6. Hello darkness, my old friend

The car ride was surprisingly peaceful. One of the most peaceful he could think of, to be honest. And superficially viewed, of course. In fact, Xiao Zhan, dressed in his usual black, form-fitting attire, including his signature shades, sat happily and carefree behind the steering wheel, chirping to himself and listening to some overly cheesy K-pop music. While on the other side, his two passengers on board sat in their respective corners on the backseat, each complaining, seething or occasionally throwing wild insults at each other's heads. Sometimes, the air also seemed filled with electricity and daggers, but that didn't bother or worry the professional Agent as the driver either. He let out a long sigh full of genuine contentment. 

Of course, his calmness could also result from the well-thought-out selection of restriction media, which effectively counteracted further misbehaviour when applied to both mortal adversaries. In summary, the atmosphere really couldn't be more relaxed.

For context, you have to know that before leaving the desolate apartment, which suddenly and unexpectedly seemed to be in need of extensive renovation since this morning, there was almost a moderate escalation in which two individuals with very different opinions about who was going to pay for it played a significant role.

By his very existence, Xiao Zhan once again proved that he was a role model agent with outstanding abilities in the truest sense of the word. He single-handedly managed to calm down his angry rooster before he killed his beloved brother while also preventing said brother from spouting any more suicidal nonsense since his rooster's mood wasn't exactly one that would be considered level-headed and could be described as calm. He spoke from experience - and an agent never forgets potentially life-saving information.

After 45 minutes of excruciatingly differently felt endurance they finally arrived at the precinct. As they walked towards the main entrance, with Xiao Zhan in the middle as a precaution, out of nowhere, blue lightning shot past them through the door and made them halt in their tracks abruptly. The lighting stopped, and turned around. “Good morning, Agent Xiao and Officer Wang.” Jiang Reira bowed respectfully and side-eyed the third person present disdainfully. “You.” Then she turned on her heel and strode inside, with Xu Kai, switched into flirt mode, eagerly running after her. “Wait, my sweetest spring breeze!” 

“Spring breeze?! Are you looking for death?” Reira stopped running and stared menacingly at her unwanted pursuer, hoping to scare him away. However, much to her displeasure, her death glare had no effect as Xu Kai's eyes began to sparkle, and a broad smile spread across his beautiful lips instead.

"Not at the moment. Although I can't deny that it had a certain thrill some time ago... But hey, what's wrong with spring?" Xu Kai said casually, prancing around his increasingly annoyed target like an excited dog waiting for his stick to be thrown.

"Why am I even talking to you again?" Shaking her head, Reira continued her way to where her brother was held. A sneeze left her throat, and a loud, unholy curse followed right after. If you read her expression correctly, she would soon be throwing something, but certainly not a stick…

“Oooh, is it your hay fever?” Ignoring her dark aura, Xu Kai continued spouting nonsense that most probably cost him one of his balls in the near future.

“You… How do you know that??” 

“The special is not only decoration, my sweet, you know? By the way, not that I would ever expect an excellent police officer like you to actually forget about such a life-shaping event… you remember what you promised me, right?” 

“... No.” Reira's porcelain skin turned a shade paler, and she quickened her steps.

“You hesitated.” Xu Kai gleefully stated, spotting a victorious smirk and easily keeping up with her pace.

“I didn't! And if you want to live another day, I suggest you shut the fuck up!” 

“Oh, sugar. You don't know me, obviously. The more you pretend to resist, the more motivated I am!” The Agent leaned closer to his fuming company. 

“Who's pretending? Fuck you!!” Reira gasped and pushed him away. She growled a last time and rushed down the hallway, a pretty blush on her cheeks. 

“Later, we still have some business!” Xu Kai shouted and followed suit immediately. 

The bickering continued and could be heard throughout the precinct, much to the entertainment of the troubled office staff and the utter bewilderment of Detective Nie's men. Xiao Zhan glanced at Wang Yi Bo and nudged his elbow into his side. “Isn't that a lovely scenery? I can literally feel the love blooming…” 

“Oww! Are you still drunk? They're about to kill each other!” The officer shook his head in disbelief and repeatedly stretched out both arms in Reira's direction while internally questioning Xiao Zhan's sense of reality. Seriously, the only thing that would bloom soon were the flowers on Xu Kai's grave, which the idiot was diligently digging right now.

"Doesn't that remind you of someone?" Wang Yi Bo was brought out of his thoughts when a soft pair of lips touched his own, and a soft whisper caressed his ear. Xiao Zhan smiled mischievously and ruffled Wang Yi Bo's hair before striding energetically towards the interrogation rooms where the other two lovebirds were just disappearing.

