Wanderer of the Zerg

Chapter 49: Eroded by comfort

At the police station, the young male officer taking notes poured them a glass of water, and Xi Tian and Ellis were asked a series of questions, such as: What is your relationship with Rutherford? When was the last time you saw him? What was the last thing Rutherford said to you?

The questioning was conducted by a young male officer, while an older female officer stood by, clearly guiding him patiently. The young officer’s questions occasionally included unrelated topics, asking Xi Tian about why he came here from his home planet and what his interests and ambitions were.

Xi Tian was puzzled but answered somewhat truthfully and somewhat evasively.

The older officer deemed these questions harmless and went along with the young officer’s inquiries.

As time ticked away, it soon approached Xi Tian’s usual bedtime, and he could hardly keep his eyes open.

Seeing this, the older officer suggested they go back and rest for now, and that they would be notified once the test results were available the next day.

Given the gravity of the situation, Xi Tian and Ellis really had no mood to return to their accommodation.

With the young officer’s company, they went home to fetch some fresh clothes, while the officer continued to ask Xi Tian various questions.

On the way, the young officer introduced himself as Kang Ran, the eldest son of the Kang family from East Town. He had graduated from a prestigious university outside the star system and had only recently returned to Boulder, where his family had used their connections to secure his current position.

Xi Tian was initially curious about why Kang Ran was talking to him about things unrelated to the case.

As they were nearing their accommodation, Xi Tian realized that Kang Ran’s complaints were a form of self-revelation and showed a degree of trust towards him.

Xi Tian had always been favored by females but not by males. However, recently, both males and females had been showing him trust and goodwill. Even the stray dog he had taken in at home had responded to him in the same way.

At that moment, they both lay down on their beds.

Xi Tian asked Ellis, “Did we forget to leave food for the little dog in the yard when we left?”

Ellis, already settled in bed, replied, “Yes, we only took the clothes and bed linens and completely forgot about it.”

“Hmm, missing a meal shouldn’t be a big deal, right?” Xi Tian asked uncertainly.

“I don’t think it matters; it has survived fine before,” Ellis said.

“Well, let’s just go to bed early then and get up early tomorrow.”

The next morning, after breakfast, Kang Ran’s message arrived, asking them to come in to view the surveillance footage.

At the police station, they found Korawa there, looking exhausted with red, bloodshot eyes.

Kang Ran explained to Xi Tian that just a few hours earlier, they had learned Rutherford’s cause of death was a severe head injury leading to cardiac arrest due to insufficient blood supply, with the time of death estimated to be between 7:00 and 8:00 PM.

The police had examined the surrounding roads and found a surveillance camera at the intersection. They retrieved the footage from that time period.

At 7:21 PM, Rutherford was seen in the footage heading towards his home.

At 7:24 PM, Rutherford passed by Xi Tian’s house, noticed something, and turned into the yard where a shadowy figure emerged and began to struggle with Rutherford.

Rutherford was seen falling to the ground. After a while, he struggled to get up and crawled a few meters forward before he stopped moving.

Kang Ran asked them if they recognized the shadowy figure.

Xi Tian carefully scrutinized the blurred figure but couldn’t recall any suspicious individuals.

Ellis, however, remembered something, saying, “A couple of times this week, when we came back from the supermarket, we found the neatly folded blankets on the bed disturbed, and some of the toiletries in the bathroom knocked over. I thought it was just us forgetting to tidy up, but it seems it might have been someone coming in and making a mess?”

Boulder was known for its simple, honest community and harmonious neighborhood. Ellis’s comment made the people present look uneasy.

Such an incident in their proud little town was quite disgraceful, and they couldn’t help but feel deeply ashamed.

Xi Tian noticed a trace of mocking smile on Kang Ran’s face, who was standing at the innermost part of the crowd.

Korawa, standing nearby, spoke in a hoarse voice, “Please, everyone, make sure to catch the person who harmed my brother.”

His fists were tightly clenched, and his face was deathly pale.

He was no longer the embarrassed female Xi Tian remembered from the first party, who had laughed loudly at his brother.

Although Xi Tian hadn’t witnessed Rutherford’s death firsthand, he felt an inexplicable sadness and sighed softly.

