029 On-Site Investigation

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“Ah?!” Yang Tang was startled by the price of the black bow.

He knew that the price was sixteen hundred in local currency, which was equivalent to sixteen thousand in his previous life. Originally, the cheapest laptops online sold for over three thousand, and Yang Tang already found them painfully expensive. But since all the dealers had similar prices, he had nothing to complain about.

But the black bow was different. For Yang Tang, he only needed to assume the "shooting stance," and besides, he’d seen bows in the shop earlier priced at two or three hundred. He certainly didn’t want to be fleeced.

Yes, "Uncle" Yang Tang suspected the lady shopkeeper was playing tricks, trying to pass off a cheap item as something expensive.

Luckily, He Jianni understood bows and didn’t mistake the shopkeeper's goodwill for something else. She snatched the bow from Yang Tang’s hands, examined it from every angle, and checked the serial number, “328060”—the letters in front were the brand abbreviation, and the six digits behind indicated the bow's specs. “Wait, is this bow mislabeled? How can a sixty-pound limb deliver an eighty-pound draw?”

“You really know your stuff. The old sixty-pound limbs couldn’t reach eighty, but this bow is made from the latest composite materials—lightweight and resistant to deformation, meant for hunting. With the matching finger guard, your rapid-firing ability will increase dramatically!”

Yang Tang, however, remained skeptical. “If you’re really out in the wild and wolves or tigers are charging, you’d be lucky to get off one shot—rapid fire, my foot.”

He Jianni was about to argue, but then recalled his earlier feat of firing three arrows at once, and instantly lost the urge to debate. Instead, she said, “If you don’t want the black bow, I’ll buy it!”

The lady shopkeeper was shrewd, raising the price at just the right moment. “In that case, I can only offer you a twenty percent discount.”

He Jianni was immediately displeased. “Are you favoring beauty over friendship?”

The shopkeeper smiled. “We’re not friends, and besides, the ancients said, ‘A treasured sword goes to the hero.’ If you use this bow, it’d be wasted!”

“Can I buy it for him?” With that, He Jianni slapped a bank card into the shopkeeper’s hand.

The shopkeeper wasn’t to be outdone. “In that case, I can’t lower the price any further.”

“Hmph!” He Jianni was a little annoyed.

At that moment, Yang Tang interjected, “This bow is too expensive. Why not save your money and help me pay for half a laptop?” Frankly, only “Uncle” Yang Tang could say such shameless words. If it were “Student” Yang Tang or any other guy, no one would admit to lacking money in front of two beautiful girls.

Sure enough, He Jianni and the shopkeeper were both stunned, then burst into peals of laughter.

“Ha ha!”

“Hee hee hee!”

“What’s so funny? I’m being serious.” Yang Tang was utterly unashamed.

“Alright!” The shopkeeper was the first to sober up, returning the bank card to He Jianni. “As I said, I’ll give you the bow for free!”

Yang Tang spread his hands. “But I can’t accept a reward I haven’t earned!”

“Don’t be so pretentious!” He Jianni shoved the bow into Yang Tang’s hands. “Let’s go.” She didn’t even glance at the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper clearly didn’t care about He Jianni; her interest was Yang Tang. Seeing him about to leave, she immediately offered the full set of recurve bow accessories. “Hey, take this quiver, it holds twelve custom arrows, matching the black bow. And here’s the arm guard, finger guard, and…my business card!” After packing everything into a paper box, she handed over her card.

Yang Tang glanced at it: “Sushu, Assistant Instructor in Shooting at Capital Sports University.” Suddenly, he realized why the shopkeeper had been so attentive. “Are you recruiting me?”

“Smart.” Sushu gave him a thumbs-up. “I’m scouting archery talent for Capital Sports University.”

“But I really can’t shoot. What just happened was pure luck.”

Sushu’s face fell slightly. “Sir—”

“I’m still a student,” Yang Tang corrected her.

“Student, excessive modesty is just false humility,” Sushu’s tone cooled.

Yang Tang insisted, “I truly can’t shoot. Forget it, I’ll return the black bow.”

Sushu refused. “I never take back gifts once given.”

Yang Tang raised his eyebrows and turned to He Jianni, who had stayed silent. “Let’s go!”

Sushu was a bit frustrated. “Aren’t you going to leave your name and contact information?”

Yang Tang shook his head. “If I change my mind, I’ll contact you. But I don’t want any revenge!”

“What do you mean?” Sushu was both displeased and puzzled.

He Jianni looked at him, equally confused.

Yang Tang explained, “Boss Su, judging by the escape route of the remaining robbers, this was clearly premeditated. Who knows if they had accomplices, so I can’t disclose my name or contact info to you. Your business card won’t arouse any suspicion!”

