Chapter Thirty-Two: Investigation

Sunday was the day for family outings. The Britt family had invited Qiu Fengyu to watch his son’s baseball game, mainly for his son Danny. It was a family game day, so naturally, the whole family was involved.

But on this day, they unexpectedly invited Qiu Fengyu to join them as well.

Well, why not? So Qiu Fengyu flipped the sign at the entrance of his shop. It was now closed for business. This prompted a passerby to spread his hands at Qiu Fengyu, complaining, “Come on, you can’t do this. You always do this!”

“Buddy, I do as I please,” Qiu Fengyu replied, full of confidence. He now had the right to be so. If you wanted a bowl of his noodles, you had to come early and be prepared to wait in line.

The man showed Qiu Fengyu his middle finger and left in a huff. Qiu Fengyu had become increasingly unreliable—closing shop whenever he felt like it. Was there any professional integrity left?

Complaints aside, Qiu Fengyu drove to the Britt house.

“Mr. Qiu—” Danny greeted him politely with a nod.

Nicole cheered and rushed over, diving straight into Qiu Fengyu’s arms. Truth be told, the little girl liked him very much—a handgun and a plate of sweet and sour ribs had won her over completely.

“Where are we headed now?” Qiu Fengyu spread his hands to them.

“To Danny’s school, the playground. Today is open game day,” Britt replied with a smile, waving Qiu Fengyu over. “Help me look after Nicole!”

Nicole looked up at Qiu Fengyu with a face full of anticipation.

“All right, Nicole, follow me!” Qiu Fengyu laughed, “Let me show you my car—it’s amazing.”

The group set out grandly for the school playground, where many people were already waiting—parents with their children. Some recognized Qiu Fengyu and waved in greeting.

The game itself was dreadfully dull.

“Hey, how did I do?” Danny asked, running over to Qiu Fengyu in the stands after the game. “We won! What do you think of my performance?”

“Very good! Excellent!” Qiu Fengyu nodded.

“Oh please, you slept through most of it,” Danny frowned.

Qiu Fengyu awkwardly rubbed his nose while Nicole giggled nearby. Elizabeth, however, spoke to Danny, “Don’t say that—Qiu came. That’s enough.”

“Okay, Danny!” Qiu Fengyu couldn’t bear to let the child down. He crouched and smiled, “You know, in my country, the popular sport isn’t baseball—it’s basketball. If one day I show you how I play basketball, you’ll be amazed! Do you like basketball?”

“Of course, but I’m not tall enough, so I play baseball instead,” Danny’s face opened into a smile. “Can you teach me basketball? …Can I play basketball?”

He spoke hesitantly, clearly self-conscious about his height.

“You can be like Iverson. Do you like him? He’s one of my favorite players—not tall, but incredibly sharp. You can do it, Danny!”

“Can I?” Danny tilted his head at Qiu Fengyu, as if a word from him could make him a great basketball player.

“Absolutely. I swear, you will.” Qiu Fengyu held out his fist. “Come on, bump it.”

Danny bumped fists with Qiu Fengyu, “When can I learn basketball from you?”

“Anytime you want,” Qiu Fengyu laughed.

This time, Danny was the one cheering. They stopped by a fixed barbecue spot at the lakeside, where many others had the same idea and had already gathered.

“Will you barbecue for me?” Nicole looked at Qiu Fengyu with pleading eyes, the little girl knowing exactly how to play cute.

Qiu Fengyu shrugged, “All right, you win!” and began grilling meat with a fork. After tasting Qiu Fengyu’s barbecue, Danny and Elizabeth, along with Britt, refused to let Britt grill anymore, insisting Qiu Fengyu handle it. His barbecue was undeniably tastier.

It seemed almost like a gift—whatever ended up in Qiu Fengyu’s hands gained a magical charm.

After eating and resting, they prepared to head home. Britt said gratefully to Qiu Fengyu, “Thank you, Qiu. You know, Danny’s never been satisfied with me… but today, he was happy.”

“Do you want the truth?”

“Of course, why not?” Britt looked at him in surprise.

“The truth is, if there’s a next time, could we skip the baseball game and barbecue parts? Danny and I could go straight to basketball, then head home!” Qiu Fengyu said, grimacing.

He had thought he’d blend into such a family life, but he realized he was completely mistaken. With his somewhat lazy nature, he was certainly not suited for family activity days.

Qiu Fengyu parked his car again in Saoirse’s garage. Walking home, he saw his neighbor waving at him.

Qiu Fengyu waved back and went inside. Most of the barbecue had been devoured by the two kids and that rascal Britt, leaving barely enough for himself, so he decided to make a bowl of noodles.

There was a knock at the door.

Qiu Fengyu went to see who it was—it was the man from next door, around forty years old, carrying a basket with a slightly burnt cake inside.

“Hi, I wanted… to introduce myself. I’ve just moved in. My name is Anthony Malloy. Uh… I have a daughter, named April.”

“Come in,” Qiu Fengyu glanced at the cake in his hand.

Anthony Malloy came in, looked around, and asked, “Where should I put this?” Seeing Qiu Fengyu gesture casually, he stepped over and set the basket down.

“I know your name—you’re well-known here, because of your ramen,” Anthony smiled. “We actually wanted to try some today… but… thank you anyway. I’ll leave now.” He pointed at the closed sign outside, smiled, and turned to go.

Qiu Fengyu watched him leave, frowning. He noticed something—the man’s hand was no ordinary hand. The joints of his fingers bore a layer of callus, the kind formed only by frequent trigger pulls, right at that spot.

Although he seemed casual, his gaze was cautious as he assessed the noodle shop. Qiu Fengyu knew what kind of people had such eyes. Moreover, his posture was always ready to defend himself.

And that girl—she liked her Scotch whisky with ice. That was a taste typical of sophisticated young women in big cities. Clearly, she was of that sort.

Thinking it over, Qiu Fengyu picked up the phone and dialed a number.

Half an hour later, Coffin was sitting in his shop, listening as he explained his analysis. Her brows furrowed and she picked up her walkie-talkie to contact the police.

“I need to check on a man named Anthony Malloy, in his forties, and a girl named April Malloy, around eighteen. Their accents are not local, definitely not Texans… Okay, I’ll wait for your report.”

A few minutes later, Coffin’s walkie-talkie crackled with information.

“There are over three thousand people named Anthony Malloy nationwide, and thirteen hundred named April Malloy. Factoring in age and location, that leaves just over two hundred and eighty, respectively. Any other distinguishing features to narrow it down?”

Coffin paused, then said, “Let’s leave it at that for now,” and ended the call.

“Too many to check,” Coffin told Qiu Fengyu. “Unless you get a clear photo of his face for facial comparison, your chances are much better.”

“All right, maybe tomorrow—he might come for noodles then,” Qiu Fengyu nodded. “Just be careful. This man… is tough to deal with, and we don’t know his intentions.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Coffin nodded. “I won’t let him stir up trouble on my turf.”

She always had that phrase ready.

After Coffin left, Qiu Fengyu sat in the shop, lost in thought. Too much free time led to thoughts he’d never have otherwise. It seemed his attempt to join the Britt family’s day of rest had been unsuccessful. He couldn’t blend in like a local.

And this little town seemed less peaceful lately—first the Russians stirring up trouble, then the Mexicans, and now a mysterious stranger.

It looked like there was a good show ahead. Qiu Fengyu’s lips couldn’t help but curl into a smile.