Joint liability
On the other side, inside the old dormitory building, many traces are scattered, telling the story of where the painkiller went after those who arrived too late.
“The workers hid the plant, taking turns caring for it and hiding it discreetly in various corners of the dormitory building, tending to it and using it in the way the doctor had orally instructed them,” Diana said. “It was all passed down orally, without any written record, but I guess almost everyone in the building knew about it, both the cultivation method and the results.”
The camera captured a large number of tree branches, leaves, and stone flowerpots that should not have been inside the dormitory building. The dry and dark environment enabled the dry burial, allowing them to retain their noble status even after they lost their lives.
"This also shows that almost all the workers were affected by its heart-related effects." Arienne flipped through the photos, the viewfinder not only capturing the key points but also including many traces left by the workers, tools and supplies meticulously exposed under the flash. But there was no doubt that the people in that building had successfully kept this secret before their visit.
“Yes, but the supervisors didn’t notice it.” Xie Wuchang nodded. “Led by some of the longer-serving workers, the people in the dormitory knew how to cover up their differences and protect each other. They cherished everything about this plant, and would even put its flowers and leaves in their pillows. You could say that the plant became the workers’ spiritual leader for a period of time.”
“…They probably couldn’t tell whether it was active worship or passive obedience,” Arienor murmured to herself, then handed the camera back to Diana.
“Back then, they spontaneously formed an organization without a name or rules, existing solely for each other,” Diana said, taking the camera and laughing. “I think that should be called a union.”
"Later, probably due to a lack of some essential supplies, the plant stopped bearing fruit, and its medicinal effects weakened considerably." She rotated the camera's dial, displaying some paper medicine boxes on the screen. "But by then, the construction site had started providing regular painkillers, so the new workers were no longer willing to participate in the secrecy and cultivation. Most of the ones I interviewed were like that. And the tunneling workers from back then gradually reached retirement age, and then came the riot at the construction site thirteen years ago."
The traditional narrative has concluded; now it is time for the audience to share their thoughts.
"Can we go now?" Yan Xizhao asked. She had just finished bandaging and administering an IV to Cheng Xiangwu, and after securing him to his seat, she had been waiting silently by the machine door like a stone.
“…Alright, let’s hurry up and get her to the hospital. If Ms. Cheng isn’t taken to the hospital soon, things will get complicated.” Xie Wuchang sighed, turned and walked towards the helicopter, looking at Ariel and asking, “Does the large plant you mentioned earlier match the description in these records?”
“There’s no other plant to blame,” Arienne nodded, then looked at Xue Rong and asked, “Didn’t that doctor leave any records?”
“…Her words.” Xue Rong came back to her senses, thought for a moment, and then replied, “We all just call her Doctor, but I remember her surname is Ye. She always said that she would leave after working for a while, and she didn’t like to talk about her own affairs.”
Arienoel didn't say anything, just nodded.
"...What's wrong with that person?" Diana asked in a slightly lowered voice. She looked at Bai Yunxian, who had been staring at the evidence bag in her hand without saying a word ever since the group left the construction site. Inside were old things brought up from underground.
“There’s just some ideological work that needs to be done,” Arieñoer raised her voice and asked, “Do you also need external motivation to move your body?”
Bai Yunxian raised her head, sighed, and put away the evidence bag. She paused, then looked at Xue Rong, who had been silent beside her, and said, "Aunt Xue, we're leaving."
“…Hmm.” Xue Rong finally smiled and waved like an adult seeing a junior off, saying, “I won’t say you should come visit often. Be careful out there.”
"Yes, yes," Bai Yunxian nodded, then asked, "Are you coming to my birthday party?"
"The boss did send me an invitation..." Xue Rong paused, then waved her hand, "I won't go, it's not fun."
"Captain, aren't you going?" Diana said regretfully, drawing a large circle with her hand. "We'll all be going."
"Hahaha! It's so lively." Xue Rong laughed a few times, as if to show her support, then quickly regained her calm smile. "All my friends outside are dead. Drinking alone is no fun, and there's no one to practice with, so I won't make this trip."
“Yes,” Xie Wuchang said, sticking his head out of the cabin. “Miss Du Liang has recently come down from the mountain to live. You can have a chat with her.”
"Oh, the one holding the cat." Bai Yunxian remembered the person. "Does Aunt Xue know her?"
"Du Liang...Xiao Liang?!" Xue Rong exclaimed in surprise, taking an exaggerated half-step back and saying incredulously, "She's been kicked out of her home?! Does that mean no one's watching over their house now?"
"...Ms. Du Qingyu is still inside." Xie Wuchang chuckled twice and then pulled his head back inside.
"...Why is there someone with that name?" Xue Rong muttered, nodding. "But it's good, Xiao Liang is such a young kid, there's no reason for him to be hanging around in that smoked fish factory."
During the conversation, everyone took their seats. Xue Rong gave Bai Yunxian a few more instructions, then waved after the door closed, turned around and went back to the construction site. Facing the setting sun, she didn't look back.
"Ms. Xue took the gun as payment for opening the door for us," Xie Wuchang said, watching her departing figure. "She didn't really care what we found out, like..."
"It looks like it's for the surveillance cameras," Diana added, her forehead pressed against the window, watching the ground recede into the distance. "What exactly is the relationship between Captain Xue and Boss Bai? Are they friends?"
