The phone was suddenly disconnected. Lin Chen couldn’t help rubbing his brows.
Xing Conglian kept driving, and didn’t say much to comfort him.
Because the car was relatively quiet, Wang Chao, who was sitting next to him, should have heard what Song Shengsheng’s former agent said just now. He had a look of indignation on his face as he said, “Damn, A’Chen Gege, I finally know what good intentions are like a donkey’s liver and lungs* is. How can Song Shengsheng’s agent do this? Although there’s nothing wrong with what he said, I think he’s really worse than Liu Ying. It makes me want to punch him.”
*It’s a saying basically meaning your good intentions are useless (because a donkey’s liver and lungs are unpalatable and often discarded and not eaten).
Lin Chen soothed his emotions and patted the teenager’s head. “What is Xiang Ye’s address?’
“Uh… He’s in Fengchun, so I think Song Shengsheng went back to Fengchun.”
“What do you mean?” Xing Conglian asked.
“Xiang Ye is from Fengchun, as is his company. The car also had a Fengchun license plate.”
“They said they would go to the Fengchun police station to give their testimony,” Lin Chen said to Xing Conglian.
“In other words, they told us not to intervene anymore?” Xing Conglian accurately grasped the key point.
Lin Chen nodded.
“Just because he asked, do we have to agree?”
This sounded familiar. Lin Chen couldn’t help rubbing his brows again.
Xing Conglian said disapprovingly, “At least you have to confirm that Song Shengsheng is indeed safe and that his personal freedom isn’t restricted.”
“Then are we going to Fengchun again now?” Wang Chao couldn’t help wailing.
“Not for the time being.” Xing Conglian drove the car onto the ramp in the direction of Hongjing. “We still have some things to go back and deal with.” He thought for a while and then said, “You and your A’Chen Gege can monitor movements online first.”
Wang Chao opened his software and naturally began to summarize the current public opinion index. He asked while doing it, “But why do I have to organize the online forums now…”
“Mr. Xiao Wang,” Xing Conglian said lightly.
“Ah?”
“A brain is a good thing to have. I hope you have it.”
“What’s wrong with me?”
Lin Chen had to explain it to the young man. “In any case, we still have to be careful before things are clear. Online public opinion can help us infer the direction of events, and sometimes, it’s difficult for you to know if the things you occasionally pay attention to one day will suddenly save the world.” Lin Chen patted the teenager on the shoulder. “At least don’t be as careless as I am.”
Wang Chao opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but he probably felt whatever he was about to say wasn’t useful, so he lowered his head and began to focus on his work.
In the end, a public opinion data analysis chart similar to that at the time of Li Jingtian’s incident appeared in front of Lin Chen.
Wang Chao said, “A’Chen, the detonation must be at least the level of a nuclear bomb!”
Although Lin Chen knew well what kind of influence Song Shengsheng’s case would have after the live TV broadcast, he was still shocked by the bursting nebula of public opinion in front of him.
The comments and retweets of related incidents on the internet had grown to astounding levels. Lin Chen patiently read through it and found that all the comments online were roughly divided into several categories.
A group of people were accusing the police of being biased. They focused on the Fengchun police officers who handled the case in the past and strongly demanded that they be strictly investigated for their conduct.
Another group was demanding severe punishment for Li Jingtian. Under the merciless offensive of online public opinion, Li Jingtian, a former superstar, had now become a street rat that everyone was cursing at and beating. All of Li Jingtian’s once arrogant fans no longer dare to defend their former idol.
The last category probably included fans who didn’t participate in the melee on either side and only cared about Song Shengsheng silently.
Those fans who once were dormant have sprung up like mushrooms after a spring rain. Many of them had written posts reflecting nostalgia and paying homage. They hoped that the person they once liked would be well, no matter what, and also hoped that Song Shengsheng would appear on stage again one day.
Looking at the chaotic scuffle on the internet, Lin Chen only felt that there didn’t seem to be a problem—at least he couldn’t find any clues from it.
……
In a residential district.
In order to track Song Shengsheng’s recent situation, Mu Wenhua had left the TV on at home for two consecutive days.
After her husband went to work, she sat with her little daughter on the crawling mat in the living room but didn’t have much mind to play with her daughter. She knew that this situation was wrong, but she couldn’t stop watching the TV news.
When those reporters went to the bakery and when they called Mr. Xiang Ye, she was also sitting in front of the TV. Her mood gradually changed from excitement to irritability and then depression. Yes, Mr. Xiang Ye was right. Those reporters were simply following the trend of gossip and were completely different from her.
She stood up from the crawling mat, grabbed her laptop, and opened the Song Shengsheng personal website she used to go to every day—”Be With You”.
There was a time when, after Song Shengsheng was imprisoned, she never dared to come here to read any news about Song Shengsheng’s situation, but yesterday, she actually found her long-sealed account that lurked on this website. In the member’s online section, she saw the friends who used to chase stars with her. Seeing their bright avatars lit up one by one made her gradually happy.
She really didn’t know how many years it had been since she had seen so many people appear on the forum. The mouse scroll was reeling, with replies dripping down like flowing water. Among those who were new or old, there were many people begging for the old files of concerts, and there were many veterans who had been guarding the forum. The veterans worked tirelessly to upload all kinds of interviews that they thought would never see the light of day again.
When she saw all this, Mu Wenhua’s restlessness suddenly calmed down. Mu Wenhua thought that the biggest difference between the fans and spectators was that they really loved Song Shengsheng.
Suddenly, a post caught her attention because it had been moderated with red text.
The theme of the post was—[They can’t compensate, we will accompany].
At Mu Wenhua’s age, posts with similar titles like these seemed numb to her, but she still clicked on it.
After looking at the main post, she roughly understood what the poster meant, and she was even a little moved.
Due to yesterday’s shocking reversal, the internet was now full of complaints against media reporters and the police and investigators at that time. Many people were saying how could they afford to compensate for the glamorous life that Shengsheng used to have?
The post she was reading now was mainly written with similar remarks.
The poster wrote quite a bit.
[In fact, like everyone else, I’m also very concerned about where Shengsheng is now and how he’s doing, but I think that as fans, the difference between us and ordinary people who care about the “Song Shengsheng incident” should be that we must restrain our inner curiosity. Although we really want to see him and know how he’s doing, we can’t affect his current life. We have to give him space and a chance to recover. Maybe he’s recovering well now and is preparing to surprise us, or maybe he’s traumatized and doesn’t want to see us again, but in any case, we agree to protect him for the rest of his life. Those things that they can’t afford, we will accompany him and return them to him.]
The poster added: [In the same way, we can’t accuse and insult others like Li Jingtian’s fans. Yes, it was the police who put Shengsheng in jail, but it was also them who revealed the truth. Ah, we can only trust that the police will give him justice. In the past, Shengsheng would rather bear it himself than hurt us, so we have to be a good person for him…]
For some reason, reading this made Mu Wenhua tearful.
[To love someone is to become a better person for them.]
The poster ended it with that.
[Although it may be too selfish to say this, I still hope that one day, Shengsheng can overcome the pain and return to the stage. I hope he can become that proud 18-year-old boy again. I hope this day will come soon.]
Just as Mu Wenhua was reminiscing, Lin Chen also saw this post, but the location he saw it was not on Song Shengsheng’s personal website, but on Weibo.
Just when he and Wang Chao were observing public opinions on the internet, a new nebula was rapidly forming. Wang Chao quickly opened this initial Weibo. Just when they thought something big was going to happen, they saw this long article of sincere text.
Amidst countless accusations, insults, and quarrels, this long article seemed to pass like a clear stream. It was so calm and serene, that, although people were arguing back and forth violently, when there were truly neutral and calm remarks, people were still willing to listen.
This post on Weibo was retweeted more than a thousand times in a short period of time. It had spontaneously brought topics such as #Accompanyyouforyourcomeback and #WaitingforShengsheng to spawn.
Song Shengsheng’s long-standing but leaderless fans seemed to have found a backbone. This simple, long post was like a clear spring rushing through the sludge, allowing a clearly visible thought to appear in front of the fans.
Many people abandoned their fights one after another and began to forward this long article.
Wang Chao closed his laptop.
Lin Chen looked away. There were still long reeds that seemed unchanging outside the window.
He thought that, in any case, no matter how cruel the story was, there would always be calm afterwards. Everything would be fine, and he shouldn’t worry about it anymore.
……
As if to show him that things weren’t always as bad as he thought, when they returned to the police station, they encountered an unprecedented welcome.
Lin Chen thought they didn’t seem to notify too many people of the news of their return to Hongjing, but when he opened the door to the station, he saw a large group of people waiting for them inside. Even the old director, who rarely came downstairs, deigned to walk down from the second floor.
There was no sound in the office. Looking at their serious faces, Lin Chen wondered if they were going to be fired in front of everyone.
He glanced at the director tentatively. The old director walked out behind everyone with a stern face while holding a teacup in his hand. The police officers in front separated into two sides. When Director Wu walked in front of them, the first thing he did was kick Xing Conglian.
“Your boss is old that you almost caused him to have a heart attack and sent him to the hospital!” the old director roared.
Xing Conglian staggered with a face full of grievance. “Boss Wu… the situation was compelling…”
“Compelling…” The old director shook his hand vigorously as if he wanted to smack Xing Conglian, but the direction of his hand abruptly shifted from the back of Xing Conglian’s head to his shoulder, and he patted Xing Conglian vigorously. The teacup he was holding in his other hand didn’t spill a single drop.
He said, “Xing Conglian, you really did a great job this time!”
Xing Conglian was stunned. As if he didn’t expect the rebuke to turn into praise halfway through, he was unprepared.
“Are you okay, old man?” Xing Conglian asked tentatively.
But before his voice fell, a very light round of applause rang out. Then, everyone in the entire office began to applaud. The applause wasn’t loud or eager, but every face that applauded was solemn.
Lin Chen stood beside Xing Conglian and was patted on the shoulders or back by those hands that stretched out from all sides. Many of them just patted him, but they didn’t say much in the way of congratulations or appreciation because there were no congratulations on this matter. Only people with the status of the old director could say to them, “Well done.”
Lin Chen felt he should have some emotion, but at that moment, he suddenly no longer regretted the choices he made.
This was enough. Indeed, it was enough.
As if the wind had passed without a trace, something similar that could be called a welcome party only lasted for a very short time. After the old director left, Xing Conglian coaxed everyone else away. He directly asked his subordinates about the status of the owner of the bakery where Song Shengsheng worked part-time.
Comrade Zhang Xiaolong’s face flushed. After all, as a police officer who had investigated the Li Jingtian case, she should have enjoyed the moment just now.
Lin Chen patted the police officer on the shoulder and said, “Good work”.
The police officer’s face turned redder. “Consultant Lin, Boss Chen is waiting in the lounge.” She led the way as she spoke. “Oh, by the way, Boss Chen said he didn’t recognize the person on the warrant. That person wasn’t the person who took Song Shengsheng away.”
The police officer stopped in front of the door, suddenly turned around, and asked in a low voice, “Who is that person in the photo?”
Xing Conglian glanced at her and didn’t answer.
The bakery owner in the office had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing them, the owner of the bakery immediately got up. “Oh, Mr. Police Officer. You won’t believe it, but I’ve received countless calls for interviews ever since my shop was filmed by that TV station!”
Lin Chen didn’t respond but sat down directly opposite of the boss.
The boss glanced at him and was suddenly surprised. “Mr. Police Officer, have we met before?”
“Uncle Chen, I often go to your shop for breakfast,” Lin Chen said.
“Oh, yes. You guys do come here often.” The owner of the bakery was completely relaxed when he saw an acquaintance. “On my way here, I heard some news. So our A’Guan is really that big star, Song Shengsheng?”
“It should be,” Lin Chen replied.
“Oh, then do you think I should ask A’Guan for an autograph and hang it in our shop? No, no, I have to get a picture! A picture!” Uncle Chen said happily.
Seeing him so happy, Lin Chen was suddenly relieved. This kind and simple shop owner might be the reason why Song Shengsheng chose to work there.
“You said earlier in the interview that Song Shengsheng started working in your shop three months ago?”
“Yes, I remember it clearly. It happened to be my old lady’s birthday that day.”
“So, can you tell me what happened at that time?”
“There’s nothing really special. I posted a job ad, and the young man came over and said he wanted to work, but he had no experience. He asked me if I was okay with it. He looked like an honest kid, so I hired him.”
The employment in ordinary small shops was casual. Lin Chen thought for a while and asked, “Can I take the liberty of asking if you checked his ID at the time?”
“Oh… I remember. He said he came to Hongjing to work, and his wallet was stolen at the train station, so I didn’t look at his ID card. I mean, I still have some security awareness…”
Uncle Chen took a sip of tea.
Lin Chen and Xing Conglian looked at each other. “Are you sure he came by himself and didn’t look like he was forced?”
Uncle Chen didn’t seem to understand what they were saying. He was taken aback for a moment and answered rhetorically. “Force? Of course, A’Guan did it of his own volition. He doesn’t have a family or home and sleeps in the store as soon as it closes at night. He basically never goes out. Ah, it makes me quite envious.”
“But is there even… a place to sleep in your shop?” Lin Chen asked.
“Oh, there’s a small bed in the back kitchen. Since A’Guan lived there, he could also watch the shop.”
Lin Chen nodded and wanted to ask more, but a knock came from the small door of the office.
Xing Conglian walked to the door and opened it. Outside was Zhang Xiaocong’s excited face. “Captain Xing! Song Shengsheng came out!”
Lin Chen didn’t care to ask Uncle Chen further questions and rushed directly to the TV in the police lounge with Xing Conglian.
There were a lot of people in front of the TV, and several colleagues moved aside to give them some space. Lin Chen looked at the TV screen and found it was the entrance of the Fengchun police station.
There was a very large crowd of onlookers outside the black iron gate, and naturally, all the media reporters were there as well. Lin Chen was pretty sure he and Xing Conglian didn’t reveal to anyone that Xiang Ye would take Song Shengsheng to the Fengchun police station, but most likely these media outlets found out when they called Mr. Xiang Ye.
The cameraman moved the camera to the gate. A black Mercedes-Benz stopped at the entrance of the station. The driver got out and opened the door.
Lin Chen finally saw the polite gentleman that he spoke to over the phone.
He was wearing a fitted gray shirt, a navy-blue striped tie, and his cuffs were pinned with sterling silver cuffs. He got out of the car, walked to the back, and bent over to open the door.
On the screen, Xiang Ye reflected the posture of a social elite. The most important thing was that he didn’t look like Meijing.
But Lin Chen had no time to observe Xiang Ye. His gaze was completely focused on the person who walked out of the passenger door.
Clouds of flashing lights suddenly lit up. In the first few seconds, Lin Chen couldn’t see the figure of the person who got out of the car. Xiang Ye used his hand to block the reporters who surrounded him, almost covering the person’s body tightly.
After the officers of the Fengchun police station removed the reporters, the area around Xiang Ye was cleared up, allowing Lin Chen to see the figure of the man clearly.
Although he was wearing a mask, although his eyes were lowered, and although he no longer had the iconic earrings and nose ring, it was Song Shengsheng. It was indeed Song Shengsheng who seemed to be living freely.
But if a voice could reflect the personality of the speaker, then the person who just picked up was a typical gentleman. His voice was low, magnetic, and academic. In short, he didn’t sound like a vicious kidnapper.
Perhaps it was because the voice on the other end was so calm that the reporter who dialed the number was a little speechless. “Ah… Hello.”
“Excuse me, is there something I can do for you?” The man asked.
“Hello, sir. I’m a reporter from Hongjing TV.”
“Really? A reporter?”
“I am indeed a reporter. Can I take the liberty to ask what your name is?”
“Xiang Ye,” the person on the other end replied.
“Hello, Mr. Xiang. Well, I’m calling you to ask if you took someone from Yanjia Lane at six yesterday afternoon. Before leaving, you left your number with the owner of Chen Ji Bakery?”
“Yes.” The man’s response was concise and simple.
“So, is the person you took away Mr. Song Shengsheng?”
The air suddenly stagnated, and everyone was waiting for his answer.
“Heh.” The man gave a low chuckle. “How fast.”
“It’s true! A’Guan is Mr. Song Shengsheng, right? You took him away, right?” the reporter asked eagerly.
“Why should I tell you?”
“You left a number!” The reporter was confused.
“How can you be sure that my number is left for you?”
“This…” The reporter began to become irritated. “What do you mean? Now everyone is very concerned about the safety of Mr. Song Shengsheng. You…”
“Where were you a year ago, two years ago, five years ago, nine years ago?” The man’s tone was merciless. “Now it’s your turn to care about his safety?”
“Please understand, Mr. Xiang, the truth didn’t come out until yesterday. Before, I, including the majority of our audience watching now, were completely blinded by Li Jingtian.”
“So what are you going to do now?” Xiang Ye’s tone became stern. “Don’t think I don’t know. In fact, you just want an interview under the premise of caring. You want to know how he was tortured by Li Jingtian. You’re even thinking dirty, like if he’s in a good mood, he will give you some good material about his painful life in prison. That’ll complete your headlines, right?”
When the reporter was questioned by him, he started to stutter. “You have completely misinterpreted our motives. There are many fans and friends who silently support Mr. Song. We are all worried about Mr. Song.”
“Oh, so are you his fan or a visitor with wretched curiosity?” The man’s tone became colder. He paused and interrupted the reporter, who wanted to respond. “Don’t answer me. Let the police captain who should have gotten the note call me.”
After the person on the other end of the phone finished speaking, he hung up the line decisively.
Because Xiang Ye’s speed of speech was clean and neat, it took less than a minute and a half before the entire call ended.
Xing Conglian turned the volume down without the slightest irritation at being named.
“Xing Conglian…”
Lin Chen spoke in a low voice. It was actually him who decided to wait for the reporter to call first, but this decision obviously caused dissatisfaction from the person on the other end of the line.
As he said this, he took out a cigarette and stuffed it into his mouth but didn’t light it. “Okay, time is running out. Now let’s talk about what we know. First, Song Shengsheng was released from prison with a reduced sentence more than a year ago. During this period, his whereabouts became a mystery, and even Wang Chao couldn’t find a trace of him. It wasn’t until three months ago that he started working at the Chen Ji Bakery in Hongjing. Second, according to the information revealed by Mr. Xiang Ye, who left the number, he should be someone like a friend who supported Song Shengsheng for many years.”
“Captain, your summary is accurate!” Wang Chao said.
“Wang Chao…” Xing Conglian said, “Check the background of this Mr. Xiang.”
As soon as Wang Chao was about to move, Lin Chen held the teenager’s hand and said, “No, I know who it is.”
“Ah! What A’Chen? Who is it?”
“It’s the agent who discovered Song Shengsheng, Mr. Xiang Ye.”
“An agent again?”
Lin Chen nodded and recalled the information he had read before. “It was from one of the interviews. Xiang Ye had a chance a few years ago to attend a campus concert of his sister’s high school. He originally thought it was boring, but during the concert, Song Shengsheng performed a heavy rock song on stage. Although all the teachers and students in the audience wanted to cover their ears, Xiang Ye felt that Song Shengsheng’s music was wonderful, and when he learned afterward that it was his own original music, the famous agent belonging to CA Entertainment was determined to sign the 16-year-old. Xiang Ye supported Song Shengsheng for his debut and managed him during his rookie period, the most difficult time for Song Shengsheng. It could be said that Song Shengsheng was able to reach the top of the music scene because of the vision and courage of his agent.”
After Lin Chen repeated the report, Xing Conglian asked him, “So this Mr. Xiang Ye, is he still working at CA Entertainment?”
Lin Chen shook his head. “I don’t know what happened after that. I need Wang Chao to check that out.”
“A’Chen, I’m already on it!” Wang Chao shouted.
The young man pressed the enter button and then said, “Reporting to leader, Xiang Ye hasn’t worked in CA Entertainment for a long time. After Song Shengsheng was unjustly imprisoned, he resigned from CA. After several twists and turns, he now seems to be working as a manager of the Yasheng Performing Arts Group.”
“It seems that this Xiang Ye is quite a kind and righteous person?” Xing Conglian murmured.
In fact, Lin Chen could fully understand Xing Conglian’s feelings. They were very suspicious before. First, they suspected that the person who took Song Shengsheng away was Mr. Meijing, and now they suspect that the motives of Xiang Ye taking away Song Shengsheng were impure, but facts proved that their two conjectures were complete bullshit.
“What does Consultant Lin think?”
Xing Conglian was asked for his opinion.
Lin Chen thought for a while and said, “It may not be appropriate for me to say it, but we still have to plan for the worst.”
“You mean, Song Shengsheng is being controlled by this man named Xiang Ye?” Xing Conglian asked.
