A new barbecue restaurant recently opened in Labor Square. From the owner to the waiters, everyone was Brazilian.
"We people from Hechuan prefer cured meat, or steamed meat. For barbecued meat, we only eat lamb skewers on red willow branches. What's so great about Brazilian barbecue?" Leaving the wind power community, Hei Dou, who was usually quiet, expressed his opinion.
"Douzi! Tell us, is something up?" Ping An asked curiously.
"Nothing much, just that I had a date for roujiamo tonight. You guys go, and I'll leave first," Hei Dou said sheepishly.
"Whose girl is it? Uncle Dou, bring her out!" Su Tang's eyes sparkled.
"Yeah, bring her out, let us see her. After dinner, I'll give you a call and get you two free passes for 'Youth Carnival.' You can take the girl and have fun all night!" Ping An also became interested.
"That's not good, we only met a few days ago!" Hei Dou said sheepishly.
"Call her, call her!" If it weren't for the fact that Hei Dou was driving, Su Tang would have lunged at him.
"Can I? Let me try calling," Hei Dou said, blushing.
Taking out his phone, Hei Dou dialed a number and, at Ping An's request, put it on speakerphone.
"Hello, uh, Ju, are you still eating with me tonight?" Hei Dou asked affectionately.
"Ah, uh, Dou, I was planning to eat with the boss!" the woman named Ju said gently from the other end of the phone.
"Oh, me too. The boss invited me, and I said I was planning to meet you, so they let you come!" Hei Dou said.
"It's the boss for both of us, it's hard to refuse," Ju said a little embarrassed.
"Where are you planning to eat? I'll pick you up later!" Hei Dou said with some disappointment.
"Pick me up for what?" Ju asked.
"To have fun!" Hei Dou said crisply.
"Alright, you're not trying to have fun with me, you're trying to fool me!" Ju's words exposed Hei Dou's little scheme.
"Have fun?" At this moment, her voice was like a spring breeze, and Hei Dou had long forgotten Ping An and Su Tang, his awkward master and disciple.
"Where do you want to have fun?" As expected, Hei Dou, who was usually straightforward, found a partner who was just as straightforward.
"Rent a room at a hotel!" Hei Dou said without hesitation.
"Okay, you come pick me up later. I'll be at the Brazilian barbecue restaurant in Labor Square!" After discussing their private matters, Ju hung up decisively.
"Heh heh, oh, you're always too soft-hearted, too soft-hearted..." After hanging up the phone, Hei Dou actually started humming a tune happily.
"Hei Dou, Hei Dou!" Ping An's call finally woke Hei Dou from his "spring dream."
"Oh my! What's wrong with me!" Hei Dou glanced back at Su Tang, who had a look of disdain, and then at Ping An, who had a mischievous smile on his face, and was extremely embarrassed.
"Hei Dou, you dog, you look so honest..." Ping An teased.
"Alright, let's go. We were going to the barbecue restaurant anyway. If we have to share a table, so be it. After we're full, you two can go have fun!" Ping An said, seeing that Hei Dou was still too embarrassed to speak.
"I'm so embarrassed!" Hei Dou was still uncomfortable.
"Sigh, Dou, let me ask you, where do you usually take your Ju to have fun?" Ping An asked seriously.
"Are there any places? I don't have much money, and it's inconvenient at home. Sometimes I use your RV..." Hei Dou said honestly.
"Bang!" Su Tang, who was sitting on the sofa behind them, suddenly stood up, glared angrily at the sofa under her butt, and felt so disgusted she almost threw up.
"You, Hei Dou! You, you, you remember to wash my car! Wash it all!" Ping An said, his fingers trembling with anger as he pointed at Hei Dou.
Inside the Brazilian barbecue restaurant, Ping An, Su Tang, and Hei Dou sat in a secluded corner.
"Hello! Tonight's special is grilled young beef! Order at least three portions, and the whole meal gets an 8% discount..."
