At this moment, all the blood rushed to Bi Xu's head, rendering him irrational. He began using brute force. With no other options, Wang Jingfei kneed him in the groin and followed up with an uppercut to his chin. The first strike caused him to double over in pain, clutching his wounded area, and the second sent him sprawling onto his back.
Wang Jingfei didn't deliver a third blow; her mission was not to defeat Bi Xu. She took a couple of steps forward as Bi Xu, terrified and unrecognizing her, scuttled backward, hands pressed against the floor, his rear scraping against the ground. Wang Jingfei looked at him cowering in the corner, then turned back to the computer. She tapped a few keys, only to find mundane files. Anger flared within her, and she grabbed the brass lamp, marching over to him. "You deliberately deceived me!" she shouted, raising the lamp threateningly.
Bi Xu frantically shook his head. "I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!" Wang Jingfei hissed through clenched teeth, "Is this all you have to offer?"
Bi Xu, now reduced to a frightened chicken, stretched his neck. "The real stuff is with Liu Mei. The most crucial intel, Guo Xiaopeng keeps it himself."
Seeing the truth in his fear, Wang Jingfei felt a wave of frustration; all her careful maneuvering had been for nothing but a trickster. In a final attempt, she asked, "Where is it kept?" Bi Xu shook his head.
Wang Jingfei threw down the lamp and left the room…
A shallow bay, like a jade pendant hanging from the neck of Haizhou City, shimmered in emerald green, its gentle waves rippling. The gloomy sky drizzled faint rain, a light breeze rustling the withered grass on the shore. Guo Xiaopeng, alone in a raincoat and large straw hat, fished with his Mercedes parked at a distance. A taxi pulled up, stopping beside the Mercedes. Duan Hai got out and hurried over.
The float bobbed, and Guo Xiaopeng jerked his rod, the tip trembling, but it was empty. His hopeful expression turned to disappointment as he cast the line again. Duan Hai silently stood behind him, rain soaking his hair. Guo Xiaopeng glanced back unintentionally. "You're back?" His eyes lit up with sudden cheer.
Duan Hai squatted beside Guo Xiaopeng.
"How did you know I was here?" Guo Xiaopeng asked with a smile.
"I heard you drove out alone in this direction, so I guessed you'd be here," Duan Hai replied sheepishly.
Guo Xiaopeng patted his shoulder. "You know me well, Duan Hai."
Duan Hai looked at him, then down at the float.
Guo Xiaopeng, still smiling, asked, "Did you understand that?"
Duan Hai nodded shyly, then shook his head. "I get the gist, but not completely."
Guo Xiaopeng, holding his shoulder, said, "I appreciate your simplicity. People today have too many schemes." Duan Hai remained silent.
Guo Xiaopeng seemed to be talking to Duan Hai and himself. "Don't be fooled by the talented people around me. Truly reliable ones are few."
Duan Hai pointed at the float.
Guo Xiaopeng noticed it trembling, and with a swift pull, he caught a lively fish.
Duan Hai grinned broadly.
Guo Xiaopeng exclaimed, "I've been fishing here for two or three years, but never caught such a big fish, let alone a sturgeon!" He carefully unhooked the fish and placed it in a red plastic bucket beside him.
Duan Hai stayed silent, smiling.
"Why are you so quiet?" Guo Xiaopeng washed his hands in the water, glancing at him. Duan Hai blushed slightly and said softly, "I've always been like this."
"Any news from Beijing?" Guo Xiaopeng asked.
Duan Hai nodded. "Wang Jingfei attended the Police Academy from '91 to '92 for two years."
Guo Xiaopeng's expression changed. "Did you confirm this?"
Duan Hai nodded again. "Her real name is Lu Xiaofei. I found several of her classmates, showed them Wang Jingfei's photo, and they recognized her instantly." He handed a photo to Guo Xiaopeng. "This is from their internship at the Gezhouba Dam."
Guo Xiaopeng studied it closely. "Just as I suspected!" He threw down his fishing rod, and the fish in the bucket jumped out. He stabbed it with a knife, pinning it to the grass. "Why did she leave after two years?"
Duan Hai explained, "Her classmates, especially the girls, said she was always into fashion and high living. Her headteacher said she had serious bourgeois tendencies." Guo Xiaopeng's face relaxed slightly, signaling him to continue. "She had a relative in Hong Kong and eventually went to join them."
"In this world, anything can happen," Guo Xiaopeng mused, staring at the water, watching the raindrops create ripples...