The river valley district had only three main streets. Though it covered the largest area of the city, the urbanized part was not extensive. The car drove into the district government building, circled the courtyard, and stopped in front of an old-fashioned building.
A middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a gray tracksuit walked towards the car with a smile.
"Are you reporter Ping An? I'm Chang Suo!" the middle-aged man introduced himself with an air of familiarity.
"Hello, Teacher Chang. Please get in!" Ping An was surprised that this middle-aged man was not only very tall but also incredibly handsome!
The car drove out of the river valley district and headed towards the city's Public Security Bureau.
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"Teacher Chang Suo, I often hear Xiao Lin talk about you. She says you are an expert in drones!" Ping An chatted politely with Chang Suo in the car, as a matter of courtesy.
"Oh really? I haven't seen that girl in a while. Last time we met, she said she'd treat me to a meal, haha!" Chang Suo said familiarly.
"Oh, is that so! Then I'll treat you tonight. I'm her boyfriend!" Although Chang Suo only said one sentence, Ping An felt deeply unsettled. The words like "girl," "meet," and "meal" were particularly sensitive to him as her boyfriend.
Gao Xiaofei, driving seriously, appeared calm, but his mind was racing with thoughts—he desperately wanted to record Chang Suo's words and Ping An's expression to show Fei Keqing. If Fei Keqing didn't laugh a hundred times, he wouldn't be Gao!
"That won't be necessary. It's mainly that I'd be embarrassed. When the girl comes back, I'll arrange another meal with her!" Chang Suo, seemingly oblivious to Ping An's expression, continued to provoke Ping An in a way that was like stabbing without drawing blood.
"Damn it!" Gao Xiaofei silently cursed, not daring to look at Ping An's face—was this Chang Suo here to cause trouble?
"It's too late. You probably won't get anything good to eat then. She's very stingy. When we're together, she manages all the household expenses, wishing she could make a penny stretch endlessly!" To Gao Xiaofei's surprise, Ping An wasn't flustered at all. He spoke calmly, with a hint of self-deprecation, "If you wait for her to treat you, she'll probably just take you home and cook for you. Her cooking, tsk tsk, but that's fine. I'll personally cook a few good dishes for you then, haha!"
"Possessiveness! A blatant declaration of his territory! What do you mean by 'living together'? Why don't you just say you're cohabiting? Even if you live together, he's a tenant. I haven't seen you dare to enter someone's bedroom!" Listening to Ping An's "counterattack," Gao Xiaofei struggled to suppress his laughter, his expression looking like he was constipated!
"Isn't the food she cooks decent? Last time, she made me braised eggplant at my place. It was quite delicious!" Chang Suo was just making small talk, and no matter what Ping An said, he seemed to talk about whatever was on his mind.
"It's over! He's unleashed his ultimate move! Braised eggplant? Chang Suo, Chang Suo, Ping An probably wants to braise you now!" Gao Xiaofei thought to himself, stepping hard on the accelerator—if they didn't reach their destination soon, he was afraid Ping An would explode in the car!
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"Teacher Chang Suo, how old are you? You look like you're in good shape!" Ping An suddenly stopped dwelling on the eggplant and changed the topic.
"Not much older than you, just turned 40!" Chang Suo said nonchalantly. "I usually play golf, fly kites, and the like. My health is pretty good. Oh, this spring, I took Xiao Lin to fly a kite. The kite got stuck in a tree, and I had to help Xiao Lin retrieve it. Xiao Lin even envied my good health and strength!"
"..." Ping An.
"Ping An, call that girl Su Tang and see what she's up to. I haven't seen her eat lunch today. I'm worried she might be hungry at home alone..." Seeing Ping An's veins bulging, Gao Xiaofei quickly interjected, talking nonsense.
"Hungry? Why hungry! Can't she eat eggplant if she's hungry? How old is she to still need looking after?" Ping An said fiercely to Gao Xiaofei, his eyes red.
"Thank goodness he's taking it out on me!" Gao Xiaofei felt secretly pleased despite being scolded, as long as Ping An didn't provoke the other party, there wouldn't be any trouble.
"I heard from the girl that you adopted a child? Is it hard to manage? Regardless of the circumstances, your quality of life must have taken a hit—I'm better off, still single and quite free!" Chang Suo added abruptly.
"You!" Ping An could no longer contain himself. His face darkened, and he was about to lash out!
"Wait, it's Director Xiang's call! Listen to it first!" At the critical moment, Director Xiang's call came to Gao Xiaofei's phone.
What a close call! Ping An, who had high emotional and intellectual intelligence, could lose his temper in an instant with just a few words. People who do research are all emotionally unintelligent, aren't they? While Ping An was on the phone, Gao Xiaofei glanced at Chang Suo in the rearview mirror.
