Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1228: Witness

A sharp pang of hunger slowly brought Nan Xiaonan back to consciousness.

When she woke, she realized she had fallen asleep at the table… she had been working almost until dawn, and only when her energy was completely spent had she unconsciously dozed off.

But the night’s effort had yielded some results… the overall framework of the Star Creation ritual and the first major chapter were already completed.

In her former 0124 sub-world, the Star Creation ritual had been a vast discipline with a strict system, covering many aspects. It wasn’t something a few hundred or a few thousand words could turn into a so-called mystical cultivation technique.

Besides, a few hundred or a few thousand words of a “cultivation technique” couldn’t possibly capture the power of an entire discipline—at most, it could serve as a recipe.

“At this pace, I should be able to finish in four or five days.” Nan Xiaonan saved the night’s work onto a USB drive and stretched.

Then she heard a noise outside… after a brief hesitation, she decided to push the door open.

The smell of oil mixed with fat heated in the air… Nan Xiaonan discovered that someone as terrifyingly powerful as Luo Qiu was actually preparing breakfast by hand.

Simplifying complexity, blending into nature?

Nan Xiaonan felt a little unaccustomed to Luo Qiu’s way of life… if it were her main body here, there would be hundreds of Star Creation Lifeforms to handle daily chores, leaving her free to focus solely on research.“Good morning, Miss Nan.”

“G-Good morning!”

“Almost ready to eat. Go wash up first.” Luo Qiu looked back with a pleasant expression. “Your pajamas are quite interesting.”

Nan Xiaonan felt her cheeks flush… she understood the faint smile on his face—she had walked out wearing a one-piece pink animal onesie.

This was definitely not her usual taste!

Embarrassed, she nodded and dashed back to change… when she reappeared, she was in professional attire.

A gray women’s suit with skirt, black stockings, and light makeup… after preparation, she looked like a refined beauty.

Sitting at the table, she glanced at the fried egg and ham Luo Qiu had prepared, along with a glass of milk and some baked bread, and felt a flicker of disappointment.

It seemed last night’s hometown meal was an occasional treat; a being like Luo Qiu wouldn’t constantly cater to her taste… besides, being able to do it once was already a rare gift.

Seeing that Nan Xiaonan hadn’t touched the food, Luo Qiu asked curiously, “Not to your taste?”

“No, no.” Nan Xiaonan hurriedly waved her hand and, almost instinctively, added, “It’s just… it feels like no one’s made breakfast for me in a long time… thank you.”

Taking a deep breath, Nan Xiaonan began to eat; the energy she had burned overnight was too much, and she needed sustenance to last until noon.

Luo Qiu said nothing, merely took some bread, added lettuce, the fried egg, and ham, making a sandwich.

Nan Xiaonan sipped her milk and glanced at him quietly, noticing he paid no attention to her, moving calmly and naturally, as if nothing could disturb him. She envied this composure.

She could reach such a state too, but only her main body could. This fragment of consciousness, though inheriting her body’s memories, lacked the soul power to achieve the same poise. Forcing it would risk collapsing her fragile soul.

“Eat.” Luo Qiu placed the freshly made sandwich in front of her, apologizing, “Sorry, I made too little.”

Looking at the food, remembering how she had gazed at him with longing, Nan Xiaonan realized he had misunderstood… but she was very hungry.

“Mr. Luo, I finished outlining the ritual and the first chapter last night.” Nan Xiaonan spoke while unconsciously picking up the sandwich. “Give me four… no, three more days, and it will be complete.”

“Just take care of yourself.” Luo Qiu nodded, neither pressing nor forcing, and slowly began making another sandwich.

At that moment, a shrill scream came from a room, followed by clattering sounds. Ren Ziling appeared, biting her handbag strap while hurriedly tying her hair.

“I’m going to be late! Bye!!”

