The next day, there was still a thick layer of dark clouds over Wujin City, but the rain had been much lighter. Although the drizzle was hasty and fine, and clothes would still get wet without an umbrella, compared with the heavy rain in the previous two days, it was a blessing from God.
Theo Hammond changed the parrot's food and water. Before leaving, he looked at the leather jacket draped over the sofa and hesitated between throwing it into the washing machine and sending it to the dry cleaner.
This leather jacket was not cheap, it was worth one month's salary, but the price of sending it to the dry cleaner was also not low, it was worth one week's food ration.
Theo Hammond wanted to return the dirty clothes to Langston Xing, or just put them in the washing machine, but doing so might ruin the leather jacket, causing Langston Xing to dislike him even more...
In order to maintain the shallow and hypocritical relationship with Langston Xing, Theo Hammond found a bag to put his clothes in and went out with an umbrella. He put the plastic bag with clothes on his head to protect it from the rain, and walked quickly to the bus stop at the entrance of the community with the umbrella.
Fortunately, there was a dry cleaner near the police station, otherwise he would have to get off the bus halfway and spend another two dollars on fare. After delivering the clothes to the dry cleaner, he walked to the police station in ten minutes.
The police station office building had already started to get busy. The criminal police's attitude towards him was much better than yesterday. If everyone looked at him like a vase yesterday, then today, everyone looked at him like a vase full of ink. Along the way, people nodded to him and called him "Teacher Wei".
He hadn't had time to check out his office yesterday, so he went to the field office area to find Shen Qinglan and asked her to lead the way.
Shen Qinglan and the others were having breakfast. When they came out, they stuffed a cup of soy milk into Theo Hammond's mouth, patted off the snack residue on his hands and said, "Follow me."
Shen Qinglan led him to an office on the third floor next to the evidence room, opened the door and said, "Take a look first. If there is anything missing, ask Xiao Xu to go out and buy it."
Theo Hammond walked in, looked around the neat and simple office, and asked, "Xiao Xu?"
"An intern. You'll meet him later."
Theo Hammond nodded indifferently, turned around and looked at her and asked, "Officer Lu hasn't come back yet?"
Shen Qinglan said: "He is still at the garbage dump. Usually the garbage trucks that leave in the morning will arrive at the garbage dump around noon. Now..." She looked at her watch: "It's almost time."
Theo Hammond thought for a moment and asked again: "Are there any clues in the area drawn for West Railway Station Street?"
Shen Qinglan pursed her lips and smiled faintly: "You haven't been to that place, have you?"
Theo Hammond shook his head: "No."
"That place is full of illegal buildings, internet cafes, nightclubs, shops, and small hotels. The street is almost blocked. In a place like that, geographic portraits are not very useful. The speed of map updates cannot keep up with the speed of demolition and construction of illegal buildings."
Shen Qinglan paused and said, "But I will take people to look for it later. At least the direction you pointed us to is correct."
Although this woman spoke bluntly, she knew her limits and didn't make people feel embarrassed. She was straightforward and measured, and Theo Hammond spoke a few more words to her without realizing it.
As they were talking, they saw Langston Xing coming upstairs with a young boy in his arms.
As luck would have it, Theo Hammond's office was facing the stairs. When Langston Xing looked up, he saw Theo Hammond standing at the door of the office.
The boy held in Langston Xing's arms had a very young face. If it weren't for the thick black-framed glasses, he would have looked like a middle school student. He was held in Langston Xing's armpit like a little chicken.
"Isn't this your sister Lanlan? If you want to learn any skill, ask her to teach you."
Langston Xing looked up and saw Theo Hammond: "Oh, your teacher Wei is here too, why don't you go over and become his disciple?"
The little chicken was pushed by him and almost hit Theo Hammond.
After Langston Xing's introduction, Theo Hammond realized that this boy was the intern Xiao Xu that Shen Qinglan had just mentioned.
Xiao Xu held his hand and said, "Hello, Teacher Wei. My name is Xu Tianliang. Captain Xing told me to follow you from today on. Should I call you Master?"
