Xiao Zhang felt that wealthy people never spoke properly. There was simply no way to continue the conversation.
When the fuel gauge neared the critical zone, Xiao Zhang saw a guard booth. Perhaps due to the darkness, the booth seemed to have sprung up out of thin air, emitting a dismal white light in the desolate wilderness.
He abruptly stepped on the brakes, but the gentleman in the backseat, as if anticipating his reaction, had already held onto the handle, remaining perfectly still.
Xiao Zhang looked into the distance and saw hazy shadows of buildings merging with the darkness, making them indistinguishable. Various urban legends instantly popped into his mind, making his foot on the gas pedal tremble.
At that moment, the sound of roaring engines suddenly filled the empty plain. Xiao Zhang quickly released the gas pedal, and through the rearview mirror, he saw two trails of dust rapidly approaching. As they drew closer, he could clearly see that they were two imposing black SUVs. The taxi was sandwiched between the two heavily modified vehicles, like a thin filling in a hamburger, looking quite pitiful.
Only then did Xiao Zhang recall the mention of security levels by the gentleman in the backseat. He realized that the order of security and guards had been swapped, and the difference in severity was simply night and day. Xiao Zhang almost cursed out loud. He was just a nighttime taxi driver who stopped at a wave of the hand. He had hoped to earn some milk money for his child with this long-distance fare. Why did he have to experience this counter-terrorism operation in the middle of the night?
However, to his surprise, the two SUVs showed no intention of stopping, nor did they plan to conduct any security checks. Xiao Zhang looked left and right, feeling utterly perplexed.
Then, a soothing voice came from the backseat.
“It’s alright. Keep driving.”
Casually, his passenger said.
Xiao Zhang swallowed hard. He still felt that driving off so nonchalantly wasn’t appropriate, but when the boss speaks, you either comply or die. He forcefully stepped on the gas pedal. After he accelerated, the two security vehicles didn’t attempt to catch up. They simply followed at a distance. Xiao Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly felt a strange sense of confidence.
The next checkpoint was a guard booth, manned by heavily armed security personnel, standing upright.
Through the crossbar and illuminated by the streetlights, Xiao Zhang could clearly see a stretch of villas in the distance.
The villas had different designs and ages, some built against the mountains, others near the sea, varying in height and lacking any semblance of order. It resembled an ordinary suburban town with no distinctive features.
Just as the front of the car approached the crossbar, the bright yellow pole automatically lifted high up. They entered as if in a deserted place, without encountering any obstacles.
Xiao Zhang glanced at the rearview mirror, where the security personnel in the guard booth saluted them. The black vehicles continued to follow, like phantoms.
His courage grew, and he decided to treat it like a tour, continuing to drive forward along the road.
As they passed those buildings, he occasionally saw bronze plaques hanging on them, indicating various institutional sanatoriums or certain types of residences.
The roadside was filled with lush flowers and trees, and the scenery was serene. There were even stray cats dozing off by the road.
Xiao Zhang let out a yawn and suddenly felt a bit drowsy.
“Just stop up ahead.”
The passenger in the backseat said.
Xiao Zhang looked up and saw a building in the distance unexpectedly brightly illuminated. The main entrance was wide open, with a line of people standing at the entrance as if welcoming someone.
They had indeed stopped at the entrance of a hospital, or at least what appeared to be a sanatorium-like facility.
After the series of events they had experienced, Xiao Zhang had become numb. He smoothly pulled the car up to the entrance and stopped the meter.
The ticket machine began to clatter, and the customer in the backseat opened his wallet as if he were about to pay.
At that moment, someone opened the back door, and to Xiao Zhang’s surprise, it was the person who had come out of the black SUV that had been following them. They appeared extremely respectful. Xiao Zhang suddenly realized who exactly the so-called security personnel were protecting.
He trembled and looked out the car window. The medical staff at the entrance had also gathered around, and even a mobile bed was placed in the most suitable position.
The gentleman in the backseat didn’t say much. He emptied his wallet and handed the money to Xiao Zhang, including several one- and five-yuan bills.
“I still owe you 1,200 yuan. I’ll give it to you later. Please wait.”
After saying that, the passenger stepped out of the car and carefully placed the person he was holding onto the mobile bed.
A nurse pushed the bed, walking alongside the doctor and the gentleman as if they were discussing the patient’s condition. The security personnel followed behind.
Everything proceeded naturally, and Xiao Zhang didn’t even need to say anything. Everything was taken care of by someone else.
Xiao Zhang watched everything happening outside the car. The building appeared bright and clean, giving a very comfortable feeling. The lobby had a suspended structure, with a glass ceiling that allowed one to look up and see the stars in the sky, making him feel like he was in a dream.
When he snapped back to reality, the group of people had already entered the building in an imposing manner. Xiao Zhang tapped his forehead, glanced at the dangerously low fuel gauge, but hesitated when he saw the heavily armed security personnel at the back. He decided to wait until they left before quietly getting out of the car to ask questions.
To his surprise, someone actually turned back. Xiao Zhang rolled down the car window, and the person politely bowed, showing no trace of arrogance. They handed over the remaining unpaid fare with both hands and said, “Let me take you to refuel, this is the remaining fare, please keep it.”
Xiao Zhang was pleasantly surprised. He accepted the money, speechless for a moment. Finally, he asked a silly question, “Is that your boss? Are they very wealthy?”
……
Zhourui Building, 3 a.m.
The executive office resembled the aftermath of a bomb explosion. Every qualified Zhourui employee sitting in the office wore an expression of anger and frustration. Their faces were pale and twisted, as if they wished they could tear the man sitting at the other end of the circular conference table into pieces.
Huang Ze observed the scene, rubbed his temples, and took a sip of the black coffee on the table.
Just as he put the coffee cup down, The vice president of Zhourui slammed the table opposite him, shouting frantically and recklessly, “It’s clearly the incompetence of your police investigation, yet you want to shift all the blame onto our company! We won’t accept it! Tomorrow, there will be a press conference!”
“Well… That’s not bad.”
A leisurely tone sounded beside him. Su Fengzi opened his eyes, still half-drowsy, and continued speaking. “Your company has finally decided to confess its crimes in public. Admirable courage.”
Huang Ze glanced beside him and couldn’t help but raise his cup, focusing on his own thoughts, pretending he hadn’t heard anything. After Su Fengzi’s manipulations throughout the night, the entire Zhourui upper management had turned into a firework waiting to explode.
“Stop talking bullshit!”
As expected, the vice president of Zhourui finally crossed the line and cursed.
Su Fengzi rested his chin on one hand, pointed his index finger at the vice president of Zhourui, and waved his hand casually as he said lightly, “You’re incapable. Next, quickly explain and sign off on the Nordren matter so you can leave.”
Everyone in the office had been pushed to their mental limits. They scratched their heads and faces, trying every method to leave, but Su Fengzi didn’t relent. Even Huang Ze didn’t dare disobey this lunatic beside him.
In fact, even in moments of anger, he wouldn’t even have the thought of laying a finger on Lin Chen in Su Fengzi’s presence, subconsciously aware of the consequences.
People always bullied the weak and feared the strong.
Inspector Huang looked at the people in front of him and felt that they probably wished Lin Chen was here to reason with them.
“We really don’t know anything!”
The head of the R&D department nearly collapsed, shouting in despair.
“Don’t know what?” Su Fengzi turned his head and asked.
This was almost Su Fengzi’s favorite rhetorical question. At first, the Zhourui employees would respond to his questions, but as time went on and the same question was asked a hundred or two hundred times, this seemingly simple question became pure mental torture.
The head of the R&D department tried to open his mouth but seemed to lack the mental capacity to answer the question. He could only slump back in his chair, panting heavily.
The atmosphere became heavy once again, not because of emotions, but because it was the early hours of the morning. After an entire night of mental torture, nobody had the mental or physical capacity to deal with an interrogator who knew exactly how to make you uncomfortable.
Huang Ze glanced at Su Fengzi once again and could only massage his temples.
To be honest, after a whole night of interrogation, he finally realized that Su Fengzi had no intention of extracting any information from Zhourui Pharmaceutical. Even a novice knew that separate interrogations were the most effective, but Su Fengzi insisted on keeping everyone in the same room, using anxiety, crowded space, and repetitive and infuriating words to provoke each person. It seemed like he wanted to mentally torture these people repeatedly, rather than solve the case.
Thinking of Lin Chen being tortured in the hospital, Huang Ze understood that this was revenge.
He lowered his head and scrolled through his phone. The emotions in the room affected him, making him restless, but he forced himself to concentrate.
The Zhourui executives were like tightly closed clamshells, refusing to cooperate.
There were numerous suspicious aspects in the entire case, such as why Zhourui Pharmaceuticals didn’t discover the drug issue in the early stages, and why they spent a significant amount of manpower and resources to cover up the truth after the discovery. Why were they able to anticipate police actions and expose themselves when the investigation was approaching the truth, destroying all of Lin Chen’s previous plans?
But the most crucial question here was what Shen Lian had done with the medication and how much Zhourui Pharmaceuticals knew about the drug itself.
Under normal circumstances, they would have had plenty of time to investigate. However, the materials related to Nordren were vast and endless, and new cases were constantly emerging. The time they had to solve the case was getting shorter and shorter.
They needed to swiftly pry open the mouths of these interest groups with a sharp knife.
However… Xing Conglian had turned off his phone.
Huang Ze looked down and read the text message that had just arrived, furrowing his brows even tighter.
The officer who had just gone to Tzu Chi Hospital replied to him, stating that Xing Conglian wasn’t at the hospital, and Lin Chen’s ward was empty as well.
Huang Ze couldn’t help but grip his phone tightly and handed it to Su Fengzi.
Just then, his uncle, who hadn’t spoken the whole night, asked with an extremely concerned tone from the corner. “Nephew, why hasn’t Captain Xin arrived? Could he have fled out of fear?”
The vice president next to him, like an uncontrollable mad dog, stood up and slammed the table. “Yes, why don’t you go and ask that corrupt cop who took the bribe what he really knows!”
Huang Ze’s heart trembled. Hearing such implications at this time wasn’t a good sign. But on the other hand, he was deeply disappointed. Even at this stage of the development, this family company, this building, almost everyone here was still trying to shift the focus by smearing the police, in a desperate and frantic struggle…
Huang Ze had no doubt that after dawn, all the morning news would push the Xing Conglian bribery case to a climax. When faced with a tainted police officer, the public’s hatred was always greater.
He lowered his gaze, almost unable to contain the anger in his heart.
Just then, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Su Fengzi handing the phone back to him, casually crossing his legs, and saying to the middle-aged man in the corner, “You better not seek death. I’ve been so gentle in chatting with you. You should cherish it.” He smiled; his tone leisurely as he pondered. “If he arrives, you will certainly have no way out. That would be terrifying.”
The Chairman of Zhourui Pharmaceutical paused for a moment, feeling that Su Fengzi was exaggerating the consequences of Xing Conglian’s arrival with such words. He responded with a half-mocking tone, disdainfully saying, “Is that so? Then I’ll be here, eagerly awaiting Captain Xing’s grand entrance.”
Lin Chen lay on the hospital bed, seemingly deep asleep or in a semi-comatose state.
Xing Conglian wrapped his arm around Lin Chen’s waist, with one hand encircling his side and the other holding onto his lower back. Delicate sweat covered Lin Chen’s skin from his neck to his shoulders. They pressed tightly against each other; their touch was sticky, damp, and warm, giving a real feeling.
Equally real were the scents of sweat, blood, and the air.
Xing Conglian pushed aside strands of Lin Chen’s black hair and leaned over, resting his chin in the crook of Lin Chen’s neck. He kissed Lin Chen’s cheek repeatedly, from behind his ear to his temples, from his neck to the crown of his head. Honestly, neither of them had taken a shower today, so the scent wasn’t pleasant, but this messy imperfection made it feel real.
Xing Conglian inexplicably thought of the time he cried in despair for the first time in his memory.
He couldn’t remember the exact cause of the specific event, but the underlying reason was that his parents felt that he needed to separate from the stuffed duck toy he had been hugging since childhood.
Because that duck was dirty and old, with exposed cotton and many repairs.
But he felt that he could only feel safe when he hugged that dirty and worn-out duck while sleeping.
For this reason, his parents read many books on child attachment, tried numerous methods mentioned in those books, and even took him to see a psychologist, but no method could solve his attachment to a tattered duck.
As time went by, one day, probably due to him beating up a classmate or some similar reason, his father couldn’t bear it anymore and made him throw away the duck.
Of course, there was no direct connection, but for angry parents, finding the most crucial thing to punish their son was essential.
It was a very dim evening when his father took him directly to the lakeside, with his mother present as well. They rowed to the center of the lake, with his mother holding him while his father smashed the duck into the water.
That was an utterly heart-wrenching scene for him. The autumn and winter cold winds, the blue and gloomy lake water, and his beloved possession gradually sank into the water. He still remembered every ripple of the water at that moment.
Losing a sense of security was extremely painful for every child, especially when it came to their most beloved toy. At that time, he almost wished to jump into the river together with the duck. If it weren’t for his mother holding him, he might have died right there.
What was even more extreme was that when they returned to the shore, his father slapped him and told him things like:
“You will have many things and people you love in your life, but one day they will all leave!”
“Even your parents will die, so you must learn to take responsibility for your mistakes!”
“Besides yourself, you cannot depend on anything or anyone!”
His father said many similar randomly stitched-together words, forcefully trying to educate him. For a six- or seven-year-old child, it was like a profound philosophical question. He grabbed at his runny nose and tears, not understanding any of it, only feeling pain. For a long period of time afterward, he was immersed in this pain.
Recovery was very slow, but eventually, he did recover. His father later apologized for his outburst, and his mother said she had wanted to do it a long time ago.
He later told Lin Chen about this incident. At that time, they weren’t in a romantic relationship yet, so of course, he wanted to hear Consultant Lin’s advice to untie his emotional knot or provide a proper psychological analysis of the matter.
However, Lin Chen remained silent for a long time and finally said that there aren’t so many explanations in the world, but for the human mind, growth was always accompanied by pain.
This was Lin Chen’s consistent theory. Sweetness made people numb; only pain gave a sense of reality.
Actually, Xing Conglian had long felt that he didn’t need to grow anymore. After all, he was retired, and society shouldn’t demand too much from senior citizens.
But now, as he recalled Lin Chen’s words, he couldn’t help but hold the person in his arms tighter.
Just a moment ago, after enjoying the long-lasting sweetness and happiness of love, he finally experienced the unbearable pain that ordinary people endure.
The pain of separation, the pain of understanding, and even enlightenment all carried a sense of pain.
But all the intolerable experiences were also constantly expanding the boundaries of the mind. This matter had no meaning, yet it was full of meaning. Xing Conglian thought that if Lin Chen were awake and they were chatting, Consultant Lin would surely educate him like this. It would be dull, scholarly, and clear-headed, making him unable to resist the urge to kiss him.
Xing Conglian kissed Lin Chen’s dry and cracked lips, which still had a hint of a bloody smell. He got up and began to dress Lin Chen.
Lin Chen obediently acted like a puppet. Xing Conglian hugged him and couldn’t help but laugh helplessly and self-mockingly. In reality, there weren’t so many twisted and absurd theories. All those soul-healing words were meant to give a glimmer of hope to those in despair.
It was difficult to keep going, but they had to keep going.
……
Late at night, taxi driver Xiao Zhang received a strange request outside the Tzu Chi Hospital.
The passenger stood by the roadside, and only after getting into the car did he mention that he wanted to go to the seaside in the neighboring province.
For any driver, hearing this kind of long-distance trip would initially bring joy, but the second thought was often to decline.
Long-distance meant high income, but encountering a situation where a man was holding onto another person in front of a psychiatric hospital was definitely abnormal.
However, Xiao Zhang made the mistake of letting the passenger get in the car first before asking for the destination. The time difference gave the passenger an opportunity to quote a price, and the down payment alone was enough to make Xiao Zhang unable to refuse.
After all, being in the taxi business, one saw and experienced a lot. Without courage, one couldn’t drive the night roads. Xiao Zhang took the money and made up his mind that if the passenger mentioned any remote side road, he would absolutely refuse.
But throughout the journey, the person in the back seat didn’t cause any trouble. Besides providing the address, the man with a buzz cut seemed immersed in his own world, dark and withdrawn. He would occasionally lean down to kiss the person in his arms, and other times he would gaze out of the window aimlessly. His eyes carried a hidden worry, uncertainty, and an inexplicable sense of composure.
The night grew darker, and the number of vehicles decreased.
Xiao Zhang even had a momentary suspicion that the person the man was holding in his arms might be a corpse, as the wrapped figure in the blanket hardly moved.
But he was also very aware of the faint and painful sounds coming from the backseat, unable to discern whether they were from a man or a woman. The sounds were desperate, like the alternative music that would only be played on late-night radio. Whenever the person in the man’s arms began to struggle, he would hold them close, almost helplessly comforting them with kisses. Apart from that, it seemed like there was nothing else he could do.
The eerie situation in the backseat continued throughout the journey.
When they exited the expressway and arrived in Louhai City, Xiao Zhang even considered whether it would be better to stop the taxi directly in front of the police station. However, as they passed by the police station, the man in the backseat seemed to have anticipated his intention and showed him his police badge.
In that instant, when Xiao Zhang saw the badge, the tension he had been feeling throughout the journey finally eased. The police always gave people a sense of security and could explain any strange and silent phenomena.
He couldn’t help but initiate a conversation with the person in the backseat, asking why they were traveling late at night and not using an official vehicle.
“It’s none of your concern.”
That was how the gentleman in the backseat answered, cool as ever.
Xiao Zhang rolled down the window. On one side was the pitch-black sea, while on the other side were various dazzling resort hotels. He blew a whistle, carried by the sea breeze.
But suddenly, he heard a deep voice from the backseat say, “Please close the window.”
Instinctively, he glanced at the rearview mirror and noticed that the blanket in the backseat was fluttering in the night breeze. Taking this opportunity, he finally saw the person the police officer had been holding all along—it was a man.
Xiao Zhang almost wanted to whistle again. He had transported a mentally ill person from the entrance of a psychiatric hospital to the seaside, traversing hundreds of kilometers. The experiences of a night shift taxi driver were truly rich, and he might even encounter some melodramatic stories like lovers jumping off cliffs. Should he save them or not when that time comes?
Bored, Xiao Zhang thought to himself. Following the navigation instructions, he made several turns and finally arrived in an area without even streetlights. The sound of the wind became more vast, covering the sound of the waves. Besides the narrow strip of road illuminated by his headlights, he could see almost nothing.
But based on his assumptions, this couldn’t be considered a remote side road because there wasn’t even a road here.
Xiao Zhang couldn’t help but turn around and say, “Sir, this road is too secluded. Are you sure you want to continue? I’m afraid I’ll run out of gas.”
The other person seemed to instantly understand what he was thinking and simply said, “Don’t worry, we can refuel once we reach our destination.”
Who knows which gas station will be found in the middle of nowhere! But turning back would be too timid. Xiao Zhang could only grit his teeth and continue.
After driving for a while, Xiao Zhang suddenly realized that his phone’s navigation hadn’t made a sound for a long time.
Feeling a chill run down his spine, he looked down and saw that there was no signal in the top right corner of his phone. He inwardly cursed his luck. It seemed like his calls to heaven went unanswered, and his calls to earth were ineffective.
Xiao Zhang broke out in a cold sweat and said, “Sir, I have a family to support. Is there something you can’t figure out…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted.
“Up ahead is a sanatorium,” the gentleman in the backseat said. “It’s quite special and has corresponding security measures, so the cellphone signal in this area is blocked.”
Xiao Zhang was dumbfounded. “T-This… It must be at a high-level, right?” After speaking, he felt that something was off. Who would just reveal the location of a classified place right away? It didn’t match the scenes depicted on TV. So, he thought carefully and attempted to test the waters. “Can I still go back home? Will I be…”
The gentleman in the backseat furrowed his brow. Xiao Zhang also felt that his question was quite nonsensical, but the other person still maintained composure and patiently answered, “No, you won’t.”
Though it was only a short reply, the solemn tone made Xiao Zhang feel much more at ease. The tension that had been gripping his mind loosened. After holding back his talent for chattering as a taxi driver throughout the entire trip, he stepped on the gas pedal, took out a cigarette, and tucked one behind his ear as well. He didn’t dare to light it, afraid that the person in the backseat wouldn’t like it. “You really scared me, traveling so late at night. Are you taking your loved one for medical treatment? What happened? Is that place like the ones in novels with renowned traditional Chinese medicine experts?”
He glanced at the rearview mirror. The gentleman in the backseat shook his head, denying his speculation. Then, he naturally extended his hand toward Xiao Zhang. Instinctively, Xiao Zhang handed over the cigarette tucked behind his ear before he worried that the other person might find it distasteful.
But the gentleman didn’t mind at all and lit the cigarette himself.
