Chapter Thirty-Five: The Calamity of Prison Labor (1)

News that a monkey had died on Bar Street spread through the city and the alleys at remarkable speed. As rumor piled upon rumor, the case quickly grew into a dozen different versions. Some, knowing a little of the truth, understood that this was murder. Some, having heard only scraps of gossip, believed ghosts or spirits were to blame. Others bluntly claimed that the Monkey King had opened the Moonlight Treasure Box, botched his leap through time, and met his end on Bar Street. More extravagant tongues even said it was a punishment for those who had turned their affections elsewhere, a death warning aimed at the libertines who prowled the street.

Just then, the weather turned sharply colder. As the temperature fell, so too did the public’s mood, plunging it to a freezing point of fear. Bar Street, once lively and crowded, was suddenly deserted. Many shops, after hearing the rumor, simply shut their doors and closed for business.

The police came under mounting pressure as well. Though the forensic team worked overtime, they still could not determine the exact cause of death. Toxicology did confirm that the dead man had once taken drugs, but that alone could not prove his death had anything to do with drug use. As for pathology, even in haste, the results would still take a week.

With no conclusion in sight, no one could rest easy. How had this man died so mysteriously? Who was he, in the first place? For the moment, the police could only focus on identifying the body as quickly as possible, hoping to issue a statement soon and calm public anxiety.

Nothing on the body could prove his identity, not even a wallet. There was nothing else to search for, either. Robbery-murder could not be ruled out, yet a sudden snowfall had left no trace at all of any second person at the scene. Perhaps the man had already been dead before the snow began. Even so, the estimated time of death could not be narrowed down to the exact minute or second.

The police released a notice asking the public to come forward and identify the body. As expected, no one came.

Could he truly have been some drug-addled drifter wandering from place to place? If so, quelling the rumors would be all the harder.

Just when everyone was at a loss, a broad-shouldered man in odd clothing walked into the police station and provided a very important lead.

The dispirited officers all brightened at once.

Chen Tianyu and the three beauties were staying at the Horse Caravan Inn, utterly unaware of what had happened in the city the night before. He intended to fulfill Zi Chen’s wish and spend a day revisiting the magnificent scenery of the Tea-Horse Ancient Road and Lashi Lake. Though the weather had turned cold, strangely enough it had not snowed on the caravan side, so their plans would not be delayed.

The last time he had come here, it had already been evening. This time, they set out early in the morning and chose the longest horse-riding route. With Qianya present, they could have ridden for free, but Liu Zichen flatly refused to take advantage of that. Qianya—since writing her full name would be a nuisance, let us simply call her Qianya from here on—could only offer them a discounted rate for the shortest route instead.

Qianya also suggested taking the chance to introduce them to Big Brother He and Old Seven He. The local customs here were simple and honest, and the people disliked ripping off visitors. If they had friends coming later, they could make contact in advance. Chen Tianyu gladly agreed.

The four of them had a joyous day of sightseeing and were so exhausted by the end of it that they slept soundly that night. By the next morning, it was already past nine. Chen Tianyu had not forgotten why he had come to the city in the first place—to look for Xiao Su—and urged everyone to set out at once. To his surprise, the girls dawdled as if it were no concern of theirs at all. They made plans to wander around nearby attractions again, lingering so long that they forgot all about the matter.

Although Yiruo had been dragged along into the trip, she was young at heart and naturally lively and fond of play. Since her mood was so good for once, she too wanted a few more carefree days. And so, against all expectation, the four of them wound up staying at the caravan lodge for three days in a row.

By the fourth day, Chen Tianyu could no longer sit still. He finally admitted that he truly could not go on. His backside ached terribly, probably from all the riding, and he had felt uncomfortable for some time.

Only then did the three women relent. They decided to drive into the city that afternoon and contact Xiao Su depending on the situation.

Chen Tianyu sent Xiao Su a text message in advance, but there was no reply. He did not even know whether it had been received. They were not especially familiar with each other to begin with, and it was uncertain whether he had already been blocked. So Chen Tianyu had no choice but to wait and let Yiruo drive them toward the bar street in the old city.

What greeted them there was nothing but closed doors and shuttered shops.

The four of them had no idea what had changed. They assumed they had come too early, so they found a small eatery nearby for a quick bite. When night fell and they returned to Bar Street, the situation was exactly the same. Only then did Chen Tianyu begin to sense that something was wrong.

He had never seen an entire street stop doing business like this before. Could the whole place be slated for demolition?

The thought made him smile despite himself. What sort of place was Bar Street? Every inch of land there was precious. Who could have such immense capital as to tear the place down for redevelopment? Besides, it was already commercial land, and business was booming. Demolition was clearly impossible. Could the government be carrying out an old-city renovation? A wholesale overhaul?

Liu Zichen refused to give up. She stubbornly knocked on the doors of several shops, but there was not even a ghost in sight. This was truly baffling. Yet she was sharp-eyed enough to notice that there were still a few people moving about on the street—some of them tourists, probably in the same boat as they were, arriving full of hope and leaving disappointed.

Most of those people probably did not follow the news. Naturally, they had no idea what was going on.

Chen Tianyu stopped Liu Zichen from probing any further and led the others away from Bar Street. He had already noticed plainclothes police officers watching from the shadows. The four of them looked every bit like ordinary tourists, though, so the police had not stepped forward to question them.

Just as they left the entrance to the street, a police car suddenly roared past. They paid it no mind at first, but after a while it circled back and stopped not far from them.

The four of them halted, unsure what was happening.

Three or four people got out of the police car, dressed in plain clothes and walking briskly. It looked as though they were heading toward Bar Street and simply passing by them. Chen Tianyu guessed they might be there to relieve the current shift. What exactly was going on here?

Then, all at once, he felt a familiar electric glint seeming to strike him. At first he thought it was only his imagination, but the sensation grew stronger by the moment, and he quietly tightened his guard.

Among the plainclothes officers who had just passed by, a voice crackled from a walkie-talkie. Chen Tianyu had keen ears, and he made out the words: “It’s him.”

He was startled, but before he could react, several dark figures lunged at him from beside the road. They were the officers, and their target was none other than Chen Tianyu.

The shock was enormous, but Chen Tianyu, already tense and on guard, dared not move. To resist now would be to resist arrest.

And so the plainclothes officers swiftly forced him to the ground and snapped handcuffs onto his wrists.

The three women stared in disbelief. Everything had happened in the blink of an eye. Liu Zichen, especially, could hardly trust her own eyes. The police were arresting Tianyu? This?

She cared nothing for the rest. With one fierce motion she grabbed Chen Tianyu’s arm and glared at the plainclothes officers.

“What are you doing?” she shouted sharply.

The boldness of the woman actually stunned the officers.