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墨書 Inktalez
"Sometimes, being too clever can lead one to miss a lot," Old Shao said, gazing at Shi Xu while lightly sipping the remaining coffee in his cup. "There is this person, in his thirties, sitting in a position that doesn't truly belong to him. He is neither smart nor an impressive detective."
Upon hearing Old Shao's words, Jiang He felt an inexplicable stirring in his heart; he seemed to understand who Old Shao was referring to.
"In your eyes, such a person is just a fool. But you never realize that fools have their own ways of doing things. If they can't catch you from the front, they'll find you from behind. You know, all the team members I've chosen have lost their parents; this was a deliberate choice on my part. You might think it's my way of preventing internal betrayal, but in reality, it’s a trap to catch you."
"A trap," Shi Xu clearly hadn't anticipated that.
Old Shao continued, "Twenty years ago, Wei Demian's most favored disciple, Wu Zui, placed an undercover agent beside me and nearly wiped out our entire team. Twenty years later, the disciple that Wei Demian has trained again will likely use the same tactic. But once you learn about my team members' backgrounds, you'll find they no longer have any relatives to exploit. The only exception is one person—a person who has lost their emotions—who happens to have an emotionally rich tenant."
"That person is Shui Xinlan," Shi Xu said.
"That person is Wang Chao," Jiang He added.
Old Shao merely nodded. "Shui Xinlan is the only breakthrough I left for you, and you've made good use of it. This fool I mentioned cannot detect your whereabouts from the slightest clues, yet he possesses one great advantage: patience. A police officer can be without me or Jiang He, but they cannot do without this kind of fool. He watches Shui Xinlan twenty-four hours a day, never leaving her side, just waiting for your appearance."
Shi Xu clearly hadn't thought of this, nor had Jiang He; the two exchanged glances and realized they had fallen into Old Shao's trap.
"This matter is known only to Wang Chao and me," Old Shao said. "To deceive you, I first had to deceive my own team members. Therefore, I would rather let them grieve excessively and risk the team nearly disbanding over this issue than reveal the truth—just to wait for your move."
Old Shao finished the last bit of coffee in his cup. "You say that if you weren't sitting here, we would never find you; let's put it this way: from the moment you set your sights on Shui Xinlan, capturing you was only a matter of time. I am now sixty years old; I became a detective at twenty-four, a team leader at thirty, and a criminology professor at forty. Until now at sixty, I've been pondering what justice truly is and what the responsibilities of a detective are. In just one hour, I will turn sixty-one, and I finally think I understand."
"What is it?"
At that moment, both Jiang He and Shi Xu asked in unison.
"It’s an indescribable feeling—like enlightenment or sudden clarity," Old Shao replied. "In my life, I've done many things I shouldn't have done; I've even committed acts in the name of so-called justice that I still cannot forgive myself for today. Sacrificing anyone for the sake of so-called justice does not constitute true justice."
"You pride yourselves as Criminal Consultants, and you especially see yourself as a messenger of justice," Old Shao continued. "Even though I already know what you're planning to do, I must tell you that everything you claim is nonsense. You seek justice through the most unjust means—what a twisted notion."
Shi Xu suddenly grinned and said with a smile, "It seems you know what I'm aiming for."
"I certainly know," Old Shao said. "At the moment I pressed the button, I suddenly recalled what Wei Demian said: whether it's him or Wu Zui, even now, you are just a seed. You have expressed your views of the world in the most direct and violent way possible. Although you wish to see different worlds, you use the same means."
"And you are different from Wei Demian and Wu Zui," Old Shao continued. "Why are you so disappointed in humanity?"
"I still hold hope," Shi Xu replied. "I have hope for humanity, but I am utterly disappointed in the collective. I almost hate these people; it is their existence that prevents all of humanity and society from progressing."
Old Shao nodded. "When I was young, I shared your thoughts. It was only when I donned a police uniform that I found a more gentle way to view this issue. Debating this matter endlessly only leads to empty talk. In reality, as individuals, we cannot change anything. I can wait, but you, being so young, cannot afford to wait. There is a seed in your heart; you have chosen to sit here, which means you have been confused for far too long. What’s more frightening is that you have already found someone to take your place."
"I often remind myself never to fall into your kind of trap, thinking everyone else is foolish while only I am awake. A thousand years ago, you would have seen yourself as Qu Yuan; a hundred years ago, you would have compared yourself to the scholars of the Wei and Jin dynasties—only you are more radical than they were. Many things should retain their original form; what you are doing is not right."
"I often think our nation should reflect a bit more, but now there are fewer and fewer who are willing to think. People listen to opinion leaders while also attacking them. This cycle repeats endlessly and has never changed. Especially with the advent of the internet, these people have emerged in greater numbers, which gives me a headache," Shi Xu said as he rubbed his temples.
"So you want to kill them?" Old Shao asked.
"Yes," Shi Xu answered. "This is a seed I have planted for this world. I've said it before: including you, including Jiang He, and even myself—we are all just one type of person. What you dare not do, I will do."
"For thousands of years, people like you have been blind to the other ninety-five percent," Old Shao said thoughtfully. "Our culture has lasted five thousand years; everything passed down has been written by literate people. Yet before the establishment of New China, the illiteracy rate was as high as ninety-five percent. This means that for five thousand years, what you've seen is merely the minority; those vast majority who cannot write naturally became voiceless in history and left nothing behind."
"You believe that those ninety-five percent should not speak, but since the internet emerged, they can voice themselves freely," Old Shao continued. "The ninety-five percent show you seventy percent of humanity's ignorance, and you can't stand it. The new world you long for will never appear—neither in the past nor now nor in the future."
"This is where our views differ," Shi Xu said. "A seed does not need to change the world; its role is simply to wait quietly for generations to propagate until it eventually becomes a towering tree capable of changing the world."
"And people like me are here to strangle your evil seed in its cradle," Old Shao replied. "My seeds have long been scattered across the country—this clever Jiang He sitting before you included."
Jiang He understood what Old Shao and Shi Xu were debating; it was an age-old topic being discussed once again through their words. Yet Jiang He also recognized that such debates had no conclusion.
"There isn't much time left," Shi Xu said. "In one hour, it will be a new year. This is my gift to the future world and the opening of a new chapter. Perhaps five hundred years from now, this seed will grow into a great tree."
Shi Xu extended his hand. "You can take me away now; I still maintain that if I hadn't come here, I could live freely for a lifetime. But many times, I want to discuss some issues that everyone has long forgotten with someone as intelligent as you—just like now. I see that we cannot persuade each other, even though we are of the same kind."
Old Shao glanced at the time and said, "There’s still an hour left; I’m not in a hurry. I only have one last question for you: do the masses have the right to remain ignorant?"
This question seemed to stump Shi Xu, who fell silent for a long time before finally responding, "I believe they do not."
"That is our greatest disagreement," Old Shao replied.
"Few people think like us," Shi Xu remarked with a hint of melancholy.
"No," Old Shao shook his head. "That is also our biggest difference."
"Fine," Shi Xu said. "Even if you know what I intend to do, there isn’t enough time. With only an hour left, look at those people in the square—are they listening to you?"
The crowd remained chaotic and unruly.
"One by one, trying to persuade them won’t work; they won’t leave. But if you tell them the truth, they will riot. If that happens, there could be a stampede, and hundreds may lie on the ground. No matter the outcome, you cannot bear it. This is the nature of the crowd; you understand that, right?" Shi Xu said. "They are like sheep—sheep waiting for slaughter."
"I’ve understood that for a long time," Old Shao replied. "They are sheep, but you are not the butcher. To be precise, I cannot allow you to be the butcher."
"Let’s see how many people you can save," Shi Xu said. "One hour."
Old Shao spoke into the intercom, "Jiang He, I think you know what to do. Act immediately; hurry."
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