Miss Assassin is heavily addicted

Chapter 50, Section 7: The Children Under the Banyan Tree

With He Ye's statement, Lolis tentatively agreed to the request to split into two groups, which was indeed the best option in terms of efficiency.

Of course, most importantly, she could tell that He Ye was getting a little impatient with her—so the two of them parted ways.

Walking along the street, He Ye, with a black notebook and pen in hand, began to conduct individual interviews and investigations, not slacking off at all.

Ten minutes later.

The sixth visit concluded the questioning of street vendors. The citizen in front of He Ye was a vendor selling charcoal-grilled white sausages. The investigation revealed that he did not see any suspicious persons or a standing meal costing 3 crowns.

He Ye thanked him for his cooperation, then paid three yuan and continued eating as she walked to the next location.

Turning into the alley from the street, the layout inside is somewhat like an old Beijing hutong. There are residential buildings here that need to be inquired about, as requested by Loris.

Just as He Ye was about to continue his investigation, he suddenly noticed two strange figures around the corner.

It's like a secret transaction.

"Hey buddy, here's what you wanted."

"Is this genuine? Don't try to fool me with other people's recordings again!"

"Pure, guaranteed pure! I secretly recorded this myself in a bar two days ago!"

The two men's conversation sounded furtive, clearly indicating that something was amiss. He Ye straightened his police hat, thinking that something interesting was finally about to happen, and immediately stepped forward.

Hey! What are you two doing?!

He Ye ran forward, looking every bit like a police officer.

Upon seeing the young man in police uniform running towards them, the two men who were secretly whispering to each other immediately changed their expressions and turned to run away!
"The cops are coming!" they exclaimed as they ran.

He Ye quickly approached and watched the two run off in different directions. He decided to catch the man selling the goods first—he was dressed smartly like an office worker, and the briefcase in his hand must contain some unknown secret.

As for the other person, he was just an ordinary citizen. From this perspective, it's more important to control the merchants than the downstream customers.

"Don't run!"

"Oh my God!"

The man in the suit and briefcase turned around and saw that He Ye was running very fast. The speed frightened him so much that his face turned pale, and he immediately realized that he was going to die here!

The brief chase quickly ended—with the man in the suit falling to the ground.

He stumbled into a streetlight while running in a daze, saw stars, and fell to the ground. He Ye easily knelt down beside him, twirling the gleaming silver handcuffs in her hand:

"Why are you running? What are you doing that shows your humility?"

He Ye looked down at him lying on the ground.

"Sir! I'm just a good citizen who's just speculating and profiteering!" the man in the suit cried, covering his nose.

“These two phrases together are impossible,” He Ye said, his voice strained. “What’s in the briefcase? Take it out.”

"Just some private collections!"

"Go away, go away." He Ye snatched the briefcase and began to inspect it.

Opening his briefcase, one could see a stack of black CDs, the kind used in record players. Each one had a label indicating its contents.

"March 17th issue: 'Captivating Love Songs ~ Must-Listen Unconventional Classic Songs!' Another brand new masterpiece from Teacher Leon!"

Heye:?
Not a buddy?

He Ye looked at him blankly, holding the record and the note, then turned to look at him: "You sell this stuff?"

"Yes, yes." The man in the suit sat up guiltily.

"I'm not saying anything, but why are they selling this stuff secretly..." He Ye felt a sense of helplessness. "I thought we'd caught a bad guy."

The man in the suit nervously explained:

“I’m just an ordinary music fan. I know I’ve committed a crime—those old men at the Central Music Commission have already banned these songs from the market, but I can’t bear to see Leon’s songs banned. This is what I can do!”

He Ye was speechless after hearing this, but to his surprise, he continued to explain, as if he had a motivation no less than that of maintaining world peace, which supported him in doing this.

"Uh..." He mumbled for a while but still didn't say anything.

So, there are people from the Central Music Commission who censor their own songs? He Ye didn't know about this, but it's understandable that the melodies from another world are defined as non-mainstream.

