Role Card

Kangyang District Public Security Bureau investigators? The place where Cousin works—are they here for me?

Zhang Yuanqing felt an instinctive chill. Just as he was about to walk to the bedroom door to eavesdrop, he suddenly remembered something. He opened his phone and deleted the chat and call history with Brother Bing.

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

Only then did he feel at ease opening a crack in the door to observe in secret.

From the entryway came Grandmother's voice, answering a question with one of her own:

"What do you want with him?"

She didn't invite the investigators inside, instead blocking the doorway.

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

The speaker was a young woman with a sultry voice.

Grandmother's gaze lingered on the credentials for a moment before she frowned and stepped aside.

Zhang Yuanqing opened his bedroom door at the perfect moment, scrutinizing the investigators as they entered the living room.

The lead investigator wore a black suit with a white shirt and black vest. He leaned on an ebony cane, his face lean with a small mustache, his slicked-back hair groomed to perfection.

This thick British aesthetic, combined with the mustache, made one involuntarily think of a gentleman returned from abroad during the Republic of China era.

To the gentleman's left was a beautiful young female investigator with sharp, defined features—she appeared to be of mixed heritage. Her lips were curled in a smile, and her watery eyes were incredibly lively.

She stood about 175cm tall, possessing long legs that rivaled a supermodel's. Dressed in a formal suit, the hem of her blouse tucked into her trousers, she cut a sharp, refined figure that highlighted her slender waist and full chest.

The final investigator had a dull expression, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had slightly messy hair, giving off the distinct vibe of a tech geek.

"I'm Zhang Yuanqing. What can I do for you?"

While Zhang Yuanqing sized them up, the investigators were also observing the young man.

The mixed-heritage female investigator smiled and said:

"We are investigators from the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. We have some questions for you; please cooperate with our investigation."

"Of course."

Zhang Yuanqing led them to the living room sofa. Grandmother poured the three investigators a glass of water, then stared at her grandson with a look of confusion.

She couldn't imagine why her grandson—a boy she had raised herself, who was outgoing and sociable—would need a visit from the Public Security Bureau.

The young investigator with messy hair and a vacant gaze pulled out a small notebook and a pen, unscrewing the cap.

The man with the slicked-back hair sat on the sofa, hands resting on his cane, and said sternly:

"Do you know Lei Yibing?"

So it really was about Brother Bing. They came so fast. Zhang Yuanqing answered truthfully:

"He's a friend I've grown up with. Why the sudden question?"

A doubt flashed through his mind. Cousin was the captain of the Second Team at the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. Since these three investigators were conducting a home visit, they must have checked his family background.

Logically, knowing they were visiting the family of a Second Team captain, shouldn't they have tipped him off or said hello, given they were all colleagues?

Did they not understand the basic social graces of working in the system?

But there had been no word from Cousin, which clearly meant he didn't know. Otherwise, even if he didn't come along, he would have called to give him a heads-up.

"Oh, best friends!"

The man tapped his polished leather shoe lightly and said unhurriedly:

"It's like this: Lei Yibing has gone missing. The Public Security Bureau in Hangzhou, Jiangnan Province, contacted us, saying they found that on the morning before he went missing, Lei Yibing mailed a package. The recipient was you."

He stared at Zhang Yuanqing with eyes as deep as a pool, as if he could see through a person's heart. "Is this true?"

Zhang Yuanqing wore an expression of shock and confusion: "Missing? How is that possible?"

The tech geek taking notes chimed in:

"You only need to answer yes or no."

"Yes. Just a moment ago, I received a package, but there was no sender's name on it. I was actually wondering who had sent it to me." Zhang Yuanqing nodded with a heavy expression.

Denying it was useless; if the bureau could track the courier, checking the residential complex's surveillance footage would be a trivial matter.

The man with the slicked-back hair nodded and asked:

"What was inside the package? I hope you answer truthfully; this is a very important lead for us."

Grandmother, while relieved, couldn't help but worry for Lei Yibing.

She had watched that boy grow up, too, even if they hadn't lived in the same place for years.

Zhang Yuanqing replied:

"There was nothing in the package. It was empty."

"Empty?" The man with the slicked-back hair narrowed his eyes, his gaze—which seemed capable of peering into the soul—scrutinizing Zhang Yuanqing.

Although I'm lying, the black card has vanished, so it's no different from being empty. I'm not afraid of you checking. Zhang Yuanqing didn't flinch, meeting his gaze sincerely as he said:

"When I opened the package, I found it was empty, save for some protective air cushions. By the way, the package is still in my room. If you don't believe me, you can go take a look."

If Brother Bing's disappearance was as he suspected, he had to keep it under wraps for now and wait for Cousin to get home from work before explaining everything.

When it came to matters involving potential risks, consulting with family was naturally the safest course of action.

The man with the slicked-back hair signaled to his female subordinate with his eyes.

The latter entered the room with a beaming smile, returned to the living room a moment later, and gave a slight nod to her companion.

The man with the slicked-back hair pondered for a moment and said:

"If it's convenient, we'd like to inspect your room and your computer. Also, please let me see your phone."

Inspecting the computer was fine, but he hoped they wouldn't open his browser history or the study materials on his hard drive. Zhang Yuanqing unlocked his phone screen without blushing or skipping a beat and handed it over.

