Chapter One: A New Arrival

After autumn arrived, the nights became noticeably cooler than in summer. The so-called "autumn tiger" could only show its strength during daylight hours; its lingering heat dissipated swiftly once the sun slipped behind the western mountains, and by midnight, a subtle chill seeped into the air.

Late at night, City C lay in silence. The hustle and bustle of the day had faded, as if the city itself had sunk into a deep slumber along with its citizens.

Of course, even in a sleeping city, there are always exceptions. Two shadowy figures huddled together on the dimly lit river embankment. Two slender, long fishing rods stretched out from the shore toward the water. Without sunlight, the river, already far from clear, turned pitch black. Thin clouds masked the moon, casting a ghostly gloom over the surface, making it impossible to distinguish the floats.

“I tell you, on a night like this, people are shivering from the cold. How are these mosquitoes still so lively?” One of the figures, a man wrapped in a thin coat, squirmed uncomfortably on his small folding stool. He flailed one hand in the air, swatting at the buzzing mosquitoes near his ear, while the other arm hugged his chest, as if hoping to preserve a bit more warmth.

His companion looked no warmer, but his patience was evidently greater. He gestured for his friend to keep his voice down, and lowered his own as much as possible: “Shh! Not so loud! If any fish come by, you'll scare them off!”

“Hmph! Better catch a few big ones, or I might as well go home and have a proper sleep!” The first man continued to bat away the mosquitoes, lowering his voice but unable to stop grumbling. “You, always coming up with rotten ideas, saying fish are more active at night. Look around! Pitch black, nothing but feeding mosquitoes, and after all this time, we haven’t caught a thing! Fishing! Might as well be ghost hunting!”

The man called “Second Brother” kept silent, and both fell quiet. The gentle sound of flowing water made the already tranquil midnight seem even more silent.

“Hey! Look, is something moving out there?” After a long while, Second Brother, who had been staring intently at the water trying to see the float, suddenly nudged his companion with his elbow.

“What? What’s going on?” The other man, startled awake from his drowsiness, stood up from the stool, then squinted at the river, realizing what his friend meant. “Whoa! You’re right, looks like some colorful thing floating out there! And it’s not small!”

“Could it be some cargo from upstream?” Second Brother’s eyes fixed on the object in the water, his voice revealing open curiosity. “Remember last summer? That truck overturned on the highway bridge upstream and dropped several boxes. People downstream picked them all up!”

“Well, let’s go check it out!”

The lure of easy riches made the two men forget their original purpose, fishing, and disregard whether they might disturb any fish. Excited, they fumbled their way down the embankment in the dark, picking their way over the rocky shore to the water’s edge. After a brief hesitation, they stepped into the river, shoes and all.

“Pull it over, pull it over!” Second Brother, slower and shorter, urged his burly companion to bring the half-floating object closer.

It wasn’t until they bent close that they saw it was a woven sack, striped red and blue, with its bottom facing up. Trapped air inside kept it afloat, drifting slowly with the current.

The big man struggled to turn the bag over and unzip it. “Wow, it’s heavy! What do you think it is?”

“How can you see in this darkness? Use your phone!”

Holding the bag’s opening in one hand, the big man fished out his phone from his chest pocket. Using the faint glow of the screen, both men peered into the sack—

Splash.

The big man’s phone slipped into the river.

It was as if an invisible hand gripped their throats, rendering them speechless. Both men felt their strength drain away; their hands released the sack, which slipped back into the water and slowly drifted off.

“Oh, my god…” The big man groaned. Suddenly snapped out of their stupor, the two scrambled back up the bank, running off without a second thought, leaving their fishing gear behind.

The darkness returned to the riverbank, broken only by the sound of flowing water and the occasional appearance of the drifting sack.

An Changpu stood before the gates of the Public Security Bureau, which he hadn’t seen for over a year, and took a deep breath, feeling a little excited. A few unexpected twists had extended his peacekeeping mission, and after experiencing the rigors of that life, returning to his familiar workplace and colleagues left him unable to calm his heart.

