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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 140: Unspoken Thoughts
Lin Qizhao hurried back to the Provincial Government Compound, heading straight to the office building on the sunlit side, in a corner adjacent to the union and the Political Department. It was an office that few people visited, a department where most of the staff rarely showed up. Those who found themselves there were often facing career setbacks, nearing retirement, or entangled in scandals; generally, they would be temporarily placed in this department.
Last year, another person joined—Shen Lingchen. After being reinstated, it was impossible for him to remain in his original position, and promotion would also be difficult given his prior disciplinary action. In this system, achievements are recognized as such, and mistakes as mistakes; even minor faults tarnish one's reputation and compromise the integrity of the organization. No one expected Shen Lingchen to be more thoughtful than his superiors had anticipated, voluntarily requesting to retire in this neglected department.
This only deepened Lin Qizhao's respect for his colleague. A wise person knows others well, but an enlightened person knows himself better. He understood that this old cop had matured into a sage who viewed honor and disgrace with indifference. Compared to before, he seemed to be busier than ever.
As he knocked and entered, Lin Qizhao was surprised to see Guan Yiqing present. He smiled and joked, "Oh, Senior Sister is here too?"
Guan Yiqing felt a bit embarrassed and didn’t dare to respond to her superior's jest. Shen Lingchen chuckled and said, "Lin Department Head, everyone in the Provincial Government Compound knows your reputation is quite good now, but you shouldn't be too approachable; don't scare your subordinates."
"Come on now! The reason I stand at this height that others look up to is thanks to your guidance, Master. I’ve just taken credit for your great work... What’s wrong, Master? Are you thinking of making a comeback? Our Special Training Division would warmly welcome you! With your insights combined with our big data analysis, in just a few years we could make a name for ourselves throughout the police force," Lin Qizhao replied with pride.
"Alright, enough flattery... I need to discuss something serious with you," Shen Lingchen said solemnly. Lin Qizhao immediately dropped his playful demeanor; it seemed there was indeed something important at hand. He gave the floor to Guan Yiqing. She gathered her thoughts and recounted what she had seen two days ago in detail to both men, her expression growing increasingly grave.
The issue at hand was that the informant known as the Red Line had been missing for over a year and seemed to have gotten close to the family of a suspect.
For police officers, this was a dangerous signal. If the family realized that their loved one was compromised by an informant, such hatred could become a motive for any number of actions. Moreover, this was not just an ordinary criminal case; it involved a suicide and an extreme punishment. The family member involved—Rong Ying—had a notorious reputation as a troublemaker.
Shen Lingchen grimaced as he tossed a stack of documents onto Lin Qizhao's desk and said, "These are Rong Ying's records from the past couple of days—fighting, illegal street racing, gambling—she's even worse than Xiao Mu back in the day."
Lin Qizhao picked them up and flipped through them; they were all records handled by the local police station. It seemed that whenever Rong Ying got into trouble in the past, her brother Rong Wu had stepped in to resolve things for her. The household registration documents showed no indication of their sibling relationship; it was clear that Rong Wu had tried to create a comfortable environment for his sister but had ultimately failed. He muttered to himself, "Xiao Mu was such a smart person; why did he engage in foolishness? Rong Ying knew nothing before but now she might have learned something... Goodness! Is she gathering her 'sisterhood' together to take revenge on someone who was involved with her?"
Looking at the case files revealed that Rong Ying had once gathered seven or eight women at the International Hotel to beat up a manager who dealt in fur goods. The reason? The manager had abandoned his mistress after initially supporting her against her original partner. Lin Qizhao couldn't help but chuckle as he flipped through the pages and stared incredulously at Guan Yiqing, asking, "Did you see this with your own eyes?"
"Yes, it seems their relationship is quite close," Guan Yiqing replied.
Lin Qizhao suddenly understood and asked Shen Lingchen, "Master, are you worried about Nie Qifeng?"