The young man's eyes sparkled as he looked at Theo Hammond eagerly. Theo Hammond had nothing to say but to give Xiao Xu a dry laugh. He wanted to pull his hand back, but Xiao Xu held it tightly.
So Theo Hammond looked at Langston Xing and questioned him with his eyes.
What is going on?
Langston Xing pretended not to notice his treacherous expression and said to Xiao Xu: "Call me Master. Your teacher Wei is a role model in school, teaching and educating people. Accepting you as a student is a way for him to carry forward his spirit and benefit society."
Xu Tianliang hurriedly called out "Master".
Theo Hammond smiled at Xu Tianliang awkwardly, secretly pulled his hand back, and still said nothing.
A woman's intuition told Shen Qinglan that there must be something dirty going on between these two men who smiled at each other but said nothing. As an outsider, she could see that although Theo Hammond was smiling, his face was much colder, with a line of words written on his forehead saying "I am very unhappy now". Sensing that a fight was about to break out, Shen Qinglan took Xu Tianliang upstairs first.
As soon as Xu Tianliang and Shen Qinglan left, Theo Hammond said coldly and bluntly: "Captain Xing, I don't plan to be anyone's master, nor do I plan to accept apprentices."
Langston Xing said cheerfully, "That's all I said. You just treat him as an errand boy. This guy is smart and diligent, hardworking, and has a keen eye. He won't cause you any trouble. Besides, you are not part of our team. When you go out to investigate a case, he can help you show your ID."
Theo Hammond: ...
Langston Xing had said everything, what else could he say? If he refused again, it would seem that he didn't know what was good for him.
Although Langston Xing looked hypocritical and seemed to be thinking about Theo Hammond in every way, Theo Hammond knew very well that if he agreed to be a "master", it would undoubtedly be a trouble and burden for him.
But there was no way out. Langston Xing insisted on giving him a big bag, so he had no choice but to carry it.
Theo Hammond looked at him coldly for a moment, said nothing, and turned back to the office.
Just as he was about to close the door, Langston Xing suddenly stretched out his hand to block it.
"Any thing else?"
Theo Hammond frowned and looked impatient.
Langston Xing held onto the door frame and said with a smile, "Didn't we agree to take my car to work? Why did you leave early this morning?"
Theo Hammond held the door handle and silently swallowed his breath, then said with a smile: "Oh, because your leather jacket needs dry cleaning, I got up a little earlier and sent it to the dry cleaners."
Langston Xing smacked his lips: "Dry cleaners? Why didn't you tell me in advance?"
"...What's wrong?"
"My sister runs a dry cleaning shop, and I usually send my clothes to her."
Theo Hammond: ...
Early in the morning, he first lost dozens of dollars for no reason, and then inexplicably accepted an apprentice. Now this abominable instigator told him that he had wasted his money and he could not refuse an apprentice.
This is really...Fcuking enough.
With a bang, Theo Hammond suddenly slammed the door shut, locking Langston Xing out.
Langston Xing looked at the still shaking door and shook his head in his heart, sighing: Theo Hammond is either angry or on the way to being angry.
Before leaving, Langston Xing knocked on Theo Hammond's office door and said loudly: "Teacher Wei, I will come down to see you in fifteen minutes. Come with me."
Theo Hammond ignored him, biting the straw while drinking the hot soy milk that Shen Qinglan stuffed into his hand, and paced around the office angrily.
After turning around for about ten times, Theo Hammond's anger gradually subsided. Fifteen minutes passed and someone knocked on the door on time.
Theo Hammond took a deep breath and turned back into the polite teacher Wei. He opened the door and walked out.
"where to?"
he asks.
Langston Xing was holding a few steamed buns in one hand and a cup of soy milk in the other. He twisted his H!ps towards him and said, "Help me get the car keys."
Theo Hammond: ...
What the hell is this posture?
Langston Xing winked at him and laughed rudely: "Why are you shy? I didn't ask you to take the key from my back pocket."
Theo Hammond glared at him and reached into the front pocket of his casual pants to take out a bunch of keys.
Langston Xing turned around and went downstairs: "You drive to the Sonic Bar."
Theo Hammond weighed the keys to test their weight, and suddenly wanted to smash the keys on the back of Langston Xing's head!
