Young people shouldn't always be trying to make a big splash.
Liu Shengqi ran away!
When Gao Junxiao arrived, the prison's medical ward was left with only corpses and a provocative drawing in blood on the wall—a huge bloody smiling face.
Captain Pang, who also rushed to the scene upon receiving the news, looked at the corpses scattered on the ground with tears glistening in his helpless eyes. Among them were his brothers. He had promised his brothers that after Liu Shengqi was executed, each of them would have a three-day holiday to make up for the regret of not being able to reunite for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
But they would never celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival again. Captain Pang clenched his fists and stormed into the cell block, angrily dragging out a prisoner and demanding to know what was going on. The prisoner stammered that the serious offender in the single cell had fallen addicted to opium and had been dragged away by the guards for yelling and shouting; he was probably taken to the infirmary.
Later, several more prison guards came and took away the other death row inmates. The wind and rain outside were too loud. They could vaguely hear screams but no gunshots. The prisoners had no idea what was happening outside.
There were no gunshots. No wonder it was so quiet when we came in. Captain Pang and Gao Junxiao exchanged a glance and rushed up the watchtower in the wind and rain. The prison guards who were supposed to be patrolling with guns on the watchtower had all had their throats slit by someone. The knife went deep into the bone. It must have been an experienced person.
However, many questions remain. The people on the watchtower shouldn't have been so unvigilant. Even with the cover of the rain, Liu Shengqi couldn't have killed so many people without making a sound. The slightest disturbance should have prompted the sentries to fire or sound the alarm.
Gao and Pang exchanged the information they had. Their methods of obtaining intelligence were almost identical: their subordinates would discover the body during shift changes and then report it to their superiors. Unfortunately, the heavy rain had washed away all the traces, and the two searched the area against the wind without finding any clues.
This left both of them feeling deeply frustrated. Captain Pang took a deep breath and glanced at Gao Junxiao. The supervisor was wearing a light-colored suit, his hair was neatly combed, and with a folded silk scarf peeking out from his pocket, he boldly guessed that Gao Junxiao had just left a banquet or date.
He was helping his fiancée choose wedding jewelry, what's going on here!
Suddenly Gao Junxiao shouted, "Oh no, Xiao Qinghua!"
The only person who would still remember that courtesan at this moment is probably Inspector Gao. The iron gate rattled again, and Wu Ye's subordinates arrived with black umbrellas to report that someone had climbed over the wall into Huan Yu Fang and demanded that the madam hand over Xiao Qinghua.
However, Xiao Qinghua had already been sent to the countryside by Master Wu, so they engaged in a fierce firefight with Master Wu's men. Master Wu's marksmanship was superb, killing several of his accomplices. Before they could give chase, Master Wu suddenly received orders from his superiors to withdraw his team to a meeting at headquarters.
What a coincidence! Master Wu found it strange, so he sent his men to the prison to check on Liu Shengqi's situation. Sure enough, something had happened.
Following closely behind was the warden, who arrived late. He stared at the corpse on the ground, kicked his legs, and fell backward. Fortunately, his men caught him from behind, preventing him from falling.
The wind outside grew stronger and stronger, as if the entire prison was controlled by the gale. Gao Junxiao stood blankly in the wind and rain, letting the wind and rain beat him like a weed. It was only because Lieutenant Lu couldn't bear to see him like this that he held an umbrella for his superior.
A prisoner escape is a huge responsibility, and Captain Pang felt that even the warden might lose his job. The warden was pinched a few times on the philtrum, and slowly opened his eyes, cursing in a tearful voice, "You damned Director Huang, you've ruined me! I should have never gone to the drinking party!"
The warden's advisor hurriedly explained that Director Huang of the Military Law Department had invited the warden and several advisors for drinks that evening, intending to have a get-together before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Since the prisons in the concession and the Military Law Department often extradited prisoners, it was all about social obligations, so they went along.
"Ah~ How can you run with shackles on?" The warden cried and kicked his legs like a child, splashing water everywhere.
These words reminded Gao and Pang, and they had their men search the area. They finally found the heavy shackles in the corner, with no signs of forced entry. They must have been opened with a key or some kind of metal spike.
"Warden Wang, who is keeping the key to Liu Shengqi's shackles?" Gao Junxiao squatted down and asked.
"I know they're serious offenders, I've kept all the keys myself," the warden replied, wiping away tears. "Oh, where are my keys?"
Seeing the warden frantically searching but finding nothing, Captain Pang understood most of the situation: today was not a prison break, but a well-prepared prison assault.