Shen Lingchen nodded and showed the visitation record from the Fourth Detention Center to Lin Qizhao. Lin Qizhao glanced at the registered visitor's name: Rong Ying.
A sudden jolt ran through him; others might not be able to articulate it, but Nie Qifeng and Li Derli would certainly clarify the situation. If that were the case, Xiao Mu would become her sworn enemy. This left Lin Qizhao grimacing, staring at the thick stack of case files in silence for a long while before finally saying, "Master, this is impossible to handle. We don't have the authority to revoke a suspect's visitation rights. When Nie Qifeng confessed his crimes, he was quite straightforward; he's a man who understands he's seeking death..."
Indeed, what could anyone do to someone who was prepared to die? There were still three bowls of farewell wine before execution. At this moment, who could bear to strip him of his last shred of human rights?
"By the way, he also said that one day he would personally tell Rong Ying," Guan Yiqing added with a thunderous remark.
Lin Qizhao trembled in shock and asked, "Did he really say that?"
Guan Yiqing nodded, "Yes... Before Rong Wu's incident, I always thought his dealings with Rong Wu were strategic; I didn't expect he was serious about it. Moreover, I feel they might not just be ordinary friends; their relationship seems closer."
"This complicates things... The Flame Action's confiscation of stolen goods is still ongoing, and the properties under Rong Ying's name were acquired through Bridge Commerce, which are also subject to recovery. The cars and houses have been seized... Could another antisocial personality emerge?" Lin Qizhao remarked.
This concern was not unfounded; under the oppressive weight of legal violence, there was no room for sympathy. It was only now that he realized that throughout this process, all those involved had been busy with the case, reveling in the joy brought by their achievements. The only one who offered sympathy to that innocent person was Xiao Mu.
Shen Lingchen found himself at a loss. He rested his chin on his hand, tightly pursing his lips as the three exchanged silent glances filled with helplessness...
...
...
In March, during the season when grass grows and eagles fly, on the eve of Clarity at Wolong Cemetery in the eastern suburbs of Suzhou and Hangzhou, amidst Qingqing's mountains floated the sounds of firecrackers. Occasionally, one could hear the cries of men and women mourning.
The loudest cries came from a dragon cave halfway up the mountain where Big Gourd was lamenting again. He clutched the gravestone, tears streaming down his face as he cried out:
"Oh dear brother, you left too soon! Living alone is truly meaningless. No one to drink with me or share a bed with me. Last week two Russian girls came by; just seeing them reminded me of you... I took care of everything for you... Oh brother, I'm here to see you; I burned two paper dolls for you—those foreign girls! Damn it, I don’t even know if you can receive them... Now all our brothers are doing well; open your eyes and take a look! It's much better than when we were struggling back then... I regret it; when we were rummaging through garbage for food, what was I even fighting you for? Just a chicken neck! Eating it only gave me diarrhea..."
A group of over ten people arrived, initially somber, but as they listened, they found themselves chuckling. What was meant to be a moment of mourning turned into laughter, and when one person laughed out loud, Big Gourd wiped his nose and glared: "Get lost!"
That person hurriedly left, and soon it was just Big Gourd left wailing by the tombstone, pouring out half a bottle of liquor onto the grave while drinking the other half himself. His routine was simple: drink a little, cry a little, and then lean against the stone until he passed out.
Xiao Mu carefully embedded the carved portrait into the stone and meticulously painted the inscription in red. By the time he finished these tasks, Big Gourd was already slurring his words. Xiao Mu called for Liu Yang, and several people came forward to coax and support the tearful Big Gourd out of the cemetery.
