Hualian AU ~ 8. At Black Water Island

Part 6

The minicab he got from the station dropped him at the Black Water Island's gates; he opened them and kept walking, hearing his own steps on the gravel, when somebody approached him. He didn't know where this man came from, and had never seen him before. The man gestured for Xie Lian to follow him.

He was blond and wore round glasses, a shirt with a grey pullover. He took Xie Lian behind the mansion, where the stables used to be, to a white van parked there. Xie Lian knew it: a surveillance van. They entered, and the man showed him his ID.

"I'm Quan Yizhen from the NECC, conducting an investigation with the metropolitan police".

NECC, National Economic Crime Centre, Xie Lian thought. Were they after this He Xuan, or...

"You're not under arrest, but I might ask my colleagues to arrest you if you leave this van", he said.

Xie Lian looked to the other three guys in the van; they certainly were more tough-looking than this guy. If the police were involved, all he should do really was wait and see. He nodded; Officer Quan Yizhen gestured for him to sit down, and they all turned to look at the screens in front of them.

It showed a room with old leather sofas, and, sitting on them, facing each other, there were Shi Wudu, Shi Qingxuan and Ming Yi. During the time Xie Lian took to get to the station and into that train and back, it seems Shi Wudu had already established it wasn't all a mistake, and there was no multi-millionaire called He Xuan.

Pei Ming was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Pei Ming?", Xie Lian blurted out.

"He's not relevant to this investigation", Officer Quan Yizhen answered. "Actually he's a jeopardy".

This guy's weird, Xie Lian thought; they probably detained Pei Ming somewhere, just like they were doing to him. Only he was allowed to see the whole thing... does it mean that, besides being a jeopardy, they considered Pei Ming a suspect too?

Ming Yi was saying, coolly, "I'm gonna tell you: my name is He Xuan, I'm from the city of FuGu. Six years ago, I attempted to join The Heavens on a Wind and Water Scholarship. Does it ring any bells?"

"And what does it have to do with me?", Shi Wudu replied.

"Oh it has EVERYTHING to do with you. With you and your brother".

Shi Qingxuan said, "Six years ago, the Wind and Water Scholarship was granted to..."

"Qinxuan SHUT UT SHUT UP SHUT UP", Shi Wudu snapped.

Shi Qingxuan was puzzled, "Ming-xiong, what's happeneing?"

"Stop calling him like that! Didn't you just hear him saying he's not Ming Yi, your loyal side-kick? Are you dumb or what?", Shi Wudu roared.

"He's still Ming-xiong to me", Shi Qingxuan said, quietly.

Xie Lian, felt a tightness of his chest. He looked around; Officer Quan Yizhen and the three other policemen were paying close attention to everything being said, checking their equipment here and there. One of them passed him a bag of crisps, and a can of Coke.

"Why are you so eager for your brother to shut up? He knows too much?", Ming Yi continued.

"He doesn't know anything".

"Oh he doesn't know then. I wonder what that is...", Ming Yi said, with a chilly smile.

"There's NOTHING. I don't know what you're talking about".

Ming Yi turned to Shi Qingxuan and asked, "What was it you were going to say before?"

"Six years ago", he replied, "The Wind and Water Scholarship was granted to me".