"As far as my thinking is concerned, I've never seen a friendship like this before," Arieno replied casually, glancing at the notebook in her hand. "At most, it's someone you can't let go of, after all, that person is also..."
She concluded with a soft laugh, then looked up at Xie Wuchang, "What are you going to do with that last painkiller? It's already missed its pollination period, and it'll probably wither away completely in less than a year."
“…It should have been documented and destroyed, but…” Xie Wuchang frowned, “Senhu City, no, all areas where similar situations occur need it.”
"What a statement full of a sense of mission," Ariel said disdainfully. "So, which side are you planning to get to cooperate with? Nature? Humanity? It's not the geographical environment, is it?"
Knowing that neither side would cooperate with the outside law enforcement, Xie Wuchang said helplessly, "At least let my teammates cooperate first. We'll be going to the hospital soon, and the captain should be awake by then."
“Miss Han Lingfeng must be very touched by this gift.” Arienne chuckled, then looked at Diana, “So, Miss Diana, are you still planning to continue your journalistic career as usual?”
"...It seems the news I prepared didn't even rank highly at that birthday party." Diana sighed helplessly. "What am I going to do, my dear Diana? A reporter who can't grab attention won't survive!"
"It won't be long before that person who came to offer birthday wishes tries to get that bank card back from you. This time, they'll probably be prepared to verify its authenticity," Ariel said kindly. "In any case, be prepared."
"...Should I hand it over?" Diana asked thoughtfully.
“Although I don’t think you have a choice,” Arienne said after thinking for a moment, “that thing is useless to you, so why not take this opportunity to exchange it for something better?”
“I will seriously consider this suggestion,” Diana said seriously.
"...Good luck to you." Arienor chuckled, then looked at Cheng Xiangwu, "And you—"
Cheng Xiangwu was asleep. The increasingly loud gunfire-like noise from the helicopter takeoff did not disturb her in the slightest. The sharp pain subsided with the help of painkillers. She had a dream in a daze. In the dream, her mother, whom she had not seen for a long time, was facing away from her. The tall adult seemed to be preparing something, busy with her hands.
Even in her dreams, she was blurry. Cheng Xiangwu thought to herself, and then she saw her turn around, lower her head, and look into her eyes.
A countdown started from who-knows-where, three countdowns.
"Xiangxiang—" Cheng Song rushed over and picked her up, holding her tightly in his arms before she could even see her face clearly. His voice sounded like it was being choked, "Why are you standing here? Did you come looking for your mother? Did you miss your mother?"
The Cheng Song in the notes and the narrative was washed away by the feeling brought by this embrace; in the place she occupied, only a vibrant, fervent heartbeat remained.
Is this what her voice is like? Cheng Xiangwu, who was being held tightly, thought to herself, feeling a little suffocated, and could not make a sound. She saw a table not far away that looked more like a laboratory table than a kitchen table, and couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't felt something was wrong before.
Oh, she remembered. Before, when she was shorter than the table, she couldn't see them. Now that she's taller, she doesn't think these things are inappropriate in the kitchen. She doesn't like the kitchen and doesn't go there often.
“…Mom,” Cheng Xiangwu asked with difficulty, “why did you do all this…”
Why did they continue researching wax formulas after leaving the construction site? Why did they make such a strange thing their signature dish? And why did they start that fire?
The people in the dream are a microcosm of the past, and Cheng Song cannot answer these questions that she has only asked now.
“…Xiangxiang…” Cheng Song simply held her tightly and whispered in her ear, “What can I do to make you feel loved and happy?”
Cheng Xiangwu was taken aback. Had she said that?
The answer to this question is not hard to give. Cheng Xiangwu experienced it not long ago. Although there are no other experiences to compare it with, what else can that feeling be called besides happiness?
So she replied, "It's okay, I..."
Cheng Song seemed to suddenly touch her head. It was a strange feeling of being enveloped, as if she had shrunk a lot and no longer needed to worry about getting hurt because she couldn't perceive anything outside.
"Does Xiangxiang love her mother?" Cheng Song asked softly.
"...Probably." Cheng Xiangwu said uncertainly.
"Then," Cheng Song nudged the head in his arms, "which side does Xiangxiang love more, her father or her mother?"
Cheng Xiangwu was startled awake.
It seems that the helicopter swayed slightly during landing, waking her up. A strong wind was blowing in Mori Lake City at sunset, and the man-made propeller couldn't fit in, so it was pushed aside.
The hatch opened, and Du Liang, whom we hadn't seen for half a day, was holding Alice, while Gu Wanqiu, whom we hadn't seen for a long time, was waiting outside.
Du Liang was stunned when she saw the IV line connected to Cheng Xiangwu's hand. Her expression changed drastically. She threw Alice to the ground, carefully stepped forward, touched Cheng Xiangwu's face, and asked in a low but serious voice, "Sister, how much longer can you live?"
“We’re the kind of people who live for a thousand years,” Diana said, jumping off the plane and turning back to ask, “Right, fellow travelers?”
"...I don't know." Cheng Xiangwu said softly as she pulled out the IV needle. She spoke softly because she was really tired of talking. She didn't know how much her injury would heal after she woke up, but at least her head wasn't so dizzy anymore. However, there was still a fishy taste in her mouth and her throat was so tight and painful. She figured that stopping the bleeding from her gums wouldn't be so easy.
