Role Card

A Kangyang District Public Security Bureau investigator? The place where my cousin worked? They were looking for me?

Zhang Yuanqing's heart tightened instinctively. He was about to sneak over to the bedroom door and listen in when he suddenly remembered something. He took out his phone and deleted his chat history and call log with Brother Bing.

Then he folded the letter Brother Bing had written him and tucked it beneath the potted plant on the windowsill.

Only then did he cautiously crack the door open and watch from the shadows.

From the entryway came his grandmother's reply, pointedly avoiding the question:

"What do you want with him?"

She hadn't invited the investigators inside. Instead, she stood blocking the doorway.

"We need to ask him a few questions. Here are our credentials."

The speaker was a young woman with a sultry voice.

His grandmother glanced at their credentials, then frowned and stepped aside.

Zhang Yuanqing opened his bedroom door at just the right moment and sized up the investigators as they entered the living room.

The investigator leading the group wore a black suit over a white shirt and black waistcoat. He leaned on an ebony cane. His face was thin, and he sported a small mustache, while his slicked-back hair was immaculately combed.

His distinctly British style, combined with that mustache, brought to mind a returned gentleman from the Republican era.

To the gentleman's left stood a pretty young investigator with striking features. She looked mixed-race, and a lively glint shone in her watery eyes as she smiled.

She was around 175 centimeters tall, with legs long enough to rival a supermodel's. Her suit was crisp and polished. She had tucked her blouse into her trousers, accentuating her slim waist and full chest.

The last investigator looked wooden. He wore black-rimmed glasses, and his hair was a little messy. He had the unmistakable air of a tech nerd.

"I'm Zhang Yuanqing. What do you want with me?"

As Zhang Yuanqing sized them up, the investigators did the same to him.

The mixed-race woman smiled.

"We're investigators from the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. We have a few questions for you. Please cooperate with our investigation."

"Sure."

Zhang Yuanqing led them to the living room sofa. His grandmother poured the three investigators some water, then stared at her grandson in confusion.

She couldn't imagine what the cheerful, outgoing child she had raised herself could have done to warrant a visit from investigators.

The young investigator with messy hair and a vacant stare took out a small notebook and pen, then uncapped the pen.

The slick-haired man sat on the sofa, both hands resting on his cane. His expression turned serious.

"Do you know Lei Yibing?"

So they were here because of Brother Bing. They'd come so quickly.

Zhang Yuanqing answered honestly, "We've been friends since we were kids. Why are you asking?"

A question flashed through his mind. His cousin was the captain of the Public Security Bureau's Second Team. Since these investigators had come to the house, they must have looked into his family background.

Surely, once they learned they were visiting the family of a Second Team captain, they should have given him a heads-up. They were colleagues, after all.

Did people who worked in government really not understand basic courtesy?

But there had been no word from his cousin, so he clearly didn't know. Otherwise, even if he hadn't come along, he would have called to warn Zhang Yuanqing.

"Oh, so you're close friends."

The man lightly tapped his gleaming dress shoe on the floor and spoke unhurriedly.

"Here's the situation. Lei Yibing has gone missing. The Public Security Bureau in Hangzhou, Jiangnan Province, contacted us. They found that on the morning before he disappeared, Lei Yibing mailed a package to you."

He stared at Zhang Yuanqing, his gaze as deep as a pond, as if he could see right through him.

"Is that true?"

Zhang Yuanqing looked shocked and bewildered. "He's missing? How is that possible?"

The tech nerd taking notes interjected.

"Just answer yes or no."

"Yes. I just received a package, but there was no sender's name on it. I was wondering who had sent it." Zhang Yuanqing nodded gravely.

There was no point denying it. If the Bureau had tracked down the package, they could easily check the neighborhood's surveillance footage, too.

The slick-haired man nodded and asked, "What was in the package? Please answer truthfully. It's a very important lead for us."

His grandmother relaxed a little, but couldn't help worrying about Lei Yibing.

She had watched the boy grow up, even though his family had moved away years ago.

"There was nothing in the package. It was empty," Zhang Yuanqing replied.

"Empty?" The slick-haired man narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Zhang Yuanqing with that gaze that seemed to see right through people.

I am lying, but the Black Card vanished without a trace. That's basically the same as an empty package. Go ahead and check.

Zhang Yuanqing met his eyes without flinching and said earnestly, "When I opened it, it was empty. There was only some protective air cushioning. Oh, the package is still in my room. You can go look if you don't believe me."

If Lei Yibing's disappearance was what Zhang Yuanqing suspected, he needed to keep quiet for now and wait until his cousin got home from work before telling him everything.

When something carried risks, it was safest to talk it over with family.

The slick-haired man gave his subordinate a look.

The woman smiled as she entered the bedroom. A moment later, she returned to the living room and gave her colleague a slight nod.

The slick-haired man paused, then said, "If you don't mind, we'd like to search your room and check your computer. Also, please let me see your phone."

They can check my computer, but please don't open my browsing history or the study materials on my hard drive.

Without a hint of embarrassment, Zhang Yuanqing unlocked his phone and handed it over.

