It Wasn't Over Yet

"What is your relationship with Wang Defa?"

"...I...we're friends."

"Friends? How did you meet?"

"Online...we met online."

Qin Siyang stammered through his answers, looking terribly guilty.

Olof took another puff of his cigar and braced his other hand in front of Qin Siyang, looming over him as he blew smoke at him in his chair.

"What kind of friends?"

Qin Siyang gave Wang Defa a guilty glance, then hurriedly turned away.

Seeing how Qin Siyang seemed a little afraid of Wang Defa, Olof was about to order Wang Defa out of the warehouse when he heard Qin Siyang murmur, barely louder than a mosquito:

"He...gives me money...every time we meet."

Money after every meeting?

Everyone froze at Qin Siyang's words. Even Olof's gaze stalled for a moment.

They all immediately turned looks of utter disgust and revulsion on Wang Defa.

Wang Defa was stunned too.

He felt as though lightning had struck him, leaving him an empty shell without a soul.

What did that mean?

Friends, and money after every meeting?

Some shady transaction?

What kind of person did they think I was?!

Wang Defa turned his head numbly, looking around. When he found Olof and the other officers all staring coldly at him, a sense of injustice and fury flooded him.

His eyes widened as he fixed Qin Siyang with a fierce stare. He had no idea how this teenage boy had come up with such a disgusting story on the spot!

Were deals like this so common in the organization behind Qin Siyang that he could spout this nonsense without so much as blinking?!

But I have a wife and children! If this gets out, won't it tear my family apart?!

I have to keep my distance from Qin Siyang from now on!

Despite his resentment, reason told Wang Defa that he had to keep playing along with Qin Siyang's script.

If Qin Siyang's secret came out, he would definitely be implicated. Olof wouldn't let him off, the people behind Qin Siyang wouldn't let him off, and neither would his own backer.

Refusing to help Qin Siyang meant reaching a dead end with no way out.

Fuck, Wang Defa cursed inwardly.

These two silver coins are really burning my hands!

Not just my hands-they're burning my fucking crotch too!

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that he would have to sacrifice half a lifetime's good name!

Wang Defa's face flushed red. "Don't believe him! He's just some poor kid! What could I possibly want from him? This is slander! Outrageous lies!"

Qin Siyang relaxed a little inwardly. Wang Defa really was a seasoned operator; he had understood his intention right away.

The more desperately Wang Defa protested, the more everyone around him believed Qin Siyang.

Even though, after saying, "He gives me money every time we meet," Qin Siyang hadn't uttered another word. He had merely lowered his head and stared at the tips of his shoes.

Once they had drawn their conclusions about the two men's relationship, Qin Siyang's presence here late at night made sense.

He was waiting for Wang Defa.

Waiting for Wang Defa to give him money.

Olof looked Qin Siyang over again and noticed that his clothes were indeed very shabby, unmistakably the clothes of someone living in poverty.

At the edge of the Safe Zone, Olof had seen plenty of people willing to do anything for money.

There were no job opportunities. Graduating from high school meant becoming unemployed, and finding a source of income was a serious problem.

He had no grounds to judge. After all, he never had to worry about food or clothing and couldn't understand the hardships of those at the bottom.

Olof asked, "Do your parents or family know about this?"

"My parents are both dead. I live alone."

Hearing that made Olof even more convinced of what Qin Siyang's words implied.

With no parents and no other source of income, simply staying alive was an enormous challenge for him.

All the officers sympathized with Qin Siyang's circumstances and condemned Wang Defa's behavior.

Yet not one of them reached into his pocket to help Qin Siyang put food on the table.

They had a conscience, but not enough of one to part with their money.

Olof extinguished his cigar stub in the cup of water and took his hand off the table.

"Let's go. Head home and get some rest."

An officer immediately asked, "Inspector, are we just leaving this kid here?"

Olof glanced at the officer and asked, "Why? Are you willing to pay for his meals?"

"..."

"I am! It's only a few copper coins. It's not as if I can't afford it!"

An officer with thick eyebrows and large eyes couldn't hold back any longer. In the end, his conscience had overcome his attachment to money.

Olof continued, "You give him money this time, but what about next time? Can you support him forever?"

"Well...how about finding him a job?"

"There are at least five thousand people like him on the edge of the Safe Zone, if not ten thousand. Can you find a job for every one of them?"

The thick-browed officer lowered his head at Olof's words.

"If you help him find a job, you'll have an endless stream of trouble coming your way."

"Remember, you're a police officer. Your job is to investigate cases and maintain public order. Don't concern yourself too much with anything else, or you'll find you can't do any of it well."

With that, Olof left the warehouse.

The other officers followed him out.

After glancing at Qin Siyang, the thick-browed officer gritted his teeth and hurried after the others too.

Only Qin Siyang and Wang Defa remained in the warehouse.

Qin Siyang looked relaxed, while Wang Defa's face was full of resentment.

Their eyes met, each occupied with his own thoughts.

Wang Defa turned and walked to the warehouse entrance. Seeing that the officers were already far away, he closed the door.

In the dark warehouse, only the monitor gave off a pale blue glow, illuminating Qin Siyang's face.

"Boss, you went a little too far this time."

Qin Siyang sighed. "I did go a little too far."

Wang Defa thought Qin Siyang felt guilty for wronging him, only for Qin Siyang to continue:

"I escaped Olof's investigation this time, but if he finds out I've registered as a Sequence Ability User with the Administration Bureau, he'll probably get suspicious again."

"I can already tell this is going to cause me a lot of trouble."

Qin Siyang shook his head. Olof had left him with no other choice tonight, forcing him to improvise that flimsy story to get rid of the people from the Police Bureau.

His image as an impoverished orphan was already firmly established in Olof's mind.

But he was going to see Qian Wendao tomorrow and register as a Sequence Ability User this weekend.

If Olof saw Qin Siyang's information at the Sequence Ability Management Bureau, how could he possibly fail to realize something was wrong?

Yet without that excuse, Olof might well have taken Qin Siyang back to the police station, disrupting all his plans.

He might even have been detained at the Police Bureau for ten days or a fortnight while they investigated, leaving Qian Wendao's foolish nephew to starve to death in the abandoned warehouse.

Judging by Qian Wendao's tone, that nephew was very important to him. If Qin Siyang caused his death, Qian Wendao would probably pursue him to the bitter end, let alone help him fake his Sequence.

Qin Siyang couldn't accept that outcome, so he could only choose the lesser of two evils.

Seeing that Qin Siyang cared only about his own problems, Wang Defa said bitterly, "Boss, you've got trouble, but what about me? What about my reputation?"

Qin Siyang didn't even glance at him.

"How many copper coins is your reputation worth?"