Chapter 53: Zhong Han’s Warning

Chapter 53: Zhong Han’s Warning

"Then why did you come all the way to our City C?" An Changpu asked, puzzled.

"Visiting relatives, just to relax a bit," Zhong Han replied.

"How long can you stay?"

"Maybe a month, maybe two."

Tian Yang looked at Qin Ruonan, appearing curious about what Zhong Han meant by a "competition agreement." Unfortunately, it seemed An Changpu had never mentioned it to her, and Qin Ruonan could only offer a helpless, subtle shake of her head.

Amused, An Changpu pulled up a chair and sat next to Zhong Han. "You keep saying you’re coming back to catch up, yet you have the leisure to take a long vacation? Aren't you afraid of being left behind by the two of us?"

"Put your heart at ease. I only said not to underestimate your strength, but that doesn't mean I’m overestimating it either." Zhong Han stretched his arms. "I passed the exams early. I earned these two precious months of rest thanks to a brain that’s sharper and more efficient than yours; I’d be a fool not to take advantage of it."

"You guy!" An Changpu shook his head, half-annoyed and half-amused. Setting Zhong Han aside for a moment, he remembered Tao Yinyin was still waiting nearby and shifted his attention to her. "Yinyin, did you come here for something?"

"Actually, it’s nothing major. I borrowed an umbrella from you when it rained the other day. Since it’s my day off and I was free this morning, I thought I’d bring it back!" As she spoke, Tao Yinyin pulled a folding umbrella from her bag and handed it to An Changpu.

An Changpu took it and set it aside. "You really didn't need to make a special trip for just an umbrella. It’s been getting cold lately, and with the snow, you won’t be needing an umbrella anytime soon."

"Whether you need it or not is one thing, but if I keep it at my place and you end up needing it, that’s another. Don't make me feel guilty!" Tao Yinyin smiled sweetly, then reached into her bulging bag and pulled out a large food container. "I didn't have much to do last night, so I made some small snacks at home. I made too many and had no one to help me eat them. Thinking about how busy you guys are and how irregular your meals are, I thought I’d bring them here for you to snack on! My skills are just average, so please don't mind!"

She handed the container to An Changpu, smiled at Qin Ruonan and Tian Yang, and added, "Everyone gets a share, no hogging it!"

"Alright, I guess we’re tagging along on An Changpu’s good fortune then!" Tian Yang remarked timely. Tao Yinyin just smiled with pursed lips, saying nothing more.

Throughout the exchange between An Changpu and Tao Yinyin, the only ones who remained silent were Qin Ruonan and Zhong Han. Tian Yang chimed in a few times, but Qin Ruonan had no heart for it. Facing a "love rival" with such a vast disparity in "combat effectiveness," she couldn't help but feel dejected and slightly inferior. How could she muster the energy to interact? However, she did notice that while An Changpu and Tao Yinyin talked, Zhong Han’s gaze never once left Tao Yinyin.

What kind of person is he? Qin Ruonan frowned. Given how close he seemed to be with An Changpu, and with his intelligent appearance, surely he could see that An Changpu and Tao Yinyin were a couple. Was it not rude and inappropriate to stare at his friend’s girlfriend like that?

Maybe he’s just a playboy, she thought to herself. Handsome men are often fickle; even a novice in the world of romance like her knew that much. Ironically, it was precisely because of this that she found An Changpu—a man who looked good but lacked "self-awareness" of his own physical appeal—to be quite rare.

But what did it matter? In the end, it had nothing to do with her.

A trace of melancholy crossed Qin Ruonan’s face. She sighed, so softly that even An Changpu, who was sitting nearby, didn't notice.

However, someone else did.

When Qin Ruonan finished her wayward thoughts and quickly adjusted her mood, she looked up and found that Zhong Han, who had been watching Tao Yinyin, was now looking at her with a playful expression.

Who does he think he is?! Qin Ruonan glared at him in annoyance, but Zhong Han simply smiled silently.

"Thinking of something funny?" An Changpu asked, curious about Zhong Han’s sudden smile.

"Nothing," Zhong Han replied, ignoring the question. "I came straight here after getting off the train this morning to surprise you, but now I’m heading back to get some sleep."