"Report, we found this prison guard in the latrine." Lu Xianchao and Gao Junxiao saluted. A prison guard who smelled of swill was pushed to the ground. The guard seemed to have suffered a great shock, and was dazed and shaking uncontrollably.
"Old Song, Old Song, it's me, Warden Wang." The warden seemed to recognize the man and, ignoring the man's pungent odor, grabbed him and shook him.
The prison guard burst into tears upon seeing a familiar face: "Warden, all my brothers are dead!"
After the two had finished crying in each other's arms, Lao Song's emotions also calmed down, and he slowly recounted the events of the day. He was the captain on duty tonight. It was an ordinary night, but Liu Shengqi suddenly started complaining that he was having an opium addiction.
In order not to disturb the other prisoners' rest, even though he knew that Liu Shengqi was not addicted to opium, he still had the junior prison guard drag the prisoner to the infirmary. He instructed the doctor to give Liu Shengqi a sedative injection, and seeing that the action team and the military were guarding him, he felt at ease and went to urinate.
He had just pulled up his pants when he saw a guard on lookout fall down. He initially thought it was some good-for-nothing kid slacking off and wanted to teach him a lesson, but then several guards slid down from the high wall. They were clearly well-trained and definitely not his brothers, because they were all masked.
Seeing this, Lao Song had a bad feeling and hurriedly pressed the alarm. However, even after pressing it more than a dozen times, it didn't go off. The man in black cloth was killing people indiscriminately on the playground, and screams were deafening. The guards at the gate were unmoved. He realized that the guards were no longer his brothers.
Unable to escape, and seeing the masked man approaching him, Old Song was so frightened that he jumped into the latrine to escape.
Back indoors, Captain Pang and Gao Junxiao began to reconstruct the scene. After nightfall, the guards were slit in the throat at almost the same time. The prison breakers were also wearing uniforms and were caught off guard. Afterward, the prison breakers carefully cut the alarm wires and quietly sneaked into the infirmary, where another round of massacre ensued.
Finally, they untied Liu Shengqi's shackles, stepped over the prison guards' blood, and drove away in a prison van. As for where they drove, they would have to wait for the people tracking the trail to return.
“Organized and planned, do you think bandits could do that?” Gao Junxiao turned his head, his face full of exhaustion.
"No, even if a disciple is exceptionally talented, he still needs to know every corner of the prison, even the electrical circuits, which is impossible in a short period of time," Captain Pang said frankly. "In addition, the act of covering one's face is often a crime committed by someone known to the victim."
"You can guard against thieves day and night, but it's hard to guard against thieves within your own family." Gao Junxiao closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
"Oh right, there should also be some clues with Master Wu," Captain Pang reminded Gao Junxiao, patting him on the shoulder.
Gao Junxia shook her head, a bitter smile appearing on her lips: "I'll ask again tomorrow."
That's true. The prisoner escaped. Even if we find the mole, what can we do? The mole might have connections everywhere.
In the pitch-black rainy night, the fierce wind and raindrops formed a huge water net, covering everyone's heads. The heavy rain continued intermittently until the streetlights came on the next day.
Wu Ye's side didn't get any useful information. They didn't recognize the bodies of the dead. In addition, the people tracking the tracks found an abandoned prison van in the suburbs. They must have changed vehicles. Unfortunately, the tracks of the new vehicle disappeared in the rainstorm, so the investigators could no longer follow the trail and had to return empty-handed.
Gao Junxiao gained a deeper understanding of autumn in Jiangnan. After listening to the weather forecast, he realized that typhoons also hit Jiangnan. Last night, a typhoon made landfall on the coast, which caused the wind and rain.
Despite the weather, Commander Xiong still brought Division Commander Sun from Jinan to the banquet. As for Liu Shengqi's escape, Commander Xiong didn't say a word of blame. After being surprised for a while, he told him to keep trying.
Anyway, the news of Liu Shengqi's arrest wasn't released, so it didn't embarrass the headquarters. Plus, the prison suffered a huge loss, so Commander Xiong told him to keep the matter to himself and pretend he had never arrested a prisoner.
This cold treatment made Gao Junxiao feel increasingly uncomfortable, and he was completely absent-minded during the banquet. Chen Yao, perhaps sensing his brother's distress, insisted on taking him to the second event—the dance hall.
After Gao Junxiao refused several times, Chen Yao hooked his arm around him and whispered, "This prisoner has escaped. From now on, we'll have to fight for real. We'll need the help of Jinan Prefecture. We have to go. Don't let yourself look out of place."