"Of course you don't know," Bai Yunxian sneered. "But in a little while, you can choose whether you prefer a dentist or a forensic pathologist."
"P-Please, let's get to the hospital right away!" Xie Wuchang caught up with Alice, picked her up, and said with difficulty, "Hey, don't bite—"
Beside the driver's seat, Yan Xizhao jumped down, put his navy cap back on, straightened it, and walked towards Gu Wanqiu. He paused when he saw the cat scratches on her face, put his hands behind his back, lowered his head, and said, "We're back."
"Yes, thank you for your trouble." Gu Wanqiu calmly replied to the group, raising her hand to check her watch. "It's still early, please take her to the hospital."
"The hospital..." Du Liang paused, then asked urgently, "Can I...can I go too?"
“Okay.” Gu Wanqiu nodded and looked at Yan Xizhao, saying, “I’ll wait for you in my office.”
"Yes." Yan Xizhao nodded, turned around and helped Cheng Xiangwu, who was swaying by the machine frame, and walked towards the parking spot in the direction of the water tower.
As they passed Gu Wanqiu, the two looked at each other and were both stunned.
"...Are you alright?" Cheng Xiangwu managed to squeeze out only this last sentence.
“…It’s nothing,” Gu Wanqiu replied, then added, “Thanks to you, I had a pretty good day today.”
"Really?!" Du Liang, who was following Cheng Xiangwu, was greatly puzzled. "I encountered three dangerous and strange people when I went out today... I used to only encounter one or two a month when I was on the mountain."
“Then I’ll have to thank Miss Alice.” Ariel, carrying her and Cheng Xiangwu’s coats and her suitcase, hurriedly walked up and said, “I have not failed you. It’s time to deliver the commission. Let’s go.”
"Good luck!" Diana waved to the departing group.
Gu Wanqiu nodded, looked at Bai Yunxian, but didn't say anything, and turned back to walk towards the city hall.
Du Liang took Cheng Xiangwu's coat, waved, and turned to follow.
Once in the car, Yan Xizhao said to Bai Yunxian, who automatically sat in the passenger seat, "I don't have time to take you now."
“…To the hospital.” Bai Yunxian fastened her seatbelt. “I’m not in the mood to go home right now.”
In the back seat, Cheng Xiangwu sat down and was about to take another nap when Du Liang, seeing her like this, hurriedly shook her, but not daring to use too much force. He kept rambling on about his experiences as a bodyguard that day, as if Cheng Xiangwu was the one driving.
"Speaking of which, we met an elderly woman named Xue Rong today," Xie Wuchang asked. "Ms. Du, do you know her?"
“Aunt Xue!” Du Liang clearly recognized her and smiled excitedly. “You’ve met her! I used to run into her on the mountain every month when I went down, and we would spar a bit. That’s how we got to know each other.”
"...Sounds like an old handheld game." Bai Yunxian in the co-pilot's seat couldn't help but say, "Wait, is that the strange person you mentioned meeting on the mountain earlier her?"
"How is she now?" Du Liang asked. "She hasn't come to our house in a long time. Is she still alive?"
“…She’s quite healthy.” Xie Wuchang chuckled twice, paused, and said, “Ms. Xue has been working for the past six months, so she hasn’t been able to visit you as before.”
"Oh..." Du Liang replied thoughtfully, "It seems like Sister Gu is the same way. Is it like this after you start working? Are you forced, or pretend to be willing, to give up what you like to do for someone else's goals?"
The car was quiet for a while.
“…I think my job is pretty good,” Cheng Xiangwu said softly.
"What do you do for a living, sister?" Du Liang asked expectantly.
"It's just a regular job," Cheng Xiangwu said vaguely.
"Oh..." Du Liang nodded, then asked, "So, what do you like to do, sister?"
Cheng Xiangwu was speechless, but Du Liang was still staring at her expectantly, and the car was inexplicably quiet.
The vehicle came to a slow stop, the interior lights came on, and Yan Xizhao said, "We've arrived," as the door slowly opened to the side.
"Let's go," Cheng Xiangwu said quickly; she had never liked a hospital this much before.
"Oh!" Du Liang forgot about the previous topic and hurriedly jumped out of the car with Alice in his arms.
"I'll go find the captain first, then I'll come see you later," Xie Wuchang said, waving before hurriedly leaving.
Cheng Xiang nodded five times, turned around and waved goodbye to Yan Xizhao, who had no intention of getting out of the car. The driver's window was open, and the driver pointed at Alice and said, "Pets are not allowed in the hospital." After saying that, she reversed the car and drove away without looking back.
“…How could this happen…” Du Liang held Alice, looked down at her, and asked, “What should we do about Alice…”
Alice, of course, didn't say a word.
"Is it the kind that will run away if you let go?" Bai Yunxian asked.
“…Alice is so well-behaved,” Du Liang whispered.
"Then why don't you just find any place to leave her?" Bai Yunxian asked, puzzled. "No one kidnaps a white cat."
“…What do you know…” Du Liang’s voice was even softer.
"...I'm really fed up." Bai Yunxian adjusted her glasses, pointed her thumb at Cheng Xiangwu who was shaking again, and said irritably, "If your sister Xiangxiang keeps burning up her fever, her brain cells will be killed off. Can't we let Alice wander around for a while?"
“...Why don’t you wait for us outside with the cat?” Cheng Xiangwu suggested, holding up one finger.
"What if you die in there?" Du Liang shook his head vigorously.
