The apartment door creaked open, letting in a sliver of morning light, but Yu Han's home was still plunged in darkness.
"Huh? Why is it so dark in here?" he mumbled, stepping inside. "Where's Yang Zi? He's usually up by now."
Confusion creased his brow. Every day, by this time, Yang Zi would be making a racket, probably burning toast in the kitchen.
Yu Han took a cautious step forward, his hand sweeping the wall for the light switch. He fumbled in the gloom, his fingers finally brushing against the cool plastic. Click!
The room instantly flooded with bright light, banishing the morning shadows. Yu Han blinked, letting his eyes adjust. Then he saw them.
Two figures sprawled on the floor, looking completely out cold.
"Ugh, what the hell... these bastards," Yu Han grumbled, a frown deepening on his face.
Lying there, amidst a battlefield of empty beer bottles and overturned glasses, were his two 'precious' friends, Yang Zi and Jiang Shao.
They were practically glued together, sleeping side by side in a disturbingly intimate embrace. Jiang Shao's leg was wrapped around Yang Zi's, and Yang Zi's hand was firmly clutched around Jiang Shao's waist.
The whole scene made Yu Han feel a little disgusted. The room smelled faintly of stale beer and bad decisions.
Yu Han was about to deliver a well-deserved kick to their unconscious forms, but a mischievous thought sparked in his mind.
A wide, wicked grin spread across his face. He quickly pulled out his phone, aiming the camera. Click, click, click! He snapped several photos of their cuddled-up state.
"Aha! Perfect," he whispered to himself, chuckling. "Now I have some leverage for future assignments. These will be very useful."
Satisfied, Yu Han finally delivered a less-than-gentle kick to both of them.
"Hey! You bastards! Look at the clock! Don't you guys want to go to college, huh?" he shouted, his voice cutting through the quiet.
With the sudden noise and physical jolt, both figures stirred. Their eyes slowly cracked open, still glazed with sleep and what looked like a massive hangover.
"W-What time is it?" Yang Zi mumbled, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. His voice was thick and raspy.
"It's 8:30!" Yu Han yelled, enjoying their slow-motion panic.
"What the fuck?!" Yang Zi jolted upright, his eyes widening. He looked around the messy room as if seeing it for the first time. "Oh no... why didn't you wake me up earlier?"
"How could I wake you up? I just got here myself! It's better you don't know the truth, or you'd kill me if you found out I slept at Li Hao's last night."
A bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Ah, actually..." Yu Han began, trying to sound casual, "I also just woke up a little while ago."
Jiang Shao, who was still trying to untangle himself from Yang Zi, rubbed his eyes and slowly scanned Yu Han from head to toe. "You woke up a little while ago? Huh!?" he asked, his voice dripping with suspicion.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Yu Han tried to act innocent.
"But you're already dressed up," Jiang Shao pointed out, his gaze narrowing.
Yang Zi, now fully sitting up and looking less like a zombie, also stared at Yu Han with a suspicious glance, as if Yu Han had just confessed to a terrible crime.
More sweat formed on Yu Han's forehead. He stammered, "Uh-h..." trying desperately to form a believable sentence.
"These clothes... these clothes aren't yours, Yu Han," Yang Zi said, his eyes fixed on the slightly oversized shirt Yu Han was wearing.
"Ah, these clothes," Yu Han forced out an awkward laugh. "Uhh... actually, I bought them last night! I was just feeling cold." He tried to save himself with a fake enthusiasm.
"But these are not even your size," Yang Zi countered, unconvinced.
"Huh? These are baggy clothes, Yang Zi! You know, the trends!" Yu Han insisted, his voice a little too high-pitched.
"Ah, whatever..." Jiang Shao groaned, clutching his head. "My head is spinning. I have no energy to attend class."
"But today is the last day of submitting our assignments!" Yu Han reminded them, watching their faces carefully.
The words hung in the air for a moment, then Yang Zi's eyes popped open even wider. "Huh? Oh right, assignments! Where's my assignment, Jiang Shao?"
"Assignment?" Jiang Shao repeated, still a little dazed. He scratched his head. "I think... it was on the sofa last night."
Yang Zi scrambled to the sofa, tossing cushions aside, but found nothing. He frantically searched here and there, finally spotting a stack of crumpled papers peeking out from under the sofa.
He pulled out his coursework, looking utterly defeated.
"What the hell did you guys do last night?" Yu Han asked, shaking his head at the mess.
"Ugh... I don't know!" Yang Zi snorted, delivering a weak kick to Jiang Shao's side. "We completed our assignments, and then this bastard said he wanted to drink some beer!"
"Hey now! You were just as eager!" Jiang Shao protested, rubbing his sore head.
"Okay, okay, guys, don't waste time bickering," Yu Han cut in, already tired of their complaints. "Just get ready quickly. We can still make it if you hurry!"
______________
[At Li Hao's Home]
Li was getting ready to leave when Gang Zi, stepped in.
"Mr. Li, we need to head to the office right away," Gang Zi said, his voice serious. "There's some urgent work that requires your attention. Your presence is very important."
Yuna, who was seated on the couch, her breakfast plate barely touched, looked up.
"Li Hao, I came here to have breakfast and lunch with you," she said, her voice laced with a hint of disappointment. "Can't you just spend a little time with me, too? We're getting married in a few weeks. We should get to know each other better."
Li Hao, already halfway to the door, didn't even turn around. "I'm busy today. We can eat together another time. You can go now."
