SFTD -Chapter 322 Missing Memories (Part 14)

Such blunt words made Xu Biao and Wang Xuchao instantly turn to look at Zhou Hai. It was just a haircut—how could it make someone look so unbelievably handsome? But if they compared carefully, he really did have a slight advantage over them in height and build. Was it necessary to provoke jealousy like this?

Zhou Hai glanced at Hu Xiaoyu. The looks from the two beside him didn’t need any explanation to understand. However, such a woman truly stirred no waves in Zhou Hai’s mind. After all, even someone as alluring as Chu Menghan was, in his eyes, no different from the same gender.

“Boss Hu,” Zhou Hai said, “I called you earlier because I want to do a scene reconstruction here. This is my colleague. I want to bring him inside to experience it. Would that be convenient?”

Hu Xiaoyu shrugged, the smile at her lips widening. She seemed very satisfied with Zhou Hai’s calm gaze. Last time she hadn’t noticed it—he actually had such self-control. That was rather surprising.

She then glanced at Zhou Hai and Xu Biao’s police uniforms. She understood what Zhou Hai implied; after all, they were wearing uniforms and he was likely worried it might affect her business. With such politeness, how could she refuse?

“Of course!”

She stepped aside and led the three of them into the bar.

Standing in the main hall, Wang Xuchao carefully looked around. Then he slowly closed his eyes, trying to merge the present scene with fragments of his memory. However, it didn’t match at all. In his memory, there had been dim lighting mixed with colorful flashes, and loud, energetic music—none of it could overlap with this place.

Zhou Hai stared at him and asked, “Different from your memory?”

Wang Xuchao nodded. “The music was very loud at the time, and the lights were flashing. It seemed like they were playing very intense songs.”

At some point, the security supervisor named Xiao Chi had appeared beside Hu Xiaoyu. He stared at the three of them with vigilance. Hearing Wang Xuchao’s words, he quickly whispered a few sentences into Hu Xiaoyu’s ear, and she nodded.

“Go have them play that song again, and turn on the lights. Set everything up like a stage performance,” she said.

Xiao Chi nodded and hurried off to arrange it.

Soon, music filled the entire bar again, and the lights began flashing continuously. Colorful spotlights swept across where the group was standing.

Wang Xuchao stepped back to the doorway and walked a few steps toward the west side, then stopped. A look of realization appeared in his eyes. He raised his hand toward Xiao Chi, making a “stop” gesture.

“This is the place. After we came in, we stood right here. At first I didn’t feel anything wrong, but when I got here, my heart started pounding as if it was about to jump out of my chest. It seemed like Yu Xiuhong handed me a piece of paper—there was a photo on it—but I can’t remember what exactly it was anymore.”

Zhou Hai looked at him and didn’t give him time to think further.

“Before that, what about earlier?” he pressed. “Everything before you came to the bar with Yu Xiuhong—how much can you remember?”

Wang Xuchao frowned in thought. “That day, after we finished, I was the last one to leave. The bartender asked me to verify the bill. After I finished, I came out. Just then, the door of the room across opened, and Yu Xiuhong walked out. I didn’t look over at first. She called me, and then we started talking. I was also worried about her sister, so I asked about Yu Xiuli’s situation. After that, she became very cautious and said she had a new discovery, and asked if I had time.”

“What new discovery?” Zhou Hai asked immediately.

Wang Xuchao glanced at Zhou Hai. Although the music had stopped, this environment still wasn’t suitable for discussing it. Zhou Hai understood his look and waved his hand, signaling they should go outside first.

At that moment, Hu Xiaoyu walked over with her arms crossed, tilting her head slightly as she looked at them with a half-smile.

“Leaving already?”

Zhou Hai nodded slightly. “Thank you for today.”

Hu Xiaoyu’s smile deepened. “Thanks? No need. Just don’t turn around later and give me trouble by sending fire inspectors to check my place.”

At that, Zhou Hai paused slightly. It did seem that because of him, Hu Xiaoyu had been inspected. Saying “thank you” like this did feel somewhat inappropriate.

Just as he was about to speak, Hu Xiaoyu raised her hand to stop him.

“Don’t tell me not to inspect it. That would make me look down on you. If there’s a problem and others find it, it’s my fault—I accept it. Let’s just consider this as making a friend.”

She extended her hand toward Zhou Hai. Zhou Hai was slightly taken aback by this move, but still shook her fair hand briefly before quickly letting go.

Hu Xiaoyu wasn’t angry at his reaction; instead, she smiled even more brightly, seemingly very satisfied that he showed no interest in her beauty.

“I still don’t know your name. May I?” she asked.

“Zhou Hai, forensic doctor at the East Sea City Judicial Appraisal Center,” he replied.

Hu Xiaoyu nodded, completely ignoring the long introduction. The words “forensic” and “appraisal center” didn’t seem to register with her at all.

“Forensic doctor Zhou Hai! Interesting. I’ll remember that,” she said. “Go ahead with your work. I’ve already saved your number.”

With that, she no longer lingered and walked toward the stage instead.

Zhou Hai glanced at her back, shook his head slightly, and left.

The three of them exited the Joy Island Bar and stood at the entrance, looking around. Xu Biao had a good sense of direction and led them toward the west side. They hadn’t gone far when Wang Xuchao suddenly paused and looked toward the parking lot ahead.

Xu Biao quickly asked, “Brother Xuchao, what’s wrong?”

Wang Xuchao shook his head. “I can’t remember clearly. I vaguely recall that Yu Xiuhong’s car was parked here. Nothing else comes to mind. Let’s move on.”

Following the sidewalk in front of the shops, they walked less than 200 meters before reaching the old Soldier KTV at the corner.

They entered and went up to the second floor. A staff member came to ask if they were there to spend money, and Xu Biao showed his credentials to handle it.

Zhou Hai followed Wang Xuchao to the room they had sung in that day. Standing at the door, he looked across. Without hesitation, Wang Xuchao pushed the door open and entered. The room was pitch dark.

He stood at the doorway, looking inside. The spacious room seemed different from what he remembered. Frowning, he reached out and turned on the light.

Indeed, there was now only a circular sofa and a small coffee table in the center.

The sudden flash of light triggered another fragment in his memory. He recalled that when they first entered that day, there had been a round table in the center with a birthday cake on it—it seemed like someone’s birthday.

He stood in the middle of the room, gesturing as he spoke.

“There was a table here with a birthday cake on it. Those three people weren’t drinking much. A man was apologizing to a woman.

Then Yu Xiuhong brought me in to say hello. After that, they wanted to toast me. I said I had already drunk too much and couldn’t drink more. Yu Xiuhong said she had something to talk to me about.

Then I smoked a cigarette, and we chatted for a short while. I started feeling a bit dizzy, so I got up to leave and went out of the KTV with Yu Xiuhong.

On the way downstairs, I ran into a few punks and avoided them, since I didn’t want trouble there. But after coming out, I seemed to feel even more dizzy.”

After saying all this, Wang Xuchao finally opened his eyes. Zhou Hai was standing beside him and had already recorded everything he said. Being able to recall this much was already quite good.

Zhou Hai placed both hands on Wang Xuchao’s shoulders.

“Look at me,” he said. “Tell me—who gave you the cigarettes in that room? A man or a woman?”

Wang Xuchao reached into his pocket, then looked around the room. Pointing at the coffee table, he said: “I didn’t have cigarettes on me at the time. There was a pack on the table. I reached for it, but someone stopped me. He said there were better ones and told me not to smoke that. Don’t rush… let me think. Who was that person?”