“But Song Shengsheng got in the car by himself. How can he be controlled?” Wang Chao interjected.
“I really don’t know, so I can only say we need to plan for the worst.”
Xing Conglian said, “Your intuition for planning never comes for no reason…”
“No, in fact, my intuition has already been irrational.” Although he said this, he really suspected that his intuition was wrong.
“Hey…” Xing Conglian sighed.
“However, the crux of the problem this time is, why do we want to find Song Shengsheng? If the fans want to know if their beloved idol is safe, and the media wants to get news and hits, then why are we also disturbing his current life?”
“It can’t be said to be a disturbance. After all, there are still doubts in this case. One recording can prove that Li Jingtian forced Song Shengsheng to have sex, but Song Shengsheng’s detailed confession is also required. The other is that the false accusation case and the rape case aren’t actually within our jurisdiction. That is the duty of the Fengchun police. When I contacted the Fengchun police yesterday, they only invited Mu Zhuo for an inquiry. They don’t have any evidence to detain him. Therefore, we have to wait for Li Jingtian to be extradited back before we can re-interrogate him. Song Shengsheng’s cooperation is also required. Otherwise, I’m afraid Mu Zhuo can get off scot-free.”
“Yes, the false accusation…” Lin Chen said thoughtfully.
“Consultant Lin is thinking of something again.”
“Don’t you find it strange? Why doesn’t anyone know that Li Jingtian committed those crimes against Song Shengsheng? I have read the file. After being falsely accused by Mu Zhuo, in the police station and court, Song Shengsheng stated that there are many opportunities for the world to know the true face of Li Jingtian, but he never mentioned it. Even in the case of Mu Zhuo’s false accusation against him, he just denied it until the very end without ever mentioning more details. This is one of the reasons why his innocence plea failed.”
Xing Conglian stared at him deeply in the rearview mirror. “Is there something else hidden here?”
“I don’t know if there’s a hidden story. It’s possible that Song Shengsheng didn’t mention what Li Jingtian did to him due to mental trauma and shame. This situation is also common among rape victims. It’s even possible that Li Jingtian threatened that if Song Shengsheng reveals the true story, he’ll release sex videos or audio to the public. There are many similar possibilities, so I still have to wait for Li Jingtian…” Lin Chen paused and asked Xing Conglian. “How long will it take to extradite him?”
Hearing this, Xing Conglian frowned. He didn’t seem to expect that his decision to let Li Jingtian return to Xinni would bring these follow-up uncertainties. “If it goes well, it’ll take two weeks at the earliest. The premise is that the Li family won’t be a hindrance.”
“I see.”
Lin Chen didn’t ask any more questions.
Just like Xing Conglian didn’t blame him for calling Xiang Ye right away, there were too many uncertain factors then. All they could do was make the best choice at the time.
He said to Xing Conglian, “I’ll make the call.”
“But the other party wants to talk to me.”
“This is the strange thing. Obviously, it was me who was in the limelight yesterday, but he wants you to contact him.” Lin Chen paused, then said, “Moreover, do you agree with everyone who wants to talk to you?’
Hearing what he said, Xing Conglian was stunned at first, then smiled. “Consultant Lin has a point.”
Seeing that Xing Conglian agreed, Lin Chen looked at Wang Chao. “Can you build a signal tracker platform? Let’s see where Xiang Ye is now.”
Wang Chao nodded. “His phone should be easy to track. Wait a bit.”
The teenager moved fast.
Lin Chen rubbed his phone case. He knew very well that what he was doing now was being paranoid to the extreme, but since he knew that Song Shengsheng had been working at that bakery where he occasionally went to eat for three months, he developed a strange thought in his heart. He reasoned that if he hadn’t been a primary school teacher for three years, he would not have had such a thought… This was completely delusional thinking, but if it was really those people in the past, why did they let Song Shengsheng work beside them? This was against common sense and logic.
So, this should be a coincidence…
“A’Chen.”
The soft voice of Wang Chao called him back from his thoughts. The teenager signaled to him that he could make the call.
Lin Chen nodded and dialed the string of numbers.
The ringing tone on the phone lasted for 50 seconds. It wasn’t picked up until it almost hung up automatically.
“Hello, who’s this?” The voice coming from the speaker was the same as what they heard on the radio, but the cold words revealed an irritability that they didn’t have before.
“Hello, Mr. Xiang Ye. My name is Lin Chen, and I’m a subordinate of Police Captain Xing Conglian.”
“Oh, I know you. Thank you very much for what happened yesterday. Thank you,” Xiang Ye said, but Lin Chen didn’t feel any gratitude from his words. After all, he just received an accidental but sincere thank you last night.
“This is my duty, so please don’t be polite.” Lin Chen knew exactly how fast Xiang Ye’s speech and reaction were, so he continued, “Although it is a bit abrupt to say so, I want to talk to Mr. Song Shengsheng.”
For some reason, after making this request, Lin Chen felt his heart beating violently. He was nervous.
But the expected voice didn’t sound.
The person who spoke was still Xiang Ye. “Your request is indeed very abrupt. I’m sorry. I can’t agree.”
“Can I ask you to ask Mr. Song for his opinion?”
“Lin Chen, don’t you understand why I specifically asked to talk to your boss instead of you?”
“First, I really don’t, and second, I really need to talk to Mr. Song Shengsheng to determine his personal safety.”
“Heh.” Xiang Ye sneered. “So, what you mean by that is, you want repayment for your kindness and to appear in front of Shengsheng as his benefactor?”
The deeper the hostility on the other end of the line, the calmer Lin Chen became. “I don’t know where your prejudice is coming from. I just want to confirm Mr. Song Shengsheng’s personal freedom.”
“Freedom?” Xiang Ye sneered again. “Isn’t it the police that deprived him of his freedom and gave him his freedom?”
“I’m sorry,” Lin Chen said sincerely.
Xiang Ye was speechless for a while before he said, “Lin Chen, if you can put yourself in another’s place, you should understand why Shengsheng doesn’t want to see you. You have made his most unspeakable things public, and now you’re like those media reporters coming here to skin him again?”
Lin Chen couldn’t speak. Xiang Ye’s words seemed as if they were wet cotton stuffed down his throat, which blocked him so firmly he couldn’t utter a word.
Yes…
What was the use of fans’ gratitude? If Song Shengsheng didn’t want this to be brought up again, his aggressive action might have hurt Song Shengsheng again.
He raised his eyes and looked at the rearview mirror. Xing Conglian’s dark green eyes were staring at him firmly as he nodded at him.
Lin Chen took a deep breath and said to the other end of the line. “Please don’t question my compassion or my purpose. If my actions hurt Mr. Song Shengsheng, I’m really, truly sorry. But please understand that rape is a public prosecution case, and the direction of the case will not depend on the will of the criminal or the victim. Even if Mr. Song Shengsheng does not seek legal redress against Mr. Li Jingtian, the police and public prosecution agency will pursue criminal charges in accordance with the law.”
Lin Chen suppressed the extremely uncomfortable emotions in his heart. It was very difficult to finish the last passage. If this case had progressed to the present, there was someone he wanted to protect, and he didn’t want the other party to suffer any more harm. That person was first Xu Ran, and now it became Song Shengsheng. But it was very possible that what he was doing now caused just the same harm as the media reporters in the eyes of Song Shengsheng. He forcibly and willfully revealed a privacy that Song Shengsheng did not want to be exposed under the sun, and because of his duties, he must continue to do so.
Xiang Ye pondered for a moment, but his voice remained cold. “I see. We will go to the Fengchun police station to report what happened, but if you have any trace of compassion, I sincerely ask you not to forcefully come see us. Thank you.”
Kinky Thoughts:
Controversial as it is, once a crime is committed, it will be up to the prosecutor to press (criminal) charges or not. This goes both ways, in terms of whether the victim wants to or doesn’t want to. It’s usually dependent on how much evidence they can gather and how likely they are to get a conviction based on that. This is generally the case, but I don’t know much about China’s judicial process.
Though, TBH, in this case, slim evidence like a master tape probably won’t be enough for the prosecutor to press charges, especially given that the victim isn’t willing to testify, and even then, that’s still really slim evidence (especially since 9 years have already passed and most likely all conclusive evidence has been erased or is gone). To actually hope to convict Li Jingtian, they would need Mu Zhuo and other witnesses (assuming there were other corroborators) to testify against him.
But, we are reading a fictional novel, so just go with it.
Also, I’m not a lawyer, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. If any lawyers or law experts are reading, do chime in.
It was a gray-haired old lady wearing a red armband. The old lady was very excited and said to the reporter, “Oh, I watched the news yesterday. Aren’t you all looking for that big star? When I saw him, I thought he kind of looked familiar! I thought about it and seemed to have seen him somewhere. Guess what? Before I went to bed, my old man told me what we’re having tomorrow morning, and suddenly, I knew where I had seen this big star you were looking for.”
The old woman finished speaking and began to walk while the reporter was asking her dozens of questions.
The camera followed her steps, sweeping past a pink wall. There were green bricks and a slated bridge recorded by the camera. A turquoise river was on the side of the road, and the bricks and tiles that appeared on TV gave Lin Chen a familiar feeling.
He was like Wang Chao. He turned his head blankly and looked at Xing Conglian for a while, speechless.
Because the old lady was walking through what was Yanjia Lane, the same street he would walk through every day.
Song Shengsheng was living in a place that was close to them?
How was this possible…
The old lady walked along the river for a while, then turned left into another alley, and finally stopped in front of the entrance to a large bakery.
The camera lens moved to the signboard of this breakfast shop, and Lin Chen was so shocked he almost forgot to breathe. He clearly remembered that it was the morning before yesterday; on the day before the accident at Ansheng International Mall, he and Xing Conglian were at this shop.
They sat opposite each other and had breakfast in the shop, which had a strong smell of oil.
The cameraman recorded the steaming fritters and snow-white soy milk and finally pointed the camera at the shop owner.
All of a sudden, there were so many people in the shop, and many of them were holding microphones and cameras. The boss was very surprised. “What’s the matter? Is my Lao Chen’s fritter finally famous?”
“Boss Chen, who is the little kneader in your family? Who’s in the back of your kitchen? Can he come out?” the old lady asked mysteriously.
As soon as the old lady said this, Lin Chen almost bit himself. He finally remembered why he felt Song Shengsheng looked familiar.
He should indeed have seen Song Shengsheng. The old lady was right. It was the person working in the back of the bakery—the worker who was kneading dough and never spoke.
Sometimes, Boss Chen didn’t have enough dough at hand, and he was too busy to go get it himself, so he would shout, and someone would come out from the back kitchen and deliver the dough to him, then he would bow his head and walk to the back again…
The appearance of the worker gradually overlapped with the picture of Song Shengsheng after he was released from prison.
Lin Chen thought that in that bustling shop, he must have had the opportunity to pass by Song Shengsheng once or twice. Maybe Song Shengsheng glanced at him, maybe he glanced at Song Shengsheng. Why didn’t he remember this earlier?
But was it really Song Shengsheng?
Without all the rivets all over his body and his unique silver hair, the kneader’s face was pale, and his skin was dry and chapped. He appeared to be an overworked small worker at the city’s lowest level. Except that he looked much older than those people and didn’t have any traces of what he had used to look like before.
Lin Chen had many ideas about how Song Shengsheng should look now, and he even preferred that Song Shengsheng become a crazy executioner to exact revenge on Li Jingtian, as he had feared, rather than this: ordinary, introverted, and lifeless…
Would the once proud soul that was dragged to the depths of hell really become humble and rickety, to the point of being almost unrecognizable?
Lin Chen covered his face with both hands, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
He felt his shoulder sink. At some point, Xing Conglian had put his hand on his shoulder. Lin Chen raised his head, and Xing Conglian added more pressure, as if to comfort him.
Xing Conglian looked at him and said to Wang Chao, “Wang Chao, find Boss Chen’s number right away.”
The teenager, who was bare-shirted, nodded, then rushed to the table and opened his laptop. “A’Chen Gege, do you know the full name of Boss Chen?”
“I don’t.” Lin Chen thought for a moment and said, “The bakery must have records in the Bureau of Industry and Commerce and the Department of Health. You can check there.”
During the live TV broadcast, the boss nimbly took the cash. When he was looking for change, he thought about answering the old lady’s question just now. “He’s gone.”
“What? Gone?” The reporter raised his voice and asked, “Are you sure? When did he leave?”
“Gone. He left after getting off work yesterday. What’s the matter? Is this a TV show looking for people?” The boss wiped his hand on his apron and asked perplexingly, as if unaware of the situation.
“Lao Chen, you didn’t watch the news yesterday? It’s a big deal!” The old lady shouted at the top of her lungs in exasperation.
“My little grandson hogs the TV all day watching bears. What kind of news can I watch?” The boss lowered his head and continued to roll out the dough.
The old lady batted the boss’ arm. “That’s Song Shengsheng! A formerly famous big star. Did you check his ID card when you hired him? Was that his name? Is it Song Shengsheng?”
Boss Chen burst out laughing. “What big star? How could our A’Guan be a star? It’s not like you have seen A’Guan…”
Hearing what the boss said, the reporter was a little disappointed. “Is it true that his name is A’Guan? But why did he leave yesterday after he got off work? Do you know the details?”
“Tsk.” The boss stopped suddenly and looked at the reporter suspiciously. “He said his name is A’Guan, but now that you mentioned… He left in a hurry yesterday. He said he didn’t want the rest of his salary. Later, I chased him down, but he got into a big Benz…”
Hearing this, the reporter’s eyes lit up, and he became excited again. “Did you really check his ID card? Isn’t he really Song Shengsheng?”
Boss Chen smacked his mouth and waved his hand. “Our small shop doesn’t want trouble. We only need someone who is honest and willing to work hard. He’s been working here for three months and is very honest and responsible. How does he look like those stars on TV?”
“In other words, you don’t know who he is?”
“Of course I do. He’s A’Guan!”
The reporter then turned around and looked at the live broadcast camera and said very excitedly, “Dear audience, the trail of Mr. Song Shengsheng is becoming more confusing. Whether the bakery worker is the former King of Music, please keep watching Hongjing TV station as we track the clues down for you.”
The boss looked confused. He scratched his face, then leaned into the camera and suddenly said, “Oh, by the way, the person who drove the big Benz left me a number. Do you want it?”
“I want it! Thank you!” The reporter almost lost his composure in front of the TV because of the upcoming exclusive.
At the same time, Wang Chao shouted in front of the computer. “Captain, I found it!”
“Call,” Xing Conglian said heavily.
Wang Chao hurriedly dialed the number. During the live news broadcast, the boss was strangely taking out a note from his pockets when suddenly a ringtone sounded. He first handed the note to the reporter before answering the call.
“Hello, Boss Chen. I am the captain of the Hongjing Police. My name is Xing Conglian. Please take back the note and don’t reveal anything to reporters. Later, our colleagues will pick you up and escort you to the police station to get your statement. Please rest assured, this is just a routine inquiry.”
In the picture, the reporter had just opened the note.
Hearing this, Boss Chen hurriedly reached out his hand and snatched the note back. As if in an absurd comedy, he said to Xing Conglian carelessly in front of the camera, “Captain Xing, I snatched the paper back. Don’t worry, I won’t give it to anyone except the police!”
“Thank you, and please send me the number on the paper as soon as possible.”
After Xing Conglian finished speaking, he hung up the phone and also took out a piece of paper from his pocket. There was a circle left by the soup bowl on the paper. That was the warrant that he had previously placed under the bowl. He slowly opened it, and the sketch of the strange-named Mr. Meijing was smiling at them.
Lin Chen frowned tightly. Someone driving a Mercedes to pick up Song Shengsheng. Who was it? He hoped it wasn’t that terrifying person.
Xing Conglian turned his head and looked at him and asked, “You’re not worried about the same thing as me, are you?”
Lin Chen could only nod.
……
Song Shengsheng worked at the bakery, where they would occasionally go for breakfast. This was almost an incredible coincidence, but if this wasn’t a coincidence, then this matter had begun to approach the scope of a thriller. Lin Chen didn’t dare make any speculations about it.
They packed up quickly. Xing Conglian and Wang Chao stuffed everything into their backpacks at lightning speed. During the packing period, Xing Conglian didn’t disconnect the phone once. He kept assigning tasks to their Hongjing colleagues. First, he sent someone to Yanjia Lane to pick up Boss Chen, and then he said to the colleague on the other end of the line, “Take people from the forensic department to the bakery and see if there are any fingerprints left by that A’Guan, and scan them for inspection. Also, I have a picture here. When you see Boss Chen, ask him if he recognizes this as the person who picked up Song Shengsheng.”
After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone again, took a picture of the wanted warrant, and sent it over.
After doing all this, Xing Conglian’s text message notification buzzed. He clicked on the message, and a phone number consisting of 13 digits appeared, which was sent by the owner of the bakery.
“Consultant Lin, should we make this call right now?” Xing Conglian asked him as he stared at the number.
Lin Chen fell into contemplation. This was a really difficult question to judge, so even Xing Conglian hesitated.
Judging from the other party’s action of leaving a number, it was obvious they hoped someone would call them. This showed that the other party wasn’t afraid of them knowing they had picked up Song Shengsheng, and Song Shengsheng also voluntarily left with them. This shouldn’t be a kidnapping, so why?
“Consultant Lin.”
Xing Conglian called to him again.
Lin Chen thought for a while and said, “Anyway, that reporter has seen the number, so he might already be calling now, so let’s wait and see.”
Xing Conglian nodded, as if agreeing with his judgment.
Soon they got into Xing Conglian’s Jeep and rushed back to Hongjing.
Lin Chen sat in the back seat with Wang Chao, who didn’t care anymore about the cute pink strawberry t-shirt that he was wearing.
The vehicle started. Wang Chao put his hands on the keyboard, but he didn’t know what to do.
“A’Chen Gege, I… What should I check?”
Lin Chen pinched the bridge of his nose and said to Wang Chao, “Let’s take a look at the situation on the internet first, then search the peripheral surveillance. Can you make sure that the A’Guan from the bakery is Song Shengsheng?”
Xing Conglian turned on the car radio channel to Hongjing broadcasting. The host’s magnetic and gentle voice flowed out. He said with some excitement, “The news about Song Shengsheng, the former King of Music, has affected the hearts of hundreds of millions of fans. Just now, the host of our Hongjing TV station has called the number of the mysterious gentleman who took Song Shengsheng away. Our director has cut to the audio. Let us hold our breath and wait quietly.”
The host said this in an almost chant-like tone. He was full of reverence when he spoke the name Song Shengsheng. It was always the nature of the media to follow the trend1 and praise high and step low2.
1Red top white (跟红顶白) Cantonese slang referring to following the trend. 2(扒高踩低) Idiom refer to flattering/clinging to the superior while bullying and suppressing the inferior.
The tone of the call ringing sounded, one after another. Finally, the line was connected, and everyone’s hearts had reached their throats.
A very calm and humble voice came from the car stereo. He said, “Hello, may I ask who this is?”
After they finished buying the crawfish, they returned to the night market street.
They still needed to buy a change of clothes for Wang Chao, which could be solved by finding a small supermarket. As Lin Chen walked along the street, he suddenly saw a small street stall.
The stall owner was a young college student who was taking a nap. He was listening to music on his phone and seemed to have no intention of doing business. There were two simple iron racks beside him. On one rack were two rows of scattered clothes. Lin Chen glanced at the playback track on his phone and found that he was listening to an early album by Song Shengsheng.
Probably at the moment when Lin Chen passed by, the young college student glanced at him, then held up his phone and stood up excitedly. “Lin… Mr. Lin Chen?”
Lin Chen stopped. It was the first time he had been stopped by a bystander, and he was at a loss for words.
“I… I like Shengsheng very much. I’m a big fan. Thank you, for today…” The little boy said with eyes flushed. “Although it’s uncomfortable, thank you very much.”
Under the streetlight, the young college student’s eyes were red, and his expression held some excitement. In the night, he was covered by the faint light of the streetlight, and behind him was the smoke rising into the sky from a barbeque stall next door.
Lin Chen was stunned.
“That… I’m not mistaken, am I?” The college student looked at him in a daze, and suddenly became timid.
Lin Chen thought for a while. It was the first time he had been thanked in person. Looking at the student’s young face and hopeful eyes, he felt he should say something, but he couldn’t say anything.
He suddenly remembered Song Shengsheng. The singer’s face when he was young gradually coincided with the student. He suddenly wanted to know what the other party would say to him if he faced Song Shengsheng one day. If it was Song Shengsheng, he might thank him for avenging him or blame him for meddling in his business. Song Shengsheng was such a strange alternative.
