First encounter
At four in the morning, many people in the city may still be fast asleep, but some are already busy. A street cleaner pushes his cart and begins his day's work. The cart contains only his tools: a broom, a dustpan, and a bucket of water.
Compared to the neon-lit main road, the side streets reveal another side of Shanghai. Ragged beggars lie on the cold cement ground, holding their emaciated children. They are too weak to swat away flies that land on them. Street cleaners indifferently bypass the few troublesome beggars and skillfully empty the trash cans.
The area around the trash can was a mess, with signs of ransacking everywhere. Several rats squeaked beside the garbage heap. This alleyway connected to the kitchens of several restaurants. The cleaner frowned and poured a ladle of water. The rats were startled and scurried away, leaving behind a mess. The cleaner cursed in the direction of the alleyway, wondering which careless cook had thrown away the kitchen waste and made it stink.
Despite his complaints, he resignedly continued sweeping back and forth with the broom, trying to remove the surrounding stains. To his surprise, the stains dissolved slowly with water, turning the light-colored broom red. The cleaner wondered, "Did that damned cook throw out the waste too? That shouldn't be the case. In this world, waste is considered a good thing; why wouldn't a beggar touch it?"
The cleaner, carrying a kerosene lamp, scanned the area, intending to see which kitchen was so extravagant. But as he stepped into the dark alley, after only a few steps, a piercing scream shattered the sky…
As the first rays of dawn broke, the newsboys, of varying heights, received their day's newspapers at the distribution point and scattered like pigeons in a square. Gradually, their youthful yet loud calls to sell newspapers began to echo through the streets and alleys.
Shocking! A gruesome murder case on Fourth Road, involving disembowelment. Don't miss it!
The small intersection was packed with people, and shrill whistles echoed across the road. To clear the traffic, amidst the whispers of the crowd, Captain Pang Minzhang, the Chinese detective in charge of criminal cases, stepped inside the police cordon.
The scene was horrific. The victims were two young men, both of whom had their bellies ripped open, their intestines pulled out several meters from their bodies, and their livers and spleens removed and discarded in a trash can.
Captain Pang took the coroner's autopsy report and looked through the details. The fatal wound was in the abdomen, and the cause of death was excessive blood loss. However, the cruelty of the murderer exceeded his imagination. The two had their tongues cut off before they died, and there were multiple beating wounds on their bodies and heads. It seemed that they had suffered inhuman treatment before they died.
What kind of deep-seated hatred would lead someone to commit such a crime? Captain Pang put on gloves and personally examined the body. The body was about twenty years old and quite robust, suggesting that the victim frequently engaged in heavy physical labor. This basically ruled out an office job. The calluses on the victim's index finger and the area between his thumb and forefinger confirmed his suspicions.
"Tentatively, we'll determine it as a revenge killing. Check which gang in the area is short-staffed, or if any out-of-towners are trying to cause trouble," Captain Pang instructed his officers, outlining the direction of the investigation.
"Captain, we found two guns in the sewers." The junior officer conducting the inspection brought in new evidence: two pistols, each with serial numbers. Captain Pang was startled, silently praying that they weren't involved with the military; he hoped these two were some kind of gun smugglers.
At that moment, a junior police officer whispered in his ear, "Captain Pang, people from the Songhu Command have come to identify the body."
The news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving Captain Pang's head buzzing and his blood pressure soaring. This was the International Settlement, and our soldiers had died in the Settlement! This matter would have to go to the International Court of Justice; it could easily turn into a diplomatic incident.
"I don't care who knows the identity of the body, keep it a secret from me," Captain Pang ordered viciously.
"As far as I know, the one from headquarters also came in plainclothes, in that black sedan over there." The junior policeman pointed to a black sedan diagonally opposite, and there was indeed a man wearing a blue long gown and glasses standing next to the car.
There are too many newspapers and media outlets on this street, and even the slightest disturbance can escalate into a major incident. Pang Minzhang cautiously and slowly approached the black sedan, stood in front of the man in the long robe, took out his police ID and introduced himself: "I am Pang Minzhang, the captain of the Criminal Investigation Division 1 Action Team. What is your name, sir?"
