Chapter 45: It

Lu Qingshan followed the voice, his heart leapt as if gripped by an invisible hand!

The newcomer wore a crisp dark‑blue public security uniform, the shoulder insignia gleaming, highlighting his upright posture and resolute face.

Between his brows a heroic vigor lingered, his eyes sharp as a hawk, as if they could pierce the human heart.

He seemed about twenty‑seven or twenty‑eight, young yet exuding a seasoned competence.

Chen Zhiguo!

Lu Qingshan's pupils contracted sharply, as if all the blood in his body solidified at that moment.

He could recognize that name and that face even if turned to ash!

In his previous life, at the darkest, most desperate moment, Chen Zhiguo had been one of the prison guards who supervised him!

Though strict, Chen Zhiguo never abused his authority and treated prisoners equally.

He even offered him encouragement after Lu Qingshan showed remorse.

Memories of the past life surged like a tide, engulfing Lu Qingshan.

He clearly recalled that Chen Zhiguo had been a backbone of the county public security bureau's criminal investigation team, with a bright future.

But recently, a tricky theft case led to him being framed, transferred from the detective post to the detention center, and eventually shuffled into the prison system.

Fate, unbelievably coincident, pushed the two of them back into the same time and space!

And on the eve of Chen Zhiguo's turning point!

Lu Qingshan's heart roiled, yet outwardly he forced all emotions down.

He merely widened his eyes slightly, giving the modest reaction a common villager shows upon seeing a police officer—somewhat restrained and curious.

Liu Jiànshè also froze for a moment, then quickly stood up, his face beaming with smiles.

"Hey, Officer Chen! What wind blew you here?"

Chen Zhiguo nodded, his gaze sweeping the office before finally landing on Lu Qingshan.

His eyes carried the usual scrutiny, yet lingered not long.

In his view, he was merely an ordinary hunter coming to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to sell mountain goods.

"Director Liu, sorry for the disturbance."

Chen Zhiguo's voice was low and powerful, bearing an unmistakable authority.

"I'm here to gather some information—recently, anyone unfamiliar among the transient population coming to the town's Supply and Marketing Cooperative? Any suspicious outsiders appearing?"

"Oh, that."

Liu Jiànshè sat down, pouring water for Chen Zhiguo while answering.

"Nothing special lately; it's year‑end, and more villagers come to the town market to buy New Year goods."

"As for transient people, they're mainly transporters or those heading to the countryside to collect local specialties."

"Nothing suspicious has been heard."

The two exchanged words back and forth, while Lu Qingshan sat quietly, as if he were invisible.

Yet all his senses were sharply focused, his mind racing.

How to alert Chen Zhiguo?

Directly saying it would certainly fail—too abrupt, would raise suspicion.

Moreover, the memories of his past life are his secret, never to be exposed.

He must find a clever moment, using a seemingly casual tone, to nudge him.

His gaze fell on Chen Zhiguo, noticing a barely perceptible bloodshot line in his eyes and a hint of fatigue and anxiety in his brows.

Clearly, he had been spending a lot of effort on this case lately.

The past‑life gratitude and this serendipitous meeting sparked a strong impulse in Lu Qingshan's heart.

He wanted to help him!

When Chen Zhiguo finished his questions and stood to leave, Lu Qingshan felt the chance had arrived.

He cleared his throat and, seemingly casually, slipped in a remark.

"Officer Chen, you're the town's public security officer, thank you for your hard work."

Lu Qingshan's face bore a few touches of mountain‑folk simplicity and reverence for public officials.

"These days the mountains aren't peaceful; beasts are active often, so be careful when going out at night."

"Especially the abandoned warehouse west, near the old forest farm; that place feels a bit eerie."

"The village elders say that area usually doesn't even attract mice to burrow, yet occasionally wild cats and dogs like to wander nearby, for reasons unknown, and it's quite frightening."

His words sounded like rustic chatter, embedding crucial information within seemingly useless rambling.

The abandoned warehouse, coupled with the abnormal gathering of animals.

For an experienced detective, it might strike a nerve.

Chen Zhiguo's stride, already underway, suddenly halted.

