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After Swallow left, the gathering did not end on a sour note; instead, it felt like the atmosphere had brightened without the mood disruptor. Old Bi was clearly in high spirits, and despite Lulu constantly nudging him, he still managed to challenge Zhang Xing to a drinking contest. Big Yellow seemed unfazed by Swallow's nonsensical comment, focusing instead on explaining his dreams to Xiao Mo Ya, his enthusiasm shining through as he shed his usual serious demeanor.
I wasn't great at holding my liquor and was already feeling tipsy. Sitting in my chair, I contemplated what to do after settling the bill. It was still midday, and returning to the unit felt a bit premature. Old Bi would definitely be heading out shopping with Lulu, and judging by the look of things, Xiao Mo Ya would be stuck with Big Yellow. So where would that leave me and Zhang Xing? A chill ran down my spine. Fine, I decided I wouldn't head back just yet; maybe I could kill some time at an internet café playing games.
I waved over a waiter to settle the bill. The liquor was long gone, and I watched as my brothers downed several bottles of beer. Clearly, I had the weakest tolerance among us. Old Bi swayed slightly but still seemed coherent enough to tell me to head back first while he accompanied Lulu for shopping. Big Yellow planned to take Xiao Mo Ya to the training facility for a tour, and she was practically bouncing with excitement—such a typical girl, easily distracted. Although this was part of my plan, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Zhang Xing grabbed Big Yellow's arm, wanting to join him at the training facility for some practice. When he asked if I wanted to come along, I gladly declined; I had already escaped Xiao Mo Ya and had no desire to tag along for more humiliation. Besides, I believed Zhang Xing would also face another setback.
I told my brothers, "Since everyone has plans this afternoon, I won't disturb you all. Let's get together again next time!" I handed out two cigarettes I had brought from home to Old Bi and Zhang Xing before sending them off. I then hailed a taxi and headed towards the base. Near the Base, I found an internet café where I played Crazy Tank for a while before slowly making my way back to the unit.
Time spent eating, drinking, and having fun always seemed to fly by quickly, while work and training felt like they dragged on forever. Like He Baisha and the others, I was looking forward to the weekend; however, unlike them who just wanted a break from training, I needed some time out in the fresh air.
Finally reaching the weekend, I called Old Bi early in the morning to see what his plans were. But then I thought about it—having a girlfriend or not wouldn’t change much about our hangouts. So instead, I considered calling Big Yellow. One reason was to see if he could sneak me into their shooting range at the training facility; another was to check on how things were progressing between him and Xiao Mo Ya—whether there was any potential for them.
Just as I was about to dial his number, my phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, it was Big Yellow! What a coincidence! I picked up and said, "Big Yellow! What a coincidence! I was just about to call you! The brothers are planning to come over later to discuss something."
There was silence on the other end for a moment before Big Yellow replied slowly and somberly, "My master passed away... the night before last."
"Your master? Who?" I momentarily struggled to process this information.
"Liu Team."
"What?" My disbelief showed in my voice. "What happened? Was it murder or illness?"
"Suicide... he hanged himself."
"That can't be true." From Big Yellow's description of Liu Team—a person who understood balance in life and enjoyed living—it seemed impossible that someone like him could take such drastic action.
"Big Yellow, is there anything you need me to do?" My first instinct was that he must have needed something from me.
"Could you come over? There are some things I'd like to discuss with you," Big Yellow said hesitantly.
"Sure thing! I'll be there shortly." After hanging up, I quickly requested leave from my unit, changed clothes, and headed straight for Big Yellow's office.
Big Yellow was waiting at the door when I arrived. As soon as I got out of the car, something felt off; he looked sorrowful—his expression weary and his eyes red-rimmed as if he had been crying or staying up all night.
I patted him on the shoulder. "Big Yellow, don't be too upset. What's done is done and can't be changed. Now tell me exactly what happened."
"Old Wang, I'm feeling really confused. I talked to the people at the bureau, but no one believes me, and I'm not sure myself. That's why I came to you. I think you're more meticulous, and maybe you can help me," Big Yellow said, looking straight at me.
My heart warmed at his words. "Big Yellow, since you trust me like this, I'll do my best to help you! But first, calm down and explain the situation to me so I can strategize for you."
