How You Can Sue Me for My Crimes in Dreams

”Someone from the provincial department?”

Xu Huo’s brow twitched. After a moment of thought, he asked,

”What kind?”

”Who knows? Maybe their rank is similar to the chief’s, or maybe even higher,” Li Jianye said with a laugh. He then gave his pants a pat and turned to leave.

”Alright, the order’s been delivered. You’d better get on it, kid.”

’Around the same rank as the city police bureau’s director?’

Xu Huo mulled it over for a moment but was in no rush. He first went to the hospital cafeteria for a quick bite.

Only then did he get in his car and head for the city bureau.

There were many types of people from the provincial department, but they wouldn’t come down for just any reason. The only recent event that could warrant a visit from them...

was most likely the Sun Jiang and Yanluo Company case.

The case had far too many loose ends. A month had passed, and it still wasn’t wrapped up.

Just figuring out what to do with the bodies, what they were used for, and who bought them was a huge mess. It would definitely take a lot of time.

So it would be strange if the higher-ups *didn’t* send someone.

「Noon, 12:30 PM.」

Xu Huo slowly pressed the brake, unbuckled his seatbelt, and had just slammed the car door shut. As he turned to go upstairs, he saw a familiar face yet again.

He froze, standing there and staring at the other person.

The other person also froze, his mouth and hand, which were busy with a steamed bun, a bit unsure of what to do. He stared blankly at Xu Huo.

Seemingly oblivious to the heat, the two of them just stared at each other under the sun for several dozen seconds.

Until...

”Here to collect your bonus?”

Xu Huo raised an eyebrow, suppressing the urge to make a snarky comment. A smile appeared on his face as he teased Wang Chao.

That’s right, the person in front of him was Wang Chao.

The Jiangdong District Criminal Investigation Division was practically empty, so when the higher-ups notified him to collect his reward, he had to come to the city bureau.

He had just collected it, only to run into Xu Huo yet again.

”What a... coincidence...”

Wang Chao was completely numb. He looked at Xu Huo, the spark he’d had when he first arrived in Jiangsan City long gone from his eyes.

”Don’t you work the night shift?”

Xu Huo looked him up and down, then glanced at his watch. ”If you don’t sleep now, will you be able to get up tonight?”

Wang Chao didn’t say anything, his expression growing even more sorrowful.

’Work?’

’I’d have to have a job to go to work!’

”The station’s gone.”

”Hm?”

”The channel got shut down.” Wang Chao’s brow furrowed, his face full of worry as he sat down on the curb next to Xu Huo.

”...No other channels?” The corner of Xu Huo’s eye twitched.

”No, there are others, but...”

As he spoke, Wang Chao started to lose control, nearly choking up. He covered his face.

”It’s too scary. This line of work is just too scary...”

”I can’t take it. I really can’t.”

To be honest, Wang Chao was starting to miss the good old days of hauling bricks on a construction site right after graduation.

It was hard and tiring, but at least he didn’t have to deal with a dead person reporting a crime in the middle of the night...

When he was studying for his license, his uncle never told him this job could be so terrifying!

”The way my uncle’s been looking at me these past couple of days is a little off, too. I can’t stand it anymore. I don’t even want my salary. I have to leave. I really have to go.”

Wang Chao let out a breath, a look of profound loss on his face.

”Leave? What are you planning to do now?” Xu Huo’s interest was piqued, and he asked casually.

To be honest, Xu Huo felt...

’This kid’s Bazi must clash with mine. We probably shouldn’t be seeing each other.’

’Whether in reality or in a dream, not a single one of our meetings has ever been normal!’

’This kid...’

’...is a pure-bred jinx!’

”I’m thinking of checking out the far north. I can’t stay in Jiangsan City anymore. I need to get away and hide out for a bit.”

Wang Chao said with a sigh.

”The north, huh... Sounds good. I have to go, someone’s waiting.”

