Chapter 37: Real You

At around 11:00, only He Wei and Chong Zhen were left working overtime in the city bureau.

“Send someone to bring Cheng Zhenqing over.”

Chong Zhen yawned, “Does it have to be at this time? It’s late at night, and I’m afraid I might fall asleep while interrogating him.”

“You can sleep if you want; I’ll handle the interrogation.” He Wei originally didn’t plan for it to be this late, but he had received a hint from Cheng Zhenqing earlier, so he deliberately scheduled the interrogation for this time to see what tricks he was up to.

Before long, Cheng Zhenqing was brought in. He showed no signs of sleepiness and appeared quite alert. He even greeted He Wei, “Officer He, still working overtime? You’re really putting in the effort.”

“Just used to it.” He Wei and Chong Zhen entered the interrogation room one after the other. After Cheng Zhenqing’s hands were handcuffed, the interrogation officially began.

He Wei glanced through the afternoon’s interrogation records, skipped some of the formalities, and went straight to the point, “How did you come to know Cheng Zesheng?”

“Huh? Does this have anything to do with my brother’s case? That was years ago.”

“Explain.”

Cheng Zhenqing shrugged and told him that three years ago while washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant in Canada, he accidentally met Cheng Zesheng. They felt a strange sense of familiarity with each other due to their similar appearances. They took a paternity test and confirmed they were indeed brothers, so they recognized each other.

“Why did you keep it a secret from your parents?”

He Wei’s tone was cold, and he asked questions that Cheng Zhenqing didn’t want to answer. Cheng Zhenqing’s mouth twitched, “I’m not close to them.”

“Did Cheng Zesheng willingly join in the concealment?”

“No, he was actually excited and wanted to tell our parents. It was I who asked him not to say anything. Zesheng listened to me a lot.”

He Wei continued to review the transcript and suddenly asked, “Can your younger brother use a gun?”

“Yes.”

“Did you teach him?”

“Yes.”

“How long did it take him to learn?”

“He’s very clever and learned quickly, regardless of what it was. He even bought books and studied gun disassembly and assembly on his own. About three months, and he became quite skilled.”

He Wei glanced at Cheng Zhenqing and turned to the next page of the transcript, “How did you smuggle the guns into the country?”

“At this point, is this related to the case? Why don’t you ask about what I was doing on the day Cheng Zesheng had the accident?”

He Wei’s attitude remained cold and unaffected, “Right now, I’m the one asking questions. The initiative is in my hands, and you don’t have the option to choose.”

Cheng Zhenqing shook his head with a bitter smile, “Officer He, you really give me different surprises every time.”

He Wei’s eyelid twitched, but he didn’t pay it any mind. He continued, “Where were you on the 14th afternoon?”

“I was at Fusheng Jinlong Garden. I was there the whole afternoon and evening, and I left the next morning.”

“Who can confirm that?”

“The old man next door. I even greeted him. I had to pass by their house when I left. If you don’t believe me, ask him if he saw me leave that day.”

He Wei reminded him that everyone knew about the back door, and it was easy to avoid the old man’s gaze. Everyone was experienced; there was no need to play these fancy tricks. If he has something to say, say it clearly.

Cheng Zhenqing protested that he was really at Fusheng Jinlong Garden, but why was it that no one believed the truth?

Chong Zhen leaned on his hand and yawned, and He Wei nudged his arm, “Make yourself some coffee. There’s a dessert from Youqing in the fridge. Go replenish your energy and perk up.”

“Can you handle this on your own?” Chong Zhen’s question felt redundant the moment it left his lips. Could He Wei not handle it? Could he really make Cheng Zhenqing lose his temper?

After Chong Zhen left, He Wei turned off the audio and video recording, and after coming back in, he walked up to Cheng Zhenqing and looked down at him, “Have we met before?”

Cheng Zhenqing smiled without saying a word. He Wei continued, “When we caught you, you said ‘meeting again,’ and just now you mentioned ‘every time.’ I’m curious, where does this tone of familiarity come from?”

“Guess, and guess in a more specific direction. Under what circumstances would I have met you?”

He Wei recalled the incident with Cheng Zesheng’s fans mistaking him for being friends with Cheng Zesheng. He said, “You must have mistaken me. That was my twin brother.”

Cheng Zhenqing was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. If it weren’t for his hands being cuffed, he might have even pounded the table.

“Officer He, seriously, you’re much more interesting than your cold appearance suggests.” Cheng Zhenqing stifled his laughter and sighed in resignation, “Some things are complex and mysterious. I can’t tell you now, but you’ll understand on your own in the future.”

“You can tell me now.” He Wei gestured toward the glass, “I’ve turned off the recording and video. Only the two of us know what’s being said.”

“Forget it; I’ll tell you, but it won’t have much effect.” Cheng Zhenqing leaned back in his chair lazily, “Since the surveillance is off, you can choose three questions from the transcript and ask them again. I’ll answer truthfully.”

He Wei sneered, “According to you, were all the questions I asked before pointless?”

“Don’t malign me, Officer He. You clearly know I haven’t lied much. If you’re not going to ask, I might as well go back to sleep.”

He Wei squinted his eyes. He had never encountered a suspect who always held the upper hand like this. Moreover, He Wei could also tell that he was not easily swayed by either hard or soft approaches. Even with his eyes closed, he could still talk his way out of situations, making it impossible to pin him down.

He Wei retrieved the transcript, flipped through it, and asked, “First question, who were the people you killed as a sniper?”

“..Drug traffickers.”

He Wei was surprised, and he saw that Cheng Zhenqing’s brows were furrowed, his hands clenched into fists, and an expression that seemed to be gnashing his teeth, as if he wanted to tear them apart.

“You seem to really hate drug traffickers,” He Wei remarked.

