Wanted Posters on the Streets of Jinzhou: An Old Acquaintance Behind Them

The sound of blankets rustling came from inside the room again.

Zhou Yu spoke through the paper window.

"Dania, the crab roe buns have gone from two to one and a half. If you move them again, there will only be one left."

The room immediately became quiet.

Chisa released the bell. The lantern under the eaves swayed twice, its light falling on the bluestone ground. She walked to the side of the door, her long sword held horizontally in her arm, and looked up to survey the courtyard wall and the roof ridge.

The night in Jinzhou is cooler than in the South Sea. Deep in the streets and alleys, patrolling soldiers walk by, their footsteps echoing, their armor plates lightly clattering.

This is not the Reed Plain Frontline.

She stayed up all night.

A morning breeze blew by, and the bell rang once.

Daylight broke.

The next morning, in Climbing Flower Inn.

As soon as Zhou Yu sat down, the waiter brought out basket after basket of breakfast: shrimp dumplings, crab roe buns, tofu pudding, custard buns, crystal shrimp dumplings, and three small dishes of condiments. The round table was quickly filled, and there wasn't even enough room to put chopsticks.

Dania sat next to Zhou Yu, holding a spoon in both hands, staring at the two crab roe buns.

Zhou Yu picked up one and put it in her bowl, then picked up a second one.

"You did a good job last night. Both are yours."

Dania immediately lowered her head and took a bite. The soup was scalding hot, and her cheeks puffed out. Reluctant to spit it out, she could only breathe through her open mouth.

Sigelica sat opposite him, took the bill from the waiter, and her finger hovered in mid-air.

"This morning tea..." her voice tightened, "Could buy me half a month's worth of training ammunition, and it's even the enhanced version."

Linnai was moving a plate of osmanthus cake towards herself when she heard this. She paused for a moment, then pushed the cake back to the center of the table, pretending nothing had happened.

"Then eat more. Converting ammunition into calories is the best use of resources."

With her mouth full of shumai, Aimis mumbled, "Yes, yes, Sister Xi, don't be shy."

Chisaki opened her tablet, first taking pictures of the steamers all over the table, then turning the camera to Dania, recording her blowing on the crab roe buns while protecting them.

"Your calorie intake was 18 percent higher than yesterday's dinner. Considering yesterday's long journey and intense work, the data is acceptable." She adjusted her glasses. "I suggest eating less oil for lunch."

Zhou Yu picked up the covered teacup, blew away the tea foam, and took a sip.

"The prices in Jinzhou are reasonable, and the service is excellent. The accommodation was arranged by General Jiyan as a gesture of goodwill, a diplomatic courtesy from the military." He put down his teacup. "Morning tea is a necessary energy replenishment for the journey, in accordance with Article 5 of Chapter 3 of the Logistics Procurement Standards, the travel catering standards. This money has been spent transparently."

Sigelica flipped the bill over.

"As long as it doesn't end up affecting me, I'll pretend I didn't hear it."

Chisa sat near the door. It was a convenient spot to keep watch and draw her sword. The bowl of congee in front of her had only been touched three times; the rice was still steaming. She sat very upright, glancing out the window every now and then.

Zhou Yu tapped the edge of the table with her chopsticks.

"Miss Chisa, your main task today is shopping, not standing guard." He placed a custard bun in her bowl. "After you finish your porridge, we'll go queue up for candied hawthorns. Dania specifically asked for hawthorn ones."

Chisa looked up.

"Guard duties do not include queuing for shopping."

"Temporary job reassignment." Zhou Yu placed another shrimp dumpling on her plate. "The logistics support staff for the Jinzhou branch are mainly responsible for preventing Dania from being abducted by food stalls while queuing. This task is quite challenging."

Dania looked up, her lips still smeared with crab roe, her little face flushed red from the heat.

"I won't be kidnapped."

Zhou Yu handed over the tissue.

