Chapter 129
I will take care of her like I would a daisy.
Ji Nanxing didn't respond to the conversation. He walked around the pile of doghouses several times, constantly stepping on the dirty mud.
Su Qiao followed behind her, and although she didn't know what she was doing, she still imitated the stomping motion in a very convincing way, and also stomped all over the other side of the area.
“There’s nothing unusual about it.” She turned to look at Ji Nanxing, muttering to herself, “If it were really as you say, wouldn’t Xu Songheng have turned into dog shit long ago? With poor visibility and insufficient manpower, this way of searching for clues isn’t a good solution.”
Ji Nanxing's logic was clear and she explained with reason and evidence: "Think about the habits of dogs. Don't they all like to dig holes and hide things? If Lin Sheng had cleaned up the scene properly, there wouldn't be such a strong smell. So is it possible that Xu Songheng's remains or clothing might have been left here?"
After saying that, she squatted down to examine the inside of the doghouse. The stench emanating from inside was even stronger, causing her to frown and hold her breath. Suddenly, she noticed a small, waxy white thing emerging from the soil in the corner, which gleamed faintly when the flashlight was shone on it.
Ignoring the filthy soil beneath him, Ji Nanxing crawled forward, reaching his arm out to deftly dig through the soft, black earth. When he saw exactly what it was, his usually emotionless face broke into immense astonishment.
She picked up the sticky substance and called out urgently, "Suqiao, get a resealable bag, quick!"
"Coming, coming," Su Qiao responded, quickly taking a sealed bag from her waist pouch. "There really is a new discovery. It seems your guess was right."
She leaned closer to examine what Ji Nanxing was holding, and when she finally saw what it was, she got goosebumps all over and exclaimed in surprise, "This...this is a human finger?"
In contrast, Ji Nanxing's reaction was more composed. Even through two thin layers of latex gloves, the touch was still unsettling, but she simply gave a calm "hmm."
It was a whole little finger, skin and tendons intact. Judging by its size, it was initially determined to be from an adult male. However, the extent of decomposition and the time of death still need to be determined by a forensic doctor.
Ji Nanxing put his pinky finger into his bag, rubbing his fingertip with disgust, and pondered, "No wonder Lin Sheng seemed so calm and composed when he met with me. To commit a crime in such a private area, deep in the mountains, would have been difficult to find without a search warrant if it weren't for the kidnapping of Lin Jin that gave him away. This method of murder is truly cruel. I wonder what Xu Songheng went through before he died."
Su Qiao hadn't handled Lin Sheng's case, but he'd heard Ji Nanxing talk about it from time to time, so he was indignant at the moment. "It's arms dealing, murder to cover up crimes, and involvement in organized crime, gambling, kidnapping, and framing. This guy is just too lawless."
“Lin Sheng is involved in multiple cases, but we’ll find more and more physical evidence and clues, so the investigation won’t be too complicated. The most important thing now is to bring him to justice. If he escapes, it will be a real problem.” Ji Nanxing said as he walked straight out of the courtyard, then stopped as if he had thought of something. “This puzzle of crime is missing its last piece, which is the chain of evidence that Cheng Sangluo was framed and imprisoned. Once we have all the pieces, we can investigate multiple cases at once. The prosecution will definitely not let Lin Sheng get away with it. We need to hurry up and investigate.”
Still worried about the seriously injured person, she handed the things to Su Qiao and instructed, "I need to go to the health center. You're in charge here. Contact me anytime if there are any new discoveries or situations."
Su Qiao held the sealed bag with her delicate fingers, "No problem, leave this to me. I'll report back to you as soon as I find any new leads."
*
A series of disordered footsteps echoed in the corridor of the health and wellness center.
Lin Jin stayed by the stretcher the whole way, holding Cheng Sangluo's cold hand tightly and refusing to let go. Tears kept coming in waves, especially when she saw that blood-stained face, she couldn't stop crying.
This woman, who never admits her mistakes and always appears confident, is now overwhelmed by a profound sense of helplessness and defeat.
Lin Jin had considered many different outcomes for this seemingly insurmountable game of chess, each one leading to victory. Only Cheng Sangluo's outcome was full of variables, but no matter how much she considered, she never imagined that she would push her lover to the brink of death.
