Qiming Chapter 102

Chapter 102

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When Xie Yu'an first received a call from Gu Yunfeng, he thought he had encountered a scammer.

The person on the other end claimed to be a police officer, but why would the police be looking for him? He was a law-abiding citizen, though there had been some big news at his workplace recently, and the police were frequently investigating. However, he wasn't a senior executive, nor a key technical staff member, so there wasn't much they could ask him that would be of use.

He held his dark blue phone in both hands, staring blankly at the screen displaying the number he had just hung up on for nearly half an hour.

He initially considered blocking the number, ensuring that the caller would never find him again. But the person had mentioned some personal details that outsiders would have difficulty knowing, which made him hesitate.

What if the police were contacting him for something good?

With that thought, he called the number back, and with just a few words, he was coaxed into meeting at a small park near Zhiyin Technology.

It was the first time Xie Yu'an had been asked to discuss business in a small park. Since work was quiet over the past few days, he strolled to the park by the lake during work hours, watching elderly men and women walking dogs, fishing, dancing, and singing.

The leisurely scene sharply contrasted with the tireless effort they put in at work, often staying until late at night. Sitting on a bench by the lake, he was filled with envy. He roughly calculated that in about thirty years, he could enjoy such a life too, walking hand in hand with his grey-haired wife along the park's gravel paths, with grandchildren on either side, holding one in each hand.

The more he pictured the scene, the more motivated he felt, a happy smile spreading across his face. Of course, dreams were just dreams, and he was well aware of one key requirement for such happiness–

He needed to get a girlfriend first.

When Gu Yunfeng arrived, Xie Yu'an had just finished daydreaming. He pulled his jacket tighter around him as he had been standing in the warm sunlight, facing the breeze for over ten minutes, which had made his baby face look several years older.

"Shall we find a café, I know the area quite well..." Xie Yu'an asked politely. He carefully examined the officer before him, estimating that the man was not yet thirty, with sharp features and large, righteous eyes. His facial features were well-defined, though his skin was rough, likely due to the nature of his work.

"No need, I just have a few questions, it won't take long."

Since he said that, Xie Yu'an didn't insist, nodding in agreement. He crossed his arms and leaned against the railing by the lake, nervously keeping several metres of distance between them, not knowing what the officer planned to ask.

Seeing that Xie Yu'an didn't object, Gu Yunfeng also felt relieved. He too found the park setting a bit awkward, but given recent budget cuts, expenses like café meetings weren't being reimbursed anymore. It was better to meet in this scenic park, there were few people, it was free, and they didn't have to worry about being overheard.

Once he finished asking his questions, Xie Yu'an could just take a few steps and head back to work, how convenient.

"Captain Gu, Zhiyin Technology may be in some trouble lately, but looking for me won't help, I really don't know anything." Seeing that Gu Yunfeng hadn't spoken yet, Xie Yu'an took the initiative, speaking earnestly.

"I'm not here because of your company." Gu Yunfeng smiled, "That case doesn't belong to me."

"My main interest is learning about your former teacher."

"Who?"

"Lu Yong."

"Professor Lu..." Xie Yu'an showed a surprised expression, clearly wondering why, out of all of Lu Yong's students, the police had come to question someone as unremarkable as himself.

"I heard you had a senior who stayed on at the university, someone who was highly valued by Lu Yong, but had an accident last year, falling from a building and sustaining serious injuries that required major surgery.

"Are you talking about Xu Chengyue?"

"Yes, that's him," Gu Yunfeng said. "Do you know anything about the accident?"

"I don't," Xie Yu'an hesitated, his tone slightly timid. "Of course I don't, I only heard it was an accident."

An accident? Gu Yunfeng raised an eyebrow, staring directly into Xie Yu'an's eyes, watching as he lowered his head, nervously avoiding his gaze.

"You have quite a nice working environment," Gu Yunfeng remarked, gazing at the office building of Zhiyin Technology in the distance.

"Huh?"

"You don't have to work outdoors or rush around. There's a park downstairs, and you can see the river from your office."

"Mhmm... that's true."

"Are you married?"

"No, that's the only problem with our work environment, the gender imbalance among employees."

Gu Yunfeng smiled with satisfaction. "I got your number from Ying Xizi."

"Oh?"

"I'm quite familiar with her. Xizi's been going through a lot recently, and she needs someone to understand her, comfort her, and help her through these tough times."

"It's a shame I'm already in a relationship, so all I can do is worry for her. But honestly, right now, she really needs you."

A glimmer of hope sparked in Xie Yu'an's eyes. He immediately understood what Gu Yunfeng was implying, and the idea of pursuing the girl he liked was rekindled.

"I was thinking the same. So, how are you going to help me?" His baby-faced expression leaned in eagerly, his eyes full of anticipation.

"It's simple, just cooperate with the investigation, and unknowingly, I can create opportunities for you."