Cheng Xiangwu then looked at Bai Yunxian, "Then you take the cat—"
"Is either of you able to understand what the doctor is saying?" Bai Yunxian asked.
“…Then I’ll bring the cat…” Cheng Xiangwu felt that this was the only possibility.
"You really need to go to the hospital." Bai Yunxian pulled Cheng Xiangwu's coat over Alice, and the large green mass swayed for a moment before changing shape and settling down.
"...Alice has been hidden away," Du Liang said in a daze.
"Stop introducing yourself and get moving." Bai Yunxian pushed Cheng Xiangwu's shoulder towards the emergency area, then turned back and said, "Let me make this clear first, I won't be responsible for anything that happens. You can take the cat and run away yourself."
“Oh…” Du Liang nodded.
“My wallet,” Cheng Xiangwu said, taking one step at a time. “My medical insurance card is in my wallet.”
“…Okay.” Bai Yunxian freed one hand, looked at Du Liang, and tentatively reached into the mysterious green mass to rummage around. Her expression changed several times before she finally pulled out a long, shiny black leather wallet that weighed almost a pound. She incredulously weighed it in her hand, looked at Cheng Xiangwu’s back, and hesitated to speak.
Cheng Xiangwu reached out and took the wallet, then reached into her pile of ID cards and pulled out her medical insurance card. She sighed at the thought that she didn't know if there was a dentist in Senhu City who could fix her teeth.
There weren't many people in the emergency registration area. She walked unsteadily toward the nurses' station and waited in line for her turn.
Hearing this sigh, Bai Yunxian's expression became even more complicated. She opened her mouth several times, and finally gritted her teeth and whispered in Cheng Xiangwu's ear, "Cheng Xiangwu, tell me the truth, are you in debt outside?"
“…Huh?” Cheng Xiangwu thought she was finally hallucinating. She touched her forehead, which was indeed quite hot, and muttered to herself, “So I was still dreaming.”
"No way!" Bai Yunxian reached for the wallet. "You're not the only bad news we have. Tell me the truth, if you don't owe any money, why do you have so many credit cards—"
“…Not a credit card.” Cheng Xiangwu didn’t know what to say. Suddenly, Zhou Mi’s apron popped into her mind, and an idea suddenly came to her. “I’m collecting cards for different professions.”
"Prove it to me." Bai Yunxian spread her hands.
Cheng Xiangwu took out the press pass from before and handed it to her. Bai Yunxian frowned and looked at it repeatedly for a long time without saying anything, and then returned it.
“I want to see it too,” Du Liang said, leaning closer.
"Take it and play with it." Cheng Xiangwu said, handing the press pass to Du Liang, who took it with relish and stared at it for a long time.
At the initial consultation at the medical station, while blood pressure and temperature were being taken, Bai Yunxian reported Cheng Xiangwu's symptoms to the nurse.
"Yes, she pulled out a tooth herself." She laughed as she spoke. "I don't know how she did it, just think of it as a child's ignorance. Someone just gave her some anti-dizziness medication and antibiotics, and the painkillers are still on their expiration date, but she's still dizzy. I guess she has a concussion. By the way, can she get a rabies vaccine here?"
The nurse who took Chengxiang's temperature five times looked at her with pity.
"Oh right..." Du Liang then noticed that the scratches on Cheng Xiangwu's face were from a cat. "Sister, who scratched your face?"
“Uh…” Cheng Xiangwu came back to his senses, thought for a moment and said, “Li Bai.”
"...How do you know the murderer?" Bai Yunxian turned around and asked in confusion, "Are you awake?"
“Li Bai!” Du Liang clearly recognized him too, and said excitedly, “So it’s still there! It seems to be trying to catch the fish in that pond, so it won’t leave. Ah… next time I see it, I’ll help my sister scold it.”
"No...no need," Cheng Xiangwu said weakly. "It didn't mean to."
"You know them too?" Bai Yunxian adjusted her glasses. "Does your northern mountainous area have its own ecosystem?"
"What's that?" Du Liang asked, puzzled. "We weren't fenced off, were we?"
"...You have a rather pleasant way of speaking, child." Bai Yunxian said thoughtfully.
"Hehe..." Du Liang laughed a little embarrassedly, but quickly straightened his expression and said, "Ahem."
The municipal hospital couldn't fill Cheng Xiangwu's tooth, but they could clean the wound. Bai Yunxian pushed the wheelchair, taking her back and forth between the white tiles and the wooden floor. Luckily, they managed to catch the last dental appointment of the day. After that, there was a series of tests, report collection, and follow-up visits. Finally, when they were able to sit down and rest in the infusion area, it was already completely dark outside the window.
Du Liang was sent out to buy food, and she finally realized that she was really of no use in the hospital.
"...I didn't expect to be this busy after coming back here." Bai Yunxian said, slumped in her chair, her voice low with exhaustion.
The infusion area, with its yellowed walls and floors but barely bright enough, was densely packed, making it feel crowded even though there weren't many people around. The lobby wasn't exactly quiet; the clatter of shoes and the ticking of clocks filled the air. From the few secluded corners came occasional muffled voices and snoring. The air was thick with the smell of disinfectant, which uniformly masked many other, less pleasant odors.
“…Hmm.” Cheng Xiangwu responded, she hadn’t expected it either.
