Criminal Investigation Notes

Finally, another major case was solved, and after the conclusion and summary, everyone in the Major Crimes Unit breathed a sigh of relief.

Autumn in Huadu had undergone a transformation, with cold winds and fallen leaves covering the ground.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month, and there were no new cases recently. The city seemed to have suddenly become calm and peaceful.

But for these police officers, their hearts raced during busy times, and they felt anxious during idle moments, always fearing the emergence of another case.

Finally, the weekend arrived after much anticipation. Before the holiday, Lu Junchi suddenly stood up in the office and announced, “The holiday is almost here. Now I have an urgent task for everyone.”

Everyone was taken aback, raising their heads to nervously look at their team leader.

Zheng Bai whispered, “Is it an administrative or field assignment?”

Qiao Ze looked at the well-informed Lao Qu, but even Qu Ming shook his head this time, indicating that he knew nothing.

Lu Junchi saw the desired effect and then calmly said, “The leaders at the bureau believe that the previous case was solved quickly. They have given each member of the Major Crimes Unit a bonus of 2,000 yuan, and there is an additional team bonus of 5,000 yuan for team building activities. So, let’s think about how we should spend this money.”

After hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief and then became excited, discussing it all at once.

Qiao Ze patted his chest. “Lu, you scared me! I thought another case had come up.”

Zheng Bai suggested, “Let’s reserve the team fund for a hot pot feast. As the saying goes, there’s nothing a hot pot can’t solve. If it can’t, then we’ll have two meals.”

Xia Mingxi chimed in, “Even if we go to *Hai Di Lao, we can have abalone and seafood. 5,000 yuan is quite a lot. How about after dinner, we go singing?”

Hai Di Lao – a popular Chinese hot pot restaurant chain

Qiao Ze said, “Karaoke? I miss that. KTVs in the city are no longer as popular as before, becoming increasingly rare.”

Qu Ming joined in the fun, “Ah, I don’t know any of the trendy songs. When we go singing, don’t think I’m old-fashioned.”

Lu Junchi looked at Su Hui, and Su Hui looked back at him, nodding slightly to indicate that he had no objections.

Lu Junchi turned his head and said, “Alright, it’s settled then. Hot pot at Hai Di Lao and KTV in the evening. Xia, quickly make a reservation.”

The nearest Hai Di Lao and KTV to the city bureau were located in a commercial district. After work, the six of them divided into two cars and drove there. They had called in advance to make a reservation at Hai Di Lao, so they didn’t have to wait. They walked past the long queue outside and entered the restaurant, feeling quite superior with their numbered tags.

They ordered a four-section hot pot with spicy, mushroom, tomato, and bone broths, and then they went to get the condiments before starting to eat.

It was a rare moment of rest, away from those cases. These people were just ordinary

Lu Jun Chi still persisted and picked a plate of assorted vegetables and meat for him, then said, “You can’t be hungry during this gathering. Tell me what you want to eat.”

After saying that, he called the waiter over and added two more dishes.

One of them was grilled shrimp. While chatting with the others, Lu Jun Chi skillfully peeled the shrimp shells using the public chopsticks. He had become quite adept at it during this period, peeling off one shrimp shell every two seconds, with the shrimp meat intact.

He put the peeled shrimp meat in a bowl and pushed it in front of Su Hui.

Su Hui didn’t refuse and tasted it. The shrimp was fresh and tenderly cooked.

Lu Jun Chi advised, “If it cools down later, remember to dip it in the hot pot again before eating.”

Su Hui suddenly realized that he had grown accustomed to Lu Jun Chi’s care for him.

It was a subtle change in their lives, accumulating bit by bit. He couldn’t remember the last time he skipped a meal.

The KTV was located upstairs from the hot pot restaurant. After finishing their meal, the group of people moved upstairs with laughter and conversation. The six of them occupied a private room. Lu Jun Chi ordered alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, fruits, and pastries.

At the beginning, everyone was a bit reserved, but later on, they all started competing to choose songs.

Qu Ming, who had previously claimed not to be good at singing modern songs, surprised everyone when he picked up the microphone. His voice was beautiful, and he sang several classic love songs by Jacky Cheung.

The KTV room was dimly lit, and Su Hui quietly sat in the corner, ready to be an audience.

Qiao Ze also sang a couple of songs before Qu Ming came over and said, “Alright, Qu Ming, give your voice a rest. Let Teacher Su sing a song.”

