Tiannan College - Kapitel 4
Jiaming couldn't sleep either. He sat in the bar next to Qishilin, with a dozen empty beer bottles piled up in front of him. The neon lights flashed, and the road studs reflected red and green light, adding a touch of glamour to the night.
"I want four pieces of butter straw, to go." A soft female voice said.
A girl with a beautiful voice isn't necessarily beautiful—that's Jiaming's experience. He subconsciously turned to look. He happened to meet the girl's gaze, and she smiled, revealing two small dimples. For some reason, the air in the bar always seemed shrouded in mist, and Jiaming couldn't clearly see the girl's face. When he looked again, she was gone.
"What are you daydreaming about?" A hand patted Jiaming on the shoulder.
"Detective Zhang." Upon closer inspection, it was Zhang Zhi.
"Two depth charges," Jiaming mumbled to the bartender, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Detective Zhang, thank you for your hard work today."
“There are no further leads yet,” Zhang Zhi lit a cigarette with the match Jia Ming had struck. “We’ve already sent people to keep watch over the warehouse.”
"I'm a free man. If there's anything I can do, just say so. I'm just bold."
"That Mr. Luo is yours..."
“He is my brother-in-law, and I don’t want my sister to be unhappy.”
"Cheers." Zhang Zhi raised his glass. "There might be news later."
Just then, the little bell above the shop door jingled, and a head peeked in through the crack in the door. Zhang Zhi waved to him, and the person slipped in silently like an eel.
"Master Zhang, I just received the news and came right away." The man said with a slick smile.
"Don't give me that. If you were paid to be an informant, you'd be the first one there. Have they got their eyes on the Ghost Market yet?"
“You don’t need to tell me that,” the man caught the cigarette Zhang Zhi threw to him and tucked it behind his ear. “I’ve been keeping an eye on it for a while. If anyone were selling that batch of goods, I would know immediately.”
"Keep a close eye on him, kid. Don't try anything funny. Let's go."
"Hey, what are you talking about? Do you think I'm that kind of person? I've been with you for so long, when have I ever caused you any trouble?"
"Alright, get to work." Zhang Zhi took out a few bills from his pocket and stuffed them into Mudfish's hand. Mudfish grinned like a blooming steamed bun, took the money, and darted out the door and disappeared. It seems he's much more slippery than a real mudfish.
"What is a ghost market?" Jiaming asked.
"Oh, there's a place in Tianjin that opens at dawn, and the market closes at the first cockcrow. It's said to sell goods of dubious origin. Because it can't be exposed to the light, it's called the Ghost Market."
“Hmm,” Jiaming nodded thoughtfully.
seven.
Ten days passed in the blink of an eye, and the thief and the goods seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Today is the company's anniversary ball, and thanks to Sir Howard, many dignitaries have also graced us with their presence.
Xiaoju couldn't remember how many people she had shaken hands with, and she couldn't recall anyone's name. Right now, she was resting briefly in a bathroom stall.
The bathroom door opened, clothes rustled, and someone came in.
"Did you see the second young master of the Huo family? He asked me to dance two dances." A girl's voice said.
"Thank goodness, his bald head is disgusting." Another girl said dismissively.
"Looks can't put food on the table. What's the use of being handsome?"
"Being rich doesn't necessarily mean being disgusting. I think the new general manager of Licheng Trading Company is quite good; he's young and promising."
"Oh, so you've taken a fancy to him, but he already has a wife."
"Look at his wife's petty and stingy manner, she'll be divorced sooner or later."
"I think Mrs. Luo is quite nice; she's elegant and generous. Beauty and pretty are two different things." This was a new voice.
"Miss Jane, you don't need to keep flattering me like this. Sigh, never mind, Nina, let's go."
Xiaoju listened, tears welling up in her eyes. Ever since she got together with Xiuqing, she had always been the one being compared to others. Although she knew Xiuqing was sincere towards her, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Could Xiuqing love her forever? Xiaoju really didn't dare to think about it anymore. She couldn't think about it any longer; she had been sitting there for too long, and if she didn't leave soon, Xiuqing would worry.
The hall was exceptionally brightly lit, each lead glass pendant of the enormous chandelier reflecting a dazzling light. "Where is Xiuqing?" Xiaoju wondered, looking around.
"Xiaoju, where have you been? I've been looking for you for ages." It's Xiuqing.
"I'm going to wash my hands, I was a little tired. And this is..." Xiaoju saw a tall woman standing next to Xiuqing.
“This is Miss Jane, Mr. Howard’s envoy,” Xiuqing said half-jokingly.
"Hello, Mrs. Luo." Jian Rou extended her right hand and gently grasped Xiao Ju's small hand.
"Hello, Miss Jian." Xiaoju recognized the voice as the one that had just defended her and looked at Jian Rou with gratitude.
"Mrs. Luo, let's go get something to eat. These men always go on and on, aren't they afraid of getting on our nerves?" Jian Rou could see that Xiao Ju was tired.