Gu Yunfeng had casually sold out Ying Xizi without a second thought. However, he felt no guilt about it, after all, he wasn't the most morally upright person, and he'd bent the rules more than once. Compared to him, Xu Chengyue was far more dedicated to upholding justice, despite his cold and detached exterior, his heart was full of passion, and he couldn't tolerate any wrongdoing.

Returning to the matter at hand, Gu Yunfeng asked, "Do you think Lu Yong had anything to do with Xu Chengyue's fall?"

"You suspect..." Xie Yu'an looked at him in surprise, quickly piecing things together, and nodded thoughtfully, "I get it, I understand."

"I don't know if Professor Lu had anything to do with Xu Shixiong's fall in the lab, but it definitely wasn't just an accident," Xie Yu'an said, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He offered one to Gu Yunfeng, but after being refused, he put it back in his pocket. He didn't smoke himself, he just kept a pack handy to offer others when needed.

"About five years ago, Xu Shixiong and Professor Lu started having some issues," he continued, recounting his past observations.

"At that time, Xu Shixiong was trying to publish papers, but every time he wrote one, his professor would claim the first author position."

"And then he couldn't take it anymore and confronted him?"

"Yes... their relationship became very strained. He was extremely frustrated. Without enough published papers, he couldn't graduate, but Professor Lu was hoping to delay his graduation, so he kept withholding the first author credit."

"I tried to console him, you know? The general environment is just like that. Even though Lu Yong didn't write a word or offer any guidance, he still ended up being credited as the lead author, while Xu Chengyue's name was pushed to the back."

Xie Yu'an shook his head helplessly, "If that happened to me, I'd be upset too. That's why I went straight into the workforce after my masters, I didn't want to put up with Lu Yong's nonsense."

"He must have genuinely loved his field," Gu Yunfeng sighed. He realised that Xu Chengyue had always been an idealistic person who couldn't accept such underhanded practices.

Xu Chengyue had never changed in that regard. No matter what version of him he was, deep down, he held onto an unyielding sense of justice. This had been especially evident when, half a year ago, he forced himself to write that letter of guarantee. Gu Yunfeng still had that letter, he had tucked it away in some corner, ensuring no one would ever find it.

"I'm not sure about what happened after that. I graduated from Nanpu University not long after, so I didn't keep up with their grudges," Xie Yu'an explained earnestly.

Gu Yunfeng gestured for him to continue, activating a recording device to review the conversation later and see if any testimony could be extracted.

"I attended that gathering with the research group, so I know a bit about the situation," Xie Yu'an rubbed his hands together, blowing into them to warm up.

"There were a lot of people there, about half the students from the lab."

"So many people went? What was so special about the gathering?"

"They had just secured funding for a project, so Lu Yong invited us all to celebrate, using it as a networking opportunity for the students."

"What project?" Gu Yunfeng asked.

"I can't remember the details, I just remember it was called the something detective. I remember Xu Shixiong mentioning that they'd been trying to apply their technology to criminal investigations, and they communicated with the Third Public Security Bureau for a long time before they approved."

"At the gathering, Xu Shixiong didn't drink at all. He always claimed he was allergic to alcohol and never touched the stuff, so how could he have gotten so drunk that he ran up to the roof to jump off?" Xie Yu'an shrugged, clearly dissatisfied with the official investigation results. "If anyone was likely to drink too much and fall off a roof, it would be Lu Yong. He loves drinking, especially mixing drinks, and he gets drunk easily."

Xie Yu'an watched the ornamental fish swim towards him in the lake, his face filled with disdain. "Though I suppose there are some perks to drinking. Professor Lu, despite his scholarly and refined appearance, is quite adept at playing politics. He'd often use dinner tables and drinks to push forward his ambitions."

"That false image of him being aloof from the world has certainly served him well."

A school of koi gathered by his feet, their red and white bodies blending together as they swam in a tight group. Nearby, a young boy was tearing pieces of bread and tossing them into the lake as he ran along the water's edge, leaving a trail of crumbs behind.

The koi followed the sinking breadcrumbs, swimming forward as if guided by an invisible hand.

Gu Yunfeng watched them quietly, observing the ripples in the water, the fish gobbling up the bread and then dispersing, returning to their original positions.

The barrier between Xu Chengyue and his mentor had always been insurmountable. They were never on the same path. Their forced association had been doomed from the start, evolving from mutual damage into a life-or-death struggle.

"Hmm, then, about the matter with Zhiyin Technology, could you perhaps reveal a little bit more?" Gu Yunfeng extended his hand, wearing a look of cooperation, "Of course, if it involves company secrets..."

"Secrets? Nah, there aren't any. The only secret at the company is our salaries, everything else I know is practically public knowledge." Xie Yu'an's attitude completely shifted once Gu Yunfeng hinted that he might help with his romantic pursuit. Now, he was willing to spill everything he knew.

"I appreciate a straightforward person like you."

"Where, Captain Gu is the straightforward one, simple, direct, and cutting right to the heart of things." After saying this, the two men exchanged a smile, shaking hands firmly, understanding passing between them without the need for words.

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: September 27, 2024 by Angel

Edited: January 7, 2025 by Angel