Chapter 2

  This time back from vacation, Jian Yao lived alone in the old house of the police compound. It was the residence of the whole family before her father's death, and after her mother remarried, it had been vacant all along.

  It was already late afternoon, and many households in the courtyard had lit up their lights, with the aroma of food wafting far and near. Not far away, the police station's office building also had several windows lit up, and the police officers were still busy.

  As soon as Jian Yao opened the door, she saw her sister Jian Xuan biting an apple and lying on the sofa watching TV. Turning her head to see her, she muttered: "Why are you just back? I've been waiting for half a day."

  Jian Yao casually threw her bag onto the bed and sat down beside it: "I went for an interview, just finished. Weren't you supposed to be home this afternoon? I thought you'd sleep in a bit longer."

  What she meant by "that side" was the house allocated to her stepfather's work unit. In fact, most of the sisters' childhood and adolescence were spent in that house. They also had a good relationship with their stepfather. It's just that the house on that side is not big, so after Jianyao grew up, she suggested moving to this side. Sometimes Jianxuan would run back and forth between the two places, but during holidays, the whole family would be together.

  Jian Xuan is also studying abroad, a freshman this year. She just got back home after taking the hard seat for over 10 hours on the Spring Festival travel rush and was feeling extremely lazy. But as soon as she heard her sister mention "interview", she perked up, sat up straight and stared at Jian Yao: "I heard mom say that you went 'there' for an interview?"

  Jian Yao smiled slightly: "Yeah, I went 'there' for an interview." She briefly told him about the interview process, but didn't mention the specific content of the translation due to confidentiality requirements.

  But Jian Xuan's expression suddenly became profound and mysterious: "So... you still haven't seen that... Mr. Bao's true face?"

  "No." Jian Yao looked at her, "What's wrong?"

  "Ah." Jian Xuan suddenly patted her shoulder and said in a very solemn and painful tone, "Sister, you need to be mentally prepared. I think I've seen him before - he looks really terrifying."

  Jian Yao was taken aback, and in her mind, a conditioned reflex brought forth the image of that tall man on the second floor.

  Does he look scary?

  Jian Xuan immediately told the whole story. It turned out that she went back home during Qingming Festival last year and once went fishing with a classmate in a mountain stream, passing by that villa and saw the man standing on the second floor. At that time, Jian Yao was in B city and didn't go back home, so she didn't know about it.

  It's been almost a year since then, and Jian Xuan still remembers that "glimpse" vividly. She said with a bit of chill: "He was so thin that only skin and bones were left, his eyes sunken in, and his skin was all wrinkled - like a skull... no, like a monster! Later on, there was another time when my classmate said they saw him again on the street, wearing a mask, so you couldn't see his face - I guess he was also afraid of scaring others."

  Jian Yao listened and remained silent. Jian Xuan said with an unspoken implication, "In short, a sincere suggestion: if that person is indeed Mr. Bao, in the future when you meet him, don't look at his face."

  Jian Yao smiled: "No need for that either. Since he's here, let him be, he can't scare me."

  ——

  After chatting for a while, Jian Yao looked at the time and raised her head to glance at the police station office building across the street. A familiar window was still lit up. She said: "Let's have dinner with Li Xunran tonight."

  Jian Xuan said she had an appointment with a classmate and left in a hurry.

  Jian Yao walked over to the window and gave Li Xiang Ran a call: "Xiang Ran, it's me, Jian Yao. I'm back."

  The man on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds, and then Jian Yao saw a figure appear in the window across from her.

  "First put your head out and identify yourself - I have a telescope." He said slowly, but with a hint of laughter in his voice.

  Jian Yao also smiled at this.

  ——

  The Li and Jian families have been friends for generations. Li Xunran is four years older than Jian Yao, and the two have been inseparable since childhood, a true case of "childhood sweethearts". Later, Li Xunran was admitted to the police academy, and they rarely saw each other after that. After graduation, he was assigned to work in another city, just as Jian Yao was starting university, making it even harder for them to meet. It's been three years since they last saw each other.

  The sky had already turned completely dark, with street lamps like floating pearls dotting the long street all the way to its end. The night was softly and vaguely lit, and Li Xuanran leaned against the lamp post at the entrance of the police station, his crisp police uniform seeming to smile at her without actually smiling.

  Jian Yao smiled and walked up to him.

  As he approached her, just as he was about to speak, his tall body suddenly leaned forward and stretched out his hand to pull her into his arms.

  "Long time no see, Jian Yao." He whispered in her ear.

  Jian Yao didn't expect him to suddenly hug her, slightly stunned, smiling and reaching out to hug him back.