The Brazilian waiter, speaking Chinese with a foreign accent, enthusiastically greeted the three in front of him.
"Eat, eat, I'm treating tonight!" Hei Dou, who knew he had done something "dirty," said invitingly.
"Three portions of young beef, and also, I want medium skewers of grilled chicken wings, super spicy! Medium skewers of lamb, super spicy! Large cup of coconut juice! And finally, an ice cream!" Unable to resist the temptation of delicious food, Su Tang began to order.
"Besides the young beef, I want half a grilled fish, not spicy! Also, give me a seafood risotto!" Ping An patted Hei Dou's arm and said, "Alright, I'm treating! Save your meager salary for taking Ju to rent rooms later!"
Hei Dou, who had been frightened by the multi-digit prices on the menu, immediately relaxed upon hearing Ping An's words.
"Besides the young beef, I want large skewers of lamb testicles! Two skewers! Super spicy! And also, a bowl of udon noodles!" Hei Dou said sheepishly.
"That makes up for it, you..." Ping An, who had always appreciated Hei Dou's sincerity, teased him with a smile.
Because Ju was involved today, Hei Dou was different from usual. He could face life and death calmly and generously, but now, it felt like there was a needle in his butt, and he couldn't sit still.
"Ju!" Indeed, when Hei Dou saw a short-haired girl in the distance, he suddenly stood up and shouted loudly.
"Dou!" The short-haired girl seemed to have seen a treasure and ran over from afar.
"Why are you here too!" The girl named Ju was clearly a capable type, with a dignified and generous demeanor and a tall stature. She spoke very frankly.
"Actually, my boss was going to bring me here to eat, but after you finished talking, I hung up." Hei Dou held his girlfriend's hand and shyly introduced them, "This is my boss, and this is my boss's apprentice! I usually work for him!"
Due to special circumstances, Hei Dou's identity was strictly confidential. So, when people asked, Hei Dou would say he was a "second-generation butcher" and that he was working for the famous Ping An.
To this enthusiastic girl, Ping An, as the boss, wanted to support Hei Dou for a while. However, when he saw that Zhan Dou and Peng You were following behind Ju, he felt utterly dismayed.
"This is my boss, and my director!" Hei Dou introduced his own people to Ju, and now it was time for her to introduce hers.
But!
"Ping An, hahaha, what a coincidence! I never expected to see you today!" Zhan Dou was also very surprised when he saw Ping An. Whether it was feigned or genuine, Ping An could tell.
"Xiao Peng, come quickly, see who this is? Oh, you should have met already, right!" Zhan Dou acted as if they were old acquaintances, which made Ping An feel sick.
"Forget it, he doesn't want to see me right now. Why don't we sit next door!" Peng You gently patted Zhan Dou's shoulder, indicating they should sit elsewhere.
"Since we've run into each other, let's sit together!" Unfortunately, Zhan Dou seemed very eager to sit with Ping An.
What an awkward table.
On the round table for six, Ping An and Zhan Dou sat at the innermost seats. Su Tang was to Ping An's left, and Peng You was to Zhan Dou's right. Hei Dou and Ju sat at the outermost seats.
As the dishes were served, the charcoal-grilled young beef, emitting a rich aroma, was placed in front of everyone.
"Su Tang?" Peng You pushed one of the plates towards Su Tang.
"Thank you!" Su Tang didn't want to show any particular reaction towards her former mistress.
"Xiao Peng, look, their dishes are here. What do you want to eat? I'm treating today! And Xiao Ju, what do you want to eat?" Zhan Dou greeted them enthusiastically.
"I heard the young beef here is the best, so let's just have young beef? For side dishes, how about three portions of meatball spaghetti? What do you think, Ju?" Peng You asked with a smile.
"Okay, Director, that sounds good!" The honest Ju was still a little nervous. She hadn't expected her boyfriend's boss to be friends with her boss.