"There’s been a case recently. My mentor and I were both working overtime. I got to the bureau early yesterday to prepare some materials, planning to go over them with him. But by 9 o'clock, he still hadn't shown up. I called him, but he didn't answer. You know how it is in our line of work; we tend to be sensitive about these things. My mentor has never been married and lives alone in his own apartment. So I rushed over to his place and knocked on the door, but there was no response. I ended up having to force the door open. When I got inside, I found my mentor had hanged himself."
"I reported it to the bureau afterward. The Department Leader took it seriously and brought in a forensic expert to examine the scene. They found no other fingerprints or footprints; the doors and windows were tightly shut from the inside, and the autopsy confirmed it was indeed a suicide. Since Dai Liu held a high position, to avoid unnecessary public scrutiny and trouble, the Department Leader decided after discussion that it would be concluded as a suicide due to excessive stress."
"Do you think that's possible?" I asked after pondering for a moment.
"Absolutely not!" Big Yellow exclaimed, agitated. "That's the problem! Liu Team was never the type to bottle things up! I've followed him for so many years; I know him well. He showed no signs of anything unusual before this happened! While we were solving cases together, he didn’t exhibit any odd behavior at all! But now, no one believes me, and there are no useful leads to convince the Department Leaders."
"Were you present during the scene investigation?"
"I was there the whole time!"
"Were there any suspicious details? Or anything unusual? You've definitely been to your mentor's house before."
Big Yellow furrowed his brow as he recalled slowly, "I'm not sure... It seems like there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. The house was normal; nothing special about the furniture or layout, and nothing valuable was missing."
I fell silent as I contemplated this strange case. Then I heard Big Yellow slowly say, "Actually, I called you here today because there's another favor I'd like to ask."
"What is it?" I replied casually.
"Do you remember that Swallow from last week's gathering? Help me find her!"
"What do you need her for?"
"She left early during the last gathering and said something very strange to me that stuck in my mind. I can't let any clue slip away," Big Yellow said firmly.
Looking at Big Yellow, it suddenly dawned on me what he was thinking. He must have Xiao Mo Ya's number; he suspected Swallow but didn't want to go through Xiao Mo Ya for fear of offending her. He wanted me to take on this task instead—clearly wanting me to be the bad guy here. It seemed Big Yellow hadn't let his grief cloud his judgment; he still had his wits about him. Fine then; let me take on this role of the villain.
I sighed and walked to the side, pulling out my phone to dial Xiao Mo Ya's number. "Hello..." came a lazy voice, probably still in bed. I lowered my voice and asked, "Moya, it's Wang Wei. Am I disturbing you?"
"Oh, it's you. I'm still sleeping," she replied, sounding a bit groggy.
"I need a favor. The Swallow you introduced last time—are you in the same unit?"
"Yeah, why?"
"We're heading to your unit soon. Can you help me find her? We have something to ask her."
"What is it?" She sounded much more awake now, curious.
"Oh, it's nothing much—just about dreaming. She seems to have some insights, and I wanted to consult her. Oh, by the way, Big Yellow is coming along too; he wants to see you as well." I added playfully, thinking of how Big Yellow could be quite the troublemaker.
"Ah, I haven't gotten up yet!" The call ended abruptly, likely because she was starting her long morning routine. I hung up and turned to Big Yellow. "Let's go. Everything's set."
We took a Taxi and crossed nearly half of downtown before arriving at Xiao Mo Ya's workplace. I called her again and waited for a moment until she rushed out with her hair tied up and wearing a white shirt. Upon seeing us, her face flushed slightly as she said, "Come with me; Sister Yuyan is in her dorm studying." I glanced sideways at Big Yellow, who had his head down, lost in thought—what a character!
We followed Moya through the work area and arrived at the second floor of a clean four-story building. This was a typical apartment building with one staircase leading to four units on each side. Swallow lived in the far right unit on the second floor. Moya knocked on the door and called out, "Sister Yuyan, we're here."
After a moment, a voice from inside said, "Come in." Xiao Mo Ya pushed the door open, and we followed her inside. Seeing Swallow again, I couldn't help but notice that she always wore a slight smirk on her face that made me uncomfortable. How should I start? As I pondered this question, I noticed that Big Yellow remained silent.
"Has your Dream Come True? Did something happen?" To my surprise, she was the first to speak.
The story of "Dream Come True" has come to an end! Stay tuned for the next chapter titled "Joyful Kill", along with "Love Like the Wind" and "The Work of Chasing the Wind". Tomorrow promises even more excitement!
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