This middle school classmate of his was a total dimwit.
Bai Shi had known this for a long time.
But a dimwit would never admit to being one, especially a dimwit with a strong sense of self-esteem like Pei Cangyu. As long as someone said a few nice words to him or showed a bit of vulnerability, Pei Cangyu would tumble headfirst and melt right into their hands.
Bai Shi knew this clearly, and he felt that anyone with even a modicum of intelligence could see it too.
So, while the dimwit was still explaining himself, trying to clear his name in the eyes of others, the murderer listened quietly. Occasionally, the murderer would offer a suggestion, such as, "This area is a wasteland; there are no surveillance cameras." Pei Cangyu would grip him with a burning gaze, asking questions with those innocent eyes, hoping Bai Shi would believe him. Bai Shi took a pleasant delight in admiring Pei Cangyu’s focused gaze; it was one of his few interests, one that hadn't changed in all these years. Nevertheless, Bai Shi maintained his distance, telling Pei Cangyu that nothing was certain yet.
Because he was feeling slightly amused, Bai Shi began to persuasively guide Pei Cangyu toward leaving the scene and pretending nothing had happened. He was almost successful until Pei Cangyu asked him foolishly, "Wait, that’s right—why are you here?"
A hundred answers leaped into Bai Shi’s mind, only to be rejected one by one. Pei Cangyu, however, had his own interpretation: "...So you... are you still gay?"
What? Bai Shi was stunned for a moment by this nonsensical conjecture. Then, remembering some things from middle school, he decided to play along. He lowered his head. He didn't need to admit to anything; Pei Cangyu would fill in the blanks himself.
Sure enough.
It worked.
Bai Shi watched Pei Cangyu walk away and disappear around the corner of the alley before turning back. He let out a whistle, signaling his people to come out and clean up. Before they could move, they heard a flurry of footsteps. Bai Shi made a gesture, stopping them from emerging, and turned to face the newcomer. It was a panting Pei Cangyu.
Dimwits were always unpredictable; they had different mental wiring. Bai Shi, who had understood this long ago, was always prepared for various scenarios. Thus, when the dimwit ran back into the alley, Bai Shi was far less surprised than his colleagues.
Pei Cangyu held up his phone. "I don't think this is right. This guy can't just die here without anyone knowing. What if he’s never found?"
Bai Shi stepped forward to speak, but Pei Cangyu continued.
"You should go. I won't say I saw you."
Bai Shi stopped in his tracks. He curled his lips and raised an eyebrow.
The others, clutching knives and weighing guns in the shadows, were also stunned.
Pei Cangyu pressed the call button and waved at Bai Shi. "Go, just go."
With that, he focused entirely on reporting the crime to the police.
Zhou Linyuan, standing right next to Bai Shi in the shadows, asked in a low voice, "Kill him?"
Bai Shi stared at Pei Cangyu and slowly shook his head. He said, "The person currently in charge of District Z is Fei Zuohua."
"The son of the Metropolitan Police Department's Deputy Commissioner?"
Bai Shi nodded, but his eyes never left Pei Cangyu, who was on the phone. Pei Cangyu was struggling to understand the dispatcher's requirements; this was not a simple task for him. He stood on his tiptoes, moving slightly to the side, having no mind to spare for Bai Shi’s direction.
Bai Shi said, "You guys leave. Let the police find Lu Mingyue. Also, go to the convenience store in Beitong and have a word."
Zhou Linyuan understood the instructions implicitly. Bai Shi handed his glasses and the knife to Zhou Linyuan and stepped forward himself. From the moment he left the assembly to the moment Pei Cangyu discovered him, there was a gap of at least fifteen minutes in District Z that he couldn't explain. This was a critical moment; he couldn't risk attracting the police's attention. If Division 8 took notice, it would be a massive headache. Now, this dimwit would be his proof for those fifteen minutes. He would link the preceding time together and push it all onto Pei Cangyu, letting Pei Cangyu testify for him from the very beginning.
When he walked up to Pei Cangyu’s side, Pei Cangyu jumped in fright. After the fingerprints on the knife were pointed out, Pei Cangyu, as expected, hadn't thought of it. But to Bai Shi’s surprise, the one who suggested the alibi of "being together from the start" was actually the panicked Pei Cangyu. That certainly saved a lot of effort.
Next was the issue of the scene itself.
