【Texture】(103, 104)

Author: Wandering Traveler,
February 25, 2016, first published on sis,
Chapter 103:
After leaving the airport, we hailed a taxi and headed into the city. I had originally planned to take him out
for dinner, but he was worried his girlfriend at home was hungry and declined my offer, only
asking for my bank account number so he could transfer my half of the payment as soon as possible. Therefore, after
arriving at the streets near my residential area, I got out of the taxi, while he hurried home
.
Watching the taxi drive away, I felt a strange sense of melancholy. I didn't know
what to do next. After standing on the street for a while, I finally decided to grab dinner at a Hunan restaurant near my apartment complex
and went inside. Upon entering, I saw the restaurant owners, a husband and wife, sorting
disposable lunchboxes, neatly stacking the filled lunchboxes and then packing them into a large styrofoam box
.
This couple from Hunan are extremely hardworking. Their small restaurant not only sells à la carte dishes but also boxed
meals. A couple of years ago, they hired a helper to do odd jobs and deliver orders. However, with the economic downturn, the helper
quit because the pay was too low and went to work in Guangzhou. The couple didn't hire anyone new, and the husband took on
the delivery work himself. I often see them preparing the boxed meals when I eat here. But I
noticed that today they had many more boxed meals to deliver than usual. Since we're familiar with each other
and often chat, I casually asked them about it.
"It's not just those shops on the next street that ordered. It's just that the yoga studio over there
has been getting a lot more orders lately. It seems that the yoga studio changed hands a few days ago, and the new owner added some kind of evening
relaxation class. All the students order boxed meals from me. So the orders have suddenly increased."
After explaining, the owner, with his wife's help, placed the boxes full of food onto
the back rack of his motorcycle, secured them, and then rode off to deliver the meals.
Realizing that only his wife would be in the shop after the owner left, and worried she might be too busy, I didn't order anything
complicated. Instead, I asked her to cook two simple vegetarian dishes, and that was my dinner.
After dinner, I originally planned to go home and continue our almost four-day-long "phone cold
war" with Zhou Jingyi. But as I was about to enter the residential area, I wanted a cigarette, and when I took out my pack, I realized I only had one left. I
frowned, turned around, and walked to the convenience store across the street to buy cigarettes.
After buying them, I glanced back at the gate of the complex, then changed my mind. Instead of going home, I
wandered aimlessly along the pedestrian walkway near the complex…
I didn't know how long it had been since I'd strolled around the streets near my home after dark like this
. Before Lao Lu's accident, my life after starting work in the screenwriting department was very structured.
I'd clock in every day, eat dinner after work, and often, like today, I'd stroll along the streets around the complex to digest.
Looking back on those days, it feels like a lifetime ago. But since Lao Lu's unfortunate passing, my
life has fallen into a state that seems almost bizarre to me. The things happening around me,
the people I've encountered, are all things I never imagined before. A sense of bewilderment crept into my mind. I didn't
know who I was now, what I should do, or how I should spend my future.
Meanwhile, how to quell Zhou Jingyi's anger towards me, my own experiences, and
the mysteries surrounding my family that I still haven't figured out are all weighing on my mind.
Unconsciously, I found myself in the city park near my neighborhood.
This park is situated among several residential areas, serving as public green space for this area.
It's not small, covering about ten acres.
Logically, in a city where land is incredibly valuable, it's difficult for the government to allocate such a large area for
a free park. Moreover, when this area was planned a few years ago, the municipal planning and land departments did indeed
intend to develop most of the land in this park into residential housing. But coincidentally,
there happens to be a revolutionary martyr's tomb within the park, and some of his descendants now hold
high positions. Upon learning of this situation, the municipal government's planning department immediately changed its original plan. Not only
did it allocate nearly half an acre of land specifically for the martyr's tomb, but it also
directly designated nearly ten acres of land surrounding the tomb as public woodland within the city.
The municipal leader in charge of this planning was clearly very shrewd. This subtly pleased
the current head of the People's Congress, a descendant of the martyr, and also earned them a good reputation among the people. Therefore,
the park was upgraded shortly after its completion, and now it has crossed the threshold of the provincial-level department, becoming a near-ministerial level
local official.
The park was quiet and somewhat deserted after nightfall. Because of the cooler weather, the number of citizens who usually come here to relax and cool off
has decreased significantly. For a long stretch of the empty pedestrian path, I was the only solitary figure
.
As I walked, the faint sounds of men and women breathing heavily from the bushes beside the path disturbed my thoughts.
I glanced disgustedly at the source of the sound, only to see two figures pressed together and
moving violently in the shadows of the trees. Clearly, a couple, driven by lust,
were taking advantage of the park's sparse population to engage in passionate lovemaking.
I'm not actually averse to or bothered by such "outdoor sex." In my view, pursuing novelty in sexual activity is a matter of personal freedom; one can do whatever one wants. I myself 　　have had experiences like car sex and outdoor sex in
past relationships and even prostitution. But I've never chosen to do it in city 　　parks or streets. I always go to sparsely populated rural roads 　　or forests near villages. 　　City parks are usually bustling with people, places for citizens to relax, exercise, and for children to play.

This is a public area. Having sex here, if seen by others or discovered by minors, could inevitably lead to
some negative consequences. This is a matter of public morality.
Although I couldn't stand this inappropriate behavior, I ultimately didn't go to stop or disturb the couple in the woods. Instead,
I ignored it, calmly continuing my
previous pace, slowly trying to pass through the area along the pedestrian path.