"What?" Wang Yi Bo briefly touched his mouth and blinked a few times. When he finally processed the word's meaning, he became angry and stomped after the gleefully chuckling Agent. "Hey! You bastard! What are you thinking?! Are you comparing me to your crazy, suicidal brother? What a disgrace!!”

The office staff sat at their usual desks with their mouths open. It had definitely been a while since they had been treated to such a mesmerizing show. Everyone slowly turned their head to one person simultaneously and waited with hardly suppressible anticipation. Always a very attentive observer, T efficiently analyzed the silly and foolish exchange, professionally pushed her glasses up her nose and discreetly noted something with a trained eye. Then she leaned back in her chair, folded her hands on her stomach and grinned. As soon as the heavy door at the end of the hall slammed shut, she proclaimed loudly, “Bets are open.”

Fortunately, the station was largely back to normal, so no one noticed the turbulent escalations that quickly turned the office hall into a battlefield. Without the Chief keeping them in check, dense crowds, various fights and loud, angry shouting mingled with the sound of several tables and chairs being overturned. The chaos was perfect. Detective Nie's men were horrified but, in wise foresight, did not intervene. Interestingly, the whole image resembled a bunch of angry chickens fighting over a single mealworm.

Meanwhile, at the interrogation rooms. At the very end of the corridor, in front of the last door, the four musketeers were greeted by a very pissed-off-looking Detective Nie, who seemed to have been waiting for them for quite a while and was tapping his stupid fan impatiently against his thigh.

His irritation and displeasure at their visit and outrageous demand for a confidential conversation were clearly written on his sour face. Since his evidence was clear and irrefutable, he considered this exaggerated posturing pointless. Nevertheless, this was crucial, so he was not allowed to forbid this conversation.

“Thank you for finally gracing us with your presence. It's not that there were  important things I had to do instead of waiting for this useless meeting.” He sneered as soon as they were in hearing distance. 

Reira's face darkened, and she mumbled something to herself that suspiciously sounded like fan up ass… Xiao Zhan smiled discreetly but didn't comment on it. 

“Detective Nie, good morning. Thank you for providing us with this space to meet with our Chief. I assume there will be no issues regarding the privacy of this conversation?" The Agent stepped forward, bowed slightly and looked the flustered detective directly in the eyes. His voice was polite but contained a hidden warning. Nie Huaisang stepped back and gritted his teeth in anger, trying to hide the intimidation he was feeling. With a snort, he turned to open the door. "Of course!"

Xiao Zhan smiled knowingly and took advantage of the brief moment of turning away to give his companions a quick but meaningful look. Based on the detective's reaction, they all knew that this meeting would be anything but private. Luckily, they had expected this and had already thought of something. 

“You have five minutes!” The detective bellowed loudly.

They left Nie Huaisang outside and entered the room. Once inside, their attention was instantly drawn to the sole occupant. The mere sight caused everyone to feel subtly angry. Chief Jiang sat slumped on one of those rather uncomfortable-looking chairs in front of a table, his arms tightly crossed over his chest. If he noticed their entrance, he ignored it. The large, dark bags under his eyes suggested he hadn't slept a wink the night before, and his face showed concern mixed with anger and frustration.

With a quick glance at Xiao Zhan, Reira sat down beside her brother, placing a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it three times. “You look like shit.” 

A low growl was the only response she got, and it made her smirk devilishly. “God, that reminds me of that one time when we got spanked thanks to you after breaking into that old empty house in our neighborhood.” 

The moment the words reached their ears, everyone, including the weary Chief, became astonishingly lively. Jiang Cheng's face contorted with anger, and his cheeks reddened. “As much as I love you, my dearest sister, would you please refrain from humiliating me in front of my stupid underlings? I still have a reputation to uphold!” He barked, embarrassed as he looked at his sister in horror, the incredible betrayal written across his face. 

Wang Yi Bo's jaw plummeted to the ground, and his eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "Ch-Chief???" he stuttered, his accusatory tone echoing through the room, the mental picture of his longtime role model shattering into tiny pieces. 

Witnessing his comically gobsmacked face, the still a little resentful Xu Kai seized the opportunity to repay his troubled sister-in-law for earlier. Sauntering over, he clamped Wang Yi Bo's mouth shut with his two fingers. "Mind the gap, otherwise, flies may get in, Princess.” As the cherry on top, he smooched a kiss on the reddened cheek. 

“Stop that you imbecile!” The Officer screamed and furiously pushed the fingers away. He glared, enraged at the malefactor and then panicked at his husband, who stared at him ominously before turning to a desperate-looking Chief Jiang. 

