My childhood friend is in her mature, sophisticated form again today. - Chapter 39

Cheng Ran turned to look at her from the passenger seat. “We should be fine in the short term. If the Stargazers had been monitoring him all along, they would have made their move long ago. The fact that they didn’t before means they didn’t see him as a threat. Our visit to him today might bring them back into their sights, but it won’t necessarily lead to them taking action against him immediately.”

“Not that bad?”

“He’s been retired for several years, and the information he has might be outdated. Besides, the Stargazers’ focus might not be on this project right now.” Cheng Ran paused. “But if you continue investigating, they might come back to deal with him.”

Lin Jiqiu’s fingers tightened slightly on her knee. “Then we need to hurry.”

Cheng Ran didn’t answer, turning back to look at the tablet. A Zuo drove, and Lin Jiqiu leaned back in her seat, her mind replaying Chen Weisong’s words—”Your father was unwilling to accept it; he felt those technologies could benefit humanity.” Her father was an idealist, believing technology could change the world, and he paid for that belief with his life. And she was a byproduct of that belief—an experimental subject whose genes had been altered by technology. She looked down at her hands, hands that could transform, could become anyone, could breathe underwater, could do things ordinary people couldn’t. But she had never had a choice.

Her phone vibrated. It was a message from Ayou: “Boss, where are you? I made your favorite dishes for dinner, do you want to wait?” Lin Jiqiu replied, “No need to wait, you guys eat first. We’ll probably arrive around midnight.” Ayou sent a wronged emoji, then said, “Then I’ll save some for you.” She smiled slightly and put her phone away.

After driving for about two hours, A-Zuo pulled into a service area. The three of them got out of the car and stretched. The service area wasn’t big, with several large trucks parked there, and a greasy smell of food wafted from the restaurant. Lin Jiqiu didn’t have much of an appetite, so she went into the convenience store, bought a bottle of water, and came out to find Cheng Ran standing at the door, holding two rice balls.

Here. Use this as a cushion first.

Lin Jiqiu took the rice ball, tore open the packaging, and took a bite. The rice was a bit hard, and there wasn’t much filling, but it was enough to fill her stomach. Cheng Ran was also eating a rice ball, standing next to her, and the two of them watched the cars coming and going in the parking lot. A black sedan drove in and stopped a short distance away. The headlights were off, but the engine was still running, and a faint white mist was coming out of the exhaust pipe. Lin Jiqiu glanced at the car, but didn’t pay any attention to it and continued eating her rice ball.

Cheng Ran’s hand suddenly stopped. “That car has been following us ever since we left the residential area.” Lin Jiqiu’s fingers tightened slightly. “Are you sure?” “It stopped on the opposite side of the road when we came out of Chen Weisong’s house. We got on the highway, and it followed us onto the highway. We entered the service area, and it followed us in as well. It changed lanes, but the license plate didn’t change.” His voice was low. “A dark-colored sedan, the license plate ends in 672.”

Lin Jiqiu didn’t look back at the car. She crumpled the rice ball wrapper into a ball, threw it in the trash can, and then naturally turned and walked towards the car. Cheng Ran followed behind. The two got into the car, and Lin Jiqiu closed the door.

“Ah Zuo, there’s a car following us. It’s a black sedan with the license plate ending in 672. When we leave the service area, drive normally and don’t speed up.”

A-Zuo nodded and started the car.

The car exited the service area and re-entered the highway. It was completely dark, and there were no streetlights on the highway, only car headlights illuminating a short stretch of road ahead. In the rearview mirror, the headlights of the black sedan followed far behind, maintaining a fixed distance, neither too close nor too far.

“Cheng Ran, who do you think it is? The Stargazer? Or the Mirror Society?”

“Anything is possible. It could be Rusty Bone.” Cheng Ran opened his tablet and brought up a tracking app. “I’ll try to check that car’s license plate.”

A few seconds later, a red notification box popped up on the screen: “Fake license plate. The registration information shows a white van, but the model and color are incorrect.”

Lin Jiqiu leaned back in his seat, looking at the two car headlights in the rearview mirror. “How long do they plan to follow us?”

“Maybe they’ll come to our office. Maybe they’ll make their move halfway there.”

“A fight? On the highway?”

“It’s too risky to take action on the highway, so they might not choose that route. But after exiting the highway, they’ll go to less busy urban areas.”

Lin Jiqiu was silent for a few seconds. “Cheng Ran, did you bring a weapon?”

Cheng Ran took out a small, black stun gun, about the size of a palm, from his backpack. “This is all. Where’s your folding knife?”

