Sinister Future

Chapter 3

As Zhou Yu cursed, Levi had already turned to look at him, his expression calm.

"Sorry, I don't have a phone right now, so I can't give you my number."

"I swear! That jerk actually went to report us!" Zhou Yu no longer cared about the phone number. Seeing that Ren was indeed bringing a police officer over, he cursed again and then whispered, "Levi, you don't really not have an ID, do you?"

"Not at the moment," Levi smiled apologetically.

"You should leave. I’ll be fine."

Zhou Yu frowned.

Ren, unsure whether he was more afraid of Zhou Yu and Levi hitting him or of getting exposed for hiring mainland tourists, hurried away as he led the policeman over. The cop initially wanted to drag him back but was concerned that Zhou Yu and Levi might flee, so he came over instead.

"Hey, you two, show me your IDs."

The officer quickened his pace, speaking before even reaching them.

"Officer, was it a man named Ren who reported us?" Levi asked calmly.

"Cut the crap, hand over your IDs!" The officer had already approached them.

"If it was him, that explains it. We're friends, and earlier we were playing cards. He won all our money—our wallets are with him. He said he wanted to prank us. We thought he just slipped away after dinner, leaving us without money to pay the bill, but it turns out he actually paid. Then he told us to wait here while he went to buy cigarettes, and instead, he tricked you into coming to check our IDs."

If Ren wanted to report others for not having IDs, the police would likely ask him to prove he was a law-abiding citizen first. The officer probably saw Ren’s ID and remembered his name was Ren. Moreover, Ren wouldn’t want to bring up hiring them to hand out flyers, as it was an informal gig without a proper contract.

Taking all this into account, Levi’s brain, aided by the internal system “Xiao Jiu,” calculated several possible explanations. Levi just casually picked one and was prepared with more excuses in case it didn’t work.

Zhou Yu, initially stumped and looking like he was holding in something, had no solution to help Levi pass the ID check without an ID. When he heard Levi’s explanation, he couldn’t help but think, "This guy doesn’t talk much, but he sure can lie quickly, and even turn the tables on Ren!"

"Yes, yes, officer. He won all our money, and our wallets are with him. My ID is in my wallet, and I can only get it once I retrieve my wallet from him. Did that loser run off halfway while leading you here?"

Zhou Yu backed Levi up. The officer, hearing how quickly and confidently they responded, grew suspicious. Since Ren hadn’t dared to come over, the officer glanced back.

"Are you two messing with the police?" The officer's face darkened.

"We're not. It’s Ren who’s messing with you," Zhou Yu added earnestly. "My name is Zhou Yu, and this is Levi. We're both recent graduates from City University. We're decent people, no way we’d pull something like this."

"Ha, you misspoke. You’re from City University, but I’m from Hong Kong University." Levi chuckled.

"I don’t care if it’s City U, CUHK, or HKU. Do you know the consequences of filing a false report? Call that guy and get him here!"

Zhou Yu was at a loss—he didn’t have Ren’s number. He could only look at Levi. "Levi, do you have his number? I’m not really familiar with him."

Levi looked at the officer. "Officer, we’re not that familiar with him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have pranked us. We're just card-playing acquaintances. But don’t worry, he can’t run far. I know his name and where he works. You can go check."

Zhou Yu recalled the company’s name but hadn’t paid attention to Ren’s name. Hearing Levi calmly list everything out, Zhou Yu realized Levi was quite detail-oriented.

The officer jotted down the information but continued to eye Levi closely. This made Zhou Yu even more nervous. Could the officer really tell Levi didn’t have an ID?

"Take off your glasses!" the officer suddenly ordered.

Levi’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

Seeing him not move, Zhou Yu, not wanting to provoke the officer, tried to mediate. "Levi, just take them off."

He wondered if Levi resembled someone on a wanted list.

Levi removed his old-fashioned black-framed glasses.

The officer stared at him for a while, then asked, "Your name is Levi?"

"Yes," Levi replied, already anticipating what was coming. He quietly instructed “Xiao Jiu” to prepare for that eventuality.

"Is it 'Li' as in 'maintain' and 'Wei' as in 'gentle'?" The officer questioned seriously.

Zhou Yu broke into a cold sweat. He’d only known Levi for two days, and Levi hadn’t talked much about himself, so Zhou Yu knew very little about him.

"HKU, Levi. Haha! I finally found you! You're Li Bingjian’s son, aren’t you?" The officer seemed excited.

"Officer, I think you’ve got the wrong person..." Before Levi could finish, the officer clapped him on the shoulder warmly. "With those glasses on, I didn’t recognize you. But without them, you’re unmistakable. You go by Levi, you’re from HKU, and you’re still trying to deny it? I know what you’re worried about. The car accident wasn’t a big deal. You didn’t hit anyone, and you didn’t try to get someone to take the blame. Why go into hiding?"

"Uh..." Levi forced a smile.

Zhou Yu was just as surprised. Li Bingjian? The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Was he a big-time tycoon?

"Don’t worry about it. I’ll take you home." The officer turned to Zhou Yu. "You’re good to go. As for that false reporter, I’ll deal with him later."

"Oh, alright... Levi, goodbye!" Zhou Yu, utterly confused, planned to look up Li Bingjian when he got home.

"Thank you, officer, but you're on duty. I can make my own way back," Levi said as the officer led him to the roadside.

"No worries. Li Sheng helped me out before. It’s the least I can do." The officer made a phone call with one hand while still holding Levi with the other, as if he were afraid Levi might run.

This only made Levi feel more like a suspect. Levi sighed inwardly. He understood that the officer probably just wanted to score points and get in Li Bingjian’s good graces.

From the conversation, Levi realized the officer’s name was Han Xiaoyi. After Han finished his call, a taxi had already pulled up. He ushered Levi inside.

"You’ve been missing for nearly a month. Li Sheng has been worried sick. At first, he thought you were just hiding out for a few days, but when you didn’t show up, he started getting really anxious. Still, he didn’t want to make it a big deal and didn’t file a public missing person report. Instead, he had friends in the police look for you discreetly. I’ve been combing this area for days, searching for you after work. Who knew I’d find you here, just by chance! Have you been alright these past few days?"

The overenthusiastic officer barely gave Levi a chance to speak, even saying where they were headed.

"Officer Han, can I ask you something?" Levi interjected.

"What is it?" Han replied.

"Actually... I'm not even sure of my identity. I only remember that my name is Levi, but I don’t know if I’m the one you’re looking for."

"Are you messing with me?"

"As you know, I had an accident. It wasn’t that I was hiding on purpose; after the crash, I think I had a concussion. I might have some memory loss. Besides knowing that my name is Levi, I don’t remember much else."

This was one of Levi’s prepared excuses. Until he could fully assume the identity of the real Levi, he would have to claim amnesia to cover his tracks.

Even if he told the truth—that the real Levi was dead and that he had merely absorbed his genetic traits—who would believe him?

"I'm telling the truth. Earlier, I lied to you. I don’t have an ID, and I barely know that guy. I said I was from HKU because I thought you might be familiar with City University students."

Han Xiaoyi studied Levi carefully. His expression seemed to contain a mix of bitterness, self-deprecation, helplessness, and frustration—just like a movie character with amnesia.

Though it sounded far-fetched, Han Xiaoyi believed him to some extent. He chuckled awkwardly. "No worries, even if it’s amnesia, it’s only temporary. Li Sheng will make sure you get treated. Once we get you home, your family will recognize you even if I got it wrong."

Levi smiled faintly.