SDT 45

Chapter 45 Is It Important?

…

Did he even have a choice?

He was already going to die anyway. He just wanted to be buried in Haoran Cemetery so he wouldn’t be so alone. He wasn’t a criminal. He was a good police officer. He had solved many major cases and received many commendations. He had also… suffered many injuries.

If he went back to explain, even without the case box, could he still find evidence to prove his innocence? He wasn’t…

But he was out of time.

Yu Xiaowen suddenly felt grateful that his final message had been a lie, that he’d told that person he was being transferred far away. At least that way, the man would never know that he “might” be seen as a disgrace to the police. If he ever heard, he’d probably just say, “I knew it.”

He saw his team leader, Xu Jie, old Wang, little Liu, and even his downstairs neighbor. The chubby aunt was holding a fish and smiled at him, saying, “Officer Yu! You haven’t been home for so long, where have you been?” Then a shadow appeared behind her, staring straight at him. He didn’t hesitate, he grabbed her hand and ran. But how fast could a 180-pound woman run? The fish flew out of her hand, flopping helplessly on the street, just like he had when Ding Qi tied him up and injected him again and again. The aunt screamed, “Who are you, I don’t know you, let go of me! Let go!”

He still wouldn’t release her. He looked back, trying to encourage her, “Who am I? I’m Yu Xiaowen, your good neighbor, a friend of the people, the detective captain with all the commendation flags, the nemesis of crime!”

Ye Yisan had to struggle to pry the detective’s clenched fingers open and take the syringe of the sedative from his hand.

Then he capped the needle and started the car.

Director Li glanced at the car quietly driving away across the street.

Then he turned to look at Chen Zihan outside the car window. After thinking for a while, he said, “If you want to go to Shijia City to look for leads, fine, but someone else will go. The branch office just sent a cooperation request for the body-dumping case in Mihuadi last week. You’ll take that one.”

“…” Chen Zihan wiped his face and didn’t reply.

“Crimes happen in Manjing every day,” Chief Li said. “I understand how you feel, but the work has to go on.”

Chen Zihan said nothing. He held his breath for a moment, then turned and walked back through the station doors.

Chief Li sat alone for a long time, looking at the glass figure on the passenger seat.

…Would he even accept it?

…

The two of them left S Country separately. Ye Yisan flew out one morning, while Yu Xiaowen departed by land and then by water at dawn. When he reached Haitang City in M Country, Ye Yisan was already waiting. After a brief disguise, he sent Yu Xiaowen straight to a secret medical research hospital.

A week later.

Yu Xiaowen completed another full-body examination and sat up in bed, silently looking out through the glass window.

Beside the bed, a medical specialist from M Country was happily reporting to Ye Yisan with the results.

“According to the data, this subject’s condition is improving, with no signs of drug resistance. That means the newly added compound is correct. It also shows new results in maintaining cell regeneration.”

“In previous trials, this targeted drug never showed such recovery in late-stage patients. Since we’ve basically ruled out any unique physical traits, it’s likely another compound interacted during the injection process.”

So Yu Xiaowen did his best to recall what he’d seen during Ding Qi’s interrogation. He mentioned some uncertain first- and second-phase labels, some marked as targeted drugs, and some as regular biochemical products. Though vague, when compared with the list of stolen materials, it greatly narrowed the test range.

After carefully concealing some parts of the truth, Ye Yisan reported his version to the research team. The researchers and doctors then discussed and developed an upgraded treatment plan.

The results made everyone in the lab excited. They planned to apply the new formula to a control group of patients. If the data turned out similar to this subject’s, it would mark a huge breakthrough in medical research.

When the doctors left, Ye Yisan came in and sat beside Yu Xiaowen’s bed. For once, he looked faintly pleased. “How do you know so many medical terms? I deal with drugs all the time, but I don’t even recognize half those words.”

“I studied a bit,” Yu Xiaowen said.

Ye Yisan looked surprised. “Do your S Country police need to study that?”

Yu Xiaowen replied, “I fell in love with a doctor in my dream once. He taught me.”

…Ye Yisan thought maybe he just didn’t want to say more.

But true or not, his past life really was like a dream now. Ye Yisan didn’t care to question it further and accepted his answer.

He handed him a bottle of green nutrient fluid.

“Can I see my test report?” Yu Xiaowen asked.

Ye Yisan studied him for a while but didn’t respond to the request. Instead, he said, “I’ve news. Your case has already been transferred to the court. The search for you is officially closed. No one wastes time on hopeless things. Crimes happen everywhere, all the time. Your colleagues have all taken new cases. You’ll never again be the ‘Nemesis of Crime’ on the Third Squad’s banner. It’s better if you accept that early.”

“…” Yu Xiaowen lowered his eyes and started drinking the nutrient fluid. He’d already checked for updates on his own and didn’t need to be told. But his nose reddened slightly, and it took him a long moment to steady his mouth before it stopped trembling.

Then he looked up again. “That day, when you brought me to the station and made me choose, that was risky. Why were you in such a hurry to leave S Country? Can you tell me?”

