Special Counsel

The case of the money cat spirit and the human meat dumplings was officially over. Superintendent Sun held a grand commendation meeting and rewarded all the people who participated in cracking the case. Song Yang and Wang Dali each got a bonus of 20,000 yuan. Huang Xiaotao, as the head of the task force, received a special commendation and was awarded a second-class merit medal from the Ministry of Public Security. Wang Yuanchao was promoted from a beat cop to the next level.

Mayor Cheng highly praised my detective skills and passed a message to me through Superintendent Sun that if I encountered any difficulties in the province in the future, I could come to him for help! He even gave me his private phone number, which less than twenty people in the whole province knew.

Huang Xiaotao told me that according to protocol, I should have received that medal, it’s just that I don’t have an official police position. I didn’t really care much. Being a little consultant was nice enough.

To facilitate my investigation work in the future, Superintendent Sun made an ID for me that had the same cover as Huang Xiaotao's police ID, but inside it said "Forensic Consultant, Song Yang, Nanjiang Municipal Public Security Bureau." Very formal, more than enough to impress ordinary people!

Superintendent Sun also jokingly told me that if I thought it wasn't impressive enough, I could go to a toy store and buy a fake gun to wear on my waist.

For now, I returned to my plain campus life again. This contrast made me feel particularly bored. I was so bored that I yawned all the way through class every day. Of course, having no murder cases was a good thing, it meant Nanjiang City had good public order, but it just wasn't exciting.

Huang Xiaotao was still busy every day. We occasionally texted each other, sometimes with vaguely flirtatious content. By flirtatious, I mean things like "Miss me?" and "Little stud, why don't you come spend time with big sis tonight?" I felt like our relationship was gradually moving closer, but neither of us broke through that final barrier. Maybe she really was too busy to have a relationship, and I was a love idiot who didn't know how to take that last step. But I was quite enjoying our current relationship.

One day, Wang Dali borrowed my phone and accidentally saw our flirty texts. He stared at me in shock and asked, "Damn, Yangzi, you're really something. I didn't know you were secretly courting Sister Xiaotao. When did this start happening with you two?"

I quickly snatched back my phone and said, "How can you casually look at other people's private messages?"

"Don't change the subject. I thought you were still single, but it turns out you've long since escaped singlehood. Explain this to me clearly right now, or else I'll call our other roommates back and put you on trial!" said Wang Dali.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you!" The other two roommates were a couple of jokesters. If they found out I was involved with the policewoman, I'm afraid the whole school would know by tomorrow.

After I explained everything to him, Wang Dali patted me on the shoulder and said, "Not bad, Yangzi. Usually when I see you talking to a girl, you get nervous as hell. Sometimes I really worry about your lifelong happiness. I didn't expect you to accidentally get together with Sister Xiaotao. I'm really happy for you, bro!"

"Um, I didn't hurt your feelings, right? Weren't you also interested in Huang Xiaotao?" I asked.

Wang Dali laughed heartily, "Don't you know my consistent revolutionary principle? Cast a wide net and focus on cultivation. Since this peach has already been plucked by someone, what's the point of me foolishly interfering? I'll just switch battlefields. But you're too unkind, always hiding this from me. You made me keep pursuing Sister Xiaotao in vain."

"Alright, enough. I'll treat you to drinks tonight to make up for it, okay?" I said, embarrassed.

"Probably can't do tonight, I have plans," Wang Dali shook his head.

Only then did I notice he was dressed up neatly, with his hair slicked back neatly with hair gel. His date was definitely not with another guy. So I asked, "Damn, and you said I was secretly courting someone. When did you betray the brotherhood? Come clean, who's the girl? Which class is she in?"

"Actually, I don't know!" said Wang Dali, looking confused.

It turned out one of his fellow villagers had arranged a social dinner with some girls from another dorm. They were supposed to go out for hotpot tonight, but one of the guys had gone home, so he called Wang Dali to fill the empty spot and maybe get introduced to a girlfriend.

