Chapter 138.2

Tan Wenbin walked out of the school gate. Next, he was going to the bureau to find his dad.

But instead of driving the little pickup from the shop like he usually did, he hailed a taxi at the school entrance.

According to the script, it was time for him to add a little extra drama to his own role.

As soon as he got in, the driver smiled and said, “Oh, it’s you. Ha!”

“What a coincidence, sir.”

“Yeah, one hell of a coincidence.”

This taxi driver was the same one who had taken Tan Wenbin from Pingju Photo Studio to the Eighth Hospital last time. Back then, he had told Tan Wenbin that some bastard had gotten into a car accident. Since he himself was also going to the Eighth Hospital to visit an old friend, he had even waived the fare.

Jinling was huge, and there were countless taxis. Yet this was already the second time they had run into each other, so Tan Wenbin casually glanced at the work ID displayed in front.

Liu Changping.

As Liu Changping drove, he said, “I’m going to see a movie with someone tonight.”

“Got yourself a girlfriend?”

“Almost. Just one stroke short of making the character complete.”

“Congratulations.”

“I really have you to thank for it. If you hadn’t taken my cab to the hospital that day, I never would’ve met her.”

“Oh?”

“She’s a trainee nurse there. When I parked, I happened to run into her. She’d just fallen over, so I helped her up. That’s how we met.”

“That’s your own good fortune.”

“Heh.”

Tan Wenbin knew exactly why.

It was because Liu Changping hadn’t taken his money that day.

He had just accompanied Liu, the Dragon King through one wave. By giving him a free ride, Liu Changping had managed to share in a tiny sliver of the merit from it.

And that tiny bit of merit, when it landed on Liu Changping, had gifted him a thread of romance.

It really was not an exaggeration.

After all, Tan Wenbin himself had directly extended his Lifespan through that merit. And then there was White Crane Child. If the merit had not been rich enough, how could It possibly have “endured humiliation and borne the burden” to hog it all for itself?

Besides that, after reading Little Yuanhou’s record of the third wave in The Zhuiyuan Secret Scroll, Tan Wenbin had noticed that Little Yuanhou had even written down how he got cheated when he took a ride back to school.

Though he had not verified it, Tan Wenbin suspected that the fellow who had cheated Little Yuanhou out of his fare was the same “bastard in the trade” Liu Changping had mentioned.

That guy really had terrible judgment.

Of all people to cheat, he had cheated the Dragon King’s fare right after a river walk.

He had directly tied his own karma to a malevolent spirit. If he did not suffer for it, who would?

Thanks to how thoroughly Little Yuanhou had broken down and spoon-fed the whole idea of river-walk karma, Tan Wenbin now had his own understanding too. There really was such a thing in this world as a benefactor. If you met one, your fortunes could change.

But the premise was that your own heart had to be upright.

Those with upright hearts could borrow good fortune.

Those with crooked hearts would suffer backlash.

With a conversational opening laid out, Tan Wenbin started chatting more freely with Liu Changping.

Bit by bit, he steered the topic toward the robbery cases targeting cab drivers.

“Exactly. Especially when picking up passengers at night, you’ve got to be extra careful. Some remote places, no matter how far the trip or how high the fare, I just don’t dare go.

“And when it’s nighttime and a few men get in together, I start feeling uneasy too.

“I don’t want to make money only to die before I can spend it.”

“But couldn’t they arrange for a woman to hail the cab first and lower your guard? I heard there was a case like that about four years ago, and someone even died.”

“Right, right, I remember that one. That bunch had a woman take a cab at night, and after they reached the place, two men rushed up and robbed the driver.

“Back then I’d only just entered the trade. That case scared the hell out of me. Later the police caught the gang, but I think that woman got away.”

After that, Tan Wenbin deliberately guided Liu Changping into criticizing that female suspect along with him.

Liu Changping cursed her out with great satisfaction. By the time they reached the destination, he still had more to say. He picked up his cup and drained an entire glass of water in one go.

Tan Wenbin paid the fare, and Liu Changping generously rounded it down.

“Oh? How can I accept that? Isn’t it usually the passenger tipping the driver?”

“Honestly, little brother, if you ever open a shop just for keeping people company and chatting with them, I think people would actually pay for that.”

