“He sent me the black card because he knows that my grandfather is a retired police chief, Cousin is the security team captain, and we have quite deep connections in Songhai City. The people from Jiangnan Province can’t influence me?”

I need to tell Cousin about this.

“Ding dong~”

At that moment, he heard the doorbell, the sound coming from the entryway.

Grandma’s footsteps soon followed, crossing the living room to the entryway, where she turned the doorknob.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Hello, we are investigators from the Kangyang District Security Bureau. Is Michael Bolton home?”

The people outside the door responded.

……

Chapter 3 Character Card

Investigators from the Kangyang District Security Bureau? That’s where Cousin works—are they looking for me?

Michael Bolton instinctively tensed up. Just as he was about to walk to the bedroom door to eavesdrop, he suddenly remembered something, opened his phone, and deleted the chat and call records he’d sent to Brian.

He then folded the letter Brian had written to him and tucked it under the potted plant on the windowsill.

Only then did he feel at ease enough to open the door a crack and observe in secret.

From the entryway came Grandma’s voice, answering a question with a question:

“What do you want with him?”

She didn’t invite the investigators in, instead blocking the doorway.

“We need to ask him a few things. Here are our credentials.”

The speaker was a young woman, her voice sultry.

Grandma’s gaze lingered briefly on the credentials, then she frowned and stepped aside.

Michael Bolton opened his bedroom door at the right moment, scrutinizing the investigators as they entered the living room.

The lead investigator wore a black suit, paired with a white shirt and black vest, holding an ebony cane in his hand. His face was thin, with a neatly groomed slicked-back hairstyle and a small mustache.

This strong British style, along with the mustache, made one involuntarily think of a gentleman returned from overseas in the Republican era.

To the left of the gentleman was a beautiful young female investigator, her features strikingly defined, seemingly of mixed heritage. She wore a constant, playful smile, her large, bright eyes full of life.

She was about 175cm tall, with supermodel-length legs. Dressed in formal attire, her blouse was tucked into her pants, accentuating her slender waist and full chest—professional and refined.

The last investigator looked expressionless, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had slightly messy hair, exuding a strong techie vibe.

“I’m Michael Bolton. What do you need from me?”

As Michael Bolton sized them up, the investigators were also assessing this young man.

The mixed-race female investigator smiled and said,

“We’re investigators from the Kangyang District Security Bureau. We have a few questions for you. Please cooperate with our investigation.”

“All right…”

Michael Bolton led them to sit on the living room sofa. Grandma poured water for the three investigators, then stared at her grandson in confusion.

She couldn’t imagine why the warm, outgoing, sociable child she’d raised herself would need a visit from police investigators.

The young investigator with messy hair and a blank stare took out a small notebook and pen, unscrewing the cap.

The man with the slicked-back hair sat on the sofa, both hands resting on his cane, and said seriously,

“Do you know Brian Parker?”

So it really is about Brian—they came so quickly… Michael Bolton answered truthfully:

“We’ve been friends since childhood. Why are you suddenly asking about him?”

A doubt flashed through his mind. Cousin is the captain of Team Two at the Kangyang District Security Bureau. Since these three investigators came to visit, they must have checked his family background.

Logically, knowing they were visiting the family of a team captain from the bureau, and since everyone’s colleagues, shouldn’t they have given him a heads-up or at least a courtesy call?

Don’t they understand basic workplace etiquette?

But there was no sign from Cousin at all, so clearly he didn’t know. Otherwise, even if he didn’t come himself, he would have at least called to let him know.

“Oh, best friends!”

The man gently tapped his shiny leather shoes and said unhurriedly,

“Here’s the situation: Brian Parker has gone missing. The Security Bureau in Hangcheng, Jiangnan Province, contacted us and said they found out that on the morning before his disappearance, Brian Parker sent out a package, and the recipient was you.”

He fixed his deep, penetrating gaze on Michael Bolton, as if he could see through him. “Is this true?”

Michael Bolton showed a look of shock and confusion. “Missing? How is that possible…”

The techie taking notes reminded him,

“Just answer yes or no.”

“Yes, just now I received a package, but there was no sender’s name on it. I was wondering who sent it to me.” Michael Bolton nodded gravely.

There was no point denying it. Since the police could track the delivery, checking the neighborhood’s surveillance would be even easier.

The man with the slicked-back hair nodded and asked,

“What was in the package? Please answer truthfully. This is a very important clue for us.”

Grandma, while relieved, couldn’t help but worry about Brian Parker.

She’d watched that child grow up too, even though they’d moved away years ago.

Michael Bolton replied,

“There was nothing in the package. It was empty.”

“Empty?” The man with the slicked-back hair narrowed his eyes, his gaze as if he could see right through Michael Bolton.