“Right,” Xia Mingxi agreed. “Teacher Su hasn’t sung yet!”

Su Hui modestly coughed and said, “My voice isn’t that good. You guys can sing.”

Qiao Ze insisted, “Teacher Su, choose a song. I’ll help you find it.”

Only then did Su Hui accept and chose a relatively unknown song from four or five years ago.

Qiao Ze helped with the selection and placed Su Hui’s song as the first one, then handed him the microphone.

Su Hui took a sip of his drink to moisten his throat and jokingly said, “I really can’t sing well. Anyone who wants to go to the restroom can go now.”

Qu Ming laughed and said, “None of us are good at singing, we’re just here to have fun.”

The intro started playing, and Su Hui held the microphone but hesitated to begin. Then he slightly embarrassedly said, “Um… I can’t see the lyrics very well.”

His hearing was not good, and at this moment, he couldn’t quite catch everything. When the music played, it became difficult for him to hear people clearly. Sitting far away, the lyrics appeared blurry to him.

Initially, everyone was eagerly waiting to listen to the song, but upon hearing this, they quickly made way for Su Hui.

Su Hui stood up, changed his position, squinted his eyes, and sat at the very front of the big screen.

The melody had been playing for a while, and he was momentarily having trouble keeping up with the beat.

Su Hui was so close to the screen that the fluorescent light reflected on his fair face.

Lu Junchi glanced at him and inexplicably became nervous as well. He asked Su Hui, “Do you need to start over?”

Su Hui shook his head, “No need, I’ll just continue with the next section.”

Lu Junchi handed him another microphone and whispered to Su Hui, “I know a few more lines of this song. If it doesn’t go well, we can sing together.”

Su Hui said, “That’s perfect. I’ve almost forgotten everything. Guide me and sing along with me.”

Lu Junchi jumped right in. He used to be in the choir during high school, and everyone in the police station was well aware of this hidden talent of their leader.

It was widely known in the police station that Lu Junchi had a beautiful singing voice, but he never snatched the microphone. He always waited for others to finish singing before he sang a song himself.

Listening to him sing was a pleasure, akin to attending a professional concert.

Finally, they reached another chorus, and Su Hui caught up. His voice was slightly hoarse.

But as soon as he started, everyone quieted down.

After just two lines, everyone realized that Su Hui could also sing.

The ability to sing wasn’t solely dependent on the voice; it didn’t matter if someone had a pleasant voice if they couldn’t find the right pitch while singing. Conversely, some people had average voices but could captivate others with their singing.

Su Hui belonged to the latter category. His voice sounded a bit husky, but the melody, pitch, and rhythm were all excellent. That slight huskiness added a touch of depth to the song, making it even more enjoyable to listen to.

A few lines later, Su Hui gradually found his groove, and his voice became slightly louder.

Before Su Hui humbly declined, not many people had high expectations. But now, listening to the duet between the two of them, there was only one word to describe it—divine.

Lu Junchi’s voice was slightly brighter, while Su Hui’s voice was lazy and carried a hint of deepness. When their voices merged, it created an effect where one plus one was greater than two. It was an inexplicable harmony.

In the small private room, their voices echoed, creating some reverberation, which further enhanced the listening experience.

The others couldn’t help but stop and listen to their duet.

Su Hui looked at the screen, singing with concentration. The screen illuminated his body, making him appear as if emitting a faint light.

Lu Junchi realized that his previous worries were unnecessary. His gaze fell on Su Hui and he couldn’t take his eyes off him.

After the song ended, Qiao Ze pressed the applause button.

“This is just too beautiful.”

“Leader, your harmony was simply perfect.”

“Su Laoshi, if you couldn’t sing, I don’t know who else could.”

Su Hui continued to be modest. “It’s all thanks to our team lead. If he didn’t sing, I wouldn’t have found the right pitch.”

Everyone urged him to sing again, but Su Hui coughed a few times and his face turned slightly red. “My throat isn’t great. I really shouldn’t sing more. You guys have fun.”

Only then did everyone stop pressuring him.

Su Hui put down the microphone and quietly sat back in the corner. As time passed, he finished his drink and poured himself a glass of wine.

Lu Junchi noticed and worried that Su Hui didn’t see clearly, so he reminded him, “That’s alcohol…”

Su Hui nodded. “I know, just one glass is fine.”