“Hahaha.”

Laughing, Tan Wenbin got out of the car, walked into the police station, came to the door of his father’s office, and knocked.

“Come in.”

Tan Wenbin straightened his clothes. Thinking of Liu Changping just now, he suddenly realized that his own father had actually always been the one taking the biggest cut.

I haven’t even started mooching off the old man yet, and all this time you’ve been taking advantage of your own son? This is turning the natural order upside down!

Tan Wenbin pushed open the office door and went in, deliberately leaving it open. Then he said in an especially loud voice:

“Dad, on the way here by taxi, I heard the driver talk about something. He said four years ago there was a gang...

“In this world, there was actually such an arrogant criminal gang. Cab drivers work to serve the public and help build the city’s image. They rise early, stay up late, and work tirelessly. Just think how much effort they put in...

“In broad daylight, beneath the clear heavens...

“This is simply intolerable...

“As an outstanding young man commended by the police bureau, if I ever got the chance, I would definitely...

“...bring them to justice.”

Tan Wenbin’s voice drew quite a few officers from outside. Some of the older policemen were even explaining the case to the younger ones. Back then, in order to catch that gang, the bureau had put in enormous effort, even sending officers undercover as taxi drivers.

Tan Yunlong sat behind his desk. At first, he was wondering what on earth kind of fit his son was having now.

But the more he listened, the stranger his expression became.

He had a premonition that he was... about to earn another merit citation.

Because every time before he made a contribution, his son would pull some inexplicable little performance like this.

At last, Tan Wenbin finished.

Tan Yunlong opened the lid of the teacup on his desk and pushed it forward.

Tan Wenbin did not stand on ceremony. He walked over and drained the tea inside in one gulp.

“Whew... burp!”

“What is it?”

Tan Wenbin went to shut the office door, then walked back to the desk and said in a low voice, “Dad, that wanted notice I photocopied here yesterday...”

“Wasn’t what you just talked about one of them?”

“Yeah. I think the case I just mentioned is worth investigating again as a priority.”

“Do you have any leads?”

“Not yet. But where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“Then any ideas?”

“Not yet. But heaven has eyes.”

Tan Yunlong pulled out a cigarette and bit it between his lips.

Truthfully, as a policeman, he did not want to force his way of thinking into this sort of situation.

But the problem was, sometimes he had no choice.

Ever since that time at the Shigang police station, when that boy had pushed open his office door and walked in to tell him that a corpse was buried under the pond and water vat at someone’s home, his worldview had developed a certain slant.

All he could do was keep reassuring himself over and over: it was all for solving cases and bringing criminals to justice.

Tan Wenbin pulled a cigarette from his old man’s pack. After his father lit his own, Tan Wenbin leaned in with the cigarette between his lips.

Tan Yunlong lit it for him and asked, “Didn’t you quit?”

“Yeah. I’ve quit for many days now.”

“What a pity. You should’ve held out a little longer.”

“It’s fine. Not a pity. I quit every day.”

Tan Yunlong sighed helplessly. “Smoke less. It’s bad for your health.”

Tan Wenbin blew out a ring of smoke and waved a hand. That was even less of a problem. These days, your son here could actively add to and subtract from his own Lifespan.

Tan Yunlong said, “This case was extremely serious back then. As a citizen, you have the responsibility and duty to cooperate with the police and work together to build a harmonious and safe public security environment...”

Tan Wenbin kept nodding.

As expected of his own father. Just like him. Smart.

Tan Yunlong continued, “...if you can find her, if you spot her, report it to the police immediately.”

“Understood!”

Tan Wenbin stubbed out the cigarette and waved. “Dad, I’m off. I might be going on a long trip soon. Spend more time at home with Mom.”

“I don’t need you teaching me that.”

“The issue is, if you’re too busy with work to keep your wife company, your wife is going to ask my girlfriend to keep her company. And if my girlfriend goes, then I have to drive over too. I’m very busy myself, okay?”

“Get lost!”

Tan Wenbin left the police station. When he reached the entrance, he looked at the imposing signs standing tall on either side.

He remembered Little Yuanhou once saying that whenever Grandpa Li ran into something dirty, he would go and hug the sign at the police station.

