novelHu Cheng's Hardship
| ← Ch.062 | Ch.064 → |
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Sun Fei felt remorseful after roaring in a fit of rage. He clenched his fist and looked down to avoid seeing Hu Cheng's response. At some point, the elder man's sharp eyes became misty, as if they were lined with a layer of gauze. He went over to Sun Fei and patted the younger man on the shoulder. While doing so, his parted lips revealed yellow-stained teeth.
"They said that they'd be making a statement regarding my son. It has always been the cause of anxiety in my house, you know. All these years, I've been hugging his picture and crying whenever I have time on my hands. I've suffered from clinical depression and attempted suicide a few times. Do you know how I feel?"
Hu Cheng pointed at his heart. His chest was expanding and contracting rapidly — a sign that his emotions had been stirred up.
"Don't I have the right to show my son in the best light? Am I wrong in doing so? I've yet to forgive the media! If Wu Wendi insists on asking around for information, then so be it! I'm already old anyways. I could care less about another heavy debt on my shoulders."
Sun Fei was left utterly shocked at such a heart-wrenching denunciation. The Hu Cheng that everyone knew was always in good spirits and had an otherworldly air to him. They all held his novel views and extraordinary sharpness in high esteem. People almost forgot the reason for the sour relationship between the media and the police; they almost forgot the death of Hu Hai.
Previously, both parties shared a rather harmonious relationship. Be it a police case or a news report, they would help each other out. However, things changed five years ago, when Hu Hai was tasked with being an undercover agent for an assignment. When they were ready to arrest the person, someone from the media appeared. Hu Hai originally wanted the person to remain silent, but he did not get the message and instead rushed over to give Hu Hai a scolding, branding Hu Hai as a disgrace to the country, to his parents, and to the people who were confident in him.
In a moment of desperation, he signaled for his supporting officer to get a hold of and keep the media reporter quiet for a moment. Hu Hai was oblivious to the gang leader standing behind him, who with the pull of a trigger took the media reporter's life.
After the assignment was completed, the dead body was found. All recordings were made public by the media, which led to a flurry of condemnation and abuse toward Hu Hai. Despite the declarations and apologies, the public's ire could not be quelled. In the end, Hu Hai was forced to offer his apology through suicide.
Ever since then, any relations between police and the media came to a complete halt.
"... I'm sorry. We've ignored your feelings all this time, but Xu Lan is..."
Hu Cheng raised a hand, signaling for him to stop."Stop talking and go back. Check up on Xiao Wu and don't let her do anything stupid."
He lit his tobacco pipe, and billows of smoke began rising up to cover his sorrowful countenance. Watching his staggering figure from the back, Sun Fei could sense a hint of lasting grievance.
The sixth night.
Wu Wendi disregarded Sun Fei's advice and insisted on going to the red-light district. She got the news that all the victims had been in contact with a man that bore the surname Liu and that most of the women there met Qiuling before. Some of them even thought that she was the mama-san of a high-class club; since she was both wealthy and pretty, most of the people there knew her. When news broke out that she was murdered, everyone grieved for her.
That was the reason Wu Wendi was able to find a loophole. Aside from that, there was another pressing question: she saw Li Xiu there for the third night in a row.
When Li Xiu spotted Wu Wendi for the second time, he was still rather surprised, but this time he was holding a wine cup and sitting beside her.
"Officer... Mister Li, this isn't very proper." She shyly took the wine glass from Li Xiu's hands, albeit with some conflicted feelings in her.
It was his fault that Xu Lan and Bai Wu had to go into hiding. She did not mind whether Bai Wu was a dragon or a person as long as everyone was happy.
"What's improper about this?" Li Xiu resisted a smile.
For the past two days, Li Xiu had reverted back to his cultured and scholarly manner, walking about in a style reminiscent of an official's son. His meticulously-tied necktie had been taken off and three of his shirt buttons were unfastened, revealing a delicate collarbone. Crisp suit pants and a pair of leather shoes adorned his legs and feet. He looked like someone who inherited a diamond mine from his family.
"Everyone went to search for Sergeant Xu and Bai Wu. I didn't want to follow."
There was a hint of resentment in her voice. She heard the recordings and saw the tapes. If it was not for Li Xiu, things would not have turned out that way.
"Haha, so you came down here to drink your sorrows away?" Li Xiu smiled and let the bartender replenish both cups with wine. After surveying his surroundings, Li Xiu then asked, "Where's our comrade Xiao Li? Did he go with them too? I thought he'd be accompanying you."
"He went to search for Sergeant Xu." Wu Wendi replied softly. Li Xiu's unintentional words caused her face to turn red as she drank some more wine.
In place of his golden spectacles were frameless ones, but despite changing them, Li Xiu's astute, calculative expression remained the same. His fingers tapped against the table top while he pondered the relationships in the police station. Where talented men and beautiful women were present, mutual attraction was only a matter of time, but...
It did not matter now. There was no need for him to stay, considering his motive had been accomplished. With a 'tsk' he nipped in the bud those thoughts that had just surfaced. If Wu Wendi looked at him in a different light, she would be shocked at how such a refined person could have a ruthless and blood-thirsty side.
All of a sudden, his cell phone rang.
"Please excuse me, I have to take this." He gestured politely with the cell phone in his hand. Wu Wendi was eager for him to leave so she could make more inquiries.
"Eh, Big Boss Liu is here. Do you want to take a look? You won't need to worry so much anymore."
Wu Wendi strained to hear those words with her alert ears. Big Boss Liu? Was it the same person in the case, the man with the surname Liu?
"For real?"
"Why would it not be real? He's already at the door. But I heard that he lost his legs and came in a wheelchair. I'm not sure if it's still possible..."
"Well, he's here right? It means he has needs. Isn't that much better? Who wouldn't want to get more money with minimal service? Wait here. I'll touch up on my makeup."
"Ay, I'll come with you."
"Achoo..." The strong scent of perfume triggered a sneeze from Wu Wendi. Two gorgeously dressed women took catwalk-like strides right past her with their handbags.
Wu Wendi observed one of them. Her suspender pants were short to begin with, but she had to pull them up higher to reveal more of the bottom. With another pull, her upper body looked even more magnificent. It was better for her to take a middle ground, but would men really like her that way?
Wu Wendi opened her collar but then decided not to midway. As expected, she did not have a competitive strength.
After paying the tip, she followed the crowd out of the room with the intention of finding out how this Big Boss Liu looked like. She texted Xu Lan while walking out.
Xu Lan did not reply to any of her messages since receiving them. Maybe it was a misconception brought about by Xu Lan's square face, but Wu Wendi firmly believed that he would not simply watch on with folded arms.
Both men and women went to see Big Boss Liu, but their intentions for doing so were vastly different. Most of the men, upon hearing that their dear friend lost his legs, went to catch a glimpse of the hustle and bustle, getting a grip on their mental balance in the process. Women on the other hand, well, no one knew. After all, a woman's heart was fickle; it was a futile exercise to understand their thoughts.
The sea of people rendered Wu Wendi unable to squeeze in no matter how hard she tried. In the end, she could only curse. From the distance, she tiptoed to have a look and attempted to take a picture with her cell phone. He was seated on the wheelchair indeed, but the crowd had blocked his face from view.
In her moment of tenacity, a hand gently patted her on the shoulder.
| ← Ch. 062 | Ch. 064 → |