Due to his health, Su Hui rarely drank, but today he rarely felt happy. The vibrant atmosphere fascinated him, and he felt it wouldn’t be complete without having a bit of alcohol.

With his fair skin, drinking didn’t make his face turn red; instead, it became even paler. After half a glass of wine, he felt a bit lightheaded, and his reactions slowed down. The alcohol amplified his sense of joy.

In his vision, everything became blurrier, and everyone became more spirited, with continuous laughter and louder singing.

Lu Junchi and the others sang a few more songs, and he placed the microphone down, sitting to the left of Su Hui.

Su Hui focused on the screen when he suddenly felt a sound near his ear, as if someone had spoken.

Su Hui didn’t hear clearly, so he turned to Lu Junchi and asked, “What?”

“I asked if you’re resting well. Do you want to sing another song?” Lu Junchi changed the subject and casually replied.

Su Hui felt a bit disheartened. He confirmed that Lu Junchi didn’t say that just now.

Although he couldn’t see clearly, he knew that Lu Junchi had been looking at him all along.

They were so close that their ears could feel the movement of the air, but his left ear was deaf, and the music was too noisy, making it impossible for him to hear those few words.

Su Hui reminisced about the sensation of airflow he felt earlier and repeatedly speculated on what Lu Junchi might have said. Being someone who didn’t get drunk easily, he felt his face gradually heating up.

Then he suddenly realized something. Lu Junchi was a person who paid attention to details. Whenever he spoke to Su Hui, he never stood on his left side. Even if he stood in that direction, he would always raise his voice because he knew that Su Hui couldn’t hear with his left ear.

Su Hui didn’t think one glass of wine was much, but in the end, Lu Junchi practically had to lead him back home.

Once they entered the house, Lu Junchi said to him, “If you can’t handle alcohol, then drink less.”

Su Hui insisted, “I’m not drunk, just a bit dizzy.”

The effects of the alcohol compounded on him, intensifying his senses. Large patches of light flickered before his eyes, ringing echoed in his ears, and everything in his mind was chaotic. It felt like something was about to be remembered, causing his temples to throb.

Lu Junchi told him to go to the bedroom and lie down, but he collapsed directly onto the sofa.

Lu Junchi opened his own laptop, glanced at a few documents, but still couldn’t calm his mind. He stood up and placed a towel on Su Hui’s forehead.

Hermingway also approached, the clingy little creature rubbing against Su Hui and curling up in his embrace.

Su Hui lay there, and as long as he kept his eyes open, he felt like the light in the room was swaying.

After a while, just when he felt like he was about to fall asleep on the sofa, Lu Junchi returned and handed him a bowl of hot liquid.

Su Hui asked, “What is it?”

Lu Junchi told him, “Hangover soup, made with tomatoes.”

In the past, his father had many social gatherings, and his mother would make hangover soup for him to drink.

Su Hui took it and drank it in one breath. The soup was slightly sour with a hint of sweetness. He could taste the added white sugar and honey, making it pleasantly sweet. Then he set the bowl aside and continued to lie on the sofa.

Lu Junchi asked, “Are you still feeling uncomfortable?”

Su Hui opened his eyes and looked at him. The lights had multiple shadows, but this man in front of him appeared especially clear.

He suddenly called his name, “Lu Junchi…”

“Hmm?” Lu Junchi turned his head, not knowing what he wanted to say.

Su Hui wanted to ask him, ask what he said in the KTV earlier, ask why he always knew what he liked, ask why he was always so gentle.

But as he looked at Lu Junchi’s handsome face, his mind went blank.

Lu Junchi didn’t know what he was about to do. He could smell the faint scent of alcohol on Su Hui’s body.

Taking advantage of that bit of alcohol, Su Hui pulled his collar and hoarsely whispered in his ear, “Take a close look, you’re so handsome…”

Upon hearing these words, Lu Junchi’s hand trembled abruptly. He looked up, gazing at Su Hui with disbelief.

Usually, Su Hui’s emotions were reserved, never so outward and proactive. Under the influence of alcohol, it was as if some chemical reaction had occurred, transforming him into a different person.

One sentence accelerated Lu Junchi’s heartbeat.

For a brief moment, he anticipated that Su Hui would say something more, but the culprit behind it all blinked his eyelashes twice, laid back on the sofa, closed his eyes contentedly, and fell asleep while hugging the cat.