Chapter Text
No whistles were heard for a few days, and Jiang Yuelou sped up his pace each time he was walking in Jin Dacheng’s vision, not even sparing a glance in his direction. Jin Dacheng would usually feel a bit hurt by the avoidance, but not in that case. It was only a confirmation: Jiang Yuelou had something – someone? – to hide. However, if Jin Dacheng could not get to the man himself, he could get to his henchmen. Perhaps. Song Rong was not the most talkative guy on earth, and Sun Yongren barked a lot. Getting anything out of those two would be a difficult task, but it still seemed easier than pursuing Jiang Yuelou through the entire station and blocking him in a corner like a wild dog, ready to lose an arm in the process. Jin Dacheng’s arms were too precious for that, and he would not gain any money or promotion by “harming” Commissioner Bai’s protégé.
No, if he wanted to gain more knowledge about that case, he had to catch either Song Rong either Sun Yongren, alone, without the chance of them communicating with each other. However, those two were always together during daytime. What about the evening? He could catch them home…
Jin Dacheng first needed to know where they lived. With a bit of luck, it would not be together. Anyway, he had a few choices in front of him: trailing them until their houses with high chances to be discovered, gossiping with the other colleagues with no certainty to have anything and with the risk that it comes back to the other gossip-in-chief Sun Yongren, or very simply and in total illegality reading their personal files.
Without any more thought, Jin Dacheng ran to the archives of the personnel. Unfortunately, it was not empty. Fortunately, only the archivist Wang Jianxing was there. Few people came to his office, thus the old and grey Wang Jianxing did not have anyone to talk to. Even fewer would have the patience to listen to his old stories about how greater the old time was. (Why would they hurt themselves even more by listening to those tales of a golden age they would never know? Life was what it was. Luck had left this generation, and probably the next one too.) By refusing to say more than polite salutations to Wang Jianxing, the vast majority of the station ignored his love for gossip and his observation skills, more than excellent despite his worsening eyesight. Not only that, but it was said that he had each file of the people who pissed him off memorised. Jin Dacheng would not know, because he had not managed to anger the old man enough yet. (“This is not an invitation for a dare,” Wen Xian had said.)
“Jin Dacheng,” said Wang Jianxing slightly squinting in his direction, “what brings you here?”
Jin Dacheng wore his biggest grin and closed the door. He would not succeed in getting two addresses, but he was going to give his all to get one. He put his hands on the desk. “My good old Wang Jianxing, the wisest of all, I have a favour to ask.”
Wang Jianxing scoffed, but the corners of his mouth, a few millimetres higher, did not deceive Jin Dacheng. Wang Jianxing signed him to sit down. “In which way this humble old man could ever help the great Chief Jin Dacheng?”
Showing his teeth, Jin Dacheng lied without blinking an eye. “Today we’re going to Sun Yongren’s but he forgot to give me his address. Can you tell me what it is?”
Wang Jianxing raised an eyebrow, not fooled for one second. “You cannot even breathe the same air without insulting each other. Do I want to ask why you need to see each other outside of the station? Is it about Jiang Yuelou’s whistling? That was very uncharacteristic of him.”
Jin Dacheng opened and closed his mouth a few times before throwing his arms in the air. “Give me the address first. Then I’ll tell you all I know.”
Wang Jianxing snickered a bit while looking around in his files. He got one out and sent an insisting glance in Jin Dacheng’s direction. After a few seconds, Jin Dacheng registered it and hurried to turn his face around while Wang Jianxing wrote down Sun Yongren’s address. He stared at the wooden door that usually was open, except when the old man received a visitor. Few things stayed secret for a long time, but as few people cared, Jin Dacheng still had a head-start on the two henchmen. No one would notice.
“Chief Jin.” The brutal sound startled Jin Dacheng. Wang Jianxing handed him the paper and he reached for it. But the old man still held it firmly between his fingers, refusing to let it go. A playful light was dancing in his eyes. “Jin Dacheng… what about Jiang Yuelou?”
Jin Dacheng grimaced. “Well,” he laid back on his chair as far as he could, arms crossed in front of him. “It turns out that Jiang Yuelou isn’t a wolf, but a little bird singing his happiness for all to hear. Very annoying.”
The old man smiled knowingly – and irritatingly so. “What happiness has met this little bird?”
“This is still an on-going investigation, I’m afraid. However I suspect a theft. Have you noticed anything else about him?”
“A theft? Is that what young people call it nowadays?” he contained his laughter and tried to regain an ounce of seriousness. “Well… lately, there’s this young doctor that often accompanies him… I guided him to Jiang Yuelou’s office the first time he came to see the chief. I would nearly believe that Jiang Yuelou’s state was degrading if it was not for him whistling.”
“The doctor… is he the one from the new clinic?” If he was, Jin Dacheng quickly thought, he could be his wife’s new doctor, would that not be awfully convenient?
“I don’t know, I live on the other side of the city. But he is very tall, with light-coloured clothes and big eyes. That’s how I recognised him. Chen something, I think, wait, I wrote down his name in the register.” Wang Jianxing flipped through the pages of the book on the desk. Squinting his eyes, he brought the register closer to his face. “Here. Chen Yuzhi.” He tapped on the characters poorly written. Jin Dacheng chose to take his words for it and to pursue this unprompted interrogation.
“How recent is this development?”
“Quite recent, I think. It started a bit after he came back from who knows where.”
“Interesting, interesting,” he nodded along. “I think that one day, we’ll make a great detective out of you.”
“I’m too old for that, but I appreciate the compliment.”
Jin Dacheng leaned on the desk, staring straight into Wang Jianxing’s eyes. “Then, can I ask you to keep this between ourselves? In reward, I’ll tell you everything once my investigation is finished. You will be the first to know.”
“Alright, come back later to distract me.” The old man closed the register with a grin. “If per chance one day you decide to stop being a policeman, I’ll engage you to entertain me every day till my unavoidable death.”
“With what money?” Jin Dacheng asked, with concern painted on his face. “You couldn’t possibly afford me.”
Wang Jianxing lost all pretence of professionalism and banged his fist against his desk, roaring. Jin Dacheng excused himself and fled his office with the laughter of the old man on his heels. Once he had begun laughing like that, nothing else could be pulled out from him. Still, the trip was not worthless. Jin Dacheng patted his breast pocket, a content smile on his face. The next phase of today’s mission could take place. But first, he needed to make a call.