Chapter 9: The Iron Tree Is About to Bloom

Lu Chengfeng had the driver stop at the entrance of a supermarket. After scanning the code and paying the fare, he got out and headed inside.

After wandering around for half an hour, he emerged carrying four or five large shopping bags.

He then went to a pharmacy to buy fever reducers and anti-inflammatory medicine before returning to Shi Wei’s home.

Originally, Lu Chengfeng had asked Shi Wei to help him rent a place, but Shi Wei said he felt lonely living alone.

If Lu Chengfeng came, it would be perfect to keep him company.

Shi Wei was a native of the city.

His father was a businessman, and the family was well-off.

During his youth, Shi Wei was rebellious; secretly enrolling in the Hongcheng Police Academy without telling his family, he carried his bag alone to study in Hongcheng.

He was both a university classmate and roommate of Lu Chengfeng.

After graduating, Shi Wei returned to Licheng to work as a police officer for a year, but unable to endure the bureaucracy, he resigned.

After quitting, Shi Wei borrowed some startup capital from his father and opened a bar—the very bar where Shu Yan and Lu Chengfeng had their chance encounter.

Last night, Shi Wei had called Lu Chengfeng to come drink at the bar but then went out to hang with friends himself.

Lu Chengfeng disliked Shi Wei’s frivolous friends, so he didn’t go.

He had planned to have a quick drink at the bar and then return to Shi Wei’s place to rest but never expected to meet someone who stirred his heart.

Now looking back, Lu Chengfeng thought it was fortunate Shi Wei stood him up, or else he wouldn’t have had the chance to drink with Shu Yan, and they wouldn’t have spent that unforgettable night together.

Returning to Shi Wei’s home, Lu Chengfeng glanced at him in the master bedroom, confirming that Shi Wei’s condition wasn’t serious—just a bit dramatic.

He then went to the kitchen to prepare two bowls of pickled cabbage shredded pork noodles and called Shi Wei to eat.

Shi Wei had loved Lu Chengfeng’s pickled cabbage shredded pork noodles since college.

Seeing the noodles in the dining room, his eyes lit up, and he seemed already half recovered.

He sat down and immediately began eating with gusto, hardly resembling someone who was ill.

Lu Chengfeng suspected Shi Wei was pretending.

After taking two bites, Lu Chengfeng asked, “Do you know Shu Yan from the Forensics Department?”

Shi Wei casually replied while eating:

“Of course, she’s the most unattainable beauty in your bureau—a genius forensic expert. Oh, and her father vanished without a trace ten years ago, still missing.”

“People say he was probably killed by enemies and thrown into the sea to feed the sharks.”

Lu Chengfeng frowned darkly at Shi Wei. “Such a serious matter, and you’re making jokes about it?”

Only then did Shi Wei notice his friend’s unpleasant expression.

It was unusual.

Lu Chengfeng was never one to pry into gossip.

On his very first day on the job, he was already asking about a female colleague—especially the bureau’s flower.

Leaning forward, Lu Chengfeng smiled slyly and asked, “Why are you so concerned about Shu Yan’s affairs? And why does my tone bother you? Let me make it clear, I don’t mean any disrespect to her or her father, don’t misunderstand.”

“To be honest, I really admire Shu Yan. Think about it: who could handle a job like forensics? Dealing with corpses every day, the psychological pressure must be immense—even men can’t endure it.”

“Not to mention she’s a woman. So, she’s highly respected in the bureau. I hear she’s going to be the next head of the Forensics Department, trained by her mentor, the current director, Liang Feng.”

“You’ve met him, haven’t you?”

Lu Chengfeng said, “Not yet. Director Zhao said Liang is on a business trip and won’t be back for a month.”

Shi Wei nodded and continued, “Liang was a protégé of Shu Yan’s father. Remember, Shu Yan has two strong supporters in the bureau—Director Zhao and Director Liang.”

“Both were close to her father back in the day.”

Lu Chengfeng adjusted his breathing and asked, “How much do you know about what happened to her father?”

Shi Wei slammed his chopsticks on the soup bowl triumphantly and said, “Buddy, you’ve asked the right person. I’ve told you before, half the customers in my bar are police officers from various bureaus in Licheng.”

“So the best sellers in my place aren’t even the drinks but tea and cold beverages since they can’t drink alcohol freely—many have to be on call at any time. Me, I sell whatever I can.”

“Can you get to the point?” Lu Chengfeng interrupted impatiently.

“Don’t rush, the night is still young,” Shi Wei chuckled.

“You asked about her father, right? I know quite a bit, all from the cops who come to my bar for tea. They don’t talk directly to me about it—I overhear them chatting.”

“Her father was named Shu De. The year he disappeared, he was 48 and the head of the forensic department. He was a legendary figure—the title ‘genius forensic expert’ started with him.”

“You know how backward the technology was back then, right? But Shu De pioneered many methods of corpse examination, some of which ended up in forensic academy textbooks.”

Lu Chengfeng was surprised. “That impressive?”

Shi Wei said, “Hey, don’t doubt it. Once you get familiar with Director Zhao, ask him. Back then, Shu De and Zhao worked together, and their case-solving rate was the highest in the province.”

“They went to the provincial commendation ceremonies every year. You can check the plaques hanging in Zhao’s office. After Shu De suddenly vanished, Zhao’s case-solving rate dropped.”

“Until Shu Yan graduated and joined your bureau, the Forensics Department regained its prominence. So you see how high Shu Yan’s status is in your bureau?”

“Director Zhao cherishes her like a precious gem, carefully protecting her because she inherited her father’s forensic talent.”

Lu Chengfeng raised an eyebrow. “Director Zhao told me to take good care of Shu Yan.”

Shi Wei said, “Well, that’s good. This is your chance to shine. If you take care of her well, cooperate on cases, your position in the bureau will rise—you could become the number one.”

“Number one and number one lady, you two would be a perfect match, haha…”

Lu Chengfeng glanced at the eccentric Shi Wei and ignored him, quickly finishing his noodles and standing up.

He tossed out a parting remark, “Wash the bowls. Take your medicine in half an hour. If you feel bad in the middle of the night, call an ambulance. Don’t disturb my sleep—I have to work overtime at the bureau tomorrow, with some cases still unresolved.”

Shi Wei looked at Lu Chengfeng’s empty bowl, then at his retreating figure, obediently replying, “Okay.”

Though Shi Wei was technically the landlord of the apartment, in front of Lu Chengfeng, he was just the junior.

If Lu Chengfeng said go east, Shi Wei wouldn’t dare go west.

As Shi Wei tidied up the dishes, he pondered Lu Chengfeng’s behavior.

The more he thought, the more something felt off.

Everyone who knew Lu Chengfeng knew he was solely focused on work, utterly uninterested in women.

Back in police academy, many pretty female classmates had confessed their feelings to him.

But Lu Chengfeng had rejected them all without mercy.

After graduation, working at Hongcheng Police Bureau, his career soared, and admirers were countless.

Besides colleagues, many women from outside would often stake out the police station hoping to catch him.

Yet Shi Wei had never seen Lu Chengfeng show interest in any woman.

But after only two days in Licheng, he was already asking about a female colleague.

Could it be that this iron heart was finally blooming?