"My surname is Li, and this is my identification." Li Shaofu took out his military officer's ID card for Pang Minzhang to check, and said in a low voice, "Our superior is in the car. Captain Pang, please come in and we can talk in detail."
Pang Minzhang nodded and returned the documents to Li Shaofu. Li Shaofu then opened the car door for him. As soon as he got in and closed the door, the car slowly started moving.
The young man in the Zhongshan suit next to him spoke up at the right moment: "Don't rush, there are too many media here, it's not good to talk. Let's go for a walk outside."
Pang Minzhang was surprised to find that his superior was so young, looking younger than even the company commanders outside, probably around his own age. He immediately saluted and introduced himself again: "Hello, sir, I am Pang Minzhang, the captain of the first action team."
The young man returned the salute: "You're welcome. I am Gao Junxiao, the supervisor of the Bandit Suppression Supervision Office of the Songhu Command."
"So it was Director Gao who was being disrespectful. What do you want to do with these two victims?" Pang Minzhang didn't ask the reason, he just wanted to know how the headquarters would handle the situation.
"These two are soldiers from our reconnaissance company. You can leave the bodies to Company Commander Li. Also, please ask Captain Pang to keep a low profile and tell everyone it's a gang feud or some kind of smuggling business, whichever is more convenient." Gao Junxiao's words relieved Pang Minzhang's anxiety by half, and he could now explain things to the foreigners.
Pang Minzhang immediately agreed: "Okay, I'll close the case as soon as I get back. Is there anything else you need, Inspector Gao?"
“I have nothing else to say, but I don’t know if those fugitives are still hiding in the concession. Your security work will probably be even more arduous from now on,” Gao Junxiao said, turning his head to offer a ‘kind’ reminder.
Smart people don't need too many details when they chat. Pang Minzhang immediately understood what he meant: "If it's convenient for Inspector Gao, you can give me the prisoner's photo or portrait. I'll have my men keep an eye on him. I can't keep such a vicious prisoner around. I'll have to trouble Inspector Gao to send someone to take him in when the time comes."
Gao Junxiao shook his head and said, "These people are all bandits and desperados. You just need to report their whereabouts and directions, but don't follow them. Otherwise, my two soldiers will serve as a warning."
"Hahaha, Inspector Gao is joking. Where would bandits come from in Shanghai? We don't have any mountains here, and this is a concession. Could it be a fugitive?" Pang Minzhang appeared calm, but his heart was pounding. Who was this person that the military was wary of?
Gao Junxiao seemed to sense his probing and calmly said, "To tell you the truth, the prisoner is Liu Shengqi, a notorious bandit in East China, who came to Huanyufang on Sima Road to redeem his eight mistresses, Xiao Qinghua."
What? Pang Minzhang's eyelids twitched, unsure how to respond. The man with the 300,000 silver dollar bounty had actually come to Shanghai, killed someone right under his nose, and then left and right as if nothing had happened. He took a deep breath and said to Gao Junxiao, "Liu Shengqi's methods are so cruel; he's actually sending a warning, telling us not to follow him anymore."
“Yes, but letting him go back would be tantamount to releasing a tiger back into the mountains, and it would be my dereliction of duty to the people of the bandit-infested area.” Gao Junxiao’s expression was solemn, not just being polite.
Pang Minzhang wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to ask so many questions? Now he knew things he shouldn't have. Gao Junxiao dared to tell him the truth just to drag him down with him. However, he still politely offered his hypothesis: "The problem is that Liu Shengqi may have already fled and is no longer in Shanghai."
"The person should still be in Shanghai. Yesterday, Xiao Qinghua went back to Huanyufang first. One of the drivers who brought her back was Liu Shengqi in disguise. So our soldiers were able to find out Liu Shengqi's whereabouts. Unfortunately, he is more cunning than we imagined."
As expected of the military, their investigative capabilities are quite good. Moreover, Pang Minzhang always felt that Gao Junxiao had a sense of trust. He boldly spoke his mind: "A wanted criminal dares to risk sending eight mistresses home. It seems that he is determined to get Xiao Qinghua."
“That’s right. Moreover, based on Liu Shengqi’s past behavior, he is a capricious person. The more I stop him from taking people away, the more he wants to take them away, just to show off his competence,” Gao Junxiao analyzed slowly.
