51st oil painting

Chapter 6

Nono spent a full twenty minutes telling this story, during which Ahu barely reacted.

Finally, Nono asked, "Hey, you didn't leave, did you?"

"Let's meet."

This is how the boy from another dimension answered.

The meeting place was at Starbucks, where Nuonuo works, at the intersection of Zhaojiabang Road and Shaanxi South Road. This five-story building is actually a podium building in the "Meishuguan" upscale residential area, where most of the residents are business people traveling between Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore. In Shanghainese terms, the area is "relatively high-class."

Besides Starbucks, the ground floor also houses Manabe Cafe, "Suisha-ya" Japanese restaurant, and a Kodak photo printing shop, while the upper floor houses the Mei Yue Hua Hotel.

The reason Nuonuo didn't choose another place was to give Ahu a hint: I told you where I work, which means I genuinely consider you a friend. Don't get the wrong idea; I have a boyfriend.

This Starbucks has a rather unique layout, shaped like a pistol with an exceptionally long barrel. It's located along a corridor, and anyone going to the "Watermill House" for Japanese food or taking the elevator upstairs to the Mei Yue Hua Hotel for dining has to pass through here. Through the large glass walls, you can clearly see the customers drinking coffee inside, and at the same time, the customers can also see everyone passing by in the corridor, creating a state of mutual surveillance where everyone is looking at each other.

At this moment, Ah Hu was sitting at the last table, right where the gun barrel was pointed, drinking cappuccino and waiting patiently.

There were five busy waiters in the shop, four women and one man, and he didn't know which one was Nuonuo.

Through the large glass panes, Ah Hu saw beautiful women passing by in the corridor from time to time. Some were arm in arm with their tall, strong European or American boyfriends, while others were pushing strollers with mixed-race children lying inside. Their faces were filled with happiness, and their husbands faithfully followed behind, carrying Tesco plastic bags. Most of these women were residents of the Meishu Mansion. There was a Tesco supermarket not far from here, and they took a shortcut home after shopping.

In Shanghai, a woman marrying a European or American man is a source of pride, especially if she has a mixed-race baby who looks like a porcelain doll. Holding the baby on the street will attract more attention and turn heads than any pretty young woman.

Thinking about his own situation, Ah Hu couldn't help but sigh. Most of the beautiful women with good temperaments were taken by foreign men and successful men, and the younger girls mostly preferred tall and handsome men. If this continued, third-class citizens like Ah Hu would only be able to go to elementary schools or kindergartens to scout for "future beauties".

When it was time to rest, Nuonuo took off her bib and walked over to Ahu. Ahu quickly stood up and bowed to her.

Although it was the first time meeting, there was no "disappointment upon meeting" because everyone was in a relaxed state of mind: just ordinary friends, having a casual chat.

Nuonuo looked at Ahu and chuckled inwardly, because his figure did indeed resemble a teapot.

"You are more beautiful than I imagined," Ah Hu complimented.

"I have a fifteen-minute break," Nono said. "By the way, I was so busy chatting about that topic online that I didn't even know what you do for a living."

"Well... you wouldn't believe me even if I told you," Ah Hu said hesitantly, seemingly a little embarrassed, as he twirled the paper cup of coffee. "I'm an inventor."

Nono's eyes widened immediately.

Ah Hu wasn't lying; he really was an inventor, though he invented mostly gadgets that were very practical in daily life.

Due to physiological factors, women spend significantly more time in the toilet than men. In the same space, a men's restroom can accommodate six individual urinals, while a women's restroom can only have three individual stalls with flush toilets. This disparity leads to frequent queues in women's restrooms in crowded public places, while the adjacent men's restrooms remain empty.

Ah-hu designed a standing urinal specifically for women, which is said to solve the problem of long queues.

Due to the high cost of patent applications, Ah Hu is currently in talks with several world-class bathroom fixture companies, such as TOTO, American Standard, and Kohler. There are bound to be women among their senior management; they will be invited to try it out themselves. Perhaps they've never even tried urinating standing up before. Using this standing urinal will make something seemingly unbelievable incredibly easy, without even having to take off pantyhose… (details omitted due to trade secrets).

Ah Hu plans to keep the cost below 2,000 yuan. For each unit installed, if a patent fee of 0.5 per thousand is charged, that's one yuan. If there are 10,000 units installed in Shanghai, that's 10,000 yuan.

This is just Shanghai; there are also Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Paris, New York... promoting it all over the world and collecting considerable patent fees.