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Since the call was to Gao Xiaofei's phone, Xiang Wanfeng naturally wanted to speak with Gao Xiaofei. However, Ping An inexplicably picked it up, leading to a nonsensical conversation before they finally hung up.
The car, filled with tension and a palpable sense of animosity, finally drove into the city's Public Security Bureau.
In the evidence room, the drone was placed on a large table. A police officer in a white lab coat was holding a screwdriver, contemplating where to start.
"This is a modified version of the 'Wind God' drone. It's semi-military equipment and not sold on the market. A few years ago, some people secretly smuggled ten prototype units abroad. After modifying them into reconnaissance drones, they achieved remarkable successes, infuriating a certain country that accused us of being shameless!" With just a glance at the drone, Chang Suo explained its origin.
"This type of prototype was originally developed for agricultural development, mainly for spraying pesticides. Because of its agile design, stable power, and long battery life, some modified versions were later produced for the power sector to repair high-voltage power lines. Because the price was quite reasonable and they were durable and crash-resistant, public security, emergency rescue, and even a large domestic food delivery company were reportedly planning to use these to deliver food." Chang Suo continued, "If I recall correctly, the wind power company also has three units. This one should be one of the first batch purchased for learning purposes."
"How far and how high can this thing typically fly? What's its payload?" Ping An asked.
"Let me see!" Chang Suo unceremoniously put on a pair of gloves and then roughly opened the drone's cover.
"It's indeed modified—if that's the case, theoretically, it can be remotely controlled for eight kilometers and fly continuously for 40 minutes. However, there are too many miscellaneous things installed on the body—wow, there's even a loudspeaker—well, the flight speed won't be high, at most 20 meters per second!" Chang Suo said. "As for the payload, at its limit, it can lift 60 kilograms, but it won't be able to fly. It'll fall after flying a few dozen meters at best!"
"If that's the case, would Wang Shun..." Gao Xiaofei stroked his chin thoughtfully, his eyes glancing at Ping An, who signaled him to remain silent.
"This drone previously had a pair of mechanical claws. We shot one down, and later when we encountered the drone, we found the equipment for the mechanical claws was missing," Ping An said.
"Those claws were invented by me. They can knit sweaters, do you believe it?" Chang Suo said proudly, smiling at Ping An.
Ping An suppressed the urge to punch him, widened his eyes, and signaled him to continue.
"I don't know how this drone got involved in the case, but if it killed someone, I'd believe it. But if you say it flew over the lake in the rain to the foot of Lake Mountain, I wouldn't believe it even if you beat me to death!" Chang Suo pondered. "The biggest weakness of this type of drone is its fear of water. It can't fly for more than a few minutes in the rain—by the way, isn't this machine from the wind power company? Didn't you ask them who was operating it?"
"We asked. The people at the wind power company didn't know when this machine went missing," Gao Xiaofei said. "So, Teacher Chang Suo, we'd like to know who can operate this machine, or rather, do you know who can operate it? Also, can the drone's flight path be retrieved now?"
"Can you confirm this machine came from the wind power company?" Chang Suo asked.
"Yes!" Gao Xiaofei replied.
"Ask Yang Jie! He's responsible for daily maintenance. He also arranged for several people to receive training at our place back then. I don't remember who it was; it's been almost a year!" Chang Suo recalled. "As for others, not many people can fly this type of machine. I'll have to go back and check the records. Well, if anything comes up, I'll inform that girl Xiao Lin. As for the trajectory, I'm sorry, this machine has been 'brainwashed'; all the programs are gone!"
"He's saying that again..." Gao Xiaofei lowered his head helplessly.
"Alright, Teacher Chang Suo, do you have any more advice? If not, we'll conclude this and arrange for you to leave!" Ping An said to Chang Suo with his last bit of patience.
"No more. I'm happy to help you!" Chang Suo said with a smile.
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Alright, this bizarre meeting is finally over. Let's arrange for someone to escort Chang Suo out. Gao Xiaofei thought.
"Teacher, hello, I have a few more questions!" the unobtrusive police officer in the white lab coat suddenly said.
"Certainly, what questions?" Chang Suo asked.
"Before you arrived, I had already inspected the drone and found that its system was indeed destroyed. The previous flight path, video footage, etc., are indeed unrecoverable. However, I discovered that this machine is equipped with a point-to-point flight function. If you were involved in the research and development of this machine, do you still have the signal source code for the prototype? If so, we can reprogram it to re..."
"No, I don't. After the prototype was designed, why would I keep the code? Wouldn't that be convenient for viewing another company's privacy?" Chang Suo said impatiently. "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."
How strange! He was smiling all the way here, but now he's unhappy because of a few questions from a young police officer.
Ever since the police officer posed his questions, Ping An had been staring intently at Chang Suo.
"Regardless, thank you very much for your help today!" Ping An had regained his composure at some point.
"Not at all! It's my duty, and besides—"
"Besides, with the relationship of my girlfriend being your student, I'll graciously accept today's help!" Ping An interrupted Chang Suo with a smile.
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"Reporter Ping An seems to care a lot about Xiao Lin?" Chang Suo said suddenly, with keen interest.
"Yes, she's my girlfriend, so of course I care!" Ping An emphasized the word "my."
"Oh, so Xiao Lin is troubled by something these days, you know that, right?" Chang Suo asked.
"Troubled? By what?" Ping An asked.
"Every night these past few days, when you call her, doesn't the line always seem to be busy?" Chang Suo said with a smug look. "That's because I'm talking with her!" kuAiδugg.
"Oh, is that so!" Ping An narrowed his eyes, looking at Chang Suo. He was no longer easily agitated as he had been earlier.
"Yes, for example, I know what she's troubled by!" Chang Suo continued to provoke Ping An.
"Heh, then it must be something inconvenient for me to know." Ping An said.
"Yes, I promised the girl that I wouldn't tell you that Xiao Lin's parents absolutely forbid her from being with the son of a murderer! In fact, it's not just Xiao Lin; her parents have called me several times, worrying about you, the son of a murderer, and thanking me for taking care of her when Xiao Lin first entered society. Oh, the elderly couple is so polite. They even said that if Xiao Lin could find someone like me who is knowledgeable, has a good family background, and is cultivated, they would be relieved. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, the elderly couple's intention is for Xiao Lin to get into our research institute. What kind of reporter is there? No future! Oh, they also asked me to help rent an apartment. I said why rent an apartment? I have a ready-made four-bedroom duplex. I told the girl to live there directly. The elderly couple was so happy..."
"Hahahaha!"
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"Reporter Ping An, are you alright?"
"Alas, Officer Gao, don't push me!"
"I'm leaving, I'm leaving now!"
"I'm going now. Reporter Ping An, aren't you going to see me off!"
"Ping An!"
...
Ping An was a man who rarely showed emotion. At the age of thirty-three, he had only been in two relationships.
Lin Dang held a unique place in his heart.
He cherished this relationship dearly and hoped to marry her one day.
Lin Dang's return home this time had indeed brought many changes.
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Fewer phone calls, fewer words in the calls, and less ambiguity in the conversations...
So that's how it is!
The son of a murderer?
No matter how excellent he is? What good is tens of millions in assets? What good is being respected?
Is he worse than a forty-year-old bachelor?
Chang Suo? Chang Suo!
In the empty room, Ping An leaned against the table where the drone was placed, his eyes vacant. He could only be heard panting heavily, his body trembling. Suddenly, a surge of heat rushed from his heart to his throat, a great weight pressing down on his chest. His vision darkened, and he fainted.
After Gao Xiaofei and the police officer in the white lab coat, who had tried their best to persuade Chang Suo to leave, found that Ping An had not come out, they hurried to check on him. The sight nearly scared Gao Xiaofei's liver out!
"Ping An! Are you alright!"
"Damn it, why are you so hot!"
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"Don't just stand there, help me call for people!"
An ambulance quickly drove into the city's Public Security Bureau. Gao Xiaofei, sweating profusely from fright, personally carried Ping An onto the stretcher, accompanying him somewhat dazedly on the ambulance. He took out his phone, unsure of who to call.
He had just spoken to Mei Qian for an hour last night. His battle with An Jing and her parents had reached a boiling point. If An Jing found out that Ping An had been stimulated by the same reason, she would probably break up with Mei Qian!
Should he call Lin Dang? Forget it!
After thinking it over, Gao Xiaofei glanced resentfully at Ping An lying on the stretcher, sighed, and called his soon-to-be wife.
Damn it, you're hurt by love, and I still have to call my wife to take care of you! How many such brothers can there be in this world! Gao Xiaofei thought aggrievedly.
When Su Tang arrived at the hospital, Ping An had just been wheeled out of the emergency room.
High fever, dehydration, and increased blood pressure. According to the doctor, he was close to a heart attack.
Su Tang, who usually appeared delicate and pampered, only showed her composure in times of crisis. Gao Xiaofei had witnessed her terrifying calmness even in front of her father's corpse, so it wasn't surprising to see her looking angry yet calm in the ward.
As Ping An's "childhood sweetheart," Fei Keqing showed no reserve in front of her fiancé Gao Xiaofei. She rushed to change into a hospital gown, shouting loudly as she changed the IV drip. To an uninformed observer, she might have been mistaken for Ping An's wife.
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"I've known this guy for so many years, and I've barely seen him sick! 42 degrees Celsius! He's almost dying! You scared me to death!" Gao Xiaofei sat by the hospital bed, watching Ping An struggle to breathe, a sudden wave of annoyance washing over him.