The flickering spark illuminated the man’s profile, making him appear incredibly desolate. Xiao Zhang noticed that his other hand remained tightly gripping the blanket, causing his knuckles to turn white and even tremble.
“So why are you going there?” Xiao Zhang repeated the question from earlier.
Xing Conglian was snapped back to reality by a tap, emerging from his jumbled and confused memories.
He lowered his head and heard the doctor say, “The second treatment option involves a large dosage of chloropromazine. However, this type of medication for psychiatric disorders may affect brain or cardiac functions, and the side effects are quite apparent. Nevertheless, it is one of the most effective medications for addressing similar issues…”
He couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation, probably because Lin Chen was whispering in the ward, babbling all sorts of incoherent words.
Xing Conglian carefully tried to discern what he was saying, but the air was too quiet. The fragmented and muffled voice seemed to fill the entire space like cotton, perhaps saying “don’t hit” or “please”. These voices, laden with pain, became increasingly oppressive, causing turmoil within him.
“…Consultant Lin didn’t reject this treatment option…”
Those crucial words brought him back to his senses once again. Yes, after they had finished their conversation, Lin Chen had explicitly requested to be treated at the Tzu Chi Hospital and had even selected a former professor at his university as the attending physician.
Lin Chen, like an outsider, swiftly discussed each treatment plan and detail with the doctor. He even chose a specialized department and room specifically for patients with schizophrenia, as he was an expert in that field.
However, Xing Conglian couldn’t comprehend how, in such a moment, Lin Chen could still handle everything so clearly, as if nothing was amiss.
He rubbed his face, forcing himself not to look into the ward or listen to Lin Chen’s voice. He asked the doctor, “You are the doctor. I want to hear your opinion.”
“After all, this is a new type of drug, and there is no literature available. Although it is indeed possible to proceed with the initial treatment plan as a trial, it is also undoubtedly risky. Honestly, I think we can wait a few more days, collect treatment plans from other cases, and then make a judgment.”
Xing Conglian interrupted the doctor, saying, “He wants to regain consciousness quickly. He must regain consciousness.”
The doctor’s face clearly displayed a fleeting expression of disappointment, but it was very subtle, quickly fading away. After all, this was a hospital specializing in the treatment of mental disorders, and the doctors were accustomed to dealing with harsh and demanding family members. Xing Conglian self-deprecatingly thought that he was merely an ordinary, harsh boss hoping for his subordinates to recover quickly and get back to work.
But what else could he do? Lin Chen had made it clear that he wanted to receive treatment like any other person. He had also said, “Remember to come and visit me,” hoping that Xing Conglian would urge the doctor to treat him.
At this moment, Xing Conglian finally realized that when it came to any decision made by Lin Chen, he had only one path to take—to accept and support it.
Because Lin Chen was always so clear, so correct, so exceptional, and always selflessly throwing himself into every situation, leaving others unable to resist.
That was the Lin Chen he loved.
Yet, a profound sense of disappointment and frustration overwhelmed him once again. Even though there were people around him speaking all the time, Xing Conglian felt as if he stood in a dark and desolate world. The frigid wind howled around him, making him feel more isolated than ever.
He took a deep breath, unsure of what to do. Lin Chen was inside, and he was outside. They were so close, yet it felt like an infinite distance separated them.
Just then, his phone rang.
He hadn’t put it on silent, so when the piano melody played in the cramped space, he even felt a sense of relief.
When one was lost and bewildered, something always reached out with an olive branch to save you, like work.
Xing Conglian apologized to the doctor and retreated to a dim corner, leaning against the wall as he answered the call.
Huang Ze’s voice came through. “Xing Conglian, why did Su Fengzi come here?”
He hadn’t expected Huang Ze to sound annoyed, even slightly fearful. There were sounds of someone smashing a glass in the background. Ultimately, such “power struggles” were no different from quarrels among children, with the expected anger and irrationality.
“He came because he wanted to. I can’t control him,” Xing Conglian replied.
“Do you know what he’s up to?” Huang Ze was furious. “He has no official position, but he’s forcing himself into the investigation!”
Huang Ze, as always, emphasized procedural justice.
“Well, you can just arrest him,” Xing Conglian said casually.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, and Xing Conglian frowned. The next moment, a very casual and cheerful voice came through the phone. “Lao Xing, how’s my shidi doing?”
Xing Conglian raised his eyelids and looked at the ward not far away. The doctor was administering new treatment medication to Lin Chen. The busy figures appeared hazy and ethereal, as if veiled in a layer of black gauze.
“He’s temporarily stable,” he replied.
Su Fengzi didn’t ask any further questions but changed the subject. “Since that’s the case, there’s something interesting happening at Zhourui’s place. Do you want to join?”
Xing Conglian instinctively wanted to refuse Su Fengzi.
He believed that he should be sitting outside the ward, going through this difficult time with Lin Chen, as Lin Chen had suggested, as any considerate lover would do.
But his rationality told him very clearly that he should leave. Staying would just torment the both of them. After all, his love was still too short-lived, and this torment would continue to erode the love between them.
Outside the hospital, the night was silent and still. Xing Conglian hung up the phone, took out his car keys, and walked away.
……
The car window was rolled down low, and the darkness of the night rushed in.
With one hand on the steering wheel, Xing Conglian held a cigarette in the other.
The sparks flickered.
Around eight or nine o’clock was another peak hour in the city, and the main roads were still crowded with vehicles. Neon lights outside the window surged like a tide, gliding across the car body.
He turned on the car radio, keeping the volume low. The radio host didn’t mention anything related to the case anymore; nighttime radio shows mostly played emotional songs.
The female host’s affectionate words flowed out, but due to the noise of passing traffic outside, Xing Conglian couldn’t clearly hear what she was saying. It was probably something along the lines of “he loves her, but she doesn’t love him,” a content he had never heard before.
It was only then that Xing Conglian recalled why he had rarely listened to similar emotional midnight radio programs in the past.
When Lin Chen wasn’t around, he sneered at these sentimental programs. Honestly, deep down, he never believed that he could have such a beautiful love. Whether it was due to pride or loneliness, he, a person who inherently rejected many things in the world, believed that ending up lonely was the most suitable outcome for himself.
Now, looking back, he realized how foolish that self-set image of a solitary hero was, because he had met Lin Chen.
After getting to know Lin Chen, the passenger seat had always belonged to him.
Lin Chen didn’t talk much, but their casual conversations were more soothing to Xing Conglian than the mellow jazz music in the night.
In his memory, there was a time when they returned from a business trip, driving through the night.
In the early morning hours, even the night traffic on the highway had become sparse. Wang Chao was snoring in the back seat while Lin Chen, wearing a seatbelt, nestled in his seat, exhausted but still chatting with him.
Both of them were tired, but they would lightly and cheerfully discuss the scenery of the city they had just passed, reflect on touching details from the meetings, and occasionally mention a broken light bulb at home that needed to be replaced when they returned.
He couldn’t remember the specific details anymore, but he remembered that they had talked a lot. It was all because Lin Chen was afraid that he would get drowsy while driving, so he kept talking.
Those voices, relaxed and comfortable, accompanied by yawns and sleepiness, kept sounding, both ordinary and considerate. Now, with those voices suddenly gone by his side, Xing Conglian felt a disturbing emptiness in the car. Unconsciously, he unbuttoned his shirt collar and rolled down the car window to the lowest point.
The night breeze flowed into the car, and memories of that journey resurfaced in Xing Conglian’s mind.
Later, they drove into a rest area. Xing Conglian smoked in the parking lot while Lin Chen went to buy two cups of hot coffee. The highway rest stops rarely had freshly ground black coffee, so it was mostly instant coffee.
There were only a few trucks in the surrounding parking lot, and the stars in the night sky were bright and brilliant. Lin Chen came back holding two steaming paper cups, handing one to him.
The coffee had a layer of foam on top, and the liquid was rich and flavorful. Some steam dispersed into the air, much like the gaze Lin Chen had on him at that time.
They both took a sip of coffee without saying a word, gazing at the velvety night sky. Perhaps they felt warmth and tranquility in each other’s presence, so neither of them spoke.
Xing Conglian couldn’t help but glance at the passenger seat. He always felt like he could still see Lin Chen’s lower lip stained with coffee, carrying a sweet scent, and his eyes gleaming brightly.
It was in that moment that Xing Conglian suddenly realized that whenever he drove at night, Lin Chen hardly ever slept. Those words and coffee, hot tea, and the waiting while he smoked—they were the most ordinary yet extraordinary companionship.
He hadn’t been aware of this before, and now that he had suddenly lost it, he realized how terrifying habits could be, making his whole body tremble.
Xing Conglian felt panic once again. He picked up his phone and started scrolling through his contacts without any specific purpose, trying to distract himself from the memories by focusing on work.
But before he could find someone to talk to, he received a call from Guanghua Chemicals.
Wang Chao sounded excited because Xiao Zhan had made some progress in the drug research.
As Xing Conglian answered the call, Wang Chao spoke a lot, using lengthy technical terms. Xing Conglian didn’t have the mental capacity to listen to them, but in order to avoid thinking about Lin Chen randomly, he forced himself to take note of the contents and repeatedly confirm his understanding.
This phone call consumed the duration of about seven or eight traffic lights. If it weren’t for Wang Chao asking at the end, “How is A’Chen Gege doing?” Xing Conglian might have truly escaped from his memories.
However, his efforts had clearly failed. Lin Chen was right—there was so much work, and he couldn’t finish it all in his lifetime.
He hung up the phone and turned up the volume of the car radio.
The ambient sound reverberated loudly, yet he felt the car cabin becoming even quieter.
Lin Chen was good to Wang Chao, not because he had a secret crush on him or was influenced by a herd mentality. Xing Conglian was well aware of this, just like with the chubby kid who introduced them. Lin Chen had a strong protective instinct toward these innocent beings.
They had also discussed Wang Chao’s education when he couldn’t hear them.
In the face of Lin Chen, Xing Conglian had asked him in confusion whether Wang Chao was too naive, as his mental age seemed too childish.
At that time, Lin Chen furrowed his brows, deep in thought, and didn’t immediately answer his question.
Xing Conglian thought that perhaps Lin Chen was reluctant to criticize him directly. But maybe it was a few hours later, deep into the night, when Lin Chen handed him a book titled <The Psychology of Abnormal Children>.
The book was filled with various colored tabs, and many paragraphs inside were marked with special annotations.
They sat by the window, and Lin Chen flipped through the book page by page, explaining about gifted children and teaching him to understand the concept of mental age, among other related topics. Like a devoted scholar, he was both serious and adorable.
The desk lamp cast a dim yellow light, the spring breeze was gentle, and the reflection of the river water fell on Lin Chen’s face. Xing Conglian wondered if, at that moment, he had already developed feelings for Lin Chen without even realizing it.
He kept thinking and thinking, his mouth dry and tongue parched, only to realize that the cigarette in his hand had burned out without him noticing. There was a pile of scattered cigarette ash on his pants.
He flicked away the cigarette butt and thought of lighting another one, but just as the traffic light turned green, he happened to turn into a small road sandwiched between residential areas.
Many of the shops on both sides had already closed, but the late-night snack shops had just opened.
This place was very close to their home. Countless mornings, he and Lin Chen had come here side by side to have breakfast.
Their shared memories were as pervasive as the morning mist permeating the South.
Lin Chen always knew where to find the best breakfast spots, even though he loved to sleep in. Every once in a while, in the early morning, he would wake Xing Conglian up without being so considerate.
They would traverse through bustling streets and alleys, arriving at lively markets, joining the old men and women who had risen early to wait for soy milk or buy noodle soup.
For example, on Nanlin Street, there were the best buns in the entire Hongjing. Lin Chen liked the rose bean paste ones, while Xing Conglian preferred curry beef. They would each buy two and eat them as they walked.
On the side of the road, there were camphor trees with a light fragrance, and the river flowed gently through the shops along the street. Near the end of the street, wooden signs advertising houses for rent would hang from the trees—all of these images appeared vividly in his mind.
At that time, he thought it was normal for good friends to walk together to find breakfast. Now, he realized how foolish he had been.
Why did Lin Chen always know where to find delicious food? Why didn’t Lin Chen call Wang Chao? And why, no matter how far the distance, was Lin Chen willing to walk with him rather than take a car?
The answers to these questions made Xing Conglian’s heart ache with bittersweetness.
It was because Lin Chen loved him and just wanted to spend a little more time with him; that was all.
Xing Conglian dared not smoke. He even felt that any movement would shatter the scene before his eyes.
Lin Chen didn’t like spicy food but was willing to accompany him to eat spicy crayfish. Lin Chen had a good daily routine and disliked staying up late, yet he would stay up all night with him to watch soccer matches. Lin Chen always reminded him to fasten his seatbelt, and when Xing Conglian was parched and didn’t even notice it himself, Lin Chen would hand him a bottle of water with the cap already unscrewed…
All these details were too vivid and apparent. He enjoyed the love and care that went beyond friendship, but he remained completely unaware, like a complete fool.
The Zhourui Building was now within reach, but Xing Conglian felt that he couldn’t continue thinking any further. Otherwise, he would definitely abandon everything and turn the car around to rush back to Lin Chen’s side.
He stubbed out the cigarette and found a parking spot by the side of the road, deciding to walk.
The night in the bustling city was also coming to an end.
Milk tea shops were closing, bakeries displayed signs with an 80% discount on all items, and bus stops were crowded with couples.
He was surrounded by pedestrians preparing to return home; the flow of people bustled and supported each other. Under the bright neon lights of the shops, every face wore an expression of exhaustion and happiness, radiant and lively.
Xing Conglian walked forward with his hands in his pockets, constantly brushing shoulders with countless couples.
Girls coquettishly hooked their arms around boys, boys hugged girls and kissed them, and close friends bantered with each other. People talked about various topics—clothes, shoes, work, loved ones. The cacophony of voices filled the entire night, but Lin Chen’s voice was absent.
He received another phone call. His subordinate was reporting the latest progress on the drug investigation. Zhourui Pharmaceutical refused to cooperate, and they couldn’t find any breakthroughs for the time being.
Xing Conglian responded half-heartedly, informing the person that he would be there soon.
But in that instant, as he looked around, he suddenly realized that the entire world had lost its colors. Loneliness had penetrated his bones, and it was terrifying.
He even felt that no matter how much Lin Chen loved him, he might not be able to endure a similar moment again. It was too bleak, too lonely, too unbearable. He felt like a patient going through withdrawal, losing the meaning of life.
He reached into his pocket and found that the cigarette box was empty. He was forced to walk to a small cigarette stall on the street.
An old man opened a trunk under a streetlamp, displaying various kinds of cigarettes. The dim light from the streetlamp scattered down, casting everything in a dull yellow hue.
He squatted down to choose a cigarette, with couples beside him selecting jewelry. The girl was sweet-looking, and the boy appeared to be an athletic type, tall and handsome, the kind who never lacked attention from girls.
The boy questioned why the girl made him wait for so long, and the girl replied that she had to wait for her parents to fall asleep and finish applying makeup before sneaking out.
“I love you no matter how you look,” the boy said, lowering his head.
“Without colored contacts or false eyelashes, you wouldn’t like me,” the girl responded cheerfully.
Xing Conglian couldn’t help but turn his head. The girl beside him had glamorous makeup, long eyelashes, and her eyes seemed to shine in the darkness.
Perhaps he had been staring for a bit too long. The girl pointed at him and said to the boy, “See?”
“You don’t trust me.”
“It’s not about trust, but my own vanity. I want to appear beautiful in front of you every day.”
Xing Conglian averted his gaze, feeling that such a conversation would never occur between him and Lin Chen.
Lin Chen always tolerated and cared for him like a polite stranger. What was happening around him was what normal conversations between couples would sound like.
He didn’t want to listen any further, so he picked up a cigarette, asked for the price, and started to take out money.
The boy was still concerned about the issue of makeup and asked the girl, “So, if you’re sick, can’t I come and take care of you? What if you get old and take medication that drives you crazy?”
“Even if I’m sick, I’ll still put on makeup. If I get old, I’ll just die. If I take medication that turns me into a lunatic, you better not come see me. The farther away you stay, the better!”
The girl stomped her feet, frustrated, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Xing Conglian’s hand, in the process of receiving change, froze. He looked at the old man’s withered fingers, feeling as if his whole body had turned to stone.
“You’re not allowed to come see me.” The girl beside him had said those words. What about Lin Chen? How would Lin Chen say it?
Xing Conglian felt as if he had returned to the ambulance. It was already dark outside, and Lin Chen’s face was blurry in the evening sun, but his voice was firm and gentle.
Lin Chen said, “You have to walk with me.” He said, “You need to focus on your work and solve the problems.” He also said, “You have to remember to come see me.”
He kept recalling every word Lin Chen said, over and over again. That incomprehensible feeling, that sense that something was off, resurfaced, like the immense shadow of an iceberg beneath the water’s surface, suffocating.
It wasn’t the girl saying, “You’re not allowed to come see me,” but rather, “You have to remember to come see me”…
Xing Conglian finally understood what was wrong with that statement.
He had always been aware of Lin Chen’s love for him. When Lin Chen kissed him, he loved him. When Lin Chen was gravely ill, he loved him. Even when Lin Chen chose to inject Shen Lian’s medication, he still loved him…
But the depth of love was too difficult to measure. He used to think it was deep affection and love that he couldn’t repay.
Yet in this moment, under this ordinary streetlamp, as he listened to the most ordinary story of a couple, he suddenly realized just how profound Lin Chen’s love for him truly was, like a roaring wave crashing down upon him.
There was a time when he felt a ringing in his ears, and Lin Chen’s voice kept echoing in his mind.
If he were to turn into a crazed, inhuman figure, the first thing he would do is drive Lin Chen away, refusing to appear before his loved one in such an ugly state.
And yet, Lin Chen cared too much for him. Even in such moments, Lin Chen would restrain his instinctive fear of exposing his own ugliness, carefully considering how to better support him. Not pushing him away, but finding ways to mentally support him during the remaining time they had together.
Lin Chen wanted him to be better, to give him hope. That’s why he appeared so incredibly strong. Lin Chen chose treatment plans solely aiming to make him less miserable. Lin Chen was even willing to completely expose his own flaws in front of him, dignity becoming completely irrelevant.
All of this was because in Lin Chen’s mind, his feelings were more important.
But how was that possible? It was Lin Chen, and how could dignity not be important?
This kind of intelligence, rationality, and care, even striving to become stronger for him in his most vulnerable moments, made Lin Chen completely irresistible. Xing Conglian stood under the streetlamp, going insane as he rushed towards his car.
At that time, Lin Chen’s gaze was too tender and affectionate, softer than the fading red glow on the horizon. He couldn’t see the fear, the unease, and the overwhelming love hidden within it. He only felt that Lin Chen was too rational, too clear-headed. He felt abandoned, he felt too lonely, so he overlooked that simple and ordinary statement.
His oversight was only natural because Lin Chen had always loved him like this. Lin Chen tried to do his best, while he simply immersed himself in it, enjoying it as a matter of course.
But how many things in the world could be taken for granted?
Xing Conglian stood in place for a long time, his ears buzzing as everything rushed past him. It wasn’t until the silhouette of that young couple completely disappeared under the streetlamp that he snapped back to reality, crazily rushing back along the same road he came.
Against the flow of people, pushing through the crowd, his hands trembling like never before. He even struggled to insert the key into the car’s ignition.
He ended the call, stepping on the gas pedal like a madman, only hoping that he hadn’t left that hospital ward.
The night had become pitch black. He had turned into a frantic, irrational beast. Everything about Lin Chen filled the space around him, and apart from running wildly, he saw no way out.
As vehicles raced on the streets, he ran down the corridor as countless frames of images roared past him.
Lin Chen laughing, Lin Chen crying, Lin Chen speaking, Lin Chen walking, Lin Chen handing him documents, Lin Chen walking out the door, Lin Chen hugging him and saying “thank you”, Lin Chen holding his hand and saying “I love you”…
The simplest scenes were the most unforgettable, resurfacing from the depths of his memory, compressing time and space infinitely.
He locked the door, turned off the lights, and pulled down the curtain. When he realized what he was doing, he was already standing in front of the hospital bed, and everything came to a sudden stop.
All the sights in the world receded like the tide, leaving only the solitary bed in space.
The surroundings were extremely dark, with moonlight slanting through the window, like drifting snow, about to bury the person on the bed completely.
Xing Conglian vaguely saw the familiar face, but at the same time, he felt like he didn’t recognize the person at all. He wanted to reach out, but he was like a person trapped in a nightmare, using all his strength but unable to move.
Time passed aimlessly until a faint, unconscious moan cracked the frozen space.
Xing Conglian looked at the hospital bed again, finally seeing Lin Chen clearly.
Lin Chen was in a dazed state, unable to speak clearly due to the medication’s side effects. His throat was swollen, and saliva even dribbled down from the corner of his mouth. He looked nothing like the clear-headed and composed person before.
Xing Conglian tried to move his fingers, recovering some control, but this recovery made his heart ache to the extreme.