Besides this standing urinal, Ah Hu is also researching a kind of "super underwear." It's "super" because the fabric used has two major functions: sound absorption and odor absorption. In other words, wearing this underwear, you can fart without any worries, even in front of your boss or lover, because they won't hear or smell it. Only you can feel the intestinal peristalsis, the contraction of the anal muscles, and the pleasant release of gas. They might even fart more than you today, but you won't notice because they're wearing the same "super underwear" as you.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 14: The Fabric of "Super Underwear"

But that's for the future. For now, Ah Hu has to stay there obediently, squatting like a teapot, swallowing his saliva as the pretty girls walk past the glass wall.

Before Einstein wrote the theory of relativity; when Bill Gates left Yale University with his worn-out backpack, their feelings must have been similar to mine...

Whenever he thought of this, a smile would appear on Ah Hu's chubby face.

A man like me—talented, hardworking, persevering, and most importantly, self-disciplined—if I don't succeed, who will?!

Sigh, I just don't know when that day will come.

"What have you invented?" Nono asked curiously.

"Hmm...they're all just trivial trinkets, best left unsaid."

Ah Hu made a few perfunctory remarks, finding it difficult to speak. He couldn't bear the thought of giving her the wrong impression on their first meeting, that she might think he was a pervert trying to sexually harass her. Besides, the girl in front of him, Nuonuo, was quite cute, not the dinosaur he had imagined.

"It's okay, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too. Even if you invented the car, it wouldn't solve my problem."

Nono shifted the topic to herself.

Ahu asked her, "Someone is calling your name from behind, but you don't dare to turn around. This dream is based on a game software developed by your father. In other words, this dream is actually related to your father. Am I right?"

Nono nodded.

"This dream has been bothering you. What do you think is the real reason?"

Ah Hu gazed intently at Nuonuo, feeling like a psychologist patiently guiding his female patient.

"I think you have something you're having trouble saying. Why don't you try talking about it? Maybe I can help you."

The feeling of being a "psychologist" is getting better and better.

Looking at the tall young man in front of her, Nuonuo felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity despite it being their first meeting. She bit her lip and finally spoke:

"I suspect that Dad's death is related to Mom."

Qiao Ming's cause of death, to be precise, was drowning caused by a heart attack.

Qiao Ming suffers from mild heart disease and arrhythmia, which causes him to experience chest tightness and shortness of breath when he is busy at work. However, Qiao Ming himself doesn't think it's a big problem; after all, who doesn't have minor ailments at middle age? The doctor prescribed him digitalis medication.

The design concept for "The Mountain Monster" was approved by the board of directors, and the work was fully underway. As the project manager, Qiao Ming was naturally extremely busy, but he still often took time to relax at the community clubhouse swimming pool. Swimming and jogging were Qiao Ming's favorite sports, especially swimming. He could swim more than a dozen laps in a standard pool that was 50 meters long and 25 meters wide in one go, which was at least 1,500 meters in distance. This might be a piece of cake for professional athletes, but it was quite impressive for an amateur swimming enthusiast.

That unforgettable day was March 17, 2002, just two days after "3.15 Consumer Rights Day." That evening, having just solved a design problem, Qiao Ming was excited and said he was going swimming. He grabbed a bag of swimming gear and headed out. The clubhouse was located in the southeast corner of Community A, a distinctive three-story building. Half of it was a glass curtain wall, and the other half was reinforced concrete painted a creamy yellow. From a distance, it looked like a fresh cream cake, making one's mouth water. The ground floor housed a badminton hall, the second floor had a fitness equipment store and a table tennis room, and the third floor had a small swimming pool, 25 meters long and 15 meters wide, with a depth of 1 to 2 meters. Only half of the pool's ceiling was built; the other half was a glass canopy. If the night sky was clear, one could see the moon and stars while swimming, creating a unique and enchanting atmosphere of people in the water, bathed in the moonlight.

At nine o'clock in the evening, Qiao Ming's assistant, Lu Yaodong, rushed to find Qiao Ming about work. Du Yaofeng said he had gone swimming. Lu Yaodong waited for ten minutes, looking very anxious, and then went to the clubhouse to find Qiao Ming. Lu Yaodong had been there dozens of times and knew the A residential area very well; he had even swum in that pool before.

The gym usually closes at 10 PM, but if it's busy, it stays open until 10:30 PM. Most people who come to work out in the evening choose the gym equipment, and very few go swimming. In fact, that night, only Qiao Ming was swimming, which led to the tragedy.

Lu Yaodong went up to the third floor and walked to the poolside. To his horror, a person was floating face down, motionless, wearing only briefs, a swimming cap, and goggles. Lu Yaodong shouted and yelled for the club's staff, who pulled the person out of the water. It was indeed Qiao Ming; his face was ashen, and he had no pulse or respiration. The ambulance arrived quickly, and they performed CPR and administered adrenaline along the way, but to no avail. By the time they reached the hospital, it was too late.

