“Captain agreed to set up a quitel trade. Guan’s Tea Shop. Tomorrow, same time as our meeting in that i cafe. How about that?” Right after the meeting with the captain and other detectives, Marcu sent a message to Gloria.

  “Okay.” Gloria responded without much dey.

  Keryn and Shrevas rushed out of the briefing room because they got a on their phones. Kevin and Brian Sai chatted a little, the into Kevin’s office. Marcus went in and joihem right after the message. The reason for this was simple: something Brian Sai mentioned during the debriefing: the name, Yixiang Zhuge.

  “Hi, you called me?” Just this moment, Miocked on the door.

  “Yes, please, e in.” Kevin nodded.

  Marcus looked Kevin in the eyes, who then gave him a “trust me” look.

  “Okay, Brian, you tell us a bit more on what you found on the Ling family e? ” Kevin asked: “And - I think we ahis information a little, so we maybe help Keryn and Shrevas with their case.”

  “The Ling family case?” Miodded: “I - I heard about it. And what’s new?”

  “Have any of you heard of the name Yixiang Zhuge? Or maybe Zhuge Yixiang?” Brian Sai asked, looking at everyone in the room: “I mean - I haven’t got a ce to dig into it yet, but it sounded very familiar…”

  “I think I heard of the name. Which is why I called you guys here, because, for one I want to firm, and for two I don’t want to say this in front of the captain unless we have something crete.” Kevin nodded.

  “Wait - I think I’ve heard of this name as well - ” Mick frowned: “Is it - is it the real name of Big Sister Zhu, or Madam Yi? The - the trafficker?”

  “Yes, yes, exactly!” Kevin snapped his finger: “I mean - I’m gd I’m not the only one who remembers. But - we just o have a pn to actually research this - ”

  “Wait wait wait, what’s the deal with this trafficker?” Brian Sai scratched his head, fused.

  “Well, uh - she used to be kind of a legend - however horrible it might be.” Mick cleared his throat then shrugged: “... iraffig crime sense - I meant. She used to be one of the biggest fish. Until - until her brutal death.”

  A jolt of electricity went through Marcus’ entire boy: “She’s the one who got captured and lynched?”

  “Yes.” Kevin and Miswered at the same time.

  “Okay - okay, so this is a good e.” Brian Sai almost jumped at the firmation: “So I guess the theory is - they ‘adopt’ their son through her. But - how do we firm it? Where do we start? If it is more than a decade ago, all the records would be kinda - kinda murky.”

  “That’s where Mies in.” Kevin chuckled: “Out of all of us, you are the oh the most es in the district. Am I right Mick? ”

  Mick looked at Kevin, then Marcus, then Brian Sai, then shook his head and sighed: “Well, yeah, I guess - I guess I MAY know more people.”

  “Good - good. And I will presume you know more about these people - I mean, South Western District upper middle css types, kinda rich, one or both parents work for a big pany - ”

  “Yeah yeah, I got it.” Mick waved his hands, then took out his phone and got ready to take notes: “What do you wao learn about?”

  “We’ll need you to lead me on this one.” Brian Sai nodded and patted Mi the shoulder: “If you could find something out about the Lings, that would be great.”

  “I - I ’t say I’ll have anything for you very soon. Because - because I’ll o get in touch with some of my past tacts.” Mick shook his head: “Marcus, I think I’ll need your help with this as well - you know some people in some temples right? y me some - some hard to get blessed items or talismans? It doesn’t have to actually work, just o look and feel good.”

  “No problem. But it'll take a bit. It’s not that easy to find.” Marodded: “Things are getting harder to find, and more expeoo.”

  “Also - this reminds me.” Brian Sai raised his hand: “Do you - do you happen to know where she was buried? Or was she cremated? Yixiang Zhuge, I mean.”

  “She was her.” Kevin shook his head: “She was tortured almost beynition. The city reized her through some DNA samples from her fingernails. A lot of main parts of her body was said to have been tossed into the ke and were not found. It wasn’t for the ck - the city lost two divers that week.”

  —-----------

  Guan’s Tea Shop was a small but old establishmehe border between the South Western and South Eastern districts. It was a two storey house made of only bamboo and red wood, with a small but old peach tree standing in by the front door. On it there were around two dozen knots made of red threads each with a small pendant dangling below. The billboard of the tea shop was made of one single whole piece wooden board, the name was carved into it, each stroke fused with the art of Shufa.

  Marcus and Kevin were seated around ten minutes before the desigime. Outside of the tea shop, Mid Brian Sai were waiting in an undercover car, watg the outside and the surrounding area.

  Five minutes before the designated meeting time, a tall, slim but slightly muscur woman in a bck jacket, a pair of bck jea into the tea shop, her hands in her jacket pockets. Another young woman stayed outside and sat on a decorative stone by the side of the road, ag rather innocuous but was quite clearly someoo cover for the young woman that just went in.

  “She went in.” Brian Sai notified Marcus and Kevin through her s.

  “Thanks, noted. But like I said, o worry.” Marcus responded.