The Sonic Bar is located on a not very busy street. After exiting the bar, turn right into a narrow alley. At the end of the alley, which is about ten meters long, you will reach a street of affordable electronic products.
Theo Hammond came here several times and pieced together a second-hand laptop computer. He took it home but became furious after using it for only a few days. Later, he took the computer to the owner, but the owner had turned against him.
With the previous experience, he no longer patronizes this place, nor does he spend money a second time. Today, when he came with Langston Xing, Theo Hammond subconsciously searched for the store that sold him the computer, and cast a resentful glance at the rolling door.
"What are you doing here?"
Theo Hammond asked.
Langston Xing walked along the wall, avoiding the rainwater that had accumulated in the middle of the sidewalk, and said, "Check the batch of medicine."
Theo Hammond looked up at him and realized that he was talking about the deceased's 'oral cyanide'.
He didn't ask any more questions. Langston Xing took the initiative to explain: "I know someone who deals in drugs and fake medicines. Maybe he knows some clues."
Langston Xing led him up to the second floor along a staircase in the middle of a row of shops, walked around several warehouses, and found a tightly closed dark red door.
Langston Xing knocked on the door, and someone inside quickly asked, "Who is it?"
Langston Xing stood aside and gave Theo Hammond a wink.
Theo Hammond understood, and Yang Sheng said, "Express delivery."
After a while, the door was opened a crack, and a man's face appeared in the crack: "Who's quick..."
Langston Xing pulled Theo Hammond back, raised his right leg, and kicked the chained door open.
With a bang, the door of the room shook and was about to fall down. The man who opened the door was hit squarely on the chest by the door that suddenly broke open, and immediately fell to the ground, holding his chest.
Theo Hammond followed Langston Xing into the house like bandits. He saw a large round table in the middle of the house of more than ten square meters. Four or five men wearing masks were like doctors, putting piles of pills and powders scattered on the table into various medicine bottles.
The door was suddenly broken open, and several people stood up like frightened birds, and put their hands on their waists at the same time.
"Don't move."
Langston Xing hooked his foot on the door and closed it again, looking around at them, and said sternly: "Let's talk to your leader. If anyone doesn't know what's good for them and starts fighting with me, I'll make sure you can't stay on this street anymore!"
Theo Hammond stood at the door, leaning lazily against the wall, looking at the weapons tied to their waists. He saw that they all had daggers tied to their waists, but he didn't know if they had guns elsewhere. But he had heard that Langston Xing was well-known in the underworld, so he thought that even if these people had guns, they would not dare to attack the police.
Langston Xing approached the round table and recognized at a glance that the drugs on the table were psychedelic and aphrodisiac.
He sat down on the stool with a big sword in his hand and picked up a bunch of pills, looking more like a criminal than a real criminal.
"Where is your Tiger brother?"
Before he finished speaking, he heard the sound of water pumping in the bathroom in the southeast corner of the room. Then a man with acne scars all over his chin and neck walked out while fastening his belt. He said affectionately: "Captain Xing? Long time no see, long time no see, why did you think of coming to see me, brother?"
Langston Xing pressed a little powder with his fingertips, leaving a white mark on the table. He rubbed his fingertips and smiled awkwardly: "Chen Hu, you just got out of the police station a few days ago, and you're looking for death again."
Chen Hu pretended to be innocent: "What are you talking about, Captain Xing? These things? These are medicines for treating psoriasis."
The ingredients of drugs and aphrodisiacs are difficult to detect, and it is difficult to convict. Chen Hu is also a "craftsman with some skills". Since he said that these drugs are for treating psoriasis, then these drugs are likely to be able to treat psoriasis.
Langston Xing's gloomy eyes swept across his round face, and without arguing with him about the nonsense that both of them knew, he said, "I want to ask you a question."
"Ask, ask, ask. I am your hundred thousand whys."
"Do you have cyanide in your possession?"
Chen Hu was silent for a moment, then made a bitter face: "No, I don't harm anyone, I just deal in these little gadgets."
Langston Xing did not press him, but stood up and went to the bathroom to get a basin of water, put the basin under the table, then sat back on the stool, stretched out his arms in front of the pile of medicine powder, and smiled: "Tell me when you remember it."
