Chapter 5

The Li Yaqing in that photo is just like the young version of... Aunt Hong

Ma Tuwen moved a stool and sat down in front of Luo Ren, ready to vent a bellyful of complaints: "We meet again, let me tell you, it's a room full of lunatics."

Wan Fenghuo hesitated for half a day before daring to acknowledge it. After a while, he went to the front desk to ask the attendant: "Is that girl the one I brought in today?"

"Chou Zhang Er" refers to a situation where a thief steals a wallet and then returns it, but discreetly takes a few banknotes in the process. For example, if the wallet originally contained 800, it is returned to you with only 500. However, the time interval between the theft and the return is short, and some victims may not even notice the loss.

Ma Tuwen said with a hint of sarcasm: "Can you stop belittling me? We have known each other since we were little kids, standing on the same starting line. Just look at the gap between us now; it is simply unjust."

There is also a woman named Mushi, do you know what she has on her hand? It is a fabric wrist strap with a small cat head, how childish this must be, her psychological age at most is eighteen

Mushidai did not speak; she closed her wallet and pushed it towards Li Tan, asking him: "Is that photo inside of your... friend?"

Mukai's expression was somewhat incredulous, and Li Tan felt a tinge of bitterness in his heart: "It has been over twenty years, yet they still cling to this case, partly due to some personal obsession. Just like your aunt, it is also because of the teacher-student bond with Professor Li."

Ma Tuwen felt relaxed at that moment

"Is that really... really?" Ma Tuwen thought it was increasingly impossible, "How could a person's foot suddenly disappear? And that thing that uses fishing line to pierce through a person, how twisted is that..."

Fortunately, it was a recent event, and the impression is still quite vivid. Ma Tuwen recounted the entire story from beginning to end and then reiterated the earlier question: "Hey, Luo Ren, that story is fake, right"

I am not interested; my aunt asked me to come. She said the professor's surname is Li, and that male Professor Li was her teacher.

Ma Tuwen feels quite unfortunate; after finally being a bit flamboyant, how did he end up running into it head-on?

Someone behind finished eating and as they passed by Li Tan, they stumbled slightly. Li Tan instinctively reached out to support them. Just as he was about to respond to Mu Dai, Mu Dai suddenly slammed his chopsticks on the table and shouted sternly: "Take it out!"

Luo Ren, in his late twenties, is tall and handsome, dressed in a black jacket and military boots. He appears to be lazily smiling, yet the muscular forearms revealed by his rolled-up sleeves and the occasional sharp glint in his eyes suggest that he, like his car, is akin to a cheetah poised to spring into action at any moment

Specifically @ed my girlfriend, Ba Mei

He cast a sidelong glance at Luo Ren

Luo Ren smiled and said: "When you hold a concert at the Bird's Nest, I can only buy a ticket to go in and watch, that is what we call a gap"

It is the fat man I saw on that cable car

At the entrance, a black Hummer H2 was parked on the nearby open space. The vehicle itself was already quite eye-catching, and a row of hunting lights was mounted on the roof, resembling a crouching giant beast full of danger

Li Tan and Mu Dai lived next door to each other. Due to a minor disagreement in the morning, Li Tan seemed quite dissatisfied with Mu Dai, his expression consistently sour. Mu Dai, on the other hand, could not be bothered to pay him any mind, thinking that a man in his fifties truly lacked tolerance.

Who knows, Mu Dai casually scooped it up and firmly held on to it, asking him: "Did you not draw a card?"

In the early evening, Mu Dai heard a sound from the neighboring door and saw Li Tan go out through the peephole. After waiting a few seconds, he also went out and encountered Wan Fenghuo at the entrance of the other courtyard, giving him a slight nod.

Li Tan was taken aback, and the person who had just been supported by him trembled slightly, turning to look at Mu Dai

An elderly man from the Qing Dynasty named Wan Fenghuo, a middle-aged woman with a long face named Cen Chunjiao, and a peculiar man named Li Tan...

I mean, you and your aunt have both been deceived by that Cen Chunjiao. I have conclusive evidence to prove that woman... lied.

Li Tan knew that she was referring to the slightly yellowed black-and-white photograph in her wallet. Although the photo depicted a young woman, by calculating the passage of time, she must now be approaching the age of forty. Li Tan nodded, as a form of acknowledgment.

Recalling her vibrant youthfulness in the morning, Wan Fenghuo found it utterly incomprehensible: how could someone have such a polarized style of dress...?

This woman, named Li Yaqing, is the daughter of Professor Li and his wife involved in the Luoma Lake case, and can be considered my... fiancée

Luo Ren remained calm and composed: "Where do they live?"

What is it like to start it up? You have to take the key, go in, and sit down to find out

Luo Ren answered the question indirectly: "Please tell me about the process of the meeting, starting from when you entered the room. What did each person say, what were their expressions, and please be as detailed as possible."

Disregarding the fact that Li Tan's eyelids had rolled up to the heavens, she shamelessly sat down in front of Li Tan, smiling and trying to strike up a conversation: "Mr. Li, what could possibly interest you in the case of Luoma Lake?"

That person angrily threw down a card: "This foul hand, rubber ring!"