Life had been going quite well. Panzi's methods had inspired Xiao Mu, and a few sharp-eyed and quick-handed rascals were trying their hand at painting and tattooing under his guidance. Surprisingly, some of them showed considerable talent. Dragon Well and a few others who were used to petty theft but lacked skills ended up becoming tour guides under Xiao Mu's direction. After all, travel agencies were just legal scams. They seemed to be doing well enough. As for those who were less fortunate, some were recruited by a real estate development company, continuing their old ways of collecting parking fees on the streets. There were even a few who still struggled to make ends meet on the streets. Despite everything, this loose group had not disbanded over time.
"Hey... let's go..." Xiao Mu waved to everyone. He led the way, bowing deeply to Erhu Lu's tombstone, feeling a pang in his heart as he wiped away tears.
More than forty people followed Xiao Mu, reminiscing about their past misadventures together. Someone squeezed up to him and asked, "Brother Mu, Brother Mu, could you... help us find some work?"
"Oh? Who are you?"
"Crooked Toad... I used to drive unlicensed cabs, but it's tough now with all the inspections. They stop cars halfway through routes and even have undercover passengers catching drivers like me. You can't even charge ten or eight bucks without risking fines that can reach thousands."
It was a tricky situation; this guy had crooked teeth and an uneven jawline with a large black mole on his forehead. With looks like that, he'd struggle even at construction sites. Xiao Mu hesitated slightly, but Crooked Toad picked up on it and sheepishly said, "If it's too much trouble, forget it. I just wanted to ask... I really don't know what else to do."
"No worries... what else have you done before?" Xiao Mu inquired; choosing a career was a significant issue, and experience mattered.
"Scamming people," someone chimed in for him.
"Why did you stop? Scamming seems like a promising career," Xiao Mu replied.
"It's hard now; there are so many female drivers nowadays that if you try scamming them, they might just run you over," Crooked Toad lamented. He explained that ever since one of his buddies got disabled while trying to scam someone, he hadn't dared to continue.
"Oh, I see..." Xiao Mu pondered for a moment, activating his survival instincts. After considering for a few steps, he finally decided and said to Crooked Toad: "Let me teach you something; think it over carefully—making a living shouldn't be too difficult."
"Sure, I'm here to seek your advice," Crooked Toad said happily. The rumors in the Jianghu about this master were well-known; he rarely spoke, but when he did, it was like turning stone into gold. Cangji, who had once been a rogue, had managed to solve his life problems, which was the best proof of the master's wisdom.
"You need to pay attention to the first step I mentioned," Xiao Mu instructed. "It's still about staging an accident, but change up the method. What you were doing is too dangerous. Here’s how it goes: drive a car and gather a few people to hang around outside hotels and restaurants. Once you spot someone who's had a drink and is about to drive, signal them. As for you, don’t hold back—whether they’re violating traffic rules or going the wrong way, just bump into their car and demand some compensation for your troubles. They won’t dare refuse."
"Is that really going to work? What if they don’t pay? It’s hard to pull off these scams nowadays with all the dash cams around; high-tech stuff has got me in trouble before."
"If they refuse to pay, just call the police."
"Huh? Call the police?"
"Yes, call the police."
Xiao Mu smiled as he spoke, and then one of them suddenly understood and slapped his forehead. "Good idea! That guy will get his license revoked for drunk driving. A license isn’t just a few hundred bucks, right?"
"Exactly! You’ll be in the clear for breaking the law; he’ll have to sweet-talk you... Just do it this way, but remember not to break any laws yourself. Don’t go driving a black car or actually get into a fight. Just let them cover your small expenses," Xiao Mu advised.
"Alright, I’ll give it a shot tonight," Crooked Toad said eagerly. Xiao Mu patted him on the shoulder and smiled encouragingly.
Having offered plenty of advice before, Xiao Mu had once tried to steer these people towards a better path. However, he later realized that it was foolish of him; if everyone could walk the straight and narrow, who would be left to expose society's ugliness and humanity's degradation? After coming to terms with this mindset, he no longer obsessed over what others did; in reality, it didn’t matter what they chose to do—it was all about survival and how one lived their life. Existence itself—what was unreasonable about that?