After saying that, he waved his arm and a pile of medicine powder fell from the table into the basin, and melted in an instant.
Chen Hu's eye twitched as he watched the pile of RMB soaked in water.
When Langston Xing stretched out his poisonous claws to another pile of pills, Chen Hu hurriedly said: "I, I, I remember."
Langston Xing brushed off the powder on his sleeves and said with a smile, "Have you turned to the page? My hundred thousand whys."
Chen Hu said: "Brother, I won't lie to you. I really don't do that drug business."
Seeing Langston Xing's face darken, he was about to sweep the pile of pills again. Chen Hu quickly added the second half of the sentence: "But I know who is selling it."
"who?"
"A guy named Feng Guang. He used to sell drugs and now sells poison. He does things that are life-threatening. Our Wujin City, from Shuguang Street to West Railway Station Street, is his territory."
Theo Hammond, who had been watching for a long time, caught a key word, took two steps forward, and asked: "Can you contact him?"
Chen Hu looked at him, then at Langston Xing: "Who is this?"
Langston Xing laughed: "You are also his hundred thousand whys."
Chen Hu understood and said to Theo Hammond: "It's possible, but this guy is very vigilant. I can only help you get him to this area."
Langston Xing sighed: "We didn't intend for you to invite him to the Public Security Bureau."
Chen Hu chuckled, took out his phone to help them fish, and finally said: "He usually rides a red motorcycle, wears a blue helmet, is not tall, and has a scar on his face. You guys wait at the back door of the Sonic Bar, we usually meet there."
After leaving the electronics street, they returned to the Sonic Bar, went around the back door and hid in an alley. The alley was narrow, and in order to fully monitor the back door in both directions, Langston Xing and Theo Hammond stood against the wall facing each other, and had to stare at each other.
Langston Xing took out a cigarette box, took out two cigarettes, and threw one to Theo Hammond.
Theo Hammond took it and held it in his hand without pulling it out.
Langston Xing lit a cigarette, held the flame in his mouth and handed it to him.
Theo Hammond waved his hand and refused.
Langston Xing took out his lighter and said, "What's wrong? I saw you smoking in the corridor yesterday."
Theo Hammond closed his eyes and said, "I feel a little dizzy and nauseous."
Langston Xing unconsciously glanced at the umbrella he was leaning on: "What's wrong with you again?"
Theo Hammond opened his eyes suddenly, with a bright cold light in his dark pupils. He smiled with his lips tilted and said, "It's a problem with low blood sugar."
Langston Xing was used to his extremely unfriendly look. He smiled nonchalantly, then opened his coat and fumbled for something in the inner pocket of the coat.
Theo Hammond coldly watched Langston Xing fumble in his pocket for a while, and saw Langston Xing take out a tin box, which was the tin box that he had played with in his hands during the last meeting. The tin box was thin and small, only half the size of a palm.
Langston Xing handed the tin box to Theo Hammond, and Theo Hammond realized that it was a box of mints.
"Here, have one."
Theo Hammond looked at the candy box, then at Langston Xing, slowly took the candy box from Langston Xing, opened the lid, pinched a candy and put it in his mouth: "Why do you carry candy with you?"
Langston Xing lazily leaned against the wall, exhaled a puff of white smoke, flicked off the ash, and said, "Quit smoking candy."
Theo Hammond looked up at him, his lips tightened as if he wanted to smile.
Carrying a cigarette box and smoking cessation candy with him, who is this person trying to use to quit smoking?
Langston Xing held a cigarette in his mouth and brushed off a few ashes that fell on his coat: "My old lady was afraid that I would die too soon from smoking, so she insisted that I quit. I brought a box of smoking cessation candy to fool her."
Theo Hammond said nothing, closed the lid and handed him the candy box.
Langston Xing said, "You can take it. I'm busy here."
Suddenly, the sound of a motorcycle engine came from outside the alley, and it was getting closer and closer. Theo Hammond noticed that the engine sound was approaching from the opposite side, so he stepped forward and turned to stand next to Langston Xing. Soon, he saw a red motorcycle flashing from the entrance of the alley and then stopped at the back door of the bar, leaving them with only their backs.
