Chapter 22 Part 2

Brother Wei said with a serious expression, "Everyone, carefully observe the suspect's characteristics. Don't miss any details. Let's trace his criminal motive. Get to the bottom of it. Why, why would he risk appearing at Trust-Mart Supermarket to buy orange juice? Let's try to create a criminal profile."

After speaking, Brother Wei took out a few bottles of orange juice from a plastic bag on the side. "I'll pass out the orange juice. One bottle for everyone. Think hard about this question."

Zhang Xiaohui had just landed a role in a cop movie, playing a minor character who dies quickly. After hearing this, he immediately stood up and saluted. "Yes, Sir Wei."

Brother Wei: "Xiaohui, tell us, what have you discovered?"

Zhang Xiaohui: "First, I discovered that he's a man."

Brother Wei: "Excellent. That is a very crucial characteristic."

Xiao Heng: "..."

Lu Yan: "..."

Lu Yan took the bottle of orange juice, twisted off the cap, and took a sip. He felt that joining this squad might have been a mistake. There was a reason Brother Wei hadn't gotten into the police academy back then.

The meeting lasted for a total of over an hour.

Less than ten minutes in, Xiao Heng's head tilted to the side and he fell asleep.

At first, Lu Yan thought he couldn't take it anymore and wanted to wake him up.

"Don't wake me."

Xiao Heng said with his eyes half-open, "It makes no difference whether I listen or not."

"..."

Xiao Heng mocked again, "The way they're going about it, studying all night will be useless."

Xiao Heng spoke in a very low voice, almost right next to his ear.

Although his words were harsh, no one else besides him heard them.

As he spoke, Brother Wei was studying the orange juice's place of production. "Do you think it's possible this is the fugitive's hometown? He must have some kind of special attachment to this place."

Zhang Xiaohui chimed in, "Makes sense!"

...

It really was meaningless.

Given Xiao Heng's temper, he should have just left.

Lu Yan wanted to ask: 'Then why are you still here?'

However, Xiao Heng had already closed his eyes.

Although Brother Wei was unreliable, wasting an hour on pointless research, especially with Zhang Xiaohui blindly agreeing, making the whole meeting seem like they were playing house, he was very serious when he did it. The feeling he gave off was the same as when he'd been drunk on the rooftop a while ago, slurring, "Bro failed the police academy entrance exam back in the day."

He was clearly in his thirties.

Lu Yan sighed. He might have found the reason why Xiao Heng was still sitting here.

Brother Wei was rewatching the surveillance footage for the umpteenth time. The computer's power cord was by his feet. As he turned, he accidentally stepped on the cord, then hastily pulled his foot back, only to get tangled in the messy wires... Both the projector and the computer shut off.

The room became completely dark.

You couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Brother Wei said sheepishly, "Brother Yan, you didn't have anything... important... that you forgot to save on your computer, did you..."

Lu Yan looked at him and said, "Yes, a song I just wrote today."

Brother Wei scratched his head, feeling really embarrassed. "Then what do we do? Can it be recovered?"

Of course it couldn't be recovered.

Lu Yan's computer had crashed so many times before; he knew the shitty nature of this music composition software all too well.

"It's fine."

Lu Yan said as he fumbled his way over in the dark. While waiting for the computer to restart, afraid Brother Wei would overthink it, he continued, "I only wrote a little, just a few seconds' worth. I can just re-compose it in a bit..."

Just as he said this, the computer turned on.

Lu Yan clicked open the composition software. Usually, the first thing he did after turning on the computer wasn't connecting to the internet but opening the software. It had become a habit over the years. He knew full well that it would definitely be blank inside...

However, on the screen were several intact audio tracks.

???

'He saved it?'

'When did he save it???'

The gibberish Xiao Heng had typed on the keyboard that day flashed through Lu Yan's mind.

This little incident with the power outage interrupted the meeting. Only then did Brother Wei realize he had taken up too much of everyone's rest time, so he led Zhang Xiaohui downstairs. "That's all for today's meeting. Wait for me to investigate further, then I'll assign you tasks."

Lu Yan said, "Alright, thanks for your hard work. You should get some rest, bro."

Brother Wei: "It's no trouble. Serve the people!"

After everyone had left, only Xiao Heng remained.

Just like the other day, Xiao Heng was sleeping on his sofa.

The projector Brother Wei had brought over was still on. Its light reflected off the wall and back onto Xiao Heng, enveloping his entire body in the hazy blue glow.

"Hey," Lu Yan called to him.

No response.

"Did you modify my software the other day?"

Still no response.

"You... know how to program?"

Xiao Heng moved, burying his face deeper.

Just as Lu Yan was thinking that probably only kicking the guy out would get a reaction, Xiao Heng opened his mouth, his voice coarse and hoarse. "Yeah."

Then he added, "What era is that crappy software of yours from? The code is written like shit."

...

Lu Yan stared at the lock of hair on top of his head and thought:

'Even though he's clearly not mocking me, why does it still sound so infuriating?'

"You're so amazing," Lu Yan said. "When did you learn to program? Self-taught?"

Xiao Heng scratched his hair and sat up.

Perhaps because he had just woken up, his gaze was a little vacant.

The casual question Lu Yan asked seemed difficult for him to answer. The young master who had just arrogantly said "the code is written like shit" was silent for a moment before saying, "I dabbled in it before."

Lu Yan said, "You have quite a wide range of hobbies."

Hobbies.

Xiao Heng chewed on that word.

With his back to him, Lu Yan bent down to put away the projector Brother Wei had brought.

When he was almost done, he turned around and held out a hand to Xiao Heng. "Hand me the guitar."

Xiao Heng picked up the electric guitar from the floor and handed it to him. As he did, he saw a flyer on the table that read, "Hiring dessert shop apprentice, experience preferred."

If you were to count all the miscellaneous jobs Lu Yan had done over the years, he could publish a book called "My Years of Part-time Work," with industries spanning multiple fields.

Xiao Heng looked at the flyer, recalled the previous substitute class-attending gig, and was deeply amazed. "Is there anything you haven't done?"

Lu Yan said, "I don't do anything illegal."

"Desserts, you know how to make them?"

"I can learn."

Xiao Heng sneered again. "How are you going to pass an interview like that?"

Lu Yan retorted, "Maybe they'll see that I'm handsome and that I have an ID card."

"..."

To make full use of the limited resources in the room, the spot for hanging the guitar was rather high.

Lu Yan was still holding the projector in one hand, so he could only use his other hand to hang the guitar back up.

Xiao Heng was about to turn and go back to his room when he saw the guitar in Lu Yan's hand wobble, almost about to fall.

Afterward, Lu Yan recalled that moment.

He had been completely stunned.