Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1183: Just a Little Bit of Goodness

Since he was very young, Zhao Le had learned to cook for himself at home. After so many years, his cooking skills were actually quite good. He knew his sister Zhang Xiaoqin’s taste well.

Preparing a meal didn’t take long.

Since there were only the two of them, there was no need to make much—two meat dishes and one vegetable dish. Zhao Le looked at the table with satisfaction, took off his apron, walked to Zhang Xiaoqin’s room, and gently pushed her out in her wheelchair.

Several months ago, Zhang Xiaoqin had attempted suicide. Though she survived, her leg fractures were severe, and recovery had taken a long time. The doctor had said that with consistent rehabilitation, there was still a chance she could stand again.

But ever since being discharged, Zhang Xiaoqin had never gone back for therapy. After returning home, Zhao Le had been the one caring for her every day. When he went to class, a kind neighborly aunt would help look after her.

Since the suicide attempt, Zhang Xiaoqin had barely spoken a word… In recent days, she’d only spoken when Lin Feng came over and mentioned Wang Liang—that had made her emotional, shouting a few words to drive him away.

“Sister, try this,” Zhao Le said.

He picked up a piece of food for Zhang Xiaoqin and smiled as he waited for her to raise her chopsticks. But Zhang Xiaoqin didn’t move.

His smile stiffened a little. He asked carefully, “Sister, don’t want this one? There’s more in the fridge. I can make something else.”

He stood up quickly and headed toward the kitchen.“Little Le, I’m not hungry.”

“Sister, you spoke?”

Zhao Le froze for a moment, then suddenly turned around and hurried back to her side. He crouched down, grasped her hand, and smiled—smiled so brightly, so full of relief.

Zhang Xiaoqin’s face was pale and thinner than before, not as pretty as she once was. She looked at Zhao Le softly and said, “That aunt brought me something to eat this afternoon. I’m still not hungry.”

“Sister, you really talked! That’s great! That’s really great!”

Looking at the familiar face that had been with him since childhood, Zhang Xiaoqin smiled faintly. She reached out and gently touched Zhao Le’s cheek. “Find a time to take me for rehab. I can’t stay sitting forever.”

“Okay… okay! We’ll go tomorrow! No—let’s go right now!” Zhao Le said, jumping up at once.

“Silly, look at the time.”

“I’m just happy!” Zhao Le laughed gleefully, pushing her wheelchair around in circles like a child.

“Hey, stop spinning me. I’m getting dizzy!”

“Dizzy? Want to get even dizzier?”

“Alright, stop it already! I really am dizzy, you little brat…”

It felt like it had been a long, long time since their laughter had filled the house like that.

If only time could slow down.

…

After playing around for a while, Zhao Le fetched a basin of hot water and began washing Zhang Xiaoqin’s feet.

He’d heard that regular hot compresses could help circulation. He had never missed a day, and he also massaged her legs daily.

“Sister… why did you suddenly—”

After drying her legs and covering her with a blanket, Zhao Le sat beside her, hesitating, as if afraid to ask.

Zhang Xiaoqin finally said, “A few days ago, two police officers came by. I already know… that person is dead.”

Zhao Le silently held her hand.

She sighed lightly. “I really was stupid… I’m a grown woman, yet I couldn’t let go and even wanted to die. Little Le, thank you for always taking care of me and never giving up on me. I’ve thought it through now. Even if not for myself, for your sake, I have to be strong and live well.”

Zhao Le didn’t reply. He simply lay across her lap—just like when he was a child, when he’d snuggle up to her, listening to her stories until he fell asleep.

Zhang Xiaoqin patted his head gently, chuckling. “You’re such a big boy now, still acting spoiled.”

“Let me, just for a while?” Zhao Le whispered, almost pleading.

Zhang Xiaoqin didn’t answer, just continued to stroke his hair softly.

After a while, Zhao Le suddenly remembered something. “Oh, Sister, your birthday’s coming up soon. Let’s go out for a nice meal that day?”