"Let me see you out."

"No need. Do I look like I need you to carry me down the stairs?" Zhong Han teased. "Just stay put. I’m off."

"I shouldn't hold up your work either," Tao Yinyin said, standing up to leave. She glanced at the wall clock and frowned, looking distressed. "Oh no, I got so caught up talking to you guys, look at the time."

"Are you in a rush?" An Changpu asked.

Tao Yinyin shook her head. "Not really, it’s just that if I go now, I’ll hit the morning rush hour. I’d be lucky not to get squashed on the bus! My colleague was just saying the other day that she encountered one of those gropers while riding the bus..."

"Then come with me. I’m planning to take a taxi anyway. As long as you’re not heading in the complete opposite direction, it’s no trouble at all." Zhong Han, who had already walked a few steps away, stopped and turned back.

"That’s too embarrassing!" Although Tao Yinyin spoke politely, she looked relieved at the prospect of avoiding the gropers on the bus.

"An Changpu’s friend is my friend. After you!" Zhong Han smiled at Tao Yinyin and gestured for her to go ahead.

"Alright then, you two go ahead. Zhong Han, let me know when I’m not so busy, and I’ll treat you to a meal!" An Changpu said, unfazed.

Zhong Han nodded. "Sure. Just make sure it’s somewhere nice and quiet. Too many people make it too noisy."

After they left, An Changpu opened the container of snacks and offered them to Qin Ruonan and Tian Yang. Tian Yang accepted happily, but Qin Ruonan looked at the food, felt a total loss of appetite, and shook her head.

"Your friend is quite a character!" Tian Yang said while eating. "What did he mean by that competition between you two?"

"It was just a half-joking agreement," An Changpu explained. "We, along with another friend we were close with during our peacekeeping mission, lived together and often talked about our work. One day, someone brought up that once we returned, we should hold a competition—a five-year term to see who could solve the most cases. To be honest, I hope Zhong Han isn't too serious about it, because I’ll likely lose. His brain is exceptionally sharp."

Qin Ruonan wore a look of mild disdain, which surprised An Changpu. "What? You don't believe me?"

"Whether I believe you or not is irrelevant. I just think that guy is a bit arrogant. If I were you, I’d make sure my girlfriend stayed away from him," Qin Ruonan said honestly.

An Changpu laughed it off. "You’re overthinking it. Zhong Han has very high standards."

"Look at that—are you saying Tao Yinyin isn't good enough for him?" Tian Yang teased.

Realizing his mistake, An Changpu waved his hands. "I didn't say that! Don't try to trap me! I just meant that Zhong Han isn't that kind of person."

After some idle chatter, they returned to their work. Xiao Ding from the Internet Security Division visited the Serious Crimes Unit to report on the gaming accounts of Fang Wan and You Xiaoyang. Neither An Changpu nor Qin Ruonan knew much about game levels or account values, so Xiao Ding kept it brief. However, he emphasized one thing: both accounts had received game equipment gifted by other accounts—items that usually required real money to purchase, yet were given to them for free.

Xiao Ding said he traced the IP addresses, which were local to City C, but the two accounts that sent the gifts hadn't been logged into for months—one over two months ago, the other over three.

Since online games didn't require real-name registration, Xiao Ding couldn't identify the owners. Whether these people were connected to the mysterious game models and recharge cards found with the boys remained uncertain. They had no choice but to wait and see if the accounts ever came back online.

Just after Xiao Ding left, Zhong Han called An Changpu. He confirmed that Tao Yinyin had been dropped off safely and that he had arrived at his relative's home. He then mentioned that on the way, Tao Yinyin had told him about the missing boys' case that An Changpu was investigating, which prompted him to ask about the details.

"Have you ever considered that two boys of similar age disappearing into thin air, as if they evaporated, can't be a coincidence? Could it be that this isn't the first time something like this has happened?" he asked over the phone.

An Changpu paused, beginning to understand. "You mean there are precedents?"

"Possibly. The date of the first disappearance I saw was quite a while ago. Since the possibility exists, we should at least look into it," Zhong Han said.