His hawk‑sharp gaze instantly snapped back, locking firmly on Lu Qingshan, bearing scrutiny and a barely perceptible hint of surprise.

"Abandoned warehouse?"

He has recently been dealing with a tricky serial theft‑murder case, all clues like kites with broken strings, lacking any breakthrough.

That location is remote, abandoned for years, with weak security forces, indeed an ideal spot to hide loot or shelter criminals.

He is planning to focus his next sweep there.

How could this hunter suddenly mention that place?

And say what about "mice not burrowing" and "wild cats and dogs wandering"?

Is it a superstitious saying of the mountain folk?

Or perhaps he unintentionally observed something he cannot state outright?

Chen Zhiguo's sharp gaze lingered on Lu Qingshan's face for a full three seconds, trying to dig out hidden information beneath his honest, simple appearance.

But Lu Qingshan remained calm, his eyes clear, carrying just the right amount of reverence and a hint of curiosity about the "spooky stuff," showing nothing unusual at all.

Could it be that I'm just overthinking?

But the detail that "wild cats and dogs were prowling around there" seemed to faintly match animals' instinctive reaction to food smells or movement……

How could there be food in an abandoned warehouse?

He didn't press further, as that would only scare the snake in the grass.

Only in the depths of his gaze did a glint of thought appear.

He once again gave Lu Qingshan a deep look, his eyes complex and unfathomable, as if trying to engrave his image into his mind.

Lu Qingshan also calmly returned his gaze, his eyes open and honest, but inside he secretly clenched his palm in nervous sweat.

He had done his best, stopping at the point.

The rest depended on Chen Zhiguo's own sharpness and judgment.

Chen Zhiguo ultimately said nothing more, merely giving a barely perceptible nod as a response.

Then he turned, pulled open the door, his tall figure bringing a blast of cold wind, and vanished outside.

The cold wind poured into the office again, bringing a chill.

Liu Jiangqiang watched Chen Zhiguo's retreating back, then glanced at Lu Qingshan, feeling a bit curious.

"Brother Qing Shan, why did you suddenly tell Officer Chen all that? What's up with that old timber warehouse?"

Lu Qingshan smiled, scratched his head, and returned to his honest, simple demeanor.

"Hey, nothing much, just heard the old folks in the village spreading rumors that the place is gloomy."

"Just a reminder to Officer Chen—police work isn't easy either; don't run into anything unclean late at night."

Upon hearing that, Liu Jiangqiang didn't ask further, simply taking Lu Qingshan to be honest and kind-hearted, and laughed as he saw him out the door.

"Brother Qing Shan, go back and wait for my news! At the latest the day after tomorrow, I'll definitely get the tickets and money ready for you!"

"All right, thanks, Brother Liu! You're busy!"

Lu Qingshan left the Supply and Marketing Cooperative office area and hurried back to the backyard.

Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui were still guarding there; seeing him return, they both breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Qingshan took Jin Hu from Zhao Tiezhu's hands—the little creature was still trembling in his embrace.

The little fellow seemed to sense his master's presence, earnestly nudging into his embrace to seek a warmer spot.

This warm, tiny life in his arms now breathed much more steadily than before.

He lowered his head to look at the little fellow's eyes—dim yet glowing with spirit—then lifted his gaze toward the direction Officer Chen had gone.

Abandoned warehouse……

In his previous life, Chen Zhiguo was caught because of that case, someone seized on a loophole to frame him, and from then on his life took a sharp downward turn……

Could my seemingly casual reminder just now have been enough to raise his alertness and let him avoid that trap?

Could this butterfly's flap change the fate of that policeman who, in my past life, had shown me a bit of kindness?

Lu Qingshan didn't know, and couldn't be certain.

But he knew that, no matter what, he had done what he could at present.

Now, he had something more important to do——

To properly nurture and strengthen the partner in his arms—one with limitless potential, who could someday gallop alongside him through mountains and forests!

He tightened his hold on the little dog in his arms and called out to Zhao Tiezhu and Liu Fugui.

"Come on, let's go buy grain!"

Meanwhile, to the west of the town, the abandoned old lumber yard warehouse stood silently in the cold wind, as if hiding some unknown secret, waiting to be uncovered……