Chapter 55.2: The Man from the Happy Inn

"No... not exactly." The boss looked visibly uncomfortable, beginning to sweat.

These days, it was almost an open secret that motels had this kind of side business. Some owners split the profits, and some were even the pimps themselves.

"Where is she?"

"Downstairs."

Tan Yunlong and Li Zhuiyuan stepped out and walked into the barbershop next door. Amei was one of the two women on the couch knitting sweaters.

When Tan Yunlong walked in, one of the women instinctively moved to pull down the rolling shutter.

But when she saw Li Zhuiyuan following behind, she paused, then smiled and said, "Hey there, little brother, you here for some fun too?"

"He's with me."

"Okay, big brother. You pick one of us, and the other can stay here and watch TV with the kid."

There was a black-and-white TV in the room, though it appeared broken and unplugged.

Li Zhuiyuan was simply too young. If he were a few years older, he might’ve been 'served' too.

"Which one is Amei?"

"Me, pick me, big brother. Isn't this your first time here? Weren't you referred by a friend?"

Tan Yunlong took out his badge. "I'm a police officer. I need to ask you something. Sit down."

The two women froze. One tried to flash a flirty smile again, but under Tan Yunlong's stare, the act dropped immediately.

"You worked at the Xingfu Motel last night, right? Do you remember room 8025?"

"No... I don't remember."

"Think carefully before you answer. I'm not here for a prostitution bust."

The other woman nudged Amei's arm. "Just tell him the truth and cooperate."

Amei got flustered. "I had several clients last night. I don't remember which room was which."

The other woman turned furious. "You did jobs behind my back?"

Clearly, Amei had a better deal with the motel owner.

In places like this, unless the client specifically asked for someone, customers were usually served in rotation.

And people who checked into motels usually weren't regulars—after all, the barbershop had private booths with beds.

Li Zhuiyuan offered a reminder: "The room had a very wet floor and heavy humidity."

"Oh! I remember now—it was him. But we didn’t do anything. He paid me, but just asked me to fetch a water heater from the front desk. He said he was really thirsty. I boiled a lot of water for him, then he told me to leave."

"Any other details? Like his accent?"

"Sounded like a northern accent. He also carried a black briefcase. That’s all I know. We didn’t undress or anything."

"Try to recall his appearance."

"He was pretty tall, about 1.8 meters. Thin, but muscular. Wore a baseball cap. His skin was dark, like it had been tanned. The skin on the back of his hands was peeling. I even asked if it was sunburn."

Tan Yunlong nodded. No photo, but the description matched the man who had visited Zheng Haiyang’s mother at the psychiatric hospital.

"If he comes to find you again, report it immediately. He’s dangerous."

Amei clutched her chest, breathing heavily. "Phew... phew..." Getting caught in a prostitution bust only meant a short detention, but in this line of work, they feared criminals far more than the police.

Tan Yunlong pulled up the shutter and walked out with Li Zhuiyuan. They got back on the motorbike.

After riding for a while, Tan Yunlong said, "Xiaoyuan, some filth will never be scrubbed clean."

"Huh?" Li Zhuiyuan was puzzled, thinking he was referring to the case, but quickly caught on. "Uncle Tan, I understand."

"A house can never stay clean forever. That's why it needs frequent cleaning."

"Yes, Uncle Tan."

The retired old folks in the housing complex liked to say similar things. It meant they genuinely cared about him and wanted to pass on the right values.

Their next stop was Zheng Haiyang’s house.

It was a newly built two-story home. Li Zhuiyuan had been there during the funeral.

Originally, the family was poor. But Zheng Haiyang’s father had the knack for getting ahead. Years working as a seaman with his wife had paid off—they earned good money and built the new house.

Two plainclothes officers were stationed outside. After greeting them, Tan Yunlong brought everyone inside.

The elderly couple were still wiping away tears—likely because of the news from the psychiatric hospital.

What worried them most now was their grandson. Losing both parents in such a short time—what future awaited him?

At least the house was built, and their son and daughter-in-law had sent money home over the years—it had been saved.

Tan Yunlong explained why they came and asked if any strangers had approached the house recently. The couple said no.

But that couldn’t be true. Since Zhu Changyong was staying in Shigang Town, his aim must’ve been here.

During questioning, Tan Yunlong specifically mentioned that the man could be a threat to Zheng Haiyang. The couple reacted with fear, begging the police to catch the bad man.

This was a test—to see if they had any dealings with Zhu Changyong.

Sometimes, investigations get tangled in strange ways, not because of the case itself, but because of the people involved.

Still, when it came to their grandson, the couple acted normally. That confirmed that Zhu Changyong had come alone for his own reasons.

With their consent, the two officers went to inspect the house.

Tan Yunlong walked out to the yard, lit a cigarette, and took a long drag.

"Uncle Tan, thank you for your hard work."

Technically, this wasn’t even his case. It might not have been a case at all.

"Xiaoyuan, don’t say that. We can’t just ignore potential danger. Say, do you have any thoughts?"

Tan Yunlong’s gaze swept the surroundings like a hawk. He had a gut feeling Zhu Changyong might be hiding nearby.

"Uncle Tan, what if Zhu Changyong didn’t come here to hurt anyone, but to find something specific?"

"Something?"

"Yes. Maybe he didn’t come to kill."

It was just a theory. The one who knew the most about Zhu Changyong’s identity was Secretary Xu Wen.

But from what he’d overheard in the restroom, Xu Wen didn’t treat Zhu Changyong like an enemy—maybe there was even a hint of intimacy.

"Alive or dead, I need to see him..."—if that wasn’t hatred, it could mean something else entirely.

That hinted at Zhu Changyong’s unique status. He might’ve snuck aboard the ship, but he was unlike Honda or Ashley’s groups.

Even if something terrible happened underwater, it shouldn’t have made him target the families afterward.

"I’ll ask again."

Tan Yunlong went back to question the couple.

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t follow. Instead, he mimicked Tan Yunlong’s earlier actions, scanning the surroundings.

Tan Yunlong was looking for people.

Li Zhuiyuan was looking for Dead Sinkers.

Still, the result was the same—nothing.

He pulled out yellow talismans from his pocket and stuck one on the yard wall, another on the door. He always carried a stash, and today, he used them all.

Tan Yunlong returned. "They say there’s nothing special in the house, but I think they’re lying."

If that’s the case, they could be brought back to the station. The environment there made confessions easier—but that wasn’t an option now.

"Uncle Tan, maybe let Zheng Haiyang ask them himself."

"Good idea."

Tan Yunlong gave him a lift back to the school gate. They stopped by a small eatery and ordered two bowls of noodles.

"Xiaoyuan, want any toppings?"

"I’m good, Uncle Tan."

They finished the meal just as the evening self-study for senior year students ended. The noodle shop would soon shut down for the night.

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