The slick-haired man took the phone while the female investigator went back into the bedroom.

Holding the phone in one hand, the slick-haired man swiped through it a few times, then returned it to Zhang Yuanqing and waited patiently.

Fifteen minutes later, the female investigator emerged, her long legs striding into the room. This time, she shook her head.

The slick-haired man nodded and said warmly, "Thank you for cooperating. We won't take up any more of your time."

Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly asked, "Can I ask what happened to Lei Yibing?"

He was genuinely worried, but he also needed to make his lie convincing. If he heard his childhood friend had gone missing and didn't ask for details, that would be far too suspicious.

The slick-haired man answered patiently.

"Lei Yibing disappeared from his dormitory. The hallway cameras didn't capture him leaving. According to one of his roommates, he saw Lei Yibing in bed when he got up to use the bathroom that night.

"But in the morning, Lei Yibing was gone. After they couldn't reach him for twenty-four hours, the dorm advisor notified the school, and the school immediately called the police.

"For more details, you'll have to contact the local Public Security Bureau."

That matches what Uncle Lei said. It seems the local Bureau hasn't made any progress. Well, maybe this man just doesn't want to tell me.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "I understand."

The slick-haired man headed for the front door with his two subordinates. He stopped halfway and turned back.

"If you find any leads, let us know right away. Don't keep anything from us."

Zhang Yuanqing was about to nod when the man added with a smile that seemed to carry a hidden meaning, "Otherwise, you might be the next to disappear."

I'll be the next to disappear?

What did he mean by that? Was he threatening me? If I didn't hand over the Black Card, would I vanish just like Brother Bing?

Come to think of it, what was that card, anyway? It had disappeared out of thin air. Even if I wanted to hand it over, I couldn't.

"Thanks for the warning!"

He returned a smile without much warmth.

Whatever happened, he'd wait until his cousin got home from work.

Brother Bing clearly hadn't wanted the card to fall into the Bureau's hands. Otherwise, he wouldn't have mailed it to Zhang Yuanqing.

Besides, he trusted Brother Bing. They were best friends, after all. He wouldn't set Zhang Yuanqing up.

His grandmother's face darkened.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

What was wrong with that man? Why would he curse her grandson like that?

The slick-haired man smiled, pulled a business card from his suit's left pocket, and held it out. "Contact me anytime if anything comes up."

Once Zhang Yuanqing had taken it, he led his two subordinates away.

"How did Ah Bing go missing? Sigh, I'll find some time to visit his mother." After the investigators left, his grandmother said worriedly.

Their families had once been neighbors. They'd seen each other almost every day for over a decade, so they still had a bond.

Zhang Yuanqing said wearily, "Grandmother, I didn't sleep well last night. I'm going back to rest. If I'm not up by noon, don't wake me.

"If Grandfather comes home, tell him what happened and ask him to get in touch with Uncle Lei."

He'd stayed up playing with his aunt until two or three in the morning. Then his old problem had flared up and jolted him awake. He was already short on sleep, and searching for the Black Card and trying to find Brother Bing had taken the rest of his energy.

Now his mind was swimming with exhaustion.

His grandmother nodded, and Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room.

He shut the door, kicked off his shoes by rubbing his heels together, then threw himself onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Inside a black business car, Li Dongze sat in a leather armchair. A gold-handled cane leaned against its side, and he held a glass of red wine in his palm, swirling the dark liquid.

"Guan Ya, what did you find in his room?"

He turned to look at the mixed-race beauty beside him.

Guan Ya lounged in her seat, her long legs pressed neatly together. Her pretty face was grave.

"A major discovery."

"Tell me," Li Dongze said seriously.

In the back seat, the tech nerd looked up from his phone as well.

Guan Ya spoke gravely.

"That kid's a black-stockings, mature-woman enthusiast. His study materials are full of mature beauties, but his trash can is spotless. It makes no sense."

"He's in all kinds of social groups, but he's only active in gaming groups and horny guys' groups. He's muted the rest. Apart from his game console, he has no entertainment stuff in his room. He's actually kind of antisocial. Oh, Squad Leader, you know what 'horny guys' means, right?"

The mixed-race beauty grinned and made a gesture like she was playing a game.

Her two companions stared at her, baffled. Li Dongze hurriedly raised a hand to stop her and snapped, "Oh, my God! I'd love to kick you in the backside with my boot. I'm asking about serious business, so why are you talking about all this nonsense? I've told you many times not to act indecently or make dirty jokes. It's a terrible habit. It's not elegant."

The long-legged beauty wasn't remotely intimidated by her angry superior. She smiled.

"Don't be such a bore. A little joking helps loosen things up."

Her smile faded, and she said, "I didn't find anything suspicious on his computer, but I found a letter from Lei Yibing to him under the potted plant on the windowsill. Lei Yibing really did send him something. It was probably a Role Card, though I don't know what class it was for."

Li Dongze fell silent for a few seconds, then closed his eyes to rest.

"Come back tomorrow. Heh, if he hasn't disappeared by then."