Langston Xing put out his cigarette and threw it on the ground, saying to Theo Hammond: "Don't move." Then he walked out of the alley quietly and walked towards the man who was riding a motorcycle and talking on the phone.
Theo Hammond listened to Langston Xing's footsteps gradually fading away, thinking that he had never expected Langston Xing, who had always had a sharp eye, to fail to see that "hands-on" was also his strong point. It seemed that the disguise was useful, and Langston Xing had already regarded him as a scholar with a smart mind and simple limbs.
The less he exposed himself in front of Langston Xing, the safer he was, so Theo Hammond was happy to be misunderstood by him. He stood in the box without moving, opened the candy box again, and pinched out two mints.
Just as he put the candy into his mouth, he heard a sudden rapid sound of a motorcycle engine outside the alley. It only sounded once and then died down. It was followed by the sound of a motorcycle being kicked down and the voice of a man cursing.
Only when it was almost quiet outside did Theo Hammond pick up the candy box and walk out of the alley.
The man wearing a helmet was handcuffed, lying on the ground in a mess, covered in mud. Langston Xing squatted beside the back seat of the motorcycle that had fallen to the ground, opened the leather seat cover with familiarity, and took out several bottles of medicine in black plastic bags.
"If you want to arrest me, you have to give me a reason!"
Langston Xing waved the bag in front of him and said, "That's the reason."
The man sneered: "Look carefully, officer, this is just dog-catching drug."
Langston Xing gave him a cold smile in return: "It's not your turn to decide what medicine this is. When you're in police station, I'll tell you what medicine it is."
The man was stunned, frightened by Langston Xing's "black police"-like posture, and dared not speak anymore.
"Teacher Wei, please watch him. I'll go drive."
Langston Xing took a shortcut directly through the back door of the bar.
Theo Hammond ignored him because he suddenly realized that the man lying on the ground was staring at him.
Theo Hammond lowered his head and met his doubtful eyes.
He stared at Theo Hammond, as if he was trying his best to search for Theo Hammond's face in his mind... Suddenly, as if he remembered something, his whole face turned pale in an instant, and his eye sockets seemed to be hollowed out. His eyes were empty and stiff, not like the eyes of a living person, but like a dead person.
Theo Hammond lowered his eyes and looked into his frozen eyes for a moment, then suddenly raised the corners of his lips and smiled, saying: "Are you Feng Guang?"
Hearing his name from his mouth, Feng Guang shuddered violently and wished he could bury his head in the mud to avoid his gaze.
Theo Hammond's eyes became calmer and colder. Suddenly, he raised his umbrella and gently pressed the umbrella against Feng Guang's belly. He said softly, "I have never seen you, and you have never seen me. You have been in the underworld for so long, you should know what to say, what to say..." As he spoke, Theo Hammond suddenly exerted force, and the umbrella against Feng Guang's belly seemed to become a sharp blade that could penetrate his flesh at any time. He said coldly, "It should rot in your stomach."
Soon, Langston Xing drove the car to the back door, grabbed Feng Guang's collar and stuffed him into the back seat. Not noticing his suddenly changed expression, he said to Theo Hammond, "Let's go."
As if nothing had happened, Theo Hammond got into the car and sat in the passenger seat. As soon as he fastened his seat belt, his cell phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number.
As soon as the call was connected, Theo Hammond heard a young male voice hurriedly saying, "Master, where are you? Come to Huacheng Community on Xingyuan Road as soon as possible."
Theo Hammond frowned, glanced at the call interface again, and asked: "Who are you looking for?"
Xu Tianliang said: "Isn't it Teacher Wei? I'm looking for Theo Hammond, Teacher Wei."
Theo Hammond: "...Why do you have my number?"
Xu Tianliang said: "Captain Xing gave it to me. He told me to contact you directly if I have anything."
Theo Hammond turned his head and glanced at Langston Xing who was standing outside the car and talking on the phone, and thought that Langston Xing really didn't treat him as an outsider.
"What happened to Huacheng Community?"
Xu Tianliang said anxiously: "A major case has occurred! A family of three was wiped out!"
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