Back then, Little Yuanhou and Runsheng had even treated him like a temporary sign and hugged him.

So did today’s trip count as coming to “hug the sign” too?

Well, since he was already here.

Tan Wenbin walked up to the plaque, spread his arms, and gave it a warm, enthusiastic embrace.

“Oh, Binbin?” Officer Xiao Zhou happened to be walking in from outside. Seeing this, he laughed. “You really should’ve applied to the police academy.”

“Huh?” Tan Wenbin laughed as he brushed the dust off his chest. “Different revolutionary duties, that’s all.”

“It’s fine. After you graduate, it’s not like there won’t be chances.”

“I still prefer dealing with water.”

“That works too. Water engineering contributes to national development!”

...

At dusk, outside the middle school after dismissal.

“Remember this. Tomorrow you’d better hand over the same amount again. Got it?”

“I... I don’t have any more.”

“No more? Heh. Just do what you did today and secretly take some from home.”

“If I take any more, my parents will find out. Really.”

“What do I care whether your parents find out? Just remember, if you can’t bring the money tomorrow, think about what’ll happen to you.”

“I...”

Smack!

A slap landed across his face. The male student fell to the ground. One thug planted a shoe on the boy’s chest and spat heavily in his face.

“This is just the appetizer. If you can’t hand over the money tomorrow, I’ll treat you to a grand feast in the toilet, hahaha!”

“I’ll pay... I’ll pay...”

Bang!

The thug kicked him again. “Scram. See you tomorrow. Don’t think you can hide from us. We’ve got plenty of ways to find you.”

The boy scrambled up miserably and ran off crying.

The three thugs huddled together, counted the money, and split it on the spot.

Right then, a female student happened to walk by. One thug stepped forward and smacked her hard on the butt.

“Ah!”

The girl screamed and ran away.

The thug raised his hand to his nose, sniffed it, and let out a smug, grating laugh.

Then another thug nudged him and pointed elsewhere. Across the street at a roadside stall, there was a young man who looked like a complete bookworm paying for something. He was holding a stack of ten-yuan notes, counting out change for the vendor.

Beside him was a young woman carrying a handbag and wearing a skirt. The two of them were arguing.

“Brother Hu, that chick is so fair.”

“Yeah, really fair. Damn tender too.”

“She’s not from the middle school. Probably from the nearby university?”

“Probably.”

The three thugs were instantly drawn to Yin Meng.

Yin Meng had always been good-looking to begin with, and after Aunt Liu had whitened her skin using a special method, plus the extra effort she had put into dressing up today, she looked even more youthful and radiant.

Without even realizing it, the three thugs started edging that way, wanting to join the excitement. Maybe they could play the hero and save the beauty, or maybe sneak in through the cracks somehow. Either way, they figured they would not lose out.

But before they could cross the street, the pair on the other side finished buying their things and walked toward them of their own accord.

The man even took the money and stuffed it into the woman’s bag.

Lin Shuyou said, “This is all my living expenses for the semester from home. You can keep it for me.”

As Yin Meng slipped the money into her bag, she sneered, “Why are you giving me this money? Hah. I really look down on the face your nouveau riche family puts on.”

“You can insult me, but you can’t insult my family!”

“I said it, and I’ll say it again. So what? Isn’t your family just a bunch of nouveau riche?”

“Even so, we’re still better off than your family. Your family might once have been grand, but now you’ve got nothing but chicken feathers left!”

“Even a single chicken feather from my family is still a phoenix feather. How can some nobody family like yours compare?”

“Ha! Even a real hero doesn’t keep bragging about old glories. Why don’t you take a look at who’s left in your family now?”

After that, the two of them exchanged a rapid-fire barrage of insults over “nouveau riche” and “fallen aristocrat.”

The three thugs figured it out. The guy had originally been trying to please the girl, but she was not having it. Her family had once been very well-off, but not anymore. The guy’s family, on the other hand, was rich now.

The two of them were clearly genuinely angry, almost tearing their relationship apart. Their faces were red from yelling, and none of it looked staged.

Besides, those two were talking so fast and so densely that even after the three thugs drew close, they could not find a chance to cut in.

Lin Shuyou said, “Just look at how shabby your family is now!”

