The text in the body of the new email contained only four words: [See attachments for details]. The attachments themselves were three compressed files with .zip extensions. Inside were the detailed profiles of Li Songyuan, Li Liangzhong, and Li Liangzhong's son, Li Huanming, respectively.

The style of the information gathered by the private investigator was completely different from what the Criminal Investigation Detachment compiled.

Since the documents in front of him were detailed down to the absolute smallest minutiae, then when Chu Huainan previously mentioned looking into him, his understanding of "Song Ci" had probably also reached an exhaustively comprehensive level.
Thinking of this, Shen Ting couldn't help but add a few more degrees of caution to his gaze when looking at the other man.

In addition to the subjects' life resumes, the files also encompassed their social networks, dating histories, likes and dislikes, and even allergy histories.

Compared to the minimalist style of the public security department—which would absolutely never use a picture if text sufficed—almost every item covered in this investigation report was exhaustively detailed with both pictures and text.

Faced with this jaw-dropping investigation report that completely stripped away these citizens' privacy... The Ministry of Public Security's First-Class corporate slave, Police Inspector Shen, dutifully thought to himself: Under the backdrop of big data, the issue of personal privacy leakage truly has become extremely severe and admits no delay.
It seemed that when he got back, he would have to write a report to have their sister departments thoroughly investigate and catch those data peddlers who made dirty money by reselling citizens' private info—arrest those who should be arrested, and sentence those who should be sentenced!

If he could push for buyers and sellers to be held equally guilty, and arrest this capitalist—who was always trying to act like a hooligan and whose friend/foe status was unknown—along with them, that would be even better!

In order to clearly see the files on the computer, Shen Ting resumed his previous awkward posture of "craning his neck forward."

Seeing him struggling to stretch his neck, trying hard to look at the screen that was already mostly turned toward him, Chu Huainan suddenly felt that this "deeply hidden" young man looked exactly like a little monkey craving a banana in someone's hand.
Thus, he couldn't help but smile again.
Being with this person, even the frequency of his smiles seemed to have increased. Still smiling, he placed the ultra-thin laptop onto the coffee table right in front of Shen Ting, stretched his long legs, and stood up.

Shen Ting looked up, watching the other man casually walk around to the back of the single sofa.
This tall and slender capitalist leaned his body forward. Relying on the advantage of his long arms and legs, his arms reached over Shen Ting's shoulders, effortlessly reaching the computer on the coffee table.

Even with the sofa between them, this was a back-hug posture.
The moist, warm breath seemed to grow eyes, drilling straight down his collar.

The harassed party immediately turned his head.
But the blush-inducing heat source behind him quickly freed a hand and pushed that slightly turned head right back.
"Just read it like this. With that posture you had a moment ago, I kept feeling like you were playing a giraffe. Stretching your neck that long must be tiring, right?"
After speaking, he quickly followed it up with a light chuckle: "Though if you really turned into a giraffe, you'd actually be quite cute."

Cute?

The "cute" Police Inspector Shen's face darkened slightly. Feigning relaxation, he leaned back: "I'm not tired."

Chu Huainan didn't believe him and reached out to verify, skillfully kneading his shoulders a few times.

On his end, Shen Ting was praying the other party would immediately! Right now! Roll back to his original seat. Yet, suddenly and brazenly ambushed from behind, he had no choice but to shift forward a bit, trying to use the adjustment of his posture to dodge that restless hand.
As a result, it only gave the man harboring unfathomable motives an even better opportunity.

The slender fingers smoothly followed his movement, shifting to the back of his neck, gently kneading. In his gentle tone, there was even a hint of doting reproach: "And you said you aren't tired. Your neck is completely stiff."

Shen Ting: ...

This stiffness was absolutely not due to his poor posture earlier.

As a criminal investigator who dealt with criminals all day, having his sensitive and life-critical nape so wantonly pinched and manipulated by someone... the feeling was truly hard to put into words.

