Chapter 040: Years of Friendship

“Could it be that someone really did sneak in?” As Lin Yu stepped into the corridor with one foot, he instinctively felt a chill run through his skin. He took a deep breath, withdrew his foot, closed the door, and returned to the apartment.

The sixth sense, formally known as “extrasensory perception” or ESP, is thought by some to be an ability to receive information through channels beyond the normal senses, to foresee things before they happen—an intuition beyond hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste, a “sense of the heart.”

Lin Yu couldn’t be certain whether his sixth sense was accurate, but having sensed someone else in the apartment, how could he rest easy leaving two delicate beauties at risk? So, he began to search every room, every cupboard, every corner, even the balcony and outside the windows. Only after finding nothing did he finally convince himself there was no stranger in the apartment.

“Perhaps I’m just a bit distracted after everything that’s happened today,” Lin Yu thought to himself.

Having confirmed the apartment was safe, he let go of his anxiety, gave a few instructions to the flowers of Class 7, Year 3, and got up to leave.

Qiyue, who was usually brash and careless, resented Lin Yu’s constant alarm, yet seeing how much he cared for her, a faint sweetness welled up in her heart. A gentle smile lingered on her lips.

After Lin Yu left, in high spirits, Qiyue pounced on Yang Zhilin, who was sitting at the computer memorizing typing formulas.

Yang Zhilin was typically cool and aloof, but when facing Qiyue, her only close friend, she revealed an entirely different side of herself—a side that no one but Qiyue would ever see.

Thus, the two beauties with completely opposite personalities soon found themselves wrapped up in playful mischief.

During their frolic, the word-loving Yang Zhilin teased Qiyue about her and Lin Yu, while Qiyue, well-trained in taekwondo, retaliated with mock aggression.

The white-hued dormitory was soon filled with a hazy, ambiguous warmth.

Bidding farewell to the two young women, Lin Yu felt a twinge of reluctance, but compared to idle chatter, he cared more about Zhang Chao, who still lay unconscious in the city hospital.

Since ancient times, tenderness has often been the downfall of heroes. Lin Yu was no stranger to desire, but he refused to let himself be consumed by it.

After dinner, Dai Peng had been taken back to the police station by Hu Rongqiang. With such a heavyweight looking after him, Lin Yu trusted Dai Peng would not be bullied. Once the case was cleared up, he could rejoin the team.

Zhang Zhilong had gone home to scrape together money—who knew if he’d be able to bring any back. As for Wang Yan, who had just entered the throes of love, Lin Yu had no idea where he was.

Approaching midnight, the streets of Bincheng were no longer as bright as earlier in the evening. As a coastal city, the night wind was especially cold. Lin Yu, dressed only in a shirt, shivered at the chill and gave up on walking. After heading downstairs, he bought cigarettes and a lighter at a shop, then smoked as he rode a taxi straight to the hospital.

He chatted idly with the driver on the way. Passing Central Avenue again, he no longer felt the excitement he’d had after his rebirth, and before long, he arrived at his destination.

Bincheng Central Hospital was located in a newly developing district near the sea. At night, the streetlights were dim, no shop windows shone, and no taxis waited for fares, giving the area a somewhat eerie feel.

Having visited Zhang Chao earlier, Lin Yu easily made his way behind the main hospital building to the inpatient annex. As he reached the entrance, he unexpectedly spotted two familiar figures.

Wang Yan and Zhang Zhilong were sitting on the steps, eating fruit and deli meats, drinking, and smoking. Their cigarettes, left on the edge of the step, flickered in the wind.

“What are you two idiots doing?” Lin Yu shouted, squatting beside them, peeling and eating a banana.

He then noticed three bundles of red bills in their plastic bag—no need to count: thirty thousand yuan.

Even if Wang Yan and Zhang Zhilong said nothing, Lin Yu could guess how hard it had been to scrape that money together. Still, he kept quiet so as not to spoil the mood. Friendship between men is simple: it’s proven through actions.

“Ha! Another idiot joins!” Zhang Zhilong, always a bit sleazy, was clearly tipsy, slurring his words.

“You said it!” Wang Yan chimed in.

“It’s the middle of the night—why aren’t you two at home? What are you showing off here for?” Lin Yu asked, puzzled.

“Well, it’s just that we got here late and the hospital’s locked up. Plus, there aren’t any taxis at the front gate. It’s so cold, we had to sit here and drink to warm up,” Wang Yan replied, still fairly articulate.

“Come on, Third Brother, have a drink. This is good stuff—Qinchi from Linqu, Shandong. It even won the top spot on CCTV,” Zhang Zhilong said, burping as he recovered.

Lin Yu certainly knew about Qinchi, the brand that once twice claimed the king’s title at CCTV’s Cartier Hall. He also knew that Qinchi’s glory days had ended back in ’98, and by 2008, it was barely scraping by.

Thinking of this once-great brand’s rise and fall, Lin Yu couldn’t help but compare it to the joys and sorrows of his two lifetimes, feeling a surge of emotion. Without further ado, he took the bottle and drank deeply.

The long-missed burn, the fire snaking down his throat into his gut, filled Lin Yu with a sharp, invigorating pleasure.

He had barely finished one mouthful when Zhang Zhilong snatched the bottle back and chugged more.

“Hey, leave some for me.” Wang Yan, gnawing on a pig’s trotter, was not to be outdone—he grabbed the bottle and drank deeply as well.

Before long, the three of them had emptied the one-liter bottle of baijiu, yet none of them felt satisfied.

“If only Zhang Chao, the biggest drinker among us, were here tonight! I wonder how he’s doing, if there’s any risk of lasting harm,” Lin Yu sighed suddenly.

“Huh? You know how Old Four’s doing?” Wang Yan asked. He and Zhang Zhilong knew nothing of Zhang Chao’s operation.

“Yeah, I checked in on him tonight—he was just out of danger then. But he was under anesthesia, so it’s hard to say when he’ll wake up,” Lin Yu explained.

“How is he, really?” Zhang Zhilong stood up and flung the empty bottle into the distance.

Before Lin Yu could answer, there was a sharp crack, shattering the night’s silence. Zhang Zhilong had clearly hit a hospital window.

“Crap! Run, you idiots! Don’t you know the night guard will come for us?” Zhang Zhilong, who seemed the drunkest, grabbed the bundles of cash and dashed off, running faster than he did sober.

Lin Yu and Wang Yan, both with athletic builds, quickly overtook the first starter, drawing a stream of curses from him as they ran.

Such is youth, Lin Yu thought quietly.