Yuan Hang finished taking evidential photos, dismantled the entire router set, packed it into an evidence bag to take away, thanked the landlord whose face clearly screamed 'Don't you have anything better to do?', and repeatedly promised not to disturb them again unless it was a special situation. After a five-minute back-and-forth at the door, they finally escaped into the elevator.

The three of them were silent. When they reached the underground parking lot, Yuan Hang took off his gloves and stuffed them into his pocket. Looking a bit unsure of what to do, he ran a hand through his hair and finally asked, "How did you find it?"

The downpour had stopped quickly, leaving behind only a lingering dampness and mist in certain places. Shen Zhengning had regained his usual composure. He turned his phone around to show a screenshot. It was the list of available Wi-Fi networks that the system had automatically found when he opened the wireless network page upstairs. The name at the very top was, glaringly, "Curry Chicken and Ham and Eggs."

Yuan Hang: "What the hell?"

"A dramatic 'word game' designed to pay tribute to his idol." Zhuang Mingqi felt as though Shen Zhengning had forcibly swallowed some harsh adjectives, but after trying to restrain himself, he couldn't hold back and added, "This kind of sudden humor at a critical moment is really infuriating. Makes you want to punch him."

Question marks slowly rose above Yuan Hang and Zhuang Mingqi's heads.

The owner who lost the file was invited to London to await the result. The landlord served him breakfast. Sherlock Holmes's portion was curry chicken, Dr. Watson's was ham and eggs. When the owner lifted the cover, he was surprised to find his recovered important document on the plate.

So, Ye Tongsheng had changed his Wi-Fi name to "Curry Chicken and Ham and Eggs," and following this metaphorical logic, what was hidden with the router in the fiber optic box was, naturally, the answer to the puzzle they were looking for.

After the explanation, no one present could manage a laugh. If the reasons were shown in a pie chart, 50% would be "the joke was too lame," 49% would be "didn't get it," and the remaining 1% would be "naturally unsmiling."

If Shen Zhengning had discovered this code in time, when he followed the clues to find the right answer, perhaps only Ye Tongsheng would have worn a mischievous, triumphant smile like Sherlock Holmes.

—And a speechless Shen Zhengning might have really given him a whack on the spot, and they could have figured out how to deal with the trouble he'd personally unearthed together. Of course, the final outcome would likely have been the two of them enjoying a one-day tour of the Public Security Bureau, then going back to the company together to pack their things and get fired.

They should have been standing under the bright sun, in the biting cold wind, looking at each other and laughing heartily over this exhilarating puzzle-solving game.

"You already know what the 'answer' is."

Yuan Hang couldn't help but glance sideways. Although it was a question for confirmation, Zhuang Mingqi's tone was quite certain. He seemed like a highly cautious person, yet he appeared to have an unusual amount of trust in Shen Zhengning.

"Yes."

Shen Zhengning nodded and answered calmly, "I've been wondering, why The Naval Treaty?"

From the postcard to the router, all the clues in the puzzle were closely tied to the case of The Naval Treaty. After following this main thread to solve the code, looking back at the whole picture, one question remained unanswered: Among all of Sherlock Holmes's cases involving "theft" and "hidden treasures," why did Ye Tongsheng specifically choose The Naval Treaty?

Was this case also some kind of metaphor with a hidden meaning?

"According to the original work, The Naval Treaty is a secret agreement on maritime security signed between the United Kingdom and Italy. The culprit steals this important document and plans to sell it at a high price to other countries—this plot sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it? It's hard not to think of certain events that happened at our company this year," Shen Zhengning said. "This was also one of Ye Tongsheng's insurance policies. If I understood this hint and could predict the level of danger this document posed, I could decide for myself whether or not to get involved in this mess."

"One of them?" Yuan Hang caught the keyword. "What else?"

"For example, hiding the code in a souvenir postcard to avoid others noticing him 'privately passing' it to me; deliberately using such a complex code was probably also to leave himself a way out. If he changed his mind and didn't want to hand that thing over, he could say he accidentally mixed in a postcard he was preparing to send to someone else."

"It's like peeling an onion. You have to pass through layers of tests to stand before him and submit your answer to be qualified to enter his domain, to become his accomplice... no, 'comrade-in-arms' is more appropriate." Shen Zhengning glanced at the human onion beside him and said to Yuan Hang, "But I think the moment Ye Tongsheng put pen to paper, he was already mentally prepared."

Yuan Hang met his gaze for a few seconds, and the two reached a silent consensus. Then, Yuan Hang let out a long breath, "I understand. Come back to the station with me first. Let's see what the specific content is. We'll need both of you to cooperate in giving a statement."

The black Hyundai led the way, with the McLaren trailing not too far behind. Zhuang Mingqi's mood was a little low. Shen Zhengning didn't even need to turn his head to feel his gaze occasionally sweeping across his face, lingering for two seconds before moving away—a classic case of 'wanting to speak but hesitating'.

Normally, Shen Zhengning might have just asked directly, but since it concerned a deceased friend, he felt Zhuang Mingqi might need a little more time to hesitate. So, he remained patiently silent. A moment later, Zhuang Mingqi finally finished his mental preparation and started with, "Do you know what the sentence is for leaking citizens' personal information?"