In the end, it was Xing Conglian who put his hand on his shoulder to break the deadlock.
Xing Conglian greeted the student and said, “It’s so late, and you’re still setting up a stall?”
“Yes, yes… To earn tuition money!” The student became excited again. “Do you want to buy any clothes? I can pick them out for you. Really… I don’t even know what to say. I’m kinda brain dead right now.”
“It’s okay.” Lin Chen turned around, embarrassed.
His actions probably made the college student think he was buying clothes, so the boy’s excited voice rang in his ears. “Are you buying men’s clothes? I have a summer style in the small commodity market. It’s pretty hot right now…”
“Men’s clothing… Hm….” Lin Chen picked up a large pink t-shirt with a small strawberry pattern from a simple hanger. He thought about how Wang Chao would look wearing this and glanced at Xing Conglian and asked, “Is it cute?”
“Cute,” Xing Conglian said with satisfaction.
Lin Chen nodded, took out his wallet, and paid.
Then a round of tug-of-war over paying ensued. In the end, Xing Conglian secretly stuffed the money into the student’s pocket and settled the matter.
This was, of course, a small matter. When they returned to the express hotel, it was past ten.
Wang Chao had already showered and was wrapped in a thin blanket, soundly asleep.
Xing Conglian stood by the bed, carrying a large basket of crayfish takeout, as if he wanted to wake him up.
Lin Chen grabbed him, put the strawberry t-shirt by Wang Chao’s bedside, and said helplessly, “He didn’t sleep all day yesterday, so he’s probably really tired.”
“What about the crayfish?” Xing Conglian irritably asked.
Lin Chen glanced at the pot full of peppers, then at the knife wound on his hand, and said naturally, “I’ll watch you eat it.”
In order to appease Xing Conglian, he smiled and asked, “Do you want to go downstairs and buy some beer?”
As a loyal lover of spicy crayfish, Xing Conglian couldn’t refuse this request.
There were a pair of small sofa chairs by the window. Xing Conglian put the crayfish on the coffee table, then, as if thinking of something, suddenly turned to Lin Chen and said, “It’s late. Consultant Lin should shower first.”
Seeing that Xing Conglian was going to be munching on crayfish all night, Lin Chen nodded and agreed.
Before he could even take off his clothes, Xing Conglian turned around again and said, “Wait, the wound has to be kept from water. Will it be inconvenient for you to shower by yourself?’
“Of course it will be.” Lin Chen opened the bathroom door. When he heard him say that, he had already entered the bathroom. He rarely got the chance to tease Xing Conglian, so he stuck out his head and said, “Is Captain Xing going to help me wash?”
“I’m very willing to serve you.” Xing Conglian made a gesture to get up.
“Why don’t we go together?” Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian with a smile, then turned around and locked the bathroom door.
When he came out after showering, Xing Conglian had already eaten a third of the crayfish.
Naturally, an express hotel wouldn’t have tall floor-to-ceiling windows like the Cohen May. The floor where they were staying was also very low, so there was no sense of grandeur from a panoramic view of the city with its thousands of twinkling lights. Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian’s back, who was sitting on a round stool; one person, with a beer, and crayfish. Under the dim light, he felt Xing Conglian had gone through a thousand sails. At that time, Lin Chen suddenly thought, ‘Who could enter Xing Conglian’s heart?’
He wiped his wet hair with one hand and sat down beside Xing Conglian.
“It’s a bit inconvenient, right?” Xing Conglian took a sip of his beer and asked him.
“It’s not that troublesome.” Lin Chen glanced at the coffee table. At some point, while he was taking a shower, there was an extra bottle of Yongchuan draft beer.
Xing Conglian put down his cup and went into the bathroom to wash his hands. When he came out again, he directly took the towel from Lin Chen’s hand and began to dry his hair for him without looking at it. Xing Conglian moved gently. Lin Chen could feel the strength of his hand holding the towel around his head. His ears were touched by Xing Conglian’s rough palms from time to time. Lin Chen suspected that they had probably turned red, but luckily they were covered up under the dim light.
“When you saw that student just now, did you regret doing the live broadcast?” Xing Conglian suddenly ask out of nowhere.
Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian’s thoughtful and serene face in the reflection of the glass window and said honestly, “Yes, I was thinking just now. What if what Song Shengsheng wanted wasn’t revenge but a peaceful life? Did I instead violate his wish?”
“This is not something you can decide.” Xing Conglian finished drying Lin Chen’s hair and started to fold up the towel. “Similarly, this is something he can decide.”
Lin Chen shook his head. Xing Conglian’s words were powerful. Truly he deserved to be Xing Conglian.
Because Xing Conglian could easily resolve his knot. Lin Chen suddenly remembered his other friend, who also wanted to resolve his knot. “Where is Su Fengzi?”
Having said that, Lin Chen realized his phone hadn’t rung all night. With Su Fengzi’s temperament, it was difficult for him not to call him after being locked up for a day…
“That man of God…” Xing Conglian put the towel back in the bathroom. His voice gradually became smaller. Footsteps sounded as he walked out of the bathroom again and stopped by the table. Lin Chen heard the sound of the electric kettle, he turned his head, and saw that Xing Conglian was opening the tea bag and putting it into a porcelain cup.
He quietly made a cup of tea, then brought it over and put it in front of Lin Chen and said gently, “Jasmine tea. It doesn’t have caffeine.”
“Thank you.”
Lin Chen picked up the teacup. The tea bag gently floated, and the aroma wafted. It seemed that Xing Conglian was going to continue chatting with him.
“It’s said that when the staff at the Xinni Embassy went to release him, the room was already empty,” Xing Conglian said.
Lin Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief, but after thinking about it, this kind of thing was indeed similar to Su Fengzi’s style.
“Your friend is really incredible.” Xing Conglian picked up a crayfish and began to peel it.
Lin Chen really wanted to say, “You’re more incredible than him”, but of course this kind of thing could only be hidden in his heart.
“Fengzi, to be honest, I don’t know what he’s doing.” Lin Chen blew on the tea. It was just common jasmine tea, but because Xing Conglian was by his side, Lin Chen felt that this cup of tea was sweeter than the ones he drank in the past. “When we were in college, he often skipped classes, so we sometimes wonder if he has a secret identity like Superman, who is saving the world, or part of Overwatch*. In short, he’s very mysterious.”
*FPS game. Members of Overwatch are kind of like protectors of the world.
Xing Conglian pondered for a moment before saying, “How interesting.”
After that, he talked with Xing Conglian about Su Fengzi’s life in college. He planned to go to bed early, but instead he sat on the sofa by the narrow window of the express hotel, watching Xing Conglian eat crayfish while continuing to chat.
Xing Conglian would sometimes say some strange regional knowledge, and Lin Chen would listen carefully. Sometimes he couldn’t help but insert a sentence or two, and then occasionally talk about some patients he had encountered. In short, it was a chat between men, so he involuntarily talked about experiences that made him proud.
At that time, Lin Chen thought this was actually good. There was no need for any more changes between him and Xing Conglian. He was already satisfied.
If there was no Song Shengsheng, then the time between him and Xing Conglian would have passed through decades without a trace, like tonight.
But fortunately, Song Shengsheng was in the world.
……
The next day, they were completely woken up by the sudden ringing of Xing Conglian’s phone.
When he sat up from the bed in a daze, Xing Conglian was already awake and had picked up the phone.
“Jiang Chao?” Xing Conglian scratched his head and said in a surprised tone.
“Fuck, Xing Conglian. Can you not come to Yongchuan? Every time you come here, there’s always big news!” Vice Captain Jiang’s loud voice came through the phone’s speaker.
Lin Chen covered his head and realized the caller was the deputy captain of Yongchuan’s second criminal investigation division, whom they assisted in investigating the case of the mass suicides. His heart sank, and he woke up instantly. Lin Chen sat straight up and looked at Xing Conglian.
“What’s wrong? Why are you calling me so early?” Xing Conglian asked solemnly.
“Consultant Lin’s there too, right? The group case we investigated last time has made progress. I want to talk to you for a bit. I know you’re busy with what’s going on yesterday. I’m sorry to disturb you. Are you free this morning?”
The room was too quiet, and Lin Chen was very close to Xing Conglian’s bed, so Jiang Chao could clearly hear his movements.
Lin Chen took a deep breath, while Wang Chao didn’t seem to hear the phone at all and was still sleeping soundly.
The quality of the teenager’s sleep was so good that it was quite envious. Xing Conglian got up and removed Wang Chao’s shirt that was soaking in the sink. Lin Chen could only express his appreciation for Xing Conglian’s mannerisms.
Although he only slept for 6 hours, it was always good to have breakfast.
Jiang Chao sent them a location and waited for them at a beef noodle shop near the express hotel.
As soon as they entered, the enthusiastic Captain Jiang patted the table and said, “This beef noodle shop is really good, famous only in Yongchuan. I just ordered a bowl for you guys. If it’s not enough, you can just order more.”
Lin Chen pulled out a chair. As he was sitting down, Xing Conglian whispered to him, “Isn’t there a similar shop like this near our house?”
Lin Chen looked at the name of the store on the menu, determined not to tell Jiang Chao that this famous Yongchuan noodle shop was actually an ordinary national chain store.
The waiter served them large bowls of beef noodle soup. The soup was clear, the meat was red, and there was a lot of cilantro as garnish. Xing Conglian broke open a pair of bamboo chopsticks, carefully removed the wooden thorns on them, handed them over to Lin Chen, then said to Jiang Chao, “Let’s get down to business.”
Lin Chen squeezed the bamboo chopsticks. These casual gestures from Xing Conglian were like torture to his heart. Xing Conglian was an excellent model for a lover.
“I didn’t catch the mastermind behind it,” Jiang Chao swallowed his noodles and said very depressingly.
“What?” Although the police of the two precincts were communicating about the progress of the case, Lin Chen didn’t know that Jiang Chao had actually carried out an arrest operation on the mastermind behind their previous case. What he didn’t expect was that the progress coming from Jiang Chao’s mouth would be so depressing.
“Hey, Consultant Lin, you also know that those children were brainwashed very thoroughly, so the interrogation process was extremely troublesome. Later, if it weren’t for you asking a few psychology professors from Yongchuan University for help, we wouldn’t have been able to get this valuable information.”
“Nn, continue.”
“According to the confessions of some students, we confirmed that the main messenger behind the scenes was a middle-aged man around 40 years old who called himself ‘Mr. Meijing’.”
“Mr. Meijing?” Lin Chen paused his chopsticks and interrupted Jiang Chao.
“Yes. Isn’t this name particularly sick*? Like an island, but it shouldn’t be his real name but a code name.”
*Clarity: [Meijing] (美景) Means beautiful scenery, which is why Jiang Chao made this comment, as the meaning doesn’t match his insidious actions.
“A beautiful sight on a fine day*,” Xing Conglian suddenly said. “How cultured.”
*(良辰美景) [Meijing] is part of the idiom underlined. Xing Conglian is saying the full idiom [liangcheng meijing] which means a beautiful day and scenery.
“Hey, Lao Xing. Can’t you not interrupt and let me continue?” Jiang Chao waved his hand.
Xing Conglian shook his head helplessly and continued to bow his head to drink his soup.
Jiang Chao said, “Then the technician of our bureau drew a picture of Mr. Meijing based on the student’s description. We plastered an arrest warrant all over the city. Just four days ago, a local newspaper reported that someone had seen ‘Mr. Meijing’ in a new village in the Honghu district. The people in our bureau went to squat for a while and decided to carry out an arrest operation yesterday. But when we rushed in… he was gone.” Jiang Chao waved his chopsticks.
Hearing what Jiang Chao said, Lin Chen had a subtle sense of fear in his mind. The mysterious Mr. Meijing and Song Shengsheng, who they haven’t heard from in more than a year—could it be these two people were the same person?
But considering the age, Song Shengsheng wasn’t that old…
Thinking of this, Lin Chen took a deep breath. Xing Conglian stopped his movements and frowned at him. Obviously, they seem to have the same thought again.
Lin Chen said to Jiang Chao, “Can you show me that picture of Mr. Meijing?”
“Why are you asking? Isn’t this why I called you guys out?”
As Jiang Chao spoke, he took out the warrant from the information file.
Lin Chen opened it and looked at the sketch on the white paper. He suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, and then felt that his nervousness just now was simply an unexplained occupational disease.
If Song Shengsheng was Mr. Meijing, Jiang Chao would have reacted a long time ago. How could he come to them to inform them now?
Lin Chen looked at the middle-aged man on the white paper again, only to feel that it matched quite well with Mr. Meijing, who had committed such heinous crimes.
The middle-aged man was wearing a checkerboard scarf around his neck and black-rimmed glasses. His appearance looked bland, but when combined, he had a special charm, like that of a scholar who has years of wisdom.
He was gentle and could give guidance. Whether it was a boy or girl, they may have prayed that their father was like this in their sleep; he would hold a child on his knees, and, with a vivid and gentle tone, tell them a fairy tale; he would take them to the countryside and explain to them all the wild animals and plants; while he knew many things, he never showed off, yet he was perfect from ordinary people.
In short, only a person as charming as this could make people put their lives aside for him.
Lin Chen retracted his gaze and handed the sketch to Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian glanced at it, folded up the warrant indifferently, and stuffed it under the soup bowl as if that was just some ordinary criminal.
“Do you know Mr. Meijing’s real name?” Xing Conglian asked.
“Lao Xing, if I did, would I still come to see Consultant Lin?!” Jiang Chao’s tone changed. “I’m really at a dead end here. I don’t know anything. That Mr. Meijing is like a ghost.”
“Since it’s a new village, there should be fingerprints left behind. Have you done a fingerprint inspection and recorded it?”
“There are no records!”
“Oh, so it really is a ghost.” Xing Conglian finished speaking and continued to sip on his soup. “Don’t be too anxious. You will catch him eventually.”
“Hey, Consultant Lin. Look at him. There’s no friendship between colleagues at all,” Jiang Chao grumbled.
Lin Chen pondered for a moment, then said seriously, “But it’s just one picture. I don’t have a better way.”
“Can’t you dig a pit for him like you did with Li Jingtian?”
Lin Chen shook his head. “It’s too risky. Mr. Meijing is cautious, cunning, and an extremely clever criminal at first glance. He’s far more dangerous than Li Jingtian,” Lin Chen said solemnly. “You must be careful. You can’t be as reckless as last time.”
“I know, but I have to catch him even if I die,” Jiang Chao said unsteadily.
If he had to divide temperament by types, Jiang Chao would be the hot-blooded; lively and enthusiastic but also quite thick-headed. Lin Chen glanced at him deeply and didn’t know what to say. In the end, he had to poke Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian understood. He put his chopsticks across his bowl and said, “Jiang Chao…”
“What?”
“You’re not afraid of death, right?”
“Of course I’m not afraid.”
“Then, are you afraid that your colleagues will die one by one as a result of your recklessness?”
Xing Conglian was serious, majestic even. The temperature in the small shop had dropped a few degrees.
Jiang Chao glanced at him and became timid.
“You’re not allowed to act without authorization next time. If you have any questions, you will notify me and Consultant Lin first.” Xing Conglian settled the matter.
Sometimes, Lin Chen felt that Jiang Chao was like the older version of Wang Chao. Unfortunately, Wang Chao was a child raised by Xing Conglian, while Jiang Chao obviously didn’t have such a blessing.
The beef noodle soup was eaten quickly. Jiang Chao didn’t dare refute what Xing Conglian had said, but because of the silence, the otherwise beautiful breakfast became bland.
Jiang Chao thanked them and hurriedly left.
They walked to the hotel, and after opening the door to their room, they found that Wang Chao was already awake.
The teenager had the little strawberry t-shirt in his hand; not wearing a shirt and had turned on the TV at some point.
He looked at the picture on the TV with confused eyes, then turned his head and said to them, “A… A’Chen, Captain… Song Shengsheng has been found.”
Where is Song Shengsheng? This was the first question that needed to be solved urgently.
In addition, there were complicated issues about the girl who slit Li Jingtian’s throat. Why did Xu Ran run away and then get hit and killed? What role did CA play in Song Shengsheng’s unjust imprisonment? These questions needed to be resolved, but before that, they had more important things to do, and that was to rest.
This time they came to Yongchuan on official business, so according to accommodation standards, they checked into an express hotel near the embassy street. The triple hotel room had an extra bed in the double room, so the space was a bit cramped.
Lin Chen and Xing Conglian sat on both sides of the simple desk. After they finished eating the takeout, it was already nine in the evening. For nearly 48 hours without sleep, though Xing Conglian looked as energetic as when he was getting enough sleep, his bloodshot eyes still betrayed him.
Looking at the newly grown stubble on Xing Conglian’s chin, Lin Chen pointed to the bathroom and said to him, “I’ll clean up. You can take a shower first.”
Xing Conglian said, “Leave it. Wang Chao will come back and clean it up.”
Lin Chen looked at the time again. That young kid was busy all afternoon while they were like two retirees waiting to die. Now they were leaving leftovers for children to clean up, which seemed inappropriate. “It’s so late…”
He didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence.
The doorbell rang hurriedly. Lin Chen knew that it was Wang Chao based on the rhythm of the doorbell.
Xing Conglian pulled back the safety bolt and opened the door. Wang Chao rushed into the room, quickly took off his shoes, threw himself face down on the pillow, and then let out a long cry. “I… am… dead…!”
After shouting, he began to mumble in a low voice, similar to the sound of a pig rolling in a haystack.
Lin Chen and Xing Conglian glanced at each other. Suddenly, Wang Chao sprang up from the chair, rushed to the table, and began to eat. The teenager broke apart a pair of bamboo chopsticks and wiped out the remaining leftovers on the table.
Lin Chen finally knew what Xing Conglian meant when he said to leave it to Wang Chao.
For the first five minutes, the only sound in the room was the boy’s desperate slurping of food. Five minutes later, when he started to drink his soup, Lin Chen had the time to ask, “It’s so late. Didn’t the Yongchuan police give you something to eat?”
“They did, but I don’t want to eat it.” Wang Chao started to gnaw on a duck leg.
“Why?”
“I want to come back to see you sooner.” Wang Chao put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and said, “A’Chen, is your hand okay?”
The teenager’s eyes were so sincere that Lin Chen couldn’t help laughing. He always felt that Wang Chao’s sweet-talking skills might have something to do with Xing Conglian.
“I’m fine. It’ll heal in a few days,” he replied.
“Then you still have to pay attention. Don’t get it wet, avoid meat, and don’t drink carbonated drinks or alcohol. They say that food with a lot of soy sauce isn’t good because it will color your wound…”
“I know. Dr. Xing has already ordered it.”
Xing Conglian slapped the back of Wang Chao’s head. “Eat your food. Why are you talking so much!”
Wang Chao put down his chopsticks and raised his head. “Captain, I’m done, but I’m not full yet!”
Sure enough, all the takeout boxes were empty. Xing Conglian glanced over with a little shock. “Did the Yongchuan police abuse you?”
“I did a lot of physical work today. Advanced technicians like me have to eat more to replenish their brain power when they do physical work.” Wang Chao knocked on the table and emphasized the word “advanced”.
“So, what do you want?” Xing Conglian narrowed his eyes and asked.
“I want to eat at Bali Crayfish…” The teenager’s tone suddenly became flattering. “I know, there’s a chain not far from here!”
“Hm?”
“And… Captain… also, can you go out and buy me a set of pajamas, t-shirts, and underwear? I’m all smelly!” As the teenager spoke, he fanned the wind. Sure enough, there was a faint smell of sweat. He laid on the table and said weakly, “I really can’t walk anymore. Please.”
“Why didn’t you buy them when you were coming back?” Xing Conglian said it coldly.
“I was in a hurry to see A’Chen Gege!” Wang Chao replied smoothly.
A perfect logical chain.
Xing Conglian didn’t bother to talk to him anymore. He turned and walked to the door. When he opened it, he stood at the entrance and suddenly glanced back. “Consultant Lin?”
Looking at the gentle questioning eyes of Xing Conglian, Lin Chen could probably translate his intentions: Are you tired? If not, let’s go for a walk together?
He couldn’t refuse.
Lin Chen nodded, stood up, and said, “Let’s go. I’ll go with you.”
……
It’s already late at night. If they went out at this time in Hongjing, they would probably only see empty streets and lonely streetlights glowing peacefully.
However, they were in Yongchuan. The nights in major cities were always bustling. There was a long river outside the express hotel where they were staying. On one side of the river were old and new buildings and food stalls, and on the other side was a peaceful trail through a forest along the river.
Lin Chen followed Xing Conglian across the bridge. In the early summer night, there was a cool breeze blowing by the river. The opposite bank of the river was bustling with people, but the forest was so quiet that frogs croaking could be heard.