“It’s in my backpack.” Lin Jiqiu took the backpack from the back seat, unzipped it, and took out the folding knife, holding it in his hand. The knife wasn’t big, but it was enough.

Ah Zuo drove, his expression unchanged. His hands gripped the steering wheel firmly, maintaining the speed limit. “There are still thirty kilometers to go before we exit the highway. After that, there’s a stretch of road with less traffic; that would be a good spot if they wanted to make a move.”

Lin Jiqiu looked at the two car lights in the rearview mirror; the distance hadn’t changed, neither too close nor too far. “A-Zuo, after you get off the highway, don’t drive straight into the city. Drive towards the suburbs.”

Is there a specific location?

“That abandoned factory area. I visited it during the day today.”

A-Zuo nodded.

The car continued driving on the highway. The headlights in the rearview mirror followed them constantly, like a pair of unblinking eyes. Lin Jiqiu gripped the folding knife, his fingers tapping the handle repeatedly. Cheng Ran held the stun gun in his hand. The air inside the car felt heavy.

“Cheng Ran”.

“Um.”

“Do you think they’re trying to follow us or attack us?”

“Tracking. If we were to take action, it would be easier when we’re at a service area. The fact that they haven’t taken action suggests they might just be confirming our location.”

What’s the point of confirming our location?

“Report this to your superiors. Await further instructions.”

Lin Jiqiu’s fingers paused on the hilt of the knife. “After we get off the highway, if they follow us, we’ll lead them to the abandoned factory area. There are no surveillance cameras there, and no one is around.”

Cheng Ran looked at her. “You want to counter-stalk me?”

“It’s not about counter-surveillance. It’s about finding out who they are.”

A-Zuo drove off the highway and onto the road leading to the suburbs. The streetlights were sparse, and the road conditions were poor, full of potholes. In the rearview mirror, the headlights of the black sedan also came into view, now closer than before.

“They’re catching up,” A-Zuo said.

“Drive faster. Drive into the factory area.”

A-Zuo stepped on the gas, and the car accelerated into the entrance of the abandoned factory area. The factory area was dark; there were no streetlights, only the car headlights illuminating piles of broken bricks and rusty equipment ahead. A-Zuo parked the car behind an abandoned factory building and turned off the lights.

The three men got out of the car. Lin Jiqiu unfolded his folding knife and held it in his hand, Cheng Ran held a stun gun, and A Zuo stood next to the car without a weapon, but his position was just right in the shadow of the car, making him difficult to spot.

The black sedan drove into the factory area, its headlights sweeping across the darkness and illuminating half of the collapsed wall. The car slowed down, as if hesitating—whether to follow or not.

A few seconds later, the car headlights turned into the factory area and slowly drove towards the direction where they had parked.

Lin Jiqiu crouched behind a pile of broken bricks, her breathing very softly. Cheng Ran crouched beside her. The car drew closer, the sound of its engine echoing through the empty factory area, the tires rustling over the gravel.

The car stopped about twenty meters away from them. The headlights and engine were off. The door opened, and the two people got out.

Both were dressed in dark clothes, obscuring their faces. But Lin Jiqiu noticed one of them’s gait—a slight limp in his right leg. She recalled Fang Lin’s words: “The taller one walks with a slight limp, in his right leg.” A man of rusty bones.

The two people stood beside the car, looking around.

“Lost them?” one of them said in a low voice.

“It’s not stolen. The car was parked nearby.”

“Separate teams to search.”

The two separated. The lame one walked towards Lin Jiqiu and the others, his footsteps rustling on the gravel, growing closer. Lin Jiqiu gripped his folding knife tightly.

Cheng Ran placed his hand on her arm and pressed down gently—meaning “don’t move.”

The lame man walked past the pile of rubble where they were hiding, less than two meters away. Lin Jiqiu held his breath, watching his back—medium build, dark jacket, right leg dragging slightly as he walked. He took a few steps, stopped, and turned around.

The flashlight beam swept across, illuminating the pile of broken bricks, less than half a meter from Lin Jiqiu’s head. She lowered her head and buried her face in her arms.

The flashlight beam moved away. The footsteps continued forward.

Another person came around from the other side. “Did you find it?”

No. They may have already left.

“Report back. Say you’ve lost them.”

“good.”

The two men got back into the car. The engine started, the headlights came on, they turned around, and drove out of the factory area. The headlights grew farther and farther away, finally disappearing at the factory entrance.

Lin Jiqiu stood up, her legs feeling numb. Cheng Ran also stood up and put away the stun gun.

“A person with rusty bones,” Lin Jiqiu said.

“Yes. The one with the limp, his features match Fang Lin’s description.”

“They followed us out of Chen Weisong’s house. The stargazers or the mirror association notified them to come and follow us.”