Following the normal line of thought, the next step would be to use Xiao Qinghua as bait. Pang Minzhang said worriedly, "But this is already an open scheme. Liu Shengqi isn't stupid. He will make the necessary preparations to take her away."
"It's an open strategy, moving with the tide and acting accordingly." Gao Junxiao's tone was calm, as if he had a plan in mind.
Pang Minzhang felt that this Governor Gao was quite capable, and he was willing to help him. He clasped his hands and said, "It is rare that Governor Gao cares about the people. However, the foreigners call the shots in the concession, and there are also Indians stirring up trouble. I am of low rank and can only do my best."
"Thank you for your help. I'm new here and may not be familiar with the rules. Please don't be offended if I do anything ridiculous," Gao Junxiao said modestly.
"Brother Gao, you're too kind." Pang Minzhang suddenly remembered something. "By the way, although I hold a low position, I have a sworn brother who is the director of the police department and also the instructor of the Shanghai Municipal Police Academy. He has extensive connections in Shanghai. If you don't mind, Brother Gao, I can introduce you to him."
“It would be great to make new friends.” Gao Junxiao’s eyes lit up. “But there’s no rush. Even if your sworn brother is willing to help, there’s not enough time.”
"Not necessarily. I have a plan that might be of help to you, Brother Gao." Pang Minzhang and Gao Junxiao had a long talk in the carriage. Finally, Pang Minzhang said with a smile, "There's no time like the present. Tonight, I'll treat you two to a song at Huanyu Fang."
"I have no problem with that, it's up to your sworn brother to arrange it." The two had just had a pleasant conversation, and Gao Junxiao naturally went along with Pang Minzhang's wishes. Now everything was ready except for the final step.
As night fell, the east wind arrived before the evening breeze. Shanghai remained brightly lit, neon lights flashing, a scene of dazzling lights and revelry.
As dusk fell, He Qingcheng dragged her weary body slowly out of the newspaper building. She had been so busy tonight that she didn't even have time to drink some water. Most importantly, she was so busy that she forgot to call ahead and book a car. It was dark and there wasn't a single car in sight. How was she going to get home?
She glanced at her watch; it was almost 3 a.m. No wonder the streets were so empty. Colleagues who lived far away had decided to spend the night in the office, while those who lived nearby or shared rides or traveled together. They left one after another.
Qingcheng craned her neck to look at the end of Fourth Road. The area with the red lanterns was bustling with people, and there were definitely a lot of rickshaws. However, her aunt repeatedly warned her not to go in that direction at night. Did she think she was still a child? It was just a brothel, what could be the big deal?
But after taking only a few steps, Qingcheng chickened out again. Maybe she should go upstairs to try booking a car or walk a bit further to the Great World to call a taxi. But then she thought, "If I walk a few more stops, I'm afraid I'll faint on the roadside. I'd better go upstairs and call to book a car."
Yawning, Qingcheng walked up the spiral staircase and arrived at the newspaper office area. Unlike the marble style on the ground floor, the office area had red and yellow wooden floors with oil wax, so shiny that Qingcheng's reflection was blurry, like a shiny bronze mirror.
The ceiling fan spun slowly in the air. Some colleagues were resting on the sofa, some were sleeping on newspapers on the floor, and some were taking a nap on their desks. Qingcheng didn't want to disturb others, so she tiptoed to her office and dialed Wu's Auto Shop.
The line remained dead; no one answered. Qingcheng hung up, disgruntled. She decided to rest her head on the table for a while, waiting until dawn to find a ride home. With that thought, she settled down on the table, her mind gradually drifting away…
Bang, bang, bang—
Several deafening gunshots woke everyone in the office. Qingcheng groggily opened her eyes and yawned. She pushed open the door to ask what was going on, but everyone was still in a daze and no one knew what had happened.
It was reporter Li who snapped out of it first. His legs seemed to have springs in them, and he dashed downstairs with his camera in two strides. Qingcheng was stunned by his sprinting speed, thinking to herself, "Li Raotang truly deserves to be our reporter with the strongest reporting skills."