That evening, there were five staff members at the club: one on the ground floor, two on the second floor, and two on the third floor. They should have noticed the accident in the pool immediately, but the two of them slipped away to play ping-pong. The manager gave the two idiots a severe scolding and fired them, but Qiao Ming's life was beyond saving.

Afterwards, the police officers at the local station questioned Du Yaofeng and learned that Qiao Ming liked to drink a glass of red wine while working, saying it could stimulate his thinking. The half-finished bottle of French Porto red wine was bought at a supermarket for over 170 yuan. Qiao Ming praised the taste as soon as he took a sip, saying that the wine was stored in oak barrels and exuded the aroma of oak.

If Qiao Ming were driving on the road and stopped by traffic police for a breathalyzer test, he would definitely be fined. But no police officer would stop him in the swimming pool. A glass of low-alcohol red wine might be nothing to a healthy person, but for someone with a heart condition who is swimming, it could be fatal. Imagine Qiao Ming swimming, suddenly feeling unwell, struggling in the water, choking on water. Anyone who has ever choked on water knows that drowning is dangerous if no one comes to the rescue, and it happens quickly, in just a few seconds—better than being shot. The deepest part of the pool is 2 meters. A good swimmer can float to the surface by lightly touching the bottom with their feet, but that's for a healthy person. For someone suffering a sudden heart attack, it's not so easy.

This was the doctor's diagnosis, and the police had no objection. The grieving Du Yaofeng and her daughter accepted the outcome and were cremated without an autopsy.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 15: What did someone add to the red wine?

Nono neither nodded nor shook her head.

Nono had read a mystery novel by American author Ed McBain called *Eighty Million Eyes*. It was about a celebrity TV presenter who suffered a sudden heart attack while filming and collapsed in front of the cameras. An autopsy revealed that he had died from poisoning by a drug called "Yangjiaozhi," which, like digitalis, was used to treat heart disease. However, Yangjiaozhi is highly toxic; just one milligram can be fatal, and it is rarely used anymore.

The murderer was the victim's private doctor. He secretly tampered with the vitamin capsules that the TV host took every day, pouring out the powder and filling them with a horn-shaped capsule. The TV host habitually swallowed the capsules before going on camera and died a few minutes later.

The private doctor had been having an affair with the TV presenter's wife, and after her husband's death, the wife will receive a large sum of money from the insurance company.

After hearing this account, Ah Hu felt the matter was serious. He leaned forward and asked sharply:

Does your father usually take capsules?

Capsules were popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Nowadays, most drugs are film-coated tablets, with only cephalosporin antibiotics still using capsules.

Nono had read medical books; digitalis drugs are also toxic, and the lethal dose is about 2.5 grams. However, it's important to note that digitalis is administered intravenously with glucose, not orally.

Someone must have added something to the red wine...

That's how Nono judged it.

The red wine was kept in the small wine cabinet in the study, along with several bottles of Rémy Martin cognac. Qiao Ming rarely drank it. Who else but his mother could have entered the study and drugged the red wine?

It seems that not performing an autopsy was a mistake. At that time, Nono was immersed in grief. Just thinking about her father lying on the cold autopsy table, his abdomen cut open by a scalpel, his internal organs being taken out one by one and placed in a stainless steel tray... Nono couldn't hold back her tears when she thought of this cruel scene. She didn't want her father to suffer like this after death. Since her mother said that an autopsy was not necessary, she would listen to her mother.

Du Yaofeng poured out the remaining half-bottle of red wine. At the time, pouring out such a bottle of wine that caused the incident seemed completely understandable, but upon analysis now, it appears that Du Yaofeng attempted to destroy evidence.

"Is your father insured?" Ah Hu asked again.

She did have insurance—life insurance and accident insurance—and received a total payout of over 200,000 yuan, which was all used to pay off the mortgage. It doesn't seem worth murdering her husband for that little money; the insurance amount in that mystery novel was 7.5 million US dollars.

Ahu scratched his head and asked indirectly:

"Does your mommy have...an extramarital affair or anything like that?"

This was another topic Nono wanted to discuss. But it was break time, and Nono had to go back to work at the counter, so their first meeting ended there.

Xu Guoguang is... a bit suspicious.

Nono was thinking as she made the steamed milk to pour over the coffee.

Xu Guoguang is not from Shanghai; he is from Jinhua, Zhejiang. Three years ago, he sold his well-performing restaurant in downtown Jinhua and, with his money, wife, children, and two chefs, headed to Shanghai.