"What exactly happened to you after you went down?" Bai Yunxian asked, turning her head to the side. Her glasses were off and placed aside, so that no one could actually see anyone else. Turning her head was just to show that she cared.
“We fell down,” Cheng Xiangwu said slowly. “We fell to the place where those people gave us the statue back then.”
“…I guessed as much as I expected,” Bai Yunxian said. “And then?”
“Then, I fell into the lake,” Cheng Xiangwu said. She wasn’t thinking at all; whatever came to mind was processed directly into language and flowed out of her mouth. “It was a bright, quiet lake. The lake was pulsating, and so was I. Then, I understood what it was saying, and I understood it.”
"...And then?" Bai Yunxian asked, frowning.
"...Then, I also understood those union members," Cheng Xiangwu said. "Once you experience it, you can understand, and you can understand that those who died truly did it voluntarily..."
Ariel once denied that such a death was suicide by saying that "suicide is the act of voluntarily ending one's life under the torment of various diseases." However, after experiencing it firsthand, Cheng Xiangwu can no longer agree with her statement.
Just as she felt when she looked at the glowing lake bottom, it was a hunger that could not be easily quenched, a hunger that could not be alleviated because it was invisible, a hunger for which there was no hope as long as one was alive. If she went to that lake to alleviate or end that state, then she believed that it could not be called any way of ending it except suicide.
As she was thinking this, something cool suddenly touched her head. Cheng Xiangwu glanced at it and saw that it was Bai Yunxian's hand.
“I don’t think that’s understanding.” Her brow remained furrowed, and her tone was grave. “Since those people can produce similar reactions through drugs, I think it’s more like a forced identification, information imposed on your brain through physiological reactions, not your true thoughts. Do you still think that way now that you’re out of that state?”
“…No.” Cheng Xiangwu said with her eyes downcast. The pain and dizziness had clouded her memory of that experience, and she only felt a little hungry now.
"Was that person the one who made you go down with her to observe your reaction?" Bai Yunxian asked.
“I don’t know,” Cheng Xiangwu said. “I don’t know what she wants. I can’t read minds.”
“…You need to know.” Bai Yunxian sighed, slumped back into her chair, and said, “You need to know what she wants so you can prepare for the worst.”
"Oh." Cheng Xiangwu remembered something. "She probably wanted the materials."
“…Metal, huh?” Bai Yunxian looked at the ceiling and sneered. “Greedy fellow.”
She paused for a moment, then added, "But she did keep her word. If you have time, please apologize to her for me. I was really angry when I said those things."
Cheng Xiangwu looked up at her and said, "You tell her yourself."
“…No,” Bai Yunxian said. “She will definitely take advantage of this.”
That's true, Cheng Xiangwu agrees with that.
"Back then, why did my mother send me to your family as an apprentice?" Bai Yunxian muttered to herself, her hands folded behind her head, seemingly asking someone else. "That kind of thing was beyond my ability to learn back then, and it looks difficult even now. Besides, weren't those two very close?"
"Uh..." Cheng Xiangwu recalled their previous conversation and blurted out, "Want to play with me?"
"...You're the same as you are now, always having a blank expression towards everyone and everything." Bai Yunxian scoffed. "You even complain when I take you to play games. What fun things are there in your house? I've been to your room before."
Cheng Xiangwu had nothing to say.
Bai Yunxian talked on and on, and Cheng Xiangwu responded half-heartedly, not even knowing what she was saying. Time passed by little by little, and she got sleepy again, so she asked, "When are you going back?"
"This is the first time I've seen a patient rush to be accompanied by a caregiver." Bai Yunxian laughed, and after a moment she added, "If you're sleepy, go to sleep. I'll wait for the person with the cat to come back before I leave."
So Cheng Xiangwu fell asleep. When she opened her eyes again, the nurse was changing her dressing. Her head was no longer dizzy, and the person next to her was Du Liang. She was sitting up straight, with a green lump spread on her legs.
"Sister's awake!" Du Liang quickly turned around, took out the protein drink that Cheng Xiangwu had asked her to buy from the bag on the ground, opened it, inserted a straw, and handed it to her.
"Thank you." Cheng Xiang nodded and accepted it. The chocolate smelled quite nice. She could only eat liquid food and could only use one side of her mouth until the inflammation on her cheek completely subsided.
"No, that's not true!" Du Liang said solemnly. She stood up, placed Alice on Cheng Xiangwu's lap, and pushed the wheelchair out of the infusion area. She said energetically, "The nurse said we can move around for two hours. Shall we go check somewhere?"
"Hmm." Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment, then took out her phone from the ball on her lap to check the messages. Bai Yunxian said she was going home first, and Xie Wuchang sent her a room number, saying to come find her if anything happened. There were no new messages from the others.
So the two headed toward the ward area. Cheng Xiangwu, who was being pushed around in a wheelchair for the first time, felt like she was on a roller coaster.
"That guy, the one with glasses surnamed Bai, is he my sister's friend?" Du Liang's voice came from behind.
“Mm,” Cheng Xiangwu replied.
“…Oh, I see…” Du Liang muttered to himself.
"You hate her?" Cheng Xiangwu asked. "Or do you hate what the Bai family did, so you feel you should hate her too?"
“The one behind…” Du Liang made her choice in a low voice, barely audible in the corridor, only visible to the two of them, “But she didn’t do those things, did she? She’s so young, and she’s been so good to you. I don’t think she’s a bad person.”