The tree shadows were still, and the ink-like river surface rippled with floating lights.
Walking side by side with Xing Conglian, he felt at peace. Most of the malice and fatigue from facing Li Jingtian today seemed to have dissipated.
He suddenly understood why Xing Conglian asked him if he wanted to go with him. Walking was indeed a great way to rest, especially after a thrilling day. Taking a walk with the person you like, even if it was just casually walking by the river without saying anything, was extremely comfortable and relaxing.
“Consultant Lin,” Xing Conglian said suddenly.
“Captain Xing?”
“It’s always necessary to chat for a bit while walking,” Xing Conglian said slowly.
“What are you talking about?” Lin Chen was a little surprised. “To be honest, I am very worried about Song Shengsheng.”
“You can’t center your life around cases. You have to live more,” Xing Conglian said. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll have news on Song Shengsheng.”
Hearing this, Lin Chen looked to the other side.
Although he couldn’t see clearly what was being broadcast on TV in the food stall opposite him, he could vaguely hear the words Song Shengsheng coming from the news across the banks.
Many diners were drinking beer while watching the news. They were talking to each other. It might be difficult for the police to find Song Shengsheng alone, but the power of people was a bottomless ocean. If Song Shengsheng was still living freely in this world, then he should be found by tomorrow at the latest.
“I understand.” Lin Chen nodded. He suddenly looked at Xing Conglian. “Is Captain Xing doing my ideological work?”
“That is better done by Consultant Lin.” Xing Conglian replied. “I obviously just wanted to talk to you.”
Lin Chen’s heart skipped a beat. When Xing Conglian was coaxing people, it was really heartwarming and unobtrusive.
Some old songs came from the other side of the river that sounded like they were sung by Song Shengsheng. There was another gust of wind by the river, blowing rose-red petals onto Xing Conglian’s shoulder. Lin Chen subconsciously reached out to wipe off the petals, then said, “I found that Captain Xing is really a loyal lover of walking.”
Whether it was early in the morning or in the evening, whether it was before breakfast or after dinner, Xing Conglian was always happy to walk; sometimes with him, sometimes with Wang Chao, and sometimes the three of them together. They would talk about work, the weather, or how food prices had increased recently. In this place, Xing Conglian always showed an easy-going side that wasn’t in line with his temperament.
Xing Conglian laughed and continued to walk forward. “When I was a kid, no matter how busy my parents were at work, as long as they were home, they would take me for a walk. Therefore, I always feel that walking is a very pleasant thing.”
“It’s very good research,” Lin Chen murmured.
“What research?”
“For example, research on family walking time and the happiness index.” Lin Chen looked at the couples or groups of friends sitting close to each other on the opposite bank.
Xing Conglian laughed dumbfoundedly. “Does it matter?’
“Family happiness and personal growth are always closely related,” Lin Chen said as he walked. “You must have grown up in a strong, loving, free, and democratic family, while Li Jingtian probably has an unfortunate family. Although he was spoiled, he lacked true love and correct guidance. His family relationship is tense. Both his parents, especially his father, are likely to have personality disorders or mental illness…”
“Listening to what you say, it made me think that Li Jingtian is quite pitiful, and it was out of his hands, so he became what he is now,” Xing Conglian interrupted him.
“Of course I’m not excusing Li Jingtian.” Lin Chen lowered his head slightly. He picked up a stone from the ground and threw it into the river. He looked at the ripples on the dark water and said, “But humans are really not as rational and powerful as people think. Even the simplest stone thrown into the water will cause ripples on the entire water’s surface. The influence of parents on their children’s lives is the same. Even the casual words and actions of an ordinary person on any mundane day may affect others to a greater extent.”
“A very profound statement,” Xing Conglian said with emotion. “Didn’t we come for a walk?”
“I’ve been feeling a lot lately. Can’t you let me say a few words?” Lin Chen said helplessly.
“Of course, truthfully, it’s a good walk when there’s Consultant Lin talking by your side.” Xing Conglian also picked up a stone from the side of the road and threw it into the river.
This was almost like hot milk with honey. It wasn’t sweet, and it wasn’t expensive. Lin Chen thought for a moment and could only say, “Thank you, Captain Xing, for your compliment.”
They were about to reach the end of the trail. The voices of people came through the trees beside the road.
Only then did Xing Conglian speak again. “There’s a reason why I don’t like that kind of argument very much. For example, people can’t choose their origin, can’t control themselves, and then commit those despicable choices—I feel like it’s shirking from responsibility.”
Lin Chen thought for a while and said, “I did a thesis when I was in college. It was a study on the creativity of painting. Basically, we gave the subject a proposition and asked them to paint, and then we asked them to explain what they saw based on the painting we gave them.”
“Hmm… then?” Xing Conglian asked.
“That was the first time I realized how fantastic and magnificent human thinking was. The same proposition would never have the same answer. Among those people, there are those who are morbid and dark, those who are kind and beautiful, some who are rigid in their thinking, and some who are full of whimsical ideas. To be honest, although we always emphasize the proposition of individual differences, it was only then that I really discovered that everyone’s mind is so different. We must admit that there are indeed people in this world who cannot control themselves, and the pain of mental illness lies in this. But we must also admit that among those who are fully capable of behavior, there are people like Li Jingtian and people like you. Some shirk from responsibility, some take responsibility; some people choose to use harm to others to solve problems when facing a desperate state of mind, and some people have ordinary lives, but in desperate situations, they shine the greatest and brightest light of human nature. The world is like this, so the key to the problems is, in this world, what you agree with, what you choose, and what you have done—all of these, in the end, determine how you will affect the entire world.”
While talking, they had already walked off the trail.
Xing Conglian hadn’t spoken for a while. At the end of the water bank was a night market street. There were various stalls full of various stalls, and the smell of fireworks suddenly reached their noses.
“I understand,” Xing Conglian said earnestly. “I thought about it for a while, and I think Consultant Lin was praising me just now…”
“I spoke so euphemistically. You can hear it?” Lin Chen was a little surprised.
“I’m smart. I want to express my gratitude to Consultant Lin. I’ll buy you a drink.”
As Xing Conglian spoke, he walked to a small stall on the street. He stood in front of the counter and observed the selection of drinks in the cupboard.
Standing in the night outside the store, Lin Chen watched Xing Conglian carefully order a drink in the small shop and pay for it. He thought the feeling of having someone take you on a walk and buy you a drink was really a joyful thing.
Suddenly, Xing Conglian turned his head and gazed at him deeply, with a gentle smile in his eyes.
A pure black car with an embassy license plate drove out of the main gate of the embassy right on time. The moment the car drove out of the iron gate, flashes of cloud-like lights lit up. All the cameras were running, and reporters were taking pictures non-stop, but other than that, no one spoke.
The street in front of the embassy was deathly silent. The fans in red clothes were like crushed petals falling all over the ground. They sadly helped each other up. Some had covered their mouths and turned around, still immersed in extreme sadness and shock.
Of all the people present, no one dared take a step closer to the black car. It seemed like it was the shadow of death in motion. Everywhere it passed, it left behind ultimate malice in the world.
Under the blue sky, under the piled-up cotton-white clouds, a whistling siren broke the tranquility of the entire embassy street.
A team of mounted police officers came from a distance. They were wearing navy blue uniforms and driving snow-white motorcycles with red and blue police lights flashing.
The car stopped slowly, and the captain of the mounted police just parked his vehicle next to the car window as it was lowered.
The captain saluted earnestly and said in a businesslike tone, “The Yongchuan Traffic Police received a call from the Hongjing Police for help to specially escort Mr. Li Jingtian to the airport.”
The driver didn’t know whether to salute or nod. In short, there was no conversation between them. The captain of the mounted police turned the car around. Then, four motorcycles escorted the black car with extreme understanding and dedication.
The car drove toward the end of the street.
……
14:05.
Xing Conglian walked into the attic.
The live broadcast had long since ended. The embassy staff had begun dismantling the cameras installed in the four corners. The black curtains covering the window were removed, allowing the bright sky to illuminate everything in the small room.
Lin Chen was still sitting at the table, looking at the drawing Li Jingtian had made.
The cards on the table were a mess. Seeing him enter, Lin Chen suddenly raised his head. His eyes suddenly flickered, like those of a child who had done something wrong and was now facing the dean. “Why are you here? Are we going to the cultural center to find the evidence now?’
Lin Chen casually opened up a topic.
Xing Conglian didn’t answer him. His gaze fell on Lin Chen’s arm. Lin Chen had pressed one of the wounds with his hand, so his fingers were covered with reddish-brown, dry blood.
The real scene was always more shocking than live TV.
“Take the drawing and follow me,” Xing Conglian said to Lin Chen.
Lin Chen didn’t know why, but he was taken aback for a moment. He bid goodbye to the operators who were dismantling the equipment and walked out of the bloody and murderous room calmly and firmly, just as he did when he first entered.
Even though such a big event happened, it was still difficult to see any staff coming and going in the embassy. The corridors here were long and covered with vines that wrapped around the upper end of the corridor, enveloping the large area in dark, green shadows.
Lin Chen followed Xing Conglian from behind. Along the way, Xing Conglian didn’t say anything to him, but judging by the direction they were heading, he guessed that Xing Conglian wasn’t taking him to the scene, as they were heading deeper into the complex.
Just when Lin Chen thought Xing Conglian would take him to appreciate the magic of this land again, Xing Conglian had brought him into the infirmary at the end of the corridor.
There was no one in the infirmary. Wang Chao wasn’t there either.
The small room was filled with all kinds of medicines, and there was even a simple operating room. The air was filled with a strong smell of disinfectant. Here…
How could he describe it? Except for a simple hospital bed by the window, which was fairly clean, the rest of the place looked like it had been severely ruined by someone. Most likely, the people who came and went in this infirmary were in a hurry and didn’t care too much about the cleanliness of the medical facility.
“Sit down first.” Xing Conglian pointed to the hospital bed as he said this to him.
After saying this, Xing Conglian turned around and found iodine, alcohol, gauze, tweezers, slotted needles, and silk threads for suturing among the chaotic pile of medical supplies. Lin Chen’s eyes straightened.
“I think I still need to go to a professional hospital in this situation.” Lin Chen loosened the fingers and pressed on the wound, and some blood seeped out. The knife wound looked bad, but in fact, it wasn’t that serious.
Xing Conglian took apart a pack of gauze and walked up to him with the medical tape. Lin Chen hadn’t reacted yet, and the wound was already covered by the gauze.
The next moment, Xing Conglian took his hand and pulled him to the edge of the sink.
Lin Chen felt the cold and powerful palm of Xing Conglian’s hand, and he felt that he should find something to talk about. “Where is the military attaché Shen? When are we going to the cultural center? If Li Jingtian is allowed to leave the country, it’ll be very difficult to arrest him.” Lin Chen looked at the sink and frowned. When he was speaking, Xing Conglian had just opened a bottle of iodine and poured it down his arm.
Lin Chen woke up from all the pain, but he didn’t dare scream. He shouted in a low voice, “Captain Xing, it hurts a little.”
“Bear with it.” Xing Conglian picked up the soft brush on the side, dipped it in the sterile, soapy water carefully, and began to clean the skin around the wound.
The feeling of the brush cleaning his wound was both painful and itchy. Lin Chen was surprised by Xing Conglian’s professional actions but seeing that he still had a cold face and was silent, it made him a little uneasy.
Finally, Xing Conglian finished cleaning his wound. Lin Chen subconsciously held Xing Conglian’s arm for a moment before the other party picked up the saline water again.
The other party glanced at him and then said, “Consultant Lin, I’m also a professional, so please, don’t doubt my professionalism.”
Lin Chen felt that what Xing Conglian said sounded very familiar.
……
14:20, Yongchuan Airport Expressway.
Two live news broadcast vehicles were flanking the embassy convoy heading to the airport.
Inside the Yongchuan Satellite TV live broadcast car, the reporter was narrating in a solemn tone. “Now, an escort team composed of Yongchuan traffic police is escorting the embassy vehicle that Li Jingtian is in to the airport. Please understand that this is an escort operation. Now, there is still one hour and fifteen minutes before the plane takes off, which means the police in our country need to find the key evidence that can detain Li Jingtian in time. Time is running out. Let us quickly connect with our reporters who are rushing to the Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center…”
In the back seat of the black car.
The singer in a light gray suit was also watching the live broadcast at the same time. He held his phone tightly and turned to look at the mounted police outside the window with a neurotic smile on his face.
“Drive faster. I’m running for my life,” he said to the driver.
……
14:25, Xinni Embassy Infirmary.
The cold hydrogen peroxide was poured down again, washing away the fine floating foam and residual blood clots. Strands of blood flowed into the drain.
Lin Chen pursed his lips, not daring to raise his head.
Xing Conglian looked at the person in front of him, who seemed to swallow the pain for fear of his anger. Looking at the other party’s supple black hair and pale face, he felt the irritability in his heart when he saw Lin Chen hurt, and the tension he had when he saw Li Jingtian draw the knife suddenly disappeared.
He suddenly realized that all his emotions now were because he was blaming himself.
To be honest, he rarely blamed himself. Since he was young, his family taught him that men should not blame themselves or feel sorry for themselves. If they had time, it was better to use that time to think about how to remedy it or what they can do if the situation ever arises again. In short, when one gradually handled many things properly, they gradually moved away from self-blame because they knew well that the choices they made were the only, necessary, and the best. But Lin Chen—he didn’t belong to those things, so he couldn’t handle it well, because Lin Chen could handle everything by himself. He was smart, wise, courageous, and strong. He was simply so good that there was no one better. Such a teammate, colleague, and friend should be what everyone dreams of, but when he was sitting in front of the monitor and thinking over and over again about whether he could make a better choice so that Lin Chen wouldn’t have to injure himself or be put in a dangerous situation, he found he had no way to do it.
Of course, if Lin Chen heard what he was thinking now, he would say that necessary sacrifices were okay, and he was sure that Li Jingtian wouldn’t really use the knife on him. The scene was just a little tense, that was all.
However, multiple-choice questions were always the most difficult propositions in the world.
Xing Conglian thought for a while, dried his hands, rubbed the tips of Lin Chen’s hair, and sincerely said, “Sorry, it’s my fault.”
Lin Chen’s gaze was hesitant, but it contained a kind of tenderness, as if he had guessed what Xing Conglian was thinking, but he didn’t say anything.
……
14:30, Yongchuan Airport.
Li Jingtian got out of the car and entered the VIP counter to go through the check-in procedures.
There were many reporters around him, taking pictures. Everyone passing him seemed to be pointing at him, as if they were conjuring up a scourge or a virus that would kill him as soon as it touched him.
But so what?
As long as he could get on the plane, get out of customs, and see his family, those damn Chinese police couldn’t do anything to him. Grandpa had promised him repeatedly on the phone just now.
Moreover, the cultural center was enormous. Even if those stupid policemen were looking for it, it would take them a very long time.
He raised his head and saw that the TV in the airport lobby was also repeatedly showing the picture of him pointing the knife at Lin Chen. His face looked so hideous that everyone looked at him.
Lin Chen was right. Now, everyone was watching him. The feeling of being feared by the world was even better than being worshiped.
“Mr. Li Jingtian.”
The voice of the staff brought his thoughts back.
The little girl standing at the check-in counter looked crisp and delicious. When she looked at him, her body seemed to tremble uncontrollably.
Li Jingtian took the boarding pass, pulled down his sunglasses, and smiled at the little girl. “Don’t be nervous. All that on TV are all lies.”
……
14:35, Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center.
Wang Chao finally arrived here with Shen Chenggong. The Yongchuan police had already removed everyone from the vicinity and blocked off the scene in advance, but there were still many staff members who were watching and taking pictures.
He and Shen Chenggong successfully raised the cordon and took the elevator to the highest point of the stage.
Early on, the police had started searching from the top floor to the bottom. Standing in the auditorium on the top floor, Wang Chao looked around and could feel what A’Chen had said.
Indeed, Li Jingtian was here to show off his evil deeds to all of Song Shengsheng’s fans.
……
14:40, the infirmary of the Xinni Embassy.
Warm sunlight poured on the hospital bed through the window edges. The interior was bright.
The suture work had come to an end. Xing Conglian had spent a long time with his head lowered, meticulously stitching Lin Chen’s wounds.
Lin Chen looked at the person sitting in front of him. Maybe it was because of the lush and fresh vegetation outside the window, or because he felt good about being treated carefully but he wasn’t thinking about Li Jingtian or Song Shengsheng. He was just thinking about Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian’s fingers pressed on his skin. His eyelashes were thin and curled, and he had an extremely serious expression when he lowered his head. Looking at Xing Conglian, Lin Chen always felt that the other party did have rich experience in wound suturing, but this experience shouldn’t have come from a hospital internship, but more like the skill was naturally acquired after experiencing hardships like going through blood and fire.
Lin Chen’s thoughts drifted further.
Outside the window, there were a few but clearly audible cicadas chirping.
Sometimes, Xing Conglian was really kind to him, so kind that it was easy to misunderstand.
Like now, in this tense moment of chasing a suspect, the first thing Xing Conglian thought of was to disinfect and treat his wound. Although he could guess that this probably had nothing to do with Xing Conglian’s worry that he wouldn’t be able to use antibiotics after the wound was infected, no matter what he thought, they were just framed by Li Jingtian in front of the entire country as an adulterous couple, and now they were sitting intimately in an infirmary, which didn’t seem appropriate.
But when he thought of this, Lin Chen felt aggrieved. If something really happened between him and Xing Conglian, it would be fine, but right now he didn’t have the guts, afraid it could make things worse.
At this moment, Xing Conglian’s phone suddenly rang.
As soon as Xing Conglian finished disinfecting Lin Chen’s arm, he suddenly stopped impatiently, stood up, and turned his left side trouser pocket to face him.
Lin Chen felt embarrassed that someone had broken his obscenity. He looked at Xing Conglian’s lower body and then saw him reach his hand in.
“Captain, Captain, can you give A’Chen Gege the phone for a bit? We can’t find the master tape. Ahhh, begging here!”
Lin Chen held the phone and put it close to Xing Conglian’s ear. Xing Conglian was holding tweezers and was about to tie the final knot of the suture wound when Wang Chao’s excited voice came out ahead of time.
“I’m here. Tell me.” Lin Chen didn’t ask Xing Conglian; he simply put the phone to his ear.
“A’Chen Gege, you said the master tape is in a high spot at the cultural center, but the staff here said that if there’s such a thing, they would have found it a long time ago. It’s impossible for Li Jingtian to hide a CD here quietly for so long without it being discovered!”
“Wait a moment.” Lin Chen turned the phone over and put it on his lap. Then he took out Li Jingtian’s drawing from his pocket. The blood on the drawing had already dried. He looked at the painting for a while, frowning. It was impossible that the object wasn’t in a high spot at the cultural center.
Thinking of this, he looked at the time on the phone. It was getting closer to boarding time…
Suddenly, he felt Xing Conglian squeezing his hand.
“Don’t worry,” Xing Conglian simply said.
Lin Chen glanced at the painting again, then suddenly said to Wang Chao, “Go to the lighting area above the stage and look for it.”
“What?”
“According to Li Jingtian’s anxious state of mind when he drew this, those clouds should be blackened or accentuated, but they are white and clear. The master tape should be…”
“But there are many places with bright white lights!” Wang Chao shouted loudly before hanging up.
Lin Chen picked up the phone and also hung up helplessly.
When he recovered, Xing Conglian was still holding his hand.
……
14:50, Yongchuan Airport, VIP waiting room.
As the boarding time approached, Li Jingtian gradually became nervous. He felt he was about to get away with his crimes, but was afraid of the sudden drop of the guillotine, which made his muscles tremble uncontrollably.
He would be able to enter the passage and board the return flight in ten minutes. There were no annoying Chinese police around him. The embassy staff also left after sending him out of customs. The elites dressed in suits and ties in the VIP waiting room didn’t care who he was.
He was about to be free soon, but as the minutes and seconds passed, as Lin Chen’s bright red blood dripped on the table, he felt the steel wire that was wrapped around his neck get tighter, that he could hardly breathe, but he couldn’t see the shadow of the steel wire…
He would be exonerated, and no one could stop him.
At least, that was what Li Jingtian thought.
……
15:20, Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center.
Wang Chao commanded a group of police officers to carefully search all the light stands.
A lighting engineer who was in charge of Li Jingtian’s concert at the time stood next to him with a tangled expression. “I seem to remember that Li Jingtian rehearsed very late the day before the concert. He seemed to have told us he wasn’t satisfied with the lighting on the stage. I don’t remember if he put anything in the light stands because we had left work and he was still here rehearsing…”
Dense police boots stepped on the high-altitude steel plate, making clacking sounds.