He picked up a second black disc from his briefcase. The texture was a bit rough to the touch, clearly indicating that these were products made privately. He hadn't expected his fans to be so proactive.

I'm so glad I disguised myself when I went on stage, otherwise those two might have pounced on me.

After a long silence, he finally realized it was a misunderstanding.

"I understand your reasoning. Oh well, I won't make things difficult for you. How much is this disc? I'll buy one to support you."

He Ye stood up and fumbled for his wallet, intending to offer any help he could to this hardworking fan.

The man in the suit stared in disbelief, and it took him a long time to utter a sound:

"Are you also a fan of Leon?"

"I suppose so," He Ye said calmly.

"Okay, okay... Thank you, thank you for your singing, Mr. Leon." The man in the suit licked his lips and took out a record from his briefcase. "This record, 'The Autumn That Can Never Be Returned ~ A Deep-Sea Bomb That Touches the Heart,' is my strong recommendation."

What a terrible name, "byd"?

He Ye took the question without saying a word: "What are the lyrics?"

"Let the autumn wind carry away my longing and my tears~" the man in the suit hummed.

Isn't this Wang Qiang's "Autumn Never Returns"? These fans' fan-made creations are truly mind-blowing...

“That’s 300 crowns in total,” the man in the suit said again.

He Ye, who was taking out his wallet, froze: "?"

"How much?" He Ye looked at him.

The man in the suit felt a little uneasy under her gaze, but he still forced himself to speak:
"300 yuan, after all, it's a masterpiece by Teacher Leon. And since he disappeared from the stage of Big Bird Spinning ...

"So 300 yuan is already a friendly price, sir. You should know that in a few days the price of this album will go up again, and more people will want to remember Leon's singing voice."

He Ye felt a mix of emotions after listening to the song. Looking at the fans in front of him, he felt that they weren't so innocent after all—they were definitely opportunists.

"People actually buy things this expensive?" He Ye calmly put the wallet back. "You'd better give me a reasonable explanation, or I'll have to take you to the police station for a while."

The man in the suit said in a terrified voice, as if facing a formidable enemy:
"That's really the price, sir! You have to know how wonderful Leon's genius music is! I even recorded this secretly. If it were in lossless quality, I could sell the record to middle-class doctors and lawyers for 2000 or 3000 a copy!"

"...Music itself deserves respect, and those who pursue it are all wealthy people. You, you don't think I'm lying, this is really the price..."

In the end, the man in the suit noticed that the police officer in front of him had changed his expression, as if he was doubting him and was thinking about something.

In reality, He Ye only discovered the business opportunity after listening to the story.

If that's really what he said, wouldn't he be able to make a fortune in no time by recording a few discs and selling them? He's been a bit short on cash lately, but having a disc distributor would solve that problem easily.

"I understand... I'll let you go this time." He Ye finally waved for him to leave, and sighed.

After all, they are just fans.

The man in the suit was overjoyed at the sight and thanked him profusely before scrambling away, saying, "Goodbye, sir! Thank you!"

Watching the fan's figure disappear at the intersection, He Ye hung the silver handcuffs back on his waist and continued his duty.

Well, actually I didn't really want to be on duty that much.

After wandering around for several tens of minutes and asking two citizens, He Ye was already feeling tired. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was 1:35 pm. The air was so drowsy that it made him feel sleepy.

The buildings blocked the setting sun, and the alleyways were full of cool, shady spots.

He yawned.

They heard laughter coming from ahead.

Under the banyan tree in the nearby alley, several children were squatting on the ground playing with some small objects. The green leaves of the branches blocked the afternoon sun, and the boys looked very happy.

"Hey, no cheating!"

"This one is mine!"

He Ye walked over and found that they were actually playing with stones, using pebbles as "marbles". They held them in their hands, stood still, and the stones they hit on the other person's stone were theirs.

They were a little surprised to see adults arrive.

