Suddenly meeting with a direct shot, Xiao Haiyang was perplexed. He didn't notice his superior's unhappy mood at all, very earnestly trying to get to the bottom of this. "Why? Did I violate discipline again?"
"…" His diversion knocked all the temper out of Luo Wenzhou. He choked for a moment, then irritably said, "What do you want?"
Xiao Haiyang's tone was rather grave. "Captain Luo, are you all still at the hospital? Don't leave, I'll be there at once. I have to say this face-to-face."
This Little Glasses had some sense of time; he'd said "at once," and five minutes later he charged into the hospital, wrapped in a cold draft.
There were too many people and too much talk in the inpatient department. In search of quiet, they went into the little garden out back and found a stone table. The little garden was for patients staying at the hospital to use for taking walks. Now that it was the dead of winter, so cold that water froze as it dripped, never mind patients taking walks, there wasn't even a single crow bringing its own down jacket.
Xiao Haiyang put two CVs and a printed out form on the stone table and sniffed hard. "Captain Luo had me investigate the two people who were with Deputy-Captain Tao that day, and the use record of the car. It's all here, along with two CVs.—Of those who accompanied Deputy-Captain Tao to visit Yin Ping's home, one was our team's Wu-ge, and one was Civil Policeman Kong Weichen from the South Bend police station…"
"I know Xiao Wu. He's been under my nose since he graduated. If my shifu hadn't died, he'd have become my little shidi." Luo Wenzhou waved a hand. "There's no need to talk about Kong Weichen yet, either, the important point is…"
"No, there's an important point to say about Kong Weichen." With his frozen fingers, Xiao Haiyang none too nimbly pulled out Kong Weichen's CV. "Captain Luo, I suppose you know that a few years ago the city had a 'National Enterprises Alleviate Poverty' program?"
Luo Wenzhou raised his eyebrows doubtfully. "Yes?"
This sort of activity was ordinarily larger in outer appearance than it was in substantive content. Everyone basically got out some lunch money according to their rank, donated some funds, then took a few pictures and finished it up by being written up in a news story. It didn't mean anything. The organization hadn't done it these last few years.
"Last time, South Bend's Hongzhi School partnered with the City Bureau. Some officials from the City Bureau went to Hongzhi School to look around. Each of them got out two-thousand yuan, each pair subsidizing a student with fairly good grades. Kong Weichen was one of them," Xiao Haiyang said, with the three other people surrounding the stone table looking back at him helplessly.
Luo Wenzhou had a sort of inauspicious premonition, feeling that nothing good would come out of Xiao Haiyang's mouth. "So?"
"I went to investigate the school's files. One of the people written down as subsidizing Kong Weichen was Zhang Chunjiu.—Oh, that's old Director Zhang, who transferred out of the City Bureau half a year ago. Before Kong Weichen took Deputy-Captain Tao to Yin Ping's house, he called Zhang Chunjiu."
Lang Qiao's expression was lost, overloaded with information.
Fei Du, however, frowned gently.
Luo Wenzhou at once looked grave. "Xiao Haiyang, do you know what you're saying?"
"I do.—I printed out the communications records." Xiao Haiyang wiped his nose, absently met Luo Wenzhou's eyes, then pulled out a slip of paper. "I also verified with Wu-ge. Wu-ge said that before they set out, he really did see Officer Kong make a phone call. He even asked about it in passing, and Kong Weichen said, 'My superior is rather concerned with this business. I was reporting to him.' Wu-ge thought that it was a superior at the station and didn't think much of it. I also found out that Officer Kong was first assigned to Qingyuan County, and he was only transferred back to his hometown of South Bend when Director Zhang put in a word."
A cluster of thick clouds was involuntarily blown together by the wind, covering the sun. The only heat source disappeared, and the surroundings at once became shady.
For a good while, no one spoke in the little stone pavilion. Lang Qiao suddenly felt that her own fragile body heat wasn't up to its current task; she hadn't been able to warm the stone bench by sitting on it all this time. The chill was still passing through her clothes into her muscles, making her tremble from within.
After a long time, Lang Qiao at last slowly came around, and some indescribable rage exploded like a tsunami. She was like a believer who'd seen someone splashing sewage on an image of her god. She stood up swiftly. "Xiao Haiyang, are you crazy? Are trifles like getting a subsidy and transferring work worth rooting around for? What are you, an NBIS special agent?5 When we're all sitting around playing cards and bragging, do you memorize everything we're saying and go investigate it for secret codes? It's really a waste of your talents that you weren't born during the Qing Dynasty's literary inquisition!"
