Chapter 231: A Pair of Floral Boxers

The car headed in the direction of the city, that much was certain. 

Speed. Any experienced driver would understand. In the city, the speed limit was between 30 to 60 kilometers per hour, and it was easy to maintain. Most vehicles drove at a steady pace of 40 to 55 kilometers per hour.

“Along the way, try to remember. Did the car stop, did your body sway? Think hard. These details are critical, you can’t miss anything. You need to recall everything, leave no gaps. Remember as much as you can.”

Xiao Yu’s tone was serious as he spoke to Peng Junlong.

When someone was fully awake, recalling memories from years ago was nearly impossible.  

But right now, Peng Junlong was in a state of deep hypnosis, which had unlocked his long-buried memories.

“Okay.” Peng Junlong nodded unconsciously. “I’ll try, I’ll think back. Ah, the car stopped.”

Wang Dong hit the brakes, a bit of sweat forming on his forehead.

They were in the middle of a crossroads. Thankfully, there were police cars all around them, and traffic officers were directing the flow.  

So, had Peng Junlong’s memory failed him?

How could the car have stopped in the middle of an intersection?

No, it wasn’t a mistake in his memory. It was an issue with the car’s speed.  

Although they were controlling their speed between 40 and 55 kilometers per hour, it wasn’t an exact match to the speed of the vehicle from Peng Junlong’s memory.

“What happened?” Xiao Yu glanced at Peng Junlong and asked.

“The car paused, it didn’t move,” Peng Junlong responded.

‘Waiting for the traffic light,’ Xiao Yu nodded. “So after the car stopped, it started up again. Did anything unusual happen? For example, did your body sway to the left or the right?”

“Left… right?” Peng Junlong tried hard to recall, then slowly nodded. “Yes, it swayed to the right.”

Why confirm this detail?  

When a person’s eyes are covered or closed, their sense of balance weakens, especially while riding in a car. As the car turns, inertia causes the body to shift.

Body swaying to the right?  

Xiao Yu gestured to Wang Dong, pointing towards the left turn.  

If your eyes are open, you’ll naturally lean in the opposite direction of the turn—that’s common knowledge. But with eyes closed, when the car turns left, inertia makes your body lean right.

The police car continued driving.

“Keep recalling,” Xiao Yu instructed Peng Junlong. “Think back to every moment the car stopped, every time your body swayed left or right. You must remember all of it. Most importantly, focus on where the car stopped and where you got out. This is crucial!”

Throughout the journey, Xiao Yu repeatedly reminded and questioned Peng Junlong, helping him dig deep into his memory. Slowly, bit by bit, Peng Junlong, under hypnosis, began to remember things he had long forgotten.

Even if the memory was wrong, it didn’t matter. They would try again.

Xiao Yu, Wang Dong, Peng Junlong, and countless police cars with traffic officers worked together tirelessly through the entire night, searching for the criminal hideout.

As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight appeared, a driving map was displayed on the tablet in Xiao Yu’s hand.

“Alright, let’s start over. If anything feels wrong, just let me know, okay?” Xiao Yu said to Peng Junlong, who sat beside him.

“Got it!” Peng Junlong’s mental state was on the verge of collapse. 

The hypnosis had already pushed him to his limit. If they couldn’t pinpoint the location this time, Xiao Yu would have to end the hypnosis or wait until Peng Junlong passed out from exhaustion, which would also break the trance. He needed rest to recover before they could attempt another round of this process.

Wang Dong started the police car and drove off. 

At the first traffic light, they stopped and then turned left. 

Throughout the drive, they passed two more traffic lights, making left and right turns at least six times. Xiao Yu closely monitored Peng Junlong’s expression. He knew that any sign of hesitation would mean this attempt was another failure.

After driving for a solid 29 minutes, they were about to exit the city and enter a shantytown when suddenly.

“Stop…!” Peng Junlong exclaimed. “We stop here. I remember now. Second Brother told me… we’ve arrived!”

“Phew!”  

Xiao Yu and Wang Dong both let out a long sigh of relief.  

They had finally found the place.

Xiao Yu and Wang Dong stepped out of the car, looking at the shantytown in front of them.

A shantytown in the middle of the city?  

Yes, they exist. 

These areas were often forgotten inner-city zones, village-like pockets within the city, or abandoned factory districts. They were usually the result of historical problems left behind by urban development projects that were never fully resolved.

Finding this place had already been quite a challenge.

Xiao Yu helped Peng Junlong out of the car, guiding him toward a narrow alley leading into the shantytown.

It couldn’t be any other direction.  

Aside from the main road, this was the only path—leading straight into the shantytown.

“Do you remember how far we walked from here?” Xiao Yu asked, supporting Peng Junlong as they walked.

“Not far, maybe just a few minutes,” Peng Junlong replied, his body swaying as if he could collapse at any moment. His mental state was deteriorating, and he was on the verge of either fainting or falling asleep.

After walking for about five minutes, Peng Junlong suddenly said, “It’s… here…”  

His body gave out, and he collapsed, completely drained.

Two officers from the second unit rushed over to catch the unconscious Peng Junlong.

“Take him back to the car. Let him get some rest,” Xiao Yu said, his expression complicated as he looked at Peng Junlong one last time.

‘Alright, you’ve done your part. If you’re not too deeply involved in this case and haven’t committed any serious crimes, maybe you’ll get to keep your miserable life.’

Criminals’ contributions to investigations couldn’t be ignored, but if the crimes they’ve committed are too severe, no amount of cooperation will save them. If you’re meant to be executed, nothing will change that. Whether Peng Junlong survives in the end is up to him.

Xiao Yu turned to look at the area before him. It was a collection of single-story houses mixed with a few two- or three-story buildings, all showing signs of age and neglect. Red tiles, gray bricks—the usual sights of a shantytown.

The spot where Xiao Yu and Wang Dong stood was an open courtyard with an old, two-story building inside.

“Could it really be here?” 

Wang Dong looked doubtful. 

“Building a basement in a place like this? Wouldn’t the whole house collapse?”

It was a reasonable question. 

Anyone familiar with shantytown foundations knows the deal. Building a basement here? Chances are, nine times out of ten, the house would cave in.

“We’ll only know if we check it out.”  

Xiao Yu stepped forward toward the courtyard.

When he reached the front door, he knocked. Since it was still early in the morning, most people were probably still asleep. After about five minutes, someone finally responded from inside. 

“Who the hell is banging on my door this early? Don’t you people sleep?”

‘Pretty grumpy, huh?’ Xiao Yu and Wang Dong exchanged amused glances.

‘Seems like this guy hasn’t been through enough of life’s beatdowns yet.’

The door opened.

Standing before them was a shirtless guy, muscles on full display, wearing nothing but a pair of floral shorts. He faced Xiao Yu and Wang Dong with a scowl.