Xu Huo glanced at a window in the office building, saw a few figures, and then paused. He gave a wave and made his exit.

”We’ll meet again.”

”Yeah... We’ll meet again.”

Watching Xu Huo’s departing figure, Wang Chao took a deep breath. He then got up and walked toward a pickup truck parked nearby.

CLICK!

The door opened. Wang Chao ducked his head, a smile on his face, as he sat down in the passenger seat.

”You’re not going back to your hometown, kid?”

A voice came from the driver’s seat. It was Wang Chao’s uncle, looking at him with a face full of disgust.

”I am, of course I’m going back to my hometown.”

Wang Chao said with a cheeky grin.

”Then what was that you just said about going to those cities in the far north? Do we have relatives over there?” his uncle asked, confused.

”I’m not going, I’m not going!”

Wang Chao quickly waved his hands in refusal.

He had it all figured out. He couldn’t stay in Jiangsan City in the short term, but he wasn’t going to the northernmost provinces either.

As for why he said he was going there...

”Uncle, you don’t understand.”

Wang Chao’s face fell, his eyes filled with sorrow. ”That guy just now... our Bazi don’t align!”

”That dude is seriously bad luck! Every time I run into him, something bad is guaranteed to happen!”

”Seriously, I think he’s my jinx!”

”I have to get out of here. If I told him I was going back home, what if he follows me? It’s better to make up some other place.”

The uncle’s mouth twitched as he listened to Wang Chao’s explanation.

He wanted to say something to make this damn kid less superstitious.

But...

when he remembered how he’d nearly lost his own job, the uncle was at a loss for words. His lips moved for a long time, but not a single sound came out.

After a good while, a resigned voice finally spoke.

”Fine.”

”Get your second uncle and the others. We’re going back to our hometown in the next couple of days to pay respects to our ancestors.”

As he finished speaking, the car’s engine started.

Hearing the engine and watching the city recede into the distance, Wang Chao’s heart finally settled in his chest.

’Goodbye, you city where I can’t find a job, where dead bodies call the police in the middle of the night to scare people, where I run into a murder scene while trying to eat, and where I can’t even sell a fish without bumping into some psycho who’s got a screw loose and dumps a corpse on someone’s doorstep...’

As he thought this, Wang Chao paused. A face appeared in his mind, and he quickly added.

’And...’

’...that man whose Bazi clashes with mine!’

’Goodbye... on second thought.’

’Good riddance!’

...

Xu Huo had been to the city bureau before, and he’d also been to the director’s office.

In a way, he was something like a one-third adopted son to the man, but only in the sense that the director had watched him grow up and would occasionally have Chu Xi look out for him.

However, their relationship wasn’t very good.

It all started a few years ago. After graduating, he became a detective. When Chu Xi’s adoptive father found out, he was summoned over and given a stern lecture.

Xu Huo admitted his fault and accepted the scolding, even laying on the sweet talk.

The man had been very satisfied, with only one point of dissatisfaction...

Xu Huo didn’t change.

And because of this, every time the man saw Xu Huo, he couldn’t resist the urge to smack him. Their meetings were like Jing Ke’s assassination attempt on the King of Qin—a constant circling of one another.

Prepared to bolt at a moment’s notice to avoid a beating, Xu Huo was just about to knock when he heard a rustling sound from inside.

Someone was inside.

He paused, but still decided to knock.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~

The sound of knocking echoed.

”Come in.”

A voice full of authority rang out. Xu Huo placed his hand on the doorknob and pulled.

CREAK~

The door opened.

As the gap in the doorway widened, the scene inside came into Xu Huo’s view.

Inside the office, Chu Linhai, the director of the Jiangsan City Police Bureau, was sitting at his desk. On the sofa in front of him sat three men in formal jackets.

Hearing the door open, all four of them looked over in unison. When they saw it was someone not in a police uniform, a thought seemed to strike them, and their eyes lit up.

”Hey, you must be the kid, Xu Huo!?”