After much deliberation, the six people's dishes were finally served, but no one spoke, and the atmosphere was inexplicably strange.
"Su Tang, I've actually wanted to get to know you for a long time. Before, your master wasn't feeling well, and I didn't have the time or opportunity to chat with you properly. How about I treat you for a manicure later?" Peng You raised a glass of red wine and said to Su Tang, "Come, let's toast!"
Su Tang maintained a lukewarm attitude towards her master's ex-girlfriend. In fact, she didn't know how to interact with her. A few days ago, she secretly called her aunt and told her about Peng You's return. Of course, she didn't mention her master's illness. An Jing on the phone became somewhat agitated when she heard Peng You's name. She said they were very good sisters. Although their relationship with Ping An didn't last, Peng You was indeed a very good and capable person.
Her aunt's indifferent reply did not satisfy Su Tang. Frankly, she didn't like Peng You's flamboyant personality. Relatively speaking, the pure Lin Dang seemed more suited to her master. Later, her godmother, Fei Keqing, inadvertently mentioned Peng You, saying only that this woman was someone even her master couldn't handle, someone who would steal the spotlight wherever she went. She also advised Su Tang to stay away from her, as she had deeply hurt her master.
Now, as Peng You raised her wine glass to offer a toast, Su Tang glanced at her master and, seeing that he was pretending not to see, deliberately pushed her juice glass towards Ping An and said, "I am a junior, how can I let you toast me? You toast Master first!"
Ping An, who was preoccupied with how to deal with Zhan Dou, was unexpectedly betrayed by his disciple. He looked at Su Tang, who was winking at him, and helplessly raised the soda water in front of him. He toasted Peng You and said, "It's too late. Su Tang needs to sleep early tonight. Let's do it another day!"
Hearing her master's words, Su Tang was somewhat surprised. "Oh, what do you mean, another day? Are we going to see each other again? What is Master plotting?"
This small interlude gave Zhan Dou an opportunity to interject.
"Yes, tonight is on me. Another day, brother Ping An will treat you again!" Zhan Dou said with a smile, patting Ping An's arm, and then said softly, "I heard you had a falling out with Liao Yuan?"
"Indeed. This time, I was used as a pawn," Ping An shook his head helplessly, poured out the soda water in his glass, and switched to red wine.
"Ping An, to be honest, I believe you have many questions about the wind power company right now. I'm sure, given your personality, you won't just let it go. Since you're investigating anyway, why not join my team? You can publish commentary under a pseudonym, or you don't have to publish anything, just help us investigate..." Zhan Dou said earnestly.
"We're really not that familiar..." After thinking for a long time, Ping An couldn't find a way to refuse.
"Not familiar? You and I might not be familiar, but what about Peng You?" Zhan Dou lowered his voice and said, "Peng You and I have been friends for many years. I know her too well. She's only ever loved you in this life. Otherwise, why would she condescend to be here? Taking advantage of this opportunity, you two are a perfect match. Can you consider getting back together!"
To be honest, Ping An still didn't know if he still had feelings for Peng You. Although he usually acted impulsively, he was utterly clueless about romantic matters.
"It's impossible for us now." Ping An said weakly, looking at Peng You, who was trying to get close to Su Tang next door.
"You're still thinking about your Lin Dang!" Zhan Dou suddenly took out his phone and said, "Here, let me show you something, and you'll understand what reality is!"
Ping An looked at Zhan Dou with confusion and took the phone to watch.
It was a video. In the video, Chang Suo was having a meal with a girl. The girl's back was to the camera, and her appearance was not visible. However, to Ping An, that back view was all too familiar.
Yes, it was Lin Dang, the person he had been longing for day and night.
"I can't believe it. I filmed this at noon today. I originally wanted to provoke you, but then I learned you had just recovered from a serious illness. Alas, brother, why bother!" Zhan Dou said. "That little girl has climbed onto a high branch. She didn't come to see you when she returned, but eagerly went to find that greasy man!"
