Nothing happened during the second half of the night. After daybreak, Xu Huo went out to buy breakfast.
Perhaps because nothing had happened to him for two days in a row, and because he had even sparked a brawl the previous night, the people around him gradually stopped looking at him with the same hatred as before. A little respect had begun to creep into their fear.
This was most apparent in the neighbors who had once practically plastered themselves against the walls to avoid him. Now they would quietly greet him, terrified he might hold it against them otherwise.
The breakfast vendor even gave him an extra bun.
When Xu Huo returned, the girl was already awake and seemed to have recovered fairly well. He shared some of his breakfast with her. After they finished eating, he asked, "Have you decided where you're going?"
The girl slowed as she raised her cup. Holding it in both hands, she shook her head.
"It's not very safe here, either." Xu Huo nodded toward the rotting furniture beside them. "Think carefully about where you want to go, and take advantage of the daylight while the roads are easier to travel. I have to go to work. Make sure you close the door when you leave."
The girl remained seated, watching him go.
Three more Surveillance Department officers had died the previous night, but only the one who had hidden the Photo belonged to Xu Huo's branch. The other two were from another branch. When the aircraft located the victim the night before, his clothes had been stripped off. Apart from a wound across his throat, there were no other obvious marks. Li Song had already examined the body and sent two people to canvass the area for witnesses.
But the chances of