They carried the man to a lobby sofa. Lin Wan called the city bureau, and the third serious crime unit arrived in ten minutes, taking him away.
Since Lin Wan had come voluntarily and was present throughout, Lu Zheng, though required to give another statement, faced no suspicion.
As for what followed, it no longer concerned him.
Case closed! Perfect!
…
“That’s it?”
In the office, everyone stared at Lin Wan, dumbfounded.
“That’s it!”
Lin Wan nodded firmly.
“Too convenient, isn’t it?” Liu Leng groaned, “Scared of being silenced, he checks into a hotel, bumps into the suspect, and knocks him out with one punch? The guy’s still out cold in there!”
“Sounds like a drama script from a decade ago!”
“The real kicker…” Huang Xiumin grabbed Lin Wan’s arm, smirking, “You went to see him alone after hours!”
“Ooh!”
“Get lost!” Lin Wan shoved Huang Xiumin away, “I was working overtime!”
“Tch!”
A few male colleagues nursing crushes on Lin Wan felt a pang of jealousy but kept it hidden.
“Captain Li, results are in,” Liang Yuandong said, entering.
“What’s the verdict?”
“Comparing this guy to the delivery workers seen entering Lu Zheng’s complex the day before yesterday, one matches at 98.75% probability.”
“He used a fake ID at the hotel. Haven’t identified him yet? Is he awake?” Li Jinglin asked.
“Captain, he’s awake.”
A knock came, and a medical staff member from the bureau’s clinic spoke from the door.
“Let’s go see.”
…
Back at the hotel, Lu Zheng checked out. He’d barely spent minutes in the room but still paid for a full day.
Good thing he had eight million in the bank, or he’d have been gutted.
At home, Lin Wan’s call came through.
“Lu Zheng, you’ve done a great deed!”
“What?”
“He’s an international fugitive!” Lin Wan said excitedly.
It was her first brush with a global criminal, thrilling in a country with such tight security.
“What’s the deal?”
Lu Zheng was baffled. How had he crossed paths with an international fugitive?
“He was a thug for a South Asian gang, then fled after a murder, drifting between countries, taking hit jobs.
This time, he was hired to kill the victim. While tailing, he noticed your skills and decided to frame you on a whim.”
Lin Wan laughed, “Guess what? He kept telling us to dig into you, insisting you’ve got secrets since no ordinary person could be that skilled.”
Lu Zheng thought, I do have secrets, but good luck finding them.
“He confessed that easily?”
“His identity’s exposed. What’s the point of holding back?”
“Killers still exist in this day and age?”
“Not in our country, but I hear they do abroad,” Liu Qingyan said, “This guy’s a latecomer to the game, or he’d have been on our blacklist and never made it through customs.”
“Uh, our country’s impressive…”
“For helping catch him, plus your earlier act of bravery, you’ll probably get two certificates.”
“Any reward money?”
“Nope,” Lin Wan’s voice carried a smile, “But thanks to you, our third unit gets credit. Captain Li wants to treat you to dinner.”
“Sounds good!” Lu Zheng had no objections.
“This weekend, then. Which day works, noon or afternoon?”
“Saturday noon.”
“Great!”
…
Hanging up, Huang Xiumin threw an arm around Lin Wan, “Spill it, you’ve got a thing for Lu Zheng, don’t you?”
“Tch!”
Lin Wan hugged her back, “Handsome, good character, mad skills. Why miss out on a catch like that? Why shouldn’t I try?”
“Whoa, our goddess Lin’s got a crush! You’re three years older, you know!”
“Three years older’s a golden match. With my looks and figure, I’ll leave him drained, no energy to step out at eighty.”
You’re gorgeous, you win. Huang Xiumin couldn’t take it and fled.
…
Say what you will, that fugitive had some brains, spotting Lu Zheng wasn’t ordinary and trying to drag him down to muddy the waters.
Lu Zheng thought smugly.
Since he’d been caught and Lu Zheng was only involved by chance, he was in the clear.
Back to being a shut-in, living the recluse life in both worlds.
Perfect.
Checking the time, it was dinner. Not wanting to cook or order takeout, Lu Zheng promptly time-travelled.
“Aunt Liu, get dinner ready!”
“On it!”
…
While eating, Liu Qingcuan bounced in.
“Big Brother Lu!”
“Qingcuan, what brings you here?”
“My mum made a roast chicken and sent me to bring you some.”
Though the Great Jing Dynasty was prosperous, meat wasn’t an everyday meal for most.
“Thanks, Aunt Liu,” Lu Zheng said, smiling as he took a clay bowl brimming with chicken.
“And my sister!”
“Yep, thanks to Miss Liu too.”
Delivery done, Liu Qingcuan didn’t linger, scampering off, hands behind her back. Lu Zheng caught her wiping drool, clearly rushing home to eat meat.
“The Liu family loves their chicken,” Lu Zheng recalled, remembering a roast chicken as the main dish at their house.
“Next time, I’ll bring them a KFC family bucket.”
…
The next day, full of energy.
Lu Zheng practiced a set of fists and a blade routine in the courtyard, then visited the candy shop, restocking it with a hundred jin of sweets.
Back home, he took ten guan of copper notes from Uncle Li, returned to the modern world, and stashed them in his bedside drawer.
Back in ancient times, he drained his true qi, drawing several talismans for emergencies.
“What’s next?”
Lu Zheng pondered, returned to the modern world, changed, and went out.
…
“Hello, what do you need?”
“I’d like a set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Do you have cinnabar and yellow paper?”
The shop assistant gave Lu Zheng an odd look, “Sorry, we’re a stationery and gift shop. For cinnabar and yellow paper, try a religious or ritual supply store.”
“Alright, thanks. Let me see what you have then.”
“Would you like me to show you around?”
“Yes, which brush here is best for drawing talismans?”
The assistant’s smile froze, then quickly recovered.
“For talismans, wolf-hair brushes are ideal, as they hold spiritual energy better, enhancing your talismans’ effect. Our exclusive Five Gentlemen wolf-hair brush set is perfect for it,” she said, beaming, “It’s just a bit pricier. Interested?”
Lu Zheng: w(°o°)w
Don’t scam me, I’m not that gullible!
“How much?”
“Three thousand seven, no haggling.”
“What about goat-hair or purple-hair brushes? Got sets for those?”
“Yes!”
“How much?”
“If you take all, I’ll discount. Nine thousand eight total.”
“I’ll take them all!”
