Chapter 30

When Chen Pu and Li Jincheng just graduated, they shared a two-bedroom apartment.

The two had a dispute over what kind of house to rent. Chen Pu wanted to rent a super luxurious four-bedroom apartment in the city center, with him living in the master bedroom and Li Jincheng in the second bedroom, plus a gym and a study. The latter two rooms would be in his name, and Li Jincheng only had to pay for one.

Li Jincheng refused. Having been adopted by his uncle and aunt since he was a child, he was used to living within his means and not owing anyone anything, because he had already owed too much by the time he grew up.

Li Jincheng originally wanted to rent a house in Chaoyang Home, which was close to his workplace and cheap. Chen Pu refused, saying that he felt disgusted when he saw the community. Moreover, Chen Pu was working in another branch at that time, and he said that it was not close enough to work. In the end, the two compromised and rented a mid-range two-bedroom apartment, which Li Jincheng could easily afford.

Over that year, the two of us were in different police stations and were no longer inseparable. Sometimes we would only watch a game together and eat peanuts after get off work at night; sometimes we would only go out to a restaurant together or play basketball on weekends. But that feeling was very stable. You knew there was always someone behind you who understood your aspirations and shared your temperament. You could share your troubles and happiness that were difficult to talk about with others with this buddy. He would always support you unconditionally and treat you well. He was like a reef with soft edges and tough texture, standing on your life path.

Of course, there were conflicts. For example, when Chen Pu kept his socks for a week and didn't wash them, Li Jincheng washed them for him while scolding him. When Chen Pu proposed to hire a cleaner, Li Jincheng, who had been frugal since childhood, scolded him for being stupid and lazy, saying that he had to hire someone to do the housework in such a small house.

Another time, Chen Pu had run out of money and could not withdraw it from his financial management account, so he borrowed 2000 yuan from Li Jincheng. As a result, he used the 2000 yuan to buy a T-shirt and continued to borrow money from Li Jincheng for meals, which made Li Jincheng very angry.

At that time, Chen Pu was fancy and flirtatious. He bought a lot of brand-name clothes and shoes, loved to perm his hair, and shave his face. Most of the brand-name clothes he bought were low-key and luxurious with hidden logos. Even his boss couldn't see them, and he praised him for being more energetic than others when wearing similar T-shirts. Only Li Jincheng knew how stuffy and spendthrift he was.

Once, the two of them were drinking beer and eating skewers, and they talked about getting married and having children in the future. Chen Pu said, "Of course I will be the godfather of your child in the future."

Li Jincheng frowned when he heard this. He said, "It's okay to be a brother, but there's no need to be a godfather. What if you lead the child astray and spoil him?"
What worries did the two young detectives have at that time? They didn't care about being scolded by their superiors. They drank as usual when they couldn't solve the case. Anyway, they had their masters and captains to support them. They were so outstanding and handsome, and they would definitely have a bright future as elite detectives.

More than a month before Li Jincheng disappeared, Chen Pu had to go on a business trip to participate in an important mission, and he was not allowed to bring even his cell phone. When he returned to Xiangcheng, he learned that Li Jincheng had an accident. At that time, the branch also organized a large force to search for a period of time. Chen Pu followed Li Jincheng's colleagues to search every day before dawn, after get off work, and on weekends when they were not working on the case.

But they got nothing.

Since Li Jincheng left work that day without reporting his whereabouts, he could not be considered missing on duty. Later, because of other more important cases, the case of Li Jincheng had to be put on hold temporarily, and they would look for him when they had time.

Only Chen Pu still went to see her every weekend. Gradually, he changed, becoming silent and unkempt. He threw those beautiful clothes in the closet and never wanted to wear them again. He didn't spend much money, but he still didn't take care of the hygiene. Without Li Jincheng, his mother sent a cleaner to come, but she was not allowed to enter Li Jincheng's room.

Growing up, Chen Pu rarely cried. He always made others cry. In the first six months after Li Jincheng disappeared, he sometimes sat alone at home, covering his face and crying several times. He even put ice on his face early in the morning, afraid that others would notice.

Later, one night, he had a dream. He dreamed that Li Jincheng was wearing the clothes he wore on the day he disappeared. He was covered in blood, looked much thinner, and was very dirty.

Li Jincheng smiled gently as usual and said, Chen Pu, I am dead. I was murdered. You have to seek justice for me. I am a criminal policeman. I cannot disappear from this world without knowing why. When Chen Pu woke up, his tears soaked half of his pillow. He knew that he would never get over this.

Because if even he gave up the search, Li Jincheng might be buried in some dark place and never see the sun again.

After all, he is a person who likes to bask in the sun, because his aunt is a Chinese medicine practitioner and said that this can replenish yang energy.

Chen Pu made up his mind at that time that he would find the day when he could still breathe, and he would see his body if he was alive or his body if he was dead.

-

Chen Pu brought Li Qingyao to Room 17, Building 101, Chaoyang Home, where Liu Huaixin had rented seven years ago.

This time Chen Pu did not bring anyone else to join the group because he knew she would definitely come.

Building 17 is quite far from where they live now, on the other diagonal of Chaoyang Home. Due to the terrain, this building is a certain distance away from the surrounding buildings. It has only five floors, with two units and four households on each floor.

The house was very old, with peeling walls and small advertisements posted everywhere. Room 101 was at the east end. They walked into the unit door, but found that the door of 101 was sealed with a cement white wall. They walked around the house and saw that the main door opened into a small courtyard. There were some vegetables planted in the courtyard, and clothes were hung out to dry. Someone was cooking in the kitchen.

Li Qingyao went to the door and a woman in her thirties opened the door and looked at them in confusion. The two showed their police IDs and after a brief exchange, they found out that there were two couples renting here. They were both migrant workers from the countryside. They rented the house two years ago and knew nothing about the previous tenants, but provided the landlord's contact information. Chen Pu called a colleague in the bureau to check the IDs of the woman and others, and there was nothing unusual.

The two of them went into the house and looked around. It was a three-bedroom apartment with a large living room. Seven years had passed, and there was no trace of Liu Huaixin's life in the house.

Li Qingyao called the landlord and heard that he was a young man who was working in the South Economic Development Zone, a 40-minute drive away. Li Qingyao made an appointment with him and drove over to meet him immediately.

The three of them agreed to meet at the cafe downstairs in the office building.

The landlord is Zhou Hui, who is in his thirties and just returned from studying abroad three years ago. When asked about the Chaoyang Home House, he said that because he was abroad, he had no idea about the previous tenants, and the house was rented out by his widowed mother. His mother died of illness two years ago.

"Are there any rental records, account books, or bank transfer records from that time?" Chen Pu asked.