Tao Ran stood at the corner of the hospital corridor, staring and blocking the way. When some medical personnel pushing a hospital bed impatiently asked him to "Make way, please," he plastered himself to the wall as if waking from a dream.
"…Deputy Tao, hello, Deputy-Captain Tao, are you still there?"
While his mind was faltering, Tao Ran hadn't heard what Lang Qiao had said. He hastily lowered his head and scratched his nose. "Yes, I'm here, what else is there?"
Lang Qiao lowered her voice. "Recently, first Zhou Junmao died in this country, then there was Zhou Huaijin's kidnapping and Zhou Huaixin's stabbing, and now Zheng Kaifeng and Yang Bo have been blown up… These people aren't commoners. Deputy Tao, you have to prepare yourself. Director Lu heard about this and hurried back at once, and before he'd sat down, he got called away by a phone call."
Tao Ran frowned. "What do you mean?"
Lang Qiao sighed. "I'll tell you straight out.—The Zhou Clan has made a lot of domestic investments these last few years, and their backing abroad is even more deep-seated. Since we started our investigation into their company over here, those people have been thinking of ways to obstruct us. Now they're making a fuss because of Zheng Kaifeng's death and Zhou Huaijin and Hu Zhenyu being arrested without explanation. There's news on the foreign media saying this is a domestic plot against the Zhou Clan. We just received an urgent notice asking the boss to present a written account of everything that happened today, and to write a self-examination. Before the internal investigation has concluded, the relevant person in charge will be temporarily…suspended from duty."
Tao Ran leaned back against the hospital's mottled white wall, not caring that he was getting white dust all over his back. He paused for a second. "I didn't hear you clearly, Xiao Qiao. Say it again."
Lang Qiao didn't dare to make a sound.
Tao Ran's tongue went around his mouth three times, clearly counting each one of his wisdom teeth. Exerting incredible strength, he managed not to say anything.
If before he'd been covered in sweat worked up running around but chilled to the marrow by apprehension, then now, while Tao Ran's body temperature had been gradually brought down by the autumn night's wind, his internal organs seemed to have been dropped into a boiling pot, roiling anger igniting all the blood in his body. Tao Ran took a few deep breaths without making up for the oxygen used up in the combustion.
Tao Ran asked, "What did Director Lu say?"
"There's nothing Director Lu can do," said Lang Qiao. "These two things that happened today were so big and made too bad of an impression. There's everything you could want now, conspiracy theories, people suspecting that our handling of cases is irregular and that we're incompetent. You know that there was the Wang Hongliang business first, and everyone's still hung up on it. Many people think the police can't be trusted…"
The good doesn't go out the door, the bad goes a thousand li.
Charging alone into the midst of a drug trafficking gang to obtain crucial evidence, competently leading the rescue of a bus full of kidnapped children, working through the night to find evidence to unearth a major unsolved case from over twenty years ago—that was all as it should be, all part of the job, there was no use mentioning it.
Only when something went wrong would everyone be panic-stricken and start pointing fingers; for a time, everyone seemed to be endowed with piercing eyes that could see through your uniform and skin to the word "conspiracy" embedded in every crevice of your bones.
Everyone wanted you to explain yourself; if a main culprit couldn't be found in a shocking case, they wanted someone to be responsible for it.
"It's all right." Perhaps because it was Lang Qiao who had called him and a man would always be somewhat more reserved in front of a young lady, Tao Ran finally succeeded in minding his words. "It's all right, Xiao Qiao, there's no need to be nervous. Treat it as a routine report. I'll write up the account and the examination when I get back. Don't disturb Captain Luo—anyway, there's not much difference to him right now whether he's suspended or not. Are you going to make a handicapped person go back to work overtime? It'll save him asking for leave."
Lang Qiao said, "So now…"
"Now you should all do what you need to do. Don't stop investigating Zheng Kaifeng. Keep digging, no matter what the obstructions. Zheng Kaifeng is dead. He can't make any trouble, can he? Second, work from Zhou Huaijin and Hu Zhenyu. Zhou Huaijin wants to cooperate with us, and Hu Zhenyu is the real power in the Zhou Clan's Yan City headquarters. Even though they don't have conclusive evidence in their hands, at least they understand more than we do. If needed, have Zhou Huaijin issue a statement. After all, he's the genuine heir to the Zhou Clan. Third…third…" Tao Ran paused, the joints of the fingers holding his phone turning white, the veins standing up on the back of his hand. He tried a few times without being able to get out the third thing.
