My autobiography is definitely not a tragedy!-Chapter 1029 - 602: Searched High and Low in Vain

"Look! Here’s lotus seeds, candied dates, longans from Mom and Dad, and peanuts Uncle entrusted me to bring..."

Watching Meng Qingqing carrying bag after bag into the house, Meng Lang felt both amused and exasperated.

Does she think I can’t catch the hint these local specialties are giving?

But since she’s already here, I can’t really just send her back...

Ah! My barely-begun two-person world...

"Let me see, where should I put this bottle of camellia oil... the kitchen? Oh, here it is. Huh? How come there’s not even a pot? Do you usually just eat takeout?

This big kitchen is such a waste, wow~ your room is so big, and the living room is so spacious! Do you really live here alone?

Aren’t you supposed to endure hardship when starting a business? Brother, it seems like you’re here to enjoy life instead...

If I knew your place was so comfortable, I wouldn’t have bothered going home; I would’ve come straight here! Almost got caught too...

Anyway, coming here was definitely the right choice!

By the way, brother, where am I sleeping tonight? Huh, why’s that room closed? Hehe! Brother, could you be hiding someone there? Let me see..."

Meng Lang quickly grabbed the back of Meng Qingqing’s collar.

This beastly intuition of hers is still so accurate.

But inside is your sister-in-law! If the little sister discovers her, with Lin Haitang’s thin-skinned nature, she’d probably feel so embarrassed she wouldn’t talk to me for half a year...

"That’s my bedroom. You’ll sleep in the other room tonight. Alright, stop wandering around, let’s go out for dinner!"

"Eh? It’s not even mealtime yet?"

"People in Su City eat early!"

"Really? Then you better take me somewhere nice to eat. I even checked out the food guides before I came, and there’s..."

"You little foodie... apart from eating, what else do you know!"

"I know what it feels like to be hungry!"

"If you’re hungry, can’t you go swallow some love’s hardships instead of coming here to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth!"

"What are you even talking about!"

"Explaining to you is like talking to a brick wall! Let’s go, move it!"

"Hey, wait a minute, let me take a photo inside first to post on social media for our parents! Aiya, brother, stop pushing me..."

"Bang!"

After two minutes, when it was utterly quiet outside, the bedroom door finally opened gently.

Confirming that no one was outside, Lin Haitang finally sighed in relief.

Close call~ Almost social-suicided right on the spot...

But thinking back to Meng Lang’s somewhat flustered tone as he left, she couldn’t help but chuckle...

...

"Dong~ Dong~ Dong~"

By the time Wang Zhao Ping arrived at Nanshan Temple, the sun was already setting, and he ascended the steps amidst the sound of the evening bell...

But before he could enter the main hall, a wizened voice reached his ears.

"This benefactor... huh? Is that Officer Wang?"

Wang Zhao Ping turned his head and saw that it was none other than the long-unseen Master Intelligent.

During this time, not many pilgrims were climbing the mountain, and most of the few monks in the temple were busy preparing the evening’s vegetarian meal, making the large temple feel somewhat empty, and the lone Wang Zhao Ping rather conspicuous.

"Master Intelligent, long time no see! I didn’t expect you to remember me." Wang Zhao Ping smiled, clasping his hands together in greeting.

"Hehe! Amitabha Buddha! Though this monk is old and my memory is not what it used to be, distinguished guests always leave a lasting impression.

Well... judging by Officer Wang’s radiant complexion today, has something good happened recently?"

"Uh... is it that obvious?" Wang Zhao Ping touched his face and laughed heartily.

"Something indeed worth celebrating happened today; Master Intelligent’s foresight is impressive."

"Hehe! That’s truly delightful news!

But Officer Wang, you wouldn’t visit the temple for no reason, especially at this time... Could it be you’re here investigating a case?"

"Hmm... how should I put it, I suppose you could say I’m here for a case, but currently there’s no lead.

I heard that the temple’s lot drawing is quite effective, so I wanted to come and draw a lot, try my luck."

"Uh..."

This left Master Intelligent at a temporary loss for words...

Are you saying, because you have no leads, you came specifically to the temple to seek divine guidance?

Having been a monk for most of my life, I’ve heard of people asking for wealth, offspring, marriage, and career.

To seek a clue for solving a case, this is truly the first time for this old monk...

My Buddha has played roles like the God of Childbearing or the God of Wealth, but to play a detective role...

Should I commend your faith in my Buddha, or should I inquire if my Buddha offers such services?

Seeing Master Intelligent’s strange expression, Wang Zhao Ping also felt a bit embarrassed.

But how could he explain?

Say that the expert advising him is infallible?

He came here partly to treat a dead end with the hope of a miracle and partly out of curiosity about what Brother Meng was up to...

He even suspected if the Master Intelligent in front of him might be the contact arranged by Meng Lang.

As soon as he said the secret phrase "draw a lot," the person would reveal Iwazaki Hideyoshi’s information.

But the reaction he got suggested otherwise...

Maybe the revelation comes after drawing a lot?

A secret phrase isn’t enough; maybe there’s some ritual to follow?

"Hehe! Amitabha Buddha! Do good, and good will follow! Since Officer Wang is so sincere, please follow this humble monk."

He led Wang Zhao Ping to a side hall.

In front of the Buddha statue was an incense table, a prayer mat, and a lot-drawing cylinder.

Meng Lang didn’t mention anything like the prior requirements of "bathing and changing clothes or burning incense and praying"...

So he knelt on the prayer mat, clasped his hands, bowed twice, then began silently chanting 3 million US Dollars, and shook the cylinder...

