Chapter Eleven: Don't Look Back
The interrogation room reached a stalemate.
Cheng Qing sneered, "Evidence? The evidence is the testimony of Miss Lin's colleagues! Director Chen, I advise you not to get involved, otherwise you might not be able to extricate yourself from this matter!"
"Colleague? What colleague?" Chen Kan shouted angrily, hands on his hips. "My wife has a wide influence in Jiangcheng's business community. In recent years, she has been staying at home taking care of her husband and children. Who knows what kind of madmen might try to retaliate against her! Besides, is it too hasty to convict my wife based on that person's empty words?"
"Director Chen, you may have forgotten the rules of No. 76! Here, it's better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free!"
Chen Kan retorted, "So what? You're just going to kill innocent people indiscriminately? Captain Ouyang, I'm afraid you're trying to silence us because we know about your past, aren't you?"
Cheng Qing's face flushed with anger. "What old stories are you talking about?"
Chen Kan said bluntly, "Gu Manqing, has it been so long since anyone called you by your name that you've forgotten? What Sato Sakura, Ouyang Qing, have you forgotten that you're also Chinese?"
Cheng Qing's face turned deathly pale instantly. His fingers slammed onto the gun at his waist, his knuckles turning bluish-white: "Chen Kan, what nonsense are you spouting?"
Chen Kan took a step forward, his nose almost touching the muzzle of her gun, his voice filled with biting sarcasm: "What? Scared? Gu Manqing, don't forget where you came from!"
In the midst of the argument, Qiao Yuan rushed in.
He was still clutching a blood-stained gauze in his hand, drops of blood dripping from between his fingers onto the bluestone slab. He gasped for breath and shouted, "Captain Cheng! That guy surnamed Zhou bit his tongue! We pried his mouth open, and his tongue was bitten off. He died as soon as we got him to the infirmary!"
Upon hearing this, Liang Zuo immediately looked at Qiao Yuan and Cheng Qing with an expression of anticipation.
Cheng Qing's face turned deathly pale instantly. She released her grip on the holster and instead grabbed Qiao Yuan's collar: "I told you to keep an eye on her! Are you just sitting around doing nothing?"
Qiao Yuan deliberately feigned a wronged expression and shrugged: "Captain Cheng, that frail woman, we took everything from her, how were we supposed to know she'd bite her tongue?"
Chen Kan seized the opportunity, stepped forward to block Lin Tang, and looked at Cheng Qing with a cold smile: "Captain Ouyang, now that the witness is dead, what reason do you have to detain my wife? The rule of the 76th Division is 'better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free,' but if you arrest people without any evidence, I'm afraid even Captain Sato Sakura will have a hard time explaining it to others, right?"
"Enough!"
A sharp shout suddenly echoed down the corridor. Ishimura, dressed in a crisp Japanese military uniform and leather shoes, strode in, his saber gleaming coldly at his waist. He glanced at the people in the room, finally settling on Lin Tang, a sinister smile creeping across his lips: "Miss Lin, your colleague is dead. Don't you have anything to say?"
Lin Tang calmly looked at Ishimura: "Colonel Ishimura, I am Director Chen's wife. I have been a good wife and mother at home all these years, and I rarely even leave the house. How could I be a communist sympathizer? What colleague? Don't you find that ridiculous? On the contrary, it is your 76th Division that arrested me for no reason. Are you trying to frame me?"
Ishimura smiled slightly, but a cruel killing intent was hidden in his eyes: "Miss Lin is quite eloquent. However, accusations of being a communist sympathizer cannot be made with words alone. Since the witness is dead, Miss Lin will stay at No. 76 and cooperate with our investigation."
"No way!" Chen Kan roared immediately. "If anything happens to my wife, I'll fight you to the death and make sure you all suffer!"
Lin Tang turned around.
Chen Kan immediately stepped in front of her.
Lin Tang gently grasped his hand, her fingertips tracing the back of his hand, her eyes filled with determination: "Chen Kan, I'm fine. You go back first. I believe they won't do anything to the director's wife without witnesses or evidence!"
Chen Kan shook his head, gripping her hand tightly: "I can't leave you here alone!"
"The innocent will clear themselves." Lin Tang smiled. "If you stay here, they will have something to use against you. Once they have investigated, they will naturally let me go back."
Shi Cun suddenly clapped his hands: "Miss Lin is quite sensible. In that case, Director Chen, you should go back first. Once we have investigated the matter, we will naturally let Miss Lin go back."
Chen Kan stared at Shicun, then at Lin Tang, and finally let go.
Lin Tang smiled and nodded: "I know."
Chen Kan turned and walked towards the door, then stopped and turned back, saying, "Ouyang Qing, if my wife loses even a single hair, I will risk my life to make sure you suffer!"
Cheng Qing watched his retreating figure, biting her lip tightly.
...
Chen Kan walked out of No. 76.
The secret signal Lin Tang left in his palm just now indicated that she was prepared to fight to the death. She had no intention of escaping unscathed from this mission, but hoped that he could take Chen Nian away from this hell!
Chen Kan returned to his residence and paced anxiously for a moment. His fingers hesitated on the phone buttons, the coolness of the cigarette pack clinging to his fingertips, before finally pressing the number for his home in Beiping. The familiar cough of Uncle Zhong came through the phone. He gripped the receiver tighter: "Uncle Zhong, is the master in?"
Uncle Zhong was silent for a moment before lowering his voice and saying, "Young Master Kan, the Master... has already gone to America with the Third Young Master... Now this old man is all alone in this house."