As she passed, Luo Qiu handed over the sandwich in a seamless relay. Ren Ziling caught it gracefully, as if they had done this countless times. Nan Xiaonan watched the interaction, momentarily distracted.

Ren Ziling opened the door, glanced at her watch, then looked back. “Forensic Nan, can you go out? Want me to accompany you?”

“I’m not in a hurry.” Nan Xiaonan smiled faintly.

“Then I won’t bother!”

Really not bothering at all… Nan Xiaonan paused, realizing she wouldn’t need many pleasantries with Ren Ziling in the future.

“I’ll make you some more.” Luo Qiu suddenly stood.

Nan Xiaonan quickly waved her hand, looking away, “No, I’m full. I actually eat very little… I usually don’t eat like this.”

She had nearly finished everything on the table.

Luo Qiu nodded, “Leave it there. I’ll wash it later.”

Watching him return to his room, Nan Xiaonan finally relaxed. As she was about to get up, she noticed two keys on the table.

“If he weren’t so terrifying, he’d make a perfect butler, right?” she muttered.

Shaking her head, she tidied up and left… today she needed to investigate the dismemberment case—since she had traced the freezer, the evidence was solid.

Though the method wasn’t convenient to disclose, no other approach had stumped her.

“If all goes smoothly, I’ll have time to write another half-chapter this afternoon.”

Nan Xiaonan didn’t return to work immediately. She quietly visited Wang Liang’s former apartment, observing nearby. Eventually, she focused on a man in his fifties riding a tricycle, collecting scrap nearby.

“Is there something you need?” the man asked, surprised at the seemingly attractive girl approaching him.

Immediately, he felt drowsy and couldn’t remember anything.

Nan Xiaonan watched with satisfaction.

“I didn’t want to get involved… but Nan Xiaonan’s sense of justice is too strong,” she sighed lightly, flicking her finger gently on the man’s forehead.

……

“Sir? Sir? Sir?”

Chen Mingming awoke from a heavy stupor, feeling his limbs numb from long circulation issues.

The café attendant had been calling him… he glanced at the computer screen—it was overdue.

“Sorry, I fell asleep.” Chen Mingming rubbed his brow. “How much do I owe?”

The attendant smiled, “It’s fine. Plenty of empty seats at this hour; sleeping is okay.”

Chen Mingming nodded, “I’ll stay a bit longer. Please extend it for an hour.”

“Sure.”

After the attendant left, Chen Mingming massaged his forehead, trying to fully awaken.

He had spent all night reading ‘Mr. Blank’s’ posts on the forum, losing track of time and feeling almost Qi-deviated. How he finally fell asleep, he couldn’t remember.

Glancing at the time, it was almost 10 a.m.

After a whole night, Chen Mingming’s phone had run out of battery and shut off automatically… He charged it briefly and turned it on, immediately receiving over a dozen messages, all from Zhou Yusheng, each more urgent than the last.

As he was thinking about how to reply, an unfamiliar call came in… Chen Mingming hesitated for a moment, then answered.

“It’s me, Zhao Le… your phone has been off all this time.”

Chen Mingming was slightly surprised, then composed himself. “What’s the matter?”

“Strange, I just realized I didn’t even have your number. We’re in the same class, yet I had to check the contacts… I want to ask you something. Do you have time?”

“Time and place,” Chen Mingming replied after a moment’s thought.

“After lunch. I need to bring food to my sister… I’ll contact you once I’m done.”

“Okay.”

After this, Chen Mingming immediately contacted Zhou Yusheng, spending some time explaining why he hadn’t been in touch all night. Zhou Yusheng was skeptical and clearly dissatisfied, growing increasingly angry.

Chen Mingming listened quietly until Zhou Yusheng had no more words, but he still demanded that Chen Mingming return immediately and write a detailed self-reflection report.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Mingming packed up and was about to leave, but as soon as he stood, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him.

Thud—!

He collapsed to the ground, instantly unconscious.