"Last time in the South Sea, you followed the smell of roasted sweet potatoes for three blocks and almost walked all the way to the dock. If Linnai hadn't been holding you back, you could have smelled your way all the way to the ship."

Dania took the tissue and carefully wiped her mouth, this time without arguing.

After morning tea, the group left the Climbing Flower Inn.

The Jinzhou City day. Shops on both sides of the long street were open, children gathered around sugar painting stalls, and an old man scooped up syrup and drew a phoenix on a hot plate. Next to the tea stalls, several merchants haggled over maps, their voices audible across half the street. Red silk hung on the stone bridge railings, and when the wind blew, the street gained a festive atmosphere.

Linnai pulled Aimis straight to the food stall.

"Boss! Two servings of bamboo rice, please! And three skewers of grilled fish balls, too!"

Aimis jogged after him, already holding three skewers of fried cakes, the oil paper still steaming.

"Lin, Linnai, didn't Zhou Yu say we were having hot pot for lunch?"

"Snacks before meals don't take up stomach space; it's scientifically proven," Linnai said confidently. "Chisaki can vouch for that."

Sigelica carried two large bags of candied fruit and preserved plums, trying her best to bring the group together.

"You two, don't go too far! Jinzhou is still under martial law! What if something happens..."

Before she could finish speaking, Linnai had already rushed to the next stall, and Aimis followed.

Chisaki held up her tablet to film. In the shot, Linnai had just taken a bite of a fish ball when she was burned and spun around halfway. Chisaki looked down to take notes.

"The average temperature of street food in Jinzhou is 23 percent higher than that of barbecue stalls in the South Sea. It is recommended to increase the budget for cold drinks and prepare burn ointment."

Zhou Yu walked in the middle of the group, holding a cup of osmanthus milk tea in his left hand and a cup of taro milk tea in his right, his steps neither hurried nor slow. Dania was close to him when she saw a newly made little bear at the sugar painting stall ahead, and she stopped in her tracks.

Zhou Yu stopped as well.

"Want to?"

Dania nodded, staring intently at the sugar painting without moving.

Zhou Yu handed her the taro milk tea, then took out a tissue from his canvas bag and placed it in her palm.

"Have this to tide you over first. We'll buy the sugar painting later. You have too many things in your hands right now; if the sugar melts, your hands will get sticky, and I won't be responsible for washing them."

Dania poked the seal with the straw, took a big sip, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

A crowd had gathered in front of the notice board on the street corner.

Zhou Yu was just passing by when he noticed several layers of yellow paper pasted on the wall, and he stopped in his tracks.

That's an arrest warrant.

The portraits depict people of varying builds, some fat, some thin, some fierce, and others shifty-eyed. Beside them, written in ink, are the words: "Serial Theft," "Specializing in Stealing Resonating Equipment," "Fugitives Outside the City of Jinzhou," and "Reward of a Certain Amount of Silver."

On the very edge of the top wanted poster, someone had added a line of small text in charcoal:

The thief was skilled in petty theft, possessed a full set of tools, and appeared to be an outstanding employee within the gang.

Zhou Yu's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Goodness, these thieves have pretty high KPIs." He clicked his tongue. "They've stolen so many wanted posters they're almost out of space to put them up. Are they trying to get to the top of the performance rankings?"

Sigelica leaned closer, and after seeing the contents, her professional instincts kicked in. She counted the portraits one by one, reciting the numbers aloud.

"At least seven people, no, nine. Their activities are concentrated in the east of the city and the outer city warehouse area." She frowned. "To be able to repeatedly steal resonance equipment without being caught, there must be someone behind them helping to dispose of the stolen goods. This is a gang operation."

Zhou Yu held two cups of milk tea, her gaze fixed on a notice at the bottom that was missing half a corner.

On the list of stolen items on the notice, one word was mostly covered by ink, leaving only the two characters "Star Torch" (Xingju) visible; the rest of the text was a blur.

Just as he was about to reach out and smooth out the wrinkles, a hand landed on his shoulder.