Chen Kan was taken aback, and after a long while, he smiled bitterly and said, "Didn't he say that he would live and die with the country? The war has only just begun, and he's already gone?"
"Young Master Kan... the Chen family has wronged you, but given the current situation, you should find a way to leave!"
Chen Kan simply said, "Uncle Chen, since you asked me to stay in Jiangcheng, I have to finish what I'm supposed to do. Besides... there are people I care about here, so I can't leave. Uncle Zhong, could you do me a favor? Tomorrow I'll have Afu drive to the train station to pick them up, and I'll have Achen take Xiaonian there."
Uncle Zhong paused, then coughed, "The current state of Beiping and Jiangcheng..."
Chen Kan didn't say much, only saying, "Uncle Zhong, please do me this last favor!"
A sigh came from Uncle Zhong through the microphone: "I understand, Young Master Kan, take care too."
"Uncle Zhong, you too."
After thinking for a moment, Chen Kan made another call to Chen Ping.
"dad."
This was the time he knelt before the Chen family and called out that name again.
“Kan’er,” Chen Ping’s voice was like a cold, hard stone.
"Grandpa and Third Uncle went to America. Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"
Chen Ping retorted, "Chen Kan, don't you know that for a family to prosper, someone has to take responsibility, someone has to sacrifice, and someone has to leave behind a legacy?"
Chen Kan just smiled and said, "Chen Ping, you've never acknowledged me or my mother, but when it comes to taking responsibility and making sacrifices, you suddenly think of me?"
Chen Ping remained silent.
Chen Kan took a drag of his cigarette, smoke escaping from the corner of his mouth. "Forget it, Chen Ping, this is the path I chose myself, I don't blame you. I'm calling you because I've sent Chen Nian and A Chen's family to Beiping. Uncle Zhong will meet them, you need to find a way to protect their safety."
"Chen Nian?" Chen Ping chuckled. "She's not your biological daughter, why are you so concerned? Besides, do you think sending her to Beiping will make her safe? People from the Chen family always cause trouble wherever they go."
Chen Kan tightened his grip on the cigarette butt: "You don't need to worry about that. Although promises aren't always effective, I have no choice but to come to you now. I have to make this deal with you."
"A deal?" Chen Ping paused. "What do you want?"
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone, so long that Chen Kan thought Chen Ping wouldn't answer, before his voice came through: "You're just like a proper member of the Chen family."
“You taught me that,” Chen Kan chuckled, a bitter laugh tinged with “the Chen family has always put profit first.”
“Okay,” Chen Ping said, “I will have someone take responsibility for Xiao Nian’s safety.”
"Thank you," Chen Kan said, stubbing out his cigarette, the ash falling onto the corner of the table. "Father."
He hung up the phone, looked out at the night view, stood there for a while, and then called Ah Chen over.
"Ah Chen, pack your things. Take Ah Xiu and Xiao Nian with you, and at 10 PM tonight, take the last train to Beiping to find Uncle Zhong."
First Lin Tang left, then Chen Kan gave his order. Ah Chen paused, and when he looked up, his eyes held a knowing heaviness: "Director, is it... about Madam..."
"Don't ask," Chen Kan interrupted him. "Ah Xiu is about to give birth, you can't stay here."
After years of hard work and refinement, Ah Chen is no longer the naive young man he once was. He looked at Chen Kan for a long time and said, "Mr. Chen, take care of yourself too."
Chen Kan smiled slightly and patted his shoulder, "I will. I'm looking forward to your and Ah Xiu's baby's one-month celebration!"
"About the past..." Achen looked at Chen Kan, "Mr. Qiao wronged you. I was an accomplice too. Thank you for taking care of me all these years, Mr. Chen."
Chen Kan smiled slightly, "Those things are unimportant now. Ah Chen, remember what Madam said: survival is the most important thing. Protect Xiao Nian for me!"
"Yes." Ah Chen nodded and turned to walk towards Chen Nian's room.
As soon as I opened the door, I saw Xiao Nian standing there, rubbing her eyes, holding the rag doll that Lin Tang had bought for her.
"Dad?" Xiao Nian looked at Chen Kan behind A Chen, her voice sleepy, "Why hasn't Mom come back yet? I just dreamed about Mom, she bought me a new dress."
Chen Kan stood far away and said, "Mom is going to do something very important. Dad asked Uncle Achen to take you to a fun place. Mom will come to find us after she finishes her business."
Xiao Nian smiled and reached out as if to be hugged: "Then is Daddy going too?"
Chen Kan smiled slightly: "Dad has to wait for Mom. When Mom comes, we'll go together."
"Alright then." Xiao Nian let go of him, turned around and took A-Chen's hand. "Uncle A-Chen, when are we leaving? I want to see my mother soon."
Ah Chen glanced at Chen Kan and said softly, "Let's go now, Xiao Nian, be good, don't look back."
Chen Kan stood at the door, watching A Chen carry Xiao Nian out of the yard. Xiao Nian, perched on A Chen's shoulder, turned back and waved to him: "Daddy, I'll be good. Bring Mommy here soon!"
Chen Kan waved until the car's taillights disappeared around the street corner, then slowly clenched his fist. He looked up at the sky; the moon was obscured by dark clouds, much like the words Lin Tang had just written in his palm: "Don't look back."
"Jintang," he said softly, his voice filled with an unprecedented determination, "I will definitely rescue you."
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