She felt frustrated, regretful, and even began to resent herself for not making the plan more perfect.
As they approached the operating room door, medical staff hurriedly stopped Lin Jin, saying, "Mr. Lin, you can't go in."
Lin Jin stopped in her tracks, looking lost and dejected. Her dark eyes were fixed on the red light that had suddenly lit up on the door, and her anxious and worried expression infected everything around her.
Gu Shinian quickly followed and patted her shoulder. "Waiting is just waiting anyway, go upstairs and take a hot shower first. After you're done, I'll have the doctor give you a full check-up."
"No, I have to stay here. I can't leave. What if... what if..." Lin Jin stubbornly refused to leave, and fell silent at the end of her sentence, probably afraid of the worst possible outcome.
"Don't overthink it, there's no chance of anything going wrong." Gu Shinian interrupted Lin Jin, shaking her head and sighing helplessly. "I've already asked the emergency personnel, and Sang Luo has moderate blood loss. She'll recover slowly after a blood transfusion. She's going into the operating room to clean and suture the wound. Listen to me, you can't just sit here all dirty."
Lin Jin rubbed the bridge of her nose in distress, but finally listened to Gu Shinian's arrangement, "Okay, I'll be down soon."
She turned and took two steps, then suddenly stopped, as if she had thought of some important arrangement. A strange look appeared on her face, which was originally full of fear and worry.
After all, they've been friends for over ten years. No need for many words; a single glance is enough for them to understand what each other wants to say.
Gu Shinian pursed her lips tightly and remained silent for a long while before letting out a sigh: "What time is it and you're still thinking about this? It's not the right time. Besides, Chi Jue has rejected you so many times, why are you so persistent?"
Lin Jin's thoughts began to waver, but unfortunately, they only wavered for a fleeting moment.
She took her phone out of the pocket of her coat, hesitated for a moment, and then dialed a number. The cold dial tone rang for a short while before the other party answered.
In the silent corridor, only Lin Jinqing's cold voice could be heard: "Bring the chip and the person here immediately. Have the implantation surgery done tonight."
"You really are...you're hopeless..." Gu Shinian felt she had no right to interfere in other people's affairs, so she could only scold her verbally: "Cheng Sangluo is really unlucky to have you in her life. She was hurt so badly because of you. You are really worried, and you are really obsessive. What is the point of putting that thing on her? Do you think she is someone who is willing to be a caged bird? You can't imprison a heart that can't be held."
Lin Jin's hand holding the phone fell limply to her side, her face showing an obsessive, almost fanatical, determination. "Have you ever experienced the feeling of being torn between gain and loss?"
As she spoke, she turned and walked towards the elevator, her legs feeling like lead as she dragged her feet heavily. She muttered to herself, "She clearly loves me so much, yet she always thinks about leaving me. Isn't the time we spent together worth cherishing? Freedom isn't a good thing..."
I can't bear it... I can't bear to watch her disappear from my world... I've waited year after year, and finally we're together... I can't bear to let go... I'm not willing to let her leave like this... I can't do it...
My love is like a flower... I will care for her like I would a daisy...
She no longer needs to struggle for basic necessities... She'll live in a grand house that others envy... She'll have endless money... She can eat all the world's delicacies... I'll give her whatever she wants...
She just needs to stay by my side and do nothing... just let me see her... just let me see her..."
In the dimly lit corridor, Lin Jin's thin figure swayed precariously.
She kept rambling on and on, saying things that no one could understand, and step by step she walked into the abyss of madness and paranoia, all because of her endless waiting for Cheng Sangluo and her deep love for him.
——Memory Divider——
Five years ago, Zhongyao Technology.
"You invested a lot of R&D funds in this project, and all you did was manufacture two GPS smart security chips?" Jin Manni asked incredulously, her eyes fixed on Lin Jin sitting on the sofa.
Each of them held a test report, which recorded data from repeated tests.
There was only one step left before the project was completed: a trial surgery for human implantation. However, this was a secret project, and they hadn't yet reached the stage of finding a suitable candidate. Therefore, Jin Manni's expression was not very good.