Xiao Haiyang never watched people's faces. His tone didn't change at all. "When Director Zhang was at his post, you could just about say that the county town police stations in the area fit into his jurisdiction. Now that he's been transferred away, South Bend doesn't have any connection to him at all. Can you explain why Kong Weichen would contact him at such a time? I know he's a hero, and I know that if the people from South Bend heard this, they'd give me a beating—you also want to give me a beating. But whether you emotionally believe it or not, these are the results of my investigation. These are the facts."
"Nonsense!" Lang Qiao burst out. "If it was you, would you harm someone, then save his life? Even throw yourself in to save him? Director Zhang has stepped back from the front lines, and you still drag him in…"
Xiao Haiyang put his hands together and unwaveringly said, "Of course I wouldn't, but each person's logic is different. I don't know how other people think."
Lang Qiao seized his collar. Xiao Haiyang was pulled forward by her, ribs bumping against the stone table, the arms of his glasses slipping down below his cheekbones.
"Hey…" said Luo Wenzhou.
"Wait, hear me out." Fei Du gently put his hand on Lang Qiao's wrist. His hand had been in his pocket all this time and still had some residual warmth from his coat. There was only a trace of color in fingertips, and the cuff of a cream-colored sweater showed at his wrist. The back of Lang Qiao's hand, green and white with veins and bone standing out, relaxed involuntarily.
"First, there isn't necessarily a causal relationship between Officer Kong calling Director Zhang beforehand and him revealing information, unless you have a complete communications record that has conclusive evidence showing that Officer Kong somehow sent word when Tao Ran and the others returned to Yin Ping's house for the second time." Fei Du paused slightly. "Second, even if the information really did come from him, he still didn't necessarily do it with intent—"
Xiao Haiyang opened his mouth.
Fei Du plucked Lang Qiao's hand from Xiao Haiyang's collar, separating the two of them. "I'll make an unsuitable comparison. Haiyang, don't be angry when you've heard it.—If Officer Gu was still alive, was your elder and superior, and asked you to do something you couldn't understand in order to secretly investigate something, would you comply unconditionally?"
For some reason, there were some words that it was always easier for Xiao Haiyang to hear coming from Fei Du's mouth.
He was silent for a moment. "You're right."
"What about the other police officer and the car?" Fei Du asked. "Did you investigate them?"
"Yes. The City Bureau is a mess today. I took the opportunity to snatch Xiao Wu's personnel file. He's local, hasn't been working long. His CV and personal background are fairly simple. For the moment I haven't seen any suspicious points. I'll investigate further." Xiao Haiyang expressionlessly fixed his crooked collar and glasses. "As for the police car, it was very seriously damaged. It's being analyzed now, the results haven't come out yet. It hasn't been serviced recently, but it's been used rather frequently. It hasn't been idle since Lu Guosheng and the others were arrested. Basically all field personnel have touched it.—If the problem is with the car, then everyone on our team is suspect."
Xiao Haiyang once again succeeded in using his words to silence everyone.
No matter when, investigating your own people was always the most painful thing. Probably only an ass like Xiao Haiyang, who didn't have any worldly wisdom, could undertake this assignment so cold-bloodedly.
Xiao Haiyang's gaze passed over their faces. Seeing that no one chimed in, he went on himself. "I think that now…"
Luo Wenzhou was simply almost afraid of him. He hastily interrupted, "Ancestor, could I ask you to shut your mouth and give it a rest?"
"I'm not finished speaking yet." Xiao Haiyang pushed at his glasses. His lips kept flapping on their own, whether others wanted to hear or not. "I think that now, as soon as possible, we should investigate Director Zhang's motive for paying close attention to this business, as well as whether those two pickup trucks are connected to him."
Lang Qiao said, "Earlier this year, Director Zhang…"
"Earlier this year, Director Zhang transferred out, so now the investigation team hasn't even come to him. But don't forget, when the security cameras in 203 were repaired, he was still the head of the City Bureau." Xiao Haiyang raised his voice slightly. "How long was he at this post of command? Even though he's transferred out, his influence is still there. Do you know how many people would reveal things to him, intentionally or not? Also, the system we use for field work now was set up by him. When you caught Zheng Kaifeng, why did Yang Bo get a field personnel roster that even our own people wouldn't necessarily have known about clearly?"
Lang Qiao's lips weren't as nimble as his. She was speechless for a time, unable to resist wanting to come to blows again.
"Evidence.—Xiao Haiyang, the person you're accusing is the City Bureau's former director-general." Luo Wenzhou spoke to interrupt their drawn swords and bent bows. "If you find evidence, I'll send it up for you. Otherwise, we can pretend we didn't hear what you said today. But when Officer Kong is buried, you'll have to kowtow three times in apology to him, or else Tao Ran won't let you off."
