"Li, I need you to go to the port: there's a container of artifacts and we fear some of them may be counterfeit. The assigned Seeker is on sick leave and that stuff has been sitting there for days."
"Okay, I'll go."
---
When the hatch was opened, Zeyang swallowed at the sight of the dozens of crates that appeared before his eyes like multicolored lights.
"How do you want to proceed?" Liam asked him.
"One crate at a time."
After a couple of hours, the detective took a break. He stepped away from the container and fixed his eyes on the blue expanse of the sea, trying to push back the nausea. The dockworkers sat down to smoke and chat, and Liam joined him. "Everything okay?"
Zeyang nodded, but he wondered how the port's Seeker could do that job every day.
The sun had passed its zenith and cast a light softened by the clouds drifting slowly across the sky.
The water was slightly rippled, and small silent waves broke against the pier, filling the air with a salty scent.
When he felt better, he returned to his colleagues to continue examining the contents of the crates.
It was dark when Zeyang rushed outside and leaned against another container, bending forward and beginning to vomit.
Liam reached him and took a small bottle of water and some tissues from the backpack he was carrying.
The detective's phone began to ring, and he pulled it from his pocket. Seeing that it was Lu Shen, he handed it to Liam to answer.
"Hello?"
"No, he can't answer right now."
"No, everything's okay," he continued after a few seconds.
Zeyang straightened up, took the water and rinsed his mouth and face, then used the tissues to dry himself.
Finally, he took the phone. "Did something happen?"
"Are you okay?"
"Yes," he lied.
"Are you still at work?"
"Yes." Then he had to bend forward again and retch.
"Zeyang, where are you?"
When he caught his breath, he replied, "At the port."
"I'm coming," and he ended the call.
Zeyang cleaned himself up.
"Chief, I'll take you home," Liam said, approaching him.
He shook his head. "The last one, and then we all leave."
"I don't think that's a good idea…"
Zeyang smiled at him as he walked past. "I have no intention of coming back here again tomorrow."
---
When he emerged from the container, he saw Lu Shen waiting for him.
Zeyang walked toward him with a smile.
"Sorcerer, you're going to make me think you feel sorry for me."
The other didn't reply. He watched him carefully as he opened the car door and then walked around to the driver's seat.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine. I told you. I don't understand why you came."
"Why are you at the port?"
"Checking counterfeit artifacts."
Lu Shen looked at him. "How long have you been here?"
"A few hours."
Lu Shen pressed his lips together. "Where do you live?"
Zeyang gave him his address, then leaned back and closed his eyes before opening them again to look at him. "Why did you call? Did something happen?"
"Nothing important." In truth, he had called to tell him that someone—surely a sorcerer—had tested the magical defenses of his house. But it didn't seem right to worry him further.
"Do you have food at home?"
"I'm not hungry. I'll eat tomorrow."
"Zeyang, your power has consumed too much energy. You need to eat."
A little later, he pulled over and Zeyang saw him get out and enter a takeaway food shop.
"Here. Light, but suitable for restoring your energy. Make yourself a cup of the tea I gave you as well. Do you still have some?"
The detective looked at the package in his hands. "Yes," he finally replied. Used to living alone and managing on his own for too many years, he didn't know how to react to Lu Shen's attentions.
When they arrived under his building, he parked. Zeyang had fallen asleep, and Lu Shen woke him gently.
"Thank you," the detective said, retrieving his house keys from his jacket.
The other smiled at him, then waited until he had gone inside before leaving.