But sometimes things just happen to you. I didn't want to meddle, but trouble still seemed to fall
into my lap. I had only taken two more steps when I heard the couple's heavy breathing change into a
woman's scream and a man's curses.
I blinked, and before I could figure out what was happening, I saw the woman scream and rush
out of the grove behind the bushes…
In the light of the park streetlights in the distance, I noticed that the woman was wearing clothes on her upper body, but I could
clearly see a pair of smooth, white thighs. It seemed that, to save time, the woman
had only removed her lower body clothing while making love with the man in the woods . After hearing the sounds of fighting that followed from the woods, I paused for a
moment.
"Could it be a robbery?"
Thinking this, I unconsciously started running towards the woods where the woman and she had been
.
It seemed this couple's luck was truly bad; they'd been targeted by robbers while having sex in the open
. While their act of having sex in the open wasn't exactly morally upright, it wasn't a serious crime. But for the thugs to take advantage of the situation
and rob them was definitely a crime.
Although I'm not exactly a public-spirited hero, firstly, the woman who rushed out had already seen me
, and it wouldn't be right for me not to intervene; secondly, I'd been
somewhat distracted by the various thoughts that had been swirling in my mind, and this incident was a good opportunity to clear my head and focus my thoughts
on the sudden event before me.
To my surprise, the woman, upon seeing me, didn't run towards me for help. Instead, she continued
screaming, turned, and frantically fled to the other side of the sidewalk.
This confused me even more.
Shouldn't someone being robbed offer help to passersby? Why did she turn and
run?
But soon, I realized my initial assessment was wrong.
The figures fighting in the woods had now also rushed onto the sidewalk in the chase.
In the dim light, a tall, thin man, naked from the waist down, was being chased and tackled to the ground by a short ,
stocky man…
“Fuck your mother! You dare touch my woman, I'll beat you to death…”
Hearing the short, stocky man's words, I instantly understood… It wasn't a robbery, but catching someone in the act!
Clearly, the naked man and the naked woman who ran away were a couple,
having arranged to meet in the park for a tryst. The short man who chased and beat the man was probably the woman's
"official husband." I don't know how he discovered and tracked them here, but seeing the couple having fun,
he angrily intervened and ruined their encounter.
The short man seemed to hate the "adulterer" more, so he attacked the man first, giving the woman
a chance to escape…
Therefore, when the woman saw me, a passerby, she didn't ask for help; instead, she immediately changed direction
and fled. She probably knew that if she asked me for help, I might intervene, but once I understood
what had happened, I certainly wouldn't speak up for her. After all,
it's hard to gain sympathy or support for someone who has cheated on their husband. It's better to just get away from the scene quickly
…
After the tall, thin man fell, the short man rushed to his side, yelling and kicking him repeatedly
. Judging from his physique, the fallen man was significantly taller than the short man. In a fight, height and reach are definitely
an advantage. But it was clear he was caught off guard and attacked by the short guy. After being ambushed and severely injured,
his size advantage was completely lost. Plus, he felt guilty for sleeping with someone else's woman. So,
throughout the struggle through the woods, he was constantly on the defensive, and when he reached the pedestrian path, he
tripped over the concrete between the path and the green belt, falling badly. After being kicked a few more times by the short guy, he completely lost
the ability to fight back and could only lie on the ground panting…
I stood a few meters away, coldly watching the short guy's actions. When I realized the tall guy's situation was
serious and that continuing the fight might lead to serious injury, I immediately shouted to stop him.
"Dude, stop! This could kill someone!"
"Kill someone, so what! It's none of your business…"
The short guy heard my voice and yelled at me!
I smiled, not taking his insults to heart.
I understood his feelings at that moment. It was impossible for him to calmly communicate with others at a time like this
. However, once he shifted his attention to me, the beating of the tall, thin man stopped. And
that was the result I wanted. I was just worried he would lose control and beat the man to death or maim. Now that
my goal had been achieved, I naturally didn't care how the short man treated me.
"That woman ran that way. Aren't you going to chase after her?"
I casually reminded the short man.
The short man was stunned for a moment when he heard my words, then suddenly realized
what I meant. He was about to turn around and chase after the fleeing woman, but after taking only two steps, he seemed to realize something and turned back to look at me.
I didn't notice the short man's actions, but instead took out my phone to call 110 (the police) and ask them
to come and clean up after the tall, thin man who was now lying on the ground convulsing from the beating. This was
the only social obligation I could fulfill as a citizen after encountering such a situation.
But just as I pressed 110 and before I could dial, the short man suddenly ran up
to me again and exclaimed in surprise.
"You...you're not Brother Yan Ping?"
Hearing the short man call my name, I was stunned for a moment. My finger, which was on the call button, didn't
press it. Instead, I looked up and questioningly shifted my gaze to the short man's face, and immediately realized he
looked familiar.
"It's...it really is you! Brother Yan Ping, it's me...it's me! Li Dong from Second Master's men!" The short man
finally recognized me and shouted.
Hearing his shout, I was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.
"You...you're not Li Dong from A Guang's men? Dong Ya Zi!"
After hearing me say his name and even his nickname, Li Dong's face showed excitement, but then
two lines of tears welled up in his eyes...
Two hours later, I sat in the chair in the police station office, helplessly watching Wu Zhongjun and the local
police station instructor having a tense discussion.