He dragged Pei Cangyu back and forth. His explanation of their route was a lie; his true purpose was to destroy the scene. Pei Cangyu’s reactions weren't that fast. Even though he remembered the police's instruction not to disturb the scene, he was no match for Bai Shi’s overly firm and rapid movements. As they walked, Bai Shi deliberately avoided Lu Mingyue’s footprints, making the trail of Lu Mingyue entering the alley, attacking Bai Yinhua, getting blood on his feet, and leaving appear slightly more distinct than the other prints. He also took the oden from Pei Cangyu’s hand; the convenience store would be the reason and proof for their meeting.
Everything was ready.
The police arrived.
Bai Shi was not unfamiliar with the young policeman. Although they had no personal relationship, he had a vague impression of him. However, the older man beside him made Bai Shi take a few extra looks. After they stepped into the light, the older man kept scrutinizing Pei Cangyu.
In truth, Bai Shi hadn't expected Fei Zuohua to come to the scene. After all, nominally, he was still the second-in-command of the District Z police force. Responding to a call in the middle of the night wasn't something that should fall on his shoulders. Seeing Fei Zuohua’s respectful attitude toward Tu Ziyun, Bai Shi was intrigued. According to his information, the person in charge wasn't named Tu. What was this Tu Ziyun’s background?
Although Tu Ziyun was all smiles, saying pleasant things about driving them, Bai Shi—who had spent years living behind a mask—naturally understood that once they were in the car, Fei Zuohua would still be the one driving.
An old fox.
The old fox was very interested in Pei Cangyu. One couldn't blame him; if Bai Shi were in his shoes, he would also start with Pei Cangyu. He was too simple, incapable of lying, and could be seen through at a glance. He couldn't withstand any schemes or carry any secrets. He was the perfect target for an attack. But even so, the old fox’s probing left Bai Shi a bit puzzled.
When their statements were recorded, they weren't treated as suspects, and only Fei Zuohua questioned them. This wasn't because the two of them didn't fit the profile of suspects or because of Fei Zuohua’s old friendship. Bai Shi guessed it was purely because Tu Ziyun had already judged that the two had little to do with the matter. Perhaps it was because he had seen the scene, or perhaps because of his grasp of Pei Cangyu. Regardless of the reason, in Tu Ziyun’s eyes, they weren't high-priority suspects.
Bai Shi stared at Fei Zuohua in front of him, already understanding who the dominant one was. Moreover, this dominant person was clearly overconfident. Once he made a judgment, it was beyond doubt. Fortunately, he had chosen Pei Cangyu—a fool who could win the trust of clever people. Because he never put up a guard, there was no need to guard against him.
Tu Ziyun walked in with a smile after hanging up the phone, glancing at Bai Shi intentionally or otherwise. Bai Shi immediately understood: Bai Yinhua’s identity had been exposed. It was time for his performance.
But Tu Ziyun didn't say it directly. Instead, he asked Pei Cangyu a few questions first. After Pei Cangyu answered according to their agreement, Tu Ziyun asked why they had gone there.
Bai Shi lowered his eyes, his mind racing. They hadn't prepared for this question. He had an excellent reason himself, but Pei Cangyu might not think of it. Pei Cangyu might hesitate and stammer, or he might tell a lie so poor it could be seen through instantly. Neither scenario was frightening because the most important thing was that Pei Cangyu hadn't killed anyone. No matter how one guided the questioning, that remained a fact, making any attack on Pei Cangyu ineffective. And Bai Shi, who had tied his movements entirely to Pei Cangyu, naturally couldn't be convicted. Even if Pei Cangyu couldn't answer the motive for being there, if worst came to worst, they could just say they were a couple out for a hookup and it was inconvenient to talk about.
But Pei Cangyu answered blankly.
This even gave Bai Shi a shock. Although it was the answer he had prepared, would Pei Cangyu really think of it?
He turned to glance at Pei Cangyu.
Tu Ziyun turned to Bai Shi, and Bai Shi was naturally flawless.
Then Tu Ziyun turned back to Pei Cangyu. This time, answering truthfully would only increase suspicion. After all, they really had hesitated and trampled the scene. A normal interrogator would naturally assume they had intentionally tampered with the evidence.
But the one questioning was Tu Ziyun, and the one answering was Pei Cangyu. One was a seasoned, confident policeman, and the other was a fool whose lies could be seen through at a glance. They were a perfect match. Bai Shi laughed internally; nothing could be more helpful to him than this. Had Fei Zuohua been the one asking, they might have struggled to escape the procedures and scrutiny of a mediocre cop, along with the subsequent trouble. The clever Tu Ziyun was the very medicine for their escape. Who told Tu Ziyun his opponent was Pei Cangyu?