  The two of them found a small restaurant nearby, and Li Xuan chose a seat by the window. A carved screen separated it from the outside space, forming a quiet and independent space. He rustled through the menu, while Jian Yao just looked at him without saying a word.

  He didn't even look up, ordering food from the waiter while saying, "What? Can't find any handsome guys at the Foreign Language College?"

  Jian Yao answered very seriously: "Indeed."

  A smile appeared at the corner of Li Xunyan's mouth.

  His appearance was that of a handsome and refined young man, with black eyebrows and white teeth. Everyone who saw him thought he looked very spirited and handsome. But from a young age, he had been a bit arrogant and proud, which made his good looks seem less approachable. Jian Yao felt that after becoming a policeman for several years, this temperament became even more pronounced. He looked even more rugged and also colder.

  He nodded, one hand on the back of the chair and the other pointing at the table, staring at her for a moment before smiling: "I'll take you fishing in a few days?" The two had often roamed freely in their childhood, fishing and digging up vegetables, having the time of their lives.

  "Alright." Jian Yao also rested her chin on her hands, looking at him, "I've even joined the fishing club in school, my skills are now amazingly shocking, you'd better be mentally prepared."

  Li Xunyan burst out laughing.

  After a while, he asked her again: "Have you found a boyfriend?"

  "Nothing. How about you?"

  "No, I'm too busy."

  ——

  Just as Li Xunran was halfway through his meal, his phone rang. He answered it and spoke a few words, his expression turning serious. After hanging up the phone, he picked up his coat and took out his wallet: "Something's come up at the bureau, I have to go. You eat slowly by yourself. Waiter, bring me the bill."

  Jian Yao also took out her wallet: "I'll get it."

  Li Xuanran smiled and the waiter came over. Jian Yao was about to take out her money, but he pressed down on her hand with a surprisingly strong force, making it impossible for her to move.

  When the waiter was looking for change, Li Xuanran thought of the case he was handling and beckoned to Jian Yao to come over, whispering: "Recently, there may be a human trafficking organization operating in our area, specializing in abducting minors. You and your sister are already overage, but still be careful. This matter is still under investigation and has not been made public."

  Jian Yao was taken aback, and then she heard him say: "This is what happened, and it was also your brother who discovered it. Last month when I was organizing case files, I found that last year in the whole city, as well as in the districts and counties below, a total of nine people went missing, which is twice the number of previous years."

  Jian Yao furrowed her brow and asked, "Then?"

  "Then I did a survey. Among the nine people, eight of them were teenagers between 13-18 years old, and they all went missing in the city. This case is really suspicious." He said in a low voice, "According to the records from our bureau, I asked an old detective, and it's true that there have been human trafficking organizations active in the nearby area in recent years. They were probably kidnapped and sold to black factories."

  Jian Yaofurrowed her brow even more deeply, and Li Xunran patted her shoulder: "I will crack the case."

  ——

  Jian Yao sent him to the entrance of the small shop. Li Xun Ran walked a distance, turned his head, and found Jian Yao still standing in place, quietly looking at him. At this time, the night had already deepened, the moonlight in the sky and the lights on the ground were intertwined, as if they had melted together, and there were few pedestrians on the road. Li Xun Ran looked at Jian Yao, she was wearing a light yellow sweater, dark pants, her long black hair falling over her shoulders, making her whole person look even whiter and more elegant.

  "Come in!" he yelled from afar, Jian Yao nodded. He turned around, rubbed his hands together, blew out a cold breath, and walked away with big strides.

  ——

  At night, Jian Yao told her sister what Li Xun Ran said, and she heard that she was nervous and even explained that she would go buy self-defense tools tomorrow.

  The two sisters talked all night. Before going to bed, Jian Yao thought that once the criminal police got busy, she would have to postpone her fishing appointment with Li Xun Ran indefinitely. Thinking about the interview during the day, doing a good job in this position was the most important thing at present.

  The next morning, Jian Yao was still making breakfast in the kitchen when the express delivery arrived. Jian Xuan signed for it and handed it to her: "Same city."

  Jian Yao opened it and indeed found the work agreement sent by Fu Zi Yu. She carefully read through it, didn't find any problems, but when she flipped to the last signature page, she was taken aback.

  The name of Party A has been signed - "Bó Jiǎo Yán".

  Jian Xuan curiously leaned over: "Sent by a monster? What's with this letter?"

  Jian Yao replied: "A person's writing is like their personality. Even if he's a monster, he's a very elegant monster."

  Jian Xuan: "Oooooh——"

  Jian Yao took out a pen from her bag, intending to sign, but stopped as the tip touched the paper. She grabbed a blank sheet of paper and practiced more than ten times before picking up the pen again and signing her name next to his with a flourish.