“Why are you treating me like this?”
Xing Conglian’s heart painfully ached and the pain made him climb onto the bed without hesitation. He bit Lin Chen’s neck and with his other hand untied Lin Chen’s restraint.
The person on the bed soon struggled, as if wanting to beat him, even kill him. But Xing Conglian would rather have Lin Chen kill him. Dying together would be the best relief.
He forcibly pulled Lin Chen’s hands over his head and tied him tightly to the iron frame at the head of the bed.
Lin Chen’s upper body contorted in pain, but Xing Conglian felt it wasn’t enough, so he forcibly pulled down Lin Chen’s hospital trousers and underwear. He untied one after another of the white restraints that bound Lin Chen. Lin Chen’s instincts made him struggle frantically, like a true psychiatric patient.
Xing Conglian pulled Lin Chen’s underwear to his legs, and it pressed against Lin Chen’s ankles. He knew that there was no point in suppressing a madman except by pure force.
Lin Chen’s whining filled the space. Xing Conglian finally untied the bound around Lin Chen’s mouth, tore off his shirt, and kissed him vigorously.
Lin Chen was biting wildly causing their teeth to collide, which made the pain all the more unbearable. This chaos was too wild that it didn’t look like a kiss at all.
“Get… Get away!”
Lin Chen shouted with a slurred voice. His body became hot under Xing Conglian.
“Who do you want to get away?” Xing Conglian leaned in close to Lin Chen’s ear and took off his pants. He raised his voice and asked again, “Who am I? Who do you want to get away?”
“Get… Get away!” Lin Chen could only utter incoherent syllables.
Xing Conglian felt like he had completely turned into a madman himself, trying to find a definite answer in this irrational world. “Who am I? Why do you want me to get away?”
Lin Chen trembled all over, reciting mechanically in a tone buried deep in his mind that he dared not forget: “Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian…”
He pressed his penis against Lin Chen’s and grinded twice. Both of them were hot and hard.
Lin Chen trembled all over and mechanically yet in a tone that was buried deep in his mind that he didn’t dare forget, said, “Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian…”
Clear and distinct words came from Lin Chen’s mouth, each one choking Xing Conglian up. He didn’t understand the mind and brain, didn’t comprehend the human soul. He had no idea how important he was to Lin Chen, to the point where even in the depths of Lin Chen’s mental chaos, he couldn’t forget his name.
Xing Conglian reached toward the head of the bed and grabbed the cream used to help heal the wounds on Lin Chen’s body. He indiscriminately squeezed it on his finger and forcibly inserted it into Lin Chen’s hole.
Lin Chen was in intense pain. His body was tensed up, and his head kept shaking. He heard Lin Chen say, “Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian, get away…”
Xing Conglian knew that he couldn’t leave now. He had a question that he must ask, an answer that was heart-wrenching, but he had to get that answer.
He couldn’t even bring himself to look into Lin Chen’s eyes. Once again, he forcefully held onto Lin Chen and leaned in close, speaking in the coldest and most ruthless tone, “With me, you can be willful, selfish, unreasonable. I would even die with you if you didn’t want to live anymore. I just need you to answer my question, just tell me the truth.” He spoke, but soon he couldn’t hold on any longer and his voice choked. “Please, tell me the truth.”
It seemed that his pleading had worked, or perhaps it was the tears falling on Lin Chen’s face that truly brought him back to clarity.
Lin Chen’s movements came to a halt as he looked at him in confusion.
“What do you think of me?” He pressed his penis against Lin Chen’s hole as he asked.
“Don’t look at me.” In that moment of stillness, Lin Chen’s gaze was heartbreaking.
“Who doesn’t want to see you?” he asked again.
“Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian don’t look at me… Xing Conglian don’t look at me like this!” Lin Chen sobbed, like a child who had made a mistake, extremely agitated and desperate. “Xing Conglian won’t like me. Xing Conglian can’t not like me…”
Every syllable uttered by Lin Chen stabbed into his heart like a knife. Indeed, it was just like that.
All of Xing Conglian’s movements ceased, and even his heart felt like it stopped beating. He had completely stripped himself and Lin Chen. They were facing each other, naked, and the surrounding was a mess, but he had lost all ability to act.
Perhaps it was half a minute, or maybe an infinitely long time, Xing Conglian felt the blood slowly flow back to his limbs. He didn’t understand what he was doing anymore.
He propped himself up on his elbow and kissed Lin Chen’s cheek, releasing the restraints on the bed, and got up. At that moment, Lin Chen suddenly yanked him violently and said to him, in a voice that was clear, unequivocal, unambiguous, and agonizing, with an instinctive human desire for love and sex, “Enter me…”
Lin Chen’s voice was full of fear, but his eyes were crazed with love.
Xing Conglian was once again filled with overwhelming grief, tightly embracing Lin Chen.
It was an incredibly painful and firm world, just like Lin Chen’s heart. Besides bleeding and forcibly tearing open, there was no other way.
Lin Chen gasped in pain writhing out of shape as he groaned, roared, and shouted “go away” and “please” incessantly.
Xing Conglian couldn’t experience any sexual pleasure but felt that such a painful union was too suitable for lunatics like them. He kept thrusting inside Lin Chen’s, going deeper and deeper.
“Ah… Nn…” Lin Chen’s voice had long since become hoarse, unable to form complete sentences. “Love you… I…”
Xing Conglian kissed his neck vigorously, thinking if he wrecked Lin Chen’s belly*, they would no longer have to face such difficulties.
*Figuratively as in his dick is so large it makes his stomach bulge.
He had never truly understood Lin Chen, starting from the moment Lin Chen appeared at his doorstep. He had never really understood Lin Chen.
“Tell me the truth. Tell me what you’re thinking!” He pulled out and suddenly grabbed onto the roots of Lin Chen’s hair, questioning Lin Chen forcefully.
“I, I… it hurts… it hurts.” Tears overflowed from Lin Chen’s eyes. “Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian…”
“Tell me!” he roared in anger.
Lin Chen shouted almost mournfully, “I love you. I don’t want to be your friend or colleague. I want to be with you.”
“Go on!” He pulled out again and thrusted his dick back into Lin Chen’s insides.
“Why don’t you like me? Why don’t you know that I love you? My luck is so bad. I encounter so many bad people, I could die at any time. Please fall in love with me, because if I’m not careful, I might not live to see that day.” Lin Chen was in complete pain, and he couldn’t feel any erotic pleasure. His words were jumbled and illogical. “I will die. I will die soon… If I die, you won’t know that I loved you… That’s good… It’s good this way…”
Xing Conglian understood very well that he would never hear these words from Lin Chen when he was clear-minded. This filled him with immeasurable heartache, and he couldn’t find any other outlet for his emotions. He could only continue to embed Lin Chen with his penis.
“I love you, but you can’t know. But Song Shengsheng died. He was such a good person, and he died. I can’t help it. I really can’t help it… I want to give it a try. I really want to try… I shouldn’t have done that, but I really couldn’t control myself. I love you!” Lin Chen bit into his shoulder in pain.
Xing Conglian tasted the bitterness of blood and tears in his mouth. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know… I really didn’t know…” He held Lin Chen tightly. He felt more helpless and terrified than Lin Chen. Besides continuously saying “I love you” and “I’m sorry”, he was at a loss for what to do.
“I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t abandon you. Shen Lian can’t die… Even if I die, she can’t die. But I have no way out. I really can’t think of any solution… Why am I so stupid… Why am I so stupid…” Xing Conglian didn’t know what Lin Chen was thinking. He started to desperately hit his head with his hands. “Don’t be sad, don’t be upset. It’s my fault, I’m so stupid, so stupid.”
“I know… I’m sorry, truly sorry… I know you tried your best…” Xing Conglian held onto Lin Chen’s hand, feeling ashamed for the momentary thought of breaking up. “But I really don’t know what to do. I have nothing good about me. I’m not good at all. I’ve killed many people. I’m foolish and selfish. Thank you… really, thank you…”
It was so difficult for Xing Conglian. Clearly, he should be cherishing Lin Chen, treasuring him, and loving him endlessly. But no matter what he did, he could never match the love Lin Chen had for him.
He stopped all his movements and gently kissed Lin Chen’s eyelashes. He tried to slow down his movements, but he felt that only pain could resolve everything.
“Xing Conglian… I’m sorry!”
Lin Chen shouted with the last of his strength with his hoarse voice, and the pain pierced through his heart.
At that moment, Xing Conglian realized that he had already lost himself when it came to Lin Chen. He was in complete disarray.
Apart from staying with Lin Chen through life and death, he had no other path to take.
Kinky Thoughts:
Okay, I didn’t realize that there was actually smut in this novel. When I first translated it, I was extremely confused as a few chapters after this, there was mention of them having sex and I was baffled as nothing of that nature was mentioned at all. It wasn’t until much later that I found out all the sex scenes were cut out in the JJ version, so I had to do a little bit of dicktective work and find the uncensored version. To replace the uncensored version, the author added bits to the censored version, so this chapter is actually a combination of both the uncensored and censored version.
I tried my best to combine them as smoothly as possible, but there might still be some areas that’s a bit disjointed. Still, it’s a lot better than reading and finding out they fuck and is completely lost as that was never mentioned (like I did in my first go).
For those concerned, there is one more sex scene chapter that was cut, but that’s not until the extras. As far as I can tell, no other smut was cut out.
The night scene outside the window was pitch black. Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi stood at the window on the second floor of the police station. Xing Conglian lit a cigarette and asked, “Why did you come here?”
Su Fengzi casually inserted one hand into his pocket and rested the other on the windowsill, casually gazing at the night scene. “Your opening remark is quite polite. At least you should address me as Shixiong along with Lin Chen.”
The person beside him still hadn’t responded. Su Fengzi turned his head to look. Xing Conglian remained silent; his face dark, clearly in a bad mood.
He could only helplessly continue, “Mrs. Su feels guilty and worried, thinking she did something wrong. She asked me to come and see if I could help in any way.”
“How is his teacher?”
“Tsk, calling him teacher so smoothly,” Su Fengzi half-jokingly said, then continued, “I don’t know. The old man is at such an age, life and death are predetermined.”
Xing Conglian frowned, and the atmosphere became awkward and silent once again.
Su Fengzi wanted to say something, but Xing Conglian’s sharp and slightly self-mocking gaze swept over. “He knew you would come to clean up the mess for him, so he was at ease and made a bet with Shen Lian.”
Clever people were so troublesome since they couldn’t be deceived with random excuses. But considering Xing Conglian’s mood, Su Fengzi decided to keep quiet. He loosened his tie a bit, saying, “Alright, I want the negotiation video between Lin Chen and Shen Lian.”
“I thought you knew everything,” Xing Conglian said.
“You can’t possibly have control over everything, so how could I know everything?” Su Fengzi retorted to Xing Conglian with a smile.
Xing Conglian’s face darkened once again, and he remained silent. Instead, he took out a pair of headphones and placed his phone on the windowsill, stepping back two steps and leaning against the back wall.
Xing Conglian trusted him so much, probably to give Lin Chen face. Su Fengzi directly put on the headphones, opened the video, and lowered his head to press the play button.
The air was filled with the smell of smoke, and after watching for a while, Su Fengzi couldn’t help but turn around and ask Xing Conglian for a cigarette and a lighter. He anxiously held the cigarette in his hand, lit it, and took a deep drag.
Then he turned to Xing Conglian and said, “Promise me, when he regains consciousness, be gentle with him.”
“Are you certain he will regain consciousness?” Xing Conglian seized the most critical point.
“He won’t do something purely reckless. Shen Lian knows very well that she can only continue playing when Lin Chen is alive and regains consciousness. So, you see, your Consultant Lin has tightly connected their fates using a small technique.” Su Fengzi turned around and looked at the screen, speaking admiringly.
Xing Conglian had finished his cigarette and was now looking at him with an extremely cold gaze. Feeling the gaze behind him, Su Fengzi helplessly turned back and patiently explained to this man who had just been abandoned by his lover and was extremely unhappy. “I’m not just making excuses for Lin Chen. Making a bet with Shen Lian is a classic negotiation technique. If the other party agrees to one small thing, it’s easier for her to agree to the subsequent requests. He did it for the sake of the next arrangement.”
“Do you think I care about all this?” Xing Conglian interrupted him decisively and retorted, “Why he did it, how clever and correct he was, how much he suffered and had no other choice—do you think I care?”
Xing Conglian’s voice was very calm, with a hint of hoarseness as if he had just finished smoking, making it extremely suppressed. The corridor was dimly lit, and Su Fengzi didn’t know how to respond.
“What do you care about then?” Su Fengzi asked involuntarily.
Xing Conglian lowered his head slightly, and his eyelids lifted. His gaze was dark and deep as he looked at him. Just when Su Fengzi thought Xing Conglian wouldn’t answer, he heard him say, “I care about him.”
The complete meaning of this sentence was that even if Lin Chen didn’t care about him, he still cared about him.
Su Fengzi’s breath hitched; he didn’t expect Xing Conglian to be so straightforward and direct. Thinking about how difficult it must have been for Xing Conglian to restrain himself throughout the negotiation process, he could only take another deep drag of his cigarette and say, “There are too many difficulties in this world, and unfortunately, he encountered some particularly tough ones.”
As if confirming something, just as he finished speaking, Xing Conglian’s phone rang.
Su Fengzi looked at the screen with the words “Dr. Wang from Tzu Chi Hospital” and instantly understood what was happening.
But Xing Conglian reacted even faster.
The police captain stepped forward and quickly answered the phone, even forgetting about the fact that it was connected to his headphones.
On the other end of the line was a police officer or a doctor arranged by Xing Conglian at the hospital, anxiously informing him that Lin Chen’s condition had deteriorated after falling ill, and the first treatment plan had failed, among other things.
Xing Conglian just listened quietly, and for a moment, he seemed helpless and desperate.
Su Fengzi silently took off his headphones, and Xing Conglian also hung up the phone.
They stood facing each other, and Xing Conglian spoke first. “I’m going to the hospital.”
“Then I’ll go to Zhourui Pharmaceuticals.” Su Fengzi turned around and waved his hand at Xing Conglian.
“Zhourui?”
“You didn’t really think I came to help because of Mrs. Su, did you?” Su Fengzi turned back and smiled.
……
Xing Conglian didn’t care about what Su Fengzi was going to do. He quickly drove to Tzu Chi Hospital.
Located in the southeast corner of Hongjing, the hospital primarily dealt with mental illnesses and psychological problems, and it was the treatment location that Lin Chen himself had chosen while still maintaining his sanity.
Late at night, some patients fell into a deep sleep after taking medication, while others refused to take their medication and fought a grueling battle against the mental torment that normal people couldn’t experience, such as hallucinations and anxiety.
But Lin Chen chose to suffer the pain of the latter.
In the ward, two doctors were securing the struggling patient to the bed with restraints.
Xing Conglian stood by the window, and the soundproofing effect of the hospital was so good that he felt like he was watching a silent film, quiet and illusory.
The diagnosis room was partially covered by medical curtains, creating a dim and gloomy atmosphere. Lin Chen’s upper body was completely obscured by a light blue medical curtain. He saw some hazy lights and shadows. Lin Chen arched his neck in pain, and his shoulders were forced down as a three-finger-wide restraint tightly pressed against his shoulder, securing him firmly to the bed.
Next came his arms. The restraints were ruthlessly fastened around Lin Chen’s elbows, followed by his wrists. The doctor’s movements were skilled and unrelenting.
Lin Chen’s hand was exposed outside the gaps of the medical curtain. Through those openings, he could catch a glimpse of his own hand—the hand he was so intimately familiar with. However, at that moment, Lin Chen’s fingers contorted into twisted shapes, completely beyond his control, as if reflecting his current state of anguish and torment.
Xing Conglian marveled at the fact that he could even stand there. It truly felt like a miracle.
The doctor produced a new dosage of medication, preparing to administer it to Lin Chen via injection.
Perhaps due to the unnerving silence surrounding them, there were moments when he felt as if his soul was splitting into two or even multiple entities.
One part of him barged into the ward, frantically driving everyone else out, gripping Lin Chen tightly and pulling him close, just like the desperate and passionate men portrayed in television dramas. Meanwhile, another part of him existed in a different space, where he suddenly realized that he had experienced a similar scene before.
It was as if they were in a rainforest filled with the acrid smell of decay, obscured by the dense smoke of battle. Lin Chen stood on the brink of death, and Xing Conglian exerted all his strength to pull him back.
He held Lin Chen in his arms, making it clear that he wouldn’t hesitate to threaten him. If Lin Chen ever prioritized the safety of others over his own again, Xing Conglian vowed to use a chain to bind him, preventing Lin Chen from taking a single step outside ever again.
He vaguely remembered Lin Chen expressing how much he missed him at that time, or something along those lines. It evoked both sweetness and heartache within him.
However, he soon realized that his supposed threats held no power over Lin Chen when similar situations arose. Lin Chen would always act magnanimously, stepping forward with great valor, while subjecting him to the same pain and sense of helplessness in an extraordinarily cruel manner.
Such moments had occurred before, and undoubtedly, they would happen again.
In a fleeting moment, Xing Conglian felt as if someone was speaking to him, suggesting that breaking up with Lin Chen might be for the best. After all, Lin Chen was strong and didn’t need his protection. His mere presence seemed to burden him.
That voice must have belonged to the most agonizing part of his own psyche. Alternatively, it could have been a result of auditory hallucinations triggered by the opening and closing of the ward door as the doctor went in and out.
In any case, within this brief span of time, right at the entrance of the ward, everything he experienced felt completely unreal.
He could still hear Lin Chen’s voice—a voice he never knew Lin Chen possessed.
That high-pitched, ear-piercing scream seemed to transcend human capabilities, as if his vocal cords had been forcibly torn apart and haphazardly reassembled, rendering the words indistinct. Nonetheless, he could still barely decipher that Lin Chen was shouting phrases like “get away” with an extreme sense of anguish.
Lin Chen’s hand flailed desperately, as if trying to break free from the bed. However, the doctor’s hand held the syringe firmly and relentlessly pierced Lin Chen’s arm. The needle penetrated deep, and the liquid was injected, gradually calming the struggling figure on the bed.
The doctor emerged from the door, as if intending to say something to him. However, he could only barely see the movement of their lips without hearing any sound.
Only then did he recall why he was standing there.
A few hours earlier, when they had come out of the Zhourui Building, the crimson glow had faded, leaving only a faint line of light on the horizon.
Lin Chen lay in the ambulance, requesting to be alone with him for a while.
His subordinates had thought that Lin Chen probably wanted to report some confidential information or make final arrangements to him. But only he knew that it was a moment of Lin Chen’s remorse and desire to make amends.
Sitting in the vehicle, Lin Chen held his hand and spoke to him with a gentle and affectionate tone, saying, “I’m really sorry. Regardless of the circumstances, you have to walk through this with me. I also need to receive treatment like an ordinary patient, to see if conventional psychiatric medications can effectively address the mental disturbance caused by this drug. You need to focus on your work and handle things well, but also remember to come and visit me.”
There was nothing wrong with that statement—logical and clear.
If it weren’t for the lack of reflective film on the ambulance window, he believed that at that moment, Lin Chen would have kissed him.
And he just watched Lin Chen, feeling that something was off, but unable to articulate why.
In a dim and dilapidated residence, the clock hand pointed to five o’clock.
A pair of bony hands trembled as they held the mouse, rapidly clicking on the hidden software icon buried deep within a folder.
After a moment, a crude image appeared on the screen.
It was the kind of low-resolution graphics seen in primitive pixelated games. Black background, red lines, and a simple square-shaped cottage in the center of the screen. In the bottom right corner, there was a cluster of golden flowers. The interior of the cottage appeared empty at first glance, but upon closer inspection, one could spot a pitiful silver coin in the corner.
Upon seeing this, a look of despair covered his face, and his trembling lips revealed rotten teeth.
He desperately covered his mouth and looked back down at the bottom corner of the screen. There, six lines of text written in the lingua franca of the United Nations filled the space, and among them was a line in Chinese:
Account balance: 1 bitcoin.
The occupant of the room stood up aimlessly and began walking. He bumped into the coffee table in the middle of the room, overturning it. The remaining white powder of a drug on the table dispersed into the air. He hurriedly crouched down to clean it up, but there was so little left that after a couple of licks, there was nothing left.
This caused him to stand up again, unable to resist gnawing at his own wrist.
The creaking of the wooden floor grew increasingly urgent, echoing the sounds of a distressed bed behind the partition. The entire space became more and more restless. Unable to bear it any longer, he walked to the table and picked up a syringe, intending to pierce it into his temple.
At that moment, a light tinkling sound came from the speakers.
He thought he was experiencing auditory hallucinations and searched aimlessly for the source of the sound. The room remained dark and chaotic, and he didn’t even notice the silver coin slowly descending from the ceiling of the cottage on the computer screen.
With the syringe pressed against his temple, he could end his own life with just a little force.