Seeing this, He Ye took out his black book and asked him some questions, since the children were running around everywhere and might know more:

"Hello kids, I'm a passing police officer. Have you seen any strange people or things lately?"

Faced with He Ye's words, they looked at each other, not daring to speak, clearly their families had something to say about confessing. Seeing this, He Ye took out two pieces of candy from his pocket. This was a gift from the kind woman when he visited a snack shop not long ago, who said that He Ye was the most polite police officer she had ever met.

"Answer me and you'll get two pieces of candy. Just say whatever you want, as long as you're willing to speak." He Ye held the candy in his hand and raised it up.

Soon, some of the children's eyes lit up.

One of the boys, in a seemingly excited but ultimately dubious manner, exclaimed, "Is it...is it the teacher?!"

Ok?
He Ye followed the gaze and found the boy looked familiar, then quickly remembered who he was.

What happened about ten days ago in the central garden of Rose Street: a little boy was kidnapped by McKinney, a conman, and He Ye rescued him. Afterwards, he received a smooth pebble from McKinney as a token of his gratitude.

"I can tell from the way you're talking! Teacher, I don't even recognize you with that hat on!"

"Inotia said excitedly, and waved to He Ye."

He Ye thought for a moment and took off his police hat, thinking that this would make him more approachable and easier to recognize. Then he smiled and said, "So it was you. Since you were the first to answer me, here's the candy for you."

"Thank you!" Kane said with a happy smile.

The other boys also made some small movements, but some remained vigilant and even tried to pull Kane back. He whispered, "Come back, come back! Have you forgotten what your mother told you? Don't talk to strangers!"

“But he’s a good person!” Kane said earnestly. “Believe me!”

Amid Kane's praise, another little boy couldn't contain himself any longer and nervously stepped forward to tell He Ye:

"I... I know something. Can I trade it for candy?"

"Yes... saying that is enough." He Ye gave him the candy, and the boy's eyes lit up. He tore open the wrapper and swallowed the delicious candy.

"So sweet!"

Milk candy is really amazing; it easily builds rapport.

"Anything else? I know some things too, sir! For example, Grandpa Buddha's cat was actually kidnapped when it went missing, and Uncle Jim's window was actually broken by Orr; he deliberately smashed it with a stone!"

Another boy excitedly stepped forward.

Uh... Keheye doesn't have any more sugar.

Seeing the wind suddenly shift and the boys crowd around her, He Ye had no choice but to calm them down and record the events one by one. In the black notebook, unimportant little things were not recorded. To be precise, most of them were unimportant in the children's mouths.

Finally, there is one thing that is worth noting.

"My sister Mia recently got a boyfriend. He's a middle-aged man with white hair, and he's incredibly rich! I've seen him pick up my sister Mia a few times in his car—the kind of black car you see in the newspapers!"

Do wealthy business owners keep mistresses? It's quite normal among ordinary people; it can even be considered a step up in social class.

He Ye made a note of it and then continued to ask questions.

After a while, they didn't have anything more interesting to tell them.

He Ye's reward to them was a coin, enough to buy a milk candy or fructose. They laughed and ran off, then ran back. The reason was that they had already bought candy and wanted to get more from He Ye.

He Ye stood up and stepped aside, speaking as if she were a nursery school teacher in an apron:

"Alright, that's enough. Stop telling me about which snails are bigger or which aunt likes whom. Anyway, it's over."

"Ugh!" the boys grumbled.

He Ye carefully put away the black book and said calmly, "Now I'm leaving. Remember not to talk to suspicious people and go home early tonight."

"No, teacher! Stay a little longer!" Kane rushed forward and hugged his leg. "Help me!"

Heye:?
"What's wrong with you?"

Kane was just a child. He pointed to the pebbles on the ground and said somewhat reluctantly:
"I can't beat them, teacher, please help me win my stone back, it'll only be a little while!"

Winning stones?
He Ye looked at the stones on the ground, which resembled marbles, and thought about his duty... though he had been working for quite a while. He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"teacher!"