"So you think this way because I'm your only remaining family?" Cheng Xiangwu asked. "I helped you, so you think I'm a good person."
“…the one behind.” Du Liang said softly.
“…The one after that isn’t an option,” Cheng Xiangwu said helplessly.
“I know,” Du Liang said. “Family is a relationship that is determined before birth, but my aunt said that newborns should not bear the burden of things that happened before birth. Besides, I was kicked out of the house, and you don’t have the surname Du anymore, so we are not really family anymore… but you responded when I called you sister.”
The wheels spun on the marble tiles. Cheng Xiangwu turned her head to the side, and Du Liang was also looking at her. She asked, "If you take me away, will you still think Xiao Bai is a good person?"
“Hmm…” Du Liang pondered, “She didn’t make me do anything I didn’t want to do, she didn’t make Alice do anything she didn’t want to do, she seems very capable, she’s also very beautiful, and she even praised me… I’ll think she’s a good person before she does anything bad.”
As Cheng Xiangwu listened, she laughed, but then her head started to ache again, so she held it in and asked, "Then what should we do then?"
"We'll see when the time comes," Du Liang thought for a moment, then smiled optimistically and said, "we'll see then!"
"So, are you going to talk to her properly now?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.
"...I...I treated her like that before." Du Liang's voice tightened with embarrassment. "It's so awkward now."
So, while processing her own embarrassment, she pushed her wheelchair toward Han Lingfeng's ward.
As a critically injured individual, she enjoyed a private hospital room. Most of her colleagues have now recovered and are able to walk again, evidenced by the bouquets of flowers placed inside and outside the room, mostly sunflowers, carnations, and lilies, which largely masked the smell of disinfectant, a specialty of the hospital. Through the viewing glass of the room door, Cheng Xiangwu saw Xie Wuchang sitting beside the bed, gesturing to Han Lingfeng on the bed, while Jiang Ling sat cross-legged on the floor typing, using a chair as a table.
Although Han Lingfeng was lying inside due to a gunshot wound, the most serious injuries were on her legs and arms, which were quite eye-catching due to the layers of wounds. She turned her head to look out the glass door, appearing to be in good spirits and even having the strength to smile at Cheng Xiangwu.
Du Liang knocked on the door three times solemnly, then pushed it open, braced himself against the door, and half-pulled, half-dragged the wheelchair inside.
"Hello," Cheng Xiangwu said, under the gaze of three people.
“…Although I heard it from Xiao Xie as well,” Jiang Ling said, getting up from the ground to make room for the wheelchair, “your face looks so terrible, it’s a wonder you’re still awake.”
Cheng Xiangwu, whose face was swollen to twice its normal size on one side, had nothing to say and simply nodded.
"I'm so glad to see that you two are both safe and sound." Han Lingfeng raised his unbound hand and waved, then looked at Du Liang, "You must be the Ms. Du that Xiao Xie mentioned."
“It’s me.” Du Liang stood up straight. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Du Liang.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiangwu thought to herself that Gu Wanqiu even knew how to teach someone who had just come down from the mountain how to introduce themselves.
“We’re talking about what happened today,” Xie Wuchang said. “You two have come at the perfect time, let’s discuss it together.”
"What about the one who was arrested and put in prison before?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.
"They're still awake, but that's about it." Jiang Ling moved to the window, propped one leg up against the computer, and said, "Besides, based on the information you brought back today, it makes no difference whether you arrest one or not."
"Isn't that person a bad guy?" Du Liang asked, puzzled.
“We can’t just arrest one of the group, but we need to lure them out so we can wipe them all out in one fell swoop,” Han Lingfeng said with a smile. “Besides, we have to solve the problem before we leave.”
"What opportunity?" Cheng Xiangwu asked.
“If it can be predicted in advance, it’s not an opportunity,” Han Lingfeng said. “However, judging from Xiao Xie’s gains today, this opportunity does seem to be emerging.”
Seeing this, Cheng Xiangwu understood that this person intended to continue working, which didn't surprise her. Solving a case couldn't simply involve writing a report detailing the cause and effect, then decorating it like a diary with various pieces of evidence. If that were easy to fool, she wouldn't need to guard against these kinds of people. It was precisely because they always wanted to catch something big, alive, and useful—proving that once the work was done, the world would be safe—that she found criminal investigators troublesome.
However, Du Liang hadn't experienced this principle firsthand. She said thoughtfully, "So arresting people doesn't solve the problem..."
“If we could arrest all the people who need to be arrested, that would be great,” Jiang Ling said, staring at the computer screen. “The problem is that we can’t. We can’t arrest them if there’s no sign of anything. And this thing is like an infectious disease, completely different from those cults we’ve seen before. We never heard of having to do disease control before we came here.”
"Hahaha!" Han Lingfeng laughed and said, "The safety screening doesn't discriminate based on type or size; anything that can't pass the screening will be caught in the net."
"What if we can't catch the net?" Du Liang asked.
“Then someone will pay the price,” Han Lingfeng said. “And at that time, what we need to do is to make sure that the person who pays the price is in our hands.”
“…Oh,” Du Liang replied, his eyes darting around, seemingly lost in thought.
“…When Ms. Cheng said that Dr. Lin was a member of the union that day, I was thinking that she didn’t care about those people who fainted, and perhaps she wasn’t really working for them.” Xie Wuchang said nervously. “And now it seems that not only is she not involved, but she also doesn’t know much about the past of the union. Compared to the organization itself, she obviously cares about other things. On this point, I think she is more likely to be willing to talk to us.”
