The strict reprimand from my sister echoed in my ears. I turned back and hugged her tightly, "He Xiaoyu!! Why did you never tell me you were Sister?!"
"You..." He Xiaoyu squeezed my arm in surprise, paused, and her peach-blossom lips parted into a smile, "What are you talking about?"
"Don't lie to me. You think I don't know you are He Bailing? Only you would learn that kind of sword technique! And only you could learn it!"
"You remembered?"
"Otherwise? Did you plan to hide it from me forever if I didn't remember?"
"I'm sorry, He Sheng. I just didn't want you to be stimulated again. That's right, I am He Bailing."
"Tell me, do you know Du Zhiwei's whereabouts? He is a very crucial person in the case we are investigating now."
"No, if I knew, I would definitely tell you because we are on the same side. I have actually been looking for him all these years. If I had found him... the situation might not be like this now. In fact, he, your father, and Officer Lu were once the pride of the police force, the most formidable detectives of China's golden age of criminal investigation."
"I see. I didn't expect that in the blink of an eye, we have all grown up."
"Heh, it's like a dream, isn't it? After being separated for so many years, we recognize each other again at this moment."
We returned to the provincial department, but our relationship had completely changed. The former master-servant dynamic was gone. She now called me He Sheng directly, not Young Master. When mentioning He Jinghui, she told me that man was her master, and the old clan leader had asked him to teach her sword techniques. However, He Jinghui was only a few years older than He Xiaoyu.
When we found He Jinghui later, we told him everything. He happily said, "Young Master, this was bound to happen. I actually wanted He Xiaoyu, oh no, He Bailing, to tell you this directly long ago, but she said it was better to forget, so there would be no trouble. That's why I..."
"It's alright. You are right. If it weren't for this investigation, perhaps I would never have remembered. Alright, the sentimental time is over. We must find Du Zhiwei at all costs!"
The next day, we continued our multi-faceted investigation in the city. We screened all people and matters related to Officer Du. Later, we learned that Du Yuting also had a connection with him.
Du Yuting was my uncle's wife. After my uncle was arrested, she reportedly disappeared as well.
Du Zhiwei was Du Yuting's brother.
These complex relationships were interconnected, as if the cases of the past had already written a prophecy for the present. Finally, at 12:29 PM on September 26, 2022, we found Du Zhiwei himself.
This guy had become the owner of a noodle shop. However, one look at him, and I knew he was in disguise.
He Bailing and I pretended to be customers and went to the Ping Hong noodle shop. As soon as we sat down, I said, "Boss, two bowls of wonton soup!"
"Coming right up!" Du Zhiwei said. I could see He Bailing's hands clenched, her face flushed, and she was biting her molars tightly. It was the first time I had seen her so agitated. Normally, she was very calm in any situation.
A few minutes later, Du Zhiwei was walking over with two bowls of wonton soup. However, upon seeing He Bailing, his hands slipped in excitement, and the bowls fell to the ground with a clatter.
"Bai..." Du Zhiwei was extremely surprised. He Bailing quickly stood up and reached his side, while I also stood up.
I thought they would impulsively embrace each other, but they did not. Instead, they quickly calmed down.
He Bailing said, "Are you still the same as before?"
"Yes. Be careful, don't get discovered."
"Don't worry. Continue to assist us and find this batch of drug dealers!"
"You should leave quickly. I'll give you news if I have a chance. I'm afraid of being targeted by those people!"
"Alright!"
We had to leave in a hurry right after meeting. Du Zhiwei's identity was extremely dangerous now. If his own people found out, the plan would be ruined, and Du Zhiwei would also face death.
As we left the noodle shop, Xiahou informed me that he had found Yue Xiuping's family. It was truly good news. I told them to keep an eye on them, and we would go there immediately.
Yue Xiuping's family now consisted only of his old father and his ex-wife. The woman had filed for divorce after Yue Xiuping disappeared.
The first person I met was Yue Xiuping's old father, Yue Dafu. This old man was a former teacher. He had traveled from the countryside at our invitation, and the journey was a bit long. However, upon hearing news of his son, he rushed over despite his poor health.
"Mr. Yue, before your son disappeared, did you notice anything unusual about him?" I asked.
"What happened to that boy? I heard he was sent on a mission. Was he an undercover agent? Don't police officers often undertake such missions?"
"That's right, sir. You understand his specific job, which is anti-drug operations. For this kind of police work, undercover agents are indispensable." Since he brought it up, I had no intention of concealing it. Moreover, with a family member in the police force, many people would guess what happened when someone disappeared.
However, Yue Dafu was still very surprised when I confirmed it, as if he had already known it but was only willing to admit it today. "He really went undercover? Is he alright now?"
We knew whether he was alright or not, and we didn't need to find him. However, Yue Xiuping was his son, and Yue Dafu was elderly. Such an emotional reaction was understandable.
After comforting him a few times, I continued, "Sir, I believe you also want to find him as soon as possible. What you can do now is provide us with more clues, do you understand?"
"Regarding the signs before he left, I felt he was a bit strange back then. He suddenly gave us a lot of money. It looked like he had saved it for us over the years. His income was generally modest, so saving this much was quite good. When we asked him what was going on, he said it was nothing, he just earned a little and wanted to give us some. He never mentioned leaving, and his demeanor was normal, showing no signs of anything. I guess it was for work. On the morning he left, it was no different from any other day."
"Besides giving the money, did he give you any other instructions?"
"He didn't have any children. His wife was a bit unwell. Before he left, he bought some supplements for his wife, who is now his ex-wife. At that time, his ex-wife also said, 'Why do you suddenly have time to take care of me?' Little did she know, that was the last time they saw each other. After he left, his ex-wife also looked for him, going to his workplace, friends, and relatives, but there was no news of him at all. Even when we reported it to the police, they said there was no such person. We were confused, but at that time, we guessed that his identity must have been erased. I have been unwilling to accept that he went undercover all these years. In fact, I initially wanted this child to be a teacher, but he became a police officer like his mother."
"I see, sir. Officer Yue was a very outstanding anti-drug police officer. Perhaps being a police officer was his lifelong ambition."
"I understand. When he was a child, I noticed he was always eager to right wrongs. I said then that his personality was very much like his mother's. I didn't expect that when he grew up, he would actually become a police officer, unlike me."
"Sir, let's talk about something else. How is your wife's current situation?"
"Didn't you investigate this? Otherwise, she would also be here today. That's right, she is dead. She was stabbed to death by a gangster during a mission. This happened in 2005, 17 years ago. But even now, I can't forget how I felt that day. It was as if a huge mountain had collapsed on me, and the entire world had abandoned me. I swear I had never encountered such a fate. I couldn't bear it at the time. If it weren't for Xiuping's comfort and the help of others, you would probably see a different person today."
From Yue Dafu's words, I could sense the heavy burden and helplessness of a police family. They carried too much responsibility. I once heard a story on television about a police officer whose wife was very understanding. Because police officers were very busy, handling numerous cases daily, they had no time to take care of their wives and children, their income was not high, and the danger level was considerable. Yet, in such circumstances, his wife still cooperated with his work. During important cases, when he couldn't come home for several days, she could only see her husband via video call, but she never complained. This woman later appeared on television and received widespread praise.
The honor of being a police wife and a military wife was fitting for these women. I suddenly realized something, and Yue Dafu said, "That child didn't have such luck. We have wronged her all these years. But you can ask Cuihong. See if she has any other lingering clues."
"Thank you, sir. I have one more question. When your wife passed away, did Xiuping do anything strange?"
"Hmm, now that you mention it, I seem to recall something. He said a sentence, 'Has the wild tiger reappeared?'"