Zhengyi released his grip from Yiren's neck. He returned to his seat. It was clear that he was still sulking. After about fifteen seconds, Zhengyi finally said something.

"Earlier, you two seemed to be having a great time talking to our neighbors. Is there any interesting new gossip?"

"No gossip at all!" Yixiong laughed. "He said yesterday that there was a package for us. Since we weren't at home, he received the package. This afternoon he handed over the package to Dage, who turned out to be already at home. After that, not long after, he saw Dage leaving the house again."

"Back then, wasn't he the one who received our package as well?" Zhengyi raised her eyebrows.

"Yes. I hope he didn't peek at what's in the package this time," Yixiong said. "But he does quite like telling stories."

"If he handed over the package to Dage this afternoon, then what was he doing outside our house this afternoon?" Zhengyi frowned. "Is he purposely waiting for us to get someone to chat with?"

"He was not standing in front of our house, but in front of his own house. Every time we walk home, we do have to pass in front of his house," said Yixiong. "When he saw us he started talking to us."

"Then why is he standing in front of his house?" Zhengyi did look ridiculous when he asked that question.

Yiren shook his head. "It's his own house. So it's up to him if he wants to stand or hang out in front of his house all the time!"

Zhengyi laughed. It seemed that he was just having fun so that he asked such an unreasonable question. Maybe he was just teasing Yiren to reply to the mockery Yiren had directed at him.

"So the story goes like this." Yixiong explained. "Yesterday he bought a new television. After trying it at home, the picture and sound quality were good. But this morning the television won't turn on, so he called the electronics store where he bought the television to ask them to send someone to fix the television. They said they would come around four o'clock in the afternoon. But until we entered the house, no one had come yet."

"I'm so sorry for him," said Zhengyi. "I want to watch the news on television first before taking a shower. Who knows if it turns out that this evening there will be interesting news!"

Zhengyi then walked to the front of the television. When he was about to turn on the television set, he blurted. "Eh! What is this?" His index finger pointed to something on the television set.

Yiren got up from the sofa and approached their television. There was a note. It turned out that this afternoon, before leaving, Shanquan had time to write a brief message for them. He wrote to them about the phone call and package from Songfei.

Zhengyi was laughing while reading the note. "Maybe it's just Songfei's game."

Yiren frowned. "But he's never been to this extreme. He always tells us his plans before engaging us in his game."

"There is always a first time for everything. Maybe this time Songfei designs a surprise for us," said Zhengyi.

"I agree with Renge," Xinxiu, who had been quiet again after recounting what had happened on the way home, also spoke up. "This seems serious. I think we should be on guard."

"If this is serious, Dage will definitely call us for help soon." Yixiong said.

"It's only six o'clock. According to the next-door neighbor, Dage only left around three o'clock. Right now, maybe he just arrived at the Dafeisi Tower. So he also does not know exactly what happened yet." Said Yiren.

"Then tonight, we'll just be on guard. If Dage calls later, then the problem is serious." Said Xinxiu.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Hopefully, Dage will call us soon. Whether or not it is important, he should have let us know what he saw there.

After Yiren took a bath, they had dinner together. This morning Xinxiu cooked a lot. It seemed Shanquan had lunch at home this afternoon. Yet, there was still plenty of food left, so they had to eat it up tonight.

"How is it today?" Yixiong asked his three friends.

"I still haven't found a suitable house yet," said Zhengyi.

"I'm not making progress either," said Yiren. He didn't want to go into detail about what happened.

Xinxiu, who was really quiet, just shook his head.

"Well, usually, at the last moment, we will find a place, don't worry too much," said Yixiong.

Done eating, they watched television. Initially, those four men all watched a detective drama. At the time of the commercial, Yiren changed the channel. This time the news channel. The four were interested in listening because there was news about a place close to them.

Earlier, around ten in the morning, an incident occurred in a mall near a subway station. The place was so close to their house. Witnesses had stated that there was a light explosion inside the mall. They'd called it an explosion because it was like a bomb but only light, so no metal fragments, flakes, or anything were found in the blast. The burst of light itself did not appear to be any harm. Some people report vision loss. However, it was only temporary because their vision had recovered as before, about ten or fifteen minutes later. The incident injured several people. It happened because people were panicking. These victims are usually people who have fallen or been trampled by other visitors when they run around in panic. The police and fire department had found nothing, so the mall was not closed.

"Eh, so that's what happened this morning!" Yixiong said aloud. When his three friends turned to look at him, Yixiong continued his sentence. "I was there earlier. But only briefly. I got out and got on the bus at the bus stop in front of the mall. When the bus started running, suddenly people ran out of the mall. I don't know what happened after that because the bus didn't stop."

Yiren suddenly remembered something. "I was also standing across from the mall."

"You didn't you get inside?" asked Zhengyi.

"No. I just stood there. I saw Dage entered the mall."

"Oh, I think you're right," Yixiong put on the look on the face of someone who suddenly remembered something. "This morning, around ten o'clock, after we parted in front of the station exit, I went to the mall. There I saw Dage on the ground floor of the mall. When I went down to the ground floor, I still saw him there but suddenly he walked really fast towards the mall's main exit. Then I lost track of him. After that I left the mall and took the bus to another place."

"So the three of you came to the mall after we left the station," said Zhengyi.

"I did not enter, just standing across from the mall," said Yiren.

"Then why didn't you come in?" asked Zhengyi.

"Because I have other business," replied Yiren. He didn't want to explain about the apartment he failed to get. "I don't want to bother Dage, anyway."

"What do you mean by didn't want to bother him?" Xinxiu broke into the conversation again. He seemed interested in hearing the last sentence Yiren said.

Yiren then straightened his sitting position. He knew his friends knew that if he had posed like that, he must be getting ready to tell something important.

"So, here it is." Yiren put on a serious face, or at least he tried hard to show a serious look. "Yesterday afternoon, when I came home from the painting exhibition where I met Caihong, I saw Dage having a conversation with a girl."

Yiren stopped talking. He watched the expressions on his friends' faces.

"A young girl?" asked Zhengyi.

"Right. About twenties. I think the girl may be in her mid or late twenties."

"What were they talking about?" asked Yixiong.

"I don't know. Dage and that girl are quite far from me, so I can't hear a thing."

"Why didn't you come closer?" asked Zhengyi.

"Because I didn't want to disturb them. Anyway, I was tired then. I wanted to get home as soon as possible, so I could take a warm bath and then have dinner."

"So you just went home," Zhengyi still urged Yiren.

"That's right, I just came home," answered Yiren. He expected Zhengyi to see the annoyed look on his face.

"But yesterday, you didn't tell us anything," said Yixiong.

"After taking a shower, I forgot. Besides, my focus was on the news I brought. I just remembered what I saw yesterday, right after I saw Dage across the mall this morning."

"When you saw him this morning, was he alone?" asked Yixiong.

"He's alone. But across the street, right in front of the mall door, there was a girl who I saw yesterday chatting with Dage. After seeing the girl, then Dage ran across the street and followed the girl into the mall. I thought they must have made an appointment or something. Then I left the place. So I don't know what happened next."

"That's right," said Yixiong. "Earlier, Dage seemed like he was looking for something or someone. But he was alone on his way to the mall exit. Which means they did not make an appointment."

"Or maybe they were looking for each other inside the mall. After failing to meet the girl, Dage went outside. Then they met each other there," said Xinxiu.

"This is very interesting," said Zhengyi. "I think we should ask this after Dage gets home." Zhengyi nodded with a big smile.