“Found it!” Someone shouted, and everyone stopped their work.
……
15:30.
At the moment the flight took off, Li Jingtian breathed a sigh of relief. This was simply the most thrilling, turbid breath he had ever exhaled in his life. He shouted with all his strength.
He had never experienced this kind of refreshing feeling in his life—more refreshing than when he entered Song Shengsheng’s body over and over again.
Lin Chen, no matter how awesome you are, you still can’t catch me.
He pounded on the armrest of the first-class seat and laughed maniacally.
……
At 18:00 in the evening, it was a beautiful time for all families to happily have dinner together.
Mu Wenhua put her little daughter in the dining chair and served a bowl of simple vegetable noodles, but she forgot to put in a fork.
The girl simply grabbed the noodles with her bare hands and stuffed them into her mouth. The soup dripped down, but Mu Wenhua didn’t seem to notice.
On the TV in the living room, the live broadcast of Yongchuan Satellite TV wasn’t over yet.
The tarmac of Xinni International Airport.
Li Jingtian walked out of the plane and down the gangway.
Except for the busy airport staff and shuttle buses, there was no one else around. Even the expected flashing lights weren’t there.
The sky was full of deep indigo, and the city lights were faintly visible in the distance.
There were no police, no reporters. He was really free…
Li Jingtian took a deep breath of the fresh air. There was nothing more pleasant than freedom.
He put on his sunglasses, followed the passengers, and slowly walked out of the checkpoint.
He had already seen the old housekeeper waiting outside the crowd not far away, and he waved his hand to him.
Li Jingtian wanted to rush to him, but suddenly, just as he was about to walk out the passage, someone kicked him hard in the knee and he fell to the ground; his face smashing into the marbled floor.
His face was in severe pain, and warm liquid oozed from his mouth and nose. He looked at the old housekeeper running from afar. It was as if someone had smashed his head with a heavy hammer. He struggled violently. “Let me go. Who are you? Why are you arresting me? This is Xinni! This is Xinni!”
The person who pressed on him said in a very businesslike tone, “Mr. Li Jingtian, you have been arrested in accordance with the law for committing a number of serial rape crimes in China with conclusive evidence.” After saying this, the man added, “Uh, the police from China also asked me to tell you this, although it’s secondary, but… Li Jingtian, game over.”
Mu Wenhua was fixed in front of the TV with tears rolling down her cheeks.
In a school cafeteria, in a commercial center square, and on countless big screens, everyone stopped and watched as Li Jingtian was pressed to the marble floor.
The once famous singer was now disheveled and blood-stained. His eyes were crazy as he spat out all kinds of dehumanizing words, no longer having any dignity as a human.
Truly like a lunatic.
The picture gradually darkened.
The anchor recited in an unprecedented, excited tone, “The master tape hidden by Li Jingtian was in the ceiling of the lighting area of the Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center. It was then identified by Mr. Shen Chenggong, a famous sound pattern expert from Xinni. It is indeed the audio file recorded by Li Jingtian during the violent assault against victim Song Shengsheng. The Xinni police have arrested the suspect Li Jingtian in accordance with the law and will extradite Li Jingtian back to our country at a later date. Let us thank the Xinni government for its profound sense of justice and for the justice that came late but finally arrived.”
……
The TV turned off.
“Did you make arrangements early on?” Lin Chen looked at the table full of takeout, and finally understood why Xing Conglian would calmly let Li Jingtian leave. The despair of “rebirth and death” would drive people crazy.
“After all, it’s an allied country, so we have to give Xinni a chance to regain face.” Xing Conglian rolled up his cuffs and began to serve the porridge.
“It’s still Captain Xing who has such foresight.”
“Same to you.”
Lin Chen put down his chopsticks, looked at the blood-replenishing flood in front of him, and fell into contemplation.
“It’s fine to detain Su Fengzi at the embassy for another hour.” Xing Conglian put down his porridge bowl and said with relief.
Lin Chen raised his head as he asked, “No, I was thinking, where is Song Shengsheng?”
Ten cards that symbolized victory were arranged one after another on the long table.
It was just fifteen minutes—a five-round game. No matter what, the world couldn’t change in fifteen minutes. Li Jingtian looked at the closed wooden door, put down his hand from the doorknob, turned around, and walked back to the long table and sat down again.
“Then, please start,” he said humbly.
Lin Chen bowed his head slightly and no longer talked nonsense.
The calm psychologist that was sitting across the table folded up ten sun suit cards with his slender fingers, casually shuffled them on the table, and then laid them out.
Under the light, the pattern on the back of the card was exactly the same, laid out in a horizontal row. Li Jingtian narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, “Who will draw first, Consultant Lin?”
Lin Chen made a gesture of invitation.
Li Jingtian smiled slightly, casually tapping a card with his fingertips and dragging it out of the pile. “Shall we turn over our cards together, or should I turn over mine first?”
Lin Chen pointed to the camera behind Li Jingtian and said, “Let’s do it together, lest you say I’m cheating.”
“I’m becoming more convinced that this is a fair game.” Li Jingtian’s fingers were still pressed on the card.
Lin Chen also picked one out and said, “I heard that the people of Xinni pay most attention to the first hand in gambling. They think that if they can win the first hand, they are likely to win. In fact, this habit isn’t just reserved for all Xinni people. Gamblers in general have this common understanding, but I find it very strange, Mr. Li Jingtian.” Lin Chen raised one of his hands and looked up at him. “Whether it was choosing the sun suit that represents victory, or winning the first hand—even the fact that the pressure of your finger on the card in your hand shows that you really want to win. In this game, what is it that you cannot afford to lose?”
Li Jingtian’s first reaction was to let go, and then he realized that he had reacted too much to Lin Chen’s words, so he sat with his arms crossed. “Maybe because I have been an artist for a long time, so my competitive spirit is strong. I hope Consultant Lin doesn’t overinterpret it.”
“No, I’m not interpreting anything. You see, I was just explaining some background knowledge of Xinni card games.” Lin Chen tapped the card in front of him with his hand and asked, “Then as a Xinnian, how would you feel if you lost the first match in a best-of-five rounds without incident?”
After he finished speaking, he quickly turned over his card.
Li Jingtian looked intently and found that Lin Chen had the “Sun 9” in his hand. In a card game where the cards ranged from 1-10, he only had a very small chance of drawing a card that was higher than this number.
He frowned slightly. Obviously, this game was set by Lin Chen, and the environment was inside the embassy. Everyone knew the reason the embassy staff had diplomatic immunity was because the embassy had always been a den of spies. All kinds of spies and countless tools for “cheating” lurked here. It was entirely possible for Lin Chen to find the tools to deal with him. He even secretly made up his mind that if Lin Chen wanted to win, he would just let him win. It wasn’t a big deal.
Thinking of this, Li Jingtian flipped over his card and looked at the number. For a moment, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Unbelievably, despite the small probability, he had turned over a “Sun 10” which symbolizes extreme brightness and victory. Li Jingtian couldn’t control his expression for an instant, He was ecstatic inside and laughed. “Consultant Lin, it seems that your luck is pretty bad.”
It was part of human nature to attribute victory in gambling to luck and think it was God’s blessing, so they would feel as if they were invincible.
Li Jingtian’s doubts disappeared in an instant.
Lin Chen turned the cards back upside down and stuffed them into a pile. Although he looked surprised, he still raised the corners of his lips provocatively and said indifferently, “Please ask your question.”
Li Jingtian’s fist tightened slightly under the card table.
In fact, he could ask a simple question such as “How are you feeling today?” or “Are you in a good mood today?” to let the round pass quickly, but seeing Lin Chen’s indifferent expression and calm appearance, he suddenly didn’t want this matter to end so easily. When he thought of this, he glanced at the clock. The first round of the game took longer than he thought. Two minutes and thirty seconds had passed, so as long as he delayed time a little, the fifteen minutes would pass in no time.
“Mr. Lin, I’m afraid my question will be a little candid. You see, you have already pushed me so hard today. Can’t I also fight back a little?”
“Well, you don’t have to pave the way for your own filth. Just ask whatever you want. However, I suggest you restrain your nature. In case you can walk out of this room intact, you still have to maintain your status as an idol singer and a moral role model.”
“You have already poured sewage on me like this; how can I have any morals to be a role model to speak of?” Li Jingtian leaned back and suddenly realized that there wasn’t a backrest behind his chair, so he stumbled a bit before regaining his balance. This sudden gaffe displeased him. He said, “In fact, the content you satirized me wasn’t too wrong. Having humility, decency, and kindness was imposed on me by the company. Over the years, every time I encountered ridicule or maliciously fabricated scandals, I had to deal with things with a nonchalant attitude because this is what the public requested of us. But we artists aren’t really saints. I’m truly tired that everyone wants me to just endure it, but since we’re being honest with each other now, I suddenly don’t want to endure it any longer. I can honestly say that although I’m indeed not as noble as how I usually act, in any case, I’m not as bad as you say.”
“Can you cut the crap?” Lin Chen knocked on the alarm clock and interrupted his tirade.
Li Jingtian suddenly leaned forward.
Although Lin Chen controlled his expression very well, he still showed an irritable look. Li Jingtian saw this and said slowly, “Are you gay, Consultant Lin?”
If Lin Chen could watch the live broadcast on the big screen in the square or in any crowded place at this moment, he would definitely be able to hear the involuntary exclamations of the audience.
“Oh my god, he’s gay.”
“How gross.”
Similar words rang out among many people watching the live broadcast across the country.
Li Jingtian’s move was absolutely clever. He easily transferred the audience’s curiosity about him to Lin Chen.
Everyone in front of the TV waited for the answer with bated breath.
Lin Chen didn’t have much expression on his face. Li Jingtian was being stared at by these cold eyes and felt so excited that he was about to get an erection.
The second hand ticked three times before Lin Chen moved.
He got up slightly and took the dagger from the wooden box. A silver glint flashed, and blood overflowed. He didn’t hesitate to cut his arm.
All the viewers in front of the TV exclaimed again. They look at the knife wound on the hand of the psychological consultant with the police. The wound wasn’t deep, but blood was slowly oozing out. They silently thought, ‘Is he really gay? Is that why he decided to cut himself instead of answering?’
Li Jingtian looked at the knife wound on Lin Chen’s arm and was stunned for a moment, but he quickly realized that the question he asked offhandedly probably really poked at Lin Chen’s weak spot. It wasn’t natural for a person like Lin Chen to choose self-harm over answering the question.
“Consultant Lin seemed to have accidentally exposed his sexual orientation just now. Since it’s already exposed, why don’t you admit it frankly?”
“That’s a second question.”
Lin Chen allowed the blood to ooze from his wound and didn’t take any measures to stop the bleeding. He didn’t even have an expression of pain on his face.
“Consultant Lin, to be honest, I don’t understand why you insist on playing this game with me.”
“This Xinni card game contains an excellent collective subconscious. The game of drawing cards seems simple, but whether it’s tarot cards or other divination games, fortune is predicted by drawing cards. But for a psychologist, divination isn’t so much a mystery as it is a study of the human subconscious… So, when playing cards, remember to hide your fox tail, Li Jingtian.” Lin Chen raised his head and smiled slightly at Li Jingtian.
“Consultant Lin is really a master of serious nonsense.” Li Jingtian laughed dumbfoundedly, seemingly unconvinced by what he was saying. “Moreover, if cards can really be used for divinations, does this indicate that the Goddess of Victory is on my side?”
“You can try and test if she will stand by you forever.”
Hearing this, Li Jingtian picked up the cards on the table, shuffled the ten cards, and then spread them out upside down.
11 minutes and 30 seconds.
Li Jingtian took out a card.
Lin Chen didn’t speak. He picked the one on the left side of Li Jingtian’s hand with calm eyes.
His arm was still bleeding, and a stream of blood dripped down his elbow onto the table. The table was dotted with beads of blood, creating a shocking sight.
Without counting down, they both turned over the cards at the same time.
“Sun 5”. “Sun 6”.
Li Jingtian couldn’t hold back his ecstasy again. He even forgot to maintain his expression.
“It seems the Goddess of Victory really is on my side.” He threw his card back into the pile. “May I ask a second question?”
Li Jingtian stared at the person sitting opposite of him. Even under the warm light, Lin Chen’s face was gradually turning pale. Li Jingtian couldn’t control himself not to look at the wound on Lin Chen’s arm. Blood really did make him extremely excited.
Lin Chen nodded.
Li Jingtian stared at Lin Chen’s dark pupils and said softly, “Since you’re gay, have you ever slept with any of the police officers?”
After Lin Chen heard this question, his eyelashes drooped slightly. Li Jingtian couldn’t see his expression well. Just when Li Jingtian thought Lin Chen would speak, he actually reached out to draw the knife again.
Li Jingtian grabbed Lin Chen violently.
This feeling was too good. Under his palm was the back of Lin Chen’s hand. Lin Chen’s bones were distinct, and his skin was delicate. To his surprise, Lin Chen’s skin wasn’t cold but warm. He could almost feel the gurgling blood under the thin layer of skin that was burning…
“Consultant Lin, I’m sorry to ask you another question that you can’t answer and embarrass you like this. You don’t need to answer or self-harm. I take back the question just now,” Li Jingtian said apologetically. He believed that the expression he made was sincere, and the audience in front of the TV would be moved by his performance. He was also convinced that when he finished his lines, Lin Chen and the criminal police officer behind him should be unable to explain their way out. He even began to fantasize that Lin Chen would lose his job, and he would use any means to seize him.
“You go back on your words so easily. Your character must be bad,” Lin Chen said coldly.
Li Jingtian withdrew his hand.
Lin Chen took out the knife from the box without hesitation and slowly cut his arm again. The knife slit open his skin, and blood overflowed from the wound. Finally, Lin Chen put down the knife that was stained with dark, red blood, and laid it quietly on the table.
Li Jingtian looked at the two knife wounds on Lin Chen’s arm and was surprised by Lin Chen’s principle. Wasn’t this just a game with causal lies?
……
“Lin Chen, pay attention to your hand strength. Wound infection is no joke. I remember you’re allergic to broad-spectrum antibiotics.”
Xing Conglian’s deep, metallic-like voice came through the miniature headset in his ears. Perhaps it was because the embassy’s equipment was so advanced that Xing Conglian’s voice seemed to be flowing gently into his ear clearly. Lin Chen was surprised that Xing Conglian did not blame him for destroying his reputation, but instead warned him about his wound.
But this was all planned. What could be done?
Lin Chen glanced at Li Jingtian and said, “Continue.”
Hearing this, Li Jingtian naturally gathered the ten cards on the table and began to shuffle them again. “Don’t you know that cutting yourself with the knife is basically admitting your relationship with Captain Xing? Why would you rather hurt yourself than just give an answer?”
“Because for psychics, blood will make divinations more effective,” Lin Chen replied seriously.
Li Jingtian sniffed lightly. He didn’t know if it was the dim atmosphere deliberately created around him or for some other reason, but the smell of blood was mixed with a hint of sandalwood. Of course, it could be because of the old furnishings here that just gave him such an illusion.
Li Jingtian shook his head and said to Lin Chen, “You really know how to joke. Are you going to use this set of cards for divination?”
“I’m looking for something.”
Li Jingtian was taken aback for a moment.
Lin Chen knocked on the table with his knuckles and said to Li Jingtian, “Continue. Don’t waste time.”
Li Jingtian arranged the ten cards one by one on the table. He took one for himself. “If we follow the conventional best-of-five system, if I win the third round, we can end the game early, right?”
“Yes, but you will definitely not win.”
After Lin Chen finished speaking, he heard Xing Conglian whisper into the headset, “The third from the left.”
He pulled out the card according to Xing Conglian’s instructions and flipped it over.
It was the “Sun 9”.
Li Jingtian’s face changed as he turned over the card in his hand.
Coincidentally, they drew two adjacent card numbers this round.
Li Jingtian flipped over a “Sun 8”.
“It seems that my luck isn’t very good this round.” Li Jingtian shook his head.
9 minutes and 40 seconds.
Lin Chen finally got his chance to ask a question. All the audience members in front of the TV held their breath, waiting for him to ask.
Lin Chen said simply, “My question is as follows: Li Jingtian, among the countless crimes you committed in our despicable life, did you retain the original material because of your arrogance?”
Li Jingtian remained expressionless. Ever since Mu Zhuo made that phone call, he certainly knew that Lin Chen was looking for the master tape. Now that Lin Chen had finally raised this question, he was certainly not surprised, so he was able to control his expression well.
“What are you talking about? I don’t know,” he said sincerely. “What material?”
However, what he didn’t expect was that Lin Chen didn’t entangle more on this issue. Lin Chen simply smiled at him and let him go easily.
Li Jingtian became vigilant.
This round only took 30 seconds, and they had already entered the fourth round of the game with 9 minutes and 10 seconds remaining.
Lin Chen’s arm was still bleeding, so he could only hold the cards with one hand; thus, Li Jingtian had to gather the cards and shuffle them.
Li Jingtian began to think carefully about Lin Chen’s movements. He had no idea what Lin Chen wanted to do. There were only two rounds left. Lin Chen only had two chances left to ask him a question about the master tape, but how could that be possible?
While thinking of this, he realized he had subconsciously shuffled the cards and laid them out again.
He looked up suddenly.
However, Lin Chen was looking at him with a profound gaze and said, “Do you think it’s strange? You were lost in your thoughts and weren’t even thinking about shuffling the cards, yet you had already shuffled the deck and laid them out. Do you really think your consciousness can control your behavior? As long as you don’t speak, I won’t know where you hide your things?”
“Is this a question, Consultant Lin?” Li Jingtian thought for a moment before he shot back.
“Of course it doesn’t count.” Lin Chen suddenly sat straight up.
“I always draw first every time, so I’m afraid it’s Consultant Lin’s turn, right?” Li Jingtian finally started having doubts.
……
“1, 3, 5, 9, 8, 7, 10, 2, 6, 4.”
Lin Chen raised his brows and sat upright. Xing Conglian was revealing the sequence of the cards to him through the mini headset. After he reported the sequence, Xing Conglian said, “I suggest you choose the fifth on the right. That’s number 7, which is safer, but the question is, how can you make the number Li Jingtian draws be lower than yours?”
Lin Chen didn’t act immediately. After thinking for a while, he pressed his finger on the second card on the left but didn’t immediately flip over the card. His pale fingertips slid across the cards in the middle, one by one, and finally stopped on the second card on the right.
He pulled out the card and flip it over in one go.
Xing Conglian sat in front of the high-definition monitor and looked at the Sun 6 on the card table that Lin Chen just pulled out. There was a sense of tension accompanied by a rapid heartbeat. Lin Chen was really bold.
When Lin Chen explained the entire game to him earlier, he said that the fourth round of the game was the most difficult to grasp because the only thing he couldn’t control was the order of who drew the cards this round.
Lin Chen said that as a Xinnian, Li Jingtian would want to take the lead. He even suggested that if Li Jingtian won first, based on his personality, he would take the initiative to draw first. Li Jingtian wouldn’t have any doubts if he won the first two rounds, but once he lost the third round, according to his personality, he would inevitably suspect them of cheating. At that time, Li Jingtian would make him draw first, so he had to draw a card that wasn’t high enough that Li Jingtian would suspect they were cheating.
But just now, Lin Chen gave up the “Sun 7” and chose the smaller “Sun 6”. Xing Conglian found that even he couldn’t figure out what Lin Chen was thinking.
If Lin Chen could talk to Xing Conglian right now, he would tell him that because of his actions just now, the cards Li Jingtian would choose would only be out of four cards; the first from the left, the second from the left, the first from the right, and the third from the right. He was vigilant and was likely to choose the left at the end.
In the attack, Li Jingtian turned his gaze to the card table. Because of Lin Chen’s actions just now, he had various doubts in his heart.
He first put his finger on the “Sun 3” that was second to the left and found that Lin Chen had no change in his expression. Then he put his hand on the first on the right. Lin Chen had a slight frown on his face. The pattern on the cards was exactly the same, so there were no hints. Li Jingtian was about to flip it over. When his fingers touched the card, he quickly returned to the left and flipped over the “Sun 1”.
When he saw the unique bronzing sun pattern on the card, Li Jingtian felt dejected. He leaned back in his chair and staggered again.
Many viewers in front of the TV laughed out loud, and Li Jingtian seemed to feel their laughter. His face was as black as the bottom of a pot. After adjusting his breathing, he said, “Consultant Lin, you may ask your question.”
Lin Chen took out a pencil from the pocket of his shirt, then the pages from the file he was reading just now, and randomly pulled a page out and shoved it towards Li Jingtian together with the pencil. Because of the motion of him stretching his arm, blood dripped onto the surface of the card, making the scene particularly hideous.