“Let’s just eat at home. No need to waste money.” Zhang Xiaoqin shook her head. “If you really care about me, then stop making me feel guilty, okay?”

“Mm… then I’ll come home early and cook something nice for us,” Zhao Le nodded.

They talked for a long time until Zhang Xiaoqin grew tired and naturally drifted off to sleep. Zhao Le carefully carried her back to bed, tucked her in, turned off the lights, and went back to his own room.

…

He turned on the desk lamp and looked at the calendar on the table. One date had been circled in red long ago. Perhaps he had been waiting for that day for quite some time.

But good things didn’t wait until that day to arrive—seeing his sister smile had already come earlier than expected.

Zhao Le exhaled softly, feeling peaceful. Then suddenly he remembered something. He quickly took out his backpack, pulled out the silver pistol, and looked at the small card inside.

He picked up his phone, opened the social app, and scrolled until he found that blank profile picture. He tapped into the chat window.

One hand holding the phone, one hand holding the gun, he seemed deep in thought.

After a long while…

Zhao Le shook his head, tore the small paper card into pieces, and tossed it into the trash can.

He found a box, hesitated again, then placed the silver gun inside and tucked it at the top of his wardrobe. After washing up, Zhao Le went to bed—sleeping soundly through the night.

…

…

The next day’s lecture was held in a packed auditorium. The person walking in was an elderly man.

Everyone looked at him curiously, recognizing him as a deputy dean.

“Students, your Professor Gao has taken a day off today. I’ll be substituting for him…”

So Lecturer Gao Wen had taken leave. Some students, who had noticed he’d seemed troubled these past few days, found it unsurprising.

…

In the cemetery, Gao Wen wore a black suit and carried a bouquet of flowers. He walked among the gravestones until he stopped before one.

He placed the flowers on the grave, clasped his hands together, and bowed his head in silence.

Looking at the inscription on the tombstone, Gao Wen smiled faintly. “You, huh… you never really liked to eat anything. I didn’t even know what I should bring you.”

“I don’t even know anymore what’s real and what’s not.”

He exhaled quietly. “But don’t worry—your family’s doing well. I won’t let anything happen to them. Your wife still stirs up trouble as usual, but don’t worry—your brothers are all capable men. With them looking after things, I hardly need to step in. The only thing I can do is ask the traffic cops to go easy whenever Old Ma comes in with a ticket. But lately, he hasn’t gotten any… that’s a relief.”

There was no one else around—it wasn’t even a proper memorial day. Gao Wen sat down, back against the tombstone, speaking as if chatting with an old friend.

“Hard to believe it’s been four years. I’ve been teaching for about three and a half now. Honestly, I was never suited to be a cop. Teaching fits me better… Luo Qi, you’re the one man I’ve truly admired in my life. You’re the kind of person who could follow your convictions to the very end—all the way forward, without ever hesitating. Maybe that’s why so many kinds of people gathered around you. Even I… probably got influenced by you without realizing it.”

“There’s a demon inside me. I think… I’ll never be able to defeat it. Not since the day I made that decision.”

“These past few days, I’ve seen your son… but at the same time, it feels like I haven’t seen him at all. Even now, I can’t be sure whether the first time he appeared—the first time he asked me something—was real or not… Sometimes, I feel like I’m really such a fragile person.”

He turned around and looked at the name carved on the tombstone. “Tell me, when will I ever be as strong as you were? But don’t worry—you were perfect…”

He slowly stood up and faced the tombstone. “I’ll come see you next time. I really wish we could still finish a case together, then grab a drink in some small town afterward…”

When people come to visit, they bring their hearts along. When they leave, they should take half with them—and bring the rest next time.

…

A car stopped at the cemetery entrance. Zhou Yusheng rubbed his hands together, got out holding a bouquet of flowers, and glanced around behind his sunglasses. Everything was tinged with a dull, tea-colored hue.

When he climbed the steps and reached his destination, he saw that a bouquet of flowers had already been placed there. The cemetery was maintained daily—offerings and flowers were always cleared regularly.

