Chapter Eighteen: The Informant Qu Qing

With his phone in hand, Li Changqing’s brows drew together in a faint frown. He hadn’t expected Kelly Losetti to become entangled with that abandoned factory. Judging from the message, Kelly Losetti was likely already in trouble.

Should he go? Or not?

Wait, the informant Kelly mentioned might know something. He should look for her first; perhaps he could learn more from her.

Li Changqing switched into a black trench coat, picked up his cane and soft felt hat. To Tang Xiaoyu, he said, “Stay home and wait for me. I’m going out to investigate something.”

Tang Xiaoyu, a trace of worry in her voice, asked, “That narcissist’s in trouble?”

“Perhaps.”

“I’ll go with you,” she said, unable to set her mind at ease. Without further ado, she slipped into the felt hat.

Li Changqing didn’t linger. Placing the hat on his head, he strode quickly out the door. To be honest, his acquaintance with Kelly Losetti amounted to nothing more than sharing a drink at a tavern the night before. There was no deep friendship between him and that flamboyant character.

But since the matter involved the abandoned factory, he at least needed to meet the informant and see if he could glean more information about that place.

The city buses of Nanlin all bore the marks of time—most had peeling paint and were mottled with rust. Riding one, he slowly made his way to Donghai District.

The Bolin Restaurant was a place Kelly Losetti and the former Li Changqing often frequented while they were colleagues. Trusting to memory, he soon found the Bolin Restaurant at the crossroads.

At the entrance, he straightened his attire, pushed open the glass door, and stepped inside.

The restaurant was decorated in the style of the Lamella Empire, reminiscent of Western Europe in a former life. A costly grand piano stood in the center, and the tables were small, seating no more than four. The furnishings were somewhat dated, many pieces yellowed with age. Years ago, the restaurant had prospered thanks to its chef, a master from the Lamella Empire, offering authentic flavors. Business had been brisk. Kelly Losetti was especially fond of their Leefi steak.

“Good afternoon.”

A waiter hurried over, smiling. “Table for one, sir?”

“I’m here to see Ms. Qu.”

The waiter gestured to a nearby chair. “Manager Qu is in the kitchen. Please have a seat, and I’ll let her know you’re here.”

Li Changqing settled into a cushioned wooden chair and nodded. “Thank you.”

Soon, a capable woman in a white blouse and black jeans approached, around twenty-eight or twenty-nine, with flawless makeup and her hair pinned up. She held a notepad and pen—she’d probably just been taking stock in the kitchen.

“Hello, may I ask who you are?”

Li Changqing rose to shake her hand. “I’m Kelly Losetti’s friend, Li Changqing. I’m also a detective. Kelly left me a message this morning, asking me to come see you.”

“Kelly’s friend.” Qu Qing glanced around, then said, “Let’s find somewhere quieter to talk.”

Under her guidance, they left the restaurant and entered a quieter café next door.

Once seated, Qu Qing raised a hand. “Two Leopard Cat Supreme coffees, please.”

As the coffee was served, Li Changqing watched Qu Qing closely. She likely didn’t know about Kelly Losetti’s predicament—otherwise, she wouldn’t be so at ease, inviting him for coffee. Alternatively, she might simply dislike that narcissist and couldn’t care less about his fate.

“Kelly sent you to ask about the case he took on a few days ago, didn’t he?” Qu Qing elegantly lifted her cup and sipped. “He’s too impulsive. I’ve warned him many times: this case is strange, better left to someone else at the agency. But you know his character—always eager to prove himself an outstanding detective.”

“The case began when a man named Wang Jiaxiang came to their agency, claiming his wife had disappeared.”

Li Changqing lifted his coffee, pausing. “Missing?”

“About a month ago, his business hit trouble, and he had a cash flow crisis. His wife told him she had a way to earn a sum of money, but would need to be away for a few days. After that, she vanished—no contact at all.”

Hearing this, Li Changqing was surprised. The situation was nearly identical to that of Lin Zhixin.

Qu Qing continued, “At first, the agency thought it was a simple missing persons case and assigned it to Kelly. Unexpectedly, Kelly actually found Mr. Wang’s wife and tailed her for several days.”

“Last night, Kelly called me. He said he’d followed the woman to an abandoned factory, where she disappeared. He wanted to go in and take a look.”

“I tried to dissuade him—I told him to call the police, or at least take backup.” As she spoke, Qu Qing’s hand stilled. She quickly pulled out her phone and tried to call Kelly Losetti.

“Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is powered off. Beep... beep...”

“That idiot—did he go in last night?”

Li Changqing’s face was grave. He nodded slightly. “You mentioned the case was strange—how so?”

Qu Qing composed herself, anxiety written on her face. “About three nights ago, Kelly was tailing the woman when she was in a car accident. She was hit so hard her thigh bone pierced through her flesh, but she acted as if nothing had happened—she shoved the bone back in and walked off.”

Li Changqing nodded. Unless Kelly had been drunk and hallucinating, this was certainly a supernatural case—much like what he himself had encountered at the abandoned factory.

What exactly was inside that place?

“Anything else?” Li Changqing asked.

Qu Qing shook her head, concern in her eyes. “Kelly will be all right, won’t he? He...”

There seemed to be something unusual in their relationship. While informants often worried about a detective’s safety, her reaction was more akin to that of a lover.

“I can’t say for sure.”

“But I’ll do my best. Don’t worry.”

Seeing she had nothing more to add, Li Changqing stood to take his leave.

Once outside, he stood by the roadside. Cars roared past from time to time.

Seeing him lost in thought, Tang Xiaoyu spoke from the felt hat, “Li Changqing, you’re not thinking of going to that factory, are you?”

“Do you remember Mr. Lin Zhixin’s case?” Li Changqing said calmly. “The overlap between the two cases is so great, they might as well be considered one and the same.”

“Damn it. Even if we go to the factory, I doubt we can save that narcissist.”