"Then you can cover for me, I don't want to go." Gao Junxiao still refused indifferently.
"Don't look so half-dead. Even Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times. If you can catch that scoundrel the first time, you can catch him again." To alleviate his depression, Chen Yao did not hesitate to cite historical anecdotes.
"How many people will suffer during his escape, not to mention those who have already died in the line of duty... But you won't even give me a punishment. Aren't other people's lives valuable?" Gao Junxiao posed a philosophical question.
"Stop, don't give me any grand theories. I'll give you some practical advice. Your foundation isn't solid right now, so you can't do anything." Chen Yao patiently explained to him, "Commander Xiong is protecting you. He's not holding a grudge. He's doing you a huge favor by selling your position in the prison. This will allow you to move freely in the concession from now on."
"I understand." How could Gao Junxiao not understand Commander Xiong's intentions? But he still felt uncomfortable.
“Let’s take care of a few small-time bandits step by step. Liu Shengqi, go find them first. Don’t be too late to make a move. You need to calm yourself down first, understand? Are you going or not?” Chen Yao patted Gao Junxiao’s chest.
Looking at Commander Xiong in the distance, Gao Junxiao hesitated for a moment before nodding with difficulty.
Inside the ballroom, the lively atmosphere was completely unaffected by the typhoon outside. On stage, singer Miss Magnolia was singing cheerful jazz music. The venue was not only filled with Chinese people, but also quite a few foreigners.
The air was filled with decadent music. Gao Junxiao held his wine glass and exchanged a few perfunctory pleasantries with Commander Sun and the others. He then introduced them to dance partners and, after fulfilling his duties as host, squeezed out of the crowd and found a quiet place to daydream.
“Oh, Mr. Gao, what a coincidence.” Harvey suddenly walked up to Gao Junxiao and extended his right hand.
"Mr. Harvey, what a coincidence." Gao Junxiao shook hands with Harvey with a professional smile.
“I also want to thank you for giving me the courage to invite my beloved lady,” Harvey said regretfully. “As you can see, I succeeded in getting her to come. If the typhoon hadn’t canceled the lantern festival, we would have gone to see the Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns together.”
"Hehe, congratulations then." Gao Junxiao took a big gulp of strong liquor. He felt as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest, and the fake smile on his face was about to burst.
"Would you like me to introduce you? She's a very lovely lady. Where did she go?" Harvey looked around the room, seemingly searching for someone.
Upon hearing that He Qingcheng was also there, Gao Junxiao almost spat out his drink, covering his mouth and saying, "No, no, no, have fun. I'm going to the restroom first."
"Then come find us later, we're at table A5."
Gao Junxiao nodded and fled from the enthusiastic Harvey as if his feet were on the ground. He didn't want He Qingcheng to see him looking dejected, especially since she was with her rival.
The venue was unbearable, and it was raining outside. Gao Junxiao, carrying his suit jacket, wandered aimlessly through the narrow corridor. There happened to be a stairwell ahead. He didn't notice the "No Entry for Customers" sign, pushed open the door, walked straight in, plopped down, and buried his head in his knees. He just wanted some peace and quiet.
Suddenly, the clattering of high heels came from upstairs; it seemed to be ladies…
"Weiwei, here you go, this is your dance ticket." Where have I heard that voice before? It sounds so familiar.
"Chengcheng, are you silly? I stopped selling dance tickets a long time ago," another woman said with a laugh, refusing the offer.
Chengcheng? He Qingcheng! Gao Junxiao closed his eyes in annoyance. He felt that he should check the almanac before going out in the future. Just as he was about to get up and leave, Qingcheng's words caught his attention: "I know your rules here, thirty dance tickets for one question."
"How could you... Ugh... I don't want to, just ask me directly, I'll tell you if I know the answer."
"The rules can't be broken; you have connections above you too."
"Oh my little darling, I'm so anxious! Just ask!" came the sound of stomping feet from upstairs.
"Okay, the working hours at Dafeng Cotton Mill are as long as fifteen hours. How do they manage that?" Qingcheng asked after a moment's thought.
"...The foreman will adjust the factory clock, advancing it by one hour before work starts and decelerating it by two hours before work ends," the woman answered after a long silence.
How many child laborers are there in their factory?
"More than 60%."
How many child laborers were indentured laborers?
"Forty percent."
"Is there no law anymore?" He Qingcheng's roar echoed in the empty corridor. It turned out she was investigating child labor.
