14 Mistaken Idenity (2/2)

”May I speak with the coroner.” Xu Fei said politely.

Upon those words, the man standing with the lantern gave him a strange look, the murkiness within his eyes stirred like waves and torrents.

Xu Fei felt strange shivers running down his spine.

[Did I speak something wrong?]

”Cough, constable Xu, I am the coroner.” The man said. It didn't seem that he was angry that Xu Fei had failed to recognize who he was.

”Oh… Then why did you open the door for me, I thought…” Xu Fei was at loss of what to say.

The man looked upon him ever so silently ”Constable Xu, you see, I am the only one who works here, I am the coroner, the scribe, the bookkeeper, and the housekeeper. It has been this way for the past three years.” The man informed him, without as much as the slightest hint of annoyance.

”Oh.” Xu Fei was now feeling slightly embarrassed for not doing any investigating before arriving here. He had done much more investigation on the deceased Yan Lei Tang, even going as far as noting the brothels which he visited, and the friends that he had.

But the thing he did not look into was the morgue, where Yan Lei Tang's body currently resided.

Never had he imagined that this place would be so underfunded. Perhaps, he had expected that a place that executed investigations of the dead would be slightly more funded than what it is now.

All broken, and without repair.

”What should I call you mister?” Xu Fei finally realized his mistake and politely asked the old man for his name.”

”You can call me official Tong.” The man answered sheepishly. Perhaps that was because he felt that this young man had much more to say than an old man like him.

”Okay, official Tong I need the report for Yan Lei Tang's death.” Xu Fei made his request with much politeness this time. He admired this man for being able to spend time in a place such as this when the entire street had already moved out if possible.

”In that case, then right this way constable Xu.” Official Tong said as he gestured with his paper lantern. At this point, official Tong resembled a guardian spirit who was leading the way for recently deceased souls, and Xu Fei quietly followed behind him.