Sushu was stunned. To be honest, she hadn’t thought so deeply about the robbery.

Leaving Sushu’s shop, Yang Tang found the familiar store He Jianni mentioned still closed. He guessed the owner was probably delayed by the robbery outside and said to He Jianni, “Looks like it’s not happening today. Let’s come back for the laptop another time.”

“Sure,” she was more than happy to spend more time with Yang Tang.

So the two went downstairs and out to the street.

Yang Tang was surprised to find the police hadn’t cordoned off the mall exit. Many curious onlookers, having heard the robbery was over, were blocking the sidewalk by the exit, staring at the parking lot twenty meters away.

In other words, he and He Jianni could slip away at any time.

The police couldn’t really be blamed for the insufficient cordon. Once the robbery entered the escape phase, almost no bystanders dared stick their necks out, so few noticed how the taxi lost control. That’s why the police hadn’t sealed off the mall exit.

The only problem was that Yang Tang’s bicycle was parked in the wrong spot, now hidden by the crowd.

He Jianni, guessing Yang Tang didn't want to show himself, said, “I’ll get your bike.”

“Great!”

Yang Tang didn’t fuss, handing her the key. Soon, He Jianni pushed his bike out from the crowd.

They mounted it as usual and hurried back to Mist University.

At the front gate, Yang Tang insisted on giving the black bow to He Jianni. “It’s almost half past four. I’ve been out all afternoon. If I take this home and my dad sees it, he’ll kill me!”

“Alright, I’ll keep it for you,” He Jianni agreed. “By the way, you wanted to buy a laptop but lacked funds, so you were checking out parts?”

“Exactly!” Yang Tang didn’t hide it. “Can your friend really offer a thirty percent discount?”

“Of course, but building your own laptop is tough. If you mess up, it might not even boot.” He Jianni was no computer novice. “Why don’t I give you an old laptop?”

“You have a spare?”

“Please, you think I’d give you my own?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant.” Yang Tang waved his hands. “I just want to know the specs. If it’s good enough, I don’t need you to give it to me. Just lend it for six months, and I’ll return a brand-new, top-configured Azure Luan!”

Azure Luan—a laptop series jointly created by Imagine Tech and Tenglong Company, global top suppliers and the leading hardware enterprise in China. The top configuration costs at least forty or fifty thousand.

“Azure Luan? You’re bluffing; I don’t believe it!” He Jianni tossed out the remark and strolled off with the bow box.

“Hey, hey, you didn’t say if you’ll lend me the laptop!” Yang Tang chased after her, genuinely anxious, his shamelessness kicking in once more.

“I’ll lend it, but I need to check the specs first. Besides, it’s been sitting unused for over a year, so who knows if it’ll even turn on!” As she backed away, He Jianni saw Yang Tang’s dumbfounded look and burst out laughing. “Hee hee.”

After parting ways, Yang Tang returned home to find his parents not yet back from work and hurried to his room to study.

Meanwhile, South Street Bridge South, the scene of the robbery.

“Director Wu!”

“Director Wu!”

Wu Lie, who had previously met Yang Tang, appeared at the scene. “How’s it going? What did the investigation find?”

A sergeant with two stars stepped forward, leaned in, and whispered, “Director Wu, according to preliminary findings, the three dead robbers are Zhang Jun and two accomplices!”

“What!?” Wu Lie was genuinely surprised. “We must clarify this. Are you sure?” His raised voice attracted nearby officers’ attention.

Zhang Jun was notorious in the police department, having committed multiple armed robberies and murders over seven years. Suddenly being told he was dead was hard for Wu Lie to believe.

“It’s been preliminarily confirmed. We’re just waiting for the department’s secondary comparison,” the sergeant said.

Wu Lie raised his eyebrows. “How did the three robbers die? There should be a general conclusion.”

“According to the scene investigation, the first robber, Cha, died right here. He was facing the bank’s main entrance, shot in the back of the head with an arrow—instantly fatal!”

“An arrow?!” Wu Lie’s eyes widened.

“Yes, but colleagues have tested the arrow material—it’s very ordinary, even poor quality. Normally, it couldn’t possibly penetrate a robber’s entire skull!”

“That’s a point of suspicion. Note it!” Wu Lie instructed his recorder, then asked the sergeant, “Old Fang, where was the arrow fired from?”

“Witnesses said one of the remaining robbers fired at the camphor tree across the street, but I sent officers up the tree and found no signs of anyone hiding—no evidence whatsoever!”

Wu Lie’s mouth twitched, pointing at the corpse shroud tented by the arrow’s tail. “So this was a bolt from the blue?”

“That’s exactly what puzzles me.”

Pure nonsense.

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