The café attendant outside heard the noise, rushed in, and was startled to see Chen Mingming on the floor. They shook him, but he didn’t wake.

……

Zhou Yusheng’s face burned with anger. Stubble had grown over the sleepless night, his eyes bloodshot, making his colleagues around him hold their breath.

At that moment, a uniformed police officer knocked on the door and delivered unexpected news.

“Captain Zhou, someone has come forward with a report. It may be related to the person who killed Wang Liang!”

“Really!”

Zhou Yusheng jumped to his feet. “Bring them here immediately!”

Soon, an elderly man was politely escorted in by the officers… facing the group’s gaze, he seemed fearful. Zhou Yusheng had people give him some space.

“Brother, you really came to report this?” Zhou Yusheng asked, locking eyes with the man. According to preliminary information, the man claimed to collect scrap, and his activity area included the vicinity of Wang Liang’s apartment.

“Yes, I saw your reward notice…” The elderly man said nervously. “It said you could get a reward for providing clues. Is that true?”

Zhou Yusheng smiled. “Since it was posted publicly, it’s real. But it has to be true information from you. If it’s fabricated, the consequences will be severe.”

“I understand, I understand,” the man nodded.

“Tell me what you saw.” Zhou Yusheng said.

The man recalled: “That night, I had just finished delivering goods and was passing by… oh, when I passed that place, I saw someone hurriedly coming down. They looked unfamiliar—I’d never seen them before.”

Zhou Yusheng and his colleagues exchanged looks. “What time exactly?”

“The night of December 1st.”

Zhou Yusheng frowned. “It’s been months. You still remember?”

“Yes, I have a great memory. I visit nearly every household nearby for scrap, so I remember most people!” The man said. “That night I had a lot of goods, and my back hurt badly. When I reached that spot, I couldn’t stand the pain and stopped to sit. Then I saw a young man with glasses, carrying a bag, rushing down. He looked unfamiliar, so I watched him closely. Something seemed off.”

“And then?”

Zhou Yusheng pondered for a moment. “Brother, can you remember what he looked like?”

“Not very clearly,” the man said. “But he had glasses, about 1.7 meters tall, seemed young, not very strong. If I saw him again, I think I could recognize him.”

Zhou Yusheng thought again, staring at the man. “Why are you only reporting this now?”

“I didn’t know about the reward before, and I only just remembered,” the man explained.

Zhou Yusheng nodded.

They had the man complete a rough sketch, then began studying it with colleagues.

About an hour later, the completed sketch was presented to Zhou Yusheng, and the group resumed their analysis.

“Does this person… resemble Zhao Le?”

“Indeed…”

Everyone furrowed their brows, waiting for Zhou Yusheng’s orders.

After a moment, he said solemnly: “We can’t confirm anything yet… but bring him in to assist the investigation, and let the elderly man identify him. It’s been a long time, but even a small possibility can’t be ignored!”

“Yes!”

……

“Your sister’s recovering well. Soon, she won’t need you to come as often.”

Zhao Le thanked the attending doctor at Zhang Xiaoqin’s rehabilitation center and carried the lunchbox out.

He remembered his appointment with Chen Mingming and had made a decision, but as he was about to call, two men approached.

“You must be Zhao Le. Hello, we’re from… from the bureau. We have new findings and need your cooperation in the investigation.”

They showed their identification.

Zhao Le’s expression shifted… the police should have given up pursuing him, so why now?

Could it be… Chen Mingming had revealed that Zhao Le had quietly visited the crime scene the night before last?

“Zhao Le, come with us.”

Zhao Le silently nodded. There was no chance to escape now… as long as the police believed he was innocent, fleeing would only make him look more suspicious.

But going with them… had they really uncovered something?

He glanced at the rehabilitation center’s entrance, bit his lip, and his eyes hardened. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Can you not tell my sister about this yet? I don’t want her to worry.”

“Okay.”

The two nodded in agreement and quietly led Zhao Le to the car.