Chapter 96: Kindred Souls in Misfortune?

“What are you running over here for? Hey, hey, hey, this is the drug test result. See? One line—she’s not guilty!” Outside the police station, Ling Feng held up a urine test kit to show Yang Meng.

Nowadays, the police typically use two methods for drug testing. One is a urine test, which works just like a pregnancy test: if the person has used drugs, only one line appears; if not, two lines show up. This test can detect drug use within the past few days. The other method involves taking a small sample of hair, which, if conditions permit, can reveal drug use history going back months or even over a year.

For someone caught red-handed like this, the urine test suffices.

Yang Meng shot him a look. “Isn’t this disgusting? Why are you showing me this? Aren’t you afraid of getting your hands dirty?”

Ling Feng replied, “I just didn’t want you to think I was lying. So? How do you feel now that you know the truth?”

Yang Meng shrugged. “How do you think I feel? Nothing at all.”

“Nothing?” Ling Feng clearly didn’t believe her.

She nodded. “Honestly, nothing. Although I once said I’d enjoy seeing her fall on hard times, thinking about it now, there’s really no point. I’m no saint, but I’m not the kind to kick someone when they’re down. Wang Xin Nuan is just a stranger to me now.”

Ling Feng handed her a cigarette and asked, puzzled, “Then why did you come over?”

Yang Meng took the cigarette, about to say thanks, but Ling Feng held out his hand. “Give me your car keys.”

“Huh?” Yang Meng was stunned. “Why do you want my keys?”

Without thinking much, he handed over the motorcycle keys. He assumed Ling Feng just wanted to test-ride the bike.

But Ling Feng said, “Alright, I’m commandeering this bike. We’re police and civilians cooperating—you’re the civilian, I’m the cop, so you have to cooperate with my work.”

Yang Meng laughed. “What the hell? That’s outright robbery!”

Ling Feng pointed to an electric bike charging nearby. “See that? That’s my trusty little donkey—battery’s unreliable and it’s slower than my legs. I’ll ride your bike for now. When it breaks down, I’ll give it back. Give me your helmet!”

Yang Meng raised his middle finger at him, clutching his helmet tightly. “Not a chance!”

Ling Feng shrugged. “Fine, suit yourself. This is the police station—do you think I’d actually lack a helmet? Look at you, so stingy you won’t even lend me your motorcycle helmet.”

Yang Meng widened his eyes. “Stingy? You just stole my bike and now want my helmet too! Where’s your discipline department? I’m going to report you!”

Ling Feng thought for a moment. “Okay, you might have a point. I won’t call you stingy. Honestly, your helmet looks great, but it’s a full-face racing helmet—not suitable for this cruiser. For cruisers, a modular or half helmet is better. Never mind, I’ll just buy a simple open-face helmet tomorrow.”

Motorcycle helmets come in many types: full-face helmets that cover everything; 3/4 helmets that leave the chin exposed; flip-up modular helmets often used by police; off-road helmets with visors; and half helmets that protect just the top of the head. The “melon seed” and “modular” helmets Ling Feng mentioned fall into the half-helmet category. The former traces its design to WWII pilot caps, while the latter is a modular half-helmet that looks very stylish.

These two types suit riding cruisers like Harley-Davidsons perfectly.

Yang Meng gave Ling Feng a sarcastic laugh. “Are you trying to be a Robin Hood? Next, you’re going to spray your license number on the back of your helmet like they do in Colombia, claiming the bike as yours?”

Colombia is famous among motorcycle enthusiasts for a peculiar law: riders must wear helmets, and the number on the back of the helmet must match the motorcycle’s license plate. This rule is unique worldwide.

They had no choice—Colombia’s crime rate is sky-high, with more annual homicides than traffic fatalities, second only to cancer deaths. Many crimes involve motorcycles: drive-by shootings, bike thefts, and so on, happening daily. To combat this, the police established this rule.

In Colombia, if you don’t wear a helmet or if the number on your helmet doesn’t match the plate, you risk fines or imprisonment. It sounds harsh, but compared to India, it’s mild.

India is also a motorcycle powerhouse. Initially, there was no helmet law, but later legislation mandated helmet use. For a while, police carried two-meter-long sticks to enforce this, beating riders caught without helmets in public. Now, hardly anyone dares to ride without one in the cities.

