Chapter 70: Potent Rat Poison

With a mind full of questions, Qin Ruonan hurried back to the police bureau from T County. As soon as the car turned off the main road and entered the gates of the bureau, she sharply noticed An Changpu rushing out of the building, taking three steps at a time. She quickly parked the car out of the way, pressed the horn a few times, and instinctively, An Changpu looked toward the sound. Upon seeing Qin Ruonan, he immediately waved and ran over.

"You’re just in time! Come, we need to go to this address!" He got into the car, barely taking a breath before urgently handing Qin Ruonan a slip of paper with an address written on it.

Qin Ruonan didn’t ask anything further; she simply turned the car around and drove out of the yard, heading toward the address on the note.

"Aren’t you going to ask me where this address is?" An Changpu, surprisingly restless, questioned her since she hadn’t pressed for details.

"Even if I don’t ask, I’ll know where it is once we arrive. Anyway, you rushed out so urgently to get there, it can’t be anything trivial." Qin Ruonan focused intently on the road ahead.

"Oh? You have that much confidence in my professional abilities?"

"I’ve noticed you have your own clever ways—and you’re right. Sometimes, a soft approach works better than being forceful. I should learn from you." Qin Ruonan replied earnestly.

A lighthearted remark had yielded such a serious reply, which left An Changpu a bit surprised. He looked at Qin Ruonan with some astonishment and, just as seriously, said, "Though I have many virtues worth learning from, hearing you say it so frankly does make me a bit embarrassed."

Qin Ruonan’s face broke into a barely suppressed smile—if not for her composure, she might have burst out laughing right then.

Seeing the clear amusement on her face, An Changpu felt his mood brighten as well. When they first began working together, things were awkward, but he couldn’t deny that Qin Ruonan was an excellent partner: diligent, meticulous, and committed. Over the past few days, the inexplicable "ice wall" between them seemed to be thawing. The once reserved Qin Ruonan was beginning to open up and communicate more freely. Though their "history" still needed to be explored, the recent progress was encouraging.

People are greedy by nature; everyone wants not only a competent colleague but also a harmonious relationship outside work. Only then can cooperation be flawless, and the work environment pleasant.

Yet, he still wondered what these "historical issues" between himself and Qin Ruonan were, and why it felt as if he had lost his memory—he had no recollection at all. Once this case is resolved, he thought to himself, he must investigate further.

Qin Ruonan had no idea what thoughts were swirling through An Changpu’s mind. Throughout the drive, aside from their brief conversation, she was absorbed in the progress of the case. The urgency with which An Changpu wanted to get to the location suggested it was significant.

"Are we heading to the brickyard? Has it been confirmed that the brick used to sink Lu Min’s body was fired there?" She silently analyzed and made her own judgment, then asked for confirmation.

An Changpu flashed a mysterious smile. "Yes and no. You’ll understand once we get there."

Qin Ruonan glanced at him, mildly annoyed by his cryptic answer, but pressed on with another question. "The black substance you sent for testing today—it was actually a soil sample, wasn’t it?"

"You figured it out?" An Changpu laughed, not surprised at her deduction. "How did you guess?"

"You don’t smoke, yet you told Ding Mulan you needed a cigarette outside and asked her to go ahead. I knew something was up."

"I’ve already asked them to expedite the test results. Today’s trip gives me the feeling that solving this case is within reach—how quickly it happens depends on when we find Lu Anmei." He paused, then added, "The place we’re going might make you agree even more."

"I don’t need convincing—I understand. Don’t worry, I won’t let sympathy for her circumstances cloud my judgment!" Qin Ruonan answered firmly and decisively.

Soon, guided by An Changpu, they arrived at a small street in Jiangkou District. The street was lined with modest but lively shops, offering everything from auto parts to daily cosmetics, and even breakfast stalls selling fried dough sticks.

"What are we doing here?" Qin Ruonan followed An Changpu out of the car, surprised. She had expected to head for the brickyard, not a bustling street.

"We found the seller of the rat poison!" An Changpu explained, gesturing for her to lock the car.

With her doubts cleared, Qin Ruonan perked up, quickly locked the car, and followed An Changpu down the street. After walking some distance, they spotted a small blackboard stuck in the roadside dirt. Dust had dulled the writing, but up close, they could make out: "Wholesale and retail—potent rat poison and cockroach killer," with a left-pointing arrow drawn at the bottom.

"This must be it," An Changpu checked the address and nodded.

Following the arrow, they found a small house in a side alley, with a matching advertisement pasted on its door. The house was an ordinary residence, but the owner had added a canopy outside the window for convenience in business. A door opened by the window, where a man in his forties sat slouched, smoking a cigarette and listening to a storytelling broadcast.

An Changpu and Qin Ruonan approached, their shadows cast ahead by the sun, blocking the man’s closed-eyed nap. Sensing visitors, the man opened his eyes, sat up, tossed his nearly finished cigarette to the ground and stubbed it out, then grinned at them. "Looking to buy something?"

"Boss, you sell rat poison, right?" An Changpu asked with a friendly smile.

The owner, recognizing customers, immediately became enthusiastic. "Yes! Are you looking to buy wholesale or retail?"

"Can we have a look first?"

"Sure, wait a moment." The owner stood up, went inside, and soon returned with several packets, handing them to An Changpu. "Take a look—guaranteed to work! Rat poison, cockroach killer, ant killer—I make them all!"

An Changpu took the packets and picked out the rat poison. The packaging matched the two packets previously found. He handed it to Qin Ruonan. "Boss, your sign says this rat poison is potent. How strong is it?"

"Potent—absolutely potent! Any rat that touches it is sure to die! If it doesn’t work, come find me!" The owner thumped his chest in assurance. "Ten times compensation if it’s fake!"

"What about people? Could it kill them?" Qin Ruonan suddenly asked.

[Apologies for the brief update—during the New Year holidays, there’s just too much going on. This is Xiao Mo’s first time returning home for New Year after five years abroad, so please understand! Also, I’ll be away on the fourth and fifth due to travel and lack of internet, so I’m taking leave in advance. Updates will return to normal after the sixth. Thank you for your support and understanding!]