"Hmm..." Han Lingfeng said thoughtfully, "Xiao Xie, what do you want to talk to her about?"
“There are many, such as the way union members controlled the killer’s actions,” Xie Wuchang said. “Ms. Fu is right about one thing: that kind of killing is not something we can stop; it is a natural phenomenon.”
"Haha, passive investigation, I've noted that down," Jiang Ling laughed.
“…Sigh.” Xie Wuchang’s expression was distressed.
“That can’t be considered negative,” Han Lingfeng corrected. “However, we can replace ‘cannot’ with ‘difficult’.”
“…Okay,” Jiang Ling said.
After smiling, Han Lingfeng looked at Xie Wuchang, her smile still lingering. "I understand your thinking, but assuming Lin Che'an is willing to provide useful information, the legal motives of the union members' actions will become ambiguous. The most direct impact is that this case can no longer be classified as a criminal case. Not only might the investigation team's efforts go unrewarded, but the deceased may also no longer be classified as murder victims, and subsequent leads will have to come back to them."
"Xiao Xie, are you aware of these things?" she asked, her voice still gentle.
The law enforcement officer, sitting by the hospital bed with her hands on her knees, was momentarily stunned. Her expression remained unchanged, just blank. Han Lingfeng did not speak again.
In the silence, Jiang Ling gripped the computer screen several times, wanting to speak, but after glancing at the hospital bed, she simply lowered her head again.
"...I..." Xie Wuchang began, his voice strained, "I really hadn't thought about these things, and I've also lacked communication with the rest of the team..."
"How amazing," Cheng Xiangwu thought to herself, "this person can talk a good game to outsiders, but he can't seem to get along with anyone when he's talking to someone inside."
“I, I think—” Jiang Ling dragged a chair over to sit next to Xie Wuchang, nudged her back with her elbow, and said with a forced smile, “I think Xiao Xie is capable of handling communication! And so what if it’s a long-term project? We’ve been through this before, haven’t we?”
"Ah, right!" Xie Wuchang straightened his back, glanced at Jiang Ling, then looked at Han Lingfeng who was smiling at them. He paused, then said, "Captain, the value cannot be determined yet, but I believe this is definitely meaningful work!"
"Not bad." Han Lingfeng nodded and smiled, "Isn't that very proactive?"
"Let's start with a hypothetical scenario. I think she probably won't talk to you about it," Cheng Xiangwu said. "Putting aside the importance of the organization, she really enjoys her job, no matter which side it is on."
"It seems you two had a good talk," Han Lingfeng said.
“…Let’s change ‘not bad’ to ‘parting on bad terms,’” Cheng Xiangwu said. How can a result that neither the patient nor the doctor is satisfied with be considered good?
“Actually, I wasn’t writing these things down,” Jiang Ling said, looking up. “I was actually trying to relax the atmosphere.”
"...Hahaha." Xie Wuchang laughed along, but seeing that the effect was not great, she gradually fell silent.
"So you think Dr. Lin did that out of hobby?" Han Lingfeng asked.
“Indeed.” Cheng Xiangwu nodded. “Although he has a heart condition due to the impact, it seems he doesn’t plan to get treatment.”
After thinking for a moment, she added, "She also said that she went to work at the police station because the union didn't have money to pay her salary. So, it seems that being an appraiser wasn't really a hobby."
“…That’s not necessarily true.” Han Lingfeng stroked his chin. “Ms. Cheng, why do you think Dr. Lin chose to work in the field of psychology?”
"...Curious?" Cheng Xiangwu thought for a moment, then shook her head. "She didn't say."
"She's a PhD, in social sciences," Jiang Ling remarked. "Her family isn't particularly well-off; there must have been something to support her completing her PhD. But HR and police psychological assessors don't require a psychology PhD, so it must be something else. Family? Childhood trauma? What's her goal?"
"I don't know," Cheng Xiangwu said. Honestly, none of these things were enough to support her pursuing a PhD in psychology.
However, thinking about it this way, if there is no inner motivation or external driving force, how can one persist in doing something for many years? Cheng Xiangwu asked herself this question. She did not become an assassin because she liked killing. She entered the industry only because of an opportunity. Unlike some of her colleagues, she did not have an opportunity to leave the job, nor did she ever think about "I never want to kill again".
Thinking about her coach and boss, Cheng Xiangwu realized the answer was actually quite simple: what she wanted to do wasn't murder, but rather "what she was good at," such as cutting things, exercising, or hiding herself. Lin Che'an's motives weren't much different either; what was she good at?
“At least she has a strong sense of empathy,” Xie Wuchang said. “Such a person is actually not very suitable for working in the psychology field because they are prone to empathy, but according to Ms. Xu Chunfen’s testimony, Dr. Lin has no such problem at all.”
"No." There were two voices denying it. Han Lingfeng raised his hand, letting Cheng Xiangwu speak first.
"...As far as I know, she is incapable of empathizing with others," Cheng Xiangwu said.
“Yes.” Han Lingfeng nodded. “But I think she has always had a tendency to transference, specifically applying her ideal image of a patient to the patients she chooses, whether it’s people in the police station or people like Xu Lidong.”
“…What do you mean?” Jiang Ling frowned and looked up.
