Recap
Shen Ji fled upstairs.
Whether he could find the boy depended on luck.
The building had seven floors. Perhaps once glorious, but time had abandoned it. A failed development, remote location, outdated facilities, no new tenants, old ones dwindling.
When Shen Ji moved in, the developer had already absconded. The surrounding half-built structures had collapsed. The scenery was pleasant enough if they ignored the fact the site had once been a mass grave. If not for the corpses unearthed during excavation, the property might never have been sold to Shen Ji at such a low price.
As Shen Ji set foot on the stairs, a strange sense of déjà vu rose within him. Suddenly, his own actions felt absurd. Was he really going to knock on doors one by one to search?
Pivoting on his toes, Shen Ji abandoned the idea of going upstairs. Instead, he descended.
Soon he reached the first floor. The corridor stretched forward, lined with lifeless doorframes on both sides. With daylight fading, the absence of light made it feel like stepping into a tunnel that devoured men whole.
Even though he had walked this path three days ago, Shen Ji still felt uneasy. He had never realized how long the corridor truly was.
The landlord lived at the farthest end, away from the entrance. Forcing himself forward, Shen Ji reached the room and twisted the handle. The door opened and he froze.
He had only meant to try, never expecting the door to be unlocked.
Slowly pushing it open, Shen Ji saw the familiar layout; each apartment in the building was arranged the same way. From the doorway, most of the room was visible.
Though the lights were off, moonlight through the window revealed a figure rummaging with its back to him. The body stiffened visibly.
Fear gripped not only Shen Ji.
Both the shadow in the room and Shen Ji at the door now faced a difficult choice.
Snap!
Shen Ji acted instantly, slapping the light switch.
The sudden brightness flooded the room, leaving neither of them hidden.
Shen Ji’s expression shifted unexpectedly. He hadn’t thought it would be him.
He stepped inside, even closing the door behind him, blocking the only exit. His voice was commanding: “Turn around.”
After a pause, the figure obeyed, revealing the face of a young boy.
The target Shen Ji had given up searching for appeared here again. His mood eased slightly as he studied the mysterious child.
No more than ten years old, neatly dressed, unnervingly calm, with eyes far too steady for his age.
Shen Ji asked: “What are you looking for?”
The boy gazed at him silently.
“You haven’t found it yet. Maybe I can help. I came here for you.”
The boy seemed uncertain, but his stance softened. “I’m looking for my parents.”
“They’re missing?”
“They disappeared.”
“Did you call the police?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“The police wouldn’t help me.”
“This room has seen death.”
“I know.”
“You’re not afraid?”
“I’m not afraid anymore.”
Shen Ji felt as though he wasn’t speaking to a child. The boy’s behavior was too strange. Searching for his parents in a room where someone had died. Were his parents already dead? And how could a child know such things?
“What do they look like?” Shen Ji asked.
“Father is tall, like a bear. Mother is beautiful, like a poisonous snake. They fight every day.”
Neighbors upstairs did fight daily. Shen Ji decided to help. “I’ll find your parents. But in return, you must help me.”
“I promise but I hope you keep your word.”
“Of course. Since you’ve been searching the building every day. You must know the neighbors well. Tell me about their situation, so I can figure out which homes your parents are currently residing in. Then I’ll take you to reunite with them.”
“No need for a reunion. Just send me home.”
There was no difference between those two. Shen Ji agreed.
With the deal being made, the tension eased. The boy kept searching drawers for his parents, while Shen Ji watched silently.
By dawn, the boy stopped. “I’m tired. I’ll tell you about the neighbors after I sleep.”
Before leaving, he handed Shen Ji a paper that was yellow with age.
Flipping it over, Shen Ji read the title: Heaven Orphanage Adoption Contract.
He rushed out, but the boy was gone.
Pocketing the contract, Shen Ji returned home to sleep. At four in the afternoon, his alarm rang. After two hours of writing, a knock came.
The boy stood at the door, politely asking: “May I come in?”
Shen Ji smiled at the formality. “Please.”
The boy inhaled deeply, stepping inside with solemnity. Only once in the room did he exhale, saying gravely: “You’re the first to invite me as a guest. Thank you.”
It was a confession. He had clearly been sneaking into others’ homes. Shen Ji didn’t expose him. “You’re welcome anytime.”
The boy sat on the sofa, sniffed, and frowned. “You’re taking medicine?”
Shen Ji thought of the smell of ointments. He didn’t correct the odd phrasing. “My hand was hurt. I treated it.”
“I see. I understand.”
“What do you understand?”
“I dislike the smell of medicine. But without it, misfortune comes.”
Shen Ji studied him. He doesn’t seem to be lying. Misfortune, because he had seen it himself?
“What happens when there’s no medicine?”
The boy’s mood sank. “You’re tied to a bed. You lose everything.”
“Where did you see that?”
“I… can’t say.”
Shen Ji nodded. “Alright. I won’t force you. Shall we begin?”
“Okay.”
For an hour, the boy recounted what he had seen and heard. Shen Ji listened intently, committing it to memory.
After sending him off, Shen Ji recorded the clues in his notebook. In time, the killer’s shadow would emerge.
But the neighbor gave him no time to put his thoughts together.
The uninvited guest returned, no longer willing to let him go.
“Teacher, I want to talk properly.” The neighbor smiled at the door, not at all like a man who had just buried his last relative.
“I need time,” Shen Ji said.
“There is no time, Teacher. I want to come in.”
Shen Ji stood firm.
“Would you prefer I speak outside? Someone else might eavesdrop in our conversation. If you don’t mind this, I won’t mind it too.”
The choice was handed to Shen Ji.
The man’s cunning and shamelessness once again shattered Shen Ji’s expectations. Defeated, he opened the door, letting him in.
But he had not lost yet. The negotiation had only begun.
Even if it meant bargaining with a tiger.
___
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