Controlled Experiment Chapter 32

Game of Death – 8

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Li Yao was woken by the noise.

The night before, he'd taken an emergency call in the early hours, a case of chronic coronary atherosclerosis combined with acute cardiac rupture. He had spent nearly ten hours in surgery with a joint team from several departments. By the end of it, the anaesthetist had nearly collapsed to the floor, barely able to stand, and the assistant had to lean against the wall just to stay upright. Li Yao had fared better, at least he could walk out on his own. His nerves had been strung tight throughout the operation, and only when he walked out of the operating room did that taut line in his mind finally snap.

Luckily, he had the next day off in lieu.

Li Yao planned to take a shower and sleep until he naturally woke up.

But before his alarm had even gone off, he was already woken by the noise outside.

Reaching out with one eye open, Li Yao fumbled for his phone. It was only half past six, and the sky outside was still dark. Li Yao let out a sigh, pulled on some clothes, and groped around with his eyes still shut for his cotton slippers on the floor. Passing through the living room, he glanced out, the streetlights were still on along both sides of the road, and there was no sign of the sun.

The racket outside hadn't stopped. It sounded as if a group of people were wielding various iron tools of different shapes and sizes, smashing walls from the first floor all the way up to the top. The noise was irregular, loud one moment and quiet the next, always unpredictable. After one deafening crash, you could never guess when the next would come, and just when you started to relax, another bang would startle you again.

Li Yao slammed his water cup down on the coffee table and opened his security door.

There were people shouting outside.

"Lighter, lighter! Don't you understand? What time do you think it is? Everyone up and down this building is still trying to sleep. Fucking hell, I told you to keep it down, didn't I? Carry on like this and I'm not paying you! Ai, who told you to put the cabinet there? It's meant to go in the bedroom! Hey! That drawer down there, it's a matching set, don't you know? If you don't, why didn't you ask!"

Du Yusheng was wearing a white shirt, over which he'd thrown an army-green coverall. God knows where he'd found those old green rubber shoes used for military drills. On his hands was a pair of orange insulated gloves. His white shirt was stained with all sorts of marks left by furniture, red, black, and even yellow. The entire get-up made him look just like a manual labourer.

He clearly wasn't satisfied with the movers. His expression twisted in frustration as Du Yusheng muttered curses under his breath.

"Easy! Easy! If you can't lift that much at once, then don't! Do you even realise how loud that is?"

Du Yusheng was barking orders at the front door, not even lifting a finger himself, just running his mouth and telling everyone else what to do.

Still in his pyjamas, Li Yao opened his door fully and leaned against the security door, watching him.

Because he had been going back and forth barking instructions, Du Yusheng's face was flushed bright red, making him look thoroughly rustic. As if he didn't already look country enough, he actually stuck a cigarette between his lips. Smoking wasn't allowed in the corridor, so he just kept it there, dangling. Watching him, Li Yao's lips curled slightly, he thought to himself that if he tucked that cigarette behind his ear, it'd be perfect. And just as the thought crossed his mind, Du Yusheng, as though he'd sensed the brainwave, took the cigarette from his mouth and made to tuck it behind his ear.

Li Yao didn't want to see that image take shape in reality, so he quickly called out to him.

"Du Yusheng."

Du Yusheng didn't hear him, still maintaining that action.

Li Yao raised his voice a little and called again, "Du Yusheng."

Du Yusheng paused, turned around in search of the voice, and the moment he caught sight of Li Yao, he instinctively dropped his head. He also realised that his image today wasn't great, so after lightly coughing twice to ease his embarrassment, he pretended to be serious and urged the masters to quickly move the things from the car inside.

"I..." Du Yusheng sniffed, walked over to Li Yao and said, "I'm not looking too sharp today, just moving house, you know, found a couple of old clothes to wear." After thinking about it, Du Yusheng added two more words: "Stain-resistant."

Li Yao said nothing.