"Hm?" Shen Zhengning was a bit surprised. "Three to seven years, I think... You can ask the police for specifics later."

"Only particularly serious cases get more than three years. Serious cases get less than three." Zhuang Mingqi frowned, his gaze somewhat reproachful, though not directed at Shen Zhengning. "Even if the email really contains evidence, the main culprits will only go to jail for a few years, and your company will also be punished. You, who brought this to the police, will be hated by many people. Three years pass in the blink of an eye. What if they retaliate against you?"

Even someone as perceptive as Shen Zhengning hadn't expected him to be worried about this. He couldn't help but let out a very untimely laugh.

If it weren't for Zhuang Mingqi's physical contact aversion, he would have reached out and pinched his mouth shut right then. "You're still laughing!"

"What should we do then?" Shen Zhengning stopped at a red light, drawing out his words in a slow, leisurely tone, and said seriously, "Why don't we just turn right at this intersection and go home, and pretend nothing ever happened? If Yuan Hang asks, we'll say Silver was crying his eyes out at home from hunger, the neighbors complained, and the animal protection organization called us back for a talk..."

"Then the police would arrest all of us." Zhuang Mingqi shot him a glare, which, rather than being intimidating, was quite devastatingly beautiful with its hint of petulance. "You have the nerve to mock Ye Tongsheng. Your jokes are terrible too."

Shen Zhengning graciously accepted the criticism. "Alright. If my next HR asks why I was fired from my last job, I'll tell them it was because of my incurable sense of humor."

Zhuang Mingqi was silent for a moment, then suddenly said softly, "It's an 'incurable sense of justice,' isn't it, great detective?"

The light turned green. The black McLaren started smoothly, drove straight through the intersection, and continued forward without hesitation. Shen Zhengning rested his hands relaxedly on the steering wheel, his tone as effortless as his movements. "Do you remember Sherlock Holmes's theory on roses?"

"All of humanity's skills are first and foremost for the needs of survival, but the color and fragrance of flowers are an embellishment of life, not a condition for survival."

"Truth, courage, justice... these positive words are like icing on the cake. It's good to have them, but their absence doesn't affect one's survival. In fact, at times they are 'anti-survival,' and one must go through great hardship and effort to be lucky enough to pick one."

"Are flowers important? Is truth important? To most people on the outside, it's irrelevant. But 'humanity places great hope in flowers.' For those who hold such hope, we cannot let the flowers wither, cannot let truth and justice become things that only exist in novels."

"If I find that truth named 'justice,' then the price I pay is, by comparison, negligible."

Zhuang Mingqi: "..."

He had to use all his strength to hold back the hot, stinging tears that threatened to burst forth in that instant. He forced himself to turn away to avoid losing his composure. Even accidentally seeing Shen Zhengning's reflection in the car window made his heart tremble involuntarily. "Why don't you just go back to telling jokes."

Shen Zhengning thoughtfully did not turn his head, only sparing a sliver of his peripheral vision to glance at the slightly reddened corners of his eyes. "Instead of that, don't you think you should focus on something else and mentally prepare yourself now?"

"What is it?"

"The thing Ye Tongsheng put in the email, if it's really what we suspect, then the current conclusion will very likely be overturned," Shen Zhengning said. "Ye Tongsheng collected criminal evidence and backed it up for me using a code. This is something he was still working on after being diagnosed with depression. It's unrelated to his family conflicts; it's another, independent line of inquiry for the case."

"On this line, he possessed criminal evidence against someone, and that someone could be his superior or a colleague. In that case, there's a motive for the crime. The Moments post that was considered Ye Tongsheng's suicide note contradicts the known facts—he didn't let anyone down, so why would he commit suicide after leaving such a final message?"

"Wait!" Zhuang Mingqi couldn't help but sit up straight. "Are you saying..."

Shen Zhengning's tone was unhurried, but he enunciated every word clearly. "That 'Ye Tongsheng was murdered'—the possibility is not zero."

Zhuang Mingqi was stunned into silence.

The black Hyundai slowed down at the gate of the Public Security Bureau. Yuan Hang leaned out to tell the guard to let them through. A moment later, the retractable gate opened with a clatter. The two cars drove into the Public Security Bureau compound one after another. Shen Zhengning parked in an empty spot, and during the pause, he glanced at Zhuang Mingqi's expression, mentally weighing his words a few times before finally speaking:

"It might be too early to say this, but I've decided to trust my intuition. That phrase he had you remember, he was also sticking to it himself... bearing shadows and pain unimaginable to ordinary people, yet still doing everything in his power to try and save victims in vulnerable positions, doing righteous things with no expectation of reward."

"Ye Tongsheng's back wasn't broken by the pressure, nor did he ever bow to power. He was smart, brave, upright, and sharp. Even if you ask me, a regular colleague who didn't know him well, I can say without hesitation that he was also a very good person."

"He certainly qualifies as a 'rare and commendable role model,' a friend you can be proud of."

"So... don't be sad."

Don't lose hope in this world, and don't walk toward that tragic end alone.

I didn't manage to catch the fallen leaf that drifted away with the water. This time, I won't just stand by and watch you wither away.