Ling Feng shook his head, grinning. “Why be polite? Bro, I took your keys for your own good. You just found out about your ex-girlfriend’s situation and understandably got emotional. I was worried you might get into an accident riding, so I did this for your safety. Look at my good intentions! You’re ungrateful and even act like this? That hurts.”

Yang Meng blinked. “You really did it for that?”

Ling Feng patted his chest like a doctor pledging honesty. “Of course!”

Yang Meng sighed. “So it’s okay to let you ride the bike—but now that I hear this, I can’t just hand it over.”

“Why not?” Ling Feng asked.

Yang Meng pulled out his phone and showed a video. “Crazy guy, this is the real reason I came looking for you today. Watch it yourself.”

Then he lit a cigarette and leaned against the motorcycle, ignoring Ling Feng.

After a long while, Ling Feng’s face went blank as he handed back the phone. “How did you find out about this? Did Long Xia and the others know?”

Yang Meng shrugged. “Long Xia fought over it. Oh, and the other guy is the ‘butch’ Liu Zhaoting mentioned—a guy named Zhang Cuijian, a member from Long Teng’s place. He and Qi Kun hit it off like sworn brothers but ended up having a heavyweight boxing match over this. Now they’re fine. When you called, they were still drinking together, probably continuing the fight with booze since they couldn’t settle it with fists.”

Ling Feng lit a cigarette. “Bro, are we kindred spirits now?”

Yang Meng waved him off. “Come on. What kind of kindred spirits? Whether it’s scumbag guys or girls, they made their choices. Bro, when Wang Xin Nuan and I split, she said something damn true: nowadays, life goes on no matter who leaves whom. I know it hurts—you were on the brink of death and couldn’t let go of Liu Zhaoting back then. But what can you do? Sometimes you have to let go. Now give it to me.”

Ling Feng was deep in thought until the last sentence. He looked confused. “Give you what?”

“My car keys!” Yang Meng said. “You’re emotional about your girlfriend’s situation, so I was worried you’d ride recklessly. So give me back the bike.”

Ling Feng nodded and reached into his pocket. Yang Meng expected him to return the keys, but instead, Ling Feng pulled out a fifty-yuan bill and slapped it into his hand. “Here’s your taxi fare home.”

Yang Meng stared at the money. “Damn, not only have you gone legit, but your nerve’s gone legit too!”

Still, seeing Ling Feng joke like this put his mind at ease—it meant he was fine.

“Bro, when are you going to hit the mountain roads?” Ling Feng suddenly asked.

Yang Meng smiled. “Anytime! Why? You want to join me?”

Ling Feng nodded. “I’ve been lying to myself—I’m really restless.”

“Look at your schedule. I have nothing but time these days! Duan Bowen introduced me to a great lawyer, so I don’t have to worry about anything. Just kicking back.”

Ling Feng thought for a moment. “You’re still free? Trouble seems to follow you everywhere. I saw the news about the TV station interview. How did it turn into such a mess?”

Yang Meng shrugged. “No idea.”

“Meng Meng, give me that video on your phone,” Ling Feng said suddenly.

Yang Meng shook his head. “Why? No way. Watching it just makes me upset. I’ve asked Secretary Duan to check out that training center’s background. I’ll take them down once and for all.”

Ling Feng fell silent.

Yang Meng patted his shoulder. “Alright, that’s settled. You wouldn’t have the heart to do it anyway—just like I can’t stoop to hitting Wang Xin Nuan when she’s down.”

Ling Feng hummed. “So? Are you going to see Wang Xin Nuan? I can arrange it. She’s definitely not getting off this time—school detention is certain, and being a student complicates things. Her family’s ordinary. She’s ruined for the future.”

Yang Meng waved him off. “Stop talking about it. It’s none of my business. Bro, a man has to know when to hold on and when to let go. Once it’s over, it’s over. Ex-girlfriends are ex-girlfriends. Why keep clinging? It’s like moving out but still blocking others from living in the old place.”

Hearing Yang Meng’s words, Ling Feng forced a smile.

Just then, a group of people came out of the police station, shouting and pushing. A middle-aged woman suddenly slapped another woman’s face right at the door, and they began fighting.

Ling Feng threw his cigarette away and rushed over. “Are you crazy? This is in front of the police station! Do you want to get locked up too?”