Suddenly, that small silver coin seemed to trigger something, and numerous shining silver dots fell from above. Those dots grew larger and larger, fluttering down like snowflakes and eventually turning into piles of silver coins at the bottom of the screen.
Likewise, six lines of text slowly descended and hovered above the stack of money.
The occupant of the room grinned, revealing bright red lips and teeth yellowed to the point of blackening. He laughed maniacally, silently.
Round Two: The target is still alive. The game continues.
……
In a glamorous and decadent bar, a blue-eyed girl with green hair lazily sat on the sofa. The expensive red wine in her glass was reduced to a mere trace.
This themed bar was entirely in a distorted gothic style. The soaring electronic music and the intertwining beams of cross-fading lights filled the air with the scent of alcohol and drugs. The haze of smoke drifted through the air.
The girl’s gaze wandered vaguely over her companions, and she reached out to pull a chubby middle-aged man beside her. With an air of sensuality, she bit down on his earlobe. Strange tastes of the wealthy were nothing out of the ordinary.
Onstage, the stripper had reached the most thrilling stage of the performance, and the sound system by the glass stage exploded. But in the next moment, the girl’s expression underwent a peculiar change. It was because her phone emitted a strange and eerie sound, both resembling agony and boundless pleasure. The girl leaned forward abruptly, grabbing her phone eagerly and tapping on an icon.
A crude pixelated image flashed on the screen. It was a vault, with countless coins piled up like mountains. However, soon a swarm of black bugs crawled in, devouring the coins with abandon. At the same time, the number below was fiercely changing— from eight digits to seven, then to six, five… until it became just two digits.
The black bugs disappeared, leaving only a meager few dozen coins in the vault, scattered haphazardly on the floor, looking extremely shabby—especially compared to before.
The man stared with wide eyes, disbelief evident on his face.
Prompts appeared in six different languages—
Round 2: The Target Is Alive. To be continued…
The girl grabbed her phone and slammed it forcefully onto the ground.
The carpet was thick, and the phone was of good quality, so it only bounced a few times before coming to a stop.
Beneath the pixelated screen, a clump of equally crude golden flowers swayed as if drifting with the wind.
……
In a luxurious building, a singer emerged from the recording studio, immediately surrounded by a group of people, showering him with attention and inquiries. The singer responded with a gentle smile, and the faces of those in front of him lit up with joy.
Five minutes later, the singer entered the restroom on the same floor. As soon as he closed the door, a look of extreme weariness appeared in his eyes reflected in the mirror.
He glanced disdainfully behind him, leaned against the sink, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.
Amidst the swirling smoke, a sudden sound resonated—a strange and eerie sound. The singer froze and took out his phone.
After a moment, he frantically ruffled his own hair, waved his hand, and forcefully smashed the phone against the mirror in front of him!
In the loud crash, the mirror shattered into pieces, and the fragments briefly reflected the last image on the phone—
Behind the six lines of text in different languages, in an empty and crude room, the only gold was the gently trembling petal below.
……
In an inconspicuous noodle shop in the city, the sky had completely darkened.
A ceiling fan hung overhead, whirring as it blew air. White porcelain tiles covered half of the wall, and a circle of tables was arranged facing the wall, separated by partitions.
Most of the customers were focused on their bowls of noodles, paying little attention to the content playing on the LCD TV. For the solitary office workers, having to share a table with strangers after a tiring day of work felt like torture. Therefore, despite the average taste of the food here, the owner’s layout was unusually considerate.
The TV was placed directly opposite the kitchen, broadcasting news of the police escorting a suspect.
“According to our sources, the criminal suspect Shen Lian was successfully captured by the Hongjing police this evening. The police spokesperson declined to reveal any details related to the case…”
The towering figures of the surrounding officers obstructed the view of the slender woman in the middle, her face covered with a black blindfold, making it impossible for the reporters to capture anything.
The volume of the small noodle shop’s TV was set very low, barely drowning out the sound of slurping noodles.
In the footage, the police car departed from the square of the Zhourui Building flashed away, while the reporters’ camera flashes seemed to illuminate the night sky.
However, the man sitting in the corner of the noodle shop didn’t raise his head to watch the news. His laptop was still open, and his fingers tapped on the keyboard, resembling an office worker diligently working overtime.
He lifted the vinegar bottle and poured some into his bowl, revealing a cuff of a shirt sleeve and slightly antiquated sapphire cufflinks.
At that moment, the owner happened to bring a bowl of spicy oil-splashed noodles. The busy customers finally looked up, casually glancing at the TV but paying careful attention to the owner. With a touch of humility and respect, the man asked, “How’s business been lately?”
The owner wiped his hands on the glaringly white apron and shook his head helplessly. “It’s been a disaster.”
The customer opened his mouth, slurping the noodles, and glanced at the computer screen, sighing with a hint of regret. “It’s truly unexpected.”
By that time, the owner had already walked into the kitchen and didn’t hear this remark.
Meanwhile, a new customer entered the shop, loudly requesting two bowls of spicy oil-splashed noodles.
In the partially open kitchen, a large pot on the coal stove floated with animal parts. The owner held an iron ladle and scooped up a spoonful of blood-red oil, pouring it over the noodles with a graceful and traditional elegance, creating a tantalizing sizzling sound that filled the space.
“But it’s not bad. Quite interesting,”
The owner murmured, bowing slightly, as if talking to himself or responding to something.
……
It was night.
Outside the Hongjing Police Station, the scene was bustling with cars and people, as if a market was set up. Whether it was due to the rumored effects of the medication or the significant activities in the city today, even small fights and altercations were more numerous than usual. What was even more terrifying was the continuous arrival of officers from various levels and investigators from related departments across the country who came to assist with the investigation. Even clerks like Zhang Xiaolong were forced to work overtime, handling reception and registration tasks at the front desk.
The summer night was still hot. People came and went in the front hall, but there was a silence in the air that was completely different from the heat. Footsteps were subdued, conversations were rare, and the police officers in their uniforms had solemn and serious expressions, as if mourning something.
Zhang Xiaolong was well aware of what all this was about, and it felt like something was stuck in her throat, making it difficult for her to speak. Fortunately, she was busy and could temporarily avoid thinking about these matters. She directed a department head from the Drug Administration who had arrived overnight to the relevant office, and just as she did, the telephone rang. She hurriedly picked up the receiver, taking out a notepad to jot down the information conveyed over the phone.
At the same time, another phone started ringing. Zhang Xiaolong had a pen and paper in her hand and was still recording when she suddenly didn’t know what to do. Just as she was feeling quite distressed, a hand reached out and effortlessly answered the phone for her.
Thinking it was a colleague helping out, Zhang Xiaolong continued to lower her head and write down the information from the phone call. She wrote two lines and suddenly felt that the voice beside her wasn’t quite right. The male voice sounded too relaxed and pleasant, even with a hint of bored leisure. This made the policewoman, who had been serious all day, feel uncomfortable.
“Well, you should contact the Environmental Protection Bureau directly.”
The other end of the line was quickly hung up, and Zhang Xiaolong even heard a protesting voice from it.
She suddenly looked up and saw a completely unfamiliar young man standing in front of her, smiling meaningfully.
For about three to five seconds, Zhang Xiaolong was completely taken aback, displaying a normal stunned reaction upon seeing a handsome young man.
The young man was dressed in a simple black shirt, matching trousers, and leather shoes of the same color. His tie was slightly loosened, secured by a sleek silver tie clip in the middle. Although this young man appeared a bit disheveled, his clothing and the expression on his face when he nodded were elegantly appropriate.
Zhang Xiaolong opened her mouth, intending to ask a question like “Who are you”, but, to her surprise, before she could speak, the person introduced himself.
“Hello, I’m the new psychological consultant for the Hongjing Municipal Bureau.”
Su Fengzi’s voice was loud, and many people around heard it, casting incredulous glances at them.
Once again, Zhang Xiaolong felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her first reaction was anger. Why did they bring in a replacement so soon after something happened to Consultant Lin? This was going too far and showed a lack of consideration.
She took a deep breath, steadying her emotions, and picked up the office phone to find someone. She dialed two numbers but suddenly realized something was off. How could the Criminal Investigation Department find a replacement for Consultant Lin so quickly?
She looked up in shock, glanced at the person in front of her, and cautiously asked, “May I ask who you are and where you were transferred from?”
The young man seemed to have anticipated that she would ask such a question. He took out a cardholder from his pocket and pulled out a card, placing it on the table and pushing it towards her.
Zhang Xiaolong lowered her head somewhat slowly and saw that the card was written in simple Song font: [Renowned Writer: Su Fengzi.]
Below were densely packed words arranged under quotation marks, which she realized were the titles of his works, mostly something like <The General’s Spoiled Empress—Don’t Run Away from the Overbearing President>.
The policewoman was immediately enraged but still had to suppress her anger and explain to the person politely, “Sir, the police station is busy with official matters. This is not the place for jokes.”
The young writer named Su Fengzi remained unfazed and continued to push the card toward her with a polite yet non-negotiable attitude, saying, “Call Xing Conglian and read him the contents on the card.”
In reality, Zhang Xiaolong could have refused, but at that moment, she felt that the person in front of her was somewhat familiar, which made her, inexplicably, pick up the phone.
She briefly explained the situation at the front desk, but the captain on the other end of the line fell into silence.
Zhang Xiaolong couldn’t help but prompt him, and it was only then that Xing Conglian said, “Tell him to wait,” before hanging up.
Although the captain’s instructions weren’t particularly clear, it seemed like he wanted the other person to stay. Zhang Xiaolong hung up the phone, and the young man was already carelessly leaning on the front desk, his phoenix eyes raised slightly as he casually scanned the lifeless lobby. His gaze was probing, yet he had shed the carefree attitude, appearing gentle and profound.
Xing Conglian arrived quickly.
When he and his team came down from upstairs, everyone in the lobby raised their heads, and the atmosphere cooled a few degrees.
“Captain Xing…”
Voices from other officers greeting Xing Conglian intermittently sounded.
Wang Chao froze on the stairs, pointing at Su Fengzi with an expression as if he had seen a ghost, but his eyes were red.
At this moment, the young man finally looked up and glanced at the stairs, his first words being, “What’s going on? Did Lin Chen die?”
Su Fengzi’s words instantly silenced the entire lobby. All eyes turned toward him with restrained expressions that were filled with anger. But the young writer seemed oblivious.
The first one to react was Wang Chao. The young man quickly ran down the stairs and pointed his finger at Su Fengzi, cursing, “What the hell are you talking about!”
Su Fengzi looked at Wang Chao’s pointing finger, reached out to shake his hand, and then casually ruffled Wang Chao’s hair, leisurely saying, “Tsk, since you didn’t hit me, it means Lin Chen hasn’t played himself to death yet. He really has some ability.”
Wang Chao was even more furious. He pushed Su Fengzi’s hand away, but his language skills were no match for Su Fengzi’s. He could only sulk in anger.
“Please respect Consultant Lin!” Zhang Xiaolong had been watching from the side and couldn’t help but speak up.
“How am I disrespecting him?” Su Fengzi didn’t even look at her directly, casually asking.
“You said Consultant Lin died!” Zhang Xiaolong said seriously, realizing that her words didn’t hold much weight in the current situation. But after everything Lin Chen had done, his successor turned out to be this kind of person, which left Zhang Xiaolong with a lump in her throat.
“That’s because all of you are wearing mournful faces, as if Lin Chen is already gone.” Su Fengzi slightly bowed and pinched Wang Chao’s cheek, saying, “Why are you crying?”
“So, you mean we should be happy?” Another officer who had been silently standing by spoke up. “When Consultant Lin made that kind of exchange with his life to ensure the survival of the suspect, are we supposed to be happy about Consultant Lin’s self-sacrifice?”
Su Fengzi pondered for a moment and questioned the other person. “What’s your name?”
Probably assuming that Su Fengzi was here to take over Lin Chen’s position, the officer stood at attention and answered, “Zhang Xingguo.”
Su Fengzi raised his thumb slightly and pointed casually at the officer who stood like a rock, asking Zhang Xiaolong, “Who is he?”
Zhang Xiaolong replied solemnly, “He’s Deputy Captain Zhang, who has received two individual second-class merits and one collective third-class merit*.”
*Clarity: These are basically medals awarded to individuals and units in the Chinese military. The reward levels are divided into 5 levels (going from high to low): 1. Honorary, 2. First-class merit, 3. Second-class merit, 4. Third-class merit, and 5. Regular awards. || To be awarded a second-class merit, he must’ve made important contributions, while a third-class merit means he made outstanding achievements or great contributions.
“Oh… a hero, I see.” Su Fengzi’s voice was relaxed and abrupt. “So, Zhang Xingguo, after being a police officer for so many years, what’s the most dangerous situation you’ve encountered?”
This question left Zhang Xingguo in silence.
“Deputy Captain Zhang has handled the 721 major gang robbery case!”
“Was it dangerous?”
“We seized 22 firearms on the spot, with over a thousand rounds of ammunition,” Zhang Xiaolong answered.
“Oh, then Zhang Xingguo, when you faced the suspects with a gun, did you make sure you could survive?”
“No,” the middle-aged officer broke his silence and spoke again.
“Then why did you risk your life to do these things?”
Zhang Xingguo saluted once again and answered, “It’s my duty.”
“Oh, so risking your life is your duty, but Lin Chen doesn’t have his duty?”
Zhang Xingguo was momentarily at a loss for words and could only say, “Consultant Lin is not a front-line officer.”
Su Fengzi finally stood up straight, looking at Zhang Xingguo and seemingly addressing everyone. “Even if he’s not a front-line officer, I know that negotiation experts often say, ‘Let me exchange this hostage in your custody.’ Do they have a hundred percent certainty that they will survive when they say those words? I don’t think so. The same thing happens every day. Why does it make Lin Chen appear particularly worthy of respect and make you all so uncomfortable?”
“But, but A’Chen Gege is different!” Unable to hold back any longer, Wang Chao shouted loudly.
Seeing the teenager reach into his pocket, take out a candy, tear open the wrapper, and swiftly stuff it into his mouth, Zhang Xiaolong couldn’t help but pinch his face and laugh. “Young man, you’re so good at getting caught up in trivial matters. Is it because you don’t have a girlfriend?”
Although Su Fengzi was teasing, the entire hall fell into silence once again, with no one speaking.
Su Fengzi glanced at Xing Conglian, who was standing in a high place, and then looked at everyone present. He said, “If any of you wouldn’t make the same choice as Lin Chen, please step forward.”
Seconds ticked by, and Zhang Xiaolong looked up. In the vast hall filled with dozens of people, not a single person moved.
Lin Chen’s voice exploded in Huang Ze’s ears, causing him to experience a brief ringing sensation. He even suspected that he was having auditory hallucinations or some kind of mental illness.
Lin Chen actually dared to make such a proposal to let Shen Lian live?
Numerous thoughts surged in Huang Ze’s mind. He wanted to yell and curse at Lin Chen through the earpiece channel.
But he knew that the person sitting on the bench by the window wouldn’t listen to any of his opinions. Even if he yelled, there was no guarantee that both Lin Chen and Shen Lian could hear him.
The channel once again filled with noisy and chaotic dissuasive voices, but Shen Lian’s gentle voice overpowered everything in the next moment.
The woman was indifferent and even said without hesitation, “Why should I watch you turn into a lunatic? What benefit does it bring me?”
The channel instantly fell silent, and everyone felt relieved for the first time because of Shen Lian’s words.
However, “what benefit” was obviously completely different from the wording of “no benefit”.
“You’ve been studying psychotropic drugs your whole life. Don’t you want to see what kind of monster I become when I have an episode?”
Lin Chen shattered their sense of relief with very concise words.
Lin Chen’s voice was gentle, with a hint of charm. His hand slowly enveloped Shen Lian’s tightly held vial, looking into her eyes as he continued, “You’ve been waiting all this time, patiently lurking, never giving up until the last moment. Why are you giving up so quickly now?”
“Give up on what?” Shen Lian countered. “Life has no meaning for me.”
“Is that so?” Lin Chen looked at Shen Lian. “Then why didn’t you die after almost being raped by Chen Jianguo, why didn’t you die after the death of the old beggar, why didn’t you die after being driven away by Duan Wanshan? Why do you have to die now?” Lin Chen slowly pulled out the fine tube from Shen Lian’s hand, though slowly. It was very determined. “Don’t say such things like life has no meaning for you. You are a psychopath. You don’t have such a strong sense of sacrifice. Personal interests are above everything for you. It would be better for you to keep an eye on everything yourself. Are you really sure that after you die, your group can fulfill your wishes?”
Shen Lian suddenly raised her eyes, and a terrifying smile appeared on her face. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, if people don’t act for their own sake, heaven and earth will exterminate them.”
Shen Lian’s fingers suddenly loosened, and Lin Chen held the ampoule bottle in his hand.
“Consultant Lin is indeed a skilled negotiator.” The woman changed her posture and crossed her legs. “But how can you guarantee that after you take my medication, I won’t immediately tear up the contract?”
Lin Chen remained close to Shen Lian, but only shook his head, appearing confident. He didn’t continue the conversation with Shen Lian but presented another irresistible benefit. “If you don’t think about it, what will happen when all the patients’ families know about our deal?”
Lin Chen also crossed his legs as Shen Lian did and said calmly, “Your hands are covered in blood, full of evil deeds. All the victims’ families wish for your death, and you have chosen this path for yourself. However, the police saved you. Aren’t you curious about the public’s reaction when they find out about our deal?”
He pointed his finger towards the commercial square across the building and the crowds gathered there. Looking down from a higher level, one could probably understand what a vast array of beings meant.
The square was filled with people, and most of them would casually glance at the large screen on the high-rise building. Starting from six o’clock sharp, the news anchor on the two-story-tall screen had been broadcasting hourly news. When Shen Lian sat with Lin Chen, she had also seen her name displayed on the screen, and the feeling was truly amazing. The only thing she was slightly dissatisfied with was that so many people below were unaware of the explosive news happening behind them in the heights.
When she thought about it, Shen Lian admitted that she was truly tempted.
The sun had descended further, and the golden-red color had become even deeper and more magnificent, even carrying a sense of grandeur.
Lin Chen’s clear and calm voice sounded in her ear. “They would say that it’s not worth exchanging a criminal’s life with police officers. They would also say that it’s unacceptable for the police to bow down to criminals. They will make moral judgments and evaluate the proposal I made to you. Such evaluations might force me to stand on your side. Don’t you want to see it?”
That voice was clear and pleasant, and Shen Lian greedily looked at the screen. Then she suddenly snapped back to reality, looking at Lin Chen. “Consultant Lin, you really refuse to be at a disadvantage.”
At that moment, Lin Chen had already poured out the liquid from the entire ampoule bottle. There was a small red cut on his finger from snatching the glass bottle. He gazed at the crowd in the distance, gently swaying the small bottle on his finger. For a moment, the bottle balanced perfectly on his finger.
“That’s the kind of contract it is,” Lin Chen said. “I take the medication, and you stay alive, going into detention. I guarantee that you can see the latest updates on all events every day. If you die, you won’t see anything.”
……
In that instant, Huang Ze felt as if he had become Shen Lian. Lin Chen’s words were enticing, both in tone and content.
But he immediately snapped out of it, becoming extremely flustered. His palms were sweating, and a chilling sensation filled his muscles.
He took two steps back, then lowered his footsteps and walked to the other corner, afraid that Shen Lian would agree to the insane agreement with Lin Chen one second too late. He breathed heavily into the earpiece. “Xing Conglian!”
Then he realized that Xing Conglian had remained silent from the moment Lin Chen made that proposal, and the channel was dead silent.
Just then, a high-frequency noise splattered through the earpiece, causing everyone to gasp in cold air.
Soon after, Shen Lian’s gentle voice came through, “Hello, hello, sorry, I’m not very good at using this.”
A woman in black clothes, wearing an earpiece, asked with a smiling face. “Hey, what do you all think of Lin Chen’s proposal?”
She crossed her legs, displaying a victorious posture.
“You have three seconds left to save him,” the woman said.
Huang Ze clenched his back teeth tightly, almost biting them off.
“Three…”
Shen Lian’s voice carried a bright smile.
“Two… Hey, why is no one speaking up?”
Huang Ze clenched his fist and looked in the direction where the two were. He took a deep breath and was about to shout, ignoring everything.
At that moment, Lin Chen spoke up. “They won’t refute the decision I’ve made.”
“Oh, how cowardly. Sacrifice yourself and make millions of families happy. Tsk tsk.” Shen Lian pursed her lips. “But honestly, Lin Chen, your proposal is really intriguing. It’s indeed better to stay alive than to die, allowing me to easily manipulate all of you in the palm of my hand! But do you know why any negotiation expert would say never to compromise with terrorists? It’s because they easily take advantage. For example, right now, if I want your entire team to take the poison, otherwise, I’ll commit suicide, do you think they would agree?”
“Shen Lian.” Lin Chen elongated his tone. “Maintaining balance is the key to continuing the game. You do have value, but not that much value.”