After seeing that I recognized him, Li Dong, perhaps due to excitement or something, then slumped down in
front of me. I reached out to help him up, then found myself at a loss.
Looking at the tall, thin man lying on the ground like a dead pig a few meters away, and Li Dong in my arms, I finally dialed
110. While I was dialing, Li Dong sobbed and begged me not
to tell Yan Guang what had happened.
Although I didn't understand why he wanted me to do this, I decided to comply and didn't
call Yan Guang to tell him what had happened after notifying 110.
About ten minutes later, patrol officers from the nearby police station arrived at the park and first took the tall, thin man to
the hospital. Then they took Li Dong and me back to the police station for questioning.
It was a clear fact that Li Dong had assaulted someone, and after questioning me and understanding the incident, the police officers
immediately said they would detain Li Dong.
Hearing that the police station intended to handle it this way, I immediately objected.
In my opinion, while Li Dong's assault was wrong, there were extenuating circumstances. A tall, thin man was having an affair with Li Dong's girlfriend.
It's like they were having sex in the street; no man could tolerate that, and a fight would almost certainly follow. Considering this
, detaining Li Dong was clearly excessive. Moreover, I want to emphasize that Li Dong could have easily fled the scene.
But after I called 110 (the police emergency number), Li Dong didn't leave; instead, he waited silently with me for the police to arrive
. This can be considered a surrender, and based on that, leniency is warranted. As for subsequent negotiations and
compensation, we won't deny them.
However, the officer handling the matter at the police station was extremely firm. The reason he gave was also giving me a
headache: Li Dong has a criminal record. Leaving aside earlier incidents like disorderly conduct,
Li Dong had already committed assault with a weapon over two months ago…
“Last time he assaulted someone with a weapon, he should have been locked up for at least several months. I don’t know who you pulled
, but he was only detained for a few days before being released. But let me make this clear: our station is
different from other places! Everything must be handled officially. This time, he must be detained immediately. As for whether to go through legal procedures
, that depends on the victim’s opinion…”
Faced with the officer’s righteous and indignant demeanor, I was speechless. I could only
call the old platoon leader, Wu Zhongjun, and ask him to help bail him out. Wu Zhongjun was quite helpful; after receiving the call
, he immediately rushed to the local police station to negotiate with the other party. However, judging from his discussions, he seemed
somewhat powerless to help.
Seeing that the other party wasn't giving him face, Wu Zhongjun realized that continuing the conversation would be pointless and might even damage
the relationship between his police station and this side. He immediately stopped the conversation, pulled me
out of the office, and we went to the corridor for a smoke.
"You were right not to tell your brother and instead called me! If Yan Guang knew about this
, given his protective nature, it would be strange if he didn't cause trouble at this police station..." Wu Zhongjun affirmed
my decision to call him, offering me a cigarette.
"But it seems your coming here is useless. That Instructor Li has no intention of giving you face."
I took the cigarette, took a puff, and sighed.
"There's nothing I can do. He's sticking to the rules; can I publicly criticize him? But don't
worry, I might not be able to persuade him, but someone else can." Wu Zhongjun smiled, appearing confident.
"From what you're saying, are you planning to ask Deputy Director Zhao to put in a good word for you? If that's the case, then
forget it! I can't afford to offend Director Zhao. If he were to do me a favor, I reckon I
'd have to pay with my life." I gave a wry smile.
This wasn't a joke. To be honest, I realized I was somewhat afraid of Zhao Yongyi. It wasn't that I was truly
afraid of him, but the old man was too shrewd. If I owed him a favor, he would definitely demand it
back tenfold. I didn't even know if I could ever repay such a debt of gratitude.
"Tch, look at you, so pathetic. Who said you needed Director Zhao to intervene? Do you remember Captain Tang from the Criminal Investigation Team?"
Wu Zhongjun winked at me with interest.
"Captain Tang?" I frowned and thought for a moment, a vague image appearing in my mind.
"You mean the guy who led a group to arrest me on the street last time?" I asked, recalling
the young police officer who had been so loyal to Zhao Yongyi before and after the Liziping incident.
"That's right, it's him. Hehe, you don't know, he came from this station. This guy surnamed
Li is his junior. As far as I know, Instructor Li especially admires his senior brother who entered the criminal investigation team.
If Captain Tang intervenes, the other party will definitely agree," Wu Zhongjun explained.
I sighed. "To be honest, Dong Yazi hitting someone wasn't my business at all; I was just
passing by. But he's one of A Guang's men, and he even called me 'Big Brother' before! You didn't see
how wronged he looked; it was heartbreaking to see. This grown man, reduced to this state by a woman
. He trusted me and completely followed my advice in handling this matter. If he had been locked up by the police station immediately, I..."
I felt I had let him down. The police station was right to detain him. Officer Li's words
were all reasonable. I asked you to come here now simply to delay the arrest, to give him time to go home
and settle his family affairs before coming back. Then, we can handle it as appropriate. Do you
think I'm someone who abuses power?"
Hearing this, Wu Zhongjun patted my shoulder. "You're absolutely right. I'll
contact Tang Zhengbo right away."
Just as Wu Zhongjun had predicted, when Tang Zhengbo from the criminal investigation team arrived, Instructor Li finally relented.
With Tang Zhengbo and Wu Zhongjun vouching for us, and Li Dong and I exchanging contact information, I was finally able to lead
Li Dong out of the police station .