Who… had come here?

Zhou Yusheng looked around but saw no one—not even the caretaker.

After a moment of silence, he quietly placed his own flowers down and said softly, “Captain Luo, things have been busy lately. I… I’ll come see you again next time, and report to you then.”

Even when he returned to his car, Zhou Yusheng hadn’t seen anyone—not even a hint. He truly had no idea who had been there before him.

When people come to visit, they bring their hearts. But if they don’t take them back when they leave—they won’t be able to leave at all.

…

…

The second strange death had occurred.

This time, the police’s suspects were the three men who had been riding in the car with Chang Xiao. If anyone had the ability to shoot him dead from the front—without the bullet passing through the windshield or car windows—it could only have been someone inside the car.

The three passengers had been detained and were being interrogated repeatedly, but all of them continued to deny involvement.

Yet the cause of death was the same as the man from the detention center—no bullet found in the skull. Such a bizarre phenomenon still couldn’t be explained… and if the killer was the same person, that might actually make sense.

The investigation into Chang Xiao’s case was quickly halted again by Director Liu, who once more called in Liu Minghao and Wei Zidào.

As for Sir Ma, though he was furious, he already had another case—a dismemberment case—with yet another victim: Wu Rong. It wasn’t wise to split focus now. Still, Ma Houde remained deeply suspicious of the so-called “investigator from the provincial office,” whom he had never even met in person.

The first and second detective teams were now fully occupied investigating the linked cases of Wang Liang and Wu Rong—their cases had been merged.

Meanwhile, Liu Minghao and Wei Zidào began working on the Chang Xiao case—and soon found themselves troubled.

Their concern was that if this truly was the work of some extraordinary being, then it was going too far. When supernatural beings killed evil people in a fit of righteous fury, the Management Bureau often turned a blind eye. But if it happened repeatedly, it became an open act of defiance against the New Nation’s authority.

One death in a detention center was manageable—few people knew about it. But this one? Chang Xiao had been killed right in the middle of a busy city street. Though the public believed it was just a car accident, this was already the second such incident. If more followed… the Management Bureau would no longer tolerate it.

After the Mount Tai incident, the Bureau’s stance toward both Daoist and Demonic factions in Divine Land had already grown delicate.

“Brother Hao, where are we going now?”

After leaving the autopsy center, Liu Minghao looked over the report in his hands, then started the car—but he wasn’t driving back to their lodging.

“To meet this guy named Qian Er,” Liu Minghao said casually.

Wei Zidào was stunned. “Qian Er?”

He had read the police report and looked confused. “What’s there to see about him? The report says he was beaten up and dead drunk—he couldn’t possibly have done anything!”

“Maybe not,” Liu Minghao mused, “but he was the last person to have contact with Chang Xiao. By common logic, Qian Er shouldn’t be capable of killing anyone. But with how strange this case already is—can we really handle it using common sense?”

“Brother Hao, are you saying this Qian Er might have… abilities?” Wei Zidào frowned.

Within the Bureau’s internal network, reports were constantly being uploaded in real time by agents all over the country—to help others gain knowledge and prepare for the unexpected.

Wei Zidào recalled that the hottest topic lately was about “ordinary people” who suddenly manifested special abilities.

At first, only a few newborns were discovered. But just yesterday, there was a report of someone who could absorb metal.

Though cases of so-called “superpowers” had been reported worldwide over the years, most were due to physiological mutations. Out of billions of people, the occasional mutation wasn’t shocking.

But this person who could absorb metal—this was different. It wasn’t a mutation. It was a real ability.

“Maybe he suddenly awakened some ability himself—maybe even he doesn’t know,” Liu Minghao said, shaking his head. “Or maybe he really is just an ordinary guy. Either way, without more clues, all we can do now is try our luck… Alright, we’re here.”

The car stopped in front of a six-story building. Liu Minghao and Wei Zidào got out and walked quickly up the stairs.

(End of Chapter)