Chapter 173 — Genuine Through and Through
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
"Huh? To your place this weekend?" Wei Zhao blinked. "What for?"
"I don't know!" Tang Zhi answered without thinking, then, afraid that Wei Zhao might come to her class to press her for details, added, "My mom wants you two to come over for a barbecue."
With that, Tang Zhi turned and trotted off toward the school without a backward glance, leaving behind a thoroughly bewildered Wei Zhao: and where exactly do you live?
Wei Zhao knew more or less where Tang Zhi's home was, somewhere in the shantytown, but the shantytown was vast, so who knew which corner of it her family occupied?
As for this invitation for him and Kang Xiaofeng to a barbecue, he guessed it must be because of yesterday's recipe. Mother Tang had evidently tried it out, found it worked, and now meant to treat him and Kang Xiaofeng to a meal by way of thanks.
"Heh..." Wei Zhao shook his head, reached out and shut the car door, then waited for Qiu Lingshan.
He had waited perhaps half an hour when Qiu Lingshan called him again. "Wei Zhao, your school's Director Wang was quite agreeable, actually. He gave you the leave just like that? Where are you? I'll come to you."
"The snack street behind the school," Wei Zhao said. Wang Zhifeng had a hold over him to hold, so how could he refuse him the leave? Besides, Qiu Lingshan had probably told him she was looking for Wei Zhao on official business, and naturally Wang Zhifeng would not stand in the way of such matters.
"Then wait for me, I'll be right there." Qiu Lingshan hung up. Some ten minutes later, Wei Zhao saw in the rearview mirror a civilian-plated Liebao SUV with a Song G plate pull up. Song G was a civilian plate series the police had created for convenience in handling cases, but the series was by now common knowledge, making it no different from a police car; many of the powerful and well connected even pulled strings to have this plate issued for their own cars, the better to enjoy their privileges on the road.
Arriving at the snack street, Qiu Lingshan did not see Wei Zhao, only a yellow Beetle parked at the curb. She was frowning in puzzlement and about to call him when the Beetle's door opened and Wei Zhao got out and walked toward her.
"Your car?" Qiu Lingshan stared at his Beetle in surprise. Her investigation had shown that Wei Zhao was brought in by Gu Pengzhan to protect Gu Mengyao. They might well have assigned him a car, but surely not a car like this? It hardly fit the image of a close protection bodyguard.
"Shen Yushu's. She's lending it to me for a few days," Wei Zhao said without concealing it. There was a plate on the car anyway; if Qiu Lingshan wanted to look into it, all she had to do was check the owner.
"I see. Get in, then," Qiu Lingshan said, pointing to the passenger seat.
Wei Zhao opened the door and got in. Qiu Lingshan started the car and drove off toward the police station.
After they had driven for a while, Qiu Lingshan noticed that Wei Zhao said nothing at all. She frowned. "Aren't you going to say something?"
"Say what?" Wei Zhao turned his head and glanced at Song Ling—no, at Qiu Lingshan—giving her a once-over. "You're the one who came looking for me, so why should I be the one talking? Oh, I know what I wanted to say: the wound on my leg has healed. This time I'm not afraid of you. You can pinch it all you like."
"You!" Qiu Lingshan was choking with anger. She truly did not know what Captain Yang had seen in Wei Zhao to recommend such a man to her. Hearing such shameless words, she at once remembered that scene in the hospital and cursed through her teeth, "Scoundrel!"
"Genuine through and through," Wei Zhao said mildly, leaning back comfortably against the seat and closing his eyes.
"..." Qiu Lingshan did not know what to say. Wei Zhao had left her speechless with a single sentence, and after a long moment she managed, "Can you help me find the bank robbers from that day?"