Li Dong seemed quite excited outside the station, and insisted on taking the three of us—Wu Zhongjun, Tang Zhengbo, and me—to
a barbecue stall on the street, insisting on treating us to a late-night snack. The three of us, considering his genuine
gratitude and noticing his unstable emotions, decided to
accept his invitation to reassure and comfort him. We went with him to the stall and found a place to sit.
After ordering barbecue and taking a sip of beer, Li Dong could no longer contain his emotions and
burst into tears in front of the three of us.
"Brothers, why am I, Li Dong, so unlucky... to fall for such a woman? I hate it...
"
"I've given her my all, buying her this and that, I'd give her my heart..."
"It's all because I love her..."
"She said she wanted a house, so I worked my ass off saving money and bought one. The deed is still in her name..."
"She said she wanted a car, so I emptied my savings to buy her one..."
"She thinks I'm just a scoundrel running errands for Second Master! Now Second Master wants to start a legitimate business, so I swallowed my
pride and went to Brother Yang, practically begging him to come with me..."
"She said she wanted me to marry her in a grand ceremony. I've been running around for the wedding these past few days...
but she... but she's secretly cheating on me with other men!"
"I... I'm such a coward..."
The three of us didn't say anything, just silently ate our barbecue, drank our beer, and listened to the man's lament.
We also felt a little sympathy for his plight.
Love is a complicated thing; nobody can really explain it. Often, one can fall for someone without reason, even when
reason tells them that the other person is fundamentally incompatible.
After Li Dong had confided enough and his language and thought processes had returned to normal, Tang Zhengbo, perhaps
out of professional habit as a criminal investigator, casually asked a question that interested him.
"But you're quite something. She arranged to meet another man in the park for sex, and you actually found out,
secretly followed them, and finally discovered them. Your skills are something even I, a criminal investigator, am somewhat ashamed
of!"
Tang Zhengbo's words naturally contained an element of teasing and mockery, which was normal. He was a policeman, and Li Dong was a gangster
; their relationship was inherently one of cop and criminal. Tang Zhengbo had no interest in
having much interaction with someone like Li Dong. Out of respect for me and Wu Zhongjun, he had come out in the middle of the night to
get Li Dong out of the police station. He harbored some resentment towards Li Dong. Speaking now,
he retained his usual professional habits, showing no mercy to Li Dong.
Fortunately, Li Dong had mostly recovered and understood Tang Zhengbo's identity and profession, so
he didn't show any displeasure at Tang Zhengbo's somewhat sarcastic remarks.
"How could I possibly have found out! Last time I went to fight someone for her, after I came out, she knelt before me and said it was
the last time. I believed her, and she said she wanted to marry me immediately, so I happily started preparing for
the wedding. If it weren't for one of her friends running into me today and subtly hinting that
I should keep an eye on her behavior, I wouldn't have thought of following her at night..."
"So someone tipped you off... Heh, I see."
Tang Zhengbo smiled, seemingly not intending to delve deeper into the matter. After all, this was Li Dong
's own emotional affair, and outsiders shouldn't interfere.
Wu Zhongjun, however, after a few beers, slightly tipsy, half-seriously, half-jokingly continued the conversation
.
"What strange behaviors have you been doing? Tell us if it's convenient. I have a family to support
, maybe we can learn something and prevent things from happening again."
"Hmm... well... sigh, I've already lost all face, what can't I say?" Li
Dong seemed to have completely let go at this point, finishing his beer in front of him before speaking.
"Thanks to Second Master and the others last time, I was released early along with them. Then this woman said she wanted to
live a good life with me and marry me. She stopped working at the foot massage parlor and now
stays at home obediently every day, occasionally going out to play mahjong or something. Second Master treats us underlings well,
and I earn a decent amount of money following him, enough to support her."
"About ten days ago, she told me she was bored at home, and playing mahjong all the time was boring, so she wanted to go out and find something
to do for fun. I didn't think much of it and agreed. Then she joined some kind of yoga studio.
Or some kind of evening leisure class..."
"I thought, well, women... working out and doing aerobics isn't unusual. So I didn't pay much attention.
But this evening, after finishing up with some buddies at Second Uncle's new company's renovation, we went out for dinner and
ran into one of her former colleagues from the foot massage parlor. I'd gotten my buddies
to stand up for her when she was bullied, so she's grateful to me. When we met, she secretly told me she'd heard
that the yoga studio my wife attends isn't very reputable, with
a lot of messy things going on between the male and female students, and she wanted me to keep an eye on things..."
"A yoga studio?"
I couldn't help but interject. You see, I happened to be eating at a Hunan restaurant...
The boss was delivering lunchboxes to a yoga studio when he overheard Li Dong mention this again, and unconsciously inquired about
it.
"Hmm, a yoga studio. And I heard that the yoga studio teaches a different kind of yoga than other studios,
something like Tantra... I don't know what that is..."
"Tantra Yoga?"
I blinked, unconsciously focusing my attention on the term.
Chapter 104
"Tantra Yoga" superficially seems to be a type of yoga. But as far as I know, Tantra Yoga
is quite different from the yoga commonly seen today.
Modern yoga actually originates from the Tantric school of ancient India. However, over time
and through the absorption of other cultures, it eventually evolved into the yoga commonly seen today. Tantra Yoga, on the other hand,
is said to be the most original and the yoga that best inherits the Tantric tradition. The word "Tantra"
is simply another transliteration of Tantra.