Sure enough, after hearing about their strange activities at the scene, Tu Ziyun understood that they were just afraid of getting into trouble. It was impossible to link them to the murder.
Finally, he turned to Bai Shi and told him the identity of the deceased.
Should he cry? Or stay calm? How old was he this year? Oh right, twenty-two. Should a twenty-two-year-old cry? Pei Cangyu was a dimwit; if Bai Shi were too calm, it would seem discordant. So, he would cry. Should he have a breakdown? No. Pei Cangyu wouldn't break down, and besides, he hadn't seen Bai Yinhua in a long time. It wasn't a brotherly bond worth a breakdown; it would look strange to outsiders. He needed to keep his reaction at a frequency roughly similar to Pei Cangyu’s.
Alright, decided. Cry.
And so, his eyes grew red.
Bai Shi wasn't sure how many points his performance earned, but Pei Cangyu’s genuine sympathy was a major plus. Tu Ziyun, who had been staring at him coldly, glanced at Pei Cangyu.
Redoubling his efforts, Bai Shi lowered his head. Red eyes were his limit; it was impossible for him to actually cry. Even when his mother died, no matter how hard he tried, he hadn't shed a tear. Pei Cangyu even started blaming the police, which Bai Shi hadn't expected. He took the opportunity to lean on Pei Cangyu’s shoulder, and Pei Cangyu patted him.
Excellent. To have a teammate like Pei Cangyu. Bai Shi buried his face in the other's shoulder, reminding himself absolutely not to smile.
At the same time, he realized one thing: the clever Tu Ziyun was trying to view him and Pei Cangyu as two separate entities.
The old fox.
When they left, Gu Sai’s men almost bowed to him at the police station entrance, but Bai Shi stopped them. For now, it seemed their suspicion would be greatly reduced once the police found clues regarding Lu Mingyue. However, that didn't mean the police would stop tracking them. Pei Cangyu was one thing, but that Tu Ziyun had very likely set his sights on Bai Shi.
A nuisance.
Bai Shi glanced at Pei Cangyu. Truly a nuisance.
If...
Bai Shi suggested going back with Pei Cangyu. Recalling Tu Ziyun’s probing in the car, Bai Shi had a plan.
As expected, Pei Cangyu brought him to the base of his own apartment building. Bai Shi gave him a subtle, meaningful nudge before leaving.
The butler opened the conference room door for him. Everyone waiting for him at the Bai residence stood up. Bai Shi waved a hand and walked straight to the sofa. The others sat back down.
Gu Sai pushed up his glasses and spoke first. "This case is basically under Fei Zuohua’s jurisdiction. As for the older one, I checked. Tu Ziyun was originally part of Division 8 of the Metropolitan Police Department. He was transferred to the District Z station last year as the deputy leader of Investigation Team One. The team leader is concurrently held by the District Z Deputy Chief, Fei Zuohua."
Lu Mingyue let out a whistle. "Division 8. Anti-organized crime. How did he get demoted to a godforsaken place like District Z?"
Gu Sai ignored him. "Ten years ago, Tu Ziyun was promoted to Chief of Division 8. He resigned shortly after. Since then, although he’s still technically in Division 8, he’s had almost no significant achievements. He’s basically been coasting."
Bai Shi looked up. "Why was he promoted to Chief of Division 8?"
Gu Sai lowered his voice. "For the arrest of Ding Chuan."
Bai Shi let out a cold sneer. "Well, talk about a small world for enemies."
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 憨批 | dimwit / simpleton | A colloquial, slightly derogatory term for someone foolish. |
| 费左华 | Fei Zuohua | A police officer, son of the Deputy Commissioner. |
| 屠资云 | Tu Ziyun | An experienced detective, former Chief of Division 8. |
| 警视厅 | Metropolitan Police Department | The police headquarters. |
| 八部 | Division 8 | A specialized police unit, usually for organized crime/anti-gang. |
| 鲁鸣月 | Lu Mingyue | A character involved in the crime scene/suspect. |
| 北同 | Beitong | A location name (convenience store location). |
| 顾赛 | Gu Sai | One of Bai Shi's associates/subordinates. |
| 丁川 | Ding Chuan | A criminal figure arrested by Tu Ziyun ten years ago. |
| 调查一组 | Investigation Team One | The specific police unit handling the case. |
| 冤家路窄 | a small world for enemies | Idiom: "Enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road." |
