NOVEL WEB Chapter 186 - 186: Good Guy, It's a Trap When You Land, Police
Chapter 186: Good Guy, It’s a Trap When You Land, Police
Ma Zhiyuan!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Once again, Su Xuan dropped Zhao Ruoxi off at her building. She held a cup of bubble tea and smiled at him.
“I had a great time tonight,” she said. “I managed to snag another meal and a cup of bubble tea. When you return from your business trip, how about I treat you to dinner? I just hope you won’t refuse.
Indeed, the bubble tea Su Xuan had purchased later on was paid for by him. Originally, Zhao Ruoxi was about to get out of the car to buy it herself. However, Su Xuan had driven straight to the shop’s entrance, taken his phone, and bought it for her.
Watching Su Xuan’s departing figure, Zhao Ruoxi had thoughts known only to herself.
When she heard Zhao Ruoxi’s question, Su Xuan felt a spark of interest. If they wanted to further their relationship, going on another date was the best way forward.
Su Xuan had initially invited Zhao Ruoxi out because he wanted to get to know her better. Now, her willingness to make plans for another meeting after their dinner indicated that she wasn’t averse to the idea.
“Sure,” Su Xuan agreed. “When someone offers to treat me, I’d be happy to come. How about we make plans when I get back?”
Satisfied with the response she received, Zhao Ruoxi headed upstairs to her well-lit apartment. As she watched her home light up, Su Xuan drove back to his own place. After packing his belongings, he went to freshen up and then went to bed.
Tomorrow was the day for his business trip, and he needed to be well-rested.
He hoped that this trip would finally yield some clues.
Chuan Yang’s hometown was in Haicheng, a nine-hour journey from their city, Xiangjiang. Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang had to leave for the city center at seven in the morning and catch the high-speed train before eight. By the time they got off the train, it would be dark outside.
Zhou Qiang handed a cup of instant noodles to Su Xuan. “Let’s make do with
this for now.”
Su Xuan accepted it without hesitation. Even though they had funding from the department for their business trip, the high-speed train food was expensive and unappetizing. It was better to enjoy a cup of instant noodles.
“This time when we arrive, should we go to the local police station first?” Zhou Qiang asked as he slurped his noodles, his expression turning serious.
They hadn’t discussed their plans after arriving, but seeing Su Xuan’s preparations on the train, Zhou Qiang had a feeling that Su Xuan might not head straight to the local police station.
As expected, Su Xuan replied just as Zhou Qiang had guessed. “Not yet. Let’s find a place to stay, preferably close to where Chuan Yang works. Also, I’d like to visit Chuan Yang’s hometown.”
“I did some research, and Chuan Yang is from Haicheng. His hometown is in a remote countryside area. I feel like we should take a look at his hometown. When the time comes, we might have to split up. I’ll go to the countryside,” Su Xuan said, turning his head to Zhou Qiang with a hint of apology in his eyes.
Zhou Qiang had already figured this out and playfully bumped Su Xuan’s shoulder. He grinned and said, “What are you talking about? We’re here on a business trip to gather information, after all. Let’s do this: 1’11 keep an eye on Chuan Yang, and you can visit his hometown. We’ll split up!
Having a brother who understood his thoughts without him saying anything was quite handy. Su Xuan nodded and replied, “Alright!”
During the eight to nine-hour journey, Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang wasted no time. They worked out their plan on the way. However, upon their arrival at the station, they were surprised to find that the Haicheng police were already waiting for them. Both Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang were left dumbfounded. Especially when a police officer approached them, dressed in uniform and extended his hand towards them, Zhou Qiang was utterly bewildered.
“Sergeant Su, Sergeant Zhou, hello!” greeted the man in uniform. “Welcome to Haicheng. I’m Ma Zhiyuan from Haicheng Public Security Bureau. I’m delighted you could make it.”
With those words, he extended his hand to shake hands with Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang quickly shifted gears and shook hands with Ma Zhiyuan before engaging in conversation.
Before long, they learned from Ma Zhiyuan that Old Maii had already coordinated with the Haicheng police. They were waiting here as soon as they got wind of someone coming.
“We thought you might have flown in,” Ma Zhiyuan chuckled. “But then I thought, you guys might take the high-speed train, so we waited here just in case. Turns out, I caught you right on time. Luckily, I’m here; otherwise, when you arrived, we wouldn’t have had any reception, and that would be quite embarrassing!”
-Hehe, come on, we’ve got a private room ready for you. You must be tired from the journey. Let’s have a meal first, and then maybe get a massage… If there’s anything urgent, we can discuss it tomorrow.
Ma Zhiyuan prepared to lead Su Xuan and Zhou Qiang to the car, effectively disrupting the plan they had outlined for their journey. Su Xuan even noticed several people looking in their direction, who quickly averted their gazes and pretended to be ordinary passersby when he glanced at them. His expression turned serious.
“Suxuan, about this…”
When they heard that Ma Zhiyuan still wanted to treat them to a meal, Zhou Qiang hesitated to bring up their original plan. He could only turn to Su Xuan for guidance.
Su Xuan smiled and said, “Zhou, I’ll follow your lead.
Hearing Su Xuan’s response, Zhou Qiang quickly agreed to Ma Zhiyuan’s suggestion. He handed all their belongings to Su Xuan and followed Ma Zhiyuan into the car. Throughout the journey, he only conversed with Ma Zhiyuan and paid no attention to Su Xuan, even looking somewhat impatient when Su Xuan caught up with them.
Su Xuan, unfazed by the treatment, sighed and immersed himself in his phone. He seemed accustomed to this behavior. Ma Zhiyuan stole glances at Su Xuan several times, but his gaze was discreet. If Su Xuan hadn’t been discreetly observing him, he might not have even noticed the looks.
Ma Zhiyuan had arranged for them to dine at a local restaurant that served traditional cuisine. As the car pulled up to the restaurant, Su Xuan, who had been focused on his phone, suddenly became alert for a brief moment, but he quickly returned to his previous demeanor. He resumed watching short videos on his phone.
Ma Zhiyuan also felt that it wasn’t fair to have a conversation only with Zhou Qiang during the journey. He turned to Su Xuan and asked, “Officer Su, do you like spicy food?”
-When you’re here, you must try our famous dish, ‘Spicy Seafood Trio.’ It’s an absolute must!” he said, giving a thumbs-up and looking quite pleased with himself.
Hearing this, Zhou Qiang also became interested. “Spicy Seafood Trio? I’ve heard of it. They say it’s delicious and a local specialty here. I just never had the chance to try it. It seems like we’re in for a treat today!
He initiated the conversation, and Su Xuan, who had put away his phone, smiled and replied, “Well, then we should definitely give it a try.” “Great!” Ma Zhiyuan was excited. “We’ve arrived at the place. This is the best farmhouse restaurant in our area. After dinner, I’ll take you to get a massage and then to your hotel..”