The Tantric tradition is not unfamiliar to me. I had already learned about it and heard of it long before I met Wang Lie and Han Zhe
. However, after getting to know Wang Lie and Han Zhe, I
gained a deeper understanding of this ancient Indian primitive religion, which has largely disappeared. Of course, this understanding was largely
influenced by Han Zhe's perspective.
As an expert in various sectarian practices and methods, Han Zhe's evaluation of Tantra presents two completely
different extremes. On the one hand, he
highly values the efficacy of the Tantric "secret arts" passed down through generations and the development and application of Tantric symbols in various magical arts. But at the same time, he
scoffs at Tantric doctrines and theories, considering them too primitive…
In his view, Tantric theories and doctrines are merely an excessive superstition and pursuit of life and fertility worship by ancient people in a primitive period . For this reason, I 　　don't have much of a positive view or understanding
of this primitive religion . 　　Therefore, when I heard Li Dong mention the term "Tantra Yoga," I frowned and unconsciously 　　repeated the term. 　　Upon hearing this, Li Dong nodded repeatedly, looking at me with earnest and expectant eyes. 　　"Brother Yanping, Second Master often says to us brothers that you, his elder brother, are different from him, that 　　you're a learned man! It seems you know your stuff. To be honest, what exactly is all this? I really don't know. 　　This evening, I followed my wife to that yoga studio. I secretly slipped to the entrance and peeked inside, 　　but their so-called practice area was in a room further inside, and I didn't see anything. The woman there said they were doing 　　some kind of shady stuff, but I don't know what it is. I just saw that after they left, they 　　went off in twos and threes, men and women, and then I followed my wife and her lover all the way to the park 　　. Then I lost them, and after searching the park for more than ten minutes, I finally found them in that grove of trees..." 　　"Hmm, how should I explain it? Yoga isn't quite accurate to call it a sport, 　　nor is it entirely a philosophy. It's more like a practice..." 　　I considered my words, trying to explain it in a way that ordinary people could understand. At this moment, not only 　　Li Dong, but also Wu Zhongjun and Tang Zhengbo were casting almost inquiring glances at me. 　　"...Its ultimate goal is somewhat similar to Chinese Taoist philosophy and health preservation, all 　　aimed at improving health and prolonging life. Overall, it's quite good. However, since it became popular, 　　some people with ulterior motives have mixed in all sorts of miscellaneous things. As far as I know, for example, Tantric 　　Yoga, in many cases, is somewhat close to the spiritual practices that have become so tainted in recent years..." 　　Hearing this, Tang Zhengbo's eyebrows furrowed. Noticing this, I immediately stopped talking. 　　Because I knew that in recent years, the public security department had begun to investigate and crack down on so-called "spiritual practices," and 　　with considerable force. This had led many former "spiritual practitioners" to change their identities, using "yoga" as a guise 　　, and among these, "Tantric Yoga" was the most prevalent. In reality, while genuine Tantric Yoga 　　may involve some content related to sexual matters or sexual health, it is ultimately quite subtle 　　. Han Zhe agrees with this; while he doesn't support formal Tantric Yoga, he believes 　　it's acceptable as long as it's within the bounds of the law. 　　"Spiritual practice? Are there still people daring to do this kind of stuff in our city?" 　　Before Tang Zhengbo could speak, Wu Zhongjun chuckled first. He had drunk more than the others 　　and was now slightly intoxicated, so his speech was more casual. 　　"Haven't you had enough of a shock yet? Interesting… Where is this yoga studio your wife attends? I 　　'll find an excuse to check it out sometime…" 　　Hearing Wu Zhongjun's suggestion, Tang Zhengbo nodded. "Old Wu, it's good for you to take a look when you have time. These 　　things are related to public security; I'm a criminal investigator, and I have no interest in dealing with this disgusting stuff. 　　But…" At this point, Tang Zhengbo looked at Li Dong seriously and asked. "Are you sure your wife's infidelity 　　is related to this Tantric yoga training course she attended?" 　　Li Dong replied, panting. "I'm not sure either. But before attending this course, she was well-behaved for 　　over a month. If it weren't for the yoga excuse, she wouldn't have had the chance to go out alone at night and do this 　　..." 　　Tang Zhengbo nodded, checked the time on his phone, and said, "I understand. Well, 　　it's very late tonight. You know what we agreed on with Instructor Li. Detention is necessary 　　, but out of respect for me and Lao Wu, he's giving you one day to go home and handle household chores. 　　Tomorrow afternoon before the end of the workday, you must report back to the police station for processing. So, I 　　won't say anything more. Go home and make arrangements for what you need to do! Also, I warn you, it's best not to use 　　violence against your wife. At times like this, as a man, you should make a decision. No matter what she did, take..."

"If you can get away with something , you should be able to let it go. If you need to cut ties, then cut them off cleanly. Let's part amicably! I'll make sure you get out for a day. Old Wu, Yan Ping, and I
are all taking responsibility for you. Don't do anything to embarrass the three of us." "
That's right... Captain Tang is right! I understand it tonight too... I, Li Dong, have
been in this business for so many years. I understand the meaning of loyalty. If I go back now, and that bitch isn't home, I
'll tell my family, get things settled, and then report to the police station. If she is, I have nothing to say to her.
It'll just be one word: get out... This wedding, I'm not going through with it!"
Li Dong choked up as he made his promise to the three of us.
Seeing this, Wu Zhongjun patted him on the shoulder and said, "That's right! You're a real man! A real man
doesn't have to worry about not having a wife! A woman like that is better off without! Your Second Master Yan is a smart man; he knows to change his ways and walk the right path.