"That's not right, why were you investigating Chang Suo?" Ping An, holding onto the last shred of his rationality, pushed away the wine glass in front of him and asked with wide eyes.
"I have my intelligence - well, it doesn't hurt to tell you - this Chang Suo has been causing trouble for the wind power company by using his position in the Science Association. I privately met him twice, hoping he would cooperate with our investigation, but he refused." Zhan Dou said, "This Chang Suo seems to have a deep-seated hatred for the wind power company. Whenever he attended the annual technology conference of the wind power company, he would find fault with them..."
"What about Lin Dang?" Ping An picked up his wine glass, drank it all, and slumped onto the sofa.
"She's become his assistant. She eats and sleeps at the unit. It's a public sector job with high pay and benefits, and little work. Honestly, if I were her father, I'd be happy to let her do that!" Zhan Dou said, looking at the dejected Ping An. "However, it's just letting the girl go to work. As for a partner, well! In short, I wouldn't let her find a forty-year-old man."
"Yeah, even if Lin Dang's father was ignorant, he wouldn't let Lin Dang find an old man!" Ping An jumped up, picked up the wine bottle, and poured a full glass. He didn't drink it immediately but pulled Zhan Dou over and said, "Speak! What exactly are you up to?"
"Nothing much, just cherishing talent..." Zhan Dou said sternly.
"Bah! Bullshit, do you really think I'm an idiot!" Ping An said, "You, just like that Liao Yuan, wanted me to get involved from the very beginning. You must have some unspeakable secret!"
"You've had too much to drink. Uh, Peng You, quickly, your Ping An has had too much to drink!" Zhan Dou pushed Ping An away, took his wine glass, and called Peng You over to take care of him.
"What do you mean 'my Ping An'? Don't talk nonsense!" Peng You said, a little embarrassed, and stood up. She looked at the dejected Ping An and said, "He can hold his liquor!"
"Don't interrupt. Tell me, what is your objective!" Ping An continued, fueled by alcohol. "If you can't explain it clearly, I'll risk it all and investigate you thoroughly!"
Seemingly drunk, Ping An, provoked by Lin Dang again, appeared to be acting out while drunk to outsiders. However, Ping An was actually very clear-headed at this moment. He sensed something amiss from Zhan Dou's ill-intentioned words. To be honest, he still couldn't figure out what Zhan Dou wanted to do, so even if cooperation was necessary, he was really reluctant to cause any trouble at this juncture.
Ping An's little trick seemed to be no match for the cunning Zhan Dou. Looking at the nonchalant Ping An, Zhan Dou thought for a moment and said, "I still want to cooperate with you! To show my sincerity, I'll give you a clue – I know that the murder case in the wind power community has reached its climax, and I also know that you and the police suspect someone named Shui Gang. This person appears to be the former captain of the residential security team, but he was originally Old Mr. Liao's driver. And the first person to die, Wang Huai'an, was originally Old Mr. Liao's administrative secretary. Furthermore, Shui Gang's son once had a rare illness that Old Mr. Liao paid to have treated. Wang Huai'an, on the other hand, received Old Mr. Liao's financial aid since college. As everyone in the senior management of the wind power company knows, Shui Gang and Wang Huai'an were close to Old Mr. Liao..."
"Driver? Secretary? The two most trusted positions by the boss!" Ping An's drunkenness disappeared because the information he had just received was too important!
"You know, I don't need to worry about the case. I've been fully investigating the wind power company during this time, so I've found out more than you!" Zhan Dou took out a business card from his bag and said, "That's all for tonight. Regarding cooperation, you should think about it carefully!"
The awkward dinner finally came to an end. Peng You, who was getting along better and better with Su Tang, left without even saying goodbye to Ping An, not looking back. Hei Dou seemed to sense something was wrong, but under Ping An's encouraging gaze, he held Ju's hand and went to find their own happiness.
