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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 135: A Tragic Farce
At 10:40, the 110 Command Center received a report of someone jumping from the second building of City First Hospital. They immediately notified the Binhjiang Branch, which had set up an emergency rapid response team specifically for such rescue situations.
It was said that this act was a last resort, and there were indeed quite a few stockholders who jumped after the stock market plummeted. As soon as they got the news, they rushed out at breakneck speed, fully prepared with negotiation experts, inflatable cushions, and high-powered engines to set up emergency measures within ten minutes.
This news also alarmed Shen Lingchen, Guo Wei, and Guan Yiqing. The trio—Lezi, Ruhua, and Xiao Mu—was tightly knit. Due to their investigation into Xiao Mu, they had also come to know Mr. Sun, who had lost nearly everything in the stock market crash. The three felt inexplicably connected to the situation and hurried to the scene.
Guan Xiangdong from the District Prosecutor's Office was also startled. He muttered a curse under his breath before dropping everything to rush to the scene. After all, they were classmates and friends. Moreover, during Mr. Sun's prosperous days, he had often treated Guan Xiangdong to food and drinks while boasting about his success. It was hard not to feel a sense of sorrow seeing him fall to such depths.
Of course, Lezi was the closest and was the first to dash onto the rooftop. Without hesitation, he lunged toward Sun Qinghua at the edge of the building. Sun Qinghua roared, "Don't come any closer! I haven't made up my mind yet! If you come any closer, I really will jump!"
With a screeching halt, Lezi stopped—not by his own will but because Aeming grabbed him. Lezi anxiously called out, "Mr. Sun! Mr. Sun..."
"Don't call me Mr. Sun!"
"Then Tsinghua... Tsinghua..."
"Ugh! I hate that name."
"What should I call you? Oh right... Ruhua... Ruhua..."
"Oh no..."
He got it wrong again. Sun Qinghua wailed dramatically, leaving Lezi dumbfounded. What should he do now? He turned back to Aeming, who was wide-eyed and whispered urgently, "Just go along with him. Don't let him get too upset or he might really jump."
"Oh." Lezi suddenly realized, shouting loudly, "Hey, Ruhua... you look better when you cry than when you smile."
Aeming was so angry that he slapped him. Sun Qinghua shot Lezi an indignant glance before turning away. Thinking his words had an effect, Lezi laughed and continued, "Hey, Ruhua, I'm not making fun of you. Actually, you were quite annoying when you had money. This is just like how you were back then... I can almost feel the way you were when the homeroom teacher dragged you out for a beating... Remember how we used to sing for you?"
Lezi swung his arms and twisted his hips, channeling the spirit of a karaoke superstar as he shouted about how it's okay for men to cry; even the strongest have the right to be tired... Why live life so miserably?
The Ruhua stopped crying and stood up, ready to dance. Turning around with a fierce look, they said, "Lezi, just wait for your jokes to come back at you."
Aeming had already covered Lezi's mouth and shouted, "Hey, Mr. Sun... is there anything else left to deal with? Let's arrange it and let him handle it."
The mood was abruptly interrupted. Aeming released Lezi and quietly advised him not to provoke further; it was beyond provoking now. Lezi quickly chimed in, "Right, right... Brother Hua, you know my brotherhood—whatever it takes, I'm here for you..."
"What else is there?" The Ruhua suddenly sounded desolate again, replying with a sobbing tone, "What else is there? The house has become a bank's property, and my wife belongs to someone else now."
"Well, what about your parents?" Aeming gently suggested.
With a groan, Lezi felt an elbow jab into his stomach and turned around to grit his teeth at him. "Don't mention parents! His dad fought him over the demolition compensation; they've been estranged for years."
"Ah?" Aeming was stunned. How did Xiao Mu end up surrounded by such oddballs?
And just like that, another oddball emerged. Lezi called out to the Ruhua, "Don't say that, Brother Hua! A house is just a place to sleep, and a wife is merely a tool for companionship; what more do we lack..."
"Get lost!" The Ruhua shouted in frustration, pointing at Lezi and yelling uncontrollably, "Get away from me! What do you know about feelings?"
Lezi stumbled back in shock; when did Brother Hua have feelings? He was about to speak again when Aeming covered his mouth and pulled him away a few steps, warning him, "Stop talking! You were already hesitant; if you say another word, he'll be in deep trouble."
"I didn't say anything, what's there to feel about jumping off?" Lezi said, confused.
"You wouldn't understand, so don't meddle," Aeming replied.
"Then what should we do? Just watch him jump?" Lezi asked.
"Wait, he’s still hesitating to jump... Why hasn’t he arrived yet..." Aeming anxiously urged over the phone. Just as the call was about to be made, another group arrived, a bunch of people in white coats, led by someone who was likely a leader. They stepped forward and thundered, "Comrade, you can't seek such an end... Do you know how much negative impact this will bring to our City Hospital?"