Shen Lian raised an eyebrow. “I’m a psychopathic killer. I don’t know the meaning of boundaries!”
Lin Chen raised his hand again, calmly informing Shen Lian. “Now, as soon as I let go, you will be immediately shot, and your head will explode. Your brain matter will flow out, and you will quickly lose your life. But in that final moment before death, you will deeply regret not agreeing to my proposal.”
Shen Lian turned her head. She didn’t expect the person who had seemed somewhat compromising a second ago to suddenly become so ruthless. Lin Chen’s demeanor remained gentle and calm, but his pitch-black pupils were filled with an icy coldness.
“Okay, okay,” Shen Lian raised her hand with a smile and slapped it against Lin Chen’s, readily saying, “One!”
……
Xing Conglian had been staring at Lin Chen’s raised hand, not paying much attention to the expression on his face.
Lin Chen’s wrist was slender, and his fingers appeared slightly long and delicate. The sunset passing through his fingers had a perverse and strange beauty.
If that hand were to come down, he would not hesitate to pull the trigger. But throughout the entire time, that moment never occurred.
He saw Shen Lian and Lin Chen slap their hands together, saw Shen Lian start rummaging through her bag, and saw Lin Chen’s gaze deepen as he looked at him.
The earpiece was still on Shen Lian’s ear, so Lin Chen wouldn’t hear anything he said at the moment.
During this silent time, Xing Conglian had even prepared a long string of confessions. He wanted to tell Shen Lian through the entire channel that Lin Chen was his lover. He would say that he didn’t want his lover to lose control, that he himself had more value, and that he could take Lin Chen’s place. This was what any romantic or heroic person would do.
But those words only ran through his mind once before being decisively rejected. Reason was clear, telling him that he couldn’t do it.
In fact, he could completely follow Huang Ze’s advice and pull the trigger, killing Shen Lian. But his reasoning was clear, telling him that he still couldn’t do it.
Therefore, at this moment, he could only watch helplessly as Shen Lian took out a small vial containing pure white powder from her bag.
In the instant he saw the medication, all of Lin Chen’s expressions froze. It was only at that moment that Xing Conglian was very clear that Lin Chen didn’t have complete confidence in what was about to happen, and he was also afraid.
But in the next moment, Lin Chen completely restrained all emotions, as if fear or any similar emotion had never existed within him. He extended his arm, placing it in front of Shen Lian, and pleaded, “Please control the dosage. If I die, no one will uphold the agreement with you.”
There was only a smile on Shen Lian’s lips. She opened the ampoule and sucked the liquid into the syringe, injecting it into the vial of pentobarbital. Then she slowly drew out the mixed liquid, and finally shook the syringe.
Shen Lian said, “You seem very confident, but I won’t show you any mercy. If you haven’t found a solution before we finish researching, this liquid might turn you into a lunatic for the rest of your life. Or maybe it won’t take effect quickly, but it will make you restless, not knowing when it will strike.”
“I know,” Lin Chen said. “Please do as you wish, according to your preferences.”
A small amount of the transparent liquid splashed out from the needle. Lin Chen gazed at the medication, and in the next moment, the needle harshly punctured his vein. Even Lin Chen himself trembled with pain.
Shen Lian slowly pushed the plunger with her hand, her excited voice echoing in everyone’s ears through the channel.
“Consultant Lin, how noble you are. But don’t you think your spirit of sacrifice will make others feel embarrassed?”
Lin Chen looked at Shen Lian and replied, “First of all, it’s not noble. Nobility refers to being far beyond ordinary people. But in reality, whether it’s inside this communication channel, this building, or even the entire planet, most ordinary people sitting next to you would be willing to make the same choice as me, to fight for a glimmer of hope for others.”
Two-thirds of the liquid in the syringe had already been pushed in.
Shen Lian shook her head with a smile. “I don’t even know where your confidence in human nature comes from.”
“It’s not confidence, but determination,” Lin Chen said. “It’s the determination of people like us to defeat people like you.”
Lin Chen’s voice wasn’t loud, and it even sounded somewhat distant to Xing Conglian. The strong wind suddenly howled in the high altitude, relentlessly pounding against the window frames.
But in that moment, Xing Conglian felt that all sounds had disappeared and all distances had turned into nothingness. Even his previous anger and helplessness seemed to fade away completely because this was probably the most powerless but proudest moment of his life.
……
Lin Chen sat on the bench, and the last rays of sunlight vanished into the outskirts of the city.
It wasn’t until Shen Lian abruptly pulled out the needle that he realized the transaction had been completed. The plunger had been pushed quickly, but he hadn’t felt any pain from beginning to end.
It was very quiet around him, and the city in the distance exuded a beautiful sense of haze. The only regret he had now was that he had listened to Shen Lian’s arrangement to remove the earpiece. At such a moment, he really wanted to sit here with Xing Conglian and say something.
He wanted to say that he was starting to panic about what he would become, that he loved him, that he was grateful, and that in that brief moment just now, Xing Conglian had shown him more respect for his personality and for his life-and-death choices than anything else.
He looked at the tall building in the distance and nodded gently.
The waltz on the square had reached such a height that it was difficult to discern the complete melody. However, the saccharine tune became even sweeter due to the playful wind, evoking memories of things like syrup on a child’s lips, cherry blossoms falling from branches in spring, and the graceful curves of a woman’s legs.
Their meeting seemed ordinary, without any tension in the air.
Lin Chen stood with his hands in his pockets, stopping at the corner. Someone happened to walk past the corner and stopped in their tracks.
“Miss Shen Lian, hello,” Lin Chen said calmly.
There were more than twenty tiles between them. The woman standing opposite him had a serene expression. When she saw him, there was neither a smile nor anger on her face; she appeared like a ghost.
However, in that moment, Lin Chen was keenly aware that she didn’t belong to this civilized society. She was a hybrid created by evil and abhorrence, with no regard for human life.
But Lin Chen also understood that Shen Lian’s current attitude was just her own, and it didn’t affect the stability of the sniper rifle aimed at her. This gave him time to carefully assess his opponent.
Shen Lian had fair skin, slightly wide-set eyes, and delicately arched eyebrows that exuded a gentle and faint sense. She wore a black dress, and her jet-black hair cascaded lightly over her shoulders. Her hand, adorned with black leather gloves, lightly held a black bag, and the pointed tips of her black high heels firmly pressed against the line dividing the floor tiles. Despite being on the run, she appeared unruffled, as if she was attending a banquet rather than about to kill. Of course, for someone like Shen Lian, killing was more exhilarating than attending a banquet.
Shen Lian remained silent. Her gaze was gentle, her feathery lashes flickering, as if piercing through him and aiming at the void behind him. Of course, what was behind him wasn’t emptiness but a door.
In the next moment, Shen Lian continued to move forward. The tips of her high heels lightly tapped the ground, followed by her heels landing elegantly, as graceful as a swan. Only death could make her stop.
At that moment, a red light broke through the air and pierced Shen Lian’s chest.
Shen Lian lowered her head slowly, and her footsteps momentarily paused.
Lin Chen realized that there were still 12 tiles between him and Shen Lian.
The communication channel was filled with intense inquiries, and the footsteps approaching from a distance grew more frequent. It would take less than 10 seconds for the elite team that had emerged from the corner to successfully capture or kill Shen Lian. Everything would go smoothly and simply, and they would soon be able to go home.
Shen Lian lifted her bag, lightly resting her hand on the clasp. It was a subtle movement that typically indicated she was about to draw a weapon.
Even though victory was within sight, Lin Chen suddenly reevaluated Shen Lian’s attire and felt a chilling sensation.
He seemed to see a chess game at its most exquisite moment, with the crucial black piece about to reach her position.
He raised his hand abruptly.
Time stood still in that instant.
……
Over 400 meters above, the wind was unpredictable.
Xing Conglian was crouched on a makeshift desk, and due to Lin Chen’s simple gesture, his earpiece was filled with a flurry of tense inquiries.
“What is Lin Chen doing? Why did he suddenly abandon the operation?” Huang Ze exclaimed.
The deputy team leader said, “Xing Conglian, do you have confidence in this?”
The strong wind cut across his face like a knife, and Xing Conglian’s fingers remained on the trigger. Through his scope, he only saw Shen Lian’s figure, but he was well aware that, a kilometer away, the person standing in front of Shen Lian was someone else.
Xing Conglian slightly tilted his head and uttered four words to everyone on the communication channel:
“Stay calm. Don’t panic.”
……
Time lasted only for a few brief seconds.
Shen Lian’s action of placing her hand on the clasp was incredibly delicate, but it flooded Lin Chen’s mind with countless thoughts.
Shen Lian looked beautiful today. A psychologically disturbed person who wanted to die in a beautiful way in her final moments—no problem with that.
But the dress she wore was too conspicuous.
Being overly conspicuous indicated that Shen Lian wasn’t afraid of being discovered. Of course, she held the medicine with confidence and without fear, and that was also not a problem.
However, the problem was that just a moment ago, in the instant when she knew the sniper rifle was aimed at her, Shen Lian acted without hesitation.
She even wanted to open the bag, making a dangerous move that anyone would have shot her without hesitation upon seeing it.
This indicated that Shen Lian was seeking death.
Shen Lian wanted to die at the hands of the police. Why?
Lin Chen realized that he didn’t know the answer. An uncontrollable chill ran down his spine.
……
Shen Lian’s footsteps came to a halt.
She lowered her head slightly, but there was no blood splatter, as she had expected. She could still see everything with her eyes, indicating that she hadn’t been shot in the head and was still alive.
Her hand rested on the clasp of her bag, and with her peripheral vision, she saw the reflection of the gun barrel behind her. She lifted her head again, finally focusing her gaze on the person in front of her.
It must be said that the sunlight was just right today, casting a calm and natural glow on the young face bathed in the evening sun, radiating with the vitality of life.
That was Lin Chen, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to describe him as someone whose name was well-known and heard everywhere.
This made Shen Lian squint her eyes slightly, and she couldn’t help but take a deep breath of the surrounding air.
In fact, after Lin Chen had pondered so much, it was now her turn to think about many things. In the end, all she did was nod in acknowledgment to him.
“How does it feel to be alive?”
Suddenly, she heard him ask such a question.
Shen Lian recalled someone once saying that Lin Chen always asked questions that made you really want to answer them. Even if you sewed your mouth shut with a needle and avoided any eye contact with him, he could still guess this or that, making him incredibly difficult to guard against. He was truly annoying.
So it was practically a golden rule not to say anything to Lin Chen.
Shen Lian continued forward, taking two steps, and the number of tiles between her and Lin Chen was reduced to 10.
……
Xing Conglian remained motionless, as if he had returned to a moment in the Dana Rainforest.
In his mind, he could vividly recall the scene when his heart pounded explosively upon seeing Lin Chen through the scope. But now, his heartbeat was no longer racing, but rather calm.
“Wang Chao,” Xing Conglian whispered.
The communication channels, intricately connected like a spiderweb, instantly filled with the anxious and helpless voices of the young teenager. “Boss, there’s a riot at Yongchuan University in the third cafeteria. It’s said that students got into a fight over queuing issues, and the situation on-site is quite severe. Mr. Su was dining in the cafeteria at the time!”
Xing Conglian’s breath hitched, but he didn’t say anything. The communication channels erupted in an instant.
Those who could speak now were the ones who had the authority to act.
“Shen Lian is here. Why is there a riot at Yongchuan?” someone asked in the channel.
“Could Zhourui’s drugs not only target the middle-aged and elderly? What’s going on? Shen Lian has an accomplice, and there are others poisoned at Yongchuan University?”
“Wait, let’s clarify first. Is the riot at Yongchuan University really related to Shen Lian?”
The questions kept coming, creating a noisy and chaotic atmosphere. Xing Conglian knew very well that these voices would reach Lin Chen’s ears as they were, and all the pressure would fall directly on his shoulders.
The distance between Shen Lian and Lin Chen was getting shorter.
Someone else spoke up, saying, “Captain, the distance between Shen Lian and Consultant Lin is too close. Consultant Lin might be in danger.”
Huang Ze shouted, “Xing Conglian!”
……
Of course, Lin Chen could hear those voices in the channel.
He heard many people’s subconscious questions, the warnings about his safety, and even the nervousness in Huang Ze’s voice when he called out Xing Conglian’s name.
But in the end, those voices became completely unimportant because Xing Conglian said two words: Trust me.
Although the tension was overwhelming now, and the woman in front of him was like a puzzle, and the time he had to solve it was incredibly short, Lin Chen suddenly felt relaxed and serene because of those two words from Xing Conglian.
With one hand in his pocket, his other hand remained suspended in the air, not coming down. He didn’t speak; he was waiting for Shen Lian to speak.
Finally, Shen Lian stood still in a position five tiles away from him and spoke up.
“Consultant Lin, what are you doing here?” Her tone was different from what Lin Chen had imagined. It was surprisingly… very straightforward.
“I’m waiting for you,” Lin Chen replied.
“Why are you waiting for me?” Shen Lian asked in return.
“I have a question I want to ask you.”
“Have you watched too many movies?” Shen Lian asked curiously. “Do all the villains have to candidly express their thoughts and feelings before they die? Why should I answer your question?”
However, Lin Chen wasn’t angered by Shen Lian’s frank words. He shook his head slightly and told her, “Actually, this is a normal psychological phenomenon. People always like to show off, especially the side that has the advantage. In the end, they can’t help but boast in front of their opponents. After all, time is running out.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Lian looked down at the red dot on her chest, then turned to look at the guns pointed at her. She said, “So, Consultant Lin, what do you want to boast about?”
Lin Chen shook his head again. “The one who has the advantage right now is clearly you. I’m standing here just to listen to you speak.”
Lin Chen’s voice was calm and gentle, and Shen Lian suddenly smiled. In that moment, she looked like the dealer who had finally revealed her winning hand in a gamble, overwhelmingly dazzling.
Tilting her head slightly, Shen Lian looked around as if by chance she spotted a bench by the floor-to-ceiling window.
She said, “I think you have bad manners. Why don’t you invite me over to sit?”
Lin Chen nodded. “I apologize for my rudeness.”
He finished speaking and made a gesture of invitation, slightly bowing and pointing to the wooden bench Shen Lian had looked at earlier.
The evening sunlight bathed the wooden chair in a brilliant glow, with a potted flower nearby, reminding people of many words associated with flames.
Shen Lian walked over slowly, sat down at one end of the bench, and elegantly placed her handbag by her side. Then she patted the empty space next to her.
It meant: Come and sit with me.
In Lin Chen’s earpiece channel, there were, as expected, voices of dissuasion, and some suggested restraining Shen Lian. The following team members could clear Shen Lian’s handbag in a matter of seconds, rendering it harmless. These were all things they had prepared in advance.
Lin Chen glanced at the woman’s back on the bench, sighed almost imperceptibly, and then walked over and sat down obediently.
“Aren’t they annoying?” Shen Lian pointed to the device in his ear and asked bluntly.
“They can be,” Lin Chen replied.
“Then take it off.”
Looking at Shen Lian’s lustrous black hair, Lin Chen earnestly said, “Even if I take it off, they can still hear it. There are also bugs under the chair you’re sitting on, so if we want to keep our conversation private, we need to do a lot of work.”
“Why are you so troublesome?” Shen Lian said. “If they hear it, they hear it. It’s not a big deal.”
Lin Chen didn’t say anything more. Like an officer surrendering his weapon to a criminal, he took out the transparent and tiny earpiece and placed it on the wooden board between them.
Shen Lian didn’t spare another glance at the item. In the next moment, she opened her handbag with swift and forceful movements, sounding like a warrior drawing her sword. The sound reverberated through the quiet corridor.
Shen Lian unexpectedly glanced at the heavily armed SWAT team at the far end of the corridor, then looked at her own chest. She was still alive.
All these actions were captured by Lin Chen’s eyes. The opening of the bag revealed a gap, and he peered inside, seeing vials emitting a cold gleam. Even though he couldn’t hear any sound from the channel now, he was certain that Xing Conglian must be ordering all departments to remain calm.
“What’s the matter, Miss Shen?” Lin Chen asked with concern.
Shen Lian brushed away the nonexistent dust from her chest and said, “Consultant Lin, you’re putting yourself in a passive position. Now that I know you won’t kill me, I can rush through that door and kill everyone in this building!” Shen Lian raised her voice, her eyebrows furrowing in anger, and she appeared extremely fierce.
Lin Chen remained unresponsive, breathing steadily and maintaining a calm gaze as he looked into Shen Lian’s eyes.
In the next moment, Shen Lian burst into laughter, a wildly crazy laughter that shook the heavens, exuding a sense of unrestrained freedom, like a true madwoman.
Shen Lian laughed for a long time, during which she patted Lin Chen’s back twice heavily. While laughing, she shouted, “Hahaha, you’re great! I really like you!” When someone like Shen Lian said she liked someone, it definitely wasn’t a good thing. In the meantime, the woman pulled out a dozen vials from the opened bag and placed them on the bench with a resounding thud. She cheerfully said, “Let me treat you to a drink!”
…..
Those things were tiny needles encapsulated in transparent vials, each containing about 10 ml.
In the hospital, when getting an injection, the nurse would take out one vial, break the slender glass bottle neck by hand, draw the liquid with a disposable syringe, mix it with powdered medication, and then inject it into the patient. It was roughly something like that.
Under the evening sun, the liquid inside the small vials shimmered with a touch of golden hue. Looking through Xing Conglian’s scope, the liquid in those twelve vials emitted a deadly gleam.
Shen Lian picked up one vial, pressed her thumb against the narrow neck of the vial, and with a crisp sound, skillfully broke it open.
Xing Conglian’s heart rate finally uncontrollably sped up, as he saw Shen Lian handing the vial to Lin Chen.
Although Lin Chen had removed his earpiece, he could still clearly hear his calm and distinct voice.
Lin Chen asked, “Is this for me? What is it?”
“Glucose,” Shen Lian’s tone carried a hint of sweetness.
Everyone knew that what a killer carried with them couldn’t possibly be glucose. Urgent voices resounded in Xing Conglian’s earpiece channel once again.
In his current position, he could choose to pull the trigger directly, but at that moment, he saw Lin Chen look up and deliberately cast a deep glance in his direction.
Lin Chen’s gentle yet affectionate gaze made Xing Conglian’s finger stiffen like never before.
He watched as Lin Chen unhesitatingly took the vial and was about to drink from it. However, Shen Lian interrupted him and asked, “Have you ever played Russian roulette?”
Lin Chen paused for a moment and answered, “No.”
“It’s a life-or-death game. Each person points a gun at their own head, and there’s only one bullet inside. Whoever gets shot dies.” Shen Lian pointed at the twelve vials between her and Lin Chen and said, “Here, there are twelve vials, but only one of them contains a potion that can turn a person into a beast.”
Shen Lian’s voice caused all the listeners on the channel to involuntarily gasp for breath.
Then came Lin Chen’s voice.
He said, “Okay.”
“Lin Chen, have you gone crazy? Don’t you care about your life anymore!”
Huang Ze stepped out of the office door and blurted out.
However, once the words were spoken, the communication channel fell silent, and regret followed in the next second.
At this moment, Wang Chao spoke up. “Lao Huang, we all care about A’Chen Gege’s safety. Now is not the time for you to be stubborn.” The young man’s voice sounded very nervous, and there weren’t many things that could make Wang Chao nervous. “There has been an attack in Meichuan City, which is very close to Yongchuan… The scene is… extremely horrifying…”
The entire communication channel fell into a complete vacuum, as if it were a void universe devoid of sound.
Huang Ze clenched his fist, allowing himself to slowly recover from the moment when he was soaked with cold water. He finally realized why Lin Chen had to agree to Shen Lian. This woman seemed unarmed and posed no threat at all, but she held the most crucial and deadly thing—the lives of many ordinary people.
Among these people, Lin Chen’s teacher happened to be included.
Upon hearing Lin Chen’s prompt acceptance, Shen Lian nodded. She casually took out a vial, broke the bottle neck, pressed her thumb and index finger together, lightly holding the vial, and said, “Cheers?”
“Cheers.”
Under the evening sun, the two slender vials touched each other, emitting a soft sound of “ding”.
……
“Why are you so compliant?”
Even though he knew it might be a dangerous substance, Lin Chen swallowed the potion without hesitation, which Shen Lian couldn’t understand.
“Because I have a teacher.” Lin Chen tilted his head slightly and looked at Shen Lian.
Speaking of which, Lin Chen’s eyes weren’t particularly attractive, but his pupils were very dark. In that instant, Shen Lian inexplicably felt a chilling sensation, as if her entire thoughts were being read.
However, Lin Chen quickly averted his gaze, looking towards the distant sky, and said, “My parents passed away, and I don’t have any older relatives. But there isn’t any overly tragic story behind it; it’s just a normal case of death from illness. My teacher, who was also my mentor during university, is someone who can be described as having excessive sympathy. Perhaps because he himself hasn’t enjoyed the joys of having children and family, he treats every student as his own child.”