Cheng Ran looked at her. “It could also have been arranged by the telescope.”

Lin Jiqiu was silent for a few seconds. “Chen Weisong might be in danger. After we leave, they might go looking for him.”

“Not necessarily. If the telescope wanted Chen Weisong to disappear, it would have done so long ago. It won’t make a difference if it takes another day.”

“But now that he knows we’re investigating that project, he might change his mind.”

Cheng Ran thought for a moment. “After we get back to the office, have A Zuo keep an eye on Chen Weisong’s movements. If the Stargazer or Rusty Bone make any moves, at least we’ll know.”

Lin Jiqiu nodded. The three of them got into the car, and A Zuo started the engine and drove out of the abandoned factory area.

It was almost midnight when they got back to the office. Ah-You was still waiting, dozing on the sofa with Ah-Hua curled up on his lap. Hearing the door open, he woke up abruptly, and Ah-Hua jumped off his lap.

“Boss! You’re back!”

“Mm.” Lin Jiqiu changed her shoes and sat down on the sofa. Ayou went to the kitchen and brought out the leftover food: sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried vegetables, and tomato egg drop soup, all wrapped in plastic wrap and still warm. Lin Jiqiu picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. The pork ribs were a little cold, but still delicious. Cheng Ran sat down opposite her and also picked up his chopsticks.

“Was the journey smooth?” A-You asked.

Lin Jiqiu glanced at Cheng Ran. “Successfully.”

Ah You didn’t ask any further questions. He turned around and poured two glasses of warm water, placing them on the coffee table. Ah Zuo put his backpack away and went back behind the counter to organize the files he hadn’t finished that day.

Lin Jiqiu ate half a bowl of rice and put down her chopsticks. She was tired, but didn’t want to sleep. Her mind was filled with the day’s events—Chen Weisong’s words, the telescope’s code name, and the tracking of Rusty Bones. All the clues pointed in the same direction—that project, those technologies, and her father.

“Cheng Ran”.

“Um.”

“A telescope. Do you think he’s still in the country?”

“It’s uncertain. He travels frequently while working for Stargazer and doesn’t have a fixed office location. He could be in China or abroad.”

“Can we find him?”

“I’ll give it a try.” Cheng Ran opened the tablet. “But he used code names when he was with the Stargazers, and I don’t know his real name. I need to find out through other channels.”

“What channel?”

“Rusty bones. They might be connected to the telescope.”

Lin Jiqiu looked at him. “You want to contact Rusty Bone?”

Cheng Ran’s finger paused on the tablet. “Don’t contact them. But we can look for clues in the traces they left behind. For example, those two people who followed us today, who they contacted, and how they contacted them. These are all traces.”

How long will it take?

“I don’t know. But it won’t be too soon. Rustbone’s counter-surveillance awareness is very strong.”

Lin Jiqiu leaned back on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. Ahua jumped up and curled up next to her, making gurgling noises. She reached out and scratched Ahua’s chin, and Ahua squinted.

“Cheng Ran”.

“Um.”

Are you afraid of the Rust Bones?

Cheng Ran was silent for a few seconds. “I’m not afraid. I used to be afraid. But I’m not afraid now.”

“Why?”

“Because I am not alone now.”

Lin Jiqiu looked at him. Cheng Ran didn’t look at her, his head was down looking at the tablet, but his fingers weren’t moving.

A slight smile curved her lips. “Me too.”

Neither of them spoke again. Ayou came out of the kitchen, saw them sitting on the sofa, and then shrank back inside. Azuo turned a page of the file, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. Outside, the night was deep; the flower shop across the street was long closed, and the cafe’s lights were off. The Wanxiang Agency’s sign gleamed dimly under the streetlights; everything was quiet.

But beneath the surface, undercurrents surge. Telescopes, rusty bones, stargazers—they all swim in these waters, and sooner or later they will surface.

Lin Jiqiu closed her eyes, and the round ball on her wrist vibrated slightly. She held the “yin” in her palm, feeling its warmth, then went upstairs, pushed open the door to her room, lay on the bed, and stared at the ceiling.

She thought of her father—the man in her hazy memory, who loved drinking tea and sitting by the window reading. She remembered Chen Weisong’s words—”If your father knew you’d become this kind of person, he would be proud.” Would he? She didn’t know. She only knew she still had many things to do, many mysteries to unravel. She turned over and pulled the blanket over herself.

Outside the window, the streetlights shone through the curtains, casting blurry patches of light on the wall. The ball on her wrist vibrated gently, a slow, hypnotic rhythm. She closed her eyes, and her consciousness slowly sank away.