The man with the slicked-back hair took the phone, while the female investigator re-entered the room.

The man held the phone in one hand, swiped his thumb across the screen a few times, returned it to Zhang Yuanqing, and waited patiently.

A quarter of an hour later, the female investigator walked out on her long legs, shaking her head this time.

The man with the slicked-back hair nodded slightly and said gently:

"Thank you for your cooperation. We won't disturb you any further."

Zhang Yuanqing quickly asked:

"May I ask about the situation with Lei Yibing?"

He did this both out of genuine concern and to "round out his lie." It would be far too suspicious to hear that his childhood friend had gone missing and not ask for details.

The man with the slicked-back hair answered patiently:

"Lei Yibing went missing from his dormitory. The surveillance cameras in the hallway didn't capture him leaving. According to information provided by one of his roommates, he saw Lei Yibing sleeping in his bed when he got up to use the restroom that night.

"But when he woke up in the morning, the person was gone. After 24 hours, because they couldn't reach him, their counselor notified the school, and the school immediately called the Public Security Bureau.

"For more detailed information, you'll have to call and consult the local Public Security Bureau."

This was the same as what Uncle Lei had said. It seemed the local Public Security Bureau had made no progress at all—or perhaps this guy just didn't want to tell him. Zhang Yuanqing nodded:

"I understand."

The man with the slicked-back hair led his two subordinates toward the security door, stopped halfway, turned around, and said:

"If you have any leads, you must notify us immediately. Do not hide anything from us."

Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to nod, he heard him add with a meaningful smile:

"Otherwise, you might be the next one to go missing."

The next one to go missing is me?

What did he mean by that? Was he threatening me? If I don't hand over the Black Card, he'll make me vanish into thin air just like Brother Bing?

Come to think of it, what was going on with that card? It disappeared into thin air... even if I wanted to hand it over, I couldn't.

"Thanks for the reminder!"

He returned a smile that lacked any warmth.

Regardless, he would wait for Cousin to return from work before deciding anything.

Brother Bing certainly wouldn't want the card to fall into the hands of the Public Security Bureau, otherwise, he wouldn't have mailed it to him.

Besides, as his best friend and childhood companion, he trusted that Brother Bing wouldn't set him up.

Beside him, Grandmother's face darkened, and she said coldly:

"Don't see them out."

What was wrong with this person, cursing her grandson for no reason?

The man with the slicked-back hair smiled, took a business card from the left pocket of his suit, and handed it over. "Contact me anytime if anything comes up."

After Zhang Yuanqing took it, he led his two subordinates away.

"How did A-Bing go missing? Sigh, I'll find time to go see A-Bing's mother." After the people left, Grandmother said with a worried expression.

The two families used to be neighbors, seeing each other every day for over a decade, so there was still some sentiment there.

Zhang Yuanqing said with a weary expression:

"Grandmother, I didn't sleep well last night, so I'm going back to my room to rest. If I don't wake up by noon, don't bother calling me.

"If Grandfather comes back, tell him about this and have him contact Uncle Lei."

He had stayed up until two or three in the morning playing with Aunt, and then woke up to a recurrence of his old ailment this morning. He was already sleep-deprived, and then he had forcibly overtaxed his brain trying to find the Black Card.

At this moment, he was so tired that his brain felt dizzy.

After Grandmother nodded, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room.

He closed the door, kicked off his shoes, threw himself onto the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

Inside the black business car, Li Dongze sat on a soft leather chair, his gold-inlaid cane leaning against the side of the seat, cradling a wine glass in his palm and swirling the crimson liquid.

"Guan Ya, did you find anything in the room just now?"

He turned his head to look at the mixed-race beauty in the seat beside him.

Guan Ya leaned lazily against the soft chair, her long, slender legs pressed tightly together, her pretty face grave as she said:

"I've made a major discovery."

"Speak," Li Dongze said, his expression serious.

The tech-savvy guy in the back row also shifted his gaze away from his phone and looked over.

Guan Ya's tone was solemn:

"That kid is into mature women in black stockings. His study materials are filled with them, yet his trash bin is so clean—it's simply irrational."

"His social circle is quite broad, and he's in all sorts of groups, but he's only active in gaming and lecherous groups; he has message notifications muted for everything else. Aside from his game console, there isn't a single entertainment item in his room. The kid is actually a bit of a loner... By the way, Squad Leader, you know what 'lecher' means, right?"

The mixed-race beauty smiled and made a suggestive hand gesture.

Her two companions were left stunned, and Li Dongze hurriedly raised a hand to interrupt her, fuming:

"Oh, my God, I really want to kick your ass with my boot. I'm talking to you about serious business; why are you spouting this nonsense? I've told you many times, don't be a hooligan and don't tell dirty jokes. This habit of yours is very bad and very unrefined."

The long-legged beauty wasn't the least bit afraid of her angry superior and laughed:

"Don't be so boring. A little joke helps liven up the atmosphere."

She slowly put away her smile and said:

"I didn't find anything suspicious on his computer, but under a potted plant on the windowsill, I found a letter sent to him by Lei Yibing. Lei Yibing did indeed send him something, which is likely the Role Card, though I don't know what class it is."

Li Dongze was silent for a few seconds, closing his eyes to rest:

"Come back again tomorrow, heh, if he hasn't gone missing by then."