Chapter 97.2: The Memory of Fire

These descriptions were a bit too outlandish.

Li Zhuiyuan knew he couldn’t approach them like a traditional puzzle, with overcomplicated logic. What he needed was a certain feeling.

But that feeling was proving hard to grasp.

He decided to set it aside for now. Flipping the paper back over, he focused on organizing Beibei’s memories of his hometown.

Once he finished compiling everything, he copied the information neatly onto a fresh sheet and handed it to Tan Yunlong, who was still driving.

“That fast?”

“Yeah.”

Tan Yunlong skimmed through the sheet. “Hmm… feels like somewhere in Shanxi? I’m not sure. We’ll have it verified once we get back to the station.”

The car pulled into the precinct. An officer walked over and asked, “Tan-ge, what took you so long? Everyone’s waiting for you.”

“Flat tire.”

Tan Yunlong got out with Li Zhuiyuan and Beibei in tow.

A female officer came to take Beibei. As she led him away, Beibei kept looking back, clutching his drink, eyes fixed on his older brother. But the older boy turned his back on him, not sparing him a glance.

“Little Yuan, wait here for me. Once I’m done, we’ll go back to the school and grab a late-night bite with Binbin. I’ll be quick.”

“Okay, Uncle Tan.”

Still uneasy, Tan Yunlong waved over a young officer up ahead. “Xiao Zhou, this is my nephew. Keep an eye on him, will you?”

“Sure thing, Tan-ge.” The officer approached. “Come on, little brother. Let’s head to the lounge.”

Li Zhuiyuan followed.

He had expected the lounge to be quiet—a good place to think.

But when the door opened, he found a dozen children inside. A few younger ones played on the floor with toys, while some closer to his age—and even a couple older—sat scattered around, doing homework at desks and chairs.

So… this was a temporary daycare at the police station, for kids waiting for their parents to finish work?

And he’d been lumped in with them.

The moment he stepped in, all the kids—whether playing or studying—looked up, curious about the new face.

“Here, little brother, let me get you something to eat.”

“No thanks, Officer Zhou. I’m not hungry.”

“Then what grade are you in? Want me to find you a book?”

Li Zhuiyuan just smiled and didn’t answer.

There was an empty seat next to a girl, maybe thirteen or fourteen, who was buried in her schoolwork. He sat down quietly.

“Officer Zhou, I’m fine. You can go.”

“Alright. Tiantian, look after the new kid.”

“Mhm.”

The girl barely looked up, brushing her hair behind one ear with her pen hand before diving back into her homework.

Despite the number of children, the room was surprisingly quiet. Even the toddlers playing with toys did so quietly, whispering to each other.

Li Zhuiyuan simply resumed his analysis of “Beibei’s Code.”

After a while, the girl—Tiantian—glanced sideways at him. And then couldn’t stop looking.

Everyone, boy or girl, instinctively gravitates toward beautiful things.

Just as Li Zhuiyuan had once been captivated by the sight of Ah Li… he had now become that captivating sight for others.

After all, his clothes were custom-made by Liu Yumei, and his hairstyle cut by Aunt Liu herself.

She was about to ask who he was when she saw him suddenly turn his head, staring at the little kids playing on the floor.

Then he shut his eyes.

A moment later, he picked up his pen and began writing furiously.

People flying through the air—tied by ropes or standing on rigs, spinning above.

Fire people—fire-breathers.

Gone, vanished—magic tricks, vanishing acts.

Seven dwarfs—actors with dwarfism.

Modeling clay—flexible contortionist acts?

This was… a circus!

Which meant Beibei had likely been abducted while attending a circus performance with his family.

And judging by how often these memories surfaced, it wasn’t a one-time event. Beibei must’ve spent some time with the circus troupe.

That led to a compelling suspicion—Granny Yu was hiding inside a circus troupe.

Circus troupes toured constantly. A couple of shows in one town, and if the turnout was poor, they moved on immediately.

Using a traveling troupe as a front for trafficking children would be very effective.

Beibei’s memories included being beaten, scolded, and threatened by Granny Yu. He’d also clearly recognized her appearance—which meant two things were possible:

One, the circus worshipped Granny Yu’s original form. Children often saw things adults couldn’t. Beibei may have been affected by her presence.

Two, someone in the troupe was a devotee of Granny Yu—possibly imitating her.

No… considering the river had delivered her toward them, her true presence had to be involved.

In that case, the second possibility shifted: the devotee might not be imitating her, but possessed or assimilated by her.

But now came the real problem—who knew how many circuses were traveling around the country? How could they pinpoint the one Granny Yu was part of?

Just then, the door opened. Tan Yunlong stepped in, looking surprised at the number of children.

Why had Little Yuan been placed in this room?

Honestly, his own son Binbin seemed a better fit here than Little Yuan did.

Li Zhuiyuan stood and walked over. The two left together, heading down the corridor.

“Little Yuan, I didn’t know Xiao Zhou would put you in there.”

“It’s fine, Uncle Tan. Being there helped me think some things through.”

It was by seeing through the eyes of children that he finally found the connection—to the circus.

They reached the end of the hall and stepped outside. Occasionally, someone walked past, but no one would’ve guessed that this teen and this officer were discussing a criminal case.

“Wang Chaonan confessed to killing Tang Qiuying and burying the body. But he’s still denying any involvement in child trafficking, and he insists Yongyong is his biological son.

As for his wife, I think she’s mentally unstable. I suspect the purchase of the child was Wang Chaonan’s doing. She doesn’t seem to know who the trafficker was or how the deal happened.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “If I’d known, we shouldn’t have brought Wang Chaonan in so soon.”

Tan Yunlong coughed awkwardly, changing the subject. “Anyway, I’ve already had our team check out the info you gave me. We’ve also notified officers in those regions. Soon, we’ll fax over Beibei’s name, photo, and other details. Oh, and we found a birthmark on his back. That should help in locating his real parents.”

Just then, a police officer ran over.

“Tan-ge! Someone from Wang Chaonan’s village just came in to report something. He said Wang asked him last night if he wanted a son. If he did, he should get the money ready—he’d take him to Tong’an Town the day after tomorrow to buy a boy.”

“Did he say who the contact was?”

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