Chapter 2

Dong Ge, you are too polite. What is the matter?

That is Fat Tang

Chang Dong remained silent, and the driver wisely refrained from speaking, driving all the way to the destination.

Qiqiu Bang immediately became interested

Chang Dong asked Xiao He for help, as Xiao He has a childhood friend in the municipal bureau, and it is a matter of little effort

There were no customers in the store, and he cheerfully pushed open the door and peeked out, looking towards the west of the door

Two years ago, he led a team and chose the wrong campsite, resulting in the entire group being buried alive by a sandstorm, including his own wife... You can search for the video; the victims' families blocked the door and beat him like a grandson, and it is still available online

Fei Tang was startled, swiftly yanking off the headphones, and in the process, pushed aside her bangs—amidst the rush, the headphone cable was loosened, and a woman's heart-wrenching voice echoed throughout the room

Just as I was busy, I suddenly heard Chang Dong's voice behind me: "Xiao He?"

Indeed, the group was abuzz with chatter; some mentioned receiving the Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival today, while others claimed to have purchased Wang Xizhi's Preface to the Orchid Pavilion for 20,000 yuan

Qiqiu quickly took out his phone, searched for the keywords, and after flipping through a few pages, he indeed found it. Fat Tang cooperatively handed over the headphone cable, and the two shared a tacit understanding, each inserting one earbud into their ears, and clicked play

Chang Dong observed carefully, needing to recognize each person one by one, and could not fast forward. Qi Liu Hai estimated that it would take a while to reach a conclusion, so he went to find Fei Tang to chat and pass the time

In the past two years, Chang Dongjin has been like a stagnant pool, with social relationships reduced to zero, and he rarely even steps outside his door

The blunt bangs did not disappoint him; he quickly picked up a note and handed it to Changdong

Are you looking for her? She has been selling melons on the street lately

Xiao He pushed the door open and greeted, saying: "Dong Ge ... ... Ah!"

A response was received shortly: Across the country, there are five or six individuals who fit the description of Ye Liuxi, but either their age is not appropriate, or their gender is not correct. There is not a single person that matches Chang Dong's description, not even someone who is a close match.

Two years ago, Fei Tang's business was thriving, and he made quite a few wealthy friends. These individuals, having plenty of money, found it uninteresting to only conquer wealth, so they sought to conquer the high plateaus, deserts, and Gobi. It was because of this that he got to know Chang Dong, although their relationship cannot be described as close.

He stared with bulging eyes and puffed cheeks, the veins on his forehead bulging, desperately shaking a pure copper tortoise shell divination tool in his hand, the clanging sound incessant—finally, with a last sound of "zháo," the tortoise shell tipped over, spilling out six coins of the Qianlong Tongbao.

Fei Tang felt that the atmosphere was awkward, and nothing seemed appropriate to do. He could only pretend to be seriously eating potato chips, even politely inviting Chang Dong to join him. After a while, he secretly sent a WeChat message to Qi Liu Hai: "Just find something to distract him and send him away. I really can't hold on any longer..."

Chang Dong said: "I have already found it, paused it, and there is another vehicle. It will be convenient if I can follow the license plate number."

Fei Tang quickly reacted and urged him into the store: "Dong Ge, it must have been almost two years since we last met, right? Why are you standing at the door? I thought you had changed..."

He played a voice message for Changdong to listen to

Suddenly, Chang Dong's voice rang out: "I found it."

Fei Tang realized this and chuckled awkwardly: "Dong Ge, I was just joking. This kid said that a few days ago someone went to sell beast-head agate cups to him. Shouldn't I suppress him a bit?"

Today is neither Saturday nor the day of the morning market

The shelves inside are spaced apart, dividing the area into two sections. The left side sells porcelain, bronze wares, calligraphy and paintings, ancient books, and antique coins, while the right side offers local free-range eggs, Shaanxi Hongfushi apples, various types of roasted snacks, and also provides mobile phone screen protection film services

Chang Dong said, "That sounds quite plausible."

Xiao He subconsciously made way for him, watching him walk away, only then realizing that the question he should have asked was not asked

Fei Tang was focused, casually picking up a bag of opened potato chips and crunching away: "Looking back, there were also those who used bricks to smash. Just think about it, this is a matter of life and death. I heard that after that, he didn't even dare to step outside..."