"The medical expenses are easy to resolve; we can discuss waiving your fees. You're from the Tumor Ward, right?" another one asked, probably because that ward had the highest number of patients wanting to end their lives due to being unable to pay for treatment, leading some to jump from the hospital instead.
"Come down first; we can talk. What’s your name?"
"Step back; it’s dangerous..."
"Comrade, you have to understand our difficulties..."
A group of doctors chimed in one after another. Not only could Ruhua not stand it, but even Lezi couldn’t take it anymore. He rushed up and punched the leader in the face. The hospital leader was so startled by Lezi's ugly face that he didn’t dare say a word. The few well-mannered individuals brought by the leader politely asked, "Are you a family member? We can talk with you."
"Oh my god, I want to jump off too... Everyone get lost; I can't even have peace while trying to jump!" Lezi shouted, his imposing demeanor scaring the pale-faced doctors into retreating.
At that moment, the first batch of police finally arrived. They pushed back the onlookers and quickly discussed strategies after assessing the situation. The general approach was to persuade him down; air cushions weren't foolproof, especially from a height of over twenty stories—having one wouldn’t guarantee safety.
The second person to arrive was Guan Xiangdong. He tried to step forward but was stopped by the police. After stating his identity, a Negotiation Expert pulled him inside to maintain a safe distance of fifteen meters; they dared not get any closer. The expert whispered to him, "It seems he still has some attachments; we haven't received any information about the situation yet."
Guan Xiangdong whispered a few words, and the expert nodded. Another potential jumper from the Stock Market—it would be tough to persuade him down; if they managed it today, he would still have to come back tomorrow.
“Tsinghua, you should lighten up a bit... I thought you were always pretty optimistic. How did it come to this?” Guan Xiangdong advised.
“Tsinghua, if you want to see someone, just let me know,” the expert said in a gentle tone.
Ruhua turned around, her expression dimmed with traces of tears that had just dried. She looked exhausted and said hoarsely, “Thank you, Xiangdong... I always thought you civil servants were foolish for earning just a few thousand... but now, I really envy you.”
Guan Xiangdong was taken aback, feeling a jolt from her words. He sighed, “We really are foolish... But Tsinghua, money is ultimately just a material thing. Life is full of ups and downs; you’re still young and have plenty of opportunities ahead.”
“There are no opportunities left... People fear losing hope. When hope is gone, living becomes like being a walking corpse. I’ve come to see through it all...” Sun Qinghua replied.
“What have you seen through? It’s too early for that,” Guan Xiangdong countered.
“It’s just the way it is—living just to wait for the day we die,” Sun Qinghua said as he slowly walked along the narrow ledge of the building. Below, several police officers were sweating profusely as they dragged a safety mat into position.
After moving it several meters, he suddenly turned back, leaving the panting officers in despair.
“What do we do? He seems to have such a profound understanding of life and death,” Guan Xiangdong whispered.
“There’s still something he cares about... his wife, his wife... we need to contact her,” the expert said as he reached out to the command center for detailed information.
“Ah... maybe you should just let him jump,” Guan Xiangdong sighed deeply, leaving the expert on the phone stunned.
On the other end, Aeming sensed that things were going awry and asked with concern, “What’s going on with his wife?”
"Ah, the stock market is crashing, and my wife is cheating on me... What a disaster," Lezi lamented.
From a few brief sentences, Aeming realized that Lezi had probably been separated for quite some time. His beautiful wife had likely been avoiding him and rarely visited Binhai. Even if she did come, it wouldn't help his situation. Aeming looked at Lezi and could see that he was genuinely worried. This made Aeming's impression of him improve significantly. He kicked Lezi lightly and said, "Come on, think of a way out of this."
"What can I do? Everyone knows I have a big mouth. Honestly, I might as well not say anything," Lezi replied in frustration.
"Hurry up and call Xiao Mu! He has plenty of tricks up his sleeve," Aeming reminded him.
"Oh right, I almost forgot about him." Lezi suddenly realized and pulled out his phone, dialing quickly. He commanded assertively over the phone, "Get your ass over here! Ruhua are about to jump off a building... What’s going on? How should I know? All I know is that I don’t want to live anymore."
Feeling relieved, Aeming bit his lower lip and smiled. It seemed that this guy was quietly hiding by your side, just as he remembered. After hanging up, Lezi looked puzzled and tugged at Aeming, asking, "Hey? How do you know Xiao Mu?"
"We're friends," Aeming replied with a smile.
"Oh, now I get it," Lezi laughed.
"You know?" Aeming was surprised; it didn't seem possible.
"Of course I know! Aren't you all mixed up in this world? Just looking at you screams thug... Wait a minute, how did you end up at Ruhua' place? Didn't you say you were a security guard?" Lezi was confused; the inconsistencies were baffling him.
