Don't Think You Can Defy the Odds - Chapter 19

Xie Chongyang was silent for a second, staring at him with a subtle expression. “What do you usually watch anyway?”

“Do not pry into my private life!” Du Like punched his shoulder. “Just pay attention. Do not let that young master starve to death on your watch. What if his precious stomach gets injured?”

Xie Chongyang felt a bit guilty. “That cannot be, right? I ate the same thing and I am fine.”

“You?” Du Like looked him up and down. “Your physical fitness is like a wild boar’s. Who can compare with you?”

“Sometimes I think that even if you were shot, you could rely on your muscles to just bounce the bullet back out.”

Xie Chongyang said, “If such a thing really happened, then according to medical common sense, a large amount of blood in my body would also shoot out.”

Jiang Ding almost choked on his coffee. “Can we talk about something auspicious?”

“Hehe.” Du Like grinned. “Is today not relatively peaceful? We are rarely enjoying a quiet daily routine!”

Xie Chongyang raised an eyebrow. “Is your report finished?”

“Not finished.” Du Like was righteous. “But the deadline has not arrived yet. I will procrastinate a bit more.”

“Get back and write it.” Xie Chongyang drove Du Like away, paced around the office twice, and then spoke. “Um, Xiao Tao.”

Xiao Tao did not speak, but replied in the group chat, “What is it?”

Xie Chongyang whispered, “How is Cui Renwang’s stomach?”

Xiao Tao replied with a question mark.

A moment later, a nervous Xie Chongyang clicked on the chat window with Cui Renwang.

Knowing he probably was not awake yet, Xie Chongyang still sent a message: “Next time, do not treat the people at the unit to such expensive things! If you must buy something, it should not exceed the individual meal allowance!”

“And, your stomach is fine after eating that fried rice yesterday, right?”

Xie Chongyang put down his phone, took a heavy breath, and waited anxiously for Cui Renwang’s reply.

At noon, Old Zhang remembered his appointment to play ball with someone and rushed back in a hurry.

Xie Chongyang was very concerned about the investigation of the case. “How was it?”

“Sigh.” Old Zhang threw two Roujiamo to them and sat down. “A wasted trip.”

“That kid looked for trouble and made his old mother so angry she left. As soon as the old lady walked out, she signed up for a senior citizens’ tour group with her friends. They are staying at a nearby scenic spot for three days. He insisted she was missing, made a huge scene, and forced the tour group to send her back. The old lady came back crying and refused to help him look after his grandson anymore. Now he is panicked and insists her change in personality is due to being possessed!”

Old Zhang looked disgusted. “I went there to take a look, and he actually found a fake Daoist to try and force her to drink talisman water!”

Xie Chongyang frowned. “What did you do?”

“I called the police! They should be arrested for promoting feudal superstitions!” Old Zhang shook his sleeve with a righteous face. “I also called a mediator from a livelihood program and gave them a topic for their show. Hehe, they are still busy over there.”

“Oh, by the way, there is news from South City. You and Xiao Cui should make another trip this afternoon to check the depositions. It is said that no clues were found, but at least we should finish what we started.”

He winked. “Besides, building a good relationship will make it easier for us to intervene in such matters in the future.”

“Okay,” Xie Chongyang agreed. “But,” he looked at his phone, “he has not replied to my message yet.”

“He is probably not in a good state.” Old Zhang sighed. “But in his situation, it is not actually a physical problem. It is better for him to go for a walk outside. You just go directly to the hotel to find him and drag him out of the room to get some sun!”

Xie Chongyang was startled. “Go directly to his room?”

“Yes!” Old Zhang encouraged him. “If the hotel does not let you in, take out your police ID!”

Xie Chongyang said with a serious expression, “That is called abuse of power!”

Old Zhang turned his head away in frustration. “This little stick in the mud!”

“Then have the front desk call him!”

“That works.” Xie Chongyang stood up. “Then I am going!”

Old Zhang shouted, “Hey, why not take a Roujiamo with you!”

“It will be cold by then!” Xie Chongyang waved his hand. “I will buy him a fresh one on the way!”

