Chapter Fifty-Two: An Uninvited Guest

Chapter 52: The Uninvited Guest

"Not afraid of being punished anymore?" An Changpu seized the opportunity to tease him, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm. The internet cafe owner's drastic shift in attitude left him feeling somewhat displeased.

Seeing that the young police officer who had been so mild-mannered just moments ago had now hardened his expression, the owner—even after being told they weren't there to perform a routine business inspection—dared not be arrogant anymore. He muttered listlessly, "Well, you've caught me red-handed now, so there's no point in being afraid."

"Does this kid come here often?" Qin Ruonan had no interest in listening to the owner's excuses, nor did she care much about his inconsistent attitude. She pressed on, "When does he usually show up? Is he ever with anyone else?"

"He's alright, I suppose. Comes by maybe two or three times a week, always after ten o'clock at night. He stays for about two or three hours and then leaves. He always comes alone. I actually tried asking him once, but he acted like a little adult and ignored me, so I stopped bothering."

"Does he play online games every time he comes?"

"Yes."

"His account..."

"I know that one." Perhaps trying to make up for his previously surly demeanor, the owner offered helpfully, "He’s played here before, and as you’ve seen, I usually have younger kids sit at this terminal by the counter to avoid trouble during inspections. A few times, he left in such a rush that he didn't even have time to log off, so I happened to see it."

Qin Ruonan immediately pulled out a pen and paper, asking the owner to write down Fang Wan’s game account. The owner rummaged through a notebook behind the counter, which was filled with densely packed lists of what appeared to be usernames and passwords. Qin Ruonan didn't know why the owner kept such records or what his objective was, but she didn't intend to ask; her priority was the account.

Moments later, the owner found the account, scribbled it onto the paper, and handed it to her.

Before leaving, An Changpu told the owner to try and recall whether Fang Wan had appeared at the cafe around the time of his disappearance. After thinking for a long while, the owner said he didn't think so but wasn't entirely certain. He had to figure out a way to pull up the surveillance footage from those days. It turned out that after Fang Wan had lied about going to tutoring and been robbed of his pocket money by Zhuang Quan, he had indeed come to the cafe to play for a while. However, he hadn't stayed long; around ten o'clock that night, he had rushed out alone again.

As for where Fang Wan went after leaving the cafe, the owner had no way of knowing.

After leaving the cafe, An Changpu called Xiao Ding and gave him the account information, asking him to look into it. Xiao Ding readily agreed.

It was late by then, and there was nothing else that required working through the night. An Changpu drove Qin Ruonan home before heading back to his own place to rest. After a full day of running around, not only had they eaten very poorly, but their legs felt as heavy as lead.

The next morning, Qin Ruonan woke up early as usual. Whenever she had a work assignment weighing on her, her brain seemed to be on constant high alert, keeping her energized. Even without an alarm, she never overslept, and just a few hours of sleep were enough to keep her bright-eyed.

When she arrived at the Major Crimes Unit after breakfast, Tian Yang was already there, along with Tao Yinyin, whom she had met just a few days prior. They were chatting about something, both wearing relaxed smiles.

Seeing Qin Ruonan walk in, Tao Yinyin waved at her enthusiastically. The weather outside was getting colder, and she was wearing a dusty pink wool coat with a white fur collar, which made her complexion look delicate and fair.

Qin Ruonan couldn't help but tug at her own collar, glancing down at her attire: jeans and a loose, military-green windbreaker. At best, it could be called "androgynous chic"; at worst, it lacked any femininity.

Before she could feel self-conscious, she noticed a stranger in the office.

A man was sitting with his back to the door, occupying An Changpu’s seat. Were he not slightly shorter and more sturdily built than An Changpu, Qin Ruonan might have thought An Changpu had suddenly decided to change his style.

She thought that because the man’s attire was vastly different from An Changpu’s. While An Changpu was undeniably a handsome man, he rarely put effort into his appearance, seemingly oblivious to his natural "assets." His clothes were mostly casual and comfortable, with no strict style to speak of.

The man before her was clearly different. Even without seeing his face, his back revealed someone who took great care in his appearance, and his taste was decent.

Qin Ruonan sat at her desk and took a curious glance at the stranger.

He wore a black leather jacket, the sleeves filled out by his sturdy arms, and a black crew-neck shirt underneath. One leg extended from under the table, revealing deep blue jeans and high-top leather boots.