"Clatter... clatter..."

"Snap!"

Picking up the bamboo stick from the ground, it had "Fortune Stick No. 40" engraved in vermilion.

Master Intelligent took it, looked at the number, and immediately laughed.

"Obstacles and dangers abound, carrying water and mud to cross mountains.

Searching high and low without finding, and then effortlessly getting it...

Haha! Congratulations, Officer Wang, this is a supreme fortune stick."

Wang Zhao Ping also noticed. The text on the stick wasn’t complicated, but his mind was not focused on it at all.

He glanced at Master Intelligent, then scanned the surroundings.

Something’s wrong. Why hasn’t anything happened?

Where’s the informant with the note I imagined?

"Officer Wang, is there something else you’d like to inquire about?"

Seeing Wang Zhao Ping frown and look around, Master Intelligent asked.

"Oh, nothing, Master Intelligent. Since I’ve already drawn the stick... should I be heading down the mountain?" Wang Zhao Ping probed somewhat reluctantly.

Master Intelligent gave him a strange look. Otherwise? Want to stay for a vegetarian meal?

"Haha! It’s getting late. If you don’t mind, Officer Wang can stay for a meal before leaving."

"Uh... no need, I’ll take my leave now..."

Feeling a bit disappointed, but quickly shook his head and chuckled to himself.

What exactly was I hoping for?

With so many police officers and bounty hunters searching for so long without finding the person, and I actually thought Brother Meng could point out a clue with a mere calculation.

An expert is still just a person, not a deity...

"Alright! I’ll see Officer Wang out."

However, the two had just stepped out of the side hall when a young monk came running up, panting heavily.

"Abbot! Abbot! Hurry, take a look, Senior Brother found someone nearly starving in the woodshed. Seems like a traveler lost in the nearby mountains!"

"Hmm?" Master Intelligent paused for a moment, "Amitabha Buddha! Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-tiered pagoda. Quickly take me there, and have your senior brother prepare some food. Saving lives is urgent!"

Seeing the two rushing to the woodshed, Wang Zhao Ping felt a stir in his heart and couldn’t help but follow along.

Upon reaching the woodshed door, he saw several monks surrounding a man in disheveled clothing who looked somewhat sallow and thin. Some were giving him water, others checking his injuries.

Initially, Wang Zhao Ping couldn’t see the man’s face, but judging from his attire, it seemed like a suit?

Although it was slightly damaged and scruffy, the well-tailored style suggested it was probably worth a lot...

Wang Zhao Ping’s heart started pounding.

Could it be...

When he stepped forward to brush aside the messy hair in front of the man’s forehead and got a clear look at the somewhat grimy face, his expression turned extraordinarily remarkable.

Shock, ecstasy, disbelief...

Finally, in the stupefied gaze of Master Intelligent and the group of monks, he burst into laughter.

"Haha! Hahaha! Getting what’s needed without any effort! Truly, it’s effortless! Hahaha..."

...

Half an hour later...

"Clang clang~ clang clang~"

Watching Iwazaki Hideyoshi, who woke from a semi-comatose state and began gobbling down vegetarian fare, Wang Zhao Ping had an odd expression.

"You’re saying to evade the assassin, you jumped onto a truck and escaped to the outskirts.

Then seized an opportunity to leap from the truck and hide in the mountain forest. Later, being unfamiliar with the terrain, you lost your phone and got completely lost.

You wandered in the mountains for several days until today, accidentally stumbling into this temple..."

"Mm... yeah!"

Iwazaki Hideyoshi’s eyes flickered, as if recalling something terrifying, but eventually, he nodded earnestly, then continued focusing on scarfing down his third bowl of rice...

He truly wasn’t pretending; he was genuinely famished.

It wasn’t that Mr. Hu mistreated the captive by not feeding him; rather, the past few days, just the thought of the horrifying scene of being "parasited," especially when seeing meat...

Iwazaki Hideyoshi would experience a wave of nausea, feeling as if he could vomit bile.

Luckily, the light vegetarian meal was gentle on his stomach. Otherwise, it would have been another chaotic mess again.

Wang Zhao Ping gazed at him for a while, although he felt the man seemed to be hiding something.

Still, with his starving ghost rebirth look, coupled with the injuries covering his body, it seemed too genuine to be staged.

Besides, without any threats around now, there was no reason for the man to lie...

As for the wound on his arm, which he just looked at, it didn’t seem like it was scratched by forest branches or bushes. It looked more like self-inflicted from fingernails...

Forget it, why bother with so much!

I just need to take him back to report and be done with it.

Hmm... When the bureau asks how I only went to draw a fortune stick and ended up bringing someone back, what should I say?

Tell the truth?

Oh! A dignified captain of the criminal police, not believing in science, but in mysticism instead...

The key is, the case was actually solved!

If this gets out, I might be seen as a remnant of feudalism?

What if everyone in the police station begins imitating, with guns holstered on the right waist and a tube of sticks on the left, gathering to draw a stick when uncertain...

The imagery is too beautiful to behold!

Needless to say, if everyone started mentioning Captain Wang, not for his divine case-solving skills but for the accuracy of his fortune stick draws?

Social death would be imminent!

Wang Zhao Ping shook his head vigorously, resolutely deciding to let the truth forever remain buried in the dust of history...

...

In the dense forest beside the gates of Nanshan Temple, Chu Tian, clad in camouflage, lowered his mask, watching Wang Zhao Ping escort Iwazaki Hideyoshi down the mountain and drive away.

He grinned, then spoke into his earpiece.

"Mission complete, ’Hamlet’ has been successfully deployed..."