Xie Chongyang bought a bowl of clean looking chicken soup wontons on the way and rushed to the hotel.

The front desk staff still remembered Xie Chongyang, who had asked her for a band aid yesterday, and kindly helped him call Cui Renwang’s room.

“Hello.” Cui Renwang answered, his voice raspy from having just woken up.

The front desk said in a gentle tone, “Hello Mr. Cui, a Mr. Xie Chongyang is here to see you.”

Cui Renwang was a bit surprised. “Does he want to come up?”

“Fine, give him a room card.”

“Very well, sir.” The front desk hung up the phone, and Xie Chongyang obtained the room card after registering his information.

He carried the chicken soup wontons, went upstairs smoothly, and entered Cui Renwang’s room.

To his surprise, this obviously expensive luxury room was more cozy than he had imagined.

Cui Renwang was not sleeping in the bed but was curled up on the sofa near the door. His posture was lazy and weak; he seemed to have opened his eyes but was not fully awake.

He was holding a soft pillow in his arms, and behind him was an honest looking giant bear plushie that was larger than he was. Its stupid face was slightly deformed under his pressure, looking even more ridiculous. Several plush animals were perched on the back of the sofa and on the blanket covering him, while a few more had tumbled onto the floor.

Xie Chongyang picked up a turtle plushie that was lying sprawled on the floor, placed it at Cui Renwang’s feet, and teased him, “Is this, uh, a habit you have had since you were a child?”

“No.” Cui Renwang was comfortably nestled and showed no intention of getting up. “This is what Xiao Tao calls plushie therapy.”

He picked up a small cat plushie lying on the back of the sofa and pressed it. It made a purring sound. “Supposedly, this sound is also effective for mental relaxation.”

Xie Chongyang asked instinctively, “Treating what?”

Cui Renwang did not hide it. “Insomnia.”

Xie Chongyang asked with concern, “Is it useful?”

Cui Renwang tilted his head. “At least I fell asleep last night.”

“However,” he poked the bear’s nose behind him, “this thing is still a bit lumpy. Maybe I should remove its eyes and nose?”

Xie Chongyang said, “That would be far too lacking in childlike wonder!”

Cui Renwang laughed and said, “This is supposedly intended to use cute things to alleviate the anxiety of insomnia patients. However, thanks to certain artistic works, when I see such a cute bear now, I can only think that cameras can be installed in the eyes and strange things can be placed in the stomach. Oh, and some will suddenly come to life and bite a person’s head off.”

Xie Chongyang raised his hand and poked his forehead. “Comrade Cui Renwang.”

“Please maintain a childlike heart and healthy, positive thoughts.”

Cui Renwang rubbed his forehead. “How can I maintain that?”

“Perhaps you can start with a bowl of hot chicken soup wontons.” Xie Chongyang lifted the food in his hand. “Go brush your teeth. After you finish eating, we will go to the South City Police Station.”

“Also, do you have plans for tonight?”

“What is it?” Cui Renwang slowly dug himself out from the blanket. He would confirm if he had plans tonight based on Xie Chongyang’s answer.

Xie Chongyang said, “Come home with me for dinner.”

Cui Renwang looked at him in surprise. “What?”

His expression was strange. “Officer Xie, we are not that familiar yet, are we?”

“We will get familiar.” Xie Chongyang patted his shoulder. “Start getting familiar by coming home with me for dinner.”

When he first reported to the municipal bureau years ago, he had been taken home for dinner by Lu Zheng on his first day, so he decided to follow suit and take Cui Renwang home for dinner.

Cui Renwang could not understand the fine tradition of picking up people at the municipal bureau and failed to blurt out a rejection.

Xie Chongyang smiled brightly, as if he could already see the beautiful future of a united Quantum Mechanics Technical Department. “Oh right, have you not seen the messages yet? It is fine, I can just repeat them to you now.”

“I will look at them now.” Cui Renwang floated into the bathroom as if escaping, shutting out Xie Chongyang along with his sun like warmth and concern.