Ah, that really hit the nail on the head.

He Ye immediately squatted down and entered the pinball battlefield under the banyan tree, slowly saying, "Okay, I'll help you win a few stones in a bit. Can someone explain the specific rules to me?"

"Me! Me! Me!" A boy eagerly raised his hand.

Soon, after hearing the rules, He Ye understood that it was similar to a pinball game, except that stones were used instead of marbles.

As an adult, he casually played with a group of children under the banyan tree. The afternoon sunlight was so gentle, making one feel drowsy, accompanied by laughter and frustrated sighs.

He Ye is wreaking havoc on all sides.

Okay, that's normal. He was known as the Emperor of Marbles back in elementary school. He was a master not only of marbles, but also of playing cards and origami.

Hearing their cheers, He Ye felt a pang of nostalgia, then looked at the gleaming pile of pebbles at her feet and said:

"Is that enough? I still have work to do."

Kane, as if he had found a treasure, excitedly said:

"Teacher, you, you are the most amazing stone-wielding expert I have ever seen! You are incredible!"

As for the other side.

The little boy who had been rivals with He Ye was scratching his head in frustration, filled with regret and resentment at his defeat.
"How could this be... It's too powerful."

"Damn it, even Orl can't beat this guy!"

"Go quickly and invite Brother Fleck!"

As they were talking, two little boys left the line under the banyan tree.

"Teacher, just one more win! Taking a break is fine. You need to know how to balance work and rest! That's what my mom always says!"

Kane encouraged them, clearly wanting to reclaim all the stones they had lost and not wanting to let He Ye go.

After listening, He Ye had no choice but to play another game for him. Moreover, upon careful consideration, he realized that what he said made a lot of sense. He needed to know how to balance work and rest. He had been working at a high intensity since nine in the morning, and had only had a quick lunch. This short rest had indeed made him feel much better.

Having said that, He Ye took aim.

*Thud*—The stone struck precisely.

Immediately, a boy wailed and knelt on the ground, pounding his fist on the ground.

"NO!"

Seeing his reaction, He Ye smiled silently, wondering if he had been a bit too harsh. But since Kane could deal so much damage, he figured Kane would definitely do the same after he left, so he didn't really care.

He Ye muttered to himself with a sigh, a smile on his face:
"You're right, you need to balance work and rest, otherwise you'll age faster..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure approached from behind.

A pale blonde girl with a cold expression, dressed in a police uniform, stood with her arms crossed, quietly watching He Ye play with stones with a group of boys. He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.

Who do you think ages faster?

Loris's voice drifted softly from behind.

yeah?
He Ye froze instantly, dropping the stone in his hand to the ground. He slowly, very slowly, turned around to look.

Then--

He was met with Loris's murderous gaze.

Her eyes held three parts mockery, three parts frustration, and ninety-four parts burning anger. Finally, the emotions in her eyes manifested in her words, conveying a feeling as cold as her chest:

"Is this what you meant by not being lazy?"

When Lolis said the last few words, she even bit down and raised her voice, giving a "do re" feeling.

He Ye exclaimed, "Holy crap!"

"Are you trying to die?! Still running away!"

Lorice quickly grabbed He Ye by the back of his collar, turning his instinctive escape into an arrest. The children took a few steps back in respect, and Kane even picked up a pile of pebbles and moved away, making the scene quite comical.

"No, let me explain!" He Ye turned around as if facing a formidable enemy.

Loris snorted and grabbed the back of his collar, turning away without a word. The children watching felt a strong sense of familiarity; this playful fighting felt like—

"It's like Uncle Mike who got caught drinking. Aunt Mylta forbids him from drinking, but he keeps going anyway, and they always end up arguing every few days."

"But they are already married, and sometimes when they don't argue, their relationship is very good."

The boys muttered to themselves as they watched He Ye being dragged away in a disheveled state, then silently looked at the stone in their hands and breathed a sigh of relief.

That's incredible. Is this what adults are like?

(End of this chapter)