But Police Inspector Shen, who could flip a thug onto the ground with one hand, could do absolutely nothing at this moment. He was even forced to let out a hypocritical "Mmh," squint his eyes in feigned enjoyment, and show a frivolous smile so flirtatious it practically overflowed from his eyes: "If you want intimate contact with me, just say so. I won't laugh at you."

The capitalist, whose intentions had been seen through, curved his smiling eyes, smiling just like a fox courting a mate.
However, in the eyes of Shen Ting, who was intentionally smearing the capitalist's image, the other party looked more like a weasel rushing to pay New Year's respects to a chicken—harboring nothing but ill intentions.

As if to prove the keen insight of the "little chicken" Shen Ting, the "weasel" Chu Huainan lowered his head, nearing the crown of the person right in front of him. His small, straight nose pressed into the hair. He took a light sniff and praised sincerely: "You picked a good shampoo."

This sudden sniff made Shen Ting shudder as if an electric current had run through his entire body.

"What are you doing?"

"Smelling."

The "crafty and treacherous" capitalist was both honest and innocent.

Unable to beat him up, Shen Ting could only try his hardest to ignore that hand still lingering on his sensitive neck and shoulders, occasionally giving it a gentle knead.

He forced himself to calm down and continued to professionally analyze the exceptionally well-prepared files in front of him.

But Police Inspector Shen, despite his astonishing willpower, only managed to focus for a brief thirty seconds before he couldn't bear it anymore. He turned his head to look at Chu Huainan standing behind him, feigning a look of concern: "I'm quite comfortable like this. But standing like this, bending over to read the files while also acting as my massage therapist—aren't you tired?"
Pointing at the empty multi-seater long sofa next to them, Shen Ting attempted a final struggle: "How about we go sit over there?"

He had originally thought that choosing this single sofa would maximally prevent unnecessary physical contact with Chu Huainan. Had he known he'd suffer this calamity, he would have much preferred to sit side-by-side with Chu Huainan right from the start.

Unable to hear Police Inspector Shen's depressed inner voice, Chu Huainan also selectively ignored the other party's wish to "sit on the long sofa." Simply staring intently at the files on the screen, he shook his head with exceptional gentleness and goodness: "I'm not tired."

Shen Ting: ...

With his left hand aimlessly kneading the smooth back of the neck, and his right hand nimbly operating the mouse, the capitalist—who was very much distracted himself—had the absolute nerve to supervise others.
Just as Shen Ting opened his mouth, before he even had time to tell him to reconsider the long sofa, he was blocked right back: "Don't get distracted. Read carefully, I'm going to test you later." After saying this, he laughed again. "You have to be serious. If you answer wrong, there will be a punishment."

A bout of dying struggle had only earned him a heavily flirtatious threat.
Powerless to reverse the situation, Shen Ting could only hypocritically brainwash himself: I am Song Ci right now! He is touching Song Ci!

Doing his utmost to adjust his mood and force himself to gradually adapt to this intimate posture, Shen Ting ignored the hand kneading his neck and shoulders with a moderate pressure, trying hard to focus his attention on these case-related investigation files.

Fifteen years had passed since Li Songyuan's disappearance.
And although the information the PI sent Chu Huainan was detailed, because Li Songyuan had vanished from the face of the earth for too long, aside from a few extra everyday photos of him wearing a sports academy uniform and his personal likes and dislikes, the files didn't differ much from the historical records in the police database.

However, this was Shen Ting's first time seeing the detailed profiles of Li Liangzhong and his son, Li Huanming.

Li Liangzhong, Li Huanming, and Li Guangqiang were not direct relatives, and the case files from fifteen years ago explicitly mentioned that through investigations and interviews back then, the police confirmed Li Liangzhong had had a complete falling out with Li Guangqiang years prior and ceased contact.
Because of this, neither Shen Ting nor Chen Cong had ever thought to thoroughly investigate Li Liangzhong and Li Huanming again.

Li Liangzhong's personal resume was very simple. Unlike Li Guangqiang, he was an honest man who hadn't even stepped out of his county town his entire life.