“It’s nothing to do with you,” Ye Yisan said.

Yu Xiaowen watched his expression carefully.

Ye Yisan exhaled softly and said, “You’d better stop being so smart. I brought you back because I want you to live, but I’m not the one in charge here. Just remember this, protect your identity, and you protect your life.”

The Alpha stood up and left.

Some time later, after another full examination, Test Subject 208 was declared stable and cleared for discharge. He would continue treatment through regular follow-ups.

The day after his release, Ye Yisan took him to an extravagant private estate-style entertainment complex.

It belonged to Ye Yisan’s superior, the chief executive of M Biochemical Pharmaceuticals. Ye Yisan thought Yu Xiaowen’s reflexes and awareness were good enough, so he brought him here to work as a security guard.

Coincidentally, some Omega clients had recently complained that the venue lacked approachable same-gender security staff. Bringing him in as a new recruit fit perfectly.

“I pulled some strings to get you a security job,” Ye Yisan said. “You’re careful, observant, and physically capable. It’ll be easy for you. Work here, earn some money for yourself.”

As they walked, he explained, “I told them you’re from the countryside and don’t know the rules here. It’ll make it easier for you to adjust. Make sure you stick to that story.”

Yu Xiaowen nodded.

“Still good at the disguise technique? If anything happens that messes up your face, make sure you fix it exactly before seeing anyone again. Don’t draw suspicion. And that disguise method is my personal secret, you can’t tell anyone.”

Ye Yisan glanced at his face, his cheekbones were slightly higher, his nose broader. He hadn’t taught Yu Xiaowen any complex techniques. First, because those were his trade secrets. Second, because complicated methods were hard to master. The simple adjustments were easy and enough to pass unnoticed in a foreign country.

Yu Xiaowen touched his altered nose again and nodded. “Thank you for teaching me your secret.”

Though M Country was a small nation with an economy built entirely on pharmaceuticals, the wealthy were the same everywhere, living in obscene luxury. This estate, apparently one of the company head’s private resorts, was proof of that. The opulence showed just how powerful the company was here. To call it “as rich as a nation” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

The walls were covered with iridescent glass tiles that shimmered under crystal chandeliers, scattering dazzling light everywhere. It made everyone feel like a colorful fish gliding freely through a magnificent undersea palace.

Watching the scene, Yu Xiaowen thought of the white fluorescent lights in the Third Squad’s office.

In the center of the grand hall’s flowerbed were exotic plants and vivid, preserved blooms.

Looking at them, Yu Xiaowen thought of the red berry flowers in Manjing’s rain.

After showing him around and registering him at the security office, Ye Yisan took him to the dormitory to assign him a bed.

The dormitory was two streets away from the estate. The glittering prosperity surrounding the mansion ended right at the street corner where it slipped from view. Beyond that began the narrow, broken alleys hidden behind the luxury.

As the two of them quietly walked along a row of dim little shopfronts, Yu Xiaowen’s gaze was caught by a woman crouched by the roadside, her back bent as she clutched a woven snakeskin sack. She looked exhausted, several bottles having rolled out onto the ground.

Yu Xiaowen walked over, picked them up, and put them back into her bag. The woman only glanced at him, showing no reaction.

But the old man sitting by the doorway of a tiny convenience stall did react. “Good-hearted young man, handsome boy, want to buy cigarettes?”

The old man blinked at him and tilted his head toward the shadowy shop, hinting that there was something more inside.

“…”

So this was the reality of life for ordinary people living just outside the circles of M Country’s wealthy.

And this would be Yu Xiaowen’s world from now on.

As they continued walking, Ye Yisan spoke to the former police officer who so often fell silent in thought. “I’m my father’s thirteenth child. He didn’t even give me a name. When he sold me to the company to pay his gambling debts, he just called me Thirteen. The company kept the name and used it for me.”

After a while, Yu Xiaowen seemed to have processed the words and turned to him. “…Sold you?”

“This place is nothing like the world you used to live in,” Ye Yisan said again. “A name or a number, it’s all the same. Who you are doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you have the ability to survive on your own.”

During his time in treatment, Yu Xiaowen had gradually realized something. People like him, subjects whose bodies reacted well to experimental drugs, would never be refused by a pharmaceutical company once identified, even if they were foreign police officers. But after being used up, they’d be “disposed of.”

Ye Yisan had gone to great lengths to conceal Yu Xiaowen’s identity, all so that he could go on living after the drug trials ended. Doing so had put Ye Yisan himself at risk.

Even though Ye Yisan had made him the scapegoat, taken away his name and reputation, his life was still intact.

Ye Yisan said, “You’ve had it rough. So have I. From now on, just keep yourself hidden. Don’t cause me trouble.”

“I won’t cause you trouble,” Yu Xiaowen said.

They were speaking quietly when a voice called out behind them.

“Hey… you there. Stop.”

Both of them turned to look toward the sound.

When Ye Yisan saw the man approaching with a sly, challenging expression, his face stiffened noticeably. As the man came closer, Ye Yisan said softly to Yu Xiaowen, “Go on ahead.”