Du Yusheng continued, "You're up pretty early today, do you get up this early every day?"

"You’re even earlier than my alarm clock." Li Yao waved his phone in front of Du Yusheng's face, the implication clear: You're the one who woke me.

Du Yusheng looked a little embarrassed.

Not even caring if the gloves were dirty, he scratched his head with the insulated hand and said, "I told them to keep the noise down..."

Li Yao didn't say anything, but he didn't blame him either.

As they talked, Du Yusheng pulled a wristwatch out of a worn plastic bag in the corridor. The packaging was exquisite, with delicate patterns adorning the box, it was clearly something expensive. The only flaw was that the velvet lining, meant to convey luxury, was covered in dust shaken loose during the move.

Slightly embarrassed, Du Yusheng brushed the dust off at the elevator entrance.

"Erm... I'm your neighbour now, if anything comes up, just knock on the door. Even if nothing comes up, knock anyway. Just, you know... keep in touch." Du Yusheng held the watch out to Li Yao with a grin. "A little housewarming gift, I heard that's what people do these days when they move in."

Li Yao didn't take it, nor did he refuse. He simply let Du Yusheng's hand hover in mid-air.

The awkwardness grew. Du Yusheng smacked his lips and bared his teeth. "... Don't be like this, just give me a clear answer whether you will accept it or not..."

Li Yao chuckled, then turned and fetched something from a drawer in his living room.

"It's a two-way thing," Li Yao smiled, taking the watch from Du Yusheng's hand before handing him something of his own. "Can't just take and not give, that'd be terribly rude."

Du Yusheng looked at the item Li Yao had given him, his expression shifting ever so slightly.

What Li Yao offered was a scalpel. Compared to Du Yusheng's beautifully presented watch, this gift was far more modest, just enclosed in a simple glass case with no embellishments whatsoever. The only thing that set it apart was that the scalpel was gold and clearly well looked after. From the looks of it, Li Yao had probably barely opened the case.

"It was given to me when I won an award. It's gold, but not worth much."

As if afraid the other might take it back, Du Yusheng quickly snatched the scalpel's box. Lifting his head, he grinned. "I like it."

There was still time needed to finish moving. Li Yao glanced at the filth covering Du Yusheng from head to toe and frowned slightly.

"Do you want to wash up at my place?"

Originally, Du Yusheng had planned to go home for a shower after the move, but the moment Li Yao said this, he agreed without a second thought.

Du Yusheng couldn't change clothes, so he went into the bathroom and turned on the tap to rinse his hands.

The mirror in Li Yao's home was quite large. Through the mirror, Du Yusheng could see that not only had Li Yao left the door open, but he was also standing in the doorway, seemingly keeping an eye on the movers.

With wet hands, Du Yusheng walked over and said with a smile, "It's alright, you don't need to watch them."

Having his thoughts read made Li Yao a little embarrassed.

"I'm worried they might break your things."

Waving a hand, Du Yusheng shut the door. "If they break something, they can pay for it."

Really, Du Yusheng was the kind of man who could be happy all day just because someone gave him a sweet date. Every small, unintentional gesture of care from Li Yao, he took it all to heart, storing them away to one day bring out and show him.

As for liking Li Yao, Du Yusheng always felt it happened in an instant. From the very first glance, he found him pleasant and liked him.

When Li Yao wasn't speaking, he always gave off this polite, distant air, like he was untouchable. But Du Yusheng didn't see that as a problem. On the contrary, he thought it made Li Yao seem more genuine.

Men weren't usually that meticulous when it came to feelings, and Du Yusheng couldn't come up with many reasons, he simply chalked it up to love at first sight.

After drying his hands, Du Yusheng picked up a piece of fruit from Li Yao's table and ate it.

When Li Yao came back in, Du Yusheng sheepishly wiped his mouth and said with a grin, "I was thirsty... couldn't help it."

Li Yao had noticed before that when Du puffed out his cheeks, he looked just like a pufferfish.