It was indeed within Chang Dong's expectations: finding Ye Liuxi would not be very easy, as it would be too easy and lack challenge; however, it would not be very difficult either, after all, she had come to him herself. It is not normal for someone to set five obstacles for another without clearly stating their intentions.

On the way back, knowing that the hope was slim, Chang Dong still dialed Huang Defu's number

Fei Tang spoke on the phone with a friend, who indicated that it was a minor task, and since he had time, he could come over directly

The straight bangs sparkled in her eyes: "How energetic this is!"

As for the car... I am not driving it; I have rented it out to someone else

It is time to make preparations on two fronts. Throughout the day, Xiao He has been asking others to help him find connections, even making calls to Huaxian in Weinan, known as the "hometown of shadow puppetry," inquiring everywhere if there is anyone who can take over the duties.

The bangs were flustered, trembling and struggling to hit the " × " on the screen, and finally, when it was closed, her face was as red as a monkey's bottom

It is said that he was born slender as a monkey, and his mother hoped he would gain weight, giving him the nickname "Fat Head." Later, with the popularity of "Doraemon," she changed it to "Nobita." He also understood his mother's feelings and chose the online name "National Treasure-level Sumo Wrestler." After getting involved in the antique business, he acquired an industry nickname, "Fat Tang."

However, in the past two days, first there was a disruption, and then he was asked to inquire about people, which stirred the stagnant waters and also instilled a sense of crisis in Xiao He: from the very beginning, Chang Dong was merely a "temporary" solution, a temporary worker, and their collaboration could end just as easily as it began

Fei Tang's friend is as thin as he is, named Qi Liu Hai, and true to his name: his hair is messy, yet he maintains a neat fringe, styled perfectly in place

Xiao He turned around: "Huh?"

Chang Dong paid for the parking and walked towards Fenghua Alley nearby, finally stopping by a small supermarket.

Xiao He chuckled and initiated a conversation, saying: "Dong Ge, you look quite spirited in this outfit... It's so late, where are you planning to go? Do you need me to give you a ride? I came over to pick something up that I left here..."

Chang Dong has returned again, the corridor is dimly lit, he keeps his hat brim low, with both hands tucked in his pockets, resembling a standing shadow

He busied himself for a while, pulling up the street corner video from that day to give to Changdong: "Take your time watching, just find a clear face of that woman, the rest is up to me"

There is only one checkout counter, behind which sits a lean man with small eyes. He is only in his twenties, yet his hairline has already receded significantly, likely due to having too many schemes in mind

Chang Dong crumpled the tissue and threw it into the overturned trash can: "I have something to attend to outside"

"While alive, I walked with you; after death, you didn't even cast a glance at me, not even a coffin to my name"

Fei Tang glanced at Chang Dong in the corner and lowered his voice: "With more than a dozen lives weighing on your shoulders, you wouldn't be able to smile either."

After having dinner with his girlfriend, Xiao He hurried to Huimin Street. The theater was not showing any performances, and the entire alley was dark. Seeing the bustling business of others, Xiao He felt a pang of jealousy.

The Zhuque Road Antique Market has been around for some years, once thriving in its heyday. However, in the past two years, business has become difficult, and with the management becoming more centralized and standardized, it has naturally declined. Nevertheless, it is said that there is a morning market every Saturday, where simply spreading a newspaper or drawing a circle on the ground with chalk is enough to claim a stall.

Chang Dong said: "I remember you mentioned before that you have a friend who is very skilled at using computers"

However, meat has always favored those who do not desire it

Since the identity information cannot be found, the most useful method should be to review the surveillance footage, which is not within the authority of ordinary police officers, so Chang Dong did not bring it up again

Tripping over my feet, I forgot that there were steps of varying heights at the restroom entrance. As I fell down, I was flustered and tried to grab onto something, which caused me to knock over the trash can at the door, creating a mess all around.

After a long day, feeling overwhelmed, there were a few alternatives, but they were not as good as Changdong. The asking prices were surprisingly high. Xiao He, holding onto a glimmer of hope, decided to approach Changdong to gauge the situation: what if he was overthinking it, and Changdong actually had no such intentions?

Chang Dong took it over

It seems her surname is Ye, but I can't recall her first name; she is definitely female

Chang Dong has had several dealings with Fei Tang, but does not particularly like this person. Their relationship is rather superficial, and they have not seen each other for a long time since the incident.