Hearing Tao Ran's name, Xiao Haiyang at last stopped, pursing his lips somewhat nervously.
Luo Wenzhou somewhat wearily waved a hand at him. "Go away."
But Xiao Haiyang didn't go. He stood where he was for a moment. His hands, so frozen they were all red, hung by his sides, tightening and relaxing.
This Little Glasses had an unusual disposition. It seemed that whether he was among a crowd or standing on his own, he always looked solitary, full of solitary doubts, full of mistrust even towards the air flowing past his mouth and nose.
Except for…Tao Ran.
Tao Ran was kind, gentle, and patient. He seemed sloppy, his manner of living somewhat crude, but he always looked after everyone who came into his line of sight. While his appearance and temperament were entirely different, he still always made Xiao Haiyang think of Gu Zhao. Starting from the time he'd still been at the Flower Market District Sub-Bureau and had cooperated with the City Bureau for the first time to investigate He Zhongyi's murder, he'd had a natural feeling of closeness towards Tao Ran.
These sudden murder plots had nearly made time run backwards for him. He'd nearly turned into a nervous hedgehog, all the spines on his body indignantly sticking up.
Luo Wenzhou said, "If you have something to say, say it."
Somewhat hesitantly, Xiao Haiyang said in a quiet voice, "I…I want to go see Deputy-Captain Tao, can I?"
Luo Wenzhou looked at him deeply, then nodded slightly. Xiao Haiyang quickly ran off.
After Xiao Haiyang left, Lang Qiao's rage was gradually blown away by the winter wind. She subconsciously pondered, following what Xiao Haiyang had said, and found to her horror that she'd actually been convinced by him. "Captain Luo, when the surveillance equipment was repaired the year before last, I, I think it really was…"
"Lao Zhang was a little older than us; he'd rendered a meritorious service and was named to come to the City Bureau."
"He got along best with people. He was our old big brother."
"Lao Zhang's family was in business..."
"Gu Zhao suspected that there was a rat in the City Bureau, so he chose to investigate on his own. But he also knew the rules, so when he found The Louvre in the end, to be rigorous about collecting evidence, he must have chosen a partner among the people he trusted."
Why, when those people's "business" extended all over the world, when they had the power to launder money and commit crimes across borders, was their final major stronghold in Yan City?
After what had happened to Gu Zhao, Yang Zhengfeng, as captain, had borne the responsibility of being his direct superior. He'd been disciplined and had handed the City Bureau's Criminal Investigation Team over to Zhang Chunjiu, who'd had similar qualifications and was steadier. In his hands, the Criminal Investigation Team had become increasingly splendid; public order had been impossibly good during those years, as though all the city's criminals had collectively gone on vacation. During the period he'd held the position, both the crime rate and the rate of solved cases had looked good. That was how he'd risen step by step to a high position.
Was it that his management had been proper, or had it been…
Lang Qiao was right. Nearly everything had broken out after Director Zhang had been transferred away. This year's workload at the City Bureau was nearly equal to that of the previous ten years. Was it after all because when the stabilizing force of Director Zhang had left, all the forces of evil had come out to wreak havoc?
Or take it in the opposite direction—with the all-encompassing protective umbrella gone, had the demons and monsters under it been unable to hide any longer?
"Xiao Lang," Luo Wenzhou said, "stay in the hospital, keep a close eye on Yin Ping. Whether he's an idiot or a vegetable, no matter what, nothing can be allowed to happen to him."
Lang Qiao nodded in a flurry. "Right."
"Don't go empty-handed," Luo Wenzhou said, lowering his voice. "Go request a sidearm."
A thin layer of gooseflesh rose on Lang Qiao's neck. Looking at Luo Wenzhou's expression, she didn't dare to waste any more words. She stood up and ran off.
Luo Wenzhou let out a long breath, grabbed Fei Du's wrist, and rubbed the projecting bone over and over. If the mole was a contemporary of Gu Zhao's, then he had to be an elder of good standing and reputation; Luo Wenzhou had known that perfectly well all along. But now that it had come to this, his mind was still a blank.
It was too hard.
To accept it, to suspect, to investigate, to use the manner he employed for dealing with the most crafty, the most reprehensible criminals… It was too hard.
"There's no evidence," Luo Wenzhou said quietly. "Whether the investigation team takes Director Lu or Director Zhang.—Xiao Haiyang does everything relying on imagination and instinct. It's all bullshit. Even Wei Zhanhong doesn't know the mole's identity. Unless Yin Ping wakes up and accuses someone… Even if Yin Ping accuses someone, given his moral character, if there's nothing to back up his word…"
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Author's note:
(5) National Bureau of Investigation and Statistics, military intelligence agency of the Republic of China prior to 1946.