Super Zoo

The next morning, various major local media in Xiangjiang started to write and publish articles.

The New Report, 'Heart of a Hero—Even Ordinary People Can Become Heroes'; it seems that female reporter has always harbored a 'master dream' in her heart;

Oriental Daily, 'Mainland Tourist Joins Hands with Xiangjiang Police, Cracks Kidnapping Case, Foolish Kidnapper Falls into Panda Exhibit, Tragically Trampled…'. This is currently the most entertaining newspaper among the orthodox papers in Xiangjiang. Those who are familiar with its history would know that the founder of this paper came from the same mold as Long Wu, and was even more exaggerated than the Long family back in the day, so it's not surprising that it takes an entertainment approach.

Ming Pao, 'Building Friendship, Deepening Cooperation—Starting with Ping Pong Diplomacy from Thirty Years Ago', it starts with the friendly exchanges of ping pong teams during the Cold War era that fostered the normalization of relations between Huaxia and the United States and discusses whether the mainland, Xiangjiang, and even Bao Island can find a communication approach that is not resisted by the general public, such as panda diplomacy. Of course, the use of the word 'diplomacy' is not appropriate.

Ta Kung Pao, 'Honorary Citizen, a Commoner's Victory'; it lists the background and origins of all those who have received the title of honorary citizen over the past decade, suggesting that the awarding of honorary citizenship in the future should consider more ordinary people who truly move the hearts of the people of Xiangjiang, instead of it being a feast where the rich divide the honors among themselves.

Sun Newspaper then published a commentary article 'Knights and Gentlemen', mercilessly pointing out that in modern society, there are far too many 'gentlemen' in fine clothes, but very few 'knights' willing to step forward in times of crisis. If one does not have the brave and upright heart of a 'knight', then so-called 'gentlemanly demeanor' is but a hypocritical veneer.

Apart from the regular newspapers, as a city with a long history of gossip, the various gossip tabloids in Xiangjiang are innumerable.

"Lone Beast Tamer, Captures Spicy Female Cop's Heart!"

"Madam Throws Herself into His Arms, Mainland Visitor Cold and Unfeeling…"

"Illicit Sister-Brother Love, Gunfight of Life and Death Affection!"

"Crossing Customs to Sleep With You!"

"Trainee Female Cop Becomes Smitten with Deputy Zoo Director, Clashes with Stern Female Supervisor!"

"Three Women Vying for Husband…"

These were not just sensational headlines; the reports were vividly written, with clear timelines, characters, and events, including inner monologues and dialogues—only sparing the readers the explicit love scenes. They even found a number of blurry photos, making it impossible to identify who was actually in them.

Fortunately, readers took these tabloid articles as mere entertainment and did not take them seriously. These tabloids, in a bid to grab eyeballs, would dare to write anything except for the reactionary material. If these reports were all true, then Suming's few days in Xiangjiang would be so busy that he wouldn't have time for anything else; he would be chasing women day and night, for every single one of the twenty-four hours wouldn't be enough for all the hooking up and fooling around.

...

In an office building in Causeway Bay, there was a coffee shop that was not very big but was very quiet. A fat cat lay lazily on the piano at the entrance, looking peacefully at the men and women in the shop under the soft and warm lighting.

When Suming entered the coffee shop, he immediately spotted He Baowen sitting alone in a corner, staring blankly into space.

"Didn't expect you, Madam, with your usually resolute and brave demeanor, would like such a…" Suming looked around at the café's environment, which was plastered everywhere with stickers of cartoon cats, and laughed: "place full of childlike whimsy."

Last time, before the case was solved, He Baowen said she would invite Suming for coffee if they cracked the case successfully. Suming didn't take it to heart at the time, but, after the press conference, He Baowen actually called and arranged to meet here.

After receiving the call, Suming considered briefly before deciding to go.

"Every woman must have a naive place in her heart; even women nearing thirty are no exception. Sometimes when I feel the pressure is too much, I come here to sit for a while, to prevent myself from turning into a manly woman." He Baowen waved to the waiter, then asked Suming, "What will you drink? It's on me. Their latte is really on point here."

"I'm used to drinking tea, so no matter how good the coffee is, I can never get used to it, first impressions and all that." Suming shrugged and smiled: "Lemon water will do."
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"A glass of lemon water with ice, thank you." He Baowen greeted the approaching waiter and then looked at Suming with a smirk, "A man who would even snatch my snacks is actually drinking lemon water. You surprise me."

"I was really hungry back then, just like when I bought roast goose legs in the police car, my stomach was the priority," Suming said with a smile.

"Are you hungry now?" He Baowen asked stiffly, and after speaking, she touched her own stomach as if offering an excuse, "I'm a bit hungry, how about we go for a late-night snack after the coffee?"

"Madam, you really have an irregular lifestyle," Suming laughed.

"The freedom of a single life," He Baowen shrugged, "Coming or not? I know a place that's been making egg tarts for decades. I always eat there whenever I work overtime. You visitors from out of town might not find such an authentic little shop."

"I'd like to go, but my girlfriend is waiting for me at the hotel. You know how it is, a woman alone in a hotel gets scared at night," Suming said, seemingly offhandedly.