It was evident that the person conducting the investigation knew exactly what the key points were. In Li Liangzhong's report, there was a heavier emphasis on listing his intersections with Li Guangqiang. This file also detailed the reasons for the two falling out, gathered through interviewing neighbors.

The children of the Li family actually all had rather bitter fates.

Li Guangqiang's parents passed away when he was seven, and his cousin Li Liangzhong, who was over a decade older, also lost both his parents before he was even twenty.

The two brothers depended on each other for survival, and their relationship in the early days was exceptionally good.
Although Li Liangzhong was only a cousin, he had always treated Li Guangqiang like his own biological younger brother. Acting as an elder brother and a father figure, Li Liangzhong dropped out of school very early on. He supported Li Guangqiang by watching over fish ponds for others and working odd jobs, providing him with food, drink, and education.

Although Li Guangqiang wasn't cut out for studying, he was quite an ambitious kid in his early years, and his mind was fairly sharp.

In the 80s and 90s, after graduating from middle school, Li Guangqiang apprenticed under a tinsmith in town, specifically learning to make various tin containers. It was very bitter work; the person doing it not only had to be willing to exert physical strength but also had to be meticulous.
Li Guangqiang was big and didn't fear hardship, so wherever the master went to work, he loved bringing him along.

Who wouldn't love a young man who was positive, upward-reaching, and hardworking? At twenty, Li Guangqiang got married. Soon, he and his wife had a son.

Having a son and upgrading to a father, Li Guangqiang wanted to make money even more.

He wanted to rely on his own two hands to give his wife, his child, and Li Liangzhong, who had raised him, a good life.

While working for a rather wealthy family in town, Li Guangqiang learned that there was a profession called long-distance truck driver, specifically driving to transport goods for others, and it could make a lot of money. Thus, the idea of driving trucks to earn a living sprouted in his mind.

In an era with very few drivers, this bold and practical young man made up his mind to learn how to drive.

Although Li Liangzhong didn't understand any of this, he also felt that boldness comes from superb skill, and having many skills never weighs one down. Since ancient times, having one more craft meant having one more way out. Therefore, he heavily supported Li Guangqiang, even taking out his savings to enroll him in a driving school.

Li Guangqiang was young and had a sharp mind. He got his A1 truck driver's license on his very first try.

Back then, young drivers willing to run long distances were exceptionally scarce. Willing to work and unfazed by hardship, Li Guangqiang soon became a hot commodity in the eyes of the bosses.

At that time, no one knew that all the subsequent misfortunes would originate from this driver's license.

Because the salary truck drivers received depended on how many miles they ran in a month, the vast majority of drivers drove day and night with very little rest.
Although they could earn more hard-earned money, this violated the natural human law of needing daily sleep.

It was unknown which driver started it first, but very quickly, all these young men running themselves ragged day and night knew that taking drugs could help them stay alert. Just a tiny packet of stuff could let a person drive for two days and nights straight without feeling tired.

In that era, even at rest stops along some national and provincial highways, or at gas and water service stations, people would openly peddle drugs to truck drivers.

Moreover, these long-distance transport drivers all naively believed that just smoking a small amount to stay awake wouldn't bring much harm.

As one of the young members among them, it wasn't long before Li Guangqiang also fell into the vortex of drugs, unable to extricate himself.

The drugs gradually destroyed his mind and personality.
Soon, that hardworking, ambitious young man was gone, leaving only a drug-addicted, compulsive liar of a junkie who borrowed money everywhere and picked up a terrible gambling habit.

Later, having had enough of Li Guangqiang, his wife abandoned their eight-year-old son, Li Songyuan, and remarried.
Li Liangzhong, seeing that Li Guangqiang was beyond saving, gradually distanced himself from him. The relationship between the brothers became incredibly strained at one point.

Later still, the junkie Li Guangqiang went from borrowing money from acquaintances to stealing money everywhere, and finally even committing highway robbery in broad daylight. He was arrested by the police and sentenced to five years.
During Li Guangqiang's imprisonment, Li Liangzhong silently took care of and supported his son.