Li Tan retorted to her, "You are so young, how could you possibly be interested?"

Luo Ren sat down on the sofa, opened a bottle of beer for himself, and without further ado, asked: "How was the meeting today?"

Mukai wanted to laugh, but no matter what, he could not manage to do so

Ma Tuwen's train of thought was suddenly interrupted, and it took him a while to realize what he was saying: "No, hey, did you hear what I said? That story..."

If it is fake, why should I pay for it

Mu Zhi Huo stood up suddenly, not knowing why. The person seemed a bit timid, yet unwilling to show weakness, caught in a stalemate. Outside the food stall, a cool voice came through: "Forget it, forget it, just give it to her."

After this incident, Li Tan suddenly looked at Mu Dai with new eyes, and a smile appeared on his face: "There isn't much money in my wallet, even if that thing really draws... Zhang, it won't be a significant loss."

Ma Tuwen swayed into the residential community, a place he rented, though calling it a community was an exaggeration. It gathered a mix of people from various backgrounds, many of whom were unstable individuals from outside the city. This area was under close surveillance by the local police station, and over the past few years, the police had indeed achieved significant results here, having apprehended a total of four fugitives, mediated more than ten cases of romantic disputes, and dealt with various petty crimes, which had become almost routine.

If there were an organization in their line of work, the fat man would be considered a person in charge. The man hesitated for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a bundle of dirty money, angrily tossing it towards Mu Dai, putting a bit of force behind it, deliberately aiming for her not to catch it or to bend down to pick it up

Ma Tuwen felt a pang of bitterness in his heart and scoffed, "Is it really that impressive?"

The waiter did not see: "Is it the one that comes out on the right side of the first floor? Then that's it, only the guests you brought are staying there"

An expert can tell at a glance whether something is present or not. That person observed the gesture of Mu Dai reaching for the wallet and had already changed color by three parts. When she uttered the jargon "draw a card," it suddenly became clear why the fat man said "give it to her, give it to her." After standing awkwardly for a moment, he snorted coldly and turned to leave

It indeed seems remarkable, for in the next moment, he suddenly changed his mind, took out his phone, and began to snap selfies in front of the Hummer, tilting his head up and down, and at times mimicking the poses of world-class supermodels, even lifting his vest slightly as if revealing the dirty, darkened white undershirt underneath was something incredibly sexy and impressive

They all went to the Bashu Bieyuan, the hotel agreed upon by Wan Fenghuo and his group. Ma Tuwen suddenly remembered something, "However, that story is quite creepy. Hey, Luo Ren, that story is fake, right"

Clearly not speaking to him seriously, Ma Tuwen was not angry at all, and truly hummed the tune of "Waves Rolling, Waves Flowing" all the way inside

Ma Tuwen sings in a bar, struggling to make ends meet, living off dreams, and lacking a stable venue. He has a girlfriend named Bamei who sells beer; their earnings are about equal. However, Bamei always feels superior to him and constantly nags him for being unambitious and not acting like a man.

Just as he was feeling proud and pleased, a sudden clatter sounded in front of him, and a set of car keys with a Vajra pestle pendant dangled right in front of his face. He heard Luo Ren's voice.

Li Tan said something again, and Mu Dai came back to his senses from his daze: "What?"

Did she have the bond of teacher and student? Before seeing that photograph, she thought so, but now, she no longer believes that.

In fact, Mu Dai could not possibly know how much money was in Li Tan's bag; this remark, upon further inspection, also somewhat carries a sense of pretentiousness.

Then I shall take my leave

Wan Fenghuo inhaled sharply, recalling the sight of Mushi Dai just moments ago. She wore a loose black cover-up over a black fitted camisole, paired with black skinny jeans and black ankle boots. The only bright color on her entire body was a thin silver chain around her neck, with a pendant that resembled a skull.

Driving a Hummer is just like this, nothing particularly special

The noise in the food stall suddenly diminished, and the chef, somewhat apprehensive, nervously moved his lips. That person, filled with anger and embarrassment, seemed quite determined to persist: "What are you saying? Are you out of your mind?"

The wallet is missing

MD, do you understand dreams? Dreams! Ma Tuwen is contemplating that sooner or later he will have to break up with Ba Mei

Li Tan suddenly understood and hurriedly reached into his bosom, but found nothing with one hand

Ma Tuwen's room is in a great mess, with records scattered left and right, and a line of beer cans on the floor. If one is not careful, an aluminum can will roll around underfoot.

Li Tan did not go far; he was at a nearby open-air food stall, ordering two dishes and a bottle of wine, drinking by himself. It seemed rather foolish to be lurking nearby, so Mu Dai pretended to go out for a meal as well, and then they had an unexpected encounter: "Mr. Li, you are also having a meal?"

Luo Ren handed the car keys to him and asked, "Really not going to drive?"

Ma Tuwen replied: "Yes, tonight I will sing classic hits, 'The Bund'!"

Ma Tuwen pinched his throat and imitated Li Tan, saying: "Fake, fake"

While speaking, he opened his wallet and began to look through it

Two thugs are playing poker at the entrance, their faces covered in bandages. One of them looks up and asks, "Xiao Ma, do you have a concert tonight"

"I am talking about you, take it out."