Wang Hongliang was in the prime of life, but half a lifetime of dissipation had left him somewhat aged before his time. The flesh of his cheeks sagged with a will of its own down to the level of his chin. At a glance, he looked like a Shar Pei plotting the overthrow of all mankind.
He inclined forward, examining the detained Ma Xiaowei while puffing away at a cigarette, blowing out a local Southern Gates of Heaven (18).
Ma Xiaowei was too thin, so thin it nearly gave his face a look of pathetic childish awkwardness. Although he had a cell to himself, his whole body was still pulled taut, his eyeballs nearly starting from their sockets as they rolled every which way without being able to stop long on any one point.
Wang Hongliang tilted his head and fixed a look on him, saying to the person next to him, "So they've slunk off and taken him to the City Bureau?"
The person standing next to him was the head of the sub-bureau's Criminal Investigation Team. This person hardly made his presence known while cases were being investigated. For his orders he relied on the general trend, and for his judgments he relied on his leader, like a mouthpiece transmitting down from above. He held up an ashtray and approached to receive Wang Hongliang's cigarette end. "That's what Xiao Haiyang reported."
"I didn't expect this. I really never expected it, it hardly seems real—how could there be such a coincidence in the world?" Wang Hongliang laughed aloud, showing teeth but no eyes, becoming a Shar Pei receiving the songs and praises of emancipated serfs. "No wonder my fortune said that although I would encounter obstacles this year, an eminent person can sometimes turn a misfortune into a blessing. That three-thousand yuan Serenity Talisman did some good. It turns out that aside from never making and always marring, that Xiao Haiyang may actually have some use."
"Director Wang, what do you think we should do now?" the person next to him asked deferentially.
"Luo Wenzhou has stretched out his hand too quickly." Wang Hongliang combed through the sparse hairs on top of his head. "Just because the City Bureau chief's relative is a major suspect, they've gotten out from underfoot."
As he spoke, he paced a few circles, then waved his hand. "Never mind. Leave it to them. If even Luo Wenzhou isn't afraid others will say they're abusing power for personal benefit, what do I have to be afraid of? Now that a second suspect has turned up, it clearly shows this case is much more complicated than we imagined. It's a case of a body being dumped after the killing.—It's all the fault of the surrounding masses confusing the course of the investigation with their misleading testimony. The noises they heard had no connection to this case. Let them go investigate where they like, Chengguang Mansion or anywhere else, as long as it isn't in the West District. We'll do all we can to support the City Bureau's work."
"Director Wang is bold but cautious," said the head of the sub-bureau's Criminal Investigation Team, bootlicking with a smile. Then he said, "Another time you must tell me about the place you got this talisman from. It's really very effective."
"Well said. Give them my name when you go, they can give you a good discount." Wang Hongliang patted his subordinate's shoulder. "You know, when you reach this age, you start to find that not believing in things doesn't work out. To get wealth and promotion, you have to rely on fate.—Right, didn't I hear the victim's relative is coming soon? Send them to the City Bureau, too."
He headed outside, then suddenly thought of something, looked back at Ma Xiaowei, and meaningfully said, "Look at that child. At first glance he doesn't look like much, but when you look closely, his features are really lucky, something of the full, prominent forehead, round jaw and chin look (19)."
The person next to him had no idea what he was talking about.
"Therefore," said Wang Hongliang with a laugh, "he's very blessed!"
While the whole Flower Market District was deliberating divinity, there was a deep depression hanging over Yan City's City Bureau.
Tao Ran left the interrogation room and released a long breath while leaning wearily against the wall. Apparently Zhang Donglai had had a fever as a child that had cooked his brain and made him grow up into an out-and-out stupid cunt; he had to be forgiven eight times a minute in order to keep up a conversation.—And this was the even-tempered Tao Ran; another person would have been flipping tables long ago.
Luo Wenzhou was waiting for him at the door, holding a USB drive in his hand. He was just subconsciously twisting it in his fingers. Xiao Haiyang, who had been listening in on the interrogation, seemed a little scared of him—he was maintaining a fixed distance between them.
Luo Wenzhou looked up. "How was it?"
"Zhang Donglai says he may have gotten a little drunk that day. He saw an unemployed youth bothering his little sister, thought he was a delinquent, got excited, and hit him. Afterwards he didn't remember just who it was he'd hit. I showed him a photograph of the victim, and he just said he looked a little familiar, he couldn't be sure. And according to him, he didn't formally apologize to anyone or give anyone a phone—that last part I think is true. The brat still hasn't worked out that there's anything wrong with beating people up." Tao Ran pinched the bridge of his nose. "Right, did Fei Du come by just now?"
"He's already left," Luo Wenzhou confirmed, then remembered something and, glaring at Tao Ran, added, "That little bastard, he's getting more and more disgraceful. It's all your fault for spoiling him."
Tao Ran: "…"
He thought that this complaint sounded very strange.
Luo Wenzhou tossed him the USB drive he was holding. "Go look into this, there may be something useful on it."
Tao Ran took it in bewilderment. "What's this?"
"I don't know, but I figure it's the surveillance footage from Chengguang Mansion." Luo Wenzhou looked at the irascible Zhang Donglai through the surveillance camera. "I've met his sister. She's a pretty normal girl. Call her to confirm that what Zhang Donglai said is reliable. I'm going to have a word with Director Zhang."
But when Luo Wenzhou went to the Director-General's office for the second time, he didn't see the Director-General himself.
A stocky man looked up and nodded genially at Luo Wenzhou. "You're here?"