Startled by Reporter Li's words, most of the people woke up. Teacher Hai, who was lying on the table, reassured everyone that the Green Gang and the Axe Gang had been fighting at the Great World recently, and a few punks had probably run here. It wasn't a big deal, and the police would send people to clear the area soon.
Teacher Hai was a worldly man after all. Sure enough, as he said, the police whistle sounded afterward. Just as Qingcheng was about to go back to lie down for a while, she remembered that Xiao Li had rushed out earlier and probably hadn't closed the door properly.
If Xiao Li is filming, he won't be back so soon. For everyone's safety, Qingcheng cracked her neck to rouse herself and went downstairs to close the door. Crickets were chirping loudly outside the building, and the faint smell of gunpowder could be smelled in the air, indicating that the fighting was not far from the building.
Suddenly, a loud screech of brakes came from the street, accompanied by angry curses. Qingcheng looked curiously toward the source of the sound and saw reporter Xiao Li slowly emerging from around the corner, his hands raised and his face filled with terror.
Thinking Xiao Li was playing a prank, Qingcheng was about to step down the steps to play along when she noticed that there was more than one person in the elongated shadow on the ground. She immediately realized the seriousness of the situation, and her heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. If time allowed, she wanted to call the police.
But she quickly dismissed the absurd idea. Xiao Li was her colleague, and she couldn't just stand by and watch him die. The people upstairs were also her colleagues, and she couldn't let them, who were unarmed, be put in danger.
Without the slightest hesitation, Qingcheng walked out of the newspaper building, locked the door behind her, and walked towards Xiao Li with feigned composure. Xiao Li seemed to have noticed her intention and shook her head frantically, her face flushed, signaling her not to come over. But how could Qingcheng be influenced by others when she wanted to do something?
"Xiao Li, why haven't you left yet? I've already closed the door." When Qingcheng got closer, she realized that someone had a rifle pointed at the back of Xiao Li's head. The air around them seemed to freeze, and she didn't know what to do next.
Just as Qingcheng hesitated, the robber's rude voice echoed in the empty street: "Woman, come here to me."
Almost simultaneously, chaotic footsteps echoed across the intersection, and dozens of guns were pointed at the corner—it was the police station. They were using megaphones to shout repeatedly at the robbers: "Drop your weapons and surrender immediately! Drop your weapons and surrender immediately!..."
"Get lost—stay away from me." Seeing that things were not going well, the robber retreated back into the dark alley, cursing and swearing all the while.
Upon seeing the police arrive, Kiyosumi silently moved behind cover, not daring to make a sound. However, the feeling of unease did not disappear; instead, it grew stronger. She felt that something was not quite right.
The cold moonlight shone on the two opposing figures. Qingcheng glanced at the three-star police officer's uniform, which was clean and crisp, but the man was wearing tattered cloth shoes. The incongruity was overwhelming. In a moment of desperation, she shouted at the man, "Hands up!"
The man, startled like a frightened bird, instinctively raised his gun and fired. The officers on either side of him fell to the ground without even a groan before meeting their maker. Seeing his accomplice swiftly and decisively kill all the officers in front of him, the robber was stunned. In an instant, the street was filled with flashes of red light and screams of agony; it was impossible to tell who was who.
Perhaps because the noise was too loud, more footsteps converged on this intersection. Qingcheng covered her ears and huddled behind cover. The smell of gunpowder in the air grew stronger, choking her and making her cough uncontrollably. Her eyes were also stinging from the gunpowder smoke.
The last time she was this disheveled was eight years ago. Qingcheng's ears were ringing from the gunshot, and everything around her seemed to fall silent. She could only hear her own rapid breathing. Suddenly, she was grabbed by the back of the neck and roughly dragged out of cover.
As her sun was pressed against some cold object, Qingcheng realized with a snap of her fingers that she had been taken hostage. The gunfire suddenly stopped, and Qingcheng, regaining her senses, glanced around at her surroundings. In front of her was Captain Pang of the First Action Team, surrounded not only by patrol officers but also by a number of soldiers.
Qingcheng couldn't hear a word they said. Besides the kidnapper who was holding her hostage, his four or five accomplices were cornered by the police in a tobacco shop. Reporter Xiao Li was nowhere to be found; he had probably escaped.