That was when someone knocked on the door.

Du Yusheng rolled his eyes, as the one knocking at the door was Xiao Bai.

"How did you know I was here?"

Xiao Bai pointed at the movers. "They told me."

Scratching his neck, Du Yusheng let Xiao Bai in.

Li Yao and Xiao Bai met each other's gaze. The two of them smiled politely, like strangers.

"What's the matter? Speak."

Xiao Bai hesitated for a moment, glanced at Li Yao who was sitting nearby, and asked, "Just say it like this?"

Du Yusheng lifted a hand. "It's fine."

Xiao Bai nodded, opened his phone, and brought up the information he'd just got from the relevant departments.

Li Yao stood behind the two of them, making no attempt to step aside or leave.

"They sent it to me after working late," Xiao Bai went on. "Chen Xin's father mentioned one of Chen Xin's business partners, I've found him, his name's Gu Qingyu. The two of them were classmates and they're from the same hometown. Chen Xin was Gu Qingyu's supplier. Because they were friends, there was no written contract or agreement, just a verbal deal. Gu Qingyu bought quite a few cars, but the payments never came through. This isn't the first time, but in the past, Chen Xin didn't care about these small amounts and never pushed for them. Now, things are different, he wants the money back. I've looked into it, and apparently, this whole issue has led to Chen Xin's factory being short on cash. Workers have been protesting again and again, all directing their anger at Chen Xin. But the real problem stems from Gu Qingyu."

Gu Qingyu?

The name sounded refined.

His conduct, however, was anything but.

Du Yusheng scratched his nose and asked, "Where is this Gu Qingyu now?"

Xiao Bai tapped his fingers against the table. "That's exactly why I came. Coincidentally, Gu Qingyu lives right here in your complex."

The two of them made a move to leave. But as Du Yusheng reached the door, he turned back.

He looked at Xiao Bai, then at Li Yao.

"I'll ask you more about Chen Xin later. I still haven't figured out why he ended up in the hospital."

Xiao Bai turned to glance at Li Yao. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else in Du Yusheng's words.

Gu Qingyu's place happened to be in the very building next to theirs. Not only was it in the same residential compound, but even the floor was the same. Though they were neighbours in name, there were tiers in everything, Gu Qingyu's building cost several thousand yuan more per square metre than Du Yusheng's. The usable space inside, the lighting, even the shared facilities were completely different. There was only one apartment per floor, and the fixtures in the hallway were far more upmarket than the ones on Du Yusheng's side.

Even the uniforms worn by the staff downstairs at the access registration desk looked better than the ones on the other side.

Gu Qingyu was still at home that morning. He answered the door in his pyjamas, bleary-eyed and half-asleep.

Du Yusheng immediately extended his hand, flashing his badge.

"Good morning. I'm from the Huan Island Sub-Bureau, I'm here to ask you a few things about Chen Xin."

Contrary to the refined impression his name gave, Gu Qingyu didn't look particularly elegant. His face was gaunt, which made him appear older than he likely was, and the oiliness from having not washed his face that morning didn't help. Fortunately, he seemed to work out regularly, his figure was well-maintained, showing no signs of middle-aged weight gain. From behind, he looked like a man in his thirties. He was fairly tall and stood with a straight back. Looking at him from behind, Du Yusheng suddenly thought of Li Yao, there was something similar in the way they both held themselves.

Du Yusheng gave Xiao Bai a subtle look.

Xiao Bai went over to question him, while Du Yusheng took a look around the apartment.

Settling into the sofa in the living room, Xiao Bai opened his notebook, putting on a show of professionalism.

"I've heard that you and Mr Chen Xin are quite close?"

Gu Qingyu nodded without hesitation, answering proudly, "Yes, we grew up together."

Gu Qingyu crossed one leg over the other and lit a cigar.

"How's your relationship with him?"