Upon hearing the words 'girlfriend,' He Baowen momentarily stiffened; although she said nothing, her disappointment was hard to conceal, and for the rest of the conversation, she seemed somewhat distracted.

Time flew by, the antique clock in the coffee shop struck ten, and Suming's glass of lemon water was empty. He Baowen did not continue to order drinks, and they both left the coffee shop after paying the bill.

Walking side by side on the streets of Causeway Bay, the usually cheerful policewoman was very quiet the whole way, hardly speaking at all, and seemed preoccupied with her thoughts.

At that moment, Suming did not know what to say either, so he could only accompany her as she strolled down the street.

He Baowen was a very decent woman in every way, but each time she smiled at him, Suming's mind would naturally wander back to the moment when Nangong ruthlessly turned down Ren Chen, a scene that was moving in its decisiveness.

As he earned more and more money and met more and more women of all kinds, Suming found that what he often thought of were the minor details of his past days with Nangong at the campus.

"This is my stop," He Baowen finally spoke up, for the first time, in front of an apartment building.

"I'm very happy to have met you, Pau. I never expected to get to know such an outstanding woman on my trip to Xiangjiang. It's an honor," Suming nodded and smiled.

He Baowen was silent for a moment, then suddenly revealed a confident and proud smile similar to the first time she'd seen her at the police station, and gave Suming a manly punch on the shoulder, "Wow, is this what they call friend-zoning?!"

"This... haha, you give me one, I give you one, we're even!" Suming said while rubbing his shoulder that had become a bit sore from the punch.

"Get out of here, go keep your girlfriend company. I'm a tough policewoman; I'm not as fragile as you think!"

With one hand on her hip and the other mimicking a gun gesture at Suming, He Baowen stared with fierce eyes and warned, "Also, let me tell you, next time you meet a girl, tell her early on that you have a girlfriend, or else, bang!"

"Absolutely!" Suming laughed, "Then I really am leaving."

"Go on, get going!" He Baowen took the initiative to turn around and stride toward the apartment, nonchalantly waving her hand without looking back.

After watching He Baowen enter the elevator, Suming then turned and left.

At the crossroads on his way to the hotel, Suming pulled out his phone and dialed Nangong's number.

"Hello, finished with your coffee?" came Nangong's sweet voice from the other end of the line.

"I told you, I'm used to tea; coffee isn't really my thing," Suming replied.

"Hehehe…" Nangong laughed foolishly.

"Laughing at what? Did you book the plane ticket online like I asked you to?"

"Mhm, the eight o'clock flight tomorrow night! On the same plane as the Big Happy lion dragon from Causeway Bay!"

"Alright, we're going home tomorrow!"

...

The next evening, an Orient Airlines flight slowly took off from Xiangjiang International Airport, heading towards Yangchuan City.

Almost at the same time, in a bar in Lan Kwai Fong, two off-duty policewomen were drinking together in a small booth.

In front of He Baowen, several beer bottles were already empty, her face flushed red with alcohol, but her eyes were bright, focusing on the policewoman opposite her as she rambled, "Abby, what exactly is wrong with me?"

The young Officer Abby, equally tipsy from the drinks, belched before saying, "Madam, who says there's anything wrong with you? You're gorgeous and competent, becoming a senior inspector before you're even thirty. The whole police force treasures you!"

"Are you saying I'm old?" asked He Baowen, eyes wide open.

"Not at all!" Abby quickly covered her mouth, "No, no, not at all."

"Then why is it that I expressed my feelings so clearly and he didn't show any interest at all!" He Baowen pointed at her own nose, eyes wide, "Do you know, this was the first time in my life that I took the initiative to confess to a guy, and I failed!"

"But there's no rule saying that a girl has to succeed when she confesses. Besides, so many officers have confessed to you, and you've rejected them just the same" Abby mumbled softly.

"Wow, whose side are you on?!" He Baowen said.

"Madam, of course I'm on your side. But Su Sheng has a girlfriend, right? Would you be happy if he lied about being single and then took you to a couple's hotel? It's better to have things out in the open, for everyone's sake," Abby, though young, had a clear sense of reasoning.

"Abby, you really suck at comforting people, you know that? Saying that, I feel even worse! Does that mean I missed out on a good man?!"

"Then what should I say? Su Sheng is indeed a good person," Abby pouted.

"I'm just not happy, come on, let's go dance!" He Baowen staggered to her feet, taking Abby's hand and heading for the dance floor.

Abby, knowing He Baowen's usual style well, was so frightened; she quickly held her back and shook her head like a rattle-drum, "No, Madam, you're drunk as a skunk, someone will take advantage of you, and then you'll end up hurting someone again. It'll be a lot of trouble."

"Then keep drinking with me!" He Baowen lifted a bottle of liquor.

"I really can't drink anymore!" Abby said with a pained expression, taking the bottle from He Baowen's hand and putting it back on the table. Looking for a better idea, she then said, "Actually, Madam, when you're working on a case, you're much more on point than now!"

"What? Speak up!" The music in the bar was loud, making it difficult for He Baowen to hear, so she asked loudly.

"I said!" Abby also shouted into He Baowen's ear, "Su Sheng isn't married, so if you were as determined as when you're working cases, you might still have a chance! After all, he'll be back by the end of the year for the horse races, won't he?"

"What?!", He Baowen exclaimed.