“Chengcheng, using child labor and buying indentured laborers are unwritten rules in various factories. Even if you expose them, it won’t do any good. The law won’t punish everyone,” the woman said earnestly.
What a ridiculous notion that the law does not punish the masses! Many outdated rules are meant to be broken. He Qingcheng shared the same thought: "Rules are meant to be broken. Even if we cannot change the fact that child laborers are employed, I will fight for more rights for them."
“Listen to me, don’t get involved in this. Those kids are from poor families. These days, even adults can’t find jobs. This kid might be the only breadwinner for his family. If the factory closes down, his whole family will starve without this job.”
"Do you really think those young indentured laborers were sent here willingly by their parents? They were all tricked into coming from the countryside by the bosses who brought them here. Most of those parents were illiterate and thought that working in Shanghai was wonderful. They didn't understand what signing an indentured labor contract meant."
"...Life and death are predestined. May you be reborn into a better life next time. Don't end up like me, going bankrupt halfway through life and losing your family fortune." A moment later, Gao Junxiao smelled a pungent odor of smoke in the hallway.
"Weiwei, you've made it through. Stop smoking, your pneumonia isn't fully healed yet." He Qingcheng seemed to extinguish the other person's cigarette, and Gao Junxiao felt the smoke had lessened considerably.
"Really, just leave it alone. You can write essays, poems, or even your recent detective novel, which is quite excellent. Just don't get involved in social news. You should cherish your peaceful life now," the woman continued to persuade.
"Okay." He Qingcheng answered easily, which made Gao Junxiao feel that she didn't really think that way.
The upstairs door was pushed open with a whoosh, and an urgent voice came from inside: "Boss Wu, Miss Yulan is being pestered by Master Liu again. He insists that she drink with him. Please come down and deal with it."
"Then I'll go downstairs. Think it over carefully." The woman's footsteps faded into the distance.
The hallway fell silent again. He Qingcheng didn't leave; perhaps she, like him, just wanted some peace and quiet. He didn't want to disturb her; what right did he, a person in despair, have to comfort another in despair?
But then came suppressed sobs from above, like heavy hammer blows to his nerves. Gao Junxiao endured his headache and rushed upstairs, only to see He Qingcheng leaning against the wall with tears streaming down her face. Her golden dance costume was covered in a layer of gray, which made him unable to say a word. He simply handed her a handkerchief.
He Qingcheng seemed startled by his arrival. Her wet eyes stared at him, her gaze filled with surprise, confusion, embarrassment, and a hint of joy... Perhaps it was just her imagination after drinking too much.
Gao Junxiao awkwardly turned his face away from He Qingcheng, only to hold the handkerchief in front of her again. He couldn't think of any opening line to explain this chance encounter. He heard an impolite sniffling sound beside him.
This action made Gao Junxiao laugh in exasperation. He realized that she had "wasted" another of his handkerchiefs, and he would have to buy several more to keep on hand in case he ran into her again.
"I'm sorry, I'll go back and wash it clean and return it to you," He Qingcheng said, her voice hoarse with sobs.
"Okay." Gao Junxiao agreed casually, not expecting her to pay him back at all.
The typhoon was howling outside, and the two fell silent again, with only the crackling sound of tree branches hitting the glass window remaining.
"Are you hungry?" He Qingcheng suddenly asked.
She didn't ask him how he got there or what he was doing there. She just asked a very ordinary, everyday question. Gao Junxiao was immediately at a loss. The lie he had prepared in his mind was completely useless. In his panic, he asked back, "Are you hungry?"
"I'm not hungry, I ate dinner before coming. But I'm thirsty." He Qingcheng looked at him with innocent big eyes, her tone almost like she was being coquettish.
Under her gaze, Gao Junxiao didn't know where to look: "Oh, then go get some water, don't worry about me."
"My legs are numb, I can't get up." He Qingcheng tapped her legs with a hint of resentment.
"You should have said so earlier!" Gao Junxiao immediately reached out to pull her up, but when he thought about how she was with another man, he felt that his behavior was a bit ridiculous and immediately let go. What was he doing?
It would be best for him to keep his distance from He Qingcheng tonight.
Seemingly aware of her deliberate aloofness, He Qingcheng simply put on a smile again and said, "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!"
"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!" Gao Junxiao blurted out. The iron fence he had just erected in his heart was shattered by someone else's words. He now understood why Chen Yao said that human nature is inherently base.
"Wait a moment, I have something for you." Kiyosumi seemed to go inside to get something, and then quickly came out again.