Since you've decided to go with him, then go all the way. You know
, your Second Master Yan definitely has the ability to make money. Follow him, change your way of life, and you'll definitely get rich. With money, finding a virtuous and obedient
woman to settle down with won't be difficult..."
Li Dong paid the bill for the meal and then, under our "escort," obediently returned to his
residence near Ranfang Street. After confirming that his wife had disappeared and didn't dare to go home, Tang Zhengbo and I then
took the somewhat drunk Wu Zhongjun home and handed him over to his sister-in-law before declining Wu Zhongjun
's wife's invitation to stay for tea and leaving Wu Zhongjun's house.
Reaching the street, I originally planned to thank Tang Zhengbo and then go home to rest. But Tang Zhengbo offered
me a cigarette, showing no intention of parting ways and going home separately. Noticing this, I took
his cigarette and we walked slowly side-by-side down the night street, talking as we went.
"Thank you so much for stepping in to help. I'm really embarrassed to have troubled you with Dongya's matter,
" I said casually, initiating a conversation while smoking.
I had met this Tang guy before; in my memory, he was more serious than humorous. He didn't seem like the
type to initiate conversation. Walking and smoking like this felt too dull, so I started a
conversation.
"No need to be embarrassed! If you think I can help in the future, just have Lao Wu contact me
," Tang Zhengbo said calmly, exhaling a smoke ring. "The reason is simple.
It was Director Zhao's suggestion to build a good relationship with you! In a sense, he's my mentor, so I
meticulously follow his advice. Besides, I've observed you and you're worth befriending. Therefore
, I'm happy to help you out."
I blinked, somewhat surprised by Tang Zhengbo's words. Especially the
part about him saying that befriending me was suggested by that old guy Zhao Yongyi, which I found hard to understand.
"Director Zhao privately told me some things about your line of work. He
said that in our line of work, you're bound to encounter trouble! Who knows when you might stumble upon
something or a case related to your profession? So, befriending someone like you
can be a huge help in crucial moments."
Tang Zhengbo realized my confusion and frankly explained the specific
reasons why he was willing to give me face.
Hearing Tang Zhengbo's explanation, I secretly cursed Zhao Yongyi. It turns out that Tang Zhengbo's willingness to curry favor with me
was entirely orchestrated by this old man. He probably thought that after his retirement, Tang Zhengbo
would likely take over his current role as the city's "top criminal investigator." And I, he saw, as Tang Zhengbo's
backup plan to handle all sorts of bizarre events and cases.
"This old man is quite attentive to his apprentices. Unlike that old man Zhao Zhongyuan,
who seems indifferent and uncaring towards his two apprentices. They're both surnamed Zhao, so
why is there such a big difference?"
Without realizing it, I thought of this, then shook my head with a helpless expression.
However, my actions clearly misled Tang Zhengbo. Or perhaps he interpreted my shaking head as him finding
me troublesome and not wanting to get involved.
"What? You're not interested in assisting us police with those difficult cases?"
So he frowned, observing my expression as he spoke. Realizing this, I
quickly apologized and explained, "Sorry, that's not
what I meant. I was just thinking about something else and shook my head. Don't misunderstand... I might seem to you like having access to
some strange things, but I'm still just an ordinary person. If you think I can
help you maintain social order and solve cases, I'd be happy to."
Hearing my explanation, Tang Zhengbo's expression returned to normal. He then pulled
a photograph from his pocket and handed it to me.
I hesitated for a moment, then took the photograph. After looking at it, I pursed my lips...
By the light of the streetlamp, I could see the contents of the photograph, and a strange
sense of dread washed over me.
It was a photograph of a dead body at a crime scene. The deceased's expression was one of terror, eyes bulging, mouth wide open.
Clearly, they had suffered extreme fright before death. The body lay on the ground, limbs twisted in a peculiar way
.
The limbs exposed from the cuffs and collar of the clothes appeared abnormally withered, like
those of a completely desiccated mummy, while the exposed body displayed some kind of eerie markings…
“This body was found two days ago in a long-abandoned rental apartment in Longjiang Residential Area. Someone saw the rental advertisement
and decided to view the apartment, so the landlord rushed over early to clean it. Upon opening the door, he discovered
the body and immediately called the police. The local police station arrived first, but feeling the case was too serious for them to handle, they
quickly notified our criminal investigation team. I went with a team.”
“Once we got there, our forensic doctor was quite confused…”
"Inexplicable? What exactly happened?" I asked.
"The manner and time of death are completely unbelievable!"
Tang Zhengbo spat out his cigarette butt and explained seriously.
"The manner of death was severe dehydration... so except for the head, the entire body was almost a mummified
corpse! But judging from the examination results of the head, the deceased could not have been dead for more than forty-eight hours..."
"The forensic doctor told me that he had never seen anything like it before. In his opinion, this dead guy
was as if he had been instantly drained of all the water from his body except for the head
. In other words, below the head, including the neck, he had completely become a mummy!" "
Is that even possible?" I couldn't help but twitch my facial muscles and responded in disbelief.
"Theoretically, it's impossible. That's why I came to ask for your help. I
act according to my conscience, and I will do my best to investigate and solve any case! But some cases are not so simple
that we police officers can solve them just because we want to. Cases that are beyond our capabilities or understanding can
only be left unsolved. I'm different from police officers in other places. Neither Director Zhao nor I
would, for the sake of a high case-solving rate, go against our conscience and arrest an innocent person to take the blame. If we can't solve a case,
at most we'll be called incompetent or useless. Incompetent or useless, it's still better than taking lives and living at our own
conscience..."
