a woman named Luo Qian was killed. We've only found a head so far." He suddenly looked up at me.
"I didn't say anything."
"Last year, after we finished dinner, we had some drinks. Then I took you to a massage parlor called City South Bathhouse. Do you remember? Luo Qian used to work there as a massage therapist. Do you know her?" He stopped his chopsticks and looked straight at me.
"Yes, I know her. She was the one who gave me a massage when we went there." I lifted my head and looked at him too.
"Oh? What a coincidence. Did you feel anything unusual at the time? Did you contact her afterwards?" Liu Bing looked very shocked and stared at me blankly.
I lowered my head and looked at the raw beef slices on the table, which were the intercostal meat of the cow, fresh and red with visible veins. Because the meat was too fresh, there was still fresh blood on the plate. Suddenly, I couldn't help feeling a little nauseous and turned my head away.
"Wenhao, answer me! Did you contact Luo Qian afterwards?" Liu Bing raised his voice, sounding a bit hysterical, still staring straight at me.
"I killed the person." I looked at him very calmly, but the temperature of the hot pot kept rising, and the steam filled the air, making it difficult to see Liu Bing's expression...
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