At the dining table, only Ping An, with his mind full of doubts, and Su Tang, who was dozing off, remained.
"Master, although I'm young, I can sense that Uncle Zhan Dou and your ex-girlfriend mean you no harm!" Su Tang called the waiter to order a glass of ice water for her master and said, "You've been fighting alone for so long, why not cooperate with Uncle Zhan Dou? Sister Peng You also seems good. She asked a lot of questions about you, and it's clear she's sincere about you!"
Su Tang's words naturally fell on deaf ears for Ping An.
He picked up the ice water and drank it all in one gulp. Every cell in his body shivered, and he stood up comfortably. He shook his body and said to Su Tang, "Let's go home. Master's head is about to explode. We'll talk about these messy things later!"
The RV had been driven away by Hei Dou, and Ping An, having drunk alcohol, couldn't drive. Fortunately, the restaurant was not far from home, so the master and disciple walked home slowly.
"I wonder how Auntie is doing. She's been gone for a month playing, and she hasn't come back to visit!" Su Tang genuinely missed An Jing.
"Your aunt is fine. It's just that some adult matters need to be handled by themselves," Ping An replied casually.
"Auntie is so good. Uncle Mei Qian likes her so much!" Su Tang said.
"I hope so! I hope your aunt can successfully marry your future uncle when she returns!" Ping An said, and then suddenly thought, he was not looked upon favorably by Lin Dang's parents because he was the son of a murderer. What about An Jing? Wasn't An Jing also the daughter of a murderer...?
Sensing that her master's mood had suddenly changed, Su Tang quietly took his hand.
"Master, are you okay!" Su Tang asked softly.
"A little sad, but it's nothing!" Ping An didn't want to lose his composure in front of a child, so he forced a smile and said.
"Forget it, I heard everything just now. Lin Dang is back! She's staying at that old guy Chang Suo's house!" Su Tang said.
"Hmm? You know quite a lot! You heard?" Ping An asked.
"Master, don't be angry. Lin Dang auntie called me the first day she returned to Hechuan City. She asked about your situation. You were still in the hospital then!" Su Tang said cautiously. "It was Aunt Lin Dang who told me not to tell you, but I asked what I should ask for you. She's not involved with that Chang Suo at all. She only treats Chang Suo as a friend or elder! It's just that she hasn't thought things through clearly, so she temporarily doesn't want to see you or contact you..."
Ping An's face was expressionless, and Su Tang's voice grew quieter.
"Peng You said the same thing back then, and then ran off to Japan! Now it's Lin Dang!" Ping An lit a cigarette and said, "What do you take me for? Do whatever you want? If you want to be together, you're together. If you want to break up, you break up! Relationships are fair. Why do you get to decide everything!"
Finally venting, Ping An panted excitedly, looked at the crumpled cigarette in his hand, and sighed deeply, "Alas, let's go home! Your master is going to be a bachelor for life!"
"Of course, Master! There's also a possibility!" Su Tang suddenly thought of something and said excitedly, "There's a male classmate in our class. When he was in junior high, his parents divorced because his father had an affair. Their family was very wealthy, and his grandfather used to be a mine owner, but his mother was just an ordinary housewife with a poor family background. Before they got married, his grandfather made his mother sign a prenuptial agreement. So, essentially, after the divorce, his mother left with nothing."
"Before the divorce, his father threatened him, saying that if he stayed with his mother, he would only pay 1,000 yuan in living expenses per month, and he should think carefully about what kind of life he would have with his mother!" Su Tang said. "His father is a typical rich second-generation heir, unreasonable and bossy. He rarely came home even before the divorce, so he never had a good relationship with his father. So, guess who he finally chose to stay with?"
"Hmm? Naturally, it's his mother! Mother and son, even if they're poor, they're happy!" Ping An said without hesitation.