The four girls were also seniors like us, and all single. So I was a little worried, "Still single in senior year, how good can their personality be?"

"This is casting a wide net, isn't it? If I don't get out there and try my luck, how will the peach blossoms bloom? Oh right, do you want to come too? It's AA." Wang Dali said.

"I think I'll pass, I'm not that used to eating with four girls," I rejected outright.

"Then wait for my good news," said Wang Dali, making a victory gesture.

That night, Wang Dali texted me: "Damn, one of the girls is super cute, I can't believe she's a senior."

I replied: "Then go for it!"

"Lend me your energy!!!"

So I sent him the two characters for "energy."

Wang Dali replied: "Received! I'm now full of energy." When Wang Dali was in a good mood, he could be quite silly. It seemed there was potential here. As his bro, I was happy for him too.

He was at dinner for quite a while, still not back by 8 pm. I figured maybe he went walking with the girl afterward. But then he texted me saying some guy was super annoying, aggressively flirting with the goddess, not letting Wang Dali get a word in edgewise. It got him all worked up.

I asked: "Need me to come help?"

"Sunshine Bar, hurry, the enemy fire is too strong, request backup from headquarters!" Wang Dali immediately replied.

I got changed and headed out. On the way, I wondered how I could support Wang Dali. Should I sacrifice my integrity and flirt with that guy? Oh well, I'd just play it by ear.

I arrived at the small bar just off campus. Although it was called a bar, it actually sold all kinds of drinks and smoothies, catering to the student demographic, making things very convenient for couples on dates. I'd never been here before.

The decor of the bar was pretty stylish, with quite a few students inside drinking after dinner, soft music playing from the speakers.

After looking around, I found Wang Dali at a table in the corner. He stood up and called, "Song Yang, what a coincidence!"

I played along, "Just came for a drink after dinner. What are you doing here?"

There were three other people at the table. One girl had a very pure and cute look, with a goose egg face, big eyes, and wearing a yellow knit sweater.

Next to her sat a girl with super heavy makeup. Her whole face was pale white, wearing a bright pink dress that showed off her rather good figure. Her looks were maybe an 8/10, but I didn't know what she looked like without makeup.

There was also a guy wearing casual suit and glasses, deliberately acting very mature, even holding a cigarette in his hand. I generally disliked students who smoked.

The heavy makeup girl spoke to Wang Dali in an affected voice, "Dali, is this cutie your classmate?"

Wang Dali slapped me on the shoulder, "Let me introduce my best bro, Song Yang!"

I smiled politely at them. The girl with the pure looks also smiled politely back at me. The made-up girl looked at me longingly, while the smoking guy just snorted contemptuously.

Wang Dali introduced them as Xia Mengmeng, Zhang Yan, and Ye Shiwen.

I quietly asked Wang Dali which one was his fellow villager. I didn't want to accidentally attack my ally later. Wang Dali said his friend had gotten drunk and been taken back already. The rest had gone their own ways.

Wang Dali pulled me to sit down and ordered me a drink. As soon as I sat down, Zhang Yan took a keen interest in me, asking my major, hometown, and whether I had a girlfriend. I thought, wow, pretty direct. Just to be polite, I briefly answered her questions. Upon hearing I had a girlfriend, Zhang Yan immediately lost interest and went back to chatting about Korean dramas with Wang Dali.

Ye Shiwen completely ignored me and kept talking to Xia Mengmeng, going on and on about poetry and lyrics of the Jin dynasties in a pretentious manner. Xia Mengmeng didn't say a word, just kept smiling and listening to Ye Shiwen.

Everyone was chatting amongst themselves. It looked lively on the surface, but after analyzing the battlefield, Ye Shiwen kept clinging to Xia Mengmeng, while Zhang Yan wouldn't let Wang Dali go, leaving him in a very passive position, unable to get a word in with his goddess at all.

As a brother, it was time for me to take the stage!