Some complained that business on the streets had become tough; one small-time operator lamented this. Xiao Mu suggested he talk to Gourd Brother instead; his underlings were making several thousand a month now, consuming behind closed doors—no need for outsiders to benefit from their profits.
Others raised concerns about business during the off-season for tourism; even legitimate tour guides were struggling to make ends meet while they were bound to starve. Xiao Mu provoked them further: "Do you look like you're starving? Be content with what you have; as long as you're not hungry, that's what matters. Do you think those organizations are all like Alibaba?"
Some invited Xiao Mu back to Suzhou and Hangzhou, but he merely shook his head without offering an explanation.
Regardless of everything else, conditions had improved significantly; there were cars available even for visiting graves now—vehicles from real estate companies. When those who came to pay respects at Erhu Lu got in their cars, Xiao Mu felt a deep sense of indebtedness. He rummaged through his pockets and handed all the money he could find to Crooked Toad. Wai Tuo adamantly refused it, but Xiao Mu pressed it into his hands saying, "Just take it; you can pay me back later when you can afford it... Ah, don’t be polite! If I can help in any way, I feel better about myself."
"Well... thank you, Brother Mu..." Wai Tuo said, touched.
After the car had driven quite a distance, he clutched the money and glanced at the vehicle he had just redeemed from the transport authority. Gritting his teeth, he made up his mind: to hell with it, no more driving unlicensed cabs; he would take a legitimate route.
In the car, Liu Yang turned back to look at the group and smiled at Xiao Mu. "Bro, did you teach them again?"
"Yeah, they can't survive otherwise; we can't just let them suffocate," Xiao Mu replied, tilting his head as he listened to Big Gourd mumbling, chuckling lightly.
"How about we sponsor them a bit? After all, tattoos are making good money these days; we've all saved a little," Liu Yang suggested. This rascal had indeed found a way without resorting to crime.
The proposal was quickly dismissed. Xiao Mu shook his head. "Never. A grain of rice nurtures gratitude; a sack of rice nurtures resentment."
"What does that mean?" Liu Yang asked.
"Helping in emergencies but not in poverty, aiding in crises but not in laziness... If you keep giving regularly, it breeds dependency. For example, my dad used to give me whatever I asked for. In my mind, he was just a cash machine," Xiao Mu explained. People might not always understand life, but when it comes to money, they often grasp it better than most.
Indeed, Liu Yang thought about it. The greatest gain for those people wasn't how much money they received but rather that they gradually became self-sufficient—even if through dubious means. He chuckled softly and said, "Bro, I've been wanting to say something for years but never had the courage."
"You want to say... thank you?" Xiao Mu asked with a smile.
"Yes, thank you, bro... I never imagined I'd stand on stage one day or that I would have such a skill. After my dad got into drugs, my mom left. I remember my dad always hitting me with a belt; he was furious that I was a boy—if I were a girl, he could have made some money off me... Honestly, I don't even know what it's like to have a relative..." Liu Yang said.
Xiao Mu glanced at him slowly and smiled back. "Well then, like me now, you know what it's like."
Liu Yang nodded silently, his thoughts drifting to the late Erhu Lu.
Ding... ding... ding! The phone rang. Xiao Mu pulled out his phone and frowned upon seeing the screen. He answered it: "Hello? Yingzi? Oh, I'm in Suzhou and Hangzhou; it'll take me over an hour to get back... Just wait for me at home then; okay, I'll come find you."
Something was wrong. The tone of the conversation felt off, and Xiao Mu pondered for a long time without understanding what had happened. When he unintentionally glanced at Liu Yang, he found Liu Yang looking at him solemnly. Xiao Mu smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Brother, you've done your part; you don't owe her anything... Her brother brought this upon himself," Liu Yang replied.
"Ha ha, yes, she hasn't done anything wrong. Is it so bad that I like her?" Xiao Mu interrupted the topic with a smile, unwilling to dwell on the past.
In truth, he still hadn't let go. Liu Yang sighed deeply and chose not to continue the conversation.
The group hurried back to Binhai, remaining silent along the way.
...
They moved from a house worth millions to a shabby room with rent under a thousand.
From being a wealthy girl who rode in luxury cars to becoming an unrefined working girl.
More than a year had passed when Rong Ying took out her dusty makeup case, the only memento left from her once extravagant life. Looking in the mirror, she saw her aging face, her sorrowful eyes, and her gaunt figure. She began applying foundation slowly, gradually putting on makeup, reminiscing about how beautiful she once was.
Eighteen months ago, she was released from Branch. The news had left her dizzy; she couldn't believe that her once invincible brother would choose to end his life. Even more unfathomable was that Brother Nie, who had always been cheerful and open-minded, could possibly be a notorious criminal.
But everything was true. By the time she saw her brother's remains, it was already at the moment he was being pushed toward the crematorium. When she regained consciousness, a vaguely familiar person was by her side. This person accompanied her and Rong Wu through their final journey.
Later, she remembered that he was from Brother Nie's company—the one she had scared away.
Afterward, the police came knocking repeatedly for verification. Time and again they summoned her; her assets were gradually seized, and everyone who had once been close to her fled in fear—except for this one person who remained steadfast.
He was surnamed Mu and called Mulin Shen.
When he was summoned, he waited quietly; when he had nowhere to stay, he found a clean place to live; when life was tight, he would secretly leave money where you could see it. Rong Ying, with her beautifully adorned eyelashes, suddenly blinked, and a large tear welled up. She quickly wiped it away, remembering her brother, who used to stuff money into her hands without telling her it was earned from the blood bank.
After wiping away her tears a few times, she controlled her emotions but could not find even a glimmer of sunshine in her tragic life. She gritted her teeth and tried hard to regain her former beauty. Though this life was already a tragedy, she was not alone. She thought... she was thinking... of showing her most beautiful side to the person who cared for her the most.
As she dealt with the blackheads on her nose, she seemed to see that melancholic man in the mirror, always looking at her with pity. Every time she hoped for a gentle kiss, all she received was disappointment. Thus, she thought it must be that she wasn't beautiful enough to capture his heart.
She traced the outline of her lips, pressing them together to make them appear more rosy and vibrant. The dullness of life left too obvious marks on A Woman. She wondered if he would like her this way.
Deep down, she knew she liked him very much. She couldn't pinpoint when it started—was it that time he accompanied her to send back the ashes to their hometown? Or that time when she had a high fever and he sat quietly by her bedside, repeatedly placing a cool towel on her forehead? Or perhaps it was countless moments she couldn't quite remember? She couldn't articulate it clearly, but in her heart, it became increasingly evident.
Perhaps he liked me, Rong Ying thought as every time she saw his melancholic gaze, it made her heart flutter. It felt as if he could see deep into her soul—when she was cold or hot, hungry or sad—he always seemed to know just what to say to touch her heart, making her lean against his shoulder and listen to his soft whispers until her mood began to brighten.
But why had he never said anything? Rong Ying's hand paused as she examined her face in the mirror—graceful and beautiful—but it still failed to satisfy her. No matter what expression she wore, the sorrow in her eyes could not be concealed... It seemed she understood that Mulin Shen did not truly like her; many times in this room, while she clung to his hand affectionately, he never stayed.
It was a kind of concern that did not seem like romantic love between a man and a woman.
Feeling somewhat dejected amidst this anxiety of gain and loss, she gazed out at the leaden sky outside, unable to lift her spirits.
At that moment, she heard a knock on the door. This shabby room had only ever received one visitor; she knew who it was. Unable to contain her excitement and anticipation, she hid her makeup box, straightened her clothes, tidied her hair, and quickly walked toward the door...
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