"The reason I showed you this photo is to ask you to help confirm whether the way this guy died is related to
your line of work. If it is, I don't plan to investigate this case anymore; it'll probably just
be treated as a cold case like the leather factory case last time. Because if it involves your line of work, our investigation
will be pointless. Rather than wasting police resources here, we'd rather concentrate on
solving the cases we can crack first."
Tang Zhengbo then explained the real reason he showed me the crime scene photo.
I frowned and stared at the photo for a long time. Then I replied, "Can I have this photo?"
Tang Zhengbo nodded. "Sure, but please don't spread this photo around carelessly. I'm worried it
might have a negative impact locally. By the way, what do you need this photo for?"
"To be honest, I've only been in this line of work for a short time, and there's very little I know about it
. Judging from these strange markings on the corpse, it does seem like it's been subjected to some kind of malevolent curse
. However, I can't be sure, so I plan to show this photo to my friends and see what they say
. After I get a more definitive answer from them, can I contact you again?" I
then explained why I needed the photo.
"I see. Then I'll wait patiently for your reply. By the way, how long will it take to get back to me?"
"It's hard to say. My friends are dealing with some tricky matters lately, and most of them aren't in town.
So I can't consult them in person. But I can contact them online when I get back and ask them to
come to a conclusion quickly, or maybe I can give you an answer tomorrow. If they can't figure it out just by looking at the photos, I'm afraid
we'll have to wait until they return from out of town to draw a conclusion."
Hearing my words, Tang Zhengbo didn't show any disappointment or impatience.
"That's fine then. In that case, I won't be devoting all my personnel to solving it for the time being. I'll wait for your and your
friends' specific suggestions."
After exchanging contact numbers, I parted ways with Tang Zhengbo and returned to my residence.
After returning home, I immediately called Han Zhe.
On the phone, I first inquired about Xia Jiang's situation. Han Zhe told me that although Xia Jiang was still unconscious
, just as Lu Zhaohui had judged, she was likely in a normal sleep state. After checking, he was
basically relieved and reassured me as well.
Then, I explained to him about Tang Zhengbo's request for help.
Han Zhe remained noncommittal about my description of the photo. He then asked me to take a picture of the photo with my phone and
send it to him, which I did.
Han Zhe then messaged me saying he had received the photo and needed to consult some materials to confirm
the true cause of death. He would give me an answer after he confirmed it.
I then put the matter aside, washed up, and lay down on the bed.
Perhaps because the beer I drank had a side effect, I felt slightly excited and couldn't sleep
, so I dialed Zhou Jingyi's number again. As before, after one ring, she immediately
hung up. I then composed a text message and sent it. As usual, the message went unanswered…
I thought for a moment, then found the woman's phone number in my call log and sent her a
greeting text message. To my surprise, the woman, who usually always replied to my messages,
didn't respond at all this time…
I drifted off to sleep in endless waiting.
The next day, when I groggily opened my eyes, I found the sun was already high in the sky. I sat
on the bed like an idiot, not knowing what I was waiting for.
As noon approached, I finally tried to pull myself together, taking a shower
to clear my head. After sending Zhou Jingyi another text message as usual, I didn't
stay home waiting for her possible reply like I had for the previous three days. Instead, I decided to go out and find something
to do to pass the time and alleviate the unbearable anticipation.
So I left home and took the bus to the editorial office.
This "field trip" obviously failed, just like the last one! Zhou Jingyi did manage to take
a few exterior photos of Xia Yucheng, but Cai Yong, that big mouth,
spilled the beans to Wang Lie on the way from Xia Yucheng to Muli County. Wang Lie, with a strong sense of "social responsibility," immediately demanded that I
delete the images from the digital camera. I was originally planning to argue with him, but unexpectedly, Zhao Zhongyuan and Lu Zhaohui
also supported Wang Lie's decision. Zhou Jingyi, on the other hand, looked indignant and defiant, and...
I didn't care. Under public outrage, I had no choice but to submit. However, Lu Zhaohui once again helped Zhou Jingyi and me
salvage the situation. Just like last time, she contacted her friend at National Geographic magazine and
prepared the necessary materials for the new issue of the weekly magazine. The materials would be sent to the editorial department before the final draft of this issue
, so I didn't need to worry about the content this time.
Therefore, going to the editorial department this time was simply to find some validation for myself.
I entered the lobby of the building where the editorial department was located. Just as I reached the elevator, it came down from upstairs
and the doors slowly opened in front of me. I saw two women struggling and bumping into me as they emerged from the elevator.
I was about to enter with my head down, so I naturally came into physical contact with the two women.
One of the women was pushed aside by the other, stumbling backward and bumping directly into my arms. It happened so suddenly that,
caught off guard, I was forced to support myself against the woman's body and simultaneously fall to the ground
... The woman who pushed me used this opportunity to break free from the other person's grasp and rushed
out through the gap between me and the elevator door, running onto the street outside.
"What's going on?"
Confused, I forcefully pushed the woman in front of me to my feet and immediately called out.
The woman in front of me hurriedly turned around, bowed her head, and apologized to me.
"I-I'm sorry... I didn't mean to! Huh... Yan-Yan Ping, Brother Yan?"
The voice sounded familiar, so I looked up at the woman in front of me and saw that it was Xu Yue.