Later, Li Guangqiang completed his sentence and was released. But in that small county town where everyone saw everyone else constantly, having a criminal record meant he could no longer find a proper job. Not long after being released, at the end of his rope, Li Guangqiang robbed a fellow villager's house.

The fellow villager was relatively reasonable and didn't call the police, only telling the village party secretary. The village secretary asked Li Liangzhong to step forward and talk some sense into Li Guangqiang. After much persuading and pleading, Li Liangzhong finally got Li Guangqiang to spit out part of the stolen goods. And the rest had already been exchanged for drugs.

Seeing that Li Guangqiang had relapsed into drug addiction right after getting out of prison, a disheartened Li Liangzhong paid out of his own pocket to help Li Guangqiang repay the money. But from then on, he completely tore off his face with Li Guangqiang, and the two severed all ties.

And Li Guangqiang, truly unable to survive in his hometown anymore, brought his then thirteen-year-old son, Li Songyuan, to Jianghu City.
...

While the two were completely engrossed in reading the files, Chu Huainan withdrew the hand that had been taking advantage of Shen Ting's nape. His reading speed was always faster than an ordinary person's. Worried that the person in his arms couldn't keep up, every time he finished a paragraph, he would softly ask, "Done reading?"

Perhaps he read a lot of web novels in his spare time; the supposedly uneducated and incompetent Song Ci read quite fast as well. After finishing Li Liangzhong's file, he suddenly frowned slightly and said, "This Li Liangzhong doesn't seem to have ever been married."

"Mm, he hasn't."

Since he'd been a bachelor his whole life, where did his son Li Huanming come from?
Before Shen Ting could even ask, Chu Huainan tacitly opened the folder labeled with Li Huanming's name. Shen Ting shut his mouth and continued reading.

The capitalist, who had behaved himself for a long while, clicked into the text page after browsing the pictures. Scanning it rapidly, he leaned close to Shen Ting's ear and asked gently, "Can I scroll down?"

Seeing the other nod, he scrolled the mouse down. Then, incredibly naturally, he rested his chin on Shen Ting's shoulder.

After crossing swords several times, Shen Ting had accumulated combat experience. This time, it took almost no effort for him to suppress the urge to flip the other man onto the floor. Without changing his expression, he continued reading the files, not even lifting an eyebrow.

After all, for the sake of the mission, he had already surrendered the back of his neck to "be slaughtered at will." This time was just lending a shoulder—what did it matter?

Li Huanming's resume was also very clean. Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes; Li Liangzhong was an honest man, and his son was also an honest, good kid.

Shen Ting quickly found the key point within the dense block of text: "Li Huanming isn't his biological child."

The records showed that Li Huanming was a child Li Liangzhong picked up off the side of the road over twenty years ago.
Because the baby was born with congenital heart disease, he was abandoned by parents who didn't want to bear the astronomical medical expenses on the side of the street.

Having neither a lover nor an heir, Li Liangzhong treated the foundling infant as his own biological son, raising him with meticulous care.

When Li Huanming was approaching school age, Li Liangzhong called in favors everywhere and went through great lengths to get him registered for a hukou. That year, legally speaking, Li Huanming officially became a legitimate child of the old Li family.

As the mouse scrolled down, the two people carefully reading the files almost simultaneously caught an even more important piece of information.

Right after Li Guangqiang remitted eighty thousand yuan to Li Liangzhong in 2005, ten-year-old Li Huanming underwent an arterial switch operation.

The meticulous private investigator even managed to track down the itemized surgical bill from that year.
Shen Ting calculated it; this life-or-death surgery cost a total of over ninety thousand yuan from start to finish.

But what surprised the two readers even more was... This Li Huanming had come to Jianghu City two years ago.
And his workplace was none other than the media outlet that was the very first to release the fingerprint news—We Fashion!