This man was about the same age as Director Zhang. There was an old scar over his right brow, from his forehead to just over his eyelid, but he didn't look fierce at all. Everything about him seemed very kindly.
Luo Wenzhou was a little taken aback. "Director Lu?"
Director Lu's name was Lu Youliang (20). He was Director Zhang's second-in-command. He had been a criminal policeman for many years, solved many major cases and caught countless diabolical criminals in all the eras when technology was still underdeveloped. He was one of the legends of Yan City's City Bureau; however improper a person was, he would have to restrain himself a little in front of Director Lu.
"Right. For now, say anything you have to say to me. Lao Zhang has stepped back to avoid suspicion.—You people, you really shouldn't have brought this person here. When you suspect someone, you have to arrest and investigate him on the spot. What do you mean by bringing him here? Are you planning to use your authority to shield him, or putting up a sign that says 'three hundred silver coins are not buried here (21)?'" Director Lu sighed, then pointed at Luo Wenzhou. "Wenzhou, you're all right, but you're a little too nervy. So young, and already much too shrewd."
Luo Wenzhou's expression didn't flicker. He looked out and scanned the empty corridor, then cautiously closed the door. "Uncle Lu."
Director Lu froze.
"There's a criminal policeman from the sub-bureau downstairs. His name is Xiao Haiyang." Luo Wenzhou kept his voice very low. "When he gave us a report on the circumstances of the case at the very outset, he said, 'We can't discount the possibility that this isn't the first crime scene.' I thought then that sounded a little unnatural, because whether it is or isn't the initial crime scene is something we determine according to the evidence and the medical examiner's findings. Before the evidence has been collected, absent a clear indication, very few people will discuss whether it's the initial crime scene or if the body was moved. Wang Hongliang reacted, too, berating him right in front of my face. I didn't think too much of it; I just thought Xiao Haiyang's way of thinking may be different from other people's."
"I don't quite understand what you mean," said Director Lu heavily.
"Director Zhang sent me to investigate Wang Hongliang," said Luo Wenzhou. "I just received a report from an informer. I now suspect Wang Hongliang is colluding with the Flower Market District's drug trafficking gangs."
Director Lu frowned. "The Flower Market District is very advanced in fighting drugs."
"That's right. Don't you think it's funny how they can have so many accurate informers, each leading to an arrest?" Luo Wenzhou spoke rapidly. "The person who made the report said that they have a network of 'specially licensed' drug dealers. If anyone who isn't part of this organization sets foot within the limits of the Flower Market District's jurisdiction, they'll be ferreted out immediately."
"Where's the evidence?" said Director Lu.
"I'm gathering it now," said Luo Wenzhou. "Getting back to the homicide case, yesterday we accidentally received evidence from the masses living around the crime scene, saying that they heard an argument around 9 PM. Then Wang Hongliang quickly arrested a teenager we suspect was present at the scene at that time. The kid is very skinny, his gaze wanders, he rambles, he gets terrified in an instant. His testimony is full of holes, but no matter how we questioned him, he maintained that he hadn't seen anyone near the crime scene.—Now we really have found evidence leading us to suspect the victim's body may have been moved after he was killed.—So the question arises, if the argument the local citizens heard wasn't connected with this case, then why did the teenage suspect not dare to tell the truth from the beginning? Why did the criminal policeman Xiao Haiyang hint to me from the start that that wasn't the initial crime scene? Could he have known from the start that no murder had taken place there?"
Director Lu couldn't help getting up and pacing a few circles.
"Uncle Lu," said Luo Wenzhou, "the threads here are numerous and complicated. There's a lot of ambiguity. I suspect these two cases are connected. It was quite a coincidence that Tao Ran and this Xiao Haiyang found Zhang Donglai. If I hadn't brought him back here at once, it's very likely Wang Hongliang would have seized on this and blown it out of proportion, forcing Director Zhang and us to cease our involvement. There's no saying but that the kid they arrested would have turned up at the sub-bureau dead from a 'drug overdose' tomorrow morning, all his testimony put down to the ravings of a drug addict, the murderer determined to be an arrogant rich kid."
"What are you planning to do?" asked Director Lu.
"For the moment, treat Zhang Donglai as the chief suspect," said Luo Wenzhou. "As long as we appear to turn our attention away from the Flower Market District, separating these two connected cases, Wang Hongliang will probably push his boat along with the current and leave the homicide to us."
The Main Criminal Investigation Team worked overtime investigating the surveillance footage Fei Du had provided. It was late at night when Luo Wenzhou got home. As soon as he opened the door, he heard a "meow," and a house cat stuck its head out.
Luo Wenzhou gently pushed it back inside with his foot. "What're you meowing at, I haven't eaten yet, either…huh?"
He found a new package in the mailbox at his door and picked it up to take a look. "Addressee: Luo Wenzhou" was written on it in a certain familiar regular script.
Luo Wenzhou opened the package. Inside was a sealed evidence bag containing several cigarette butts.
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Author's Note:
(18) A location typically depicted wreathed in clouds.
(19) In Chinese physiognomy, supposed to be a very fortunate combination.
(20) His given name means 'good person.'
(21) From a story: In ancient times, there was a man called Zhang San. He buried his silver in the ground and was afraid someone would come steal it, so he put a sign above it saying, "Three hundred silver coins are not buried here." His neighbor Wang Er stole the silver and left a sign saying, "Wang Er from next door did not steal." In other words: an attempted cover-up that draws attention instead.