Ellis, standing beside him, took his hand.

After the police finished collecting evidence at the scene, they informed them they could leave.

As Xi Tian walked from the yard into the house, the white lines marked on the ground made him uneasy.

He asked, “When does our lease end?”

“I don’t remember. I’ll go check the lease agreement.”

Ellis retrieved a paper from a small cabinet where documents were stored, which indicated that the lease would end at the end of the month.

Xi Tian sighed, “Looks like we’ll have to move again.”

Although it seemed insensitive to think about such matters after the landlord’s incident, it was a practical concern he had to consider.

He hugged Ellis, “I really don’t want to leave this place. I don’t like moving.”

The leisurely life over the past three months had almost made him forget the pain of separating from his home.

Ellis, on the other hand, felt anxious about the current idleness and began to reminisce about his days in the military. However, he valued Kang Ran’s feelings more than his own.

A message arrived from Kang Ran inviting Xi Tian over, stating that the driver was waiting outside.

Xi Tian was puzzled by Kang Ran’s intentions but went to his house anyway.

Kang Ran had prepared tea and snacks. The red tea emitted white steam, and the white porcelain plate beside it held three or four exquisite pastries.

Xi Tian couldn’t help but be attracted to the pastries.

Kang Ran smiled, “Indeed, males from big places always like sweet pastries.”

“Aren’t the police supposed to be working at this time?”

“That broken place, if I want to go, I go; if I don’t want to, I don’t.”

Kang Ran clearly had little regard for his position.

“I’m curious, why did you invite me here?”

“Nothing special, just feeling a bit down and wanted someone to vent to.”

“We’ve only known each other for a short time. I’m sure you have plenty of people who will listen to you.”

“Looking for idiots in the town, unless I’m insane. The people here just can’t understand me; their vision is so narrow, focusing only on their small, confined world.

I just want to talk to you. You’re also a man from a big place and should be able to understand my thoughts.”

Another unspoken reason was that Xi Tian was not a permanent resident of this small town but was just here temporarily for a vacation.

Xi Tian didn’t respond, quietly sipping his tea and listening to Kang Ran.

Kang Ran came from a wealthy family, studied at the best schools, and attended prestigious universities outside the star system, giving him a broad perspective.

Yet, his family insisted he return to the small town, secured a government job for him through connections, and even planned for him to find a match and settle down there.

Kang Ran had experienced the bustling world of the big city and developed an ambition to make his mark in the world. He was unwilling to be confined to this small place but could not go against his family’s wishes, so he had to return here for the time being.

Kang Ran had little enthusiasm for this boring job, often showing up sporadically. The police, considering his family background, turned a blind eye to his lack of commitment.

“The relaxed atmosphere in the small town only wears down my fighting spirit. The pace of technological development is too slow, and everyone knows each other. There’s no ambition here. Every time I see the gray-haired old folks, it feels like peering into a future forty years ahead—a stagnant pool, utterly devoid of any ripples.”

Kang Ran ignored the red tea on the table and instead opened a bottle of liquor, pouring himself one glass after another.

Kang Ran needed someone to listen to him, and he considered Xi Tian the best listener.

From the first moment he saw Xi Tian, he felt an inexplicable closeness and an instinctive desire to trust him.

“Have you thought about what you’ll do in the future?”

“Not yet. But I’m already fed up with this trivial and boring position. The females keep telling me that this is a stable job, ideal for males.

Males should stay home, and females should fight for everything they need.

But I have hands and feet, a brain and vision. Why should I rely on others and beg for charity?

It’s all useless zero-sum games. Hmph.”

Kang Ran sneered disdainfully.

“The people here only know how to stagnate, wallowing in comfort.

Even the young people are perpetually drowsy and lack ambition.

I’m only 20 years old. I don’t want to age in this stagnant environment. I don’t want my spirit to be eroded by comfort.”

Xi Tian’s thoughts drifted away. At just 23 years old, he had already become accustomed to this stable and peaceful life.

He recalled his almost forgotten dreams, the countless travel journals he had read.

The once adventurous spirit, now unwilling to leave his current comfort, was perhaps also being eroded by the very ease he had grown accustomed to.