Liao Chenghong lay on his side by the door.
He knocked and said, "Kexin, time to get up."
As usual, there was no movement from inside.
He opened the door, saw the small lump curled up on the bed, smiled, and went to wake her.
"It's already six-thirty, time to get up.
Dad has to go to work soon, I've brought breakfast back for you.
After you eat, just read or draw, don't run around.
When I get a break at noon, I'll come back and make you something delicious..."
He chattered on while combing Kexin's hair.
He tied her hair into pigtails and clipped on red bows.
Then he took her to wash her face and brush her teeth, and she sat neatly in the living room to eat breakfast...
The whole process was done skillfully and lightly, as if he had practiced it hundreds of times.
"Heh heh... Heh heh... Food, food..."
But Kexin, from beginning to end, just looked ahead with a silly smile.
She tilted her head, drool trickling from the corner of her mouth, and smiled to herself:
"Heh heh... Kexin food..."
"Yes, our Kexin needs to eat obediently,"
Liao Chenghong gently fed her with a spoon, "Eating on time will help you grow tall."
"Heh heh... Kexin... Kexin heh heh..."
As she opened her mouth, the porridge she hadn't swallowed yet flowed out from the corner of her mouth.
It dripped onto her white dress, but she didn't notice at all.
Happily, she patted the table, "Kexin! Tall! Hahaha..."
"Yes, yes, Kexin needs to grow tall too."
Liao Chenghong patiently wiped the corners of her mouth and her dress, without any hint of impatience.
Everything was the same as before.
The green plants on the balcony, his well-behaved daughter...
Everything was the same as before, warm, harmonious, and beautiful.
...
Knock knock!
Knock knock!
The sudden knocking broke the quiet and beautiful scene inside.
Liao Chenghong's movements paused. He put down the spoon and wiped Kexin's mouth.
"Kexin, don't run around, Dad's going to see who it is."
As he walked towards the door, he asked, "Who is it?"
At the door,
Two police officers were in plainclothes, with red "Neighborhood Committee" armbands on their sleeves.
One was well-built and rather handsome.
The other was middle-aged and slightly overweight.
Hearing the question from inside, their expressions were calm.
The young officer casually said, "Population census."
For now, it was just a report, with no concrete evidence.
If what was said on that phone call was true, they had to first lower the other party's guard and get inside.
To avoid alerting them.
And if it was just a misunderstanding, they could also get the population census done.
Hearing this, Liao Chenghong paused, glanced at the kitchen.
Then he withdrew his gaze, looked through the peephole, and opened the door.
He greeted them first, "Good morning, comrades."
As he spoke, he quickly sized them up.
Seeing the neighborhood committee insignia on their sleeves and the paper and pens in their hands, he slightly moved aside to let them in.
The two officers acted as if they were indeed there for a population census, one asking questions, the other taking notes.
When they heard Liao Chenghong say that there were two people in the family.
The middle-aged officer asked:
"I thought your previous record showed three people?"
Mentioning this, Liao Chenghong's expression darkened, and he sighed:
"It's my fault for being incompetent. The child's mother ran off with someone else. Now it's just my daughter and me living here."
The young officer glanced inside. A little girl sat at the table, smiling foolishly.
Her hand was poking into the porridge in her bowl, smearing it all over her face.
He was stunned for a moment and then comforted him, "Things will get better."
"Yes, things will get better."
Liao Chenghong also looked back at his daughter, a smile appearing on his lips.
"Actually, I don't ask for much. As long as I see her grow up safely and happily, I'll be content."
"..."
At this point, they had asked most of what they needed to ask. Da Feng Novel Network
Liao Chenghong had left a good impression on them.
However, the main business still needed to be addressed.
The two officers exchanged glances. The middle-aged officer took out his identification and said:
"Actually, besides the population census, we're here for another matter. Someone has reported you.
Please cooperate with us. If it's a misunderstanding, we'll take a look and leave."
As he said this, the young officer beside him was constantly vigilant, observing Liao Chenghong's every move.
"Reported?"
Liao Chenghong seemed taken aback, his expression becoming somewhat unreadable.
"Reported me for what? Could it be that Kexin's usual fussing disturbed the neighbors?"
This statement, as it happened, confirmed some of the officers' suspicions.
This time, it might be another false alarm?
The middle-aged officer glanced around the room while making small talk to reassure him:
"Don't be nervous. We're just taking a look. If it's a misunderstanding, it's good to clear it up sooner rather than later."
The three-bedroom apartment was meticulously organized.
It was evident how much care the owner had put into it.
As he looked around, he came to the kitchen and surveyed the area.
"Do you cook often?" the middle-aged officer asked casually.
The young officer also casually looked around. It was clean, but the kitchenware was complete.
What the two officers didn't notice was—
As they entered the kitchen, the man behind them instantly became somber, his eyes glinting with malice.
When they looked back, the man's expression had already returned to normal.
Liao Chenghong scratched his head and said with a somewhat憨厚 (simple and honest) demeanor:
"I cook sometimes. My daughter doesn't really like outside food, so I usually come back to cook for her at noon."
"In the morning, time is a bit tight... Officer, I still have to go to work later."
He checked the time; it was already past seven.
The middle-aged officer nodded, "It's fine, we'll be done looking very soon."
He opened the refrigerator door and looked inside, his tone concerned:
"How is the food usually?"
Liao Chenghong: "It's very good. The child is still young, she needs to eat more nutritious food."
"Mm, that's good." The middle-aged officer nodded.
This was a double-door refrigerator, just like the main door, with the refrigeration and freezer compartments split in half.
He closed the refrigerator door and, as if casually, opened the freezer compartment.
He looked through the drawers. The upper part was clear and easy to see.
There were corn, meatballs, bamboo shoots, peas...
And the lower part seemed to be all meat.
The middle-aged officer casually flipped through them, seeing what looked like ribs, minced meat, lean meat, and the like.
Seeing this, Liao Chenghong couldn't help but ask curiously:
"Officer, what exactly have I been reported for? Could it be that I'm hiding meat from a protected animal?"
By the end, his tone had become somewhat amused, as if he found the reason for the report rather inexplicable.
"We still have to follow the procedures,"
The middle-aged officer replied smoothly, "Besides, isn't this a casual way to show concern for the public's lives?"
However, after this initial look, he really didn't see anything.
Just as he was about to withdraw his hand and end the inspection.
A voice suddenly popped into his mind.
It was like intuition, or a flash of inspiration.
'This is human flesh.'
'In the cupboard behind, there was a white foam box that I seemed to have overlooked.'
The middle-aged officer froze. He didn't close the refrigerator door and turned to open the cupboard next to it.
He looked at the bottom shelf, in the deepest part, there was a white, square foam box.
He placed his hand on it and felt it. It was cold.
It seemed to have just been taken out of the refrigerator, and the surface was still frosty.
He prepared to take it out to look, but as he leaned forward, he felt his back wasn't cooperating.
He turned his head and called out, "Xiao Li, come take a look..."
Xiao Li was the young officer's surname.
But as he turned his head, he saw a 'colossus'.
Liao Chenghong had appeared behind him at some unknown time, silently raising a rolling pin.
With a grim expression, he swung it down towards the back of his head!
...