"Once this project is completed, the military will definitely be interested, but I don't plan to disclose the experimental results to the public. I'm only doing it for my own safety and Cheng Sangluo's safety." Lin Jin was very satisfied with the report results, casually spread his hands and shrugged, then pointed to himself and said, "Don't worry about the selection of personnel, there's a living person right in front of you, isn't there?"
Jin Manni looked her over suspiciously and protested urgently, "No one can say for sure what kind of side effects a GPS chip implanted in the body will bring. After all, it has never been adapted to a human body before. Although I don't know what kind of grand scheme you are playing, I really don't understand. Do you have to joke with your own life?"
"There will be many risky paths to take in the future, and I need a complete intelligent prevention and control system to protect myself. Implanting a GPS-enabled system can not only reduce a lot of manpower costs, but also monitor my movements at any time. It will save my life when I am in danger, and that is my ultimate goal." Lin Jin was not having wild fantasies; what she wanted was very simple: this system could save lives in times of crisis.
“Everyone outside says you’re crazy, but I didn’t believe it. Today, however, I’ve really seen it for myself.” Jin Manni took off her glasses, rubbed her nose wearily, and after a moment of silence, she said, “To ensure your safety, I will continue to conduct tests until the data is completely correct before you can have the implantation surgery.”
“You’re a tech talent, you should be excited about your research results.” Lin Jin’s tone was always slow and deliberate, seemingly unafraid of any bad outcomes from the surgery, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Look at me, how excited I am! A chip, a smart system, a mobile phone—when they’re combined, they can outperform a group of bodyguards. If this research result were put on the market, not only the military, but also foreign mercenary groups would be extremely interested.”
......
The year Cheng Sangluo was sentenced to prison.
Yunxing Health and Wellness Center.
After completing the final disinfection work, Chi Jue, dressed in sterile clothing, walked to the operating table.
She spread her hands, her mask covering most of her face, revealing a pair of deep, dark eyes that stared directly at Lin Jin. "I'll ask you one last time, are you sure you want to have the chip implantation surgery? I won't be responsible for any adverse effects that may occur during or after the procedure."
Lin Jin lay half-lying down, revealing her fair and delicate back, but the palm-sized fleshy scar on her shoulder blade ruined all the beauty.
She turned back to Chi Jue, raised an eyebrow, and smiled faintly: "All the necessary agreements have been signed, and the entire surgery has been recorded. If any accidents occur, I will absolutely not implicate or hold you accountable. Go ahead and do it; I've waited long enough for today."
Chi Jue glanced at the anesthesiologist and nodded in acknowledgment. Taking advantage of the break in preparation, he still asked one more question: "You could have found someone else to test this project on your behalf. Why did you have to do it yourself? If there is a metal rejection reaction after the operation, you will be the only one who suffers."
Lin Jin looked at the precision safe on the workbench, which contained the only two chips in the world, and said slowly, "I don't trust others. I have to test it myself. I need to make sure that there are no problems in the whole process from embedding to adaptation. Only then can I use it on her with peace of mind. For her, it is worth it to be a guinea pig."
"Her?" Chi Jue frowned slightly, wondering who Lin Jin was referring to, but didn't press further.
Before the anesthesia was administered, Lin Jin pointed to her ugly scar and asked Chi Jue, "Do you know why I chose to have it implanted in my shoulder blade?"
Chi Jue shook his head slightly.
Lin Jin's smile faded, his eyes revealing a resolute determination to achieve his goal. "As long as I don't avenge that mother and son, this scar with the chip will continue to bother me. It will constantly remind me what I am doing, what I should be doing, and what kind of result I want to achieve."
The operating room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the solemn atmosphere was thick with Lin Jin's deep, irreconcilable hatred.
That hatred was like the last breath she clung to before death, accumulating in her chest and squeezing her internal organs, an unbearable pain that endlessly imprisoned her suffering.
Just as she said, if she didn't avenge her great grudge, she would always hold onto that anger, and that ugly scar would always remind her—she wanted Ruan Jinxian and Lin Sheng to be ruined and never have peace in their lives.
—End of flashback—
[Author's Note]
1. My pre-order novel, "The Sinful Lover," is available for collection.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com