Yin Meng snapped back, “What shabby? My grandfather buried treasures underground in the back courtyard of our old home. If I ever need them, I can go back to my hometown and dig them up anytime!”

According to local custom, Yin Meng’s grandfather had buried two jars of liquor for her not long after she was born, to be opened when she got married.

“If you keep this up, I’m done talking to you!”

“Fine, then don’t talk to me. Who cares? Get lost. Stop following me!”

“Fine. Then I’m leaving!”

Lin Shuyou split off.

Yin Meng went alone into the alley ahead.

The three thugs exchanged glances and followed.

After all, they had just seen with their own eyes that the man had stuffed a whole wad of cash into the girl’s bag.

“Ah, what are you doing? What are you doing!”

Hearing footsteps behind her, Yin Meng swung her handbag at them, but in the end, being a girl, she was not strong enough. Very soon, even the bag itself was snatched away.

“Go away! Don’t come over here! Don’t come over here!” Yin Meng hugged her arms around herself in terror and kept backing into the corner.

The three thugs swallowed hard. Just as they were about to cop a few more cheap feels, they suddenly heard a shrill whistle nearby.

Peep! Peep! Peep!

These three had only ever bullied middle school students and squeezed money out of them before. The moment they heard that sound, they panicked. They immediately dropped Yin Meng and ran off.

Lin Shuyou landed on the ground with a whistle in his mouth.

Yin Meng also returned to normal and said, “That was too fast. I hadn’t even finished building up the mood.”

Lin Shuyou said, “I was worried you wouldn’t be able to hold back.”

If those three really had started pawing at Yin Meng, Lin Shuyou was afraid that in a burst of anger, Yin Meng might poison all three of them to death on the spot.

Yin Meng said, “Hurry and chase them. Follow them and see whether they take the bait.”

“Understood!”

Lin Shuyou vaulted over a wall and gave chase.

The three thugs ran back to one of their homes. After shutting the door, they immediately started rummaging through the stolen bag.

First was that wad of cash, a real and genuine stack of ten-yuan notes.

Then there was some loose change, plus a few cosmetics used by girls.

“Huh, what’s this?”

One of the makeup cases had cracked open, and inside was a yellowed sheet of paper hidden in the lining.

Brother Hu pulled out the paper and spread it open. On it was a map, marked in traditional characters, with a specific location. Then came directions to the back courtyard of the Xie family home in Baichi Village, Shazi Town, Zhangjiajie...

At the end was a small drawing of a jar buried in a courtyard, with chunks of something inside. Next to it was a note: “gold.” Even without the note, it was pretty obvious.

“Is this some treasure map from that girl’s family? She said her grandfather buried treasure for her.”

“Is it real?” one of the other thugs asked.

“Brother Hu, I think it probably is.”

Brother Hu said, “I think so too.”

At the edge of the roof, Lin Shuyou hung there, listening through the window to the conversation inside.

After some discussion, the three thugs gradually came to a shared conclusion: the treasure map was real.

This scam was not especially clever, but it was airtight.

Because the three thugs could not even imagine the possibility of being conned. After all, they really had nothing much to be conned out of.

Of course, most importantly, that wad of cash had genuinely landed in their hands.

It was the sheer weight of that money that made the treasure map seem real beyond doubt.

If a scammer started a scam by slamming a wad of cash straight into your face, then in this world, probably not many people could hold out and avoid being fooled.

“Does that girl know the treasure map was hidden in here?”

Brother Hu said, “Whether she knows or not, we’ve got to hurry there and dig up the gold. If we get it, none of us will ever have to worry again for the rest of our lives!

“And even if we don’t find any gold, this money is enough for the three of us to go on a carefree trip a few times over. Either way, we won’t lose!”

Brother Hu smacked him on the head. “Bullshit. Don’t say unlucky things. There’ll definitely be gold! Go on, you two get home and pack your stuff. Tonight we’re heading to the train station!”

Lin Shuyou smiled, drew himself back from the roof edge, and had just jumped down. He was about to find a little shop and place a pager call when he ran into Yin Meng, who had also made her way over.

Yin Meng threw a bag of clothes to Lin Shuyou. Inside were a new outfit, along with a hat, scarf, sunglasses, and money.