“She came to visit me,” Han Lingfeng said. “Yesterday afternoon, I think. I woke up briefly and saw her sitting by the window.”
"You didn't tell me anything about this!?" Jiang Ling stood up, her brows furrowed. "She definitely knew the purpose of our operation, and under these circumstances, she—"
"Xiao Jiang." Han Lingfeng turned his head with difficulty and blinked. "I'm sorry."
“…Let’s talk about that later,” Jiang Ling muttered, then sat down with a frown.
“She came because she felt I needed help,” Han Lingfeng said. “After I politely refused, she didn’t give up. She even admitted that she understood what had happened and genuinely felt that I would be greatly affected by the injury and the xenophobia of the Senhu Police Station. She also tried to give me advice as a regular psychological counselor. But that wasn’t all she wanted to do; she wanted to heal me.”
She moved her neck and said, "Ms. Cheng, that's what she told you too, right?"
"That's right," Cheng Xiangwu said. "She cried in front of you too?"
“…No, not at all,” Han Lingfeng said. “But the patient she transferred to has a fairly complete image. It’s someone whose psychological problems are caused by environmental and physiological factors, who is unaware of it and unwilling to accept treatment, and who may eventually go to extremes. Do you have any ideas about who this person is?”
"...She said that her mother committed suicide due to long-term environmental influences," Cheng Xiangwu said. "She had the same cause of death as the students from Senhu No. 2 Middle School; she had been exposed to psychology when she was young."
"It seems this is also her reason for not wanting to give up the association." Han Lingfeng didn't seem too surprised, but said calmly, "After all, it seems that everyone who wants to join is her patient."
Thinking of her hands covered in burns, Cheng Xiangwu felt confused and had a headache.
“Looking at it this way, it’s even less likely that she’ll talk to you,” she said. “Giving you control of that thing is like cutting off resources; she has no reason to do that.”
“But she should also know that such an outcome is beyond her control, right?” Xie Wuchang said.
“She tried to dissuade me from joining the union,” Cheng Xiangwu said.
"...That's all she can do is try to persuade her." Xie Wuchang sighed. "But if she's willing to talk to us, perhaps we can try to make a deal, such as helping her investigate the sources of more patients."
“Let’s try someone else. The patient she wants can only be found in Senhu City,” Cheng Xiangwu said, then couldn’t help but ask, “Can’t you really find a way to bring this person here for questioning?”
"Haha, that was a dangerous comment, I've noted it down," Jiang Ling said.
"It's not that there isn't," Han Lingfeng said.
"...Captain?" Jiang Ling looked up.
"Xiao Jiang, could you bring me my jacket?" Han Lingfeng said.
Jiang Ling frowned and did as she was told. The owner of the jacket reached into the inner pocket with one hand, like a kind person taking out a wallet to give pocket money to a child, and took out an evidence bag.
"Clang clang—" She smiled and mimicked the interjection as she raised the evidence bag, then coughed lightly twice under Jiang Ling's gaze.
A translucent plastic film was preserving familiar-looking trash—the packaging for butterfly cookies, the kind Cheng Xiangwu had eaten.
“I found it in Xu Lidong’s room.” Han Lingfeng handed the evidence bag to Xie Wuchang. “It can detect the fingerprints of both of them, but since the target is not a suspect, it cannot be used as evidence according to the procedure. However, outsiders are not clear about the review process. Xiao Xie, take this and talk to her. Perhaps all she needs is an opportunity.”
Xie Wuchang accepted the evidence bag with both hands, and said with emotion, "Captain... thank you."
"Thank you for your hard work this time," Han Lingfeng said, then looked at Cheng Xiangwu, "and I'd also like to trouble you, Ms. Cheng, to accompany her on this trip."
"Okay." Cheng Xiang nodded.
Seeing the others talking like this, Du Liang, who had been silent all along, raised his hand and asked, "I have a question."
"Please speak." Jiang Ling hung the jacket back on the hanger.
“That person has caused so much trouble, and she might cause even more.” Du Liang frowned, unable to understand. “Why can’t we just kill her?”
The ward was quiet for a moment, with only the sound of the IV drip. Before Cheng Xiangwu could stop her, she held her aching head.
"Xiao Liang, let me call you that." Han Lingfeng beckoned to her free hand and said with a smile, "Come here."
Her smile was quite friendly. Du Liang responded and walked over to Han Lingfeng's bedside, asking, "What do you need me for?"
"How old are you this year?" Han Lingfeng asked, raising his hand to touch his head beside the bed.
“I’m nineteen!” Du Liang replied with a smile.
“Okay, you’re an adult now.” Han Lingfeng nodded as she spoke, pressing her hand down her hair. She looked up into Du Liang’s eyes and smiled as she said, “From now on, I will keep a close eye on Lin Che’an’s movements. If she dies for unknown reasons, you will be my prime suspect, detained for fifteen days. Do you understand?”
“…Oh.” Du Liang paused, then said in a low voice, “I heard you clearly.”
“Not bad.” Han Lingfeng nodded with a smile, patted the head again, and said, “Besides, many things have been left unresolved since she died. It’s a rare trip for us to come here. If we go back empty-handed, the other team will laugh at us.”
"Oh." Du Liang came back to his senses and nodded solemnly, "That's really not good, you guys tried very hard."
"Hahaha!" Han Lingfeng laughed. "Thank you for your understanding."
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