"But Li Hao,..." Yuna started, her words trailing off as he walked past her, his mind clearly elsewhere.
He and Gang Zi stepped out of the house and walked towards the waiting car. As they reached it, Li Hao spoke, his tone clipped.
"Gang Zi, call Officer Zhang. I need to meet him."
Gang Zi nodded, his fingers already moving to dial. He swiftly arranged the meeting.
Both men got into the car, and it pulled away, heading towards the office, leaving Yuna alone in the quiet house.
______________
[At Office]
Li Hao leaned back in his executive chair, a subtle tension in his posture, while Gang Zi stood beside him, alert and watchful.
A knock preceded the entrance of Officer Zhang, his uniform crisp, his demeanor professional.
"Good morning, Mr. Li,"
Officer Zhang greeted, a slight bow accompanying his extended hand.
Li Hao rose to meet it, their grip firm and brief before both men settled into their respective chairs.
Behind Officer Zhang lingered a younger man who stood out starkly against the corporate backdrop.
He was indeed handsome, perhaps in his early twenties, with a mop of dark hair falling over a pair of thick-rimmed spectacles.
Dressed in a simple, untucked t-shirt and jeans, a sleek tablet clutched in his hand, he looked more like he'd wandered in from a university campus than arrived for a high-stakes meeting.
"Mr. Li," Officer Zhang began, gesturing to the young man, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Allow me to introduce Hua Yong. He's a computer science student at Beijing University."
Hua Yong, sensing his cue, stepped forward and offered a polite nod, his gaze meeting Li Hao's before he extended his hand.
Li Hao responded with a brief, almost dismissive nod, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes at the unusual pairing.
"He's going to help us with the CCTV matter," Officer Zhang continued, his tone brimming with an understated confidence.
Li Hao's eyebrows barely twitched, but a shared glance with Gang Zi conveyed a silent, profound skepticism.
A college student? For a matter of this magnitude?
Gang Zi, less reserved than his boss, voiced their mutual doubt.
"Officer Zhang, how can we trust him? He's just a student." The words hung in the air, thick with disbelief.
Officer Zhang chuckled, a sound designed to diffuse the immediate tension.
"Don't worry, I trust him implicitly. He's not just a student; he's helped us crack a few other cases too, proven himself more than capable."
At the casual dismissal of his capabilities, Hua Yong's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
His eyes, magnified behind his spectacles, briefly flashed with a potent mix of annoyance and something akin to a mischievous challenge.
He turned his attention directly to Gang Zi, his voice unexpectedly calm.
"Give me your phone."
Gang Zi blinked, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "My phone? Why?"
"Just give it," Hua Yong insisted, his extended hand steady, his gaze unwavering.
"Don't ask questions."
A wave of bewilderment washed over Gang Zi, but the sheer unexpectedness of the demand, coupled with Hua Yong's self-assured demeanor, compelled him.
With a hesitant grunt, he fished out his smartphone and placed it in Hua Yong's waiting palm.
Hua Yong didn't waste a second. He returned to his tablet, his fingers a blur, dancing across the virtual keyboard with a speed that defied comprehension.
Lines of code scrolled down the screen, an intricate dance of characters, as if he were composing a symphony of data. Li Hao leaned forward, intrigued despite himself, while Gang Zi shifted uncomfortably, a knot forming in his stomach.
Less than a minute later, a faint smirk touched Hua Yong's lips. He lifted his head, his gaze locking onto Gang Zi with an almost predatory glint.
The smirk widened, a silent, pointed accusation. Then, he angled his tablet, displaying its screen for all three men to see. His voice, laced with a wicked, playful malice, cut through the sudden silence.
"You like to collect your…dick photos, don't you, Gang Zi?" he drawled, his eyes still fixed on the rapidly reddening face of Li Hao's aide.
Gang Zi's face went from pale to a furious crimson in an instant. His jaw dropped, and then snapped shut with a click.
With a guttural roar, he lunged, snatching the tablet from Hua Yong's hand as if it were a venomous snake.
But it was too late. The image, clear and unambiguous, had already branded itself onto the minds of Li Hao and Officer Zhang.
"What the fuck?!" Gang Zi bellowed, his voice cracking with outrage.
"It's not mine, you bastard!"
Hua Yong merely shrugged, a picture of nonchalant innocence. "If it's not yours, why are you shouting so loud?"
"I'll kill you, you bastard!" Gang Zi snarled, his eyes wild, his fists clenching and unclenching, practically vibrating with the urge to strike.
He took a threatening step forward, ready to escalate the impromptu sparring session.
Li Hao had had enough. The display, while undeniably impressive, was quickly devolving into utter chaos.
"Enough, Gang Zi!" he snapped, his voice sharp, cutting through the escalating tension like a knife. "Sit down, right now!"
Gang Zi hesitated, his chest heaving, his gaze still fixed on Hua Yong with venomous intent.
"But Mr. Li, this is clear privacy theft! I'll hand him over to the police!"
Hua Yong burst into a fit of gleeful laughter, a sound that only further inflamed Gang Zi.
"Can't you see I work with Officer Zhang?" he chuckled, gesturing pointedly at the uniformed man, who was now pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to suppress his own amusement.
Li Hao sighed, running a hand over his face. The initial skepticism had completely evaporated, replaced by a grudging, if slightly unnerved, acceptance.
"Alright, alright, we get it," he said, his voice calmer now, but laced with a clear warning directed at Hua Yong.
"We understand you are more than capable of handling our work. Now, can we focus on the CCTV?"