A few minutes later, he pushed open the door to the Major Crimes office, watching as his colleagues prepared for another busy day.

He’d deliberately kept his return quiet, hoping to surprise everyone.

“Who are you looking for?” The first to notice him was Mo Dou, who saw An Changpu at the door and showed no surprise, just a puzzled face.

An Changpu froze, about to speak when Tian Yang came out of Cheng Feng’s office. Seeing him, Tian Yang strode over, arms open from afar: “Ah! You must be Technician Xiao Zhang to help us install the new computers! Welcome, welcome!”

An Changpu looked at them, his expression torn between laughter and tears. “Hey! Don’t you recognize me? I’m—”

“You’re the fair-skinned, handsome young man who used to be our Major Crimes heartthrob, An Changpu!” Tian Yang couldn’t hold back, clapping him on the shoulder. “You wanted to surprise us by not announcing your return! Well, we’ll return the favor and give you a little shock!”

“To be honest, I almost didn’t recognize you!” Mo Dou chimed in, grinning. “More than a year gone—you're tanned and bulked up! Looks like your combat prowess has leveled up!”

“I couldn’t let a golden opportunity for training go to waste, or else I’d get looked down on by you lot when I came back!” An Changpu joked as he glanced around the office. “Where’s Tian Mi? I don’t see her.”

His question made Tian Yang and Mo Dou look awkward.

“Brother, you haven’t let it go yet, have you?” Tian Yang said uneasily. “Tian Mi and Lu Xiangdong have been dating for over a year now, and things are going well…”

“What are you two thinking?! I’m asking as a colleague and friend!” An Changpu glared at them, half annoyed, half amused. “I let go of that ages ago! Tian Mi told me about her and Dr. Lu in an email, and I’m genuinely happy for them. While I was away on peacekeeping, I realized that one-sided feelings are only temporary; sparks can only fly between two people who are mutually attracted.”

“Tian Mi’s on a business trip, she’ll be back in a couple days!” Cheng Feng, entering just then, overheard the conversation and smiled at An Changpu’s return.

“Chief, the materials you wanted are on your desk!” Tian Yang greeted Cheng Feng.

Cheng Feng nodded, beckoning the person behind him into the room. He addressed the other three: “Let me introduce your new colleague!”

It was only then that the three noticed the tall, short-haired female officer standing behind Cheng Feng.

“This is Qin Ruonan, transferred from City B. She’ll be working with us from now on,” Cheng Feng introduced her.

“Qin Ruonan?” Tian Yang was first to react. “Recently, wasn’t it you who chased that street robber for blocks, finally exhausting him until he collapsed? A real heroine!”

“I heard about that too! I even saw your photo in the newspaper!” Mo Dou, clearly impressed, spoke with admiration.

Only An Changpu still looked puzzled.

Qin Ruonan, faced with the praise from her new colleagues, showed little reaction, merely nodding politely to them, her face unreadable.

“You don’t know me?” Her first words were directed at An Changpu.

Caught off guard, An Changpu shook his head apologetically. “Sorry, I just got back from peacekeeping. I’m not up to speed on recent events.”

Qin Ruonan regarded him, saying nothing, but a flicker of something—disappointment or displeasure—crossed her eyes.

There was no time for the three men to properly welcome the new officer, as Cheng Feng started assigning work.

“There’s a new case. A half-body was found in the river north of the city.” Cheng Feng sized up the group, considering assignments. “The ongoing investigation is being handled by Tian Yang, Mo Dou, and Tian Mi, right?”

Tian Yang and Mo Dou nodded.

“Alright, keep working on your case. An Changpu—” Cheng Feng pointed to An Changpu and Qin Ruonan. “You two have no current assignments, so this case is yours.”

“Great, no problem!” An Changpu, eager to get back to work after more than a year away, was raring to go.

Qin Ruonan nodded as well, replying formally, “Yes!”

“Qin Ruonan just transferred here, so she’s not familiar with the environment or departments yet. Help her out,” Cheng Feng reminded An Changpu before leaving.

“You can count on me!” An Changpu thumped his chest in assurance.

Welcome, readers! The latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works await your attention!