Chapter 9, Bartender

Two days later, Deng Kun called, stating that their bureau still had not agreed to his request to initiate an investigation into the Zhang Li case, and they claimed he was making a fuss without any evidence. This outcome was already within our expectations, so there were not many emotions involved. He informed me that he had been closely monitoring Wang Qinghan these past few days, and everything seemed normal; she had not been in contact with anyone.

When Li Qing introduced Wang Qinghan into the office, I was still lost in thought, and it was only when Wang Qinghan sat down across from me and called my name twice that I came back to my senses

After about ten minutes, she became free. Without waiting for me to ask, she said: "Last night, around eleven o'clock, a few guests came in, and one of them ordered 'Heavy Makeup at Night.' You know that the cocktail I mixed is missing mandragora as an ingredient. She actually noticed it and questioned me why the drink lacked that component. Of course, I had to argue back, saying that mandragora is very harmful to the mind. The person insisted that just a small amount would be very invigorating. I had to argue again, reiterating that mandragora is indeed very harmful to the mind. Before I could say anything more, a waitress came over and stopped me, saying that 'Heavy Makeup at Night' was her invention. The waitress called her Sister Lin and mentioned that she was the bartender from my previous bar. I asked, 'Did you see what she looked like?' She thought for a moment and replied, 'Actually, I couldn't see her very clearly. She was wearing sunglasses, which I found strange since the bar's lighting was so dim at night. But she seemed to be very beautiful and had a great demeanor.' I inquired if the waitress who had called her was around, and she looked up and pointed to a person near the door, shouting, 'Luo Wei, come here for a moment.' The waitress hurried to the bar, and Anya informed him that I had something to ask. The result of the inquiry was disappointing; he didn't know the full name of the so-called Sister Lin, nor did the boss. She had come in on her own and hadn't worked there for long. However, from their words, I learned one thing: Sister Lin is very beautiful and has a great presence, unlike someone who has worked in nightlife for a long time. The guests who came with her yesterday had never been there before; they were just people of status, as Sister Lin had mentioned.

On Saturday morning, I was supposed to sleep in as usual, but a sudden phone call woke me up. I picked up the phone and saw an unfamiliar number: "Hello, who is this?" A girl's voice came from the other end: "Hello, is this Teacher Zhu?" I responded affirmatively. She said: "I am Anya, but you don't know my name. We have met before; I am the investigative bartender at the 'Street of Temptation' bar. Do you remember now?" The girl's speech was rapid, yet very clear. I remembered her; the last time I went to the bar with Dan Zeng, I had the drink she mixed called 'Heavy Makeup at Night.' She continued: "I am Anya, but you don't know my name. We have met before; I am the investigative bartender at the 'Street of Temptation' bar. Do you remember now?" The girl's speech was rapid, yet very clear. I remembered her; the last time I went to the bar with Dan Zeng, I had the drink she mixed called 'Heavy Makeup at Night.' I asked if she had something to discuss with me, and she said: "Actually, you asked about the original bartender last time, right? I saw him last night." I replied: "Did you not start working there after he left? How do you know it was him?" She said a waiter had told her. I had always believed that this missing bartender was an important clue, yet we had been unable to obtain any information about him. "I saw him last night," she said. I replied: "Did you not start working there after he left? How do you know it was him?" She said a waiter had told her. I had always believed that this missing bartender was an important clue, yet we had been unable to obtain any information about him. I quickly said to the girl: "Anya, right? Are you working tonight?" She confirmed that she was, so I arranged to meet her at the bar that evening.

I smiled at her and asked, "How have you been feeling these past few days?" She replied, "Not bad, but sometimes I feel a bit scared of the - picture - book." I said, "Is it because of that letter?" She nodded, saying, "I really don’t know why I wrote that letter, and I don’t remember when I wrote it either." I looked into her eyes and gently said, "Actually, sometimes we all experience such situations; it’s not just you. We often forget things too." She said, "But I think such things shouldn’t be forgotten." She seemed to be trying hard to think, and I gently told her again, "Actually, sometimes we all experience such situations; it’s not just you. We often forget things too." She said, "But I think such things shouldn’t be forgotten." She appeared to be struggling with her thoughts, her expression filled with pain. I reached out and held her hand, saying, "Don’t think about it anymore. Sometimes you need to learn to let go. Things that are hard to understand can be set aside. At least if you don’t take this matter to heart, it won’t hurt you." She gripped my hand tightly, her emotions a bit agitated, saying, "Teacher, I don’t want to die." That phrase was too familiar; yes, Huang Yu had said it before. I remembered telling her that she would be fine, yet she still had an accident. I reached out and held her hand again, saying, "Don’t think about it anymore. Sometimes you need to learn to let go. Things that are hard to understand can be set aside. At least if you don’t take this matter to heart, it won’t hurt you." She gripped my hand tightly, her emotions a bit agitated, saying, "Teacher, I don’t want to die." That phrase was too familiar; yes, Huang Yu had said it before. I remembered telling her that she would be fine, yet she still had an accident. I absolutely cannot allow the same thing to happen to Wang Qinghan. I gently patted her hand and said, "It’s okay, you will be fine. I promise I will not let anything happen to you." I was giving her confidence, and I had already made up my mind that no matter what, I must clarify the situation. She cannot have another accident.

Today happens to be the day for Wang Qinghan's consultation again. I am sitting in the office reviewing the situations from the previous two consultations, contemplating the main direction of our conversation later. In my heart, I have always felt that Wang Qinghan does not have any real issues; all the appearances are being manipulated by someone behind the scenes. I must uncover that hidden hand. I also think of that bartender; could she be the one behind it all? If so, besides her "heavy makeup at night," what other means has she employed to achieve such purposes and effects? Why is she doing this, and what are her motives? I cannot ascertain any of this. I know too little, and everything always happens so suddenly and bizarrely. Moreover, apart from Deng Kun and me, many people view these incidents as quite normal, believing that Huang Yu and Zhang Li committed suicide due to their poor psychological resilience. Such events seem to unfold almost daily in different places.

I made every effort to help her relax, carefully observing her emotional changes throughout the entire counseling process. I asked her some rather personal questions, none of which seemed to be the root cause of her psychological issues. I am increasingly convinced that her psychological problems are man-made; however, I have yet to find the key to unlock all the issues. Nevertheless, I am determined to find it, as I cannot allow such a tragedy to occur again.

Although I did not gather more information, this trip was not in vain; at least I know that the mysterious bartender is a beautiful and elegant woman. This at least allows us to narrow down our investigation scope a bit. After staying in the bar for more than half an hour, I left and wandered aimlessly on the street, my mind constantly occupied with recent events. During this time, Deng called me, explaining that he would be going to Chengdu tomorrow for some matters and would then return to Guiyang to stay for a while. After staying in the bar for more than half an hour, I left and wandered aimlessly on the street, my mind constantly occupied with recent events. During this time, Deng called me, explaining that he would be going to Chengdu tomorrow for some matters and would then return to Guiyang to stay for a while. I laughed and said, "Fortunately, there is a temple to support you; otherwise, who could afford to keep you, a layabout?" He chuckled and said, "Guiyang is quite nice, especially the climate; I plan to stay until winter before going back." After chatting aimlessly for a while, he hung up the phone.

After dinner, I went to "Temptation Street." From a distance, I saw Anya busy at the bar. I sat down in front of the bar and ordered a beer. Anya smiled at me and gestured for me to wait a moment. Anya looked very cheerful, radiating a youthful energy.

Today, she is wearing a red dress and has her hair styled in a ponytail. Although her spirits are still not very high, her emotions have stabilized significantly