Lin Chen sat back and said to Li Jingtian, “Please draw on this piece of paper the five elements of house, people, bird, sun, and flower of the Xinni cards suits, and then use this drawing to tell me where you stored that item.”
Li Jingtian was still holding the pencil that Lin Chen handed him, but after hearing what Lin Chen requested, he threw the pencil away. “What Consultant Lin said was just questions and answers. You didn’t say I need to draw, right?”
“Well, as psychologists, the way we ask for answers may be a little different. Please forgive me,” Lin Chen said casually.
“You didn’t explain this in advance, so I decline.” Li Jingtian pretended to be helpless.
“Well, if you don’t draw it, I won’t let you go in 15 minutes.” Lin Chen paused, then said, “Moreover, it would be very suspicious if you didn’t do it. It’s just a picture. Do you really believe I can guess your black and dirty heart from a picture?”
Li Jingtian observed Lin Chen for a long time before realizing that Lin Chen wasn’t joking with him from the beginning. He wanted to refute, but he didn’t know what to say.
He suddenly remembered that person. In the same dim recording studio, that person was lying on the ground, looking at him with the same tenacious eyes as Lin Chen. In the background was the song he made. He pulled that person’s hair and forced him to listen to that song over and over again, but no matter how many times he listened to it, the person would only say, “Trash”.
Trash was obviously referring to both himself and the music he created.
Thinking of this, Li Jingtian collected himself. Somehow, under Lin Chen’s guidance, he really started thinking of Song Shengsheng. This wasn’t good. He couldn’t think about it anymore. Otherwise, he would likely be exposed.
He picked up the pencil that he had thrown on the ground. No matter what, Lin Chen was right. If he didn’t do it, it would look suspicious.
Finally, he started to draw the first stroke on the blank piece of paper. “How do you need me to draw?”
“You can draw whatever you want, but first draw me a person.” Lin Chen stretched his neck and glanced at the content drawn by Li Jingtian, then continued, “Don’t draw a stickman. At least draw a person doing something.”
When Li Jingtian heard this, he really drew it on the paper.
On either side of the card table, one person was drawing vigorously, while the other was leaning back in his chair leisurely watching as he nagged. “Don’t reveal the information to me, Li Jingtian. I can guess things if you make it too accurate.”
“I have a suggestion. You better block out where you put that thing in your mind. Otherwise, it’s easy to project it onto your drawing.”
“There’s no such thing,” Li Jingtian raised his head and responded irritably.
“Okay, you can draw the house now.” Lin Chen spoke in an almost teasing tone, switching from the norm. “Pay attention when you draw the house. The things you draw in the room can easily show whether you are hiding what I’m seeking indoors or outdoors. It’s recommended that you just draw something simple. My request isn’t that troublesome…”
Li Jingtian reluctantly started drawing the house according to Lin Chen’s words, followed by flowers, sun, and birds…
Every time he drew something, Lin Chen kept talking, so that by the time he finished, his forehead was actually covered in a thin layer of sweat.
“Draw me another tree, Li Jingtian,” Lin Chen said.
……
In the surveillance room, Wang Chao looked at Li Jingtian, who was drawing obediently, with his mouth wide open, almost forgetting to observe the data on his screen.
“A’Chen Gege is so amazing. Li Jingtian is drawing innocently.”
However, Xing Conglian’s face was serious, and he remained silent.
He knew better than anyone that the reason Li Jingtian was obediently drawing on paper was because Lin Chen deprived him of the possibility of making other choices. This was the exchange for the two knife wounds on Lin Chen’s arm.
Lin Chen had told him a lot before the start of this gamble, including analyzing the physiological characteristics of people with antisocial personality disorder. Lin Chen said that people like Li Jingtian had a very low level of cerebral cortex excitement. This was the reason that prompted Li Jingtian to constantly seek abnormal stimulation in order to maintain the excitement level of the cerebral cortex. It also made it difficult for him to feel fear or panic. People with antisocial personality disorder were best at hiding it, so it was difficult for the police to break through his mind in a normal interrogation situation to infer the truth from their reactions.
The reason he wanted to set up a bet with Li Jingtian was to excite him. The victory and blood in the first two rounds would stimulate Li Jingtian and activate his cerebral cortex, and the subsequent defeat would make him flustered. Of course, this panic wasn’t comparable to the helplessness of ordinary gamblers, but it was enough to make Li Jingtian start to doubt. He would doubt their motives and the purpose of the bet, and of course, the most important thing was that he would begin to doubt his luck.
For anyone, once they lost their faith, they would become easy to deal with.
Not only that, but the wonderful thing about this game was the option of refusing to answer. In normal interrogation, Li Jingtian could prevaricate by relying on the questions, but since Lin Chen lost the first two rounds, this induced him to ask more offensive questions. Lin Chen’s refusal to answer and cutting his hand twice made Li Jingtian realize that rejection was tantamount to admission, so no matter what Lin Chen asked, Li Jingtian would not refuse to answer. He only had two choices: to answer positively or to lie. But what if he encountered a question that he couldn’t lie but also couldn’t answer?
For example, drawing a picture…
Lin Chen had reported these processes to him. When he heard that Lin Chen had set so many traps on a simple bet, his first reaction was that, fortunately, Lin Chen was on his side, and he usually treated him well. However, when he saw the knife wound on Lin Chen’s arms, Xing Conglian suddenly became extremely irritated.
It was better just to kill Li Jingtian, was what he thought at that time.
……
The moment Li Jingtian stopped drawing, there were 7 minutes left.
He handed the drawing to Lin Chen with both hands, and Lin Chen stretched out his hand to take it.
Li Jingtian looked at the card table and asked, “Do you want to continue?”
Lin Chen stared at the drawing Li Jingtian handed in and waved his hand casually.
“Did you see anything?” Li Jingtian asked in a good-tempered manner while shuffling the cards. He then took out a card and put it in front of him without flipping it over.
Lin Chen put down the drawing. The white paper was underneath his wound. His blood stained the paper and swelled, dyeing the drawn figurine red.
Lin Chen sat upright and slowly said, “10 years ago, you used illegal means to imprison Song Shengsheng and subjected him to inhumane sexual abuse for months or even years. You raped him, beat him, and regarded him as a plaything for your lust. After you felt things couldn’t go on like this, you conspired with Mu Zhuo to accuse Song Shengsheng of raping him. Song Shengsheng was wrongfully convicted and spent 8 years in prison in vain. When you were at Royal One three weeks ago, you met Xu Ran, a longtime fan of Song Shengsheng. Xu Ran refused to provide you with sexual service, so you used the same cruel methods you used on Song Shengsheng and raped her…”
Lin Chen spoke slowly, word by word, tearing apart the dark past from nine years ago with an extremely calm voice.
Both inside and outside the room, as well as outside the building, and the entire world fell into silence.
Everyone thought they heard it wrong. What’s going on? What is Song Shengsheng? Who is Song Shengsheng? Xu Ran was a fan of Song Shengsheng, and Li Jingtian raped them? What the hell was going on?
The audience watching the live broadcast felt that they didn’t know what to expect. First, it was a gambling game in which the policeman self-harmed himself because he didn’t want to admit his sexual orientation. Then the policeman was looking for something, and now it changed to Li Jingtian raping Song Shengsheng.
After the silence, everyone started whispering. They asked each other what was going on, so their second action was to take out their phones and open a webpage. They started to frantically search for the words “Song Shengsheng”.
——”The young star that lost his voice. Song Shengsheng’s cruelty finally exposed.”
——”The famous singer who went to jail, now looks like a skeleton.”
Various news headlines appeared in a flash. It didn’t take long for people to fully understand the situation. Song Shengsheng became the champion of Weibo keyword searches with an unstoppable trend.
As for Song Shengsheng’s only remaining tenacious fans, as early as when Lin Chen said “Song Shengsheng” they burst into tears.
Mu Wenhua was such a girl. Nine years ago, she was a student who had just finished her college entrance exam in Hongjing. Because of her good grades, her parents knew how badly she loved Song Shengsheng, so they specifically rewarded her with a front-row ticket to his concert. Her father not only said he would personally take her to Yongchuan Stadium for the concert, but because it would be too late to return home, they would stay in Yongchuan for a night, so he even booked a hotel.
Mu Wenhua had been looking forward to this day’s itinerary since the ticket was issued. She would buy lots of merchandise at the concert. Just looking at the exquisite booths would take up her whole day. When the concert started, she would enter and sit down. Everyone would be spontaneously singing. Then at eight o’clock sharp, Shengsheng would dazzlingly appear on stage.
But these were things she had fantasized about for a long time and were broken by the rape case. There was no Yongchuan, no concert, and even the sound was gone. She cried, yet she was mocked by her friends and scolded by her parents. They all said she was blind to actually like a rapist. Her parents tore up all her posters and threw away all her CDs. Song Shengsheng had never appeared in her life since that summer.
Until now… Until that person on TV said Shengsheng was wrongfully accused and imprisoned.
She covered her mouth tightly. Tears flowed involuntarily. Her two-year-old daughter sat next to her, tugging at her clothes, for unknown reasons.
Mu Wenhua’s heart was broken.
However, Lin Chen’s narrative stopped.
After he finished his words, a handwritten letter appeared in the middle of the screen. Xu Ran’s tearful accusation moved everyone on the TV.
Thick and dark clouds enveloped everyone’s hearts. After reading Xu Ran’s letter, many people couldn’t help but cover their eyes and stop watching. They obviously came to watch entertainment gossip. Why did it become like this?
Yet the game in the dim attic continued.
Li Jingtian was silent for a long time. He put his hands on the table and said to Lin Chen, “So you’re just adding insult to injury.”
Lin Chen pointed to his ears and said, “Now all the audience will hear a song. That is your Illi’s famous single, ‘Peaceful’. At the beginning of the climax of this song, at 1 minute and 31 seconds, you inserted a large scream as background music, including Song Shengsheng’s screams of pain when you violently abused him.”
“That’s material from a music library. I don’t know the source,” Li Jingtian said.
“If it’s not material from a music library but instead full audio of Song Shengsheng that you personally recorded, does it mean that if a master tape exists, it can prove all this?” Lin Chen finally pressed on the wound on his arm and didn’t give Li Jingtian a chance to speak. “Li Jingtian, do you know that although you’re worse than a beast, you still at least belong to a species called humans. If you’re human, then you can’t escape the innate inferior nature of humans—a nature we have cultivated in tens of thousands of years of survival and reproduction. No one is immune to it.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Li Jingtian glanced at the clock, as if waiting for the moment the alarm would go off. “Is the game going to continue?”
“This nature includes one thing. You think you can hide your crimes, but in fact your brain activity time is three seconds faster than the time you feel you have to make a decision.” Lin Chen tapped his temple with his fingers. “In other words, no matter how restrained you are, your brain still precedes your consciousness and exposes lots of things…”
Li Jingtian interrupted him, “Consultant Lin, are you giving me a popular science lecture in psychology? I’m not interested.”
“No, I’m advising you. It’s better to close your eyes and walk to the corner with your back to me going forward, so that I won’t notice any abnormalities in your reaction, and I may not guess where the master tape is.”
“I’m not guilty, so I won’t go,” Li Jingtian said firmly.
……
In the surveillance room, Wang Chao touched the goosebumps all over his body and said, “A’Chen Gege nailed Li Jingtian to that chair and cut off all his escape routes. So cruel. I’ll never fight against A’Chen Gege in the future!”
Xing Conglian turned his head to face Wang Chao. “Don’t be distracted. Look at your own stuff.”
Wang Chao hurriedly turned his head. In front of him were two other display screens.
In the center of one display screen was a three-dimensional dynamic graph. The data flow in the lower corner of the graph was constantly changing, while the other screen in front of Wang Chao displayed a series of data such as Li Jingtian’s heartbeat, body temperature, and pulse. Naturally Li Jingtian wasn’t aware that most of his physiological data was hidden in the table and turned into specific model diagrams for analysis.
……
“Very good.” In the attic, Lin Chen smiled at Li Jingtian. “You just said that you’re not interested in psychology. In fact, I advise you to learn some relevant knowledge. For example, there’s a famous term called the ‘rebound effect*’ in psychology. To the effect that the more you suppress certain thoughts, they will emerge in a more violent manner. The simplest example is that if I tell you not to think of ‘a white bear’, then the reaction in your mind is ‘a white bear’. You see, this is what I’m saying when I tell you about the uncontrolled state of people.” Lin Chen raised the corner of his mouth and continued. “It’s like when I repeatedly ask you to hide the clues on the master tape. It will appear in your mind in subtle ways that you will not notice. Then those images that appear repeatedly would be reflected in your drawing.”
*Refers to suppression of a particular thought often result in subsequent increased return of the unwanted thought.
After he finished speaking, he held up the drawing so that all the audience in front of the TV could see it.
“I still don’t understand what master tape you’re talking about. After all, there’s no such thing, so how can it be reflected in my drawing?”
“Because the drawing you drew is a bit special.” Lin Chen put Li Jingtian’s drawing back on the card table and said calmly, “The reason why you chose the Sun suit is simple. Among the five suits, Sun contains two elements of psychology’s most famous ‘House-Tree-Person Test*’. The House-Tree-Person Test is a personality test commonly used in psychotherapy. It can systematically release your subconscious, including your motivation, perception, insights, past experiences, and the like…”
*(HTP) is a projective test intended to measure different aspects of personality. Test takers are asked to draw a house, a tree, and a person. The interpretation of these drawings is used to create a picture of the person’s cognitive, emotional, and social functioning.
“So, did you see anything from my House-Tree-Person Test just now?” Li Jingtian maintained a decent and humble smile.
“It’s unfortunate that I’m a national licensed psychiatrist and have forensic authority. Based on this drawing, I can identify that you have full civil capacity.” Lin Chen pointed to the simple white paper on the table. “You see, this is like a baseline. When your legal team wants to defend your innocence in court on the ground of mental illness, it will never cross that threshold.”
A crack finally appeared on Li Jingtian’s fake calm face. Seeing this situation, Lin Chen continued, “But mental appraisal is an afterthought. Now, please wipe out the white bear in your mind. Let’s talk about this drawing of yours.”
“I would like to hear more about it.”
“First of all, the intermittent brushstrokes in your drawing indicate that you’re impatient. You have difficulty controlling your impulsiveness; the roof of the house you painted has sharp corners, indicating that you are impulsive and have an abnormal interest in morbid things. The horizon line on the right side of this tree is deepened and emphasized, indicating that you’re afraid of what’s coming; the eyes of the person you painted are very round, showing that you have a strong desire to control, are willful and selfish…”
“You can just call me a rotten person. Anyway, what you’re doing is just lip service.”
Lin Chen smiled. “Mr. Li Jingtian, this is a scientific analysis based on test norms, and I am a professional.”
“So, Consultant Lin. Is it your specialty to create fictitious things? Where is that master tape that you’re talking about?
“Your provocation towards me is tiresome.” Lin Chen stained his fingertips with some blood. He circled the house drawn by Li Jingtian with bloodstains and said, “Well, let’s get to the point. I have always suspected that you hid the master tape at home, but after looking at the house you drew, I think this is unlikely. The line on the left side of the house is particularly unstable, indicating that your family relationship is bad, not to mention the distorted walls. In your mind, your family, and thus your home, is an unreliable place, so you wouldn’t hide things in your own house or someone else’s house..”
While Lin Chen spoke and observed Li Jingtian’s expression, Wang Chao kept reporting Li Jingtian’s physiological index to him through the headset.
Li Jingtian was worthy of being a top psychopath. Under such circumstances, he was still able to stabilize his heartbeat.
Lin Chen moved his gaze to the exterior of the wall of the house on the paper. “You were very relaxed when you heard what I said just now, so the master tape really isn’t indoors. Where did you hide it?”
“Wait A’Chen, when you said ‘isn’t indoors’ just now, Li Jingtian seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.”
Hearing this, Lin Chen stared at the door and windows drawn by Li Jingtian, then questioned, “Actually, the master tape isn’t ‘in your home’, but it’s still indoors?”
“Li Jingtian is beginning to panic,” Wang Chao whispered.
“The master tape isn’t in your home, but it’s certainly inside a building?” Lin Chen looked at the trees and flowers in the picture and continued, “The flowers and trees you painted are far away from the building, which shows that there’s very little vegetation around that place. It shouldn’t be a cemetery or a wilderness. There are clusters of buildings in the cities, so you wouldn’t hide it at CA Entertainment headquarters, right?” Lin Chen glanced at Li Jingtian, then shook his head. “No, it’s not at the headquarters of CA Entertainment. What kind of building is it?”
Li Jingtian’s complexion was getting worse.
“We’re going to talk about the beauty of the Xinni cards again. One of the five suits is a bird, and in your subconscious, the bird is a symbol of Song Shengsheng. Of course, this kind of psychoanalysis is more abstract, so you don’t need to refute me. It’s a pure coincidence that I just observed that you originally planned to draw the bird on the roof of the house, but your strokes suddenly changed midway. Instead, you drew the bird in the sky and then drew lots of clouds around the bird. These clouds show that you subconsciously want to hide things better, and it also means that there are many things wrapped around the master tape. So did you hide that tape high up in a building with many things around it?”
Accompanied by the ticking sound, Li Jingtian was losing control of his muscles.
“What are you nervous about? This limit is for me.” Lin Chen finished speaking and stared at Li Jingtian’s drawing again. “The door of the building you painted is very large, and the windows are very small. There’s a problem with this ratio… The door is huge and will reflect the proportions of the building. Based on the ratio of the person you drew compared to the building, it should be a very large building. This should be correct. It’s a building with a big door but no windows?”
Lin Chen stopped after saying this.
Li Jingtian clasped his hands and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Because the following content doesn’t use this picture, it is purely a guess. If you keep a piece of incriminating evidence, it means that it’s of great significance to you. A pervert like you will always keep something that you think is a trophy. If you don’t have the master tape by your side, then it must be in a very meaningful place. It’s a place that can prove you’re stronger than Song Shengsheng and can continue to humiliate him after he’s in jail.”
A large building, huge door, area away from vegetation…
Lin Chen looked up in shock. He felt some fear for his guess. He couldn’t think of how devastated Song Shengsheng’s fan would be if his guess was true.
“You hid that master tape in a certain building where Song Shengsheng held a concert?’
“A’Chen, Li Jingtian’s heartbeat has obvious signs of acceleration.”
“It’s not an ordinary concert venue. It should be a place where Song Shengsheng once graced the stage, and you also held concerts there later. In that venue, you experienced extraordinary power. That place tells you that Song Shengsheng is already a thing of the past, and you are the greatest singer now… And you hid that master tape there to show off to all of Song Shengsheng’s fans, thinking the idol they like is a bitch who moans under you.” Lin Chen felt uncomfortable, but he still had to go on. “So, tell me, Li Jingtian. Where did you hide it? Of the four places, is it Zheliu Mesa Performing Arts Center, Fengchun Anhe Stadium, Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center, or Yangcheng Tianli Stadium?”
“Enough!” Li Jingtian slammed his fist on the table.
The second hand counted down to 30 seconds.
“It’s not enough. Of course not.” Lin Chen finally held down the headset. He took a step back, pushed the chair away, and stood up. “Is it at the Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center?”
Li Jingtian finally showed a completely crazed expression on his face. It was insane, bloody, and hideous, as if only a repulsive, primitive creature in the mud could display.
Lin Chen still didn’t let Li Jingtian go. He said condescendingly, “Do you want to know why I guess so accurately? Because the table in front of you is loaded with the most sophisticated pressure detector. And the reason why you had to sit on that square stool is because people subconsciously seek support in a state of tension, so without a backrest, you will definitely put your hands on the table. This table will accurately record your pressure reading when you hear every word I say. I said earlier that your body’s response will be more honest than your mouth’s, so Li Jingtian—the Christine Cultural Center. You’re finished.”
The next moment, Li Jingtian suddenly grabbed the knife on the table and stood up abruptly.
“Performing a murder in front of audiences all over the world?” Lin Chen actually laughed.
The next moment, Li Jingtian moved the knife across his neck. “Consultant Lin, why are you pushing me so hard?”
“If you die now, you’ll never return to your country.”
Lin Chen looked at the alarm clock on the table.
The second hand returned to its place, and the alarm rang through the air.
Li Jingtian consciously threw away the knife and rushed to the door, vigorously pulling it open.
The moment he saw light, Lin Chen walked in front of the table and flipped over a card. The card was covered with dazzling golden sunlight.
Sun 10.
Pass, kill.
“Li Jingtian, remember to run faster,” Lin Chen said softly.
Kinky Thoughts:
This is probably my favorite chapter of this novel.
The moment Li Jingtian opened the door, he almost thought he was hallucinating.