Today, I’m attaching an additional 'behind-the-scenes' story:

My backend data shows that starting from the afternoon of the 28th—without any significant spike in bookmarks or clicks—this story was maliciously hit with a massive number of subscriptions within just a few hours. Each subscription was only seconds apart. In a very short time, the earnings per thousand words doubled. This caused my real subscription data for that day to be wiped clean, leaving my ranking very low when I hit the 'Jiazi' (New Work Promo Slot) on the 29th.

On that same day, a cluster of malicious comments appeared under the story. Whenever a reader tried to say something helpful, they were accused of being 'paid shills' controlling the narrative. Me: ???

How about this: I’ll put this out there—if anyone can prove that my current bookmarks were 'brushed' (faked) by me, I will immediately transfer 10 million RMB to you. The internet is not a lawless land, and I take full legal responsibility for the words above.

Furthermore, I want to say that resuming this series was purely because I was stuck at home during the pandemic, happened to be free, and had a story in my head. Yet, before the main text had even been serialized for long, people started blackmailing and slandering me with fabricated charges. Over the past few days, my Weibo has received dozens of malicious private messages from various accounts.

To those attacking me: Honestly, don't go through the trouble of 'brushing' subscriptions for me. You're spending money, and I'm the one getting the earnings. What is your goal? Just to lower my ranking on the promo slot? And then turn around and bite me by claiming my bookmarks are faked and my comments are all shills?

Truly, there is no need to be so vicious in this life. If you don’t like it, just don't read it. I write for the 'little angels' who like it and for myself. As for other doubts: the real cannot be made fake, and the fake cannot be made real. Justice will have its day; the warm sun will melt the stubborn ice.

I write this for fun; it's not as complicated as some people think. To those in my DMs claiming they’ll make this story’s data 'flop'—I urge you to be kind. This pen name hasn't published anything in seven years. The data that seems so important to you is nothing but passing clouds to me. I’m willing to write because it makes me happy; even if only one person reads it, it won't change my original intention.

To those insisting I’m trying to imitate a 'viral/trendy story' (Liuliang wen)—have you ever seen a 'trendy' story where the leads don't officially meet until after 100,000 words? Arranging the romance that late is the most thankless way to write. If I’m writing like this, do you still think I’m 'chasing clout'? Do you have a misunderstanding of what a 'trendy story' is?

I write this way because I personally love this 'slow-start, fast-finish' pacing, and I firmly believe I’ll meet 'little angels' who love it as much as I do. For us, a story doesn't need to be a massive hit; as long as we find it good and readers with similar aesthetics enjoy it, that’s enough.

Thank you to the little angels who have always supported us. I’ll keep writing and try to finish everything I want to write before life in the '3D world' (real life) gets busy again. I hope you all enjoy 'consuming' the story~

P.S. I didn't want to say anything publicly at first, but thinking about being maliciously speculated about and treated this way made me feel a bit angry. I couldn't help but be a bit willful and write this long essay. I hope my little angels don't mind~ Love you all! Let me see your hands in the comments~ See you tomorrow at midnight, as usual~

Corporate slave (打工仔): A self-deprecating internet slang term for a white-collar worker or employee who works endlessly for their boss/company. Shen Ting jokes he is a "First-Class" corporate slave (a play on his First-Class Police Inspector rank).

Weasel paying New Year's respects to a chicken (黄鼠狼给鸡拜年): The first half of a famous Chinese proverb (歇后语). The second half is "harboring no good intentions" (没安好心). It means someone who is acting overly friendly or kind actually has malicious ulterior motives.

Tore off his face (撕破脸): A Chinese idiom meaning to cast aside all pretenses of cordiality, resulting in a complete and open falling out with someone.

Dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes (龙生龙，凤生凤): A common Chinese proverb meaning children will inherently inherit the traits and characteristics of their parents.

Hukou (户口): The system of household registration used in mainland China, which legally ties a person to a specific region and grants them access to local social services, education, and healthcare. Getting an abandoned child registered for a hukou back then would require immense effort and pulling strings.