Wang Yi Bo swallowed. 

Reira made gagging sounds. 

Xu Kai smirked victoriously.

“What interesting news, Chief. Who would have known, an upright man of your stature condescending to such a lowly deed.” Xiao Zhan quipped and casually sat down in front of the siblings, with his back facing the one-way mirror. Even he, the professional personified self-control, couldn't stop himself from smiling brightly from one ear to the other. 

Chief Jiang looked like he was about to bite into the table. His sister enjoyed the sight to the fullest. “Don't push it, Xiao!”

Xiao Zhan deliberately ignored the threat and deftly placed both hands on the table, one on top of the other. His movements flew with natural ease. Nothing about his posture indicated any underlying intention or premeditation. Still, his seemingly nonchalant gesture concealed the fact that he positioned his hands to hide a small piece of paper. 

“Since we are among ourselves… care to share more of this horizon expanding anecdote?” The Agent wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, embarrassing his opponent even more. 

“NO!” Chief Jiang, therefore, shouted, but then his eyes fell on Xiao Zhan's hands, which subtly made a sign.

“What a shame…” The Agent grinned. 

“You were such a coward. I needed to bribe you with all the candy I had stashed in my room to get you inside the house! But then you idiot lost your camera! We searched the whole house, and then you broke through the floor... you cried like a baby!” Obviously giving a shit about her brother's dignity, Reira, a sucker for gossip, snorted and continued to spill the beans to her attentively listening audience. 

Chief Jiang's face changed from bright red to a really unhealthy dark shade. It wasn't that he didn't get the hints, but why the hell did his sister choose this one stupid blot on his otherwise spotless past?! He could die out of shame any second!

Xiao Zhan laughed and nodded slightly, motioning for his two family members, who were once again involved in an argument, to join them instead of acting like two brainless pigs. Wang Yi Bo, still busy figuring out how to appease his husband to save his pathetic ass, quickly stood behind Xiao Zhan, acting docile. Xu Kai shook his head and simply leaned against the door frame, discreetly looking into the mirror with his sharp eyes.

“How can someone be so stupid and lose his camera while walking around?” He butted in and was rewarded with a double death glare from the dark side of the table. 

“Who asked for your useless input?” Reira snapped, and Xu Kai pouted. Seeing this, Wang Yi Bo giggled spitefully, which instantly turned into a high pitched squeal after he felt a hand slide firmly up between his legs, pinching the skin dangerously close to a certain part of his body.

Without withdrawing his hand, Xiao Zhan leaned over the table and slowly pushed the paper towards Chief Jiang, who took it with a swift movement. Thanks to his position and Wang Yi Bo's proximity, this gesture was not visible in the mirror. “I'm afraid we don't have much time left. Detective Nie seemed busy and only granted us five minutes. I'm sorry, but the time was too short to make any significant progress in your case. However, we decided to stop by anyway and see if you were okay or if you needed something. Is there anything we can do for you?” Xiao Zhan's voice was super serious and dripping with concern, causing Chief Jiang to grimace in disgust as the Agent continued to explain the seeming outcome of yesterday's meeting.

“Goddammit Xiao! Do I have to say thank you? Ugh… I would rather cut my tongue…” Chief Jiang tiredly rubbed his face and shook his head. 

“And we can't have that, right? But in case you need ANYTHING, just say so. We will be delighted to help.” 

“I'm about to throw up my bad tasting breakfast. Stop sweet talking and get out of my sight. Unless you give me good news, I don’t want to see you here again!”

“Of course. Always a gentleman, aren't we? We will take our leave then.” Xiao Zhan said, smiling and got up. As he turned around, his Baby and brother were just about to jump on each other's throats again. He shook his head and planted his hands on his hips. “Stop!” A single word, but it conveyed a dominance that instantly caused everyone to stop moving. 

“Didn't I make myself clear in the car? What is it this time?” Xiao Zhan said sternly, raising one eyebrow. 

“I just told him that it wasn't my fault that he and you got drunk and that you both should clean up the mess you…  oh shit…“ Wang Yi Bo impulsively began to defend himself but realized his mistake a little too late. His eyes widened, and he swallowed in fear at the sight of Chief Jiang, who put one and one together. 

“What do you mean, drunk??? Is that why you didn't make any progress??? You incompetent bunch of good-for-nothing! I'm in a dead serious fucking situation, and you decide it’s a good idea to get wasted?” 