"Okay, I was just thinking of taking a break."
"Let's go then, Mr. Luo. I've borrowed your wife." Jian Rou winked playfully at Luo Xiuqing, and without waiting for his reply, she took Xiao Ju's hand and walked away.
Xiaoju had only taken a few steps when she saw her brother come in through the door. His formal attire only emphasized Jiaming's strong physique; he had even shaved his beard.
"Brother." Xiaoju looked at her brother with a beaming smile.
"Xiaoju, I forgot the time." Jiaming looked a little embarrassed.
Jian Rou looked at the brother and sister with curiosity and smiled along with them.
"This young lady is," Jiaming thought Jian Rou looked familiar but couldn't quite place her.
“We’ve never met,” Jane said, her expression clearly indicating that such a cliché was too old-fashioned.
“Ah,” Jiaming slapped his forehead, “I remember now, Qi Shilin, cream straw.”
"How did you know I like to eat Chef Shih Lin's creamy straw?" This time it was Jian Rou's turn to be surprised.
"I can calculate," Jiaming said, stroking his chin with a silly grin.
Just as Jian Rou was about to answer, the entire hall suddenly went dark. Screams erupted from the women, along with the sounds of tables and chairs clattering and glasses shattering on the floor. Xiao Ju was stunned. She felt a pair of large hands pull her aside; she knew it was her brother. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, followed by a short, sharp scream. Xiao Ju buried her head in her brother's arms. Outside the window, two enormous black shadows swept past, like strange birds descending to earth, silently traversing the night sky and disappearing into the distance.
"Everyone stay where you are, don't panic!" Luo Xiuqing shouted. Everyone calmed down, and the hall fell into a deathly silence. The beams of flashlights were particularly glaring in the darkness.
After a while, the lights came back on, and everyone frowned, unable to adjust to the sudden brightness.
"Ah!" someone screamed.
A man in a military officer's uniform lay in a pool of blood, a knife protruding from his chest. Several men in similar uniforms immediately gathered around and examined him. A few minutes later, one of the men stood up and walked over to a middle-aged gentleman with a small mustache, whispering something in his ear.
Luo Xiuqing recognized the gentleman as the Japanese consul, and the deceased was one of his attendants. Luo Xiuqing hurried over, and the consul spoke a few words to him before leaving.
It's truly one problem after another. With Sino-Japanese relations so tense right now, an assassination attempt has occurred at the company's dance, and the target is clearly the Japanese consul. Luo Xiuqing and Jiaming exchanged glances; this time, the trouble is even greater.
eight.
The news of the strange bird killing people spread throughout the city the next day, and it grew increasingly bizarre, with the bird reportedly growing larger and its colors becoming increasingly grotesque. Panic gripped the Licheng Trading Company; two people had died in less than two weeks, and rumors that the new general manager was a jinx were quietly spreading among the crowd.
As Luo Xiuqing entered the office building, she felt the shifty gazes of the employees, as if she were facing a plague. Only one thin boy stood up and bowed to her. Luo Xiuqing recognized him; he was Tiangui, the son of the watchman. Before his father's mysterious death, Tiangui, not yet 18, understood the responsibility of supporting his family. The smile faded from his face, replaced by a solemn expression that made him suddenly seem like an adult.
As soon as Luo Xiuqing went upstairs, she saw Jian Rou stamping her feet anxiously.
"Rose, you were looking for me?"
"Mr. Luo, the Japanese are waiting for you in your office. They arrived at 8 a.m."
"Okay, I understand. You can go ahead and get busy." What's meant to be will be, Luo Xiuqing thought, and pushed open the office door.
Jian Rou opened her mouth as if to say something, but after thinking about it, she didn't say anything and turned away in a hurry.
The consul was very agitated, long strings of characters spewing from his mouth beneath his mustache. The translator, besides faithfully translating the consul's words, also tried to convey his anger. Luo Xiuqing recognized the translator; his surname was Mi Chong, he was fair-skinned and plump, wore rimless glasses, moved slowly, and looked like a parasite transformed into a devil.
Despite their anger, their tone remained ambiguous, a tactic Luo Xiuqing disliked intensely. It took him a while to grasp that the Japanese were essentially demanding he hand over the murderer, or face severe consequences. Since the Huanggutun Incident, the Japanese ambitions towards China had become blatantly obvious. Luo Xiuqing understood the gravity of the situation; mishandling it would give the Japanese ammunition, with unpredictable consequences.
Luo Xiuqing patiently waited for the rice weevil to finish translating the consul's anger, then rang the bell to have her secretary replace the tea with the best pre-Qingming tea.
"Mr. Mi Chong, could you please translate this?"
The rice weevil was very thirsty and took a big gulp of tea.
"Our company is just as shocked and saddened as the Consul regarding the recent events. We are fully cooperating with the police and military in their investigation of this case."
The rice weevil quietly translated to the consul, nodding repeatedly to affirm his tone. The consul pursed his lips, held his head high, and remained expressionless.