The video taken by a bystander has poor resolution and shaky footage, yet it is still possible to recognize that the person kneeling on the ground is Chang Dong. Several middle-aged men and women are pulling at him, crying out loudly while hitting him with their fists, tugging at his hair, and kicking him.

Anyway, it was almost closing time. Fat Tang closed the shop and called out to Chang Dong: "My friend lives nearby, just a couple of streets away. Let's go for a walk."

For some reason, I felt a sense of relief instead, squatting down to pick up the overturned trash

Chang Dong awkwardly uttered an "um"

Huang Defu's response was beyond his expectations

Fei Tang scoffed, "The Beast Head Agate is the treasure of our Great Shaanxi Museum, not even a free ticket can get you in to see it—Dong Ge, if the Beast Head Agate were to be lost, the news would turn the world upside down... We've arrived."

On the way, I originally wanted to ask Changdong about his situation over the past two years, but Changdong was reticent, and his answers made it difficult to continue the conversation. Moreover, the WeChat group "Antique Companions" was buzzing with lively discussions, and Feitang quickly shifted his attention.

Fat Tang leaned close to the counter, squinting as he examined each divination coin, mentally calculating the lines. Delighted, he beamed with joy and exclaimed: "Indeed, it is correct. Head west upon leaving, and great wealth and honor await!"

Finally, I got into the taxi and instructed the driver to go to the Zhuque Road Antique Market

Fortunately, the nearby street cameras captured the license plate number. I found the owner and their phone number. However, the owner does not have the surname Ye. You can call them first to inquire, and I will follow up tonight. Any findings will be sent to Fat Tang.

Finding someone is actually not difficult; now that identity information is interconnected nationwide: as long as the name is a real name, the surname is a real surname, and if you have a friend in the police system, it can be resolved in no time.

Chang Dong furrowed his brows and looked at him: "What is wrong?"

Chang Dong said: "I would like to ask you for a favor"

Opening the door, I walked through the dark theater and saw the restroom at the end of the backstage lit up, the door slightly ajar, with the sound of running water coming from inside

He was accustomed to seeing the hunched, gray-haired elderly figure of Chang Dong, but suddenly spotting a tall young man in a black sports outfit standing in front of the sink, with a baseball cap casting shadows around his eyes, he momentarily failed to react and thought a thief had entered the room

The one who was criticized by the crowd, "this kid," also spoke up, exasperated, shouting: "I’m not fooling you, I can see it clearly! The experienced master in the shop also saw it; he hasn’t missed anything in decades!"

Xiao He awkwardly got up from the ground, supporting his waist and laughing embarrassedly: "It's nothing, I'm just going crazy by myself..."

Chang Dong turned on the faucet, took a tissue to wipe his face, his eyelids drooping, not looking at the mirror

He walked quickly, bypassing the plump Tang to deal with Chang Dong

He swallowed the latter half of his words: Late at night, dressed in black, with a hat pulled down so low, lurking at someone’s doorstep, he really resembled a pervert from a crime movie

The car owner is Huang Defu, 46 years old, residing in Naqi Town at the border of Menggan Province.

He hesitated about how to enter and greet.

Chatting aimlessly, I also took the opportunity to criticize Chang Dong: "Your friend is really rude; I consider myself to be helping him, yet he didn't even smile at me."

Accustomed to living under the gaze of others, suddenly returning to his original self felt like being skinned alive. From Huimin Street to the street corner, a mere few minutes' walk, Chang Dong was drenched in sweat, constantly feeling as though everyone on the street was watching him

After chatting for a while, full of energy, he boasted into his phone: "Today I received a solid piece, do you know what it is? The He Shi Bi!"

Chang Dong instinctively wanted to lower his head, but felt it would be too conspicuous. After standing stiffly for two seconds, Fei Tang recognized him: "Dong... Dong Ge?"

The current display of enthusiasm is entirely driven by curiosity: Wow, you led a team where people died, over ten of them, and it even made the news. How have you been living these past two years? You actually still have the face to show up

Chang Dong glanced at him

The driver was clearly familiar with the area, chewing gum as he turned the car around, and he struck up a conversation: "Are you going to shop for something? The antique market has already moved, didn't you know?"

Fei Tang is currently busy

You should find someone to save the situation

The lightbox in the supermarket displays four characters: "Han Tang Feng Yun"

The blunt bangs seem to have encountered a great amnesty: "Leave that to me, I will take care of the rest."