His hair was thick, styled in a way that looked effortless yet was clearly meticulously groomed. At that moment, he was tilting his head, pulling books and files from An Changpu’s desk one by one and rearranging them by height and thickness. His brows were slightly furrowed. Viewed from the side, he had a high, straight nose, a firm chin, and sharp facial features. It wasn't hard to tell that he was a man of superior looks.

Qin Ruonan appreciated handsome men too, but only a specific one, not all of them. After glancing at the stranger, she felt no further curiosity about his appearance. She turned to Tian Yang and mouthed, "Who is this?"

Tian Yang mouthed back, "He says he's here to see Changpu."

Qin Ruonan had no further questions, and she didn't want to talk much in front of Tao Yinyin. She simply took out her files and buried herself in them. For a while, although there were four people in the office, only Tao Yinyin and Tian Yang exchanged low whispers occasionally.

After reading for a while, Qin Ruonan looked up at the wall clock. She didn't know Xiao Ding from the Internet Security Division, and while she was anxious about the game account, she couldn't ask about it herself, so she had to wait for An Changpu. As she looked up, she happened to see the man in An Changpu's seat looking at the window. His gaze and expression weren't those of someone admiring the view, but rather someone looking at his own reflection in the glass.

*Narcissist.* Qin Ruonan thought with a hint of disdain. The stranger seemed to sense her gaze and turned to look at her. Qin Ruonan lowered her head again, focusing on her documents and ignoring him.

Another ten minutes or so passed—though the quiet atmosphere in the office made the time feel much longer. When An Changpu walked in and saw the person in his seat, he looked surprised, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Qin Ruonan suddenly felt like laughing, vaguely sensing that the man sitting across from her was likely not someone she would enjoy.

His arrival was eerily similar to Tao Yinyin’s appearance at the Major Crimes Unit: arriving without warning, leaving the person he came to see caught off guard, and even mirroring the same expression upon entering.

"Zhong Han?" An Changpu called out, sounding a bit uncertain.

The man turned around at the sound, a warm smile lighting up his face as he saw An Changpu. He rose slowly from the chair and spread his arms. "Long time no see!"

He struck a friendly pose but didn't move from his spot, waiting for An Changpu to come to him. Qin Ruonan frowned slightly at this hint of arrogance. Tian Yang’s expression showed more curiosity, and Tao Yinyin didn't rush to greet An Changpu, merely waving at him when he looked her way before turning her curious gaze back to the man called Zhong Han.

An Changpu walked up to him. Instead of reciprocating the hug, he landed a solid punch on Zhong Han's shoulder.

"Spare me that sappy, hug-and-kiss foreign greeting! You show up out of nowhere—why didn't you give me a heads-up?" An Changpu looked genuinely pleased, patting Zhong Han on the shoulder and gesturing for him to sit back down.

Zhong Han smirked, his smile lazy and far less boisterous than An Changpu’s. "A surprise attack is meant to be unexpected. An 'uninvited guest' makes a much deeper impression, don't you think?"

An Changpu glanced at the files and books on his desk, which had been neatly rearranged, and couldn't help but laugh. "You've been waiting for a while, haven't you? Your obsession with order is really something..."

"It’s mild—just a mild case of OCD, don't make such a big deal out of it." Zhong Han waved a hand, his eyes flickering toward the other three in the office; he clearly didn't want his quirks exposed in front of strangers.

An Changpu smiled and introduced him. He pointed to Qin Ruonan, who was closest: "This is my partner, Qin Ruonan."

"This is my good friend and senior, Tian Yang," he said, gesturing to Tian Yang, who nodded at Zhong Han with a smile. An Changpu then turned toward Tao Yinyin. "And this is—"

"Tao Yinyin!" she interrupted, introducing herself and waving at Zhong Han.

Zhong Han looked her up and down, gave a slight smile, and nodded.

Once the introductions were finished, An Changpu introduced Zhong Han to the others: "This is Zhong Han, a good friend I met while on peacekeeping duty. He's not from our city."

He couldn't help but ask, "Weren't you supposed to stay and study the local language? How are you back in less than half a year?"

"I passed the primary assessment, and once the novelty wore off, I came back! I haven't forgotten our competition agreement," Zhong Han said casually. "I did the math; six months shouldn't have affected me too much, but I can't underestimate your skills. If I don't want to lose, I really have to come back and catch up."