How could he say it—we have a traitor among us, we have to do a thorough investigation?
How could they investigate?
Summon each person alone to the "little dark room," interrogate them all like criminals, treating those who confessed leniently and those who refused to acknowledge their crimes harshly?
Wasn't the storm outside enough? Did they have to add internal strife on top of it?
Who should he talk to about it?
Who could he trust now?
"Deputy Tao, what's third?"
"I…I haven't thought of it," Tao Ran answered her with some difficulty. "Let me think first. Wait until I get my train of thought in order."
Lang Qiao was fooled by his seemingly calm and sure voice. Just then, Tao Ran called to her, reiterating, "Don't bother Captain Luo. Everything else is really all right. Don't worry."
Merely listening to his voice, you could almost hear one of Deputy-Captain Tao's habitual pleasant smiles.
Lang Qiao didn't suspect him. She said "OK" and hung up the phone.
There was a breath caught in Tao Ran's chest that wouldn't go up or down. As soon as the dial tone came from the phone, the last drop of calm he'd squeezed out vanished without a trace. He'd have loved nothing better than to leap up and stomp a world-shaking pit in the ground, roar out a reverberating, "Fuck your ancestors!"
Everyone who passed by Tao Ran subconsciously quickened their steps after getting a clear look at his expression, afraid he was an aggrieved relative preparing to pull out a knife. Two patrolling special guards watched him, fully alert.
Tao Ran suddenly raised his phone and aimed it at the wall across from him, wanting to smash it.
As the phone was about to leave his hand, Tao Ran remembered the pocket lint on his salary card—he'd paid his mortgage this month, the remaining money wasn't enough to buy him a passable new phone, and he'd still have to contact his colleagues, still have to summarize the circumstances as they developed, still have to prepare a report for their superiors; he didn't dare to be out of contact.
So he hastily snatched back the phone before it could die in the line of duty. There really was no outlet. He could only take apart the plastic phone case and use it as a scapegoat, crushing the innocent object to bits.
Just then, a woman's voice that seemed to always hold a smile said, "Hey, Xiao Tao, who's got you so worked up?"
Three people had gotten off the elevator across the hall. One of them was a young person walking a few steps behind carrying things, and the other two were a middle-aged couple. The man was very tall; aside from his grave and reserved expression, he was simply a middle-aged edition of Luo Wenzhou. The woman was wearing a long-sleeved dress and smiling brightly. You couldn't see her age very clearly.—Tao Ran had seen them a few times. These were Luo Wenzhou's parents.
Tao Ran stared, then subconsciously stood up straight. "Auntie, uncle, hello."
Luo Wenzhou's mother Mu Xiaoqing took an apple from the fruit basket the aide was carrying and gave it to Tao Ran, casually stroking his head. "Look how angry our Xiao Tao is."
Tao Ran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Captain Luo is over there."
Luo Wenzhou's father Luo Cheng gave him a very reserved nod and looked over. Then, hands behind his back, he walked a few steps towards Luo Wenzhou. Arriving in front of the injured person, the old man didn't speak. He blocked the light and coughed heavily.
Luo Wenzhou looked up, red-eyed, and exchanged a look with his dad. Then he picked up the crutch he'd dropped at some point and leaned on it to get to his feet, moving aside and giving his dad a place to sit in a well-trained manner.
Luo Cheng didn't wait to be asked. He lifted his pant legs gently and sat with a clear conscience in the injured person's spot, imposingly looking down on all creation, occupying the lousy hospital chair as if he were sitting on the Iron Throne.
Then the old fellow issued an appraisal of Luo Wenzhou's latest look. "Pick up a ragged bag and you can go panhandle on the subway."
Luo Wenzhou, his face wooden, didn't make a sound.
Luo Cheng added, "And you've been crying? Isn't it just a suspension and writing a self-examination? That bad?"