He never thought he would see Lin Chen again in this way.
The ambient light in the attic was extremely dim. The small chandelier on the ceiling shook gently when the door was pushed open. Someone was sitting under the small chandelier, reclining on a dark brown chair. Li Jingtian looked at the person sitting under the chandelier and didn’t immediately react to the danger.
The reason was probably because Lin Chen’s reclining chair looked too peaceful, or perhaps it was because Lin Chen rarely wore glasses. The slender, black frame was really suitable on him. Coupled with the warm yellow light and his movements of lowering his head and flipping through some documents, this made Li Jingtian suddenly feel an impulse.
Of course, he was always impulsive, but he was also good at restraining them, so he was extremely vigilant after entering the room. He didn’t immediately slam the door and leave or say anything rude, leaving himself in a passive situation.
After all, he was a professional singer, and the habits of maintaining a good demeanor were already seared deep into his bones.
He looked around and quickly noticed that four professional 4K high-definition cameras were set up at the top of the four corners of the room. The cameras were lit up in red, indicating that they were working.
Li Jingtian inadvertently looked at the window again, only to realize that the window of the attack was covered by a professional studio black veil, in order to create a subtle atmosphere, regardless of day or night.
Although it wasn’t clear what Lin Chen was doing, all the atmosphere showed that he had just stepped into a trap. Li Jingtian smiled. Fortunately, he still maintained his good tongue and actions just now, having been born the son of a noble family and was a famous singer.
“Consultant Lin, I didn’t expect we would meet again in this way. I thought you wouldn’t come.” He stood by the door but didn’t close it as he greeted Lin Chen in an amicable tone.
“Oh, that’s just because you haven’t thought about it.” Lin Chen was still staring at the paper in his hand and responded without even raising his head.
“Consultant Lin, you’re really so aggressive toward me,” Li Jingtian said with emotion. He looked at Lin Chen’s slender neck, which was exposed when he lowered it to read. His skin was fair and delicate, like fine China, making him wonder what it would taste like if he took a bite.
Li Jingtian swallowed carefully and became more vigilant because of his instinct.
Although Lin Chen was pretending to be a seductive prey, he knew better than anyone else what kind of experienced hunter his opponent was; steady and precise. Once he locked onto a target, he would never let go of the trigger.
Li Jingtian glanced at Lin Chen’s calm face again, feeling more creeped out. He realized that his best choice now was to leave immediately—at least not step into this room—but when he was thinking this, Lin Chen raised his head.
“Please close the door, Mr. Li Jingtian,” Lin Chen said in an imperative tone.
Li Jingtian laughed instead and asked, “Are you restricting my personal freedom?”
Lin Chen shook his head. He pointed to the corners of the room as he spoke in a voice that was as calm as water. “As you can see, there are four high-definition cameras mounted in the four corners of this room. These four cameras belong to Yongchuan Satellite TV, Central News, CATV, and MeTube, the world’s four largest media stations. Now, these four media giants will broadcast the entire process of my conversation with you, so you can make a conservative estimate of how many people are watching your conversation with me… If you don’t want to look too guilty, then say hello to our audience friends in front of the TV first.”
Following Lin Chen’s words, Li Jingtian raised his eyes and looked at the four cameras. The space was filled with a buzzing sound from the cameras. His back was cold, and he could only feel the four cameras suddenly turning into countless empty eyes, staring at him at this moment.
He understood that Lin Chen was intimidating him to increase his psychological pressure, but he couldn’t move his feet because of these words.
The live broadcast, countless viewers, and the caring eyes of hundreds of millions of stars were all temptations that he couldn’t refuse.
He thought for a while, then turned his head and asked Lin Chen, “Conversation? In fact, isn’t it more appropriate for you to say interrogation? First of all, I don’t know what crime I have committed and need to be interrogated by the Chinese police. Secondly, since it’s an interrogation without any formal procedures, naturally I can refuse, no?”
“Of course you can refuse, but you should know first of all, it’s difficult for a person like you to find a better opportunity to be watched by the public in this lifetime… Secondly, let me remind you that if you turn around and leave, this behavior will be very suspicious in the eyes of the audience. I advise you not to do this,” Lin Chen said calmly.
Li Jingtian looked at the four corners of the room again. He knew better than anyone else that when he walked into the room, there was no chance of escape.
With a long sigh, he walked up to Lin Chen helplessly and sat down on the stool opposite him.
“Consultant Lin, you can ask anything you want, but I have a plane to catch, so I hope you can complete the interrogation as soon as possible.”
“I understand.” Lin Chen nodded, then fell silent.
For the first time, Li Jingtian felt the silence was a bit uncomfortable. He discovered that he was feeling uneasy because he was sitting on a small square stool that was extremely uncomfortable, whereas Lin Chen was sitting comfortably with his legs crossed on a chair with a backrest. The distance between them was also awkward. They were about two meters apart—a distance that wasn’t too short nor too far, and there was nothing in the middle. The feeling of facing each other was extremely nerve-wracking.
“That half an hour was hard just now, right?” Lin Chen suddenly asked him.
Li Jingtian’s heart skipped a beat. He suddenly felt he had fallen into Lin Chen’s trap again, but he had to pretend to answer calmly. “Actually, it wasn’t. I was simply packing my luggage and felt that time passed by quickly.”
“Didn’t you just remind me you have a plane to catch and for me not to delay you too long?” Lin Chen paused, then continued, “In fact, you can bluntly tell me what you’re thinking. If you’re too pedantic, the audience will think you’re being hypocritical.”
Li Jingtian had never met such a person as Lin Chen. He adjusted his thoughts, leaned forward slightly, and said, “It’s a bit embarrassing to be guessed by you. If you can be considerate of my eagerness to go home, that would be great.”
“I understand.” Lin Chen nodded. Then, to Li Jingtian’s great surprise, Lin Chen actually clapped his hands.
The crisp sound of clapping echoed in the attic.
The next thing he knew, the door behind him creaked open.
Li Jingtian suddenly turned his head and saw that the wooden door of the attic was violently pushed open, and two people walked into the room carrying a long table.
Li Jingtian recognized one of them. It was Shen Chenggong, the embassy military attaché responsible for protecting him during this trip.
Shen Chenggong looked at him with cold eyes full of anger. Li Jingtian didn’t know what tricks Lin Chen had used to make him follow his orders, but this scene gave him intense psychological pressure. This was probably another one of Lin Chen’s tricks.
However, Li Jingtian thought mockingly that even if it was, it didn’t matter. No matter what, the initiative was in his hands, and it was impossible for Lin Chen to get anything out of him in a short conversation.
More importantly, Li Jingtian felt that after sitting face-to-face with Lin Chen for a while, he had gradually calmed down. He thought that Lin Chen was right. Thinking of the millions of eyes watching him, he actually had a crepey sense of excitement.
It could be said that the person who knows you best will always be your nemesis.
He looked up at the quiet psychologist opposite him and felt that he was about to fall in love with Lin Chen.
……
The old man who lived in the Li mansion in the capital of Xinni was also stimulated.
But his kind of stimulation wasn’t due to excitement, but because of tension. Looking at the picture of his grandson sitting opposite of the Hongjing policeman, Mr. Li felt that his blood vessels were about to burst.
He called Ambassador Luo Qiusheng’s number for the third time; his fingers trembling with anger.
Several long waiting sounds passed, and this time, the phone finally connected.
The moment it was connected, Mr. Li yelled into the phone with all his might, “Luo Qiusheng, are you crazy? Why is Jingtian in that room? You let him out. You must let him out right away!”
“Sorry Mr. Li. I can’t do it,” Luo Qiusheng replied calmly.
“You are selling out our country. You’re trampling on the dignity of our country!”
Mr. Li, who was far away in the Xinni Capital, threw his cane hard at the living room clock. The clock rang as glass shattered. The loud noise echoed in the empty hall, making people dizzy.
The servants were all silent. Mr. Li restrained his urge to smash the phone. He took a deep breath and threatened in a very calm tone, “Luo Qiusheng, don’t forget who has supported you and brought you to the position you’re in now. How dare you say that to me? You can’t do it?”
“It’s you,” Ambassador Luo replied humbly. “You have always been kind to me.”
“You recognize my kindness? Yet you’re repaying me with this? That is my only grandson of the Li family. Why don’t you just come to my doorstep and stab this old man to death? Isn’t that more straightforward?”
Ambassador Luo stood by the window and moved the phone away from his ear.
Although the old man who went crazy for the sake of his future generation still remembered his status, he left all righteousness and benevolence behind. Mr. Ambassador rarely showed a mocking look on his face and said bluntly, “I’m really sorry, Mr. Li, but I can’t refuse because the ‘door’ is open.”
After Luo Qiusheng finished speaking, there was a long pause on the phone. Luo Qiusheng even suspected that Mr. Li might have had a heart attack because his breathing had become stagnant.
Thinking of this, the mock on his lips became more intense. He felt that overwhelming others wasn’t too bad.
After a while, the old man began to question him with the same tone as if what he said was a joke. “Luo Qiusheng, you don’t need to find such an excuse to prevaricate with an old man. Not to mention that my grandson was falsely accused of raping a Chinese, if Jingtian really killed her, the door wouldn’t open because of some small incident the size of a bean!”
“But the door really is open,” Ambassador Luo Qiusheng rebutted calmly.
The other end of the line fell silent again. Mr. Li thought for a while and finally seemed to make up his mind. He said solemnly, “I want to talk to the ‘knocker’!”
On the other end of the phone, Ambassador Luo Qiusheng looked at the man standing in front of him but didn’t immediately agree to Li Lao’s request.
However, the other party had guessed what he was thinking. Not only did he look away from the screen, but he also stretched out his hand towards him.
Hearing the breathing sound at the other end of the line becoming quieter, Mr. Lu used honorifics for the first time in the countless calls he made today. “Hello.”
But the person on the other end of the phone didn’t respond. Not even the rhythm of his breathing changed. Perceiving that the other party might hang up in the next moment, Mr. Li made up his mind and hurriedly said, “I don’t care who you are, but please believe me that Jingtian has really been wronged. Please let him go. As long as you let him go, it’ll be a great favor to our Li family. If you make a condition, I will accept it. Anything can be discussed. All of it can be negotiated!”
The old man’s tone became more anxious, until the person on the other end of the line finally responded.
“Mr. Li, what did I just say?”
“You… You didn’t say anything,” the old man said humbly.
“Since I didn’t say anything, why do you think there’s room for negotiations between us?”
“What do you want? No matter what, name the price!”
There was no sadness or joy in the man’s face—no contempt, ridicule, or emotions.
He said, “First of all, there are really not many people in this world who are qualified to bargain with me. You obviously don’t belong in that category.” As he spoke, he looked down at the people sitting on either side of the long table on the screen. Looking from the surveillance camera, they both had calm faces under the dim chandelier light, giving off a mysterious feeling.
And his existence was just to prop up some possibilities.
“Please!”
Hearing this, he said to the old man on the other end, “And you should know, in fact, if I want to deal with Li Jingtian, there are many ways to make his life worse than death, but now, I have chosen the most upright method. You should be happy.”
After saying this, the man moved the phone away from his ear and casually hung up.
……
The attic was dim but calm.
There were some things on the long table that had been newly moved into the room.
From left to right, there was a clock, a deck of cards, and a square wooden box.
The wooden door was shut again as the personnel retreated.
Lin Chen put his hand on the wooden table, picked up the deck of playing cards, and pushed it face up and sideways.
Like facing an old friend, he casually said to Li Jingtian, “I have always liked Xinni’s cards. Although it’s not much different from the cards that are common all over the world, I always think that the design of Xinni cards is very interesting, and people can’t help but delve into its meaning.”
Lin Chen drew out five cards at random, as if showing them inadvertently, and continued, “I once flipped through a research book on Xinni cards. It’s said that the designer of Xinni cards was to commemorate the Red Sun War, so he designed five different suits, among which ‘house’ symbolizes homeland, ‘people’ symbolizes the warriors, ‘bird’ symbolizes freedom, ‘sun’ symbolizes victory, and ‘flower’ symbolizes heroic spirit. This kind of symbolism is something I have never seen in gambling systems in other countries.”
“Consultant Lin, since you took cards out, do you want to gamble with me?” Li Jingtian interrupted.
Lin Chen acted as if he didn’t hear Li Jingtian’s question. He put the five cards of different suits back into the deck, then began to shuffle the deck. “And I heard that in Xinni’s underground bars, they play cards in a very interesting way. This kind of card game was born out of the most primitive way of betting, and influenced by the bar’s quick knife and finger game, and evolved into what it is now.”
As Lin Chen spoke, he knocked on the table and asked Li Jingtian, “What suit do you like best? Just pick one.”
Li Jingtian was taken aback, as if he suspected there was something hidden in this question. After careful consideration, he finally answered, “Sun.”
Lin Chen laid out the deck again and took a golden sun ace out of the pile. “This game is very simple. It’s mainly about luck. Both sides will draw one from the ten inverted cards from 1-10. The person who draws the highest number wins. Of course, the game of pure ratio is a little stupid, but the interesting thing about this game is the bet. The winner of each round may ask the loser any questions. The game stipulates that the loser must answer truthfully. If you really don’t want to answer, you can cut yourself with a knife to show your determination.”
Lin Chen opened the wooden box on the table with his other hand.
A short knife lay quietly inside, against the backdrop of black velvet. The blade of the dagger shone with dazzling silver light.
Li Jingtian laughed. He could hardly restrain the corners of his mouth, but he had to maintain an innocent attitude. “This game is too dangerous for you. We can play a match, but can we not bet?”
“As long as you’re willing to tell the truth, this game isn’t dangerous at all.”
Li Jingtian shook his head, as if he felt Lin Chen’s proposal was too outrageous. “But how can we tell if the other party is answering truthfully?”
“It’s simple. All the viewers in front of the TV and computer can help us check.”
Li Jingtian almost burst out laughing. He pushed away the wooden stool and stood up and said in an apologetic tone, “Although I think this game is quite interesting, I do have a plane to catch so I can’t accompany you. If possible, Consultant Lin is welcome to come to Xinni one day, and I will entertain you.”
“Oh, I know you have a plane to catch. Your flight takes off at 15:30. Suppose you need to go through security checks 40 minutes in advance, plus the time to reach the airport from the Xinni Embassy—it’s estimated that if you leave the embassy at 14:00, you can still catch your flight.”
“But it’s almost time now.” Li Jingtian tapped on his watch, looking helpless.
“Well, there’s still a quarter of an hour left, which is enough for five rounds. Whoever wins three out of five matches wins.” Lin Chen picked up the clock on the table, twisted it, and set the timer for fifteen minutes.
His gesture was irresistible. The ticking of the old-fashioned alarm clock immediately began to echo through the room.
Li Jingtian turned his head slowly, staring at the clock on the table. His expression changed instantly.
Lin Chen said, “Come back. The door is locked, and it won’t open until fifteen minutes later.” He looked at Li Jingtian and dragged his tone as he said, “Of course you can choose not to play, but the audience in front of their TVs will definitely be very disappointed…”
The Jeep drove through Wutong Avenue and turned into an alley.
The alley could only accommodate two cars at most. Central air-conditioning units of the surrounding buildings hung on either side of the alley, making it even narrower.
Lin Chen looked out the window and could see the iconic main building of the Xinni Embassy from a distance. From the route, they had roughly entered the living area behind the embassy.
Sewage was flowing, with discarded newspapers occasionally flying in the air. There were scattered cast iron parts thrown on the ground at random. Besides the air conditioners, the most common thing in the alley were doors.
Those were side doors in various sizes and different national styles.
They stood on both sides of the alley. Sometimes there would be people sitting by the door, and sometimes it was empty. Most doors were closed, while those that were open looked as if there was a bottomless void inside them.
Xing Conglian finally stopped at a random door.
It was an ochre-colored iron door that opened to a dark green wall. There was an old man smoking a cigarette in the concierge’s position. The old man was dressed in an ordinary yellow-gray plaid shirt, and he was wearing a hat that didn’t match his shirt.
Xing Conglian unbuckled his seatbelt. He looked back at the people in the car and said, “Professor Fu, I have to trouble you to drive Mr. Lu to a coffee shop to rest later.”
After he finished speaking, he picked up the cigarette case and his phone, then got out of the car.
Wang Chao began to pack up his backpack without saying a word. Fu Hao looked at Lu Xu in disbelief and finally asked, “Shi… Shixiong… I always think you’re brave and righteous. If you don’t come out in two hours, should I call the police?”
Fu Hao started rambling, but Lin Chen only said to him, “Be good.”
After speaking, he and Wang Chao nodded and opened the car door, respectively.
When they got out of the car, Xing Conglian had already walked to the edge of the ochre-iron gate. Half of his body was obscured by the shadow from the concierge’s awning.
Xing Conglian knocked on the window. The old man in the concierge’s office glanced at him impatiently, as if he were evaluating whether it was worth opening the window to let the air conditioning out.
Before the old man could make up his mind, Xing Conglian had already casually opened the window. The old man became irritated due to the influx of heat and slammed down a cigarette pack. Lin Chen thought the old man was going to curse, but he didn’t.
The old man pressed the brim of his hat, put his thumb and index finger together, and rubbed them lightly.
Lin Chen was stunned for a moment because he also saw Xing Conglian do a similar action before.
This was an obvious way of asking for money. Lin Chen estimated that the asking price from the concierge wouldn’t be low. The next moment, just when Lin Chen thought Xing Conglian would take some membership cards out of his pocket, Xing Conglian only took out a pack of cigarettes.
The half-removed plastic packaging was still wrapped around the pack, which was the pack Xing Conglian had just bought.
Xing Conglian opened the cigarette pack, took out a slender cigarette from the inside, and casually threw it at the window.
The old man frowned and picked up the cigarette nervously. He held the cigarette filter with his rough, callused fingers and turned it clockwise for half a circle. As if it were inlaid with a silver edge, there was a subtle gleam between the filter and the rest of the cigarette, like it was a high-end cigarette adorned with decorations.
Under the sun, when the old man turned the cigarette to a specific location, he turned it counterclockwise in half a circle. As if some special magic was activated, the old man put down the cigarette and looked up again, with a completely different expression from before.
“I haven’t smoked such a fine cigarette for a long time.” The old man opened a drawer, took out a lighter, and lit the cigarette. After taking a puff, he asked, “What are your requirements?”
At that moment, determination and perseverance shown in the old man’s eyes.
Xing Conglian gave a sideways glance at the iron gate and casually said, “I heard that Mellonella is eating and just waiting to die at your place, so bring him to see me.”
……
Lin Chen knew Xing Conglian had secrets from the start, but that didn’t mean they would involve some confidential events beyond his comprehension.
Just now, Xing Conglian had used a menthol cigarette that was priced at 5 yuan to successfully break through the heavy guards of the Xinni Embassy. If normal logic were to be used, it would take several years to complete such a task. Ten calls from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and consultations of various levels, not to mention that they were probably the number one target of the Xinni Embassy right now. But Xing Conglian managed to lead them into the corridors of the Xinni embassy with only a single menthol cigarette.
The area was surrounded by tall and dense subtropical plants with lush vines.
After the old man opened the iron door for them, he sat back in his place again. He didn’t even forget to close the small concierge window, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Chen recalled the scene when the old man sat back in his seat and picked up the phone. He felt that whatever secrets were involved, they might be more incredible than he had thought.
For example, he just barely managed to search for the word Xing Conglian had said in English, and found it should be a code name, which originally referred to a moth with excellent hearing*.
*Clarity: Mellonella is a moth found throughout the world. Males are able to generate ultrasonic sound pulses, which, along with pheromones, are used in mating. They are equipped with a sensitive tympanic hearing organ that allows them to perceive high frequency sounds.
As another example, after they entered the Xinni Embassy, Xing Conglian acted like he was the owner of the entire embassy, leading them to an office on the ground floor.
It was more appropriate to describe this office as more of a cellar. It was surrounded by hard lead plates. The biggest role of lead used as a metal for protection, was to isolate radiation. The reason Lin Chen was able to judge this was because when he walked into the room, Wang Chao let out a cry from behind, indicating that all his communication tools had lost signal.
It was also cold all around, revealing a kind of absolute chill. The air smelled like metal from the lead plates, and because the metal layer was so thick, there was no sound in the surrounding area.
This place was like a secret room that every spy novel would have. The moment they walked into the room, the iron door automatically locked and closed.
Lin Chen sat crossed-legged against the corner of the wall. Xing Conglian walked to him and sat down with him.
“Captain Xing,” Lin Chen said lightly.
“Consultant Lin.”
Xing Conglian took out another cigarette and lit it in front of him.
“May I ask a question?”