"Our relationship?" Gu Qingyu gave a smug smile as he spoke. "The two of us have never needed contracts or written terms to do business." He pointed to his mouth. "Just relying on words, that tells you how close we are."

Xiao Bai nodded slightly.

"You have such a good relationship with him, yet you've been dragging your feet on repaying what you owe?" Xiao Bai tapped the table as a reminder. "You've taken advantage of him, haven't you?"

"Hey, what are you saying?" Gu Qingyu's hand holding the cigar paused awkwardly, his expression turning stiff and unnatural. "It's true I haven't got that much money on hand, but once I do, of course I'll pay him back. With a friendship like ours, would I really owe him money?"

Utter bullshit.

Du Yusheng strode over and slapped his hand down hard on the leather sofa.

"Open your eyes and take a good look at the cigar in your hand. Then look at this place you're living in, this building costs several million more than mine. And all those fake antiques in your apartment, sure, they're not real, but they're high-end replicas from reputable sources, worth plenty on their own. Add in that sofa you're sitting on, just that piece alone's worth tens of thousands. You're willing to spend that kind of money on a sofa, and you claim you've got no money to repay him?" Du Yusheng gave a cold laugh. "What a load of utter shit."

The moment Du Yusheng lost his temper, Gu Qingyu shrank back immediately.

He put down the cigar and began rubbing his silk pyjama pants nervously.

His eyes kept flicking towards Du Yusheng's face.

"Officer, you can't put it like that..." Gu Qingyu licked his lips. "Chen Xin and I grew up together. He's one of the top car dealers on Huan Island, and I've just been tagging along, doing a bit of small business here and there. It's just repayment we're talking about, he's got so much money, what's a little bit from me to him? He's a rich businessman, whether it's ten thousand or a hundred, it's all the same to him. To put it bluntly, even if I don't pay him back, it won't affect him in the slightest. He's so loaded, what's wrong with giving me a bit?"

Du Yusheng actually let out a laugh in disbelief.

"You're fucking shameless, aren't you?"

Du Yusheng despised people like this.

One could only say that Chen Xin had shown poor judgement in choosing friends. If what Gu Qingyu said was true, that they were childhood friends, then Chen Xin must have lost a fair bit of money. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone as far as asking for repayment from someone he'd partnered with numerous times without ever asking for a penny. A poor investment and wealth could vanish overnight.

Du Yusheng gave the base of the sofa a sharp kick and said, "The night before last, between ten and twelve, what were you doing? Dare to lie and I swear I'll fucking beat you to death.."

Gu Qingyu shrank back at that, his neck retracting like a turtle's.

His cigar fell to the floor.

"I, I was asleep at home. That's right, sleeping."

Xiao Bai picked it up from there. "Sleeping alone?"

Gu Qingyu nodded. "My wife and kid are on holiday."

Du Yusheng sneered. "On Chen Xin's money, right? You really are a clever businessman, Mr Gu."

Gu Qingyu's face turned red and then white at Du Yusheng's mockery, he looked utterly mortified.

"And after you went to bed?" Xiao Bai prompted. "You didn't go out at all? Think carefully."

"I just slept, didn't do anything, didn't even go to the bathroom."

"Oh, you just slept?" Du Yusheng tossed over a few pairs of shoes from the entryway. "Then why don't you explain why only this pair has clean soles? Did you wear them out that night?"

Gu Qingyu had no way to explain it. All he could do was repeat the words "I didn't go out" over and over again.

Just as they were about to leave, Gu Qingyu stopped the two of them.

"Can you tell me, what happened to Chen Xin?"

Du Yusheng looked at Gu Qingyu's face and said, "You'd best stop counting on that childhood friend of yours for cash, he's dead."

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Author's note:

Looks like the gong hasn't had much screen time these past few chapters? Hope you'll keep supporting the story! QAQ

‿︵‿︵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: June 1, 2025 by Angel

Edited: June 24, 2025 by Angel