Chapter 20: Coincidence

While Lu Hui and Ji Fanyang were heading to the hardware store opened by the deceased Li Peng’s cousin, Li Feng, a call came in from Rao Feifei: “Chief Lu.” Her voice was as lively and melodious as a little bird, “Li Weiguo is back.”

“Where is he now?” Lu Hui turned up the volume. 

“At Luowan police precinct.” Rao Feifei answered. 

“You and Sister Yang can chat with him.” Lu Hui said. He turned to look at Ji Fanyang, who was earnestly holding the notebook and checking the streets they passed by. Lu Hui paused for a moment, then said, “We won’t be back for a while.”

“Understood.” Rao Feifei said. 

Lu Hui hung up the phone, turned the steering wheel thirty degrees. The car turned down a small alley, passed three alleyway intersections, then stopped. Lu Hui got out of the car and walked into a small hardware store with a narrow entrance. 

The shop owner was huddled behind the counter, reclining comfortably in his chair as he took a nap. Spare parts had piled up into a disordered mess on the glass counter. A filthy wooden cabinet stretched to the ceiling, with metal parts of all varying sizes stuffed inside. Only the tiny window near the ceiling let a little bit of light in. 

In this dirty, narrow, cramped shop, Lu Hui glanced around, then rapped on the counter with a knuckle: “Are you Li Feng?”

The shopkeeper’s languid eyes narrowed into slits, and he waved them away: “Not open, check the next store.” He flopped over and planned to go back to sleep. 

Lu Hui frowned. He picked up a hammer and went to go over, but Ji Fanyang rushed over and took the hammer away: “Chief Lu, Chief Lu, calm down.” The young man put the hammer down lightly, then raised his voice: “You’re Li Feng, right? We are from the Linhua City Public Safety Bureau’s Serious Crimes Squad. We’re here to investigate the death of your cousin, Li Peng.”

The shopkeeper still did not stir. His indolent voice drifted over: “What does Li Peng’s death have to do with me?”

Ji Fanyang shook his head. Beside him, the atmospheric pressure around Lu Hui had just about dropped to negative digits. Ji Fanyang released Lu Hui’s elbow, letting Lu Hui pick up the hammer and pound it down on the chair. 

“Bang!”

The shopkeeper was startled and sat up to glare at Lu Hui indignantly: “Is this how you public officers serve the people?!”

Ji Fanyang could stop himself from laughing. Lu Hui said darkly: “Stand up yourself, or I’ll make you unable to ever stand up again.”

Lu Hui looked gloomy, his personality acrimonious and eccentric. When he spoke seriously, with his voice low, even the King of Hell would have to concede somewhat; a trifling, good-for-nothing shopkeeper wasn’t worth mentioning. 

Li Feng ceased his blustering at once and conscientiously walked behind the counter: “What do you both want?”

In accordance with procedure, Ji Fanyang showed him his badge. The warm, sunny young officer played the part of the good cop: “Li Family Village loses water pumps often. Are they sold here?”

Li Feng’s expression tightened. He repeatedly denied it: “What water pumps? I don’t know.”

Lu Hui was not inclined to talk nonsense with him: “Bring out all of your account books. I’ll call people over to investigate them.”

“What do you mean by all of them, I only have one.” Li Feng pulled out an account book from behind his desk and pushed it over. 

Lu Hui raised his eyelids and his gaze swept over the third shelf of the wooden cabinet. He drew his lips back into an unfriendly, cold smile: “If I find a second account book, it won’t be as simple as pounding a hammer into your chair.”

Ji Fanyang acted as the good cop off to the side: “I advise you to listen to our chief. The local police know about you accepting stolen goods. One charge is enough for you to squat in lockup for a few days, especially if you offend a criminal police officer…” Ji Fanyang stopped here, smiling meaningfully. 

The good cop, bad cop routine would never go out of fashion. Lu Hui and Ji Fanyang’s contrasting personalities worked exceptionally well. Li Feng blinked, then trod over to the wooden cabinet reluctantly. He reached out a hand and grabbed an account book from the third shelf, then passed it to Lu Hui: “Here.” 