"Wrong! He finally chose his father! Surprising, isn't it!" Su Tang said excitedly. "Many classmates cursed him for being heartless after they found out. But later, I investigated and found out that his mother was in poor health, had no job or education after the divorce, and could only work as a salesperson in a real estate company. He felt sorry for his mother, so he chose his father, because his father gave him 3,000 yuan in pocket money every month, and he secretly sent that pocket money to his mother every month..."
The story was short but touching.
Having been a reporter for many years, Ping An had witnessed all sorts of family stories, but he had to admit that this was a moving story.
"Stop comforting me. Isn't it simpler if you just say he's with the enemy while serving the king!" Although he said that, after listening to his disciple's comfort, Ping An felt much better, and his mood suddenly improved. Then he suddenly thought of something else...
"It's indeed an interesting story! Is that what it's like?" Ping An thought to himself, seeing that he had calmed down.
The master and disciple walked slowly home. They were too excited and tired tonight to be vigilant as usual. Otherwise, they wouldn't have failed to notice that a car was quietly following them.
"Do you really want to drag Ping An back into this mess?"
"Yes, I admire him so much!"
"But you can't tell him some top-secret information, can you?"
"If I'm not honest, he won't trust me!"
"Just let him focus on handling the murder case in the residential area. I don't want him to pay too much attention to the rest. Believe me, Ping An is not someone who is content to be controlled."
"We've reached a bottleneck, and we need a detective like Ping An, who has resources, brains, and experience, to help us break through the situation."
"But he himself is a problem! Did you see the video I went to great lengths to get?"
"I saw it. It was just Ping An's pleasantries with the old housekeeper. What's the problem?"
"He said as much as he could, almost declaring his willingness to join Old Man Liao's side!"
"Let's wait a bit longer, wait a bit longer. I hope Ping An can find an entry point. Even if we don't cooperate, as long as we give him sufficient clues, he will help us find useful information!" In the car following them, Zhan Dou took off his headphones and said directly into his phone, "Did you call Peng You back without my permission? Isn't it to use her to check Ping An?"
"That woman is different. Her father died because of Old Man Liao. We don't need to say more, she will take the opportunity to get revenge!" The cold tone on the other end of the phone seemed to come through the phone.
Night fell, and the city lights illuminated.
Ping An held his disciple's hand and slowly returned to the residential area.
Zhan Dou watched the master and disciple enter the residential area before turning the car around to go home.
"Ring ring ring!" Just then, his phone rang.
Zhan Dou frowned at the ringtone, pulled the car over to the side of the road, and took out an old-fashioned phone from his bag.
"Hello! Did you stimulate that guy today?"
"Stimulated! Are you sure that by provoking him, he'll investigate the wind power company more actively?"
"Of course. Otherwise, why would I go to so much trouble!"
"Okay, I've completed this task for you. Can our cooperation begin now?"
"It can begin!"
"May I ask, what is your goal? I feel like you hate the wind power company! You hate it very much!"
"Yes!"
"By the way, may I ask one more question? You're not serious about that young girl, Lin Dang, are you!" Zhan Dou opened the car window and took a deep breath of the outside air. "Mr. Chang Suo, we're old acquaintances. I don't think you're that kind of person, and I feel it's not good to make an enemy of someone like Ping An. You might have your secrets, but what if, what if you mess up and Ping An finds out first, hehe!"
"You old fogey, you've read too many dirty books, your thoughts are truly filthy. I regard Lin Dang as a junior! And Lin Dang has always had Ping An in her heart. Their relationship is just taking a long time to develop!" Chang Suo's nonchalant voice came from the other end of the phone.
"There's also Peng You here! I really don't know where Ping An's final destination will be!"
"Alright, I need to rest now, old man. Happy cooperation!"
"Happy cooperation!" Zhan Dou happily hung up the phone and hummed the classic song "Katyusha" as he drove away.