"I never said that; you must be mistaken," Aeming played coy, feeling that Lezi was easy to fool.
"Hey, you birdbrain! Why are you lying like Xiao Mu?" Lezi got angry.
"I'm just like Xiao Mu... not telling you the truth," Aeming teased him before stepping aside to talk to a group of arriving police officers.
The scene left Lezi stunned. He understood, but it seemed it was already too late. He quickly fumbled for his phone to notify Xiao Mu. He vaguely remembered that the police had been looking for Xiao Mu for over a year.
But it was too late to notify him. Confused, he muttered to himself, "Huh? Where's my phone..."
…………………………
…………………………
In truth, wanting to commit suicide isn't as easy as it sounds; sometimes it requires more courage than killing someone.
Ruhua seemed to embody this sentiment. For the first time, she stood up, poised to jump. Lezi and Guan Guan panicked and rushed forward, shouting, " Ruhua, don’t jump! Do you really want to make us sad?"
Lezi was on the verge of tears as he pleaded, "Come back! I owe you a million; I promise I'll pay you back."
"Who cares about that little money?" Ruhua cried, her voice trembling. "I still have tens of thousands on me. If I sell my house, I can get some more. Lezi, Guan Guan, you two can split it; I won't be able to spend it anyway."
Damn, losing everything still leaves over a hundred thousand; the police were left speechless. Guan Xiangdong remarked, "Exactly, Tsinghua! A dead camel is still bigger than a horse. Even if I struggle for another thirty years, I won't catch up to your low point."
Unexpectedly, those words enraged Ruhua. She slammed her thigh and shouted, "It's not about the money! Why does no one understand me?"
Her stomp startled Lezi. "Be careful! Be careful... Just sit down first."
The police had managed to contact Dai Qiongshi. The Negotiation Expert called out, "Sun Qinghua, we've reached Dai Qiongshi. Don’t you want to see your wife at least once?"
"Ah?"
It seemed to have worked; Sun Qinghua fell silent and sat back down.
Had they made contact?
Lezi hurriedly asked, while the police murmured among themselves, dismissing the idea. His wife had said she didn't care if he lived or died.
She wasn't coming at all. It looked like they would have to implement Plan B. The officers discussed ways to attract attention and then have two quick-handed individuals grab him. But the situation was too sudden; who would bear the risk of this plan? What if they couldn't hold on? Would anyone say they pushed him off?
As their discussion yielded no results, Ruhua appeared despondent, turning back with tears in her eyes, cursing, "Liar, liar..." Then, in sorrow, she waved goodbye to Lezi and Guan Xiangdong: "Lezi, Guan Guan, don't forget to come see me every year. I don't have a son, so all my money goes to you."
"Mm." Lezi nodded sadly but was confused and shouted at Ruhua, "Where should I go to see you?"
"Exactly, Ruhua. Wait a moment; let's arrange the funeral first," Guan Xiangdong shouted, his urgency growing. At this rate, they probably wouldn't have time for arrangements. Just as Negotiation Expert was about to speak, Ruhua yelled, "Don't come over... liar! You said my wife would come. My wife hasn't even slept with me a few times; what do you know?"
Pfft... Guo Wei couldn't hold back any longer and covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Guan Yiqing wore an expression of mixed amusement and exasperation as she asked, "After all, he was a former millionaire tycoon; it can't be this bad, right?"
"Things could be worse; some people lost so much in the stock market they're going crazy. He's better off than them," Guo Wei whispered.
"So what should we do? Sigh... Party Political Commissar... you just said..." Guan Yiqing asked curiously.
"They should be here by now," Aeming replied. With one person unable to come and another not showing up, he felt utterly helpless.
At that moment, Ruhua was about to jump again. Those downstairs had watched several times already and were more anxious than she was about jumping. Someone shouted, "Are you going to jump or not? If you don't jump soon, I won't watch anymore!"
"Exactly, lip-syncing while singing, and fake jumping off a building." Someone grumbled.
Ruhua stood ready to leap, glancing at Too High, feeling scared. He turned back to prepare for a backward jump, and as he did, several police officers trying to grab him stepped back in fright. He grimaced and cried out, "Can't you just let me be? You all want to interfere when I jump... You won't let me live, nor will you let me die. This is too much."
"Alright... just calm down, calm down..." Negotiation Expert shouted.
Ruhua spat, finally making up his mind. He sniffed hard and swung his arms; below, a chorus of gasps erupted: he was about to jump.
At that moment, a police officer from Maintain Order had his megaphone snatched away. The person who grabbed it shouted loudly:
"Ruhua, I'm coming! Wait for me, brother! Let's say goodbye before you jump. You have no experience with this; let me tell you—if you're going to jump off a building, you should eat well and drink plenty first. Otherwise, it’s going to hurt! Do you have enough money on you? You need to pack some more; otherwise, when you reincarnate, you won't get any benefits. If they just toss you aside and you end up as some animal in your next life, that would be tragic! Living like a pig or a dog this life means you'll be worse off in the next... How much money do you have left? Have you thought it through? Grave prices just went up; don’t die without a place to be buried..."
The voice echoed above the hospital. In an instant, patients lying in their beds were laughing so hard they nearly fell off. Those watching the jump were in stitches; meanwhile, those upstairs trying to dissuade him were horrified. They certainly didn’t want him to die. However, Aeming and a few others were smiling; they knew that person had finally shown up:
Mulin Shen.
Taking the elevator straight to the top floor and rushing into the crowd, Ruhua was now in tears again. Seeing Shu Lin Shen running out of breath, he sobbed, "You bastard, are you here to laugh at me?"
"You’re the joke here; who needs to watch? Who chooses to jump off a building? Why not find a toilet to drown in? No one would notice if you died there. Yet here you are standing around; clearly, you don’t really want to die," Xiao Mu jabbed.
"Shut up! I can die however I want; who are you to care?" Ruhua snapped back angrily.
"Hey hey hey... wait a minute," Xiao Mu quickly changed his tone.
"It’s useless trying to persuade me. I’m done living; all my money will go to Lezi and Guan Guan. Not a single cent for you," Ruhua retaliated provocatively at Xiao Mu.
"I have something more important than money, I don't care... Wait, the last thing I need to tell you is that you're going to die. I have to tell you this; if I don't, my heart won't be at ease," Xiao Mu said.
"What is it?" Ruhua bit.
"Are you sure you want to hear it?" Xiao Mu asked, his expression serious.
"Tell me," Ruhua replied warily.
"Don't get angry, okay? If you get angry and jump off a building, there are so many witnesses; it has nothing to do with me," Xiao Mu said.
"Damn it, you must have done something bad," Ruhua realized, shouting angrily, "Spit it out!"
"Ah... Well, actually, I’ve been with Dai Qiongshi during this time while you two were fighting over divorce. If you're willing to sign the divorce agreement, I promise to buy you a nice grave... Hey, why are you staring blankly? Is that okay? We've been together for a while now... I even brought the agreement," Xiao Mu said. The police were left dumbfounded by this guy; seriously, who does this?
No way? Guan Guan was horrified.
It can't be true! Lezi couldn't believe it.
But there was no time to think. Ruhua gritted his teeth in fury. He wasn’t going to jump anymore; instead, he turned and rushed down the stairs towards Xiao Mu. Xiao Mu hurriedly backed away while saying, "You jump off your building; who sleeps with your wife is none of my business."
"Go to hell!" Ruhua lunged at Xiao Mu, pinning him down. In his rage, he was completely unreasonable. He climbed on top of Xiao Mu and started slapping and punching him while cursing, "You bastard! I knew you had bad intentions. Damn it, did you steal my wife?"
Xiao Mu yelled in pain, "Damn it! I've talked him down; why aren't you holding him back... Hey, stop hitting me! How could I sleep with your wife? That’s just disgusting..."
Finally realizing the situation, several police officers rushed in and pulled Ruhua away, forcing him onto a stretcher. Despite being restrained, Ruhua's eyes were bloodshot as he shouted, "Don't let me see you again! Every time I see you, I'll beat you up! Hey, why are so many of you here? Can't I just have a moment of peace? What do you mean jumping off a building? I'm not jumping anymore; it's so annoying!"
The commotion finally came to an end as they carried the restrained figure away. The crowd downstairs dispersed, and those who had come to assist upstairs began to leave as well. Lezi and Guan Guan squatted beside Xiao Mu, watching him with amusement as blood trickled from his nose and mouth, unable to suppress their laughter.
Wiping his face, Xiao Mu turned around only to see Guan Yiqing and Guo Wei laughing, along with Shen Lingchen and Aeming. In a moment of surprise, he shouted, "Baldy... what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to help," Baldy replied. "Oh right..." Aeming stepped forward and casually handed his phone to Lezi, saying, "There were so many people; you must have dropped your phone."
"Oh, that’s why I couldn’t find it... Hey, by the way, Mu, this guy isn’t bad. What’s his name? Baldy? Haha... he really looks like a Baldy," Lezi chuckled without a care in the world.
Xiao Mu took out a tissue to wipe away the blood. Aeming helped him up, but seeing so many familiar faces left him at a loss for words. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Oh, it’s fine now. Everyone can go back."
However, that didn’t seem to work. When they reached the lobby downstairs, not a single person had left; they all followed closely behind him. Xiao Mu felt as if he had stumbled upon something significant. Without saying a word, he headed toward Ruhua' hospital room, sighing heavily as he pulled Lezi and Guan Xiangdong along to comfort his extremely agitated brother Ruhua...
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