Yu Xiaowen was about to move when the man barked, “I said stop! Neither of you move.”

Yu Xiaowen had no choice but to stop. He glanced at Ye Yisan.

Ye Yisan’s expression was rarely so unpleasant.

The man walked toward them quickly. He was about the same height as Ye Yisan and handsome, especially in his eye-catching trench coat and silky tie. His swagger made him look like some gaudy bird-of-paradise in a mating display, completely out of place in this dark, narrow neighborhood. As he got closer, the provocative smirk on his face grew stronger. When he reached Ye Yisan, he began to study him closely.

After staring for a long moment, he gave a short laugh. “I almost fell for your act. So this is what you really look like. I knew it, no way someone so plain-looking could attract my brother. You’ve had your face altered. Your M Country is pretty advanced in that field, huh? Not a single trace left.”

He looked Ye Yisan up and down, his tone faintly competitive. “But even now, you’re not as good-looking as me. This is your real face, right?”

He frowned and, with his gloved hand, reached out to pat Ye Yisan’s cheek.

Ye Yisan shoved his hand away immediately.

Dai Lanshan lowered his hand, then slowly began pacing, circling halfway around Yu Xiaowen.

He leaned closer, sniffing at the weak Omega, then glanced around with disdain. “Heh. This level suits you. If you’ll take anyone, why did you have to touch mine?”

Ye Yisan turned his head slightly to block Yu Xiaowen. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“…” Yu Xiaowen cooperatively stepped back, putting a little visible fear into his eyes.

“…” Dai Lanshan looked at one, then the other.

A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes, then he stared even more closely at Ye Yisan’s face. Smiling, he said slowly, “Alright, stop pretending. You can change your face, but you can’t change your eyes. I already checked. When you came back from S Country, you used the name Ruan Dazhi, supposedly a restaurant owner. But that’s not the truth, is it? What’s a restaurant owner doing working at Dai Pharmaceuticals? Making medicinal cuisine?”

Ye Yisan frowned at him, keeping silent.

After a brief stalemate, Yu Xiaowen spoke up. “Brother Dazhi, since when did you start learning about medicinal cuisine? That’s not bad. You always have the best ideas.”

Ye Yisan looked at Yu Xiaowen, then after a short pause said, “In my country, medicinal restaurants aren’t a good business. The market’s oversaturated.”

Yu Xiaowen said, “…Oh, right. No one knows the restaurant business better than you.”

Dai Lanshan’s expression grew more uncertain as he watched the two of them genuinely chatting about medicinal food. But his suspicion hadn’t disappeared.

Taking advantage of the moment, Yu Xiaowen pulled on Ye Yisan’s sleeve and quickly walked away. “Brother, once your restaurant’s successful and you’ve got money, don’t live here anymore. Too many strange people around…”

The man didn’t follow.

When they’d gone a little farther, they heard Dai Lanshan sneer from behind them. “You fake restaurant owner, just wait till I find out who you really are. Then we’ll settle it ourselves. And if anyone tattles to my brother, he’s a coward!”

They turned the corner, and Ye Yisan’s expression grew even darker.

“Getting involved with that man is a complete disaster,” Ye Yisan said in a tone grave.

Yu Xiaowen asked, “When he said his brother, did he mean your secret lover? Is this overdressed rooster here to break you two up?”

Ye Yisan said, “His brother’s crush was never me. That twisted lunatic is just insane.”

He said it coldly, without a shred of restraint, taking out his phone and typing rapidly, his expression focused.

Yu Xiaowen laughed softly. “Is he that troublesome?”

“Don’t worry, I can handle it…” For the first time, Ye Yisan looked up, put down his phone, and said, “Thank you, for what you did just now.”

Yu Xiaowen’s smile faded quickly. He didn’t reply, only shook his head slightly.

Ye Yisan was quiet for a moment.

Then he slowly reached into his pocket and took out a wristband.

“I found this at the inn you stayed in back in Shijia City. It was the only thing left there. You must’ve left it behind so EX’s group wouldn’t find it if they searched you. But if you were afraid they’d take it, why carry it with you at all? Is it that important?”

The moment Ye Yisan took it out, Yu Xiaowen’s eyes fixed on it. He stared at it without blinking.

After a short pause, Ye Yisan reached out and handed it to him. “I know smart wristbands from S Country can be tracked once powered on, maybe even used to gather data. But I trust you know what to do.”

Yu Xiaowen raised his arm and took the wristband, holding it tightly in his palm.

When Yu Xiaowen had first appeared in the surveillance footage, no matter how brutal the scene had been, he hadn’t begged once. During his recovery and treatments, no matter how painful, he had never shed tears. Even when Ye Yisan told him he had lost his identity and his name, he had pressed his lips together, holding it in until his eyes turned red.

But now, holding the wristband tightly in his hand, Yu Xiaowen’s eyelids trembled faster and faster.

Finally, he let out a shaky breath, and tears fell onto the pale knuckles that were holding the wristband.