At that time, Hangzhou cuisine was all the rage in Shanghai. Diners seemed to be obsessed with dishes like West Lake Vinegar Fish, Longjing Shrimp, Fried Tofu Skin Rolls, Dongpo Pork, Old Duck Soup, and Beggar's Chicken, which completely overshadowed the previously popular Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines.

Xu Guoguang's restaurant is called "Hu Zhe Xiao Chu," and as the name suggests, it targets the mid-to-low price segment. Of course, it doesn't choose a prime location or a high-end street; it's located at a relatively busy intersection in Putuo District, on the ground floor of an office building. After three months of decoration and preparation, the restaurant opened to the public.

When the restaurant was advertising its opening, Xu Guoguang was introduced to N Advertising Company, where Du Yaofeng worked. So, Du Yaofeng and Xu Guoguang initially had a business relationship.

After two years of fierce competition, Hangzhou cuisine went from being all the rage to a quieter state, with only a few large restaurants like Zhang Sheng Ji, Hong Ni, Xin Kai Yuan, and Su Zhe Hui surviving. In fact, their menus had long since deviated from the original Hangzhou cuisine, becoming quite diverse.

Nowadays, if you stop ten Shanghainese on the street and ask them, "Which restaurant is your favorite?", you're guaranteed to get ten different answers.

Many restaurants close down only to be replaced by new owners who lavishly renovate and reopen with great fanfare. The cycle repeats itself, from bustling with customers to deserted establishments, until finally closing again. The only ones who don't lose money are the landlords who collect rent.

In contrast, Xu Guoguang was more insightful and didn't act impulsively. When Hangzhou cuisine was booming, he experimented with incorporating elements of local Shanghai dishes, such as honey-glazed ham and Song Sao fish soup. These were authentic Hangzhou dishes, but the chef's careful adjustments transformed their flavors, hence the name "Hu Zhe Xiao Chu" (沪浙小厨). As a result, his restaurant weathered the rapid decline after its peak, maintaining a respectable level of business. During the SARS outbreak, many small and medium-sized restaurants like his closed down, but Xu Guoguang persevered. Even with few customers, he continued to disinfect daily, bought the best Dettol disinfectant, and used dozens of masks every day, managing to survive.

Now, Xu Guoguang, brimming with confidence, is preparing to open his second Hu Zhe Xiao Chu restaurant. The location he has chosen is in the "Zhongyuan Liangwan City" area of Putuo District, which is arguably the largest residential community in Shanghai. It is right next to the Suzhou River and is also served by Metro Line 3, making it a prime location. The new restaurant is currently under intensive renovation.

Du Yaofeng and her family of three had dined at Hu Zhe Xiao Chu several times, including last year for their New Year's Eve dinner. During the meal, Xu Guoguang came over to toast them, calling Du Yaofeng "Sister" and Qiao Ming "Brother." He said that he was new to Shanghai and unfamiliar with the city, and Du Yaofeng had helped him a lot. He added that the restaurant's success was also thanks to her, and he would pay for the New Year's Eve dinner as a thank you. Du Yaofeng politely declined for a while, but in the end, she didn't pay a penny. She left with the packed food, her hands full.

Nono first met Xu Guoguang a few times at this restaurant, and she didn't really have any impression of him. He wasn't wearing any designer clothes, and he always had a smile on his face. I guess that's how restaurant owners are—customers come first, and you can't steal the spotlight from them.

Oil painting No. 51: 773 Horror Series 13

Section 16: The Widow and the Widower

Once, Nuonuo came home early. Du Yaofeng was washing dishes in the kitchen with her back to the door. Xu Guoguang was standing close to her, and the two were whispering to each other. Xu Guoguang's right hand was on Du Yaofeng's waist and sliding down to her buttocks, his fingers pinching and kneading as if he were massaging her bones.

Seeing this, Nuonuo felt very uncomfortable and went upstairs without saying a word.

Hearing the sound of footsteps on the stairs, Du Yaofeng and Xu Guoguang realized that someone was there and quickly separated.

If Du Yaofeng were a widow and Xu Guoguang a widower, Nuonuo might have been a little more upset. But the fact is, Xu Guoguang has a wife and children. Her husband has been dead for less than a year, and you're already eager to interfere. Isn't that a bit inappropriate?

Not only was it bad, but Nuonuo thought of other things as well—she thought of Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian, the adulterous couple who poisoned the poor Wu Dalang with arsenic.

In the novel, the doctor uses capsules to poison the food, which is related to his profession. Xu Guoguang owns a restaurant, so he would certainly be able to figure out how to poison red wine. Even if he didn't poison the wine, he could poison the food; with his skills, he could make arsenic taste delicious, which wouldn't be surprising.

Poor dad, he was much more handsome than Wu Dalang, but his ending was just as tragic!