Xie Chongyang still shouted behind him, “I will open the wontons for you first! They are still hot!”

After washing up, Cui Renwang changed his clothes in the bathroom. He lingered for a long time, still unable to think of a suitable reason to refuse him.

During this time, Xie Chongyang had rearranged the plushies that had fallen on the floor. A group of plushies was neatly lined up on the back of the chair in order of size, from smallest to largest.

Cui Renwang was speechless.

He sat down on the sofa. “Are we not in a hurry?”

“No, the case is already closed. Take your time eating, no rush.” Xie Chongyang nodded. “Oh right, I just noticed there is a large bed inside. Why were you sleeping on the sofa?”

“I like sleeping in cramped places.” Cui Renwang sat down and stirred the wontons. “It gives me a sense of security.”

Xie Chongyang raised his eyebrows in surprise, hesitated, and asked again, “Then why not just get a smaller room? A cheap hotel with only one bed might,”

Cui Renwang tasted a wonton. “I like sleeping in narrow places; I do not like sleeping in places that are dirty, poor, and cheap.”

Xie Chongyang said, “Oh.”

As the hot chicken soup wontons entered his stomach, Cui Renwang slowly regained some liveliness.

He caught a glimpse of Xie Chongyang still holding a small duck out of the corner of his eye and said, “Do you like that? I will give it to you.”

“Huh?” Xie Chongyang looked down and widened his eyes. “No, I am just holding it.”

Cui Renwang laughed, reached out, and pressed the small duck into his arms. “Take it. Consider it a wish for Officer Xie to have sweet dreams too.”

Xie Chongyang was speechless. His sleep quality had always been quite good.

But Cui Renwang seemed to be in a good mood. Xie Chongyang squeezed the small duck, its beak opened and closed once, and he laughed along with it.

“Then, thank you.” Xie Chongyang tucked it into his pocket, leaving only the duck’s head sticking out.

At 2:00 PM, the two arrived at the South City Police Station again.

There were many people here today too: anxious children and stern faced elderly people, middle aged people arguing over documents, and a glamorous woman with a seventeen or eighteen year old boy.

Cui Renwang scanned the room as usual. When he turned his head, the old police officer who had led them before was already approaching with a smile.

“Oh! Xiao Cui, Comrade Xiao Xie, you are here!” The old officer led them into the room with a smile. “Making a special trip. I have already organized the depositions! However, nothing was found.”

He looked back with a bitter smile. “They all said their vision went black and they lost consciousness.”

“It is fine.” Xie Chongyang smiled. “No news is the best news.”

“That is true!” The old officer beamed. “Solving it so quickly this time is also thanks to that senior at the municipal bureau!”

He was likely referring to Old Zhang.

The old officer was full of praise for Old Zhang, clearly admiring him greatly.

After a few pleasantries, the old officer showed them the depositions and explained a bit. “The five of them used to hang out together. The one who did not participate in this grave robbing happened to encounter some trouble at home and did not want to live aimlessly anymore. He said he was going out to work, and they had a bit of a disagreement.”

“Later, they wanted to reconcile. Those four calculated and decided to help their brother by gathering the bus fare for him to work in Huacheng.”

“Unfortunately, those people are penniless. They heard from somewhere that the reason the land bought by the developer was not immediately developed was because there was an ancient tomb underneath.”

He spread his hands. “Those four went for that tomb, and they insisted on going late at night! As a result, they were too cowardly; they scattered glutinous rice all over the place, made a mess of the tomb, and scared themselves like this.”

Xie Chongyang nodded in response. Cui Renwang still carefully opened the depositions to take a look. The old officer smiled. “Take your time looking. When you are finished, just ask Xiao Song to put them back.”

“She is at the door.”

The young policewoman at the door nodded slightly, her gaze moving between the two of them.

“Okay, thank you.” Xie Chongyang agreed and still flipped through the depositions carefully.

Just as the old officer said, there was indeed nothing else noteworthy in the depositions.

Song Jinyun saw that they had finished reading and took the initiative to come in and collect the documents. She asked as if casually, “What is the matter? Are they involved in some case?”