March 25, 1998

Dear Diary,

My Dad and My Mom said it was time to get me a diary today. It's rather bothersome, but okay, I'll do it for their sake. They gave me this USB to write my diary for some reason. Huoniao's really worked up with opening his presents because today is our birthday. Yes, we're twins, we have our pop's black hair and green eyes, and we have our mom's face. We're the mirror image of one other, literally. I'm left-handed and Huoniao's right-handed, but we're both ambidextrous it's just our speed that's the difference. Uncle Nian just made a huge mansion for my parents. Dunno why though. I have a lot of cousins from my dad's side, but what about my mom? I want to ask her, but it seems like talking about her family is like taboo. Huoniao and I are going to play "Who's who?" tonight and we're going to drive everyone crazy until they get us right. Ten times, at least. Hee hee, I'm so evil.

Qilin vK Long.

Lang scrolled down the entry. He sighed, that was the day when he first met Qilin, she was two but she had already been a mini-dictionary with her vocabulary. She was a prodigy, just like Franziska, except that she always tried to hide it, not because it made her feel like a freak but because she hated being regarded as one of trophy cousins her relatives showed off, so did Huoniao. Their parents respected that decision of theirs, and always failed their exams intentionally. The only time their strut their stuff was when temper got the better of them, and usually at the time when it was to compete who was the smartest. All her cousins would become more arrogant and usually competitive, they would insult the twins for being "dumb" but that was not the case, when it came to their parents, their mother a black sheep of her family, and their father not getting a government post, they would not only use their brains, but their fists. All it took was one insult to their parents to trigger their temper and they would be the first to finish tests, obstacles, and even riddles, anyone who declared them cheats would have their jaws out of their joints by one of their punches, though small, they were terrible little beasts when threatened, a trait that Lang admired in Qilin.

"Nǐ shì shuí?" The twins asked him. Who're you? For twins, they were rather disrespectful. They stood before him, grinning like Cheshire cats. They talked simultaneously, as if in a chorus.

"Wǒ shì Láng Shìlóng," he replied curtly. He stared at them. They stared back, unblinking until he blinked as dust gathered in his eyes. He didn't bother asking them who they are, he already knew who they were.

"Nǐ kěyǐ gēn wǒmen wán yóuxì ma?" Do you want to play a game with us?

"Shénme yóuxì?" What game?

"Nǐ yào cāi wǒmen shì shuí de shi bèi." You have to guess who we are ten times.

"Hǎo, zài wǒ de zuǒbiān shì huǒ niǎo zài wǒ de quánlì, shì qílín." Fine, the one on my left is Huo niao, on my right is two looked at him incredously, as if they were struck dumb and then they smiled at him again, this time pleasantly.

"Nín-Nín duì le. Nǐ zěnme zhīdào?" You're right. How did you know? This time, it was Qilin who asked by herself, while Huoniao smiled, impressed. She asked him respectfully this time. Even as a two year old, Shi Long knew she would become a pretty girl when she grew up.

"Běnnéng." Instincts.

"Liánghǎo de zhíjué." Good instincts.

Lang smiled smugly. Of course his instincts are good; he would be a detective when he grows up.

"Nǐ yīnggāi dédào yī fèn jiǎngpǐn." You deserve a prize.

Shénme jiǎngpǐn? What prize?

"Zuòwéi wǒmen de péngyǒu!" Being our friend! As if on cue, the twins pounced on him, making him fall flat on the ground. Their hug forced the air out of him. "Yé! Wǒmen xiànzài yǒu yīgè dà gēgē! "Yay! We have a big brother now! They had completely forgotten the ten times rule.

Lang stared at them full of uncertainty, what had he gotten himself into?

Lang grinned as he remembered; he had learned that winning that prize was a good bargain. The rambunctious lot always stuck with him, from baby-sitting to helping with projects, either theirs or his. But the memory of indirectly killing Qilin still left that hole in him. Finally, he made his mind, he was going to Zhengfa and visit Qilin for the first time after her funeral though he knew where it was he could not bear to visit her, knowing he was as guilty as the killer.

A cold gun barrel touched the back of his neck. "Give me the chip."

Lang let out a soft snarl. "Or what?"

"Or I blow your brains out!" Even far, Lang still smelled his breath, he could have taken down the thug easily but drugs were another thing. The question is, why take drugs when you're going to do a robbery. Judging by his current circumstances, he had to be smart.

"F-Fine, h-here's the chip," Lang stammered as he ejected the chip from his computer.

"That's smart, now hand it over." With that, Lang gave him a solid right hook. The man stood there stupidly not moving but he dropped his gun.

"As if." Lang had to act quick especially since drugs and guns would make a fatal combination. He gave the thug a backhand punch, punched him in the solar plexus and threw him to the wall. The thug was slow but he was able to punch Lang on the same spot where Liuxang punched him. There Lang shifted his weight and hurled him to the floor. But the thug wasn't finished yet, he gave Lang a leg sweep, Lang fell and the thug made a mad dash for the gun. Lang grabbed his leg, making the man trip and fall. Brandishing his own gun, Lang threw himself at the thug and made the gun barrel touch the man's forehead.

"Who sent you? Why are you after this chip?" But the thug only smiled. He gnashed his teeth and started convulsing.

"As if I would tell you that," the man said between breaths as light finally faded in his eyes. He died.

"Damn." Lang called up his men, the dead body was useless to him. Out of curiosity, Lang checked the man's mouth and his eyes widened. Atroium not cyanide was what killed him.

Franziska and Miles had gone to Tyrell's apartment. They knocked on the door and it opened.

"...Oh it's you two ... I figured you'd be here..." Tyrell said as he put the lollipop in his mouth.

"Good afternoon to you too, Detective Badd," Miles said.

"I'm not a ... detective ... anymore."

"You're not?"

"Miles, you fool! Of course he's not, have you forgotten?"

"I was out for a certain amount of time, I recall. When I woke up, it was Kay checking on me to see if I was alright and Sola insulting your whip skills causing you to almost hit me again.

"Tyrell was out of jail thanks to Liuxang," Franziska explained curtly.

Tyrell stared at them shocked. "How did you know ... about Liuxang?"

"We thought you know."

"I do ... not personally though."

"What do you mean? Wasn't he the one who helped you form the Yatagarasu?"

Tyrell stared at them. "How... do you know ... Liuxang?"

"I am his cousin." Tyrell looked at her straight in the eyes, and finally concluding that what she said was true. He sighed and opened the door wider.

"Come on in ... I'll tell you all I know about him."