Lu Hui flipped through the account book by date to the date two years ago when the water pump went missing. Li Feng and Li Peng’s relationship was, as expected, bad. Recorded in the book was 【Li Peng: Multistage centrifugal pump/3000 x 4】. He tore off that page and gave the rest back to Li Feng. 

“Are we done?” Li Feng asked as he took the account book. 

Lu Hui leaned on the counter and inquired: “Have you sold any strong flashlights?”

“No.” Li Feng shook his head. His eyes lit up, “I saw a boy from the village buy one from the store next door about two weeks ago.” While his relationship with Li Peng was bad, he would not go so far as to sell out Li Peng’s family. He was impatient to divulge the information to Lu Hui, “His name is Lu Yun. He must have wanted to get revenge for Li Peng framing his father and sleeping with his mother. He’s definitely the one who killed Li Peng!”

The corners of Lu Hui’s lips tilted upwards, and he walked out of the hardware store without uttering a single word. He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and called Supervisor Li: “Supervisor Li, Li Feng keeps his second account book in the wooden cabinet to the right of the counter, on the third shelf. Bring some people and come search the place.” 

Ji Fanyang followed behind him, smiling happily. He had a warm disposition, and he looked forward to seeing justice served. He especially liked this kind of mischievous trick by Lu Hui. 

“Mm, let’s see how many days you’ll squat in lockup.” Lu Hui said. He glanced at Ji Fanyang’s toothy grin and couldn’t help but smile with him. He put away his cellphone, then patted Ji Fanyang, “Rein it in, Mr. Policeman[1].”

“Mhm, mhm.” 

They walked past two stores, then entered another respectable shop that Li Feng had mentioned. The shopkeeper, who was sitting behind the glass counter, stood up and greeted them warmly: “Do you want to buy something?”

Ji Fanyang flashed his police badge: “We are the Serious Crimes Squad from Linhua City’s Public Safety Bureau. He is the chief, Lu Hui. My name is Ji Fanyang. We are investigating a homicide. Could you please tell us if this boy—” He pulled out his cellphone and showed a picture of Li Yun, “bought a strong flashlight here recently?”

The shopkeeper took the phone and carefully examined the image, then said: “I don’t remember too clearly. The shop has a security camera. I can help you check it.”

“Then we’ll have to trouble you.” Ji Fanyang smiled. 

“It’s no trouble, it’s no trouble.” The shopkeeper turned around and sat next to the display, “About what time?”

“A week or two ago.” Ji Fanyang answered. 

The shopkeeper rewound the footage to over two weeks ago, then turned and told them: “How about you look through it yourselves.”

“Okay.” Ji Fanyang walked behind the counter, but Lu Hui remained standing in place. 

Ji Fanyang sat where the shopkeeper had just been sitting, then turned to look at Lu Hui: “You aren’t going to look?”

For something as boring as sorting through footage, Lu Hui was absolutely unwilling. He refused: “It’s boring. I don’t want to.”

“I can’t watch it all by myself.” Ji Fanyang said, his voice carrying a trace of supplication, “Two people can inspect it more carefully.”

Lu Hui hesitated for a moment. Before, Lu Hui would never in a million years hesitate, but he had. He had not had a friend since he was fifteen years old, so for the thirty-two-year-old Lu Hui, the word ‘friend’ was a little unfamiliar to him. He needed some time to get used to this kind of friend relationship, including things like accompanying each other and expressing concern for each other. As it happens, he was not good at any of these things. 

“Lu Hui…” Ji Fanyang saw Lu Hui’s hesitation and struggle, and he was a little happy. He tried not to waste the opportunity, so he called Lu Hui by his name, not his address ‘Chief Lu,’ like he was an intimate friend of many years. 

Lu Hui’s shoulders drooped, and he compromised: “Alright.” He glared at the display with hostility, “I’m going to buy some snacks and soda. We’ll be wasting the afternoon away here.”

“We’ll be working the afternoon away.” Ji Fanyang corrected.