“Of course, you can always ask me anything.”
Xing Conglian stared at him with dark green eyes, without any concealment.
But Lin Chen still chose a less poignant question. “What is Mellonella?”
“At the Ridan Peace Conference 15 years ago, there was a very famous eavesdropping expert who reversed the entire peace talks by himself. The codename of that eavesdropper was Mellonella.”
“How did he do it?”
“At the time, all heads of state participating in the Three Rivers Basin stayed at the central hotel in Ridan to negotiate a ceasefire agreement. In fact, this isn’t a secret. Before the opening of important international meetings, the intelligence agencies of various countries would carry out intense espionage activities. After all, at the international negotiating table, everyone hopes to be a roundworm in the stomach of the other party, knowing exactly what they want and thus being able to take the initiative in the actual negotiation process. At the time, spies from Xinni sent an eavesdropping expert named Mellonella to eavesdrop in the hotel rooms where the president of Fuxuli was staying.”
“Quite amazing, no?”
“Through some method, Mellonella managed to infiltrate the room for a full 48 hours. He used his brain to record all the sound details of the Fuxuli president’s room, such as which floor would make a sound or when the wind blew on the curtains. Not only that, he also recorded the sound frequency. At night, in the pitch-black room, he tried not to make any sound as he walked around the room.”
“Like a bat.”
“No, he’s Mellonella. They have sharper hearing than bats.”
“What happened after?”
“You see, in fact, for spies, installing bugs in hotels isn’t for eavesdropping on intelligence, because national leaders wouldn’t be stupid enough to talk about state secrets in a hotel. Their purpose is to eavesdrop on something else, like some trivial information from scraps, and hope to infer the mood or physical condition of the people attending the summit.”
“Physical condition?”
“Yes… Very coincidentally and fortunately, on the night of the third day of the talks, Mellonella discovered the breathing rate of the Fuxuli’s president had a small change when he was asleep, which was almost undetectable. The change was probably caused by the change in climate, but Mellonella didn’t let this go. He reported it to his superiors, and finally, Xinni passed this message along to the Fuxuli’s intelligence agency in a clever way. From this, they were able to find a small dose of chronic poison in the president of Fuxuli…”
“Someone wanted to kill him and ruin the peace talks process?”
Xing Conglian took a puff and exhaled a ring of smoke. “Incredible, right?”
Lin Chen thought for a moment and said, “So, are you bringing me to find this real expert in soundprint identification?”
“He’s not an expert. He’s a genius.”
The heavy lead door was pushed open forcefully. The hinges creaked, accompanied by brisk footsteps that eventually came to a heavy halt.
Lin Chen’s gaze fell on the visitor’s feet, then slowly moved upwards. From the black leather shoes to the black trousers and then the black sunglasses, his gaze finally fell on the visitor’s face. After being as stiff as the other person for a few seconds, he slowly turned his head to Xing Conglian and said, “This is the genius you mentioned?”
Xing Conglian was stunned until the cigarette burned his finger. He grimaced and shook off the cigarette butt and asked tentatively, “Mellonella?”
The other party had a depressed expression. He stood at the door and thought for a while, then turned around and left.
“Shen Chenggong, stop!” Xing Conglian shouted.
……
Although Shen Chenggong didn’t like Li Jingtian, he never thought he would become a key figure in convicting a noble son of a diplomatic family.
He looked at the Hongjing policeman in front of him, who had beaten him mercilessly, and reluctantly sat down in the cold cellar. He didn’t know how this policeman found his true identity. After all, this kind of thing had never been recorded in any file, but obviously, he had no right to refuse anyone who walked in through that door.
“I want you to distinguish whether the victim’s screams are really included in Illi’s famous single.”
A laptop computer was spread out in front of him.
Shen Chenggong looked up at the laptop in front of him, knocked on the metal case, and said angrily, “In public? At least give me a pair of headphones, captain.”
Well, since he had beaten Shen Chenggong mercilessly, Xing Conglian could only politely say, “Sorry, it was our negligence.”
Wang Chao quickly pulled out some headphones from his backpack, knelt on the ground, and tried to plug it in.
Shen Chenggong immediately made the same gesture to Wang Chao. He said depressingly, “Please don’t be so polite to me. It’s creeping me out. Why don’t you just beat me up again to vent your anger?”
“This is important.” Xing Conglian nodded to Wang Chao, who clicked on the video of Song Shengsheng’s interview.
“The victim’s name is Song Shengsheng, who was once a very famous singer in our country. We believe Li Jingtian sexually assaulted him, recorded his screams, and included them in his album. Time is running out, so we can only ask you to help confirm whether our speculation is true.”
Xing Conglian spoke solemnly.
Shen Chenggong was shocked when he heard this. He pondered for a moment and said, “Okay, let me hear it. But first, let me explain. You can’t force me to give a false testimony.”
“Please rest assured. This is the biggest difference between us and Li Jingtian.”
With this guarantee, Shen Chenggong didn’t hesitate to plug in the headphones and click on the two pieces of audio.
……
The expression on Mellonella’s face changed from suspicion to solemnity. Finally, the moment he turned off the audio and put down the headphones, his expression was already the same as when he heard the frequency change of the middle-aged president of Fuxuli. He reported his findings in an extremely calm and sober tone. “Captain Xing, if you believe my judgment, then I’m pretty sure Song Shengsheng’s screams were mixed in Illi’s famous single, and I’m even more sure that it should be a whole cry that was cut into 15 parts and mixed into the climax of the song. The screams contained the breathing sounds of two people, so I suspect your speculation isn’t wrong. It is indeed possible that Song Shengsheng’s screaming was recorded during the sexual assault.”
Shen Chenggong worded it carefully. He didn’t even mention Li Jingtian at all.
Their heavy breathing echoed in the heavy isolation room.
Finally, Shen Chenggong yanked up his headphones and smashed them to the ground. He turned around and grabbed Xing Conglian’s collar and said gratingly, “I don’t care who you are or what your identity is, but since you can walk in here, you must have the ability to bring Li Jingtian, that beast, to justice, so please!”
After Shen Chenggong finished speaking, he bowed to Xing Conglian respectfully.
There was no sadness or joy in Xing Conglian’s face. Lin Chen saw him turn his head, looked at him deeply, and said to Shen Chenggong, “It’s not me who can bring Li Jingtian to justice. You should bow to him.”
Shen Chenggong looked at Lin Chen hesitantly. Lin Chen shook his head. “I’m not too sure.”
“What do you need?” Xing Conglian asked.
“I need to get Li Jingtian to confess.”
Xing Conglian quickly realized what he wanted to do, so he said, “If it’s secretly recorded evidence of your private conversation with Li Jingtian, it can’t be used in court.”
“Yes, so I need a room, four high-definition broadcast cameras, and of course, Li Jingtian himself.”
……
It should be said that the embassies of various countries abroad always assume the heavy responsibility of foreign exchange. They often held various press conferences in the embassies, but even so, no sovereign country had ever opened its embassies to the judicial departments of other countries as an interrogation room, let alone broadcast the entire interrogation process nationwide.
So when Ambassador Luo Qiusheng received this request, his first reaction was to prevaricate. No matter how much he disliked Li Lao’s style, the old man wasn’t wrong. If he allowed this to happen in the embassy, he would never advance in parliament or have any opportunities for further career advancement.
But sometimes, people had to face difficult choices.
Luo Qiusheng looked out the window at the demonstrators, who were about to disperse. As long as he shook his head now, all disputes would disappear in two hours. But unfortunately, diplomacy itself was a game, and the winner was the one with the biggest chips.
Luo Qiusheng pondered for a moment, shook his head in distress, and said to his secretary, “Does the other party have any other requirements?”
“The other party needs us to invite Li Jingtian into that room, Mr. Ambassador.”
“I understand.” Luo Qiusheng pushed aside his chair and stood up from behind his desk.
“Sir?”
“Since they ask for this, then I must personally handle this matter.”
……
The moment the live TV screen came on, Mr. Li, who was far away in the capital of Xinni, couldn’t believe his eyes.
He looked at the black room on the TV screen. As an old man who worked for the Xinni Embassy in China for many years, he recognized the location of that room instantly.
It was the attic on the fourth floor of the embassy dorm area, which was just above the room where his grandson was staying now.
In the attic, a chandelier hung in the middle of the room. Dim light spread out in a complete circle, illuminating the floor.
Two simple wooden chairs were placed under the lamp; one had a backrest, and the other was a simple square stool. They were placed opposite each other. Apart from that, there was nothing else in the room.
The anchor of the Xinni TV station broadcast the report in a calm tone. “In response to many controversies caused by our citizens, the Chinese police have decided to adopt a live broadcast method to broadcast the interrogation process of Mr. Li Jingtian to the entire country. There are still five minutes left before the formal interrogation will begin.”
Mr. Li trembled and dialed the number of Mr. Luo Qiusheng, the ambassador of Xinni to China.
The long, ringing tone coming from the receiver made the old man’s hand gradually tremble.
The reason why Ambassador Luo didn’t answer the phone immediately was because he was preoccupied with an important matter.
He walked on the red steps inside the embassy, and behind him followed the initiator of this series of events.
“Uncle Luo, where are we going?”
Li Jingtian suddenly had a very bad premonition in his heart. He almost wanted to flee downstairs immediately.
But when Mr. Ambassador stepped on the last step, he suddenly turned his head and stared at him with an indifferent gaze, which made him dare not make any movements.
“We?” Mr. Ambassador pointed to the dark, red wooden door with the same floor color as the steps. “There is no we, only you.”
The conversation between Lin Chen and Li Jingtian at the press conference was brief, but the information it disclosed was rich in layers. This kind of plot was like a TV series that had exploded one after another. The reporters and the media were going crazy with joy. After all, this kind of police confrontation with a singer was actually far more exciting than any TV series.
But in reality, there weren’t many people who were really excited, because countless people were experiencing the pressure of that hour.
Li Jingtian’s fans almost stopped their work. While frantically refreshing WeChat and Weibo to get the latest developments, they released various support messages for their idol through the media. And there was a resurgence of people who didn’t like Li Jingtian. They launched a scolding war with Li Jingtian’s fans with a resolute attitude.
In the torrent of public opinion, everyone felt that what they said was deafening enough, as if it could really turn things around.
Among all the tense, excited, and crazy people, the one who felt the most pressure right now was, naturally, Mr. Li Jingtian.
As soon as the call was over, he was escorted back to his guest room on the third floor by the embassy staff. Looking out the window from his perspective, he could only see a pool of swimming fish and a few stalks of bamboo. The place was so clear that he couldn’t hear the voices of the people surrounding the embassy.
But he felt that every corner of the room was full of people. The slogans of those fans and the broadcasts of reporters kept echoing in his ears. He could hardly restrain his desire to drag up a chair and smash everything in the room to pieces, but he knew he couldn’t do that. On the way back, he clearly noticed a change in the way the embassy staff looked at him.
Those eyes had changed from sympathy to disdain and suspicion. With just a few words, Lin Chen had turned him into a criminal suspect again. He didn’t even need evidence to destroy the image he had worked so hard to build.
Lin Chen… Truly, he was amazing.
Li Jingtian bit his fingers hard until the strong taste of blood appeared in his mouth. He was finally able to suppress the voices in his ears.
He looked out the window again. Although he knew in his heart that Lin Chen couldn’t get past the heavy guards, let alone arrest a protected distinguished foreign guest in another country’s embassy, he couldn’t stop the panic in his heart. He stood up abruptly and took out his phone.
Xing Conglian’s phone suddenly rang. At that time, they had just gotten into the Jeep and were about to set off for Yongchuan.
Because the ringtone was special, he could already tell who was calling before the call was connected. Without hesitation, he pried the phone away from his ears. Lin Chen heard the old director’s furious voice sputtering out of the speaker.
“Xing Conglian, are you fucking crazy? You made such a big mess for laozi!” the old director, who only liked to drink tea and walk birds*, roared.
*Activity where you literally take your birds out for a walk. It’s generally associated with the elderly.
Xing Conglian said, “Chief, isn’t this the proper procedure for handling a case?”
“Due process? You made our entire group appear all over the news at noon!”
Xing Conglian protested, “This is the oppression of public opinion on our front-line police officers!”
“Oppression my ass! So it’s fine for you to oppress others?!”
Xing Conglian held the phone further away. Lin Chen took it from him and said softly, “Director Wu.”
“Let me speak to Xing Conglian!” The old man was enraged. No matter what he says, it wouldn’t matter.
Lin Chen lowered the volume to its lowest setting and bitterly handed the phone back to Xing Conglian.
“Give me the bottom line, Captain Xing!” The old director’s voice suddenly became serious. “What do you want to do next, and do you need me to do something?”
Lin Chen was a little moved. He knew well that the old director didn’t make this call to rebuke them, but he really wanted to help. If they wanted to break into the Xinni Embassy, it would inevitably involve a series of complex diplomatic consultations and could even lead to a diplomatic dispute. All those who wanted to help could be under extraordinary pressure. Given his position, he was well aware of the challenges, but he still called them without hesitation.
Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian.
He couldn’t see any emotion on the captain of the criminal police division’s face. Xing Conglian opened a cigarette pack and glanced at it, then said, “I… I want to buy a pack of cigarettes. Can you transfer me some money through Alipay, old man?”
After he finished speaking, he let the old director roar for a bit, then hung up.
……
Of course, the old director wasn’t the only one who was mad. Mr. Li, who was far away in Xinni, was also on the verge of panic.
Everyone in the Li family knew that although the old man had a really bad temper, he always showed a trace of the demeanor of a master of the family outwardly. For example, when scolding, the old man would only say a few sarcastic comments at most. Rarely was he so angry that he would smash things.
But just now, after the old man received a call from the young master, he directly dropped off a custom-made tea set by Gu Jingzhou*.
*A famous ceramic artist from China who specializes in teapots. His works are highly valued and can sell for as much as $2 million USD.
They didn’t know what the young master said on the other end, but the old man’s expression was both distressed and angry. He hung up the phone and directly dialed the number for the current Xinni ambassador to China.
At this time, the servants were awed. After all, not everyone in the country could scold Mr. Ambassador bloody.
The old man shouted, “Luo Qiusheng, I don’t care what you are thinking, but today, you dare let people humiliate the citizens of our country in public. Have you abandoned your duties? Whether you intended it or not, you have lost face for our country!”
After a while, Mr. Ambassador seemed to have promised something, as Mr. Li’s anger finally subsided. He lowered his voice and said slowly, “Qiusheng, it’s not that I’m selfish. I’m really doing it for your own good. Think about it. If you really cause any serious diplomatic disputes due to your improper handling, it’s not just you who will suffer. With this stain, it will be very difficult for you to make further progress in your future career…”
Hearing this, Mr. Ambassador looked at the bustling crowd outside the embassy and said calmly, “Li Lao, please advise me?”
“What advice can an old man give, but since it has come to this, if I were you, I wouldn’t let the two Hongjing policemen have the opportunity to step into the embassy gate. As long as they don’t meet, when Jingtian returns to the country, you’ll be clear of any faults. It shouldn’t be difficult to do this, right?”
“I understand.”
Mr. Ambassador hung up the phone and looked at the secretary standing at his desk silently.
“Sir?” the secretary said with concern.
“Is there any movement from China?”
“No.”
“What do you mean no?”
“The China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hasn’t consulted with us yet. The Hongjing Police haven’t submitted any applications. Could it be that the police are just bluffing?”
Mr. Ambassador pondered for a moment, then slowly said, “Let’s wait and see what happens.”
Although Mr. Ambassador did not issue any direct orders, Fu Hao, who was standing at the Xinni Embassy’s gates, noticed that the security personnel guarding outside had been doubled.
Su Fengzi, who was “invited” in, hadn’t come out yet. He anxiously held his phone, but he didn’t know who to call.
His shixiong just said that he would be there in half an hour, so he didn’t want to call him again, but now that the one-hour time limit had passed, the group of fans around the embassy gate were getting crazy, as if they had turned into maniacs.
The sun was scorching hot at noon. Reporters squatted on the side of the road in groups of two and three, eating their lunch. Impatient expressions had already appeared on their faces. If his shixiong did not arrive, this group of reporters would most likely be harshly critical of him.
Lin Chen was unaware of Fu Hao’s irritability. He was sitting in the front passenger seat of the Jeep. Outside the window were the iconic green reeds on the Yongchuan Freeway.
Xing Conglian had adjusted the air conditioning of the car to the lowest setting. Wang Chao and Lu Xu were sleeping in the backseat, with their heads resting against each other. Lin Chen looked away and gazed at Xing Conglian, wanting to speak, but he didn’t know what to say.
He hesitated because, during the past hour of driving, Xing Conglian hadn’t spoken once after he finished his joke with the old director.
Lin Chen wanted to ask him, “Did I cause you trouble”, or “What are you planning?”, but he thought for a second. Since this was Xing Conglian, he probably had a way, so such questions were superfluous.
Then Lin Chen realized that he just really wanted to talk to Xing Conglian.
At this moment, his phone rang softly. When he took it out, the ringing stopped.
Lin Chen looked at the number and was surprised.
While still shocked, the ringtone sounded again. Envisioning the tangled caller on the other end, Lin Chen didn’t answer.
Xing Conglian, who was driving, seemed to have guessed who was on the other end. He suddenly stretched out his hand. Looking at the arm that was outstretched to him, Lin Chen naturally handed over his phone.
Xing Conglian didn’t pick up and didn’t even bother looking at the caller ID. He casually said, “Wang Chao.”
“Here!” The teenager in the back suddenly woke up.
Xing Conglian threw the phone back at him. “Add a blacklist number for your A’Chen Gege.”
Wang Chao happily said, “I’ll take care of it!”
Seeing the tacit cooperation between these two, Lin Chen even suspected that if Wang Chao added the blacklist, Huang Ze’s number might never appear in his phone address book for the rest of his life.
……
Inspector Huang Ze was sulking because he couldn’t connect the call, while Professor Fu was squatting at the intersection two blocks away from the embassy, waiting for Xing Conglian’s iconic Jeep, which had finally arrived.
As soon as he got into the car, he shuddered from the cold air blowing into his face. He shouted anxiously, “Shixiong, what the hell is going on with Li Jingtian? Su Fengzi, that psychopath, dragged me to the gates of the embassy without saying anything. Now he’s being detained inside. What are you going to do? The armed forces of the embassy aren’t messing around. How do we get in?”
“I don’t know,” Lin Chen replied calmly.
“Then, if you can’t see Li Jingtian, are you going to publish the evidence directly on the internet?”
“There is no evidence,” Lin Chen replied calmly again.
Fu Hao had an expression that was saying “what the fuck?” on his face. He turned stiffly out the window, feeling that this world was too unreliable.
Suddenly, as if seeing something, Fu Hao leaned forward, patted Xing Conglian’s chair, and shouted, “Lao Xing, you’re going the wrong way. This isn’t the way to the embassy.”
On the side of the street were two rows of sycamores. There were no bustling crowds of people around. In early summer, when the branches and leaves were dense, the shade of the tree covered the sidewalks.
Xing Conglian slowly parked the car by a sidewalk and braked.
“Lao Xing, what are you going to do? Don’t you know that time is tight?” Fu Hao continued to question.
But at that time, Xing Conglian had already opened the door and gotten out of the car. He walked through the shade of the trees into a stall on the side of the street.
“Oh, don’t worry, Professor Fu!” Wang Chao patted Fu Hao’s back to comfort him. “Captain has a plan.”
Hearing this, Lin Chen looked towards the stall. It was an ordinary, run-down store. The shop looked dim, and there was an old lady sitting by the window.
Lin Chen raised his head and saw the sign written in large letters: [Panpan Duoyan Mart]. The red paint on the name of the store was almost invisible due to fading.
The appearance of an old mart on a street that was close to the embassy, where land was quite expensive, seemed a bit suspicious. Lin Chen read the name carefully, and found that under the name of the store, translations in six languages could vaguely be seen…
He then looked at Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian had already reached the store. The golden sunlight fell on his straight back through the gaps between the leaves.
He knocked on the glass window of the store and handed in some money. Lin Chen couldn’t hear what Xing Conglian said, but when the old lady took the money, she looked uneasy. She was staring at the banknotes for a while. Finally, the old woman took out a pack of cigarettes from the shelf and casually threw it at Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian took the cigarette, didn’t take any change, turned around, and left. The process was short, as if he deliberately took a detour just to buy a pack of cigarettes.
“Lao Xing, you really just bought cigarettes?!”
Because of this, after Xing Conglian got into the car, Fu Hao was full of complaints.
Hearing this, Xing Conglian unwrapped the plastic packaging of the cigarette case, stuffed a cigarette into his mouth, and remained silent.
Kinky Translations 