That was the moment they all chose to quickly leave the room to avoid any form of violence directed at them. Poor Chief Jiang. At least the real update on the piece of paper would hopefully soothe his tormented soul. 

And the detective? Well, he obviously wasted his precious time on this circus. 

About thirty minutes later, after a small private "conversation" in their office, Wang Yi Bo and Xiao Zhan made their way to the abandoned house that the agency's contacts were able to locate. The building was on the outskirts of the city in a run-down area where no one had obviously lived in years. The streets were badly damaged, with garbage and rubble piled on both sides. None of the dilapidated houses still had an intact pane in the windows, let alone there was a light burning somewhere. Animals roamed here and there among the rubble and dirt, pretty much the only sign of life.

Wang Yi Bo quietly gazed out of the window, his eyes narrowing at the sight of neglect and lost, ruined existences. If not for Xiao Zhan's trust in his informants, he would have doubted that this was the right place for them to search. He had never been in this district before, and if he had the choice, he would never be there again. An unpleasant feeling spread through his body as he thought about how people had once lived here and what might have happened to them.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the car suddenly stopped in front of one of the better preserved houses. 

“We are here. According to my friends, the photos were sent from this place.” Xiao Zhan said as he got out of his car.

“How in the world did they manage to retrace the source in a place like this?” Wang Yi Bo, following his example, took a look around, skepticism written all over his face.

Seeing his doubtful expression, Xiao Zhan softly smiled and walked up to him until he was only an inch away from his face. Being used to this, Wang Yi Bo didn't flinch or even blink. As the Agent spoke, gentle waves of breath blew past his closed lips. “You would be surprised what kind of holes rats would hide in.” His voice was low, almost a whisper, and it went straight into the Officer's guts. 

“Then let's go and catch some rats.” Wang Yi Bo raspily answered without stopping to look into his husband's dark eyes. 

Xiao Zhan smiled, satisfied and turned around, leading the way through the debris to the former main entrance. The old door only hung on a bent hinge, so they just went inside. 

Even though it was only around midday and a bright day outside, they needed flashlights to find their way around the house. The windows were mostly boarded up and only let in light through small cracks. Dust kicked up with every step, making it even harder to see anything. 

They made their way forward in silence, their work together seemed well rehearsed so that words were hardly necessary. After a while, at the bottom of a staircase that didn't look very trustworthy, Wang Yi Bo stopped and motioned for Xiao Zhan to come over.

Traces in the dust showed that someone had been here not long ago, but the drafty conditions and wind made it impossible to better see or use the prints. However, the traces led them to the first floor. Carefully, with one hand on their weapon, they climbed the stairs, looking to all sides. Even though they doubted it, there was still a chance that they weren't alone.

“Looks like your information was correct. Someone was here.” Wang Yi Bo whispered, pointing at footprints all over the tiled floor. 

Xiao Zhan paused and looked around the only entirely empty room. Whoever has been here was long gone. However, in a corner, he spotted something. He walked over and leaned forward. A metal lighter lay among the dirt, and he only found it due to the reflection of his flashlight. He carefully took it in his gloved hand and studied it carefully. 

As soon as he looked at it up close, his whole demeanor changed. The earlier playfulness was gone and replaced by a strange expression that spread over his face when he realized it looked familiar. Images that he had suppressed for a long time suddenly reappeared in his mind's eye. 

His heartbeat quickened, as did his breathing. 

He quickly tucked the lighter into his jacket and turned around sharply. All that didn't go unnoticed by Wang Yi Bo, but he remained quiet and waited for Xiao Zhan to speak. 

“Do you believe in coincidences?” Xiao Zhan asked surprisingly. 

Wang Yi Bo frowned at the weird question. “No, I don't. Why are you asking?” 

“Me neither. Let’s go. We won’t find anything here.” The Agent answered curtly without answering his question.

“How can you be so sure? What the hell happened?” 

“I just am. We should leave.” Xiao Zhan urged Wang Yi Bo back to the stairs, a now very tense expression on his usually calm features. But before he could take a step past him, Wang Yi Bo grabbed Xiao Zhan’s wrist and stopped him from moving. “Don't avoid me. Just tell me what's on your mind. You suddenly behave strangely. I need to know.” 

The Agent was visibly fighting with himself, torn between leaving as quickly as possible and talking to his beloved. He cleared his throat and shook his head. “Not here. Let's leave this place first.” He decided and pulled Wang Yi Bo down the stairs to their car. 

Not fully convinced, Wang Yi Bo nodded. However, he wouldn't let this slide this time. 

Just as they left the center of the district with their car and drove onto a more lively road, another car started following them as if it was waiting…

-To be continued-