Chapter 7

Lawyer Jin had a deep impression of Doctor Zhen. It could even be said that Doctor Zhen was one of the reasons he had agreed to attend this Class Reunion. It was not because they had been particularly close in school, but because Doctor Zhen was now a renowned surgeon in the city.

The connections an adult was bound to make at a Class Reunion were none other than doctors, teachers, and civil servants.

The best kind of doctor was a surgeon at a top-tier hospital.

A teacher had to at least teach a major subject at a key district school or better.

As for civil servants, the tax bureau, police department, and courts were indispensable.

"Old classmate, it's been far too long." Lawyer Jin was smooth and sociable, the very model of a social butterfly. The moment they met, he enthusiastically stepped forward, intending to give Doctor Zhen an exaggerated hug, as though they were brothers born of different fathers and mothers.

Doctor Zhen—Zhen Liu—habitually rejected physical contact and avoided the hug.

This did not seem abrupt. According to his character profile, Doctor Zhen was severely germophobic. The lingering smell of disinfectant on him was largely not due to his hospital work environment, but his personal choice. If he could, he would probably bathe in disinfectant every day.

Lawyer Jin perfectly demonstrated what it meant to say, "As long as I'm not embarrassed, someone else will be." Even after being so directly avoided, his expression did not change as he eagerly continued the awkward small talk. "Are you the only one here?"

"Probably. I'm not sure." Zhen Liu made an inference based on the character profile. "I only got here a few minutes before you."

Lawyer Jin quietly considered it. From the still-wet traces beneath the umbrella stand, he could tell that Doctor Zhen had not lied about that.

Before the two could continue exchanging pleasantries, the sound of someone talking loudly on the phone drifted down from the second floor. The man had not yet appeared, but his voice arrived first, outrageously arrogant. "Come on, brother, what are you in such a hurry for? I guarantee I'm about to come into a huge sum of money. What I owe you is pocket change—how could I not pay it back? Why would I lie to you? If I didn't plan to repay it, do you think you'd still be able to reach me by phone? Right? That's the logic of it. Put a hundred and twenty percent of your mind at ease. I definitely won't run."

This was Ying De, the victim destined to die tonight.

In Doctor Zhen's character profile, he had only seen Ying De once or twice during the twenty years after graduation. This soon-to-be victim was neither tall nor short, neither thin nor fat. He was extraordinarily average in every respect. Back in school, Doctor Zhen had almost no impression of him, only knowing that he was a notorious gossip. After graduation, Ying De apparently really had worked as a gossip reporter for a time.

What allowed Doctor Zhen and Lawyer Jin to recognize Ying De at a glance was his distinctive feature: a large black mole on his chin, making him look exactly like one of those traitorous lackeys who served the Japanese army in anti-Japanese war dramas.

Ying De also recognized the two old classmates downstairs at once. His face piled up with a smile—not one of familiarity, nor one asking for a favor. It was more like he was looking at money deposited in his bank account. As he came downstairs, he spread his arms wide and declared dramatically, "A great doctor, a great lawyer, such busy men! I'm truly so touched that you'd honor the Class Reunion with your personal presence."

More than merely attending, the Class Reunion was actually tomorrow night. The few of them had come a night early to help with preparations, purely as volunteers and at their own expense.

The organizer of the Class Reunion was Ying De, who had suddenly struck it rich.

Lawyer Jin put away his earlier disdain and warmly stepped forward to chat with him, as though they were the closest of friends. One "big brother" after another, one "little brother" after another—if there had been yellow paper and a chicken head in the villa, they might have sworn brotherhood on the spot.

Following his character setup, Zhen Liu did not put on a pleasant face for Ying De. Doctor Zhen was not someone who could play false with others. However, when Ying De forcefully demanded a second time that he shake hands, Doctor Zhen still very reluctantly brushed against his hand before heading up to the third floor, entering the room arranged for him in advance, and ignoring the two men downstairs from then on.

Ying De only laughed louder. He knew Doctor Zhen was germophobic, which meant he had done it on purpose.

An hour later, Zhen Liu emerged from his room in a fresh set of clothes, his hands flushed red. The large living room downstairs was quite noisy. It seemed that many people had arrived.

But as soon as he reached the turn in the corridor, Zhen Liu nearly ran into someone.

The other person had suddenly opened a door, catching Zhen Liu off guard.

Doctor Zhen hurriedly stepped back. His first reaction was relief that he had not actually touched the other person, meaning he would not have to change clothes again. Only then did he look to see whom he had nearly collided with.

The man stood half a head taller than Doctor Zhen, who was not short himself. He was somewhat lean, but the muscle lines revealed beneath his shirt showed that he was not as easy to bully as he looked. Above that excellent physique was an equally strikingly handsome face. Rimless glasses concealed the sharpness in his eyes, leaving only a silent, gentle calm untouched by time.

"Are you all right, Zhen..."

The man had accurately called Doctor Zhen by his surname, but unfortunately, Doctor Zhen did not recognize which old classmate he was. "You are?"

"You definitely don't remember me. My surname is Lu. I teach at a university now."

Professor Lu, burdened with worries.

Zhen Liu immediately matched him to the character information. The character profile had not said Professor Lu was this outstanding in appearance. Combined with the arrogant personality he had displayed during the quick-response segment, he now seemed like a completely different person—a genuinely honest and dutiful professor, taciturn and wholly nonaggressive.

As Zhen Liu walked downstairs beside him, he casually asked about the information he already knew. "When did you arrive? Has everyone else come?"

Professor Lu was exceptionally cooperative, looking as though he would answer every question Zhen Liu had. "I think I arrived after you. Ying De said you'd gone upstairs. It was a pity I couldn't see you right away. Basketball Qiao and Second-generation Zhao arrived after me. They said they ran into each other on the way here, so they came together. Basketball Qiao brought milk tea, while Second-generation Zhao had his butler and bodyguards bring ingredients. It was quite a spectacle."