"Godfather, I'll ask only once. My master wouldn't suddenly fall ill. What happened to him before?" Su Tang asked, word by word.
Gao Xiaofei had no intention of hiding anything; in fact, he had already hidden it once.
Chang Suo! Lin Dang! The son of a murderer!
Gao Xiaofei recounted the entire incident patiently and thoroughly.
Su Tang showed no expression, her gaze fixed on her master with worry.
However, Gao Xiaofei knew that Su Tang had already taken note of this man named Chang Suo.
The heavy rain on the night of Lake Mountain's night finally took its toll on Ping An, making him fall ill. After spending a night in the hospital, despite the doctors' best efforts, Ping An's condition had not improved by the next day and had inevitably progressed to acute pneumonia.
"We need to be careful. The patient's acute pneumonia is severe and has already induced severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Let's give him oxygen!" Early in the morning, the doctor on rounds conducted a new round of examinations on Ping An and delivered more bad news.
"How could it be so serious! If it's like this, I'll have to call Ping An's mother!" Outside the ward, Xiang Wanfeng, who had come to visit, said worriedly to Gao Xiaofei.
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"Yes!" Gao Xiaofei said helplessly.
The two of them were worrying about Ping An's condition, completely unaware that a stylishly dressed woman, holding a bouquet of flowers, had just passed by them. However, upon hearing the name "Ping An," she turned back.
"Excuse me, the patient you were just talking about, is it Ping An?" the woman asked politely.
"Yes, it is. And you are?" Gao Xiaofei asked suspiciously.
"Oh, I'm here to see my uncle and happened to hear you mention Ping An. He shares the same name as a friend of mine." The woman looked into Gao Xiaofei's eyes and asked, "Your Ping An, isn't he the reporter who works at the newspaper?"
...
The police instinct prevented Xiang Wanfeng and Gao Xiaofei from answering immediately. Ping An, the reporter, had gained considerable fame in recent years, and many people knew him.
Gao Xiaofei exchanged a glance with Xiang Wanfeng and was about to ask further questions.
But at that moment, Fei Keqing leaned out of the ward, calling out to Gao Xiaofei to get medication.
"Keqing! It's really you! I haven't seen you in so many years, and you're still as beautiful!" The woman suddenly greeted Fei Keqing intimately.
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"Oh! Who are you? Hmm? Who are you?" Fei Keqing stared at the woman in front of her, trying hard to recall.
"It really is Ping An who is sick? What's going on? Did you think I wouldn't come back! Oh, did you finally get promoted after I left!" The woman walked up to Fei Keqing and gave her a hug.
"I remember you!" Fei Keqing finally recalled!
"I knew it! I said it before, you made me jealous quite a bit back then!" The woman walked into the ward without any pretense and pointed at Ping An lying in bed, saying, "What's wrong with Pidan? What kind of illness? Oh, you two aren't married, are you? I was thinking of snatching him back when I returned!"
"Who are you? Can't you see there's a patient? Speak quieter!" Gao Xiaofei felt annoyed by this uninvited guest and took Fei Keqing's hand, saying, "And this is my wife!"
"Oh, I'm sorry!" The woman gave a playful apology, ignored Su Tang's angry glare, and sat directly by the hospital bed.
"My name is Peng You, Ping An's girlfriend, oh, ex-girlfriend!" The woman glanced at the stunned people around and introduced herself gently.
"Oh! You're the one who's in Japan!"
"What! How could my master?"
"This, this!"
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At some point, outside the ward, the sound of a backpack landing was heard.
"Ping An!"
Outside the ward, Lin Dang, covered in dust, said breathlessly.
"Lin Dang, why did you come back! Oh, no, I mean, why didn't you say anything when you came back? I could have come to pick you up!" Gao Xiaofei's head was spinning.
"Master's wife! Master is sick!" Su Tang, however, had reverted to her cute and obedient demeanor, burying her head in Lin Dang's arms and saying aggrievedly.
Well! No need to ask! Su Tang must have notified Lin Dang immediately!
Xiang Wanfeng looked at Lin Dang and realized that she had probably been on a night bus and had only just arrived this morning.
The atmosphere in the ward suddenly became somewhat subtle.
Until an old man wearing an old-fashioned polyester shirt suddenly burst into the ward.
"Alright, you've seen enough. He's not dying, is he? If he dies, you'll give up too! Don't forget why you came this time!" The old man glanced at the elegant Peng You and said with blinking eyes, "See? I told you, that kind of person is never short of women. You've only been away for a few days, and he already has a new one!"
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"What do you mean, old man? Get out!" Fei Keqing was furious.
"I'm sorry, this is my dad!" Lin Dang lowered her head silently.
On the hospital bed, Ping An's eyelids twitched involuntarily.
Su Tang thought worriedly, Master, you must hold on. If you wake up now, it'll all be ruined!