Sigh, I'll never try to be a hero again. I should have known better than to sleep at work. Now I'd rather walk a few more stops to the Great World to hail a taxi. Wait, there are fights at the Great World at night too.
She sighed helplessly. It wasn't that she was unlucky, or that she got off work too late; it was just that there was nowhere safe in Shanghai at night! As her hearing gradually returned, the robber posing as a police officer shouted excitedly, "Come any closer, and I'll kill this woman."
"Give up resistance, or your crime will be compounded," Captain Pang said sternly, gun raised. The overloaded heartbeat gradually cleared Qingcheng's mind. She rolled her eyes, protesting weakly in her mind, "Shut up! If you provoke the robbers any further, I'll really be done for."
Seeing that the police couldn't be relied on and she had to rely on herself, Qingcheng started a conversation: "Hey, what's your name, bro? I don't want to be alone on my way to the underworld after I die."
"Bullshit! I'm not going to die!" The robber's hoarse voice cracked as he shouted.
"Big brother, the moment I fall, you'll be riddled with bullets." Qingcheng's words were not an exaggeration; she could feel the suffocating murderous aura emanating from both sides.
"Heh, why do you think I kidnapped you?" The robber chuckled coldly, panting heavily, seemingly having calmed down somewhat.
“If you want to live, negotiate with them. They’re all rough men; how will they know what you want if you don’t tell them?” Qingcheng tried her best to keep her voice steady as she coaxed the kidnappers into revealing their demands.
"Listen up, you over there, get me a carriage, I'm leaving the city." As the robber spoke, he tightened his grip on Qingcheng's neck, almost causing the already weak Miss He to faint.
Qingcheng pounded on the robber's arm, her eyes brimming with tears, and said, "Big brother, let go. If you strangle me until I'm unconscious, you'll just be a burden to you." Hearing this, the robber loosened his grip a little.
"Alright, I'll send someone to fetch the carriage. Don't try anything funny." Captain Pang hesitated for a moment, but still agreed to the robbers' demands.
"Hurry up!" The robber seemed to have seen a glimmer of hope, trembling with excitement. His accomplices around him also burst into laughter.
Out of their sight, someone pulled back the bolt of a gun with a "click" and chambered a bullet. He Qingcheng seemed to sense something and looked outside, but her view was limited, and she could only see the swaying shadows of the trees.
"Oh, there's something I forgot to tell you. Your boss, Liu Shengqi, was just shot dead." Captain Pang put down his gun and said slowly, his attitude suddenly changing completely.
"Bullshit, impossible, you're talking nonsense," the surrounding robbers shouted.
"Don't believe me? I'll show you his body." Captain Pang winked at the officer beside him, who then left the encirclement.
A short while later, two police officers pushed a cart covered with a white cloth to the tobacco shop. Beside the cart was a woman with bound feet dressed in traditional embroidered clothes, who was sobbing and calling out, "Seventh Brother... Waaah... Seventh Brother."
"Big Brother—" The robbers tried to rush out, but were forced back into the house by several bullets fired by the police officers.
"You filthy bitch, you're the one who killed Big Brother." The atmosphere around them instantly became tense.
"There are gods watching over us. Your elder brother deserved what he got. Why blame others? Only a useless man would blame a woman for his problems." Qingcheng couldn't help but mock him. She didn't know who Liu Shengqi was, but since he was the leader, he must have done a lot of evil.
"You don't know anything! My brother risked everything to come here for this woman." The robber was already furious, the metal scraping against his head. Qingcheng, in pain, dared not provoke him any further.
"Well, he was a man of honor and loyalty, but it's a pity you can't take his body with you." Qingcheng continued, following the robber's words. She felt that Captain Pang's sudden bringing of the body was for a deeper reason.
"Listen up, you outside! We're taking my brother's body, and this filthy bitch too!" the robber demanded.
"The body can be taken away, but the person cannot." Captain Pang also stated his position at the right time and immediately ordered the police officers to bring a horse-drawn carriage.
Seeing the carriage, they seemed to see a glimmer of hope, and their resolve began to waver. Their companions also advised that the situation was urgent and that they should take their elder brother back for burial first. The robbers finally relented and slowly moved Qingcheng outside.
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