The osmanthus milk tea in Zhou Yu's hand almost flew out of her hand.

He steadied the lid, causing the milk tea to wobble and nearly splash onto the back of his hand. Zhou Yu turned around, his face darkening.

"Brother, you'd better have a good reason." He switched the milk tea to his other hand. "Otherwise, I'll be calculating the emotional distress caused by this cup of milk tea in great detail."

Standing behind him was a man in a blue robe.

The newcomer carried a long sword in his arms; the scabbard was old and bound with worn hemp rope. His blue robe was faded from washing, but the cuffs were neatly trimmed. He had no expression, his brows were lowered, and he stood in the crowd, with no one approaching him within two steps.

Chisa's hand pressed down on the hilt of the sword, and the bell at her waist jingled.

Sigelica switched the bag of dried fruit to her left hand and reached for her weapon at her waist with her right.

The man in the blue robe ignored them and only stared at Zhou Yu.

"Zhou Yu?"

Zhou Yu placed the osmanthus milk tea on the safe side.

Who are you?

"My name is Qiu Yuan."

As soon as the name was mentioned, the people around stopped what they were doing.

The old man selling sugar paintings trembled, and syrup dripped onto the stone slab. The traveling merchant carrying his load lowered his bamboo hat and took a half step back. Further away, a woman buying sesame cakes pulled her child up and turned to leave.

Sigelica's eyelids twitched, and her voice tightened.

"That Pacification Office, wanted by the Ming Court six prefectures? That... Sword Demon?"

Qiu Yuan turned to her.

"It used to be."

Linnai poked half her head out from the fried cake stall, holding a fish ball in her hand.

"Previously? Can a wanted criminal's warrant expire? What's this, being released after serving time?"

Qiu Yuan didn't respond to her. He took out a temporary waist token from his pocket. The wooden token was engraved with the official seal of the Jinzhou Patrol Office, and there were vermilion annotations on the edge. The handwriting was very neat.

"Changli is acting as guarantor. He is now assisting Jinzhou in investigating the theft case."

Zhou Yu glanced at the waist tag, then at the wanted posters on the wall, and chuckled.

"Re-employment within the established system, that's quite an unconventional approach. Wanted by the Ming Court, hired by the Jinzhou, cross-departmental talent mobility."

Qiu Yuan put the waist token back into his pocket.

"General Jiyan mentioned what happened to you on the Desorock Highland last night." He paused. "You are strong, and very perceptive."

Zhou Yu handed the taro milk tea to Dania, who had run back, and then inserted the straw for her.

"Stop with the flattery." He said in a nonchalant tone, "We're here on vacation, not to pick up jobs. If you're here to hand out flyers and recruit workers, turn left and find that workaholic in the green cape."

Dania, holding her milk tea, corrected her softly.

"Xiao Yu, General Jiyan isn't wearing a green cloak."

"The key point is that she's a workaholic." Zhou Yu ruffled her hair.

Qiu Yuan, then quickly returned to normal.

"I didn't come here to ask you for help catching a thief."

Zhou Yu turned and left.

"That's even better. I wish you all the best in your work, that you solve the case soon, and that you get a promotion and a raise."

"Among the stolen goods was a batch of top-secret resonance materials leaked from the Flamebearers' Academy."

Zhou Yu stopped in her tracks.

Dania, biting her straw, looked at Zhou Yu, then at Qiu Yuan, confused as to why the atmosphere had changed.

Zhou Yu turned back.

He completely abandoned his earlier laziness.

"Stealing..." he said softly, "... stealing from my Logistics Department?"

Qiu Yuan pulled out half of a silver-gray material seal from his sleeve.

The edges of the seal were charred and blackened, but the remaining serial number was still legible.

Star Torch Logistics Special Supply - Grade A Resonance Material - Item No. SC-2024-1047.

Zhou Yu took the seal and pressed his fingertip against the serial number.

He stopped laughing.

"Lead the way."