“Why should I listen to you talk about this?” Shen Lian asked.
“Because my time may be running out,” Lin Chen replied. In the midst of speaking, he casually took out another vial from the remaining ten, lightly tapped it against the empty vial in Shen Lian’s hand, and quickly consumed the liquid inside with one gulp. This caused Shen Lian’s fingers to twitch involuntarily, but she quickly suppressed it.
Lin Chen seemed oblivious to this and continued, “That’s how my teacher is, and his wife is even more terrifying. She is the gentlest woman I have ever seen in my life, still very youthful at sixty-something, and she loves everything pink. She enjoys cooking, gardening, taking care of the weak, and watching us read and hold meetings in her study, where she prepares tea and is pleased when we praise her for her ingenuity.”
“That sounds scary,” Shen Lian said as she finally took out a vial, broke the bottle neck, and drank the liquid in one go.
Then, Lin Chen calmly picked up a small vial but didn’t immediately break the bottle neck.
“What’s wrong?”
“Now, my teacher lies on a hospital bed with an uncertain fate because of your medication. Before I met you, his wife cried and asked me what was going on,” Lin Chen lowered his head and chuckled self-mockingly. “I thought I knew what was going on, but now… ‘I don’t know’.”
“What do you want?” Shen Lian asked.
“Answer me one question, and then I’ll continue playing your game.” Lin Chen didn’t wait for her consent but immediately followed up. “Is there a corresponding antidote for the drug you developed?”
Shen Lian didn’t expect Lin Chen to be so direct. “You went on and on with all the preamble, but in the end, you ask this?” Shen Lian laughed. “You know I won’t give you the answer.”
Lin Chen smiled and revealed a meaningful smile. He broke the glass neck and raised his cup to her. “Thank you, I already know the answer.”
Lin Chen’s confident smile left Shen Lian speechless. She suddenly felt that sitting down and talking with Lin Chen was a mistake.
The next moment, Lin Chen unexpectedly took out two new vials at once, broke the bottle necks recklessly, and was about to drink them in one gulp.
Shen Lian glared at him and also took out two vials. “Why are you so greedy?”
In an instant, there were only three vials left in the box.
……
In front of the surveillance screen, Wang Chao’s heart was pounding. There were originally twelve vials, but by the time he realized it, only three were left.
It seemed that A’Chen Gege and Shen Lian hadn’t gone mad, indicating that the poisonous vial mentioned by Shen Lian should be among the last three ampoules.
He was panting heavily and couldn’t even utter words like “What should we do?” or “Boss, save A’Chen Gege.”
He turned around and saw the chemist in the laboratory glancing at the screen and then engrossed in some calculations.
“Why aren’t you nervous at all?” Wang Chao asked.
“Do you have Shen Lian’s medical records?” At that moment, Mr. Xiao Zhan suddenly looked up and asked him.
……
By the floor-to-ceiling window, Lin Chen opened two vials at once, like a generous drinker, and decisively finished both vials in one go.
The two glass vials fell to the marble floor with a loud crash, shattering into fragments.
In the midst of speaking, he was about to reach for another vial on the chair, but Shen Lian couldn’t hold back anymore and slapped his hand away.
Lin Chen looked at Shen Lian and asked, “What? Is there something wrong?”
“Don’t you understand ‘ladies first’? Are you trying to die first?” Shen Lian blurted out.
Lin Chen lowered his brows and looked at the vial of liquid by his side as if he was looking at his lover. He asked, “Didn’t you say that one of them will cause madness?”
“You’re courting death,” Shen Lian said.
Lin Chen didn’t delve further into it but instead made a polite gesture.
Shen Lian took out two vials, but she said to Lin Chen, “You took one less just now. This is for fairness. The last vial is yours.”
……
Shen Lian’s actions were blatantly obvious. It was equivalent to saying that the last vial was the poison, and all her talk about it being a similar neurotoxic drug was a complete lie. This was a deadly poison, and he should drink it.
In the high altitude, the voice urging him to shoot once again filled Xing Conglian’s ears. The voice came from Huang Ze.
“Why aren’t you taking action, Xing Conglian?”
“Just wait a little longer.” After saying that, he extended his hand, lowered the volume of his earpiece, and continued to calmly observe what was happening in the distance.
……
Shen Lian opened the third-to-last vial and drank it all in one breath.
“You asked me a question earlier, and I have a question as well. I’ve been curious, and if you answer truthfully, you can use one of the vials in your hand and exchange it for another one,” Shen Lian said.
“That’s too cheap for me,” Lin Chen said.
Shen Lian seemed reluctant to argue with him and asked directly, “The police officers outside my house that night—were they really there to arrest me?”
“Yes,” Lin Chen added slowly, “Your company probably found out that we had located you, and that’s why they connected the dots and found you. Before that, you had been hiding perfectly.”
Shen Lian quickly finished the vial in her hand and sneered, “Where exactly are my flaws?”
The setting sun in the distance resembled blood as Lin Chen uttered words, “Duan Wanshan.”
Shen Lian suddenly raised her voice. “He’s back?”
Lin Chen abruptly stopped speaking, picked up the last vial from the bench, and didn’t answer.
Shen Lian bit her lip suddenly. Just hearing that name made her engage in intense contemplation. “No, it’s impossible. He can’t be back. It’s been too short a time, and you couldn’t have contacted him so quickly in such a short time. So why were you able to quickly eliminate Duan Wanshan as a murder suspect?!”
Among the entire communication channel and the entire territory of China, there were only three people who knew the answer.
Lin Chen was contemplating.
Xing Conglian remained silent.
Even Wang Chao seemed to have a premonition, and his nerves were so tense that he couldn’t even breathe.
At this moment, everyone finally heard Lin Chen’s answer. He said, “Because he’s my friend.”
Shen Lian forcefully broke the vial, seemingly taken aback by this answer. She angrily retorted, “So what?”
“I have good judgment of character, and I’ve always believed in my friends. Therefore, he wouldn’t kill Tan Kang over an academic dispute.”
There was a brief moment of silence, lasting about two or three seconds.
Suddenly, Shen Lian burst into mad laughter, her laughter resounding through the air, to the point where she couldn’t even stand up straight. “Hahaha, what did you just say?”
Shen Lian found Lin Chen’s words extremely amusing. She couldn’t believe the current situation she found herself in. It was all because someone was Duan Wanshan’s friend and had great faith in him?
……
Shen Lian’s laughter didn’t bring any relief to the police officers inside and outside the building. Her piercing and resolute voice was filled with a murderous intent.
At that moment, a voice suddenly came through the channel, overpowering Shen Lian’s laughter.
Xiao Zhan had taken Wang Chao’s earpiece at some point and shouted into the microphone, “Shen Lian is attempting suicide! We can’t let her drink the last vial!”
However, communication channels naturally had a propagation delay, not to mention the interval between human thought and giving orders.
In the footage, Shen Lian had already lifted the tiny vial to her lips, her fair and slender wrist shining like jade. There was a hint of anger and relief in her eyes.
But all the police officers who heard those words fell into a momentary daze. Even if Xing Conglian gave the order now, he couldn’t stop her in time.
Lin Chen didn’t have an earpiece, so they couldn’t transmit the message to him in such a short amount of time. Everything seemed to be too late.
Suddenly, a hand appeared from below and swiftly grasped Shen Lian’s wrist.
Shen Lian was startled, and after two seconds, she realized that her wrist was tightly held. The hand was fair and symmetrical, with calluses between the knuckles that indicated long hours of writing, making it look robust and powerful.
The last vial in Lin Chen’s hand had fallen to the ground at some point, and the liquid mixed with broken glass flowed on the marble floor.
“A’Chen Gege!” Wang Chao couldn’t help but shout at the sight of the hand that suddenly prevented Shen Lian.
The young man’s voice filled the channel and brought everyone back to their senses.
It was only then that they realized that even in a critical moment, Xing Conglian didn’t pull the trigger.
……
Shen Lian’s gaze shifted slightly downward and fell upon the person’s face, finally recognizing who had stopped her at the last moment.
Who else could it be? At this critical juncture, only Lin Chen could react in time.
Lin Chen’s eyelashes were long and trembled slightly in the sunset. Then his eyebrows lifted slightly as he gazed at her.
In that instant, Lin Chen resembled the kind of white-shirted senior in university who attracted female students the most—clean and neat, but with certain moments that could make one’s heart skip a beat.
Shen Lian stared at Lin Chen for a long time. It was also the first time she had carefully observed him.
“Why?” Shen Lian asked.
“Because I don’t believe that you would allow yourself to become a crazed lunatic. So unless you were certain which vial among those twelve contains the poison, I wouldn’t risk playing this game with you,” Lin Chen said with a resolute tone, just like when he said, “I believe my friend wouldn’t kill.”
This made Shen Lian laugh coldly. “But how does that relate to you sabotaging my game now?”
“Because you’ve been deceiving me from the beginning,” Lin Chen said. “Since you’ve been deceiving me, I can only rely on hypothesis testing to deduce the true intention behind you coming all this way to play this game with me. Speaking of which, the intentions hidden behind complex actions are often very simple.” Lin Chen paused and continued, “We studied the formation of concepts and reasoning in psychology class during college. It happened to be a very cold day, so we were all studying at my teacher’s house, and we learned it very well.”
Lin Chen stared deeply at Shen Lian, who felt her hidden thoughts being exposed once again, causing an indescribable discomfort in her heart.
But Lin Chen didn’t give her a chance to speak. He slowly began, “When we drank the first two vials, I took the initiative to randomly select the third one. You had the impulse to stop me in that instant, but you held back. You see, instinctive reactions are always faster than thoughts.” Lin Chen continued, “If one of the twelve vials is poisonous, you must ensure that I drink the poison. But I didn’t follow the rules of the game, where you choose one and I choose one to drink. My assumption broke the pattern of your game. Therefore, based on this analysis, ‘Hypothesis One: Why did you want to stop me in that instant?’ You couldn’t possibly be genuinely worried that I would drink the poison, right?”
Shen Lian pursed her lips and refused to answer.
“In fact, in the process of reasoning, it always requires two factors: ‘because’ and ‘therefore.’ Because of Hypothesis One, I need to reanalyze the true purpose of this game, which leads to the derived Hypothesis Two. This is actually a very simple question, like two three-year-old children eating candy. There are a total of twelve candies, with one of them being milk-flavored, while the rest are tasteless. The more candies I eat, the higher the chance of getting the milk-flavored one, and you would stop me because the more I eat, the fewer chances you have to get the milk-flavored one. The same logic applies to the vials. So, the answer to Hypothesis Two is ‘quantity,'” Lin Chen said to Shen Lian. “By the way, I didn’t have this medical knowledge originally, but I almost died from penicillin desensitization, which made me realize the importance of dosage.”
……
Lin Chen’s voice transmitted through the earpiece lying on the bench, slowly reaching Xing Conglian’s ears. Through the scope, Lin Chen’s face was vividly clear. When he angered someone, Lin Chen always had an air of calm confidence, as if he held all the winning cards.
Mr. Xiao Zhan’s tone became weak again, “I… I didn’t realize that Consultant Lin had already guessed… I… I meddled too much.”
“What the fuck is going on with Shen Lian?” Wang Chao seemed to be shaking the chemist’s body with force.
“Shen Lian… Shen Lian has severe hyperkalemia* in her medical records, but she might also be allergic to some potassium medication. In any case, I suspect that those syringes are high-concentration potassium supplements. When Shen Lian reaches a certain concentration by taking this medication, she might have an instant cardiac arrest,” Xiao Zhan explained.
*A medical problem in which you have too much potassium in your blood. Too much of it can be dangerous and can cause serious heart problems.
But Xing Conglian could barely hear these voices. When he heard Lin Chen talk about death, his memories didn’t go back to the scene of Lin Chen lying in a hospital bed. In that moment, he found it extremely funny, realizing what Lin Chen was about to do, and it filled him with uncontrollable anger.
……
As if her thoughts had been suddenly pierced, Shen Lian suddenly wanted to withdraw her wrist, but Lin Chen firmly stopped her movement.
“Starting from the third round, I drank the fifth vial first, then took the sixth and seventh vials. In comparison, the number of vials you could drink decreased. And indeed, you were quite nervous, but you didn’t even notice it. You were only focused on getting more vials than me, or at least an equal amount, so you took the eighth and ninth vials at once. What interested me was that you cared that I drank one more than you did. So, in the end, I drank five vials and you drank six, clearly confirming my Hypothesis Two. You care about the dosage,” Lin Chen explained.
Finally, Shen Lian’s gaze was filled with murderous intent, and she looked at Lin Chen with intense hatred. “Consultant Lin, you’re truly clever. So is it fun for you to play me?”
“Sorry, but I’m really not playing you. It’s mainly because you have your guard up against me and refuse to be open with me, so I can only use hypothesis testing to infer your thoughts,” Lin Chen said sincerely.
“What thoughts?”
“I’ve said it before. I want to know why you proposed playing this game with me and how I can make you give up the idea of suicide through this game,” Lin Chen said. “You’re determined to die, and today you must die. But why did you choose such a complicated method to seek death? I thought about it, and it’s probably because you still have unresolved issues before your death. However, you use too many appearances to conceal your inner turmoil. That’s why I accelerated the pace of taking the medication, wanting to hear your lingering thoughts before you die.”
……
Huang Ze stood at a corner close to Lin Chen and suddenly felt very uncomfortable. “Lin Chen… This is very dangerous. Xing Conglian, if necessary, be prepared to shoot Shen Lian. We can find another way.”
“Sorry, Lin Chen won’t let me do that.” Xing Conglian spoke up. “This is a chess game. The on-site investigation report from the nursing home just came back. The victims had different injuries on their necks, indicating that Shen Lian had at least two or three accomplices. Moreover, all the key caregivers at the nursing home are missing. The evidence shows that Shen Lian, with her personal power alone, couldn’t have simultaneously poisoned multiple locations. She is merely a pawn placed before us to lure us into making mistakes.”
“Mistakes? Are you suggesting that the police should kill Shen Lian?” Huang Ze questioned.
“Otherwise, why would Lin Chen ask Shen Lian about the antidote at such a crucial moment? If such antidotes exist, what if Shen Lian is the only person in the world who knows the formula for the antidote?”
Huang Ze shuddered all over. “Can’t we capture Shen Lian alive, restrain her limbs, and isolate her from any dangerous items? In short, keep her alive?”
“First of all, Inspector Huang, your suggestion is illegal. Secondly, someone like Shen Lian, if they only want to die, will certainly be willing and able to die.”
“So how the hell is Lin Chen planning to keep this key person alive?” Huang Ze asked loudly. “Is it Duan Wanshan? Can Lin Chen make Duan Wanshan return to the country and make Shen Lian wait for a while?”
Huang Ze’s words made Xing Conglian feel sad, his fingers tightly gripping the trigger.
Just like Lin Chen, once they understood Shen Lian’s obsession, there was only profound despair.
Fate was indeed cruel.
……
However, in reality, Lin Chen wasn’t in despair. He said to Shen Lian, “I was thinking about whether Lao Duan could delay you for a while, but since you’re already prepared to die, then you don’t really care about him.”
“So, Consultant Lin, I truly have no attachment to this rotten world. Please stop blocking me, okay?” Shen Lian drawled, sounding bored. “Don’t you think that I will bite my tongue and end my life right in front of you?”
“I have a proposal,” Lin Chen suddenly interrupted her.
“Any proposal is meaningless to me…”
“You still have that medicine that can drive people crazy and turn them into lunatics. Use it on me and see how I can live with that. How about it?” Lin Chen asked.
Shen Ping had just finished a program broadcast. He held the TV station’s microphone and wiped the sweat off his forehead, tiptoeing to look around. At this moment, he was excited but also a bit annoyed.
He absolutely loved the current grand scene—after all, the density of the crowd represented the explosiveness of the news. However, it would be even better if there were no flashing lights around and he could have the headline all to himself.
On the large screen opposite, displaying the Ansheng International Mall, the minute hand had moved halfway, making Shen Ping even more restless. When he turned his head, he saw a convenience store in the corner of the square, filled with cunning reporters who were enjoying the cool breeze from the air conditioning. What was even more infuriating was the bald reporter from a rival TV station, holding a microphone and interviewing the store employee.
Shen Ping secretly blamed himself for not being quick-witted enough and became even more annoyed. He took out his phone in frustration. In the WeChat group for his interview team, someone was posting emojis, which made him even angrier. He pressed the button on the microphone and shouted, “Give me some news, any news! Just something!”
At the moment he released the button, an unexpected screeching sound of emergency brakes rang out on the road in front of the square.
Shen Ping shivered, quickly retracted his phone, and felt the atmosphere of a big news story approaching. He desperately stood on tiptoe, but the entire small square in front of the skyscraper was crowded with journalists and onlookers, and all he could see were heads moving about.
Shen Ping looked around, and the surrounding crowd was squeezing towards the road where the braking sound came from. He made a bold decision, turned around, and ran away from the crowd, rushing up the steps at the entrance of the office building. Dozens of companies, including Zhourui Pharmaceutical, shared the entire skyscraper, and people were constantly coming and going at the entrance, leaving hardly any space to stand.
However, when Shen Ping turned around to look at the origin of the commotion again, the scene before him made him feel as if he was witnessing a scene from a police action film.
Five pure black SUVs were lined up in a row on the road; their bodies shining with a cold gleam under the sunlight. Behind them were law enforcement vehicles from the Drug Administration, the Safety Supervision Bureau, and other departments, followed by official vehicles with the logo of the Environmental Protection Bureau. Heaven knew why they had also joined in the excitement.
After setting up this formation, the door of the driver’s cabin of the leading pure black SUV was forcefully pushed open, and a pair of black leather boots stepped on the ground.
From bottom to top, the trousers were impeccably straight, the gloves were so white they reflected light, and the uniform had not a single wrinkle. Going up further, a silver star shone on the shoulder epaulet, and the visitor’s face was mostly covered by pitch-black sunglasses. That face showed no emotion; only tension and seriousness could be sensed from the tightly pursed thin lips.
Shen Ping took a deep breath, wanting the photographer to quickly capture the scene, but he found that he and the other person had already been dispersed by the crowd.
With the sound of the door slamming as the person arrived, all the vehicles following them seemed to have received instructions. At once, the doors of dozens of official cars swung wide open, and dozens of officials wearing uniforms from various departments stepped out of the cars one after another. Some of them carried briefcases, some began driving away the onlooking journalists, and others unfurled banners directly at the entrance of the office building…
The flashes erupted once again, filling the small square with excitement. Which journalist wouldn’t love such a grand scene?
Shen Ping wiped the sweat off his face again, gritted his teeth, and prepared to find his damn cameraman. But at this very moment, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of someone walking out of the Zhourui Building. It was clearly the head of the security department at Zhourui Pharmaceutical.
The security guard was dressed in a suit, with muscles bulging all over his body. Such a figure was a waste to be concealed under a suit. At the same time, the officials on the square were clearing a path. The police officer, who was obviously the commander of this operation, was slowly climbing the steps, stopping in front of the security guard. The angle was perfect, and Shen Ping couldn’t help but secretly take out his phone and start recording. In the era of new media, all fresh, explosive, and timely news would be accepted, and no one cared too much about quality.
To Shen Ping’s surprise, the first one to speak turned out to be the captain of the security team at Zhourui Pharmaceutical.
“This is a private area. It’s not convenient to invite the police inside,” the powerful security guard said, sounding extremely arrogant.
After that, Shen Ping heard a sneer.
It was a genuine, mocking laugh.
Huang Ze didn’t say a word, didn’t take off his sunglasses, or remove his gloves. It was as if the person in front of him wasn’t qualified to have a face-to-face conversation with him. He raised his right hand and made a simple gesture, and someone behind him handed him a piece of white paper, which unfolded with a swish.
From Shen Ping’s perspective, it was very clear that it was a search warrant issued by the court with a bright red stamp on it. After Zhourui Pharmaceutical made a move against the police, the police retaliated, and they did so with such pomp and disregard for public opinion! This was definitely big news! Shen Ping’s blood was boiling.
At this moment, Shen Ping’s phone vibrated. He lowered his head and saw a reply on the screen: [Boss, my friend at the Traffic Bureau said things aren’t that simple. It seems like the police are arranging something…]
…
“Have the police gone mad? How dare they be so arrogant toward our company!”
In the top-level office of Zhourui Pharmaceuticals, the vice chairman’s office. The infuriated man slammed his hand heavily on the mahogany desk in front of him, and the managers looked at each other, thinking that it was the police, the power of the state, and they could do anything without being excessive. But when facing their immediate superior, they could only echo their indignation.
“How is the finance department doing?”
“The audit team has arrived and is conducting an investigation.” The CFO reported.
The vice chairman slammed the desk again, causing the crystal glass on the desk to tremble violently. “I’m asking about the accounts! Will any problems be uncovered?”
