Chapter 63

Could it be…

Has this disappearance case changed in this life too?

Yu Dazhang stared at them, unwilling to give up.

Soon, the two men at the gate got into their car, seemingly preparing to leave.

“Follow them?” Lu Zhongxin asked.

Yu Dazhang gritted his teeth:

“Follow!”

There’s a saying: Jiranlaile ， Jiubiebailai 。

Unless he confirmed it conclusively, Yu Dazhang would not give up.

Lu Zhongxin immediately started the car and, after the vehicle ahead pulled away, swiftly followed.

Neither spoke on the road; Yu Dazhang was lost in thought, while Lu Zhongxin focused entirely on driving.

The car ahead drove slowly and steadily, seemingly unaware they were being followed.

Twenty minutes later, they trailed it to the underground parking lot of a mall.

Lu Zhongxin saw the man and woman in the front car open their doors and step out, then asked:

“Keep following?”

“Wait a bit longer,” Yu Dazhang said, eyes locked on Liu Wenshu after he stepped out:

“Just wait here in the car.”

One minute later.

Liu Wenshu and the young woman entered the mall, vanishing from the master and disciple’s view.

Yu Dazhang sighed:

“Let’s go back.”

There was no point in following further—the criminal wouldn’t strike inside the mall.

First, the crowd was too dense, making escape difficult.

Second, the mall’s surveillance system was thorough, making exposure likely.

Plus, security personnel patrolled inside; if cornered, police would arrive long before security had to act.

Based on his knowledge of the serial disappearance cases, the criminal would never place himself in unnecessary danger.

If he were truly that foolish, the case would’ve been solved in the previous life.

On the way back, Lu Zhongxin scolded him at length.

“You, usually so sharp—how could you believe such unreliable intel?”

“Master, I…”

“It had to be a dragging abduction—you’d have known better if you’d used your brain.”

“Sigh, actually…”

“You said two criminals were involved, yet I didn’t see a single hair of them.”

“Well, maybe it’s because…”

“If you ever pull another stunt like this, I’ll kick you!”

“….”

Yu Dazhang’s mind was in chaos.

It wasn’t because of his master’s scolding—he couldn’t tell if the criminal’s absence was good or bad.

The criminal didn’t act, and Liu Wenshu didn’t vanish—that should be good.

Yet the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, sensing something was off.

It was like standing before a person, reaching out to grab them—only for them to vanish the moment his fingers touched.

This feeling filled him with anxiety.

It felt as if someone unseen was playing with him, and he could only be led by the nose.

Back at the station.

Yu Dazhang wandered around like a soulless shell, distracted in everything he did.

His mind kept circling back to where he’d gone wrong.

So much so that he couldn’t focus on his work at all.

At noon, he requested leave from the team.

Wei Qian noticed his heavy demeanor and asked a few concerned questions; Yu Dazhang only said he felt unwell and needed to see a doctor.

After bidding his master farewell, he hurriedly left the criminal investigation unit.

Outside, he stood by the roadside, gazing blankly around, suddenly feeling this place was alien.

When events repeatedly exceed one’s understanding, the helplessness can shatter a person—Yu Dazhang felt exactly that now.

He hadn’t made a mistake—during stakeout at the residential gate, neither he nor his master had left the car.

They’d arrived precisely on time, so the criminal couldn’t have suspected them.

Then why didn’t he act?

Or was there no serial disappearance case in this life at all?

No—the substitution case had occurred, identical to the previous life.

That proved his rebirth was real—the problem lay with him.

Yu Dazhang stood by the roadside for a while, then finally went to the hospital.

First, to get a medical appointment gave him a plausible excuse to the team.

Second, he planned to consult a professional physician.

Aside from eating, what else could cause someone to gain weight like this in nine months?

Since something was clearly wrong, he’d start by examining himself.

At the hospital, standing before the registration window, he suddenly remembered something.

Is there a weight clinic?

He’d never heard of one.

He walked to the information desk, hesitantly asking:

Please…you…collect 6…9…books…please…!

“Um, given my condition, which department should I register for?”

A nurse in uniform looked up at him and asked:

“What’s wrong?”

“Look at my build,” Yu Dazhang reminded her.

The nurse didn’t hesitate:

“Endocrinology.”

After queuing for registration and going upstairs to the department, he waited in another line.

Watching the crowd lining the corridor for their turn, Yu Dazhang sighed inwardly.

Was it just more people, or more sick ones? Seeing a doctor these days was harder than ever.

After roughly forty minutes, his turn finally came.

“Symptoms?” the doctor asked, looking up.

“Fat,” Yu Dazhang answered honestly.

The doctor, still patient, asked:

“I can see that—I mean, what exactly is bothering you?”

“Nothing’s bothering me,” Yu Dazhang thought, then said:

“Just fat.”

He must be in the wrong place… The doctor suppressed the urge to kick him out and rephrased:

“We don’t sell weight-loss drugs here—are you trying to lose weight?”

“No,” Yu Dazhang quickly corrected him:

“I’m here to ask: how long would it take for someone to gain 170 jin?”

The question stunned the doctor.

He’d heard countless questions about losing weight—but gaining weight? Never.

Besides, you’re already like this—why gain more? You’ll die if you keep going.

He didn’t want to answer—but the patient had paid for the appointment and waited so long; ignoring him felt wrong.

So the doctor carefully chose his words:

“For healthy weight gain, 170 jin would take roughly three to four years, depending on the patient’s constitution. If they have a weak digestive system or are naturally thin, it’s unpredictable.”

Yu Dazhang pondered his words closely.

He’d never been overweight in his previous life—he must be that naturally thin type.

If so, he knew how to ask next.

“What about unhealthy weight gain?”

What is he trying to do…? The doctor wanted to throw him out.

His questions were growing more absurd—was his family running a pig farm and coming to the hospital for alternative advice?

"I don't understand what you mean."

The physician's patience had reached its limit; his tone was cold and distant, as if he would dismiss this tedious patient at any moment.

"Doctor, look at me," Yu Dazhang quickly explained:

"Last May I weighed just over one hundred and thirty jin; now I'm like this—and on top of that, I've lost my memory."

At these words, the doctor’s expression immediately grew serious:

"You want to know why you gained weight so quickly?"

"Yes, yes, exactly!" Yu Dazhang nodded eagerly.

"Let’s start with a few tests," the doctor said, picking up his pen and scribbling two lines on the registration form before handing it to him:

"The specifics will depend on the test results, but there’s one thing I can confirm right now."

"Your obesity is definitely not caused by overeating."

(End of Chapter)