Chapter Ten: Thirteen

Lin Lei gave the "father and son" ten minutes to talk. However, only half the time had passed when Ling Da came out early.

He looked somewhat uncomfortable and gave Lin Lei a sheepish grin. "Officer Lin, I'll have to trouble you to look after that kid from now on..."

Lin Lei frowned and nodded at him, his own expression a little complicated.

Ling Da was by no means a good man. He had exploited the boy's abilities for crime, and the moment things went south, he was the first to shift the blame onto the boy. And yet, now that all was settled, he had taken the initiative to comfort the boy. Though Ling Da tried to hide it, Lin Lei still noticed his eyes were faintly red...

A few days aren't enough to form a deep bond, but to say the man felt nothing at all would be a lie.

Of course, in a few days, Ling Da would probably forget all about the kid.

"Humans truly are complex creatures..."

Lin Lei waved his hand, and Chen Ning immediately stepped forward to escort Ling Da away.

Lin Lei then turned and entered the room.

The boy was curled up at the desk, sobbing quietly, his eyes lost and helpless...

Lin Lei approached and handed him a freshly bought pineapple bun. "Eat something."

The boy stared for a moment, then quickly took the bread and wolfed it down in a few bites.

"Th-thank you."

Like Lin Lei, the boy seemed to have a body that was always hungry.

Lin Lei nodded. "Now... I have a few questions for you..."

The boy looked up at him, bewildered.

"Do you know where your home is? Where did you come from?"

The boy shook his head at Lin Lei, eyes blank.

"I lived in... the white house. One day, boom, and then I came out."

"Someone... took me. We ran very far, swoosh, ended up here."

The boy's ability to express himself was somewhat lacking.

Listening to his words, Lin Lei began to form some theories. This "white house" was likely one of two things: either a hospital or some sort of research facility.

As for the "boom" and "swoosh," Lin Lei couldn't quite make sense of those.

Raising a brow, Lin Lei said, "The Investigation Bureau will help you look for your family. For now, you'll have to stay here for a while. The conditions aren't great, but at least you won't go hungry or freeze anymore... I have a room here; you can use it for a few days."

The boy possessed a Gift, and with his immature mind, he obviously couldn't just be sent to a welfare agency or shelter.

The Investigation Bureau had an entire building as its base, with plenty of empty rooms. Many Gifted individuals lived there as well.

The boy seemed to understand Lin Lei's meaning. He looked up, his big eyes shining as he gazed at Lin Lei.

Lin Lei smiled and nodded, taking the boy's small hand. "Let's go."

...

Investigation Bureau Headquarters.

On a certain floor.

Lin Lei swiped his card to open the door to a room.

"You'll be staying here for the time being."

The room provided by the Bureau was similar to a standard hotel room—not large, but everything necessary was provided.

It was the lounge assigned to Lin Lei after he became an investigator, though he had been staying at home these last few days.

The boy stared wide-eyed at the neat furniture and tidy bed under the bright lights. Upon hearing Lin Lei's words, he looked at him with those dewy eyes, "Home?"

"Think of it as your temporary home," Lin Lei replied with a smile, then raised a brow at the boy's dirty face and ragged, grimy clothes.

"How long has it been since you bathed...?"

He led the boy into the bathroom, gave a quick introduction on how to use the shower, and left him to wash up on his own.

Then Lin Lei took out his PDA.

He opened an internal Bureau shopping app, which allowed investigators to request free clothes for all age groups, even custom orders.

Based on the boy's build and height, Lin Lei selected some clothes for him.

He browsed through the boys’ section, picked a few items, and put his phone away. But then he narrowed his eyes, a thought striking him: “This kid might not even be a boy…”

Though the child's face was always dirty, the features were delicate, almost girlish.

Lin Lei had assumed he was a boy because of his clothes and short hair. But, on reflection, these weren’t reliable indicators of gender.

Of course, at that age, even boys could have soft voices and gentle features.

“Ling Da also thought the kid was a boy, but how long has he known him? He probably made the same assumption I did, based on appearance.”

Lin Lei’s expression turned a bit odd. He set down his phone, walked to the bathroom door, and knocked.

The sound of running water stopped abruptly.

A small, questioning voice came from inside: “Hmm?”

“Ahem.” Lin Lei cleared his throat. “Sorry to ask, but do you know if you’re a boy or a girl?”

There was no answer, and then, with a click, the child opened the bathroom door, peering out at Lin Lei in confusion. “Blue aluminum?”

Lin Lei hastily closed the door. “It’s nothing. Go on and finish washing up.”

The child was indeed a girl.

Judging by her reaction, she had no concept of what the difference between boy and girl meant.

Noting her closely cropped hair, Lin Lei wondered if she might have had some sort of illness in the past, hence the shaved head...

In fact, considering her mention of the "white house," it was quite possible she had come from a hospital.

Lin Lei resolved to have her undergo a more thorough examination when she joined the Bureau for her check-up the next day.

...

Ten minutes later.

Wrapped in a towel, barefoot, the girl came out of the bathroom.

Lin Lei quickly looked away, pointing to a pile of clothes that had been delivered earlier. “Try these on.”

He had chosen them before confirming her gender, so they were all boys’ clothes. But at her age, it hardly mattered.

The little girl’s eyes sparkled with excitement. With no hesitation, she untied the towel in front of Lin Lei. He coughed lightly and turned his head away at once.

The child, not understanding the difference between boys and girls, had no sense of modesty.

Lin Lei quickly warned her never to change clothes in front of others.

“Why?” she asked, puzzled.

He gave her a simple explanation, and she nodded, half-understanding.

She took the clothes and went to change in the next room.

After a while, she opened the door and came out.

“Do I look nice?” she asked shyly.

She had put on jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, a bit crooked but still looking fresh and adorable.

Lin Lei smiled and nodded. “You look great!”

After her bath and change of clothes, her skin was rosy and fair—she seemed a new person.

“Pretty! Pretty!” she chirped, pacing back and forth in delight.

Though she knew little about common sense, she certainly knew how to preen.

“Wait a second—what’s that…” Lin Lei noticed a peculiar tattoo at the back of her neck, an intricate symbol of some sort.

“No idea,” she replied, shaking her head.

Lin Lei had a hunch this was no ordinary mark. He took out his phone and snapped a picture of it.

Just then, the doorbell rang—the food Lin Lei had ordered had arrived.

It wasn't takeout, strictly speaking; rather, it was an internal meal delivery from the Bureau’s cafeteria.

Lin Lei had ordered four dishes, a soup, and a bucket of rice.

As the cart was wheeled in, he noticed the girl’s gaze fixed on it, unable to look away.

Smiling, Lin Lei set the food on the table. “I knew you’d be hungry. Let’s eat!”

Despite her young age, the girl had an enormous appetite. Between the two of them, they polished off all four dishes, the soup, and the entire bucket of rice.

After eating, the girl lay on the sofa, rubbing her belly. Suddenly she looked up at Lin Lei. “Thirteen…”

Lin Lei was taken aback. “What?”

She answered seriously, “Name. They called me Thirteen.”