The CFO cowered and said, “It… it shouldn’t…”
This statement seemed to console the vice chairman a little, and he calmed down a bit, muttering, “Drug inspection, safety supervision, auditing, health… everyone who can come has come.” He sneered. “I wonder if the fire department will also come to inspect whether our fire facilities are up to code?”
At this moment, the logistics department supervisor in the corner raised his hand silently. “Chair… Chairman… The fire department—have arrived.”
……
Not only the on-site journalists and the top management of Zhourui Pharmaceutical were shocked by Huang Ze’s sudden appearance, but also the people who were watching the scene through various channels.
“Boss, you actually let Huang Ze steal the limelight in such a good opportunity. I really don’t know what to say!”
Wang Chao sat in the laboratory, with three computers in front of him. One of them displayed the surveillance footage in front of the Zhourui Building, freezing at the moment when Huang Ze made a beckoning gesture. The angle wasn’t particularly good, but the image quality was sufficient.
Comrade Xiao Wang wasn’t watching the surveillance with the posture of watching a soap opera; instead, he took a quick glance in the midst of his busy work to confirm that the data was smooth, then continued to focus on his tasks.
On the computer screen directly in front of him, the traffic map of the entire city of Hongjing was displayed. The blue and white background was densely covered with red and green lines like blood vessels. This was the basic work that had already been completed, so he only needed to observe it briefly. What he was really doing was the task assigned to him by the man on the other end of the earpiece.
“What about the building’s structural diagram? Is it confirmed?”
The man’s voice was extremely cold.
Wang Chao trembled all over and stopped daydreaming, quickly inspecting the three-dimensional model of the building in front of him and comparing it with the actual pictures. Finally, he swiftly compiled the two sets of documents and pressed the Enter key.
……
One colorful image after another quickly appeared in the dim space of the underground parking lot. The quiet compartments were filled only with the faint sound of electronic devices, and the smell of smoke was heavy in the air.
Xing Conglian sat in the command vehicle, silently swiping the screen. Beside him were half of the high-level members of the operation team, waiting quietly.
Flat, three-dimensional, black and white, color… countless lines intertwined with each other, gradually forming a complete three-dimensional model of the entire building.
Zhourui’s headquarters was a skyscraper that integrated a commercial center and office building. It covered an area of about 10,000 square meters, with a total construction area of 180,000 square meters, a structural height of about 188 meters, and a total height of 282 meters, spanning 43 floors. Zhourui Pharmaceutical occupied the 20th to 43rd floors, while the floors below the 20th were separately rented office spaces.
A chaotic noise came from the communication device—footsteps, shouting. Xing Conglian could almost imagine the commotion caused by Huang Ze right above his head.
“Captain Xing, everyone is inside.”
The deputy team leader held his earpiece and reported to him.
Xing Conglian nodded and handed over the tablet. The three-dimensional model of the Zhourui building was still rotating.
The person on the other side glanced at it and said, “The floors are too high. It’s difficult for us to set up actual surveillance at every staircase entrance.”
“We don’t need to,” Xing Conglian just responded.
The deputy team leader hesitated for a moment. “But if we don’t guard the key entrances and exits, it will be difficult for us to monitor the movements of every person inside the building.”
Xing Conglian didn’t answer immediately. He just leaned back in his seat, cigarette in hand, with an indifferent expression.
“Should we still assign personnel to all the key entrances and exits of the building?” the deputy team leader said, pointing to several safety exits on the ground floor of the building, and added, “We also need to monitor the entrances and exits of the parking lot.”
“I have encountered Shen Lian.”
Finally, Xing Conglian spoke. He looked at each person in the vehicle and believed that his voice would be transmitted to all the operatives through the radio communication devices. After a few seconds of silence, he calmly said, “But I failed to apprehend her, and an officer lost his life during the operation.”
The deputy team leader called out, “Captain,” and then hesitated to say something comforting, but felt it was inappropriate.
“I’m telling all of you this so that you understand. First, Shen Lian is a desperate criminal. When facing her, never take it lightly. It’s never too cautious. Second, what I have planned next may seem very risky to you, but please trust my judgment.”
After he finished speaking, there was a few seconds of silence on the communication channel.
Then, the repeated voices of “Understood” came through the earpieces.
Subsequently, Xing Conglian straightened his body and said seriously, “My plan is that no personnel will be assigned to the entrances and exits of the entire building. No surveillance will be conducted. All personnel will guard one specific location…”
His calloused fingertips drew a circle on the map.
……
Shen Ping touched his phone, trying to disguise himself as an employee of another company to enter the building.
To his surprise, the passing police officers paid no attention to him, treating him like an ordinary employee and not stopping him.
Shen Ping opened his phone again and found a quiet corner of a men’s restroom, crouching down to view the traffic information sent by his subordinates.
To be honest, he wasn’t an expert in traffic matters. Even after so many years in Hongjing, he sometimes relied on navigation when traveling. But even for him, looking at the real-time map now, he realized how strange the traffic in Hongjing had become.
There were several road sections where the police had set up temporary barriers, requiring all passersby to stop for inspections. As a result, the surrounding traffic wasn’t smooth at all. Shen Ping silently observed those key areas and had a feeling that there might be something wrong there. It seemed like the police were conducting surveillance or arranging something in those areas. They were treated as high-priority monitoring zones, as if something big was about to happen.
Shen Ping regretted not obtaining the traffic map earlier. If he had, maybe he could have chosen a different location and tried his luck to get a big exclusive scoop. But now, as Shen Ping looked around, no matter what, this place was filled with police officers. Would the fugitive really come here and walk into their trap?
……
“Why?”
Inside the speeding car, Li Nuo asked Lin Chen this question.
The car radio was broadcasting the news of the police raid on Zhourui Pharmaceutical, and the host’s tone seemed to hope that the police and the giant Zhourui Pharmaceutical would clash. Li Nuo felt annoyed and lowered the volume, looking at Lin Chen.
Lin Chen cleared his throat, his face not looking too good. “Shen Lian is a lunatic. How do you catch a lunatic?”
“I don’t know!” Li Nuo abruptly turned the steering wheel to avoid a car that was aggressively trying to cut in due to the chaotic traffic in the city.
“It’s simple. You have to be crazier than her.”
Thinking about the experiences he had gone through with Lin Chen, Li Nuo couldn’t help but shout, “We’re already crazy enough!” He waved his hand towards the congested elevated bridge, where all the vehicles had their red tail lights flashing, clearly stuck in traffic. “The entire city’s traffic is like this just to trap Shen Lian.”
“It’s not enough,” Lin Chen said. “We use the police communication system to make Shen Lian think that our surveillance locations are outside of Zhourui Pharmaceutical. We use the traffic to create convenience for her. But that’s not enough because the most crucial part is the trap itself.”
“But if we don’t have any surveillance or controls at the entrances and exits, what if Shen Lian successfully enters the building?”
“Even if Shen Lian arrives at Zhourui Pharmaceutical according to our plan, any detail could make her change her plans, like a government official who appears to be sealing off Zhourui Pharmaceutical but is closely observing pedestrians passing by. What if she opens the medication right then and there and we can’t stop her in time? What then?” Lin Chen countered.
Li Nuo was instantly at a loss for an answer. As if to match Lin Chen’s words, the radio inside the car started playing a chaotic live broadcast.
Just from the radio broadcast, one could sense the terrifying crowd inside and outside the building. The host spoke rapidly, “According to our on-site reporter, a large number of electronic devices related to Zhourui Pharmaceutical have been seized by the police, and many materials are being removed from the building. The scene is in chaos.”
Li Nuo suddenly woke up. “On one hand, we use the investigating officers involved in apprehending Shen Lian to enter the building, but on the other hand, we also use them as bait to lure Shen Lian. But… but… what if we can’t control Shen Lian and she succeeds? What about all the people in the building?”
“It won’t happen.”
“What do you mean it won’t happen?”
“She won’t succeed.”
“Why?” Li Nuo anxiously asked. “You’re too confident. There are too many uncontrollable factors in a live arrest operation.”
“I know…” Lin Chen interrupted Li Nuo and looked out the window at the building that was getting closer to them. “But I believe in him.”
Lin Chen spoke calmly.
……
An Xu wasn’t the person Lin Chen trusted, but right now, he was the one entrusted with an important task by “that person”.
He was a sniper, but at this moment, he had become a member of the building’s property management team, slowly and covertly making his way to the upper floors of Zhourui Pharmaceutical.
Thanks to the commotion caused by Inspector Huang, their entire team encountered no obstacles as they dispersed and made their way up. They appeared just like ordinary company employees, busy at their respective positions, maintaining order amidst the chaos throughout the entire building.
The icy elevator doors opened with a swoosh, revealing a cold corridor. This was the central hub of Zhourui Pharmaceutical.
Normally, personnel like him wouldn’t be able to take the elevator to this location, but that was the advantage of a modern, intelligent building. He walked past a surveillance camera, nodding to the person monitoring it, and the camera responded with a slight up and down movement.
An Xu walked calmly, pushing open two doors, scanning his fingerprint, and then entering a completely different area from the beautifully decorated building.
This area was unfinished, with the raw structure of steel and concrete still exposed.
Just then, he heard a faint conversation up ahead.
In an instant, An Xu stopped in his tracks and quickly hid behind a wall.
He took a deep breath, and the scene before him made his heart race uncontrollably. In the area designated for him by Xing Conglian, two janitorial staff members were chatting casually. Around them, plastic bottles were piled up densely.
What had not been reported in any of the surveillance images was that the critical area where he was supposed to snipe Shen Lian had been treated by the janitorial staff as a storage area for empty water bottles.
An Xu took a step back, returning to the empty corridor, and reported back to Xing Conglian through his earpiece, “Captain Xing, this is Fox. There’s a problem in the target area… Should we change the sniper position?”
He briefly described what he had just seen, and there was a tense exchange of questions and answers on the other end of the earpiece.
Finally, a definite command came through the earpiece.
But that voice furrowed An Xu’s brow.
“Captain Xing… The linear distance from the Jin Sui Building to the designated target location exceeds 1,000 meters, and it’s very difficult to calculate the wind speed at such a high altitude.”
The person on the other end said a couple more things.
“Okay, I understand, but…” After pondering for a moment, An Xu decided to give a direct response, “With my abilities, I cannot guarantee the completion of this sniper mission. I request consideration for a replacement sniper.”
There was a slight noise in the earpiece, and then a very certain answer followed.
An Xu suddenly looked up, but in the end, he could only respond in the calmest tone, “Understood.”
That was what he said.
……
Some time later, on the same floor.
“Inspector Huang… The personnel from the drug inspection team have all entered the laboratories of Zhourui Pharmaceutical.”
Huang Ze sat in the office of the Chairman of Zhourui Pharmaceutical with his legs crossed as the voice of his subordinates’ reports came through his earpiece.
“How’s the situation?” Huang Ze asked.
“The investigators have smoothly entered the premises without encountering any obstacles,” the subordinate replied.
“Nephew.” The middle-aged man across from him spoke up.
Huang Ze tried to maintain his composure, but in the presence of the man before him, he couldn’t help but curse Xing Conglian and his entire family in his mind. Yes, indeed. After he had very amicably inquired what he could do to help Xing Conglian, the other party mercilessly sent him to lead the team to investigate the secrets of Zhourui Pharmaceutical.
“Nephew, isn’t it a little inappropriate for you to show no mercy?” The vice chairman of Zhourui Pharmaceutical, to be precise, the father-in-law of a distant cousin, said so.
The middle-aged man’s face was filled with fake smiles and sincere threats, and Huang Ze once again grew tired of the intricate web of alliances between large families.
“When have you seen me show mercy?” Huang Ze retorted.
After he said these words, a distant chime rang out in the square.
Ding… Ding…
Huang Ze shivered suddenly, thinking it was an illusion. Although the sound was faint and the soundproofing of the building wasn’t too bad, Huang Ze couldn’t help but feel that each distant chime struck his heart.
Ding… Ding…
It was the end-of-work chime, and it seemed like a sign of something else.
Unconsciously, he looked out the window, completely shutting out the incessant voice of the person who could barely be considered his uncle behind him.
Sitting in his seat, he lowered his head and could just see Ansheng International Mall across the street. Several months ago, a serious public security incident had occurred in that mall, and ironically, it was Lin Chen who had saved him at that time, and then Xing Conglian had told him to scram. But now, Huang Ze told himself that it wasn’t the best time to reminisce about the past.
Ding… Ding…
But the more he thought about it, the stranger the memories became. He saw the musical fountain in the square opposite the mall spring to life. He suddenly remembered a family meeting where, it seemed, he had made a proposal that all the family’s shopping malls should have iconic musical fountains in front of them. He didn’t know why he had made such an arrangement at the time, perhaps for artistic purposes or maybe because he had a problem with his mind when he was young.
But as he watched the fountain in the square shoot water high and low, clear and transparent, Huang Ze’s expression grew solemn, overwhelmed by a strong sense of foreboding.
Because the instruments playing for the musical fountain in the square were from Johann Strauss Jr.1, and the piece was called <The Blue Danube>2. And there was not a single piece of music by Johann Strauss Jr. played inside or outside Ansheng International Mall, because he detested the Vienna waltzes that were so sticky.
1Was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas as well as a violinist. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas and a ballet. In his lifetime, he was known as “The Waltz King”, and was largely responsible for the popularity of the waltz in Vienna during the 19th century. 2A waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II, composed in 1866. It has been one of the most consistently popular pieces of music in the classical repertoire.
Huang Ze stood up and walked slowly to the floor-to-ceiling window. His hand involuntarily tapped lightly on the handrail in front of the window as the musical fountain sprayed a mist of water into the air under the sunlight.
At the same time, a pair of white canvas shoes with gray footprints stepped onto the final step in front of Zhourui Pharmaceutical Building.
Huang Ze looked around and saw the insignificance of humanity beneath his feet, like ants.
In that instant, the diverse expressions on the entire square transformed into pure, flat lines. The expressions dissolved into circular shapes of varying sizes for the eyes and lips, making the world appear very singular, yet the edges were exceptionally vivid and sharp.
The waltz music was light and cheerful, as if dancing to a joyful rhythm. Employees who were finishing work on time stepped out of the elevator and happily rushed towards the vast world outside the building.
Huang Ze’s gaze wandered over the heads of the small figures on the square.
Cleaners emptied various garbage from trash bins, sorting plastic bottles and cardboard together. Janitors wearing masks drove garbage trucks out of the underground parking lot. Secretaries in high heels continued to shuttle back and forth between the inside and outside of the building, holding documents in their hands.
Some people were answering phone calls on the square, others were chatting with friends nearby, and someone angrily threw what they were holding to the ground, venting their anger at the government officials in front of them.
But inside the building, more people remained busy, forced to stay at their posts.
Huang Ze took a deep breath, pressed his earpiece, and uttered the most chilling words to everyone on the channel.
“She’s here.”
……
An Xu stood in the descending elevator, and those words were transmitted through his earpiece.
His heart trembled, and as he looked around, he felt the entire lobby fall silent, without a single sound.
The elevator in which he stood was completely transparent, swiftly descending, and he scanned the floors from top to bottom.
In his eyes, all the images converged into the calmest and clearest lines and data.
As far as the eye could see, there were countless offices and company employees who hadn’t yet left work. On the higher floors, all the government officials inspecting Zhourui Pharmaceutical were busy. The situation on the lower floors of the companies varied, with some people looking at their watches, others turning off the lights and leaving, and some seemingly still immersed in their work…
Looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the companies with different logos, the myriad appearances of people made one’s throat tighten. But An Xu was certain that among all the people he had scanned, none of them were Shen Lian.
The numbers on the LCD display in the elevator, indicating the floor, continued to decrease. An Xu steadied his breath. Suddenly, the elevator stopped, and the ding sound rang again as the doors opened.
Another wave of girls in vibrant skirts entered the elevator. The girls had radiant smiles, as if spring had returned and the ice had melted. They stood in front of him, and he caught a whiff of their perfume.
The glass doors closed again, and the floor indicator continued to descend.
One of the girls in the elevator let out a low exclamation.
The male employees in the elevator turned their heads to look at the sky, with smiles on their faces.
An Xu also followed their gaze, and through the transparent elevator and glass curtain wall, he saw the building where he had told Xing Conglian that he couldn’t complete the sniper mission there.
In the distance, the sunset glowed like fire, as if burning above their heads.
In the moment when the descending elevator crossed paths with the ascending elevator, a pair of black high heels flashed past in his field of view.
‘Hope everything goes well,’ An Xu silently thought in his heart.
……
The elevator continuously stopped and then started again. After numerous dings, the elevator finally stopped on the first floor.
Dressed in the building’s property uniform, An Xu followed the girls out of the elevator.
Just as they were walking out of the elevator, he felt someone brush past him, causing him to involuntarily stop in his tracks.
Although he tried his best not to turn around, he couldn’t help but lower his head and reluctantly look back.
He saw a pair of white canvas shoes, and the owner of those shoes, following various types of leather footwear, calmly stepped into the elevator.
The elevator doors closed, and the elevator went up.
An Xu took a few steps forward and, once he reached a safe distance, couldn’t help but turn around to look.
In the ascending elevator that he had just stepped out of, the police consultant lowered his cap. His face was serene as he squeezed among the crowd of various people and nodded at him.
……
An Xu walked out of the building, following Xing Conglian’s previous instructions. He sat down on the second bench on the left side of the square.
Through his earpiece, he heard the quiet breathing of the entire action team. No one was assigning tasks or reporting positions. He seemed to have entered the quietest moment of radio silence.
He took a deep breath of the fresh air outside the building, and everything was silent on the communication channel. However, he had a feeling of escaping and ascending to the heavens.
He unscrewed the mineral water in his hand, took a sip, and then heard the sound of the elevator doors opening again.
Someone was walking out of the elevator, moving slowly in the quiet corridor.
The person walking was the consultant who had brushed past him earlier.
An Xu silently counted the footsteps he heard through the earpiece, calculating the number of steps to infer the person’s approximate location in the building. But this tranquility lasted for a very brief moment. With the accompaniment of light music, he suddenly heard someone on the team’s shared channel just answer a phone call.
Before anyone had a chance to scold the person who dared to answer a call during the operation, a very anxious female voice came through the entire channel. The woman’s voice choked up, sounding somewhat gentle yet filled with suppressed sadness.
“Chenchen, Lao Su… He just went to the hospital, and his condition isn’t good. What happened all of a sudden?”
An Xu held his breath, and there was silence on the channel. The woman’s voice seemed to have plunged into complete darkness, unable to stir any ripples.
An Xu unexpectedly felt a lump in his throat and couldn’t find any words to say because he suddenly realized who had answered the phone call.
There was still no one speaking on the channel, only a soft click, like a pebble falling into a dark world, silently ending the call.
Hongshu Town Police Station. Lin Chen also heard Li Nuo asking the same question.
“I can’t guarantee.” Lin Chen replied.
The police officer in front of him was startled. “This isn’t… This isn’t…”
“A gamble, right?” Lin Chen stood up, pushed the chair, picked up his phone, and calmly said, “This is a gamble.”
After he finished speaking, he walked out again. Li Nuo took the car keys and quickly caught up, as if he wanted to say something but found that he was speechless.
……
Almost every big city had a Zhongshan Road, just like every city had landmarks such as Renmin Road and the Drum Tower Community.
But Zhongshan Road in Hongjing was somewhat special. It was the central hub of Hongjing from south to north. Whether you want to enter the city from the suburban Hongshu Town or go from the location of the city government to the Huihaodi shopping mall, you may pass through here.
It was a weekday afternoon—a little after two—and there weren’t many vehicles on the road.
The driver of bus route 18 yawned and stopped at the bus stop. A few scattered passengers boarded from the front.
The driver had received a notice from the police beforehand, so when the passengers boarded, he responsibly turned his head to confirm if any of these people were the suspected criminal that was rumored.
However, there were very few passengers getting on the bus heading north on Zhongshan Road. Apart from two boys wearing earphones, there was only an elderly lady with mobility difficulties. The old lady was holding a bag from Bai Fu Supermarket, and it seemed like the supermarket was running some special promotions, so she was desperately trying to grab things even in this hot weather.
The driver turned his head, and as the traffic light at the intersection turned red, a row of traffic police on motorcycles whizzed past.
He yawned again, pressed the vehicle startup prompt, and started the vehicle.
……
Traffic officer Xiao Lin had just parked his motorcycle at the roadside booth when the opposite bus on route 18 started moving.
Just at that moment, a Santana drove from south to north through the intersection. It happened to be when the green light turned red, and the brief yellow light stayed for a few seconds. A motorbike was crossing the east-west non-motorized lane diagonally.
The sunlight was dazzling, and the hot air distorted the asphalt road, causing the driver of the Santana to have a flushed face and a drunken look. He was instantly awakened, but it was too late. It was as if something had streaked across the vast mirror of the world, with the sound of brakes piercing the sky, shattering eardrums.
Compared to the sound of braking, the sound of the impact was barely audible.