She asked, “How did it go?”

“Go notify Little Yuanhou. Time to eat fish.”

...

Brother Hu and his two brothers, each carrying a travel bag, entered the train station.

They went first to the ticket window, and luckily, there was still a train that night heading to their destination.

“Any soft sleepers?”

Brother Hu asked in a deliberately swaggering tone. He had actually already seen the sign saying the soft sleepers on that train were sold out, but now that he had money, it did not stop him from asking for show.

If there really had been soft-sleeper tickets, he would not have dared buy them yet. Before they got their hands on the gold, he did not dare spend too lavishly.

“No soft sleepers. There are hard sleepers. Want them or not?”

“Yes. Three tickets.”

Brother Hu took the tickets and turned away.

Behind him, Lin Shuyou stepped forward in a different outfit. He had plenty of experience with makeup and performance. Shadowing Brother Hu and the others at close range without being noticed was child’s play for him.

Once Brother Hu and his group had gone a little farther, Lin Shuyou said, “Same train as them. Five hard sleepers.”

...

The wind on the platform at night was strong, carrying the chill of late autumn.

At last the train pulled in. Railway staff began directing the crowds, and passengers started getting off and on.

Brother Hu and the other two entered a hard-sleeper compartment. There were upper, middle, and lower berths on each side, six in total.

“We’ve only got one lower berth.”

Brother Hu said, “Damn it, I forgot to mention it when buying the tickets.”

The tickets were consecutive, and it just so happened the three brothers had taken the upper, middle, and lower berths on the left side.

But the upper and middle berths in a hard-sleeper carriage really were cramped and uncomfortable.

Brother Hu said, “How about this, A-Xing? You sleep on the lower berth opposite us and take turns with A-Wen. If someone comes, we’ll just swap with him. What’s the big deal?”

A-Xing nodded and immediately claimed the lower berth across from them.

Soon, a burly man still wrapped in bandages entered.

He stood beside A-Xing and said in a low voice, “That’s my berth.”

A-Xing looked up at the big man, then toward Brother Hu, who was on the lower berth opposite.

Brother Hu saw Runsheng, but pretended not to.

“Move.”

Runsheng raised his voice.

A-Xing had no choice but to leave the lower berth and climb up to the upper berth opposite.

Next, Li Zhuiyuan and Tan Wenbin came in.

In the boy’s bag were Zhu Granny’s painting and photograph. In Tan Wenbin’s bag was that wanted notice.

Li Zhuiyuan climbed up to the upper berth on this side, while Tan Wenbin took the middle berth.

Yin Meng and Lin Shuyou were in the next compartment over.

The train started moving.

Tan Wenbin was the first to open a conversation. He asked Brother Hu, “Where are you headed?”

Brother Hu said, “Zhangjiajie.”

“Well, isn’t that a coincidence? I’m going there too.”

“You from there?”

“Half, I guess. I went to school there when I was little.”

“Then do you know where Shazi Town and Baichi Village are?”

“Dummy Town and Idiot Village?”

“Yeah. Do you know where that is?”

“Ah, I really don’t. Place names have been changing a lot these past few years. Zhangjiajie didn’t even use to be called that, right? You’re going there?”

“Yeah.”

“No problem. Once we get there, I’ll help you ask around. We’ll definitely find out.”

“Okay.”

“By the way, what are you going there for?”

“Something.” Brother Hu did not want to say more.

So Tan Wenbin stopped talking as well. By the time they boarded, it was already late into the night, and everyone gradually started falling asleep.

At first, the snores of Brother Hu and his two companions were loud and resonant, but before long, they were completely drowned out by the symphony from Runsheng and Tan Wenbin.

Li Zhuiyuan lay on the upper berth with his eyes open, turned slightly to the side as he looked out the train window.

Outside, it was pitch-black, with only the occasional sparse light in the distance.

A pessimist, seeing such a scene, would probably be overcome with sorrow and think the road ahead was vague and uncertain.

But in the boy’s eyes, there was a lively gleam flowing.

He was excited.

River walk, river walk.

Maybe it was never meant to be crouching there, trembling, waiting for wave after wave of river water to come crash over you.

Maybe instead,

you were supposed to walk toward the river yourself.

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