Chapter 505: The Murderer’s Name (1/2)
Fortunately, it wasn’t actually a murder, just two men quarreling. One was a gangster with tattoo-covered arms, while the other was an intellectual in glasses. Just as the big gangster stretched out his fist, the man in glasses stuffed his collar into the other man’s hand and shouted, ”Murder! He’s trying to kill me!”
Although we weren’t with the local police, we couldn't just pretend to look the other way. As soon as Xiaotao pulled out her ID, the big guy immediately did a 180. Smiling, he said, ”Hey, a police officer! Look, I ordered a stir-fried sea hare, but this idiot here... I mean, this gentleman snatched it from me. He claims he ordered first and wants me to wait twenty minutes!”
Glasses argued tit-for-tat, insisting that he ordered first.
Watching the two argue on and on made my head throb. Xiaotao wasn’t in the mood to deal with such trifles either. Waving her hand, she chided, ”Move on! Whoever’s eaten this should settle the bill.”
The big guy cursed at his rotten luck and walked off. Just as we were about to continue with dinner, Glasses came up and pointed to me excitedly. ”I saw you this afternoon!”
Xiaotao and I exchanged a look of confusion. The only place we stopped by in the afternoon was the station. Who was this man?
To our surprise, he even called us by our names and showed special respect for me, as if he knew about my work. I cut straight to the point, ”What do you do?”
”Oh, sorry, I was so excited to meet the Great Detective Song that I forgot to introduce myself.” Glasses pulled out his business card which read: famous screenwriter Wu Yang.
Scratching my head, I wondered at the word ‘famous.’ I had never heard of this man!
”Isn't he the screenwriter who’s come to collect information?” interjected Bingxin.
”Oh, it's him!” exclaimed Xiaotao.
With a smile, Wu Yang folded his hands, ”Yes, I'm here about the serial murder case from twenty years ago. Gathering information has gone rather smoothly. Ah, it really is a privilege for me to meet the legends of the public security system here. I must buy you dinner tonight!”
I politely declined. After all, in my opinion, screenwriters were no different from journalists–megaphones on legs. While I hinted at Song Xingchen with my eyes, Xiaotao gestured to Wang Yuanchao, motioning for us to withdraw at once. Bingxin moved faster than anyone else, having asked the stall owner for takeout boxes to pack up the untouched food.
To our surprise, Wu Yang beat us to it. When we called for the bill, the stall owner said, ”That gentleman settled your bill.”
Rolling her eyes, Xiaotao grumbled, ”Oh no, I bet he’ll cling onto us till he gets information! Attention boys and girls, don't reveal our hotel or room number! Especially...”
”I know, I won't go out drinking at night!” Wang Yuanchao took a sip out of his silver flask.
Back at the hotel, Song Xingchen meditated in silence, while Wang Yuanchao amused himself with alcohol and cigarettes. Meanwhile, Xiaotao pampered her skin with a hydrating mask, lying down on the bed with her eyes closed. I read a book, sometimes pacing back and forth as I pondered. Bingxin was the only ‘normal’ person among us, playing with her cell phone while she listened to music.
I was chatting with Xiaotao and Bingxin in our room when a knock sounded on the door. The voice of the man we hoped to avoid interrupted the peace, ”Detective Song, Captain Huang, excuse me. I'm Screenwriter Wu. Director Zhang is with me.”
Xiaotao suddenly sat up, twisting her face into a grimace as her eyes turned about the room, silently mouthing accusatory words directed at the rest of us.
I whispered, ”There are only three or four decent hotels in this county town. All he has to do is ask around. After all, he’s a screenwriter, so he must have his methods with collecting intelligence.”
Xiaotao pounded her head in distress, ”He must be here for information. How annoying!”