After seeing Jiang Cheng off, Lu Linjiang bought a cup of coffee from a self-service machine. The man who had dropped the bottle had slipped away as slickly as a loach. The last glimpse of him was on a bicycle, vanishing into an inconspicuous corner at a roadside turn.
Lu Linjiang had sought assistance from the traffic police to track the man’s trail, but a cyclist was difficult to trace. If he ducked into narrow alleys or areas beyond surveillance coverage, finding him would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Yang Bo and Xu Sichen arrived at the hospital shortly after. Lu Linjiang frowned the moment he saw Xu Sichen. "Shouldn't you go back? Your situation is special right now, your immunity is low. We still don't know exactly what happened in the infusion room. If your condition worsens..."
"It’s fine, Boss." A nurse approached and handed Xu Sichen a mask. The two clearly knew each other; after a few whispered words, the nurse left. Xu Sichen put on the mask, which was identical in style to the one Jiang Cheng had been wearing.
"Here, Jiang Cheng left this for me. He said that wearing this should theoretically prevent any issues and that it can last for a week."
Lu Linjiang fell silent. Xu Sichen had successfully shut him down, adding triumphantly, "You should be at ease if it’s from Jiang Cheng, right?"
Lu Linjiang nodded, moving past the subject. "Fine, just be careful yourself." He turned to Yang Bo. "How was the search?"
"The community reported twenty-seven people. Here’s the list." Yang Bo handed the documents to Lu Linjiang. Lu Linjiang flipped through them quickly, then pulled up a schematic on his phone. Using a photo editing app, he rapidly added these twenty-seven individuals to the map.
On the three schematics, many people were now circled—especially on the third one. After the man in the bucket hat had knocked over the mineral water, almost every head in that section had been circled. Lu Linjiang gestured for the two to come closer. "It’s basically confirmed. The patients from this final time slot have the most severe symptoms. As for the other times..."
The people Yang Bo had found were mostly on the first and second schematics, and those who went to the community clinic generally had milder symptoms. Yang Bo interjected, "It’s highly likely they were just infected by others during the viral transmission."
Lu Linjiang gave him an appreciative look. Xu Sichen studied the schematic for a moment and asked doubtfully, "I have a question. His first attempt at poisoning on the subway was strange enough, but running into a crowded infusion room for a second time... isn't that a bit too bold?"
Lu Linjiang nodded noncommittally. "That’s a question we’ll have to answer once we catch him."
***
Wu Yuxing pedaled his bicycle so hard it felt like it might take flight. He swerved left and right through familiar paths, and only after ensuring he had evaded surveillance did he finally stop in a corner of the old city district. Gasping for breath, Wu Yuxing looked around, took off his gloves, and sent a text message. Once the screen showed it was sent, he gripped the handlebars again. He turned the bike around, pointing it toward the city center.
Jiang Langmin finished his breakfast and elegantly wiped his mouth, letting the housekeeper take the tray to the kitchen. The phone on the table vibrated once and then went silent. He stood up slowly, stretched, and took a sip of fresh water to clear his palate before finally tapping on his phone to check the message.
*“The job is done. Where’s the money?”*
The message came from an unknown number. Judging by the prefix, it was a brand-new SIM, likely purchased recently. Jiang Langmin gave a cold sneer and leisurely replied: *“May I ask who this is?”*
There was no further response. Jiang Langmin wasn't in a hurry; he tossed the phone aside and opened his laptop. After finishing the kitchen chores and the remaining cleaning, the housekeeper wiped her hands, checked the time, and asked, "Mr. Jiang, what would you like for lunch?"
This housekeeper had only been hired a couple of days ago and hadn't quite grasped Jiang Langmin’s temperament yet. She liked to ask before starting on any of the three daily meals. Jiang Langmin was focused on writing a paper and didn't seem to hear her. It wasn't until she asked again that he snapped out of it. He checked the time; it was just past nine.
"There aren't many groceries left. If there's something specific you want, I'll need to go out and buy it."
"Oh," Jiang Langmin replied. "No need. Today won't..." He stopped mid-sentence. Seeing the housekeeper look at him in confusion, he continued, "I think I'll order takeout today."
Not having to cook was naturally for the best, so the housekeeper gave a nod and began packing her things to leave early. She had just finished changing her shoes and was about to say goodbye when the doorbell rang urgently.
The housekeeper peered through the peephole. The man outside was wearing a black leather jacket and a peaked cap, pressing the doorbell with an extremely agitated expression. He didn't look quite right. The housekeeper pulled back and said to Jiang Langmin, "Mr. Jiang, it’s a very strange man. Maybe you should come see if we should open the door."
Jiang Langmin walked to the door with a look of confusion. He took a look and said, "I don't know this person."
The housekeeper immediately wore an 'I knew it' expression. "Could he have the wrong door? He looks quite fierce."
Jiang Langmin gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll ask who he's looking for." He tapped the video intercom and asked, "Sir, who are you looking for?"
The person outside couldn't see in, so he could only shout at the intercom, "Don't play dead, Jiang Langmin! Give me the money!"
The housekeeper, who had been certain of his innocence, looked at Jiang Langmin strangely but said nothing. Jiang Langmin appeared even more bewildered. "Who are you? I'm certain I don't know you."
Wu Yuxing slammed his fist against the doorbell. "I've done everything you asked me to do, but the promised money hasn't arrived, and now you're pretending not to know me! Jiang Langmin, what the hell do you mean by this?"
Jiang Langmin looked utterly baffled. "Doing things for me? Sir, have you mistaken me for someone else?"
Wu Yuxing had completely lost his patience. He began pounding on the door with his fists. "I'm warning you, I'm getting that money today! I won't let you off if I'm short even a single cent!"
The housekeeper flinched at the sound of the banging and instinctively stepped back. She tugged at Jiang Langmin’s sleeve and whispered, "Mr. Jiang, if you really don't know him, let's call the police first. If something happens, at least the police will be here."
Jiang Langmin hardly hesitated before agreeing. "Alright!"
The housekeeper hurriedly pulled out her phone to dial 110, but the police arrived even faster. Before she could even finish dialing the second '1', Wu Yuxing was slammed against the door by Lu Linjiang, who had charged out from the fire escape. Watching the monitor, the housekeeper froze in shock, letting out a terrified cry.
Yang Bo deftly handcuffed the man before knocking on the door. "Mr. Jiang, please open the door."
Jiang Langmin opened the door without hesitation, his face full of relief. "Officer Lu, Officer Yang, thank goodness you arrived quickly. This man insisted he did some work for me and demanded money. I was just about to call the police!"
Lu Linjiang narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at him. "Oh, is that so? Then I'll have to ask you to come back to the station with us to cooperate with the investigation."
***
Glossary:
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
渔夫帽 | Bucket hat | Refers to the suspect's disguise.
110 | 110 | The emergency telephone number for the police in China.
消防通道 | Fire escape / Fire exit | The route Lu Linjiang used to ambush the suspect.
对讲机 | Intercom | The video/audio system at the apartment door.
猫眼 | Peephole | Literally "cat's eye."