Because of Zhou Jingyi's recent attitude, I was actually very angry and wanted
to take it out on someone. However, when I saw that it was someone I knew, Xu Yue, I
could only suppress this thought, reluctantly accept her apology, and struggled to my feet.
"Xu Yue, what's wrong with you? How old are you? Don't you know you can't play around in the elevator?"
Faced with my reprimand, Xu Yue looked anxious. Instead of admitting her mistake, she grabbed
my arm and said urgently, "Brother Yan, I'll apologize to you later. Hurry up and help me chase after her!
I'm afraid she'll be tricked by bad guys..."
As she spoke, she pulled me towards the lobby entrance.
"W-what's wrong? What happened? Who was that? Do I know her? Does she have anything to do with me? Sigh
... Xu Yue, why are you pulling me like that?"
I muttered to myself as Xu
Yue inexplicably dragged me onto the street. When we reached the street, we saw the woman get into a taxi and speed away. Xu Yue
then released her grip on my arm, and as if exhausted, she staggered backward, leaning against me. I could feel
her body trembling slightly.
Xu Yue's behavior left me momentarily at a loss...
"Damn, am I having such bad luck these past few days? Men are all sidling up to me, women are all sidling up to me, am I some kind of
powerful figure like Yang Lin?" I muttered to myself, unconsciously equating Xu Yue with that guy Li Dong from last night
.
Xu Yue turned around, grabbed my arm, and anxiously shouted at me,
"She's gone... What do we do? What do we do? Brother Yan... This is terrible..."
I blinked and asked helplessly.
"What do you mean, what do we do? I don't even know what happened! Speak slowly, speak properly! At least let me
understand what happened, okay?"
After a while, I finally managed to roughly understand the situation from Xu Yue's illogical and incoherent words
.
The woman who ran away was Xu Yue's cousin's wife, that is, the wife of Xu Yue's cousin. Xu Yue was an only child,
but she had an extremely good relationship with her cousin; the two were practically like siblings. Therefore, Xu Yue and her brother and sister-in-law
were like family. They helped each other in their daily lives, and would do their best to help each other
out when there were difficulties or troubles.
A few years ago, Xu Yue's cousin went to Nanjing to start a business with a partner, leaving her sister-in-law
alone to raise her young niece. Her cousin's business seemed to be doing well, earning him a considerable amount of money every year, so
her sister-in-law's financial situation was always good. As a result, her sister-in-law simply quit her job and became a stay-at -home
mom
. However, yesterday, her sister-in-law suddenly contacted her, saying that her cousin's business in Nanjing was having some problems.
He urgently needed funds to tide him over, saying that they had already mortgaged their property and securities
, but there was still a lot of shortfall. So, she hoped that Xu Yue could help
them out of consideration for their long-standing sibling relationship.
Xu Yue is a sentimental person, and she had a good relationship with her brother and sister-in-law. Moreover,
she had received a lot of help and assistance from them when she first started working and becoming independent. Now that she learned that her brother was in trouble, she naturally
agreed immediately.
To help her brother raise more funds, Xu Yue took out all her savings and also
prepared the property certificate for the house she had recently bought, intending to give it to her sister-in-law for a bank mortgage loan.
She had arranged to meet her sister-in-law at her workplace that day to hand over the documents.
Unexpectedly, just as she handed the deposit slip and property certificate to her sister-in-law, she received
a message from her cousin on her phone.
Receiving a thank-you message from her brother would be perfectly normal, but his message was just a simple
greeting. This made Xu Yue realize something was amiss, because in her opinion, it was unlikely that her brother would be
so relaxed as to send her a casual greeting when facing business difficulties! She suddenly realized
she had trusted her sister-in-law too much. After learning of her brother's difficulties, she hadn't even thought to
contact him directly to understand the situation, but instead hastily took out all her assets and the property certificate
.
Thinking of this, she immediately wanted to call her cousin to confirm the situation. Upon seeing this, her cousin-in-law
immediately stuffed the deposit slips and property deeds into her pocket, turned around, and rushed into the elevator. Seeing this, Xu Yue also...
I rushed in, and the two of them immediately started scuffling in the elevator. When the elevator doors opened again, what happened
next was what I had experienced.
After understanding the situation, I also became anxious.
"So that's what happened? That's no small matter... This is no different from robbery or fraud...
"
"Yeah... Brother Yan, what should we do?"
Xu Yue stamped her feet anxiously in front of me after I finally came to my senses.
Facing the anxious Xu Yue, I thought for a moment and quickly came up with a series of remedial measures.
"Here's what we'll do: you know your sister-in-law's address. We'll go to her house to get our things back. If she didn't go home and
just ran away with the things, we'll split up. I'll go to the police station to report it, and you go to the bank to report the loss of the deposit slip. As for
the property certificate, it can't be converted into cash immediately, so it's not a big problem. There are many ways to remedy this...
"
Xu Yue was also anxious and confused. After seeing that I had immediately sorted out a
series of solutions for her, she gradually calmed down.
Then, we quickly went to the office building's parking lot and got into her car.
Sitting in the passenger seat, I suddenly realized something. This was entirely Xu Yue's
private matter, seemingly having nothing to do with me. How had I inexplicably gotten involved?
Just as this thought of distancing myself crossed my mind, Xu Yue started the car and drove out of
the parking lot. A helpless expression crossed my face; I realized that I probably could only stay with Xu Yue and
help her resolve this matter before I could get away…

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