Chapter 126: A warning in the morning.

In the morning, Liwu waited for Weijun and He Xiao Yi to come out of their room. She had three coffees in her hands and handed one to each of the men. In her eyes were all the questions she wanted to ask.

But, He Xiao Yi walked off, the black trench coat wrapped around his body like a shield.

“Did you get anything?” Liwu pulled her husband in a manner that was not graceful at all.

Playfully sarcastic, Weijun replied, “Good morning to you too my dear wife. I slept well, despite sleeping in the chair because He Xiao Yi refused to share the bed. Yes, my back hurts and yes, I am going to need you to apply one of those painkiller patches that martial artists use.”

Liwu groaned.

“Both of you, move now.” Chief Abby as he stepped out of his room.

The team filed out of the hotel one by one, coats buttoned against the chill. Their cars waited in the lot, dew glistening on the windshields. Xuanji was telling everyone about the dream he had in which he claimed a Sun Jin faced caterpillar tried to bite him.

Then it happened–sudden, violent, a roar that split the air. An explosion flared near the vehicles, a burst of fire and smoke that rattled the ground beneath their feet. Shards of meta; clattered against the shield which the chief activated with one click of his pen. The smell of scorched rubber filled the air.

For a heartbeat, no one moved. The detectives stood frozen, their faces pale, their eyes wide.

“That was a warning.” He Xiao Yi said, “In this town, such things are the sign that you are not wanted around.”

“Thank God, its not my bad luck.” Liwu cheered.

Unexpectedly, rather than being rattled, the detectives laughed and climbed into their vehicles. They drove to Qinghe academy as if nothing had happened.

Only Weijun was rattled and Liwu saw this. She put a hand on his shoulder as the cars drove into the academy. “Are you okay?” She asked, softly.

He looked at her, with heavy eyes. “I have survived my fair share of assassinations over the years so I am not scared. I am just worried. How are you all able to laugh in the face of what just occurred.”

Linlin chuckled loudly, “We fight and hunt system hosts. A small car bomb is nothing in comparison. Hell, Liwu’s bad luck has caused explosions worse than this and we survived them. I would be more afraid of a sniper than a bomb.”

A hologram of Reaper appeared on the dashboard. “I have the bomber. I will deliver him to you at the academy.”

“Take him to headquarters.” Chief Abby instructed.

Linlin looked back at Weijun as she parked the car. “See. Nothing to worry about at all. Now that idiot is the one that should be worried because he or she is about to be sent to prison for life for attempting to murder police officers and one mayor.”

“And me.” Majesty reminded them, in a voice that was almost offended because he had not been mentioned personally.

They stepped out of the vehicle. Weijun held an umbrella over Liwu’s head in case yesterday’s incident was repeated. It wasn’t.

The principal of the academy, a slender, older tough looking woman who was taller than all of them, met them right there. “I heard there was an incident in the town. Is everyone okay?”

The teachers lurking behind her were equally curious. Even the students seemed to be aware of what had happened.

“Small town,” Linlin dragged out the world, saying it with distaste.

“We are fine.” Liwu replied. “Now, I asked for Professor Ce’s twenty to be gathered so that I could have a word with them. Has that been done?”

The principal nodded. “I would like it known that I don’t approve. It is offensive that you think the future leaders of tomorrow could be involved. The professor had enemies in town, parents that were not happy because we refused to admit their children. Three months ago, the teaching staff and I had agreed to introduce a quota of two students per year set aside for the town specifically.

The Professor threatened to leave. He was set on maintaining the traditional ways of the academy. One of the parents attacked the professor in a diner. His bicycle was sabotaged when he was visiting the hospital. Look outside for suspects, not here because he was beloved in this sacred school.”

Xuanji flipped his notebook. “I would like their names please and the dates on which the attacks happened.”

Once again, it was divide and concur. One team to investigate the personal life of the professor, one team to look into the town and parents.

Liwu and He Xiao Yi would take on the top twenty. They met them in the library, which the principal insisted on doing. Their ages varied from twelve to eighteen. Some looked sleepy. Others looked tired. Most looked impatient, as if this exercise was a waste of their precious time.

Liwu asked gentle questions: “You were the closest students to the professor. Did he look troubled recently?”

An older boy groaned. “Didn’t you ask these questions yesterday?”

Majesty leaped on Liwu’s shoulder. “And we will ask them again because yesterday we were not aware that Zhao Bufang, a former student here was manufacturing and selling a new coffee based drug that many of you have been relying on to stay awake. The professor confiscated it three days ago and Bufang was expelled. Most of you here lost points with the professor.”

Liwu and He Xiao Yi were too stunned. They could not believe that the cat had found out such important information and failed to share it!

“I told you to talk to the janitor.” Majesty purred.

“We did!” Liwu and Xiao Yi answered.

“Not the way I did.” Majesty flexed his claws.

Liwu immediately had a feeling that the janitor was wearing a hat or a wig today. But, that was not important at the moment. She looked at the students who were shifting uncomfortably. “So, which one of you was angry enough about some deducted points or their lost position among the twenty? Angry enough to kill your professor?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep