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After letting Qiuju Niu go back to change into proper clothes, Wang Chao led everyone towards the City Bureau. However, Old Shao did not return to the City Bureau; instead, he asked Wang Chao to take him to the airport first. In the car, Guan Deng had already booked a flight for Old Shao to Dongxing City. It was clear to everyone that Old Shao was going to Dongxing City to find someone he claimed was skilled in martial arts.
Before leaving, Old Shao assigned everyone a task: to get some sleep. They had barely managed to catch a few hours of rest, and now it would not be easy to locate Zhang Wenhua later. Only with their fullest energy could they face the upcoming mission.
Qiuju Niu was directly taken into custody. The historical issues surrounding Qiuju Niu needed thorough investigation, but before that, Qiuju Niu would accompany the task force to Desolate Village.
Xu Yiman yawned as she returned to her dormitory, while Guan Deng settled into his own room, tapping away at his laptop. Wang Chao had been assigned a task by Old Shao: to contact the Public Security Bureau in a southern city of the province.
The choice of this city was deduced by Jiang He.
Yue Min City is located in the southern part of Hanxi Province, characterized by its mountainous terrain. Qiuju Niu had previously passed through the area where Desolate Village was said to be located. Based on Jiang He's analysis, the most likely candidate was the small city of Yue Min City in southern Hanxi Province. The southwestern part of Yue Min City is predominantly mountainous, and while there are many villages registered with the Public Security Bureau, none were named Desolate Village.
This did not surprise anyone; many villages have one name on official records but are commonly referred to by another name among locals. Desolate Village was likely just a colloquial term used by the villagers. Jiang He identified several villages in Yue Min City that fit the description; whether any of them were indeed Desolate Village could only be determined by their higher probabilities.
When Wang Chao returned from outside, he saw Jiang He leaning against the railing of the boys' dormitory corridor, gazing up at the sky. Wang Chao stood beside him and followed Jiang He's gaze upward; aside from the blue sky and fluffy white clouds, there was nothing else.
"What are you studying?" Wang Chao leaned over the railing as well, unsure of what Jiang He was doing.
As he spoke, Wang Chao lit a cigarette. Knowing that Jiang He didn't smoke, he didn't offer him one.
Jiang He turned his head and replied, "I'm studying the relationship between cloud density and precipitation. The weather forecast said it would rain last night, but it didn't. I'm trying to figure out when it will actually rain."
Hearing this, Wang Chao couldn't help but smile and waved his hand dismissively. "In your words, it's just a high-probability event. Whether it rains or not is another matter entirely. It's like you always say—smoking is harmful to health—but that's also a probability issue; whether one develops lung disease is a separate question."
Jiang He continued looking up, resting his head on his hands. "When humans first came into existence, we instinctively sought to minimize various risks. Eating raw meat can lead to illness, so we learned to use fire during evolution. We couldn't overpower wild beasts, so we began using tools. We developed vaccines and focused on health preservation. Isn't all this aimed at reducing numerous risks that could lead us to death? That's why human lifespans have been increasing."
Jiang He turned back around and added, "This is human instinct; that's why I don't understand why people engage in activities that harm their bodies. They know smoking has no benefits, yet so many people flock to it."
Wang Chao exhaled smoke and replied, "Jiang He, most of what you say is correct, but your perspective often feels detached from reality. Smoking isn't good for you; that's true. But many times people just can't seem to break away from it. We're all police officers here; life can end unexpectedly."
Wang Chao extinguished his cigarette on the railing and turned to Jiang He, saying, "I’m not sure what the odds of dying from smoking are over a lifetime, but we often face ruthless murderers. When that time comes, it’s us who will stand up. Life is predetermined in many ways; people die for various reasons, so why should we make ourselves miserable?"
"From my observations, a person's fate has little to do with numbers," Jiang He replied.
Wang Chao shrugged. "But who really knows?"
Jiang He suddenly found this question worth pondering: "So-called fate is merely the result of our own choices. If you don’t actively expose yourself to danger, your chances of survival are significantly higher."
After a moment of silence, Wang Chao spoke again, "Yeah, my wife has worried about me a lot. Being a cop is too dangerous; she’s tried to persuade me to change careers several times. But I’ve been doing this for over a decade now; I just love this line of work. There’s no way around it."
With that, Wang Chao pulled out his wallet. "Do you want to see pictures of my wife and daughter?"
Jiang He shook his head. "Not interested. I think the clouds above have absorbed enough moisture; they’ll rain as soon as they encounter cold air."
Wang Chao glanced at the photo—a family portrait—and gently touched his wife and daughter's faces before carefully putting the picture back in his wallet. "In our task force, I’m the only normal one. You all have your own ideas. But most talented people are quite strange; if ordinary folks could understand them, they wouldn’t be considered talented."
Upon hearing this, Jiang He finally stopped observing the clouds and looked at Wang Chao instead. "Am I a strange person?"
Wang Chao understood Jiang He’s personality and didn’t think he was angry. There was an advantage to dealing with someone like Jiang He: you could completely let your guard down since he didn’t hold grudges.
"Yeah," Wang Chao said. "To ordinary people, you’re quite strange. You, Xu Yiman, and Guan Deng—you're all unique in your own ways. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad or good; life is long, and we’ll see how it turns out in the future."
"What’s so strange about me?" Jiang He asked, clearly wanting to dig deeper.
Wang Chao thought for a moment before responding, "For example, we’re about to go to Desolate Village. I don’t know why, but just hearing that name gives me an uneasy feeling. The deeper into the mountains we go, the more troublesome things can get if something goes wrong. Yet you seem completely unconcerned and instead are interested in studying the clouds."
Jiang He stopped studying the clouds because they could be analyzed at any time; however, these words were not something one could hear every day. Jiang He had heard countless evaluations of himself—freak, fool, mentally challenged—and if he hadn’t had an exceptional memory, they might have categorized him as someone with intellectual disabilities.
But Jiang He didn’t understand what exactly made him strange.
Jiang He spoke almost without hesitation, "I think it's unnecessary to worry about something before it happens. What we need to do is minimize risks based on the information we have, rather than worrying without reason."
"So that's our difference," Wang Chao said, looking at the clouds above. "You are terrifyingly calm, able to analyze and devise the most suitable strategy for the current situation amidst constant change. Most of us rely on our instincts, and people like me are in the majority; someone like you is rare."
"But the rules of society are set by the majority, which makes you quite unique," Wang Chao added.
Jiang He nodded; he had considered this point before.
"So what would an ordinary person do at this moment?" Jiang He asked carefully.
Wang Chao instinctively replied, "Right now, I want to call my wife and daughter. I don't know if there's a signal in that Desolate Village, and even if there is, I might not have time to call my wife. So an ordinary person would probably want to call someone they consider important."
"Important people?" Jiang He pondered but couldn't discern who qualified as important.
Jiang He asked, "What defines an important person? Does Old Shao count?"
Wang Chao shook his head. Looking at Jiang He's expressionless face, he suddenly felt a wave of sadness. "He counts, but he'll be back soon. Your call wouldn't mean anything. I'm talking about if you were about to die and could make a call to one or a few people—who would be the first person that comes to your mind?"
"I can't think of anyone," Jiang He replied honestly.
Wang Chao patted Jiang He's shoulder and said slowly, "First family, then friends, and finally neighbors. Call the person who ranks highest on that list."
With that, Wang Chao walked away.
Jiang He watched as Wang Chao entered his dormitory while dialing a number. Jiang He knew it was a call to his wife.
Jiang He glanced at his phone; there were no contacts saved because he could remember everything. In Jiang He's world, no memory was more important than another—he could never forget anything. Without comparison, nothing was precious.
Jiang He had no family and no real friends; aside from the project team members, he only had one person with whom he had a decent relationship.
"Shui Xinlan?" After pondering for a long time, Jiang He felt that this person might be the most important one in his life.
"What is it?" Shui Xinlan's voice was lazy. "Uncle, what time is it? Aren't you going to sleep? If there's something, just say it quickly; I'm so sleepy."
Jiang He replied, "Did you stay up late writing again? Staying up late is bad for your health."
Shui Xinlan retorted, "And you dare to lecture me? When have you ever gone to bed early when you were home? You've been away for half a month this time; when are you coming back?"
Jiang He said seriously, "I don't know."
Shui Xinlan sighed, "Alright, fine. Since you're not here, I can actually sleep well. Why are you calling me?"
Jiang He spoke, "I wanted to try feeling like an ordinary person. At this time, Wang Chao should be calling the person he thinks is the most important to him. I don't even know what I want. I'm hanging up now."
With that, Jiang He hung up the phone.
Shui Xinlan stared at her phone in a daze, her face involuntarily turning red.
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