Tao Ran: "…"
He'd given strict orders to keep this hidden—while paper couldn't contain a fire, at least they shouldn't bother Luo Wenzhou now. He hadn't expected that his own father would come and rip the paper right away!
Luo Wenzhou turned his head and looked at Tao Ran. Tao Ran hastily avoided his gaze, preparing to make himself scarce. "Uh… You guys talk, I'm going to take a call."
Luo Wenzhou said, "Wait!"
Tao Ran's steps paused. He looked at him in extreme awkwardness.
Luo Wenzhou closed his eyes, growing silent amid the thick medicinal smell.
His ears were still ringing, replaying the enormous sound from the moment of the explosion again and again, and he was having auditory hallucinations, thinking the door in front him that barred nonessential personnel was about to open and pronounce judgement on a person's life.
Tao Ran said, "Wenzhou…"
"Go back and see Uncle Lu," Luo Wenzhou said suddenly, interrupting him. "Have him deal with this matter strictly, the stricter the better—while I'm suspended and under investigation, conduct an internal investigation in the Criminal Investigation Team from top to bottom. No one concerned is permitted to leave. Have them hand in their comms and prepare to each give a statement."
Tao Ran froze at once, then quickly came around—this was a good opportunity to catch the mole!
Just then, Luo Cheng spoke again. "Even if it was the President of the United States murdering people within our borders, we'd still have the right to investigate it.—We welcome those investing money and infrastructure. It's best for everyone to make money together, develop together. As for the rest, it ought to be handled as it should. Yan City has developed to such a point that there are people willing to ride our coattails. What decade do you call this? We have no need to curry favor with ill-intentioned gods of wealth.—Those are my words, Xiao Tao. Please pass them on to your Director Lu along with the rest."
The breath Tao Ran had been carrying fell to the ground, and he turned, about to go.
Just then, the ICU's door opened again. Luo Wenzhou's crutch slipped somehow, and he wavered, nearly toppling over along with the crutch. He simply stuck the hindrance under his arm and was about to hop over on one leg. Tao Ran was afraid he would shake up his brain, and hurriedly reached out to hold him back, then strode forward on his own. "Nurse!"
The nurse pulled off her mask and looked down at the sheet in her hands. "We needed a 'notice' for the patient who just came in and printed it out, but now his condition has stabilized a little. Look here. If you don't want to sign, it's all right."
Tao Ran hurriedly asked, "So how is he now?"
"The most dangerous period hasn't passed yet, I can't say," the nurse said. "Things seem to be moving in the right direction now. He's young, after all. We'll wait on the notice… Ah, you with the crutch, what's going on? Are you also staying in the hospital here? Why aren't you in your room this late?"
Tao Ran said, "Going, we're just going. He was worried, that patient in there is…"
Luo Wenzhou said, "He's my lover."
The nurse didn't say anything.
Tao Ran bit his own tongue, nearly biting off a piece. Blood rose before his eyes; it hurt so much he nearly cried.
"So can I stay here a while longer?" Luo Wenzhou asked.
The nurse may have been stupefied, or she may have been very worldly. She gave an "Oh," didn't say anything else, turned, and left.
Tao Ran, Mu Xiaoqing, and Luo Cheng—all three simultaneously turned six eyes like six searchlights onto Luo Wenzhou.
Luo Wenzhou paid no attention to these irrelevant individuals' gazes and didn't explain at all that he'd been using the "future tense." He tottered to the corner garbage can, bent over, and threw up.
The series of life-saving measures was quick and scientific; it didn't change at all based on the patient's weak willpower.
There were a few seconds where Fei Du temporarily returned to consciousness under the strong stimulus, yanked out of his boundless nightmares, dimly hearing the din of medical apparatus rising and falling like the tide. These rhythmic sounds somehow changed form in his ears, turning into a familiar tune.
The gloomy villa, the woman's gaze, the withered flowers, the limiting electric shocks… All his experiences turned into outlines, filling with this song he'd looped hundreds of thousands of times.
"You can't yield! You can't submit!" The woman's frenzied, hysterical voice suddenly pierced through the chaos in his eardrums. "What did I give you to read? 'A person can be destroyed, but he can't be defeated.'—Fei Du! Fei Du!"
"Fei Du!"