Cheng Zhenqing’s tone turned hard and cold, “They are brutal, inhuman, and destroy human decency. After being in contact with them, all I want is to kill them swiftly.”

He Wei’s mind stirred, and he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Using a key, he unlocked the handcuffs on Cheng Zhenqing’s right hand and shook out a cigarette, handing it over.

“Thanks.” Cheng Zhenqing took the cigarette, first squeezed it from end to end, then waved it near his nose before saying, “Do you have a light?”

He Wei handed him a lighter, his expression becoming complicated. With a click, Cheng Zhenqing lit the cigarette, took a deep drag, and smiled, “Keep asking; there are still two more questions.”

“Why did you only recognize Cheng Zesheng and not look for your parents?”

“This.. It’s really hard to explain. To sum it up in three words: not familiar enough.”

“One last question.” He Wei leaned on the table, lowered his head, and spoke in a hushed tone that only the two of them could hear.

“Were you previously—an anti-drug officer?”

———

At three in the morning, He Wei returned home, exhausted. He had been engrossed in his work before, not feeling much, but as he relaxed now, that elbow strike he received from apprehending Cheng Zhenqing started to make itself known. A heavy feeling settled in his chest, and even breathing pulled at his muscles in a faint ache.

He hadn’t come back the day before, and there was takeout on the table that looked like Cheng Zesheng’s order. But he didn’t have much of an appetite now. The main issue was his discomfort; he just wanted to go to his room, apply some ointment, and get some rest.

After heading upstairs, He Wei stood at his door, glancing at Cheng Zesheng’s door. He’s probably asleep by now, right? Maybe it’s best not to knock and disturb him. Some questions could wait until tomorrow.

However, Cheng Zesheng had already woken up when he heard the neighboring door open. Tonight, he had ordered shredded chicken for dinner, and after a whole night without He Wei returning, he figured he was working late at the bureau. So, he left the shredded chicken on the table, hoping He Wei would find it upon his return.

For some reason, without a short conversation with He Wei or any interaction, the night felt exceptionally long. He tossed and turned in bed and only managed to fall asleep around one in the morning. His sleep wasn’t deep, and when he heard the sound of the lock on the opposite door, he instantly woke up.

Cheng Zesheng quickly got up and went to knock on He Wei’s door. After a short while, the door slowly opened. The room was dark without any lights on, and a pungent scent of Yunnan Baiyao ointment lingered in the air.

“Are you injured?” Cheng Zesheng flicked the light switch on, but then remembered the time was off. He Wei wouldn’t be able to hear his voice.

He Wei was quite speechless. He was exhausted, planning to apply the ointment and head to bed. Cheng Zesheng turned on the lights, flooding the room with brightness. How was he supposed to sleep now?

[Are you injured?]

There was a note on the bed, and He Wei put down the Yunnan Baiyao ointment. He tore off a piece of paper and replied: [Yeah. Why aren’t you asleep yet?]

Cheng Zesheng found it even harder to sleep now.

Though it was common for them as detectives to suffer from bruises and injuries, as “roommates,” it didn’t seem right to turn a blind eye. Cheng Zesheng thought for a moment, tore off another piece of paper, and asked where He Wei was injured and which criminal managed to hurt him.

Seated at the edge of the bed, He Wei’s upper body was bare, rubbing the black and purple bruise on his chest. He picked up a pen and replied briefly with just two words: [Your brother.]

Cheng Zesheng was initially stunned, but soon remembered that his brother from the neighboring world was still alive and was even a fugitive criminal. He couldn’t fathom the scenario where Cheng Zhenqing and He Wei would come to blows; after all, in his heart, his brother only dealt ruthlessly with criminals, and he had never seen him use force against his colleagues.

[Where are you hurt? Is it serious?]

[Chest, elbow—luckily no bones were broken.]

Cheng Zesheng followed the scent of the Yunnan Baiyao ointment to its source. He stared at the empty bed, where He Wei had been, possibly still holding the ointment and rubbing away the accumulated blood.

The overhead light flickered twice and suddenly went out.

Both He Wei and Cheng Zesheng looked up simultaneously. He Wei attempted to turn the light back on, but after trying a few times, it became apparent that something unfortunate had happened—the power was out.

Well, now there was no need to pass notes anymore. They should each go to their own rooms, and sleep in their respective beds.

Cheng Zesheng also stood at the doorway, checking the switch. The sounds in the air gradually became more complex. Besides his breathing, there was an additional faint sound of breathing.

He Wei’s senses were sharp, and he had already sensed the presence. He felt surprised, not by the fact that someone was behind him but by how much time had passed and he was still able to hear Cheng Zesheng’s voice.

And—this was just too close.

He Wei furrowed his brow and instinctively pushed; this time his finger didn’t touch the thin air but the soft fabric of a T-shirt and a warm chest. His heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly turned around, only to have his wrist caught again. The warmth transmitted through the skin-to-skin contact was undeniable, confirming that there was a living person standing behind him.

“Cheng Zesheng..”

“Don’t move.”

Cheng Zesheng’s warm breath nearly brushed He Wei’s cheek as he spoke in a low voice, “If you move forward just a bit more, we’ll almost kiss.”

Cheng Zesheng was also nervous. He hadn’t expected to actually touch the real He Wei. The wrist he held was cold and smooth, but the palpitation of the pulse was real, thumping against his chest, beat after beat.

“..” What kind of nonsense was he spouting? He Wei shook off the hand and stepped back in the opposite direction, and at that moment, the room suddenly brightened up—the power was back on.

No one else was there; the room held only him.

Cheng Zesheng stared at his palm, dazed. The warmth lingered on his fingertips; it was the human body temperature.

He couldn’t be mistaken. He had indeed just touched He Wei.