Gao Junxiao didn't know how to describe his quiet, babbling thoughts. Anyway, he was really looking forward to Qingcheng's gift. After solemnly accepting the gift, Qingcheng explained, "These are fresh meat mooncakes that I bought this afternoon. They may not taste as good as when they were fresh out of the oven. You can try them with your friends."
Sigh~ It's mooncakes, and he has to share them with others. It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed. Gao Junxiao simply said thank you, and then Qingcheng said, "Your housewarming gift should arrive in the next day or two. Remember to sign for it."
One sentence sent Gao Junxiao's spirits soaring again. He tentatively asked, "Is the pen I gave you any good?"
"It's easy to use and looks good too. The pearlescent sapphire blue pen body is quite rare. Shall we order a custom one?" Kiyosumi asked with a smile.
"Oh no, it was delivered to the wrong place." Gao Junxiao forced a smile, his neck seemingly frozen, and nodded with great difficulty.
"It's a bit like the starry sky in the countryside, twinkling. I put my pen in my pocket, as if I'm holding a piece of the starry sky in front of my chest. I can see the little stars even during the day." He Qingcheng said in a very romantic way. When Gao Junxiao heard the words "little stars", his ears turned a little red.
"If you like it, that's fine." Gao Junxiao decided to go with the flow, holding the mooncake in his hand, and couldn't help but smile.
"How much did you just overhear?" He Qingcheng casually changed the subject.
Caught eavesdropping in front of everyone, Gao Junxiao stammered, gesturing incoherently, "I... just happened to be sitting there, and..."
Qingcheng interrupted his stammering and exclaimed, "Oh dear, you've discovered my way of gathering information. Well then, I won't keep anything from you. This is one of the top dance halls in Shanghai, and also one of the top intelligence trading centers. If you need anything, you can go to Wu Daban and just say that He Qingcheng introduced you."
Gao Junxiao suddenly understood He Qingcheng's intention and asked happily, "Thirty dance tickets for one question, can it be a monthly subscription?"
"Go and talk to Wu Daban yourself." Qingcheng shrugged, indicating that he didn't know.
"Thank you for the introduction." Gao Junxiao was about to open the door and return to the venue when He Qingcheng stopped him and told him to go back the way he came, as this was the backstage area.
How embarrassing! Gao Junxiao silently returned to his seat, staring blankly at the box of mooncakes. Then he noticed a greeting card hanging on the box. He eagerly opened it and saw the standard printed words: "May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, though separated by a thousand miles."
However, there are a few lines of handwritten text below: Mid-Autumn Festival is a day for family reunion. Do not speak carelessly to foreigners. I must painstakingly explain your words to remove your prejudice!
Also: Call your family members, if you have any, in parentheses.
The ink was still wet, so it seems she wrote it hastily when she entered the room.
"What are you grinning about?" Chen Yao's voice came from behind.
"It's nothing." Gao Junxiao quickly stuffed the greeting card into his pocket and turned to the stage, pretending that he was listening to a song.
"Your fresh meat mooncake is good, but it's cold. It would be better if it were fresh out of the oven." Chen Yao said to himself as he picked up a mooncake and started eating it.
"You brat, spit it out!" Gao Junxiao hooked his arm around Chen Yao's neck. How could this be? He himself couldn't bear to eat it.
"What are you doing? Mooncakes taste better when shared. Or I'll take them out and give them back to you tomorrow." Even while being restrained, Chen Yao couldn't resist being sarcastic.
"Believe it or not, I'll shove it back into your mouth." Gao Junxiao remembered what Qingcheng had just said, silently released Chen Yao, and tightly protected the box in his arms like a chick.
"Hehehe, with the wind and rain raging outside, how could you be in the mood to buy anything? This mooncake must have been a gift from some pretty girl, because the box smells like women's perfume." Chen Yao squinted and instantly transformed into a detective.
"Get lost, get lost, get lost." Gao Junxiao was too lazy to pay him any attention.
"Oh dear, you're shy. It seems pretty much true. Who is it? Tell me. Little Xing'er, don't go." Chen Yao was still calling his nickname from behind. He turned around to settle accounts with this kid. He had just seen Wu Daban go upstairs.
Standing on the stairs overlooking the ballroom, Gao Junxiao was surprised to find that there were more than four or five foreigners at Harvey's table. He smiled knowingly, thinking of the greeting card left by He Qingcheng, but then his smile froze.
He Qingcheng, you're faking tears again!
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