When Xiao Lin regained his senses, the motorbike’s red and blue fragments and the Santana’s headlight pieces were already scattered on the ground. An injured person was thrown more than 10 meters away, and those colorful fragments shimmered on the ground, creating a shocking sight.
The owner of the Santana, covered in blood, was unconscious in the driver’s seat. Xiao Lin cursed, “Damn it, driving under the influence at a time like this is asking for death!” He ran over there while reporting through his earpiece, requesting an ambulance.
The momentarily still four-way intersection resumed operation, and pedestrians cast concerned glances at the accident. The bus maneuvered around the debris and continued to the next stop.
The victim’s injuries turned out to be more severe than expected. Blood flowed out of the victim’s body as if it didn’t cost a thing, soaking the grayish road surface.
Just then, Xiao Lin heard an inquiry over the radio. He pressed the earpiece and replied, “Report, there has been an accident at the intersection of Heping Avenue and Lihe Road. The injured person’s condition is critical.”
However, the instructions coming through the earpiece surprised him. Xiao Lin was stunned for a moment and incredulously asked, “Why should we handle the accident slowly? It will cause a traffic jam at this intersection, and nearby roads will most likely be congested!”
“Get the injured person to the hospital as soon as possible. As for the tasks arranged by the city, why are you asking so many questions?” The voice of the deputy squadron leader on the other end of the earpiece rose in volume.
Xiao Lin wanted to ask more, but the squadron leader’s voice suddenly lowered and became hoarse. “Set up roadblocks and capture the fugitive.”
Xiao Lin’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly responded, “Yes, understood!”
……
Li Zhipeng and Xiao Lin both belonged to the Heping District Traffic Police Brigade, but they received tasks that were the opposite.
Currently, Li Zhipeng was rushing at a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour along the elevated road toward the intersection of Anning Avenue to provide reinforcement. However, his objective was to regulate traffic at the entrance that directly led to the Experimental Primary School, ensuring it didn’t get congested.
Tall buildings flashed by outside the window. The wailing siren echoed in a prolonged tone as vehicles on the road separated to the sides, allowing the police car to speed through the cleared path.
The sky presented a bright deep blue, and the air conditioning was turned up high, but Li Zhipeng’s inner restlessness and anxiety were growing.
The in-car radio transmitted various ambiguous orders from the traffic police department. Some patrol officers were instructed not to issue tickets in a certain area, while other duty officers were notified of reassignments, and everything was in complete chaos.
He was about to press the communication button and say something to his colleague on the other end when he suddenly remembered the instructions he received earlier. He was strictly prohibited from communicating his location with his colleague through the radio equipment.
He quickly withdrew his hand from the walkie-talkie, feeling even more frustrated. If he hadn’t already confirmed the authenticity of the information with his superiors, he would have doubted that this was some new plan to disrupt the normal order of the entire city.
What the hell is going on? It’s just the capture of a female fugitive.
Li Zhipeng thought to himself.
……
Not only on the main roads, but Lin Chen’s actions also caused a huge uproar in the Municipal Transportation Bureau.
The central air conditioning seemed useless as the previously calm and orderly hall was in complete chaos. Employees were walking through office desks and chairs everywhere.
Printers clattered, footsteps were incessant, and phone rings were continuous. Internal and external inquiry calls kept pouring in, to the extent that the staff answering the calls didn’t even have time to take a sip of water.
Traffic volume, violation situations, road conditions, and police deployment—all the information was presented in various forms on large screens.
In the lower corner of the screen, there was a complete map of Hongjing. The numerous colored marks on the map were dazzling, and they were constantly being updated.
The employees of the Transportation Bureau could hardly understand the symbols on the screen. They only knew that the man sitting in front of the monitoring screen was causing chaos throughout the entire hall.
What made it even more infuriating was that the mastermind behind all this chaos sat calmly in front of the enormous monitoring screen, as if nothing had happened.
The man had an earphone in his left ear and one finger holding the microphone on the earphone cord, seemingly in conversation with someone. The remaining idle ear, however, seemed to serve no purpose at all.
Li Nuo had a feeling that Lin Chen’s auditory system might have some special construction that could block out all noise.
For example, the incessant voice of the second-in-command in the command center behind them was driving him crazy, but this voice simply couldn’t enter the ears of Mr. Consultant.
The second-in-command shouted at them, “We all have the duty roster. Taking so many police forces to Zhongshan South Road—what about other places? It’s utter chaos!”
Lin Chen remained indifferent, speaking into the microphone, “Yes, deploy half of the police forces from the Liuxing Brigade in Yulin District to set up roadblocks near Hesheng Square… Mm, maintain a certain distance from Huihaodi… Yes.”
“This won’t work!” The second-in-command roared again, slapping Li Nuo’s shoulder heavily, splattering all his saliva on Li Nuo’s face. “You’re clearly disrupting the normal order of the city!”
Li Nuo wiped his face, and just then, he felt Lin Chen poke his hand on the back. Li Nuo looked down, quickly crossing out a detail he had recorded incorrectly on the paper and rewriting the content that Lin Chen instructed him to record.
This one detail was like the spark that ignited a firecracker, and the second-in-command exploded instantly, shouting at Lin Chen’s back, “Stop it, all of you!”
The voice was so loud, like a bomb going off, and everything fell into sudden silence.
Because it was so quiet, Lin Chen’s voice sounded exceptionally clear in such a solemn atmosphere.
“Yes, every vehicle must stop for inspection,” Lin Chen said, word by word.
The second-in-command’s face couldn’t be any worse. It seemed like Lin Chen sensed something, as after finishing that sentence, he finally slowly took out his earphone and handed it over.
“I have already explained to you just now. This is to apprehend the suspect,” Lin Chen said.
“As the price for inconveniencing the lives of the citizens?” the second-in-command questioned.
Li Nuo took the earphone handed to him by Lin Chen, shocked and unable to speak. Lin Chen looked up and made a gesture at him, so he quickly put the earphone into his own ear. He heard the voice of the sunny teenager that he had heard before. He remembered Lin Chen calling him Wang Chao. Lin Chen pointed at the earphone and said to him, “Answer whatever he asks.”
“Li Nuo, right? Has Li Ziyuan’s Sub-Bureau Traffic Police set off?” Wang Chao asked smoothly through the earpiece, seemingly not paying attention to Lin Chen handing over the headset.
Li Nuo looked around, finally finding the information on the large screen.
“They have already set off,” he replied.
Things seemed to be going smoothly on Li Nuo’s end. Lin Chen turned to look at the leader, who had reached the peak of accumulating emotions, and calmly said, “The price is necessary. The suspect is extremely dangerous. Evidence shows that the suspect has received professional counter-surveillance training, making it difficult for us to capture her through conventional surveillance. We can only take risks.”
“Even if she is dangerous, she is just a woman. Are you making such a big fuss to put on a show for the public? Don’t you think it’s exaggerated?” the second-in-command asked again.
“That… Is that drug real? Does it really cause confusion?” A cautious female voice came from the corner.
This time, Lin Chen didn’t answer anymore.
Li Nuo listened tensely, recalling the gruesome and bloody scene he witnessed in the nursing home earlier. He felt a chill run through his body and was about to speak on behalf of Lin Chen when he heard a crisp sound of something being put down from the earphone.
“Such a hassle.” Li Nuo heard Wang Chao murmuring to himself, followed by the sound of typing on a keyboard in the earpiece.
Li Nuo pressed the earphone tightly, wanting to hear clearly what Wang Chao was saying. Suddenly, a cry from the hall made him raise his head abruptly.
At some point, a section of the road surveillance footage on the screen turned black, like a dead pixel on a huge white canvas.
Then he realized that it wasn’t entirely black; it was a segment of surveillance footage from that night.
The surveillance was recorded at a bustling night market near a new district. Under the night sky, people mingled, laughing and chatting, with the lingering scent of sunlight in the air. The sudden turn of events came in the next second without any warning. The diners in the footage ruthlessly fought each other, inflicting brutal harm with the most merciless means.
The timid female police officer in the hall had already covered her eyes. Although it was a silent black-and-white film, the screams and blood in the footage seemed so real that they were about to splash out of the screen.
“The night market barbecue stall incident!” Li Nuo instantly realized what the replayed footage in the surveillance was about.
He had seen this footage before, and now, as it played again, he still felt a chill running up his spine. Despite being in the lively and noisy police hall, in that instant, he felt like he was immersed in cold water.
The playback on the large screen quickly stopped, and the hall returned to a deathly silence.
The first one to react was still Lin Chen. Li Nuo heard him say, “Focus on your own tasks; I will handle things here.”
Li Nuo didn’t understand what Lin Chen was talking about, but he suddenly heard Wang Chao’s voice in the earpiece, “Got it!”
Only then did Li Nuo realize that Lin Chen wasn’t talking to him but was educating Wang Chao. Li Nuo tightened his grip on the earpiece and subconsciously asked, “Was it you who did it?”
“Oh, it was nothing,” Wang Chao modestly replied from the other end.
Although the voice in the earpiece sounded very relaxed, the people present were clearly scared by that short video.
The second-in-command, who had harbored resistance towards Lin Chen just a while ago, had calmed down. His face turned pale as he asked, “Is the lethality of the drugs held by Shen Lian really that great… Can they still be considered drugs?”
Lin Chen glanced over the faces in the hall and finally nodded.
In the brief seconds that followed, the hall fell silent again, and one could hear the sound of a pin dropping.
Li Nuo took a deep breath and heard the second-in-command finally regain his senses, saying to everyone in the hall, “What are you looking at? Disperse and return to your positions!”
After that sound, the hall became busy again. The officers answering phone calls continued to do so, and the officers responsible for relaying Lin Chen’s instructions continued to pass on the orders. Everything returned to the same chaotic state as before, but Li Nuo felt that something was different.
The interlude quickly passed, and Lin Chen sat back in his position. Li Nuo glanced at him and saw the serious expression on the consultant’s face, wondering what he was thinking.
He could only comfort him, saying, “Actually, the other units don’t have any intimidating intentions. Just explain things clearly to them when you meet with them, and they will cooperate.”
Lin Chen’s gaze followed, and his expression was unreadable. It certainly had nothing to do with the word “relaxed”.
“What’s wrong?” Li Nuo became a little nervous. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Some things are not suitable as examples for clarification,” Lin Chen replied vaguely.
“Why?” Li Nuo asked in return.
“Because fear, while it can make people obey, is also the most dangerous virus.”
Until they encountered later events, Li Nuo didn’t understand the meaning behind Lin Chen’s ambiguous words.
All he knew was that when they left the monitoring hall, the city’s traffic had been twisted and rearranged by Lin Chen into an unclear and ambiguous state.
But if you could stand at a high point in the city, or if you could integrate the city’s traffic data like the young man on the other end of the phone, you would discover that a clear path was opening up in a deliberate and methodical manner, leading the aimless criminal.
Wang Chao was pacing around in the Guanghua Chemical Factory.
He didn’t understand why the boss had thrown him here to assist a junior chemical engineer. Even though he was obviously younger than the busy engineer, he felt that he might be more useful at the crime scene.
Xiao Zhan was busy in front of the gas chromatograph, surrounded by a bunch of beakers and various complex chemical instruments that were incomprehensible to Wang Chao. Wang Chao sighed heavily and shifted his gaze. Suddenly, Xiao Zhan stopped his work and glanced at him.
“What’s wrong?” Comrade Xiao Wang stood up straight and turned to ask.
“I…” Mr. Xiao Zhan hesitated, struggling with his words. After a while, as if he had made a decision, Mr. Xiao Zhan silently walked to the desktop computer at the other end of the lab bench and began typing on the keyboard slowly.
His typing speed was incredibly slow, and it was only then that Wang Chao realized that Xiao Zhan had wanted him to look up some information.
“Wait, wait, why don’t you let me do it? If I’m here, you don’t have to do it yourself. Isn’t this underestimating me?” Wang Chao swiftly opened his own laptop.
“It’s a lab report, mainly in English, and I’m afraid… afraid that you…”
“What do you need? Just tell me!” Wang Chao exclaimed loudly. He wasn’t sure if he had shouted too loudly or what, but in the next second, his phone rang, and seeing Lin Chen’s name on the caller ID almost made his hand tremble.
Excitedly, Wang Chao answered the call. Of course, he knew about the news regarding the nursing home and the unfortunate incident. He was deeply concerned about Lin Chen, but the feeling of being completely useless was driving him crazy. Now that Lin Chen was calling, he finally had a chance to talk to him. “A’Chen Gege, what happened? Are you okay? Do you need me to come over?”
On the other end of the phone, Lin Chen’s calm voice came through the waves. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. I need you to do something for me.”
“Tell me, tell me!” Wang Chao held the phone between his shoulder and cheek, gesturing to Mr. Xiao Zhan to search for the information on his own. Then he grabbed a pen and paper, adding, “A’Chen Gege, you can speak now.”
“First, I need the driving route map from the nursing home to the abandoned car location; second, I need a map of the current locations of the roadblocks set up by the police; third, I need the current locations of Chen Jianguo, Shen Lian’s middle school teacher, the old police officer who received Shen Lian along with Lao Bian at that time, Shen Lian’s middle school, and… Zhourui Pharmaceutical. Fourth, please compile the above requests on a map of Hongjing and send it to me. Fifth, do we have an alternative communication network that is not easily monitored?”
Wang Chao quickly jotted down the information and suddenly realized something. “A’Chen Gege, what are you planning to do?”
“Preparing a chessboard.”
……
Like Wang Chao, Li Nuo also had a vague understanding of the consultant’s final words, but that didn’t prevent him from following Lin Chen’s orders.
He was driving with the car window halfway open, and Lin Chen sat beside him. Their destination was a small police station close to the nursing home. With the wind blowing through the open window, they appeared as if they were leisurely going for an outing rather than embarking on something of life-and-death importance.
Li Nuo’s palms were slightly sweaty, and after Lin Chen finished the phone call, the atmosphere in the car became heavy once again. The sound of the engine was clearly audible. Li Nuo had a strong feeling that whatever Lin Chen was about to do was extremely dangerous, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask. He remained silent and focused on driving.
They soon arrived at the police station.
From getting out of the car to entering the building and turning on the computer, it took no more than three to five minutes; a brief moment that could almost be ignored. But the moment Lin Chen opened his email, a complete map of Hongjing appeared on the old computer screen at the police station.
On the blue and white base map, a yellow line indicated Shen Lian’s driving route from Hongshu Town to Yulin District. In addition, there were several colored markers on the map. Li Nuo was amazed that such detailed map markings could be made in such a short time. The person who did this was truly terrifying.
Li Nuo could recognize the red circular markers, most of which represented intersections and roadblocks set up by the police.
Standing beside Lin Chen, he watched as Lin Chen clicked on one of the green markers. A note popped up, clearly indicating specific individuals, locations, and brief descriptions of those places.
Li Nuo realized that it was the information about Chen Jianguo’s workplace that Lin Chen had been looking for.
Chen Jianguo was a security guard who worked at the Hongjing Huihaodi shopping mall. According to the shift schedule, he should be on duty at the moment. The straight-line distance from the abandoned car location to the Hongjing Huihaodi shopping mall was about 5 kilometers.
Following Lin Chen’s clicks on the markers, Li Nuo looked at the information one by one. Each marker represented a predetermined chess piece strategically placed on the map. And in that moment, he finally realized what Lin Chen meant by the “chessboard.”
“Do you know where she’s going?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then… are you planning to… lead… Shen Lian?” Li Nuo stared at Lin Chen in shock.
Lin Chen, as if finishing reviewing all the markers, leaned back in his chair and spoke in a calm tone. “Mm, thank you for your reminder earlier. I want to try guiding Shen Lian to a predetermined location.”
“What did I say earlier?” Li Nuo quickly waved his hand. “I just said something casually. I really don’t understand criminal psychology.”
“It doesn’t require too much specialized knowledge. What’s more important is the analysis of human nature. It’s actually quite simple. You reminded me that Shen Lian had too many potential targets for attack, and the incident happened suddenly. She wouldn’t have had a chance to decide on a final target. Therefore, her choice has a high level of randomness. Since it’s random, we can manipulate her choices.”
“Attack?” Li Nuo took a step back, accidentally bumping into the desk behind him, causing a long and jarring noise as the desk legs scraped against the floor.
“She killed everyone in the nursing home. With such madness, how could she continue to live as a lone individual?”
“Do you think she wants to make sure she gets enough victims before she dies and uses more people as shields?”
Li Nuo instinctively asked, but at the same time, Lin Chen’s phone rang.
The office was very quiet, and Li Nuo could hear the crisp sound coming from the other end of the phone.
“A’Chen Gege, the boss asked if you’re planning to trap Shen Lian!”
Lin Chen’s face showed a serene expression of understanding as he responded to the person on the phone. “Mm, that’s the plan.”
“Did you see the map I sent? Did it help? You asked me to mark so many locations earlier. Where exactly do we plan to trap Shen Lian? And the new secure communication channel will be set up quickly. What should we do? You tell me, and Mr. Xiao Wang will take care of it for you!”
The rapid-fire words came through the receiver, which was, of course, the question Li Nuo wanted to ask.
“Yes, I’ve chosen a location.”
When Lin Chen answered the call, he supported his cheek with one hand and tilted his head slightly, looking at a specific spot on the map.
Li Nuo followed Lin Chen’s gaze and once again looked at him with disbelief.
……
“Is… Is Consultant Lin insane?”
Inside the Municipal Bureau Command Center, Wang Chao’s voice came through the speakerphone, and everyone gathered around the square table listened intently. When they heard the location, someone couldn’t help but interject.
Xing Conglian sat at the edge of the table, furrowing his brows in contemplation, and didn’t immediately respond. Another officer spoke after hearing the comment. “If we really lure Shen Lian to that location, the media and public will definitely condemn us!”
Xing Conglian listened silently, as if he didn’t notice the inquiring gazes around him. He turned his head, and on the display screen behind him was a map of Hongjing, compiled according to Lin Chen’s requirements.
He looked at the various colored markers on the map, imagining the pros and cons that Lin Chen had considered in that brief moment. Despite having various personal emotions, in the end, all he could do was silently marvel; indeed, it was Lin Chen, truly worthy of being Lin Chen.
At that moment, another officer ventured, “No matter the outcome, Consultant Lin’s arrangement will undoubtedly implicate public safety. The other side is quite capable of causing trouble, and they might even accuse us, the police, in the end!”
Upon hearing this, Xing Conglian calmly spoke, posing a question in return, “Then, should we let Shen Lian target the middle school?” He turned to the first officer who had raised doubts. “Nearly two thousand teachers and students.”
The person was instantly rendered speechless.
“Or the Hongjing Huihaodi shopping mall?” Xing Conglian looked at the second person. “It’s a workday today, and the mall has relatively low foot traffic. But the problem is, we know this, and Shen Lian is well aware of it too. Similarly, if she appears during the peak hours after work when the foot traffic is high, the danger level in the mall is clearly no less than that of the school.”
“What about the Louyuan Community? Can’t we use that place?”
On the speakerphone, Wang Chao suddenly explained, “A’Chen Gege said that the area that needs to be monitored there is too large. It’s a very remote and modern residential area, and it’s unlikely to satisfy Shen Lian’s psychological desire for ‘massive harm’. The chances of her choosing that place are very low.”
“The office building isn’t remote, but there are too many people!”
“Lin Chen’s intention is actually quite simple. He wants to choose an area that appears to have a dense crowd, which can attract Shen Lian, and at the same time, it should be convenient for us, the police, to set up surveillance and implement the arrest.” The old director, who had been silently drinking tea in the background, suddenly spoke up. “A large building with a single entrance and exit is certainly preferable.”
“But is there really no other way? No matter where Shen Lian appears, as long as Consultant Lin’s plan is revealed, it will be seen as a sign of incompetence on the part of the police.” A policewoman spoke up. “Moreover, it’s really unfavorable for your team, Captain Xing. It will be seen as… retaliation.”
The policewoman emphasized the last word, and Xing Conglian looked at her and nodded, expressing gratitude for her concern. Then he looked at everyone present and calmly said, “You should all be aware that whether we are seen as competent or not is the public’s evaluation of us. But many times, what we need to care about is not these hypocritical praise or malicious criticism, but whether we have done our best within our capabilities for each case.”
After Xing Conglian finished speaking, he stood up from his chair.
“Captain Xing!” The surrounding officers spoke up one after another.
However, Xing Conglian seemed not to hear them and decisively said, “Mobilize all available police forces in the city and divide them into three groups: A, B, and C. Group A will maintain their original communication devices and follow Consultant Lin’s arrangements; Group B and Group C will use more secure communication systems. Group B will be responsible for surveillance at the following locations, and Group C will accompany me to the final possible location where Shen Lian may appear for surveillance.”
Xing Conglian laid out the specific arrangements in great detail, and for a while, the office was filled with the sound of writing.
At the end, someone suddenly raised their hand and asked, “Captain Xing, everything you said is fine, but how can Consultant Lin guarantee that Shen Lian will really go there?”
Kinky Translations 