squeak-
The old and cracked door of the Tsuchiya was pushed open, and a slender boy with brown hair who looked at most five or six years old, holding a plastic basin of water that was extremely disproportionate to his height, staggered across the threshold.
At noon in midsummer, all the people in the village went to work in the fields, and only the noise of cicadas could be heard on the quiet dirt road. The scorching sun pierced through the lush redwood trees, and the front yard was beautifully sprinkled, and the full pot of water splashed with the little boy's staggering pace, reflecting the swaying golden light.
Finally, he stopped, bent down and put the water basin on the ground with difficulty, picked up the towel with a pair of rough and dry hands, raised his head and shouted timidly, "Dad."
On the broken bamboo chair lies a humanoid-like object.
This can only be said to be similar to a human form. His body was so thin that it was deformed, with yellow pus flowing. The ulceration caused by the injection spread to his limbs, exuding an indescribable smell; No one who came could connect the monster in front of him with people.
"Dad," the little boy called again, raising his voice.
The man didn't respond.
The little boy hesitated for a while and wringed the towel dry.
He has done it very skillfully, wiping with a towel starting from the man's neck, carefully dipping it in the most festering area near the vein of the arm, washing the yellowed towel in the basin and wringing it dry; he repeats the above steps diligently. , just like this little by little, he barely wiped the place where his father could wipe his body, until the water in the full basin had become turbid, the men kept strangely quiet and docile, and did not make the usual painful moans, even if it was only a trace. .
The little boy didn't understand, he was too young.
He was only happy that he didn't get beaten today, then with difficulty he picked up the water basin and slipped back to the house as quickly as possible.
In the evening, people who went down to the ground came back to the village one after another, and smoke from the cooking rose from the roofs of every household. The wooden door opened again, and the little boy held a gaping bowl, filled with clear porridge and dirty pickles that had been marinated for a long time, and rubbed against the man who had not moved all afternoon, cautiously Said: "Dad."
His dad didn't respond.
"… dad!"
The man remained motionless, his stiff face glowing with gray.
The fear that came from nowhere suddenly seized the childish heart of the little boy: "Dad, it's time to eat!...Aba! Aba!"
The bowl overturned with a clatter, and the porridge flowed to the ground, drowning the ants under the tree.
"Wake up, Dad!" The little boy jumped on him frantically and shook the man, even though the body had given off another rancid smell that was different from usual. Hearing the sound, the neighbors pushed the door and probed, and whispering voices rang out from all around. The little boy screamed in horror: "Dad! Wake up and watch me! Abba! Please, Abba!!"
"Please!! Please - Dad!!"
The screams cut through the village and gradually turned into howls, echoing under the gray-blue sky for a long time.
Memories turned to dust, and ran into the distance into the twilight.
"... This boy has all hands and feet, how come he hasn't been taken away for three or four years?"
"Hang Tilie, most of the village smoked white noodles, one of this family died, one of that family died, and his family died clean..."
"Who knows if he is sick! I don't even dare to touch him!"
…
The little boy sat on the head of the low earthen wall, and the sun set behind him, casting a golden light on his temples and the tips of his ears.
"Hey!"
He turned his head back, and a few stones were thrown at him, hitting him almost to the point of falling. The snot-snoting children screamed, "Missing the family! Murdering!" Then they ran away laughing and joking.
The little boy remained silent and rubbed his aching thin arm.
The setting sun stretched his lonely figure, and along with the wind and sand, he cast into the barren fields.
"Jiang Ting!" The aunt of the welfare home screamed impatiently in the distance: "Come here! Someone is looking for you!"
I don't know what to think, the little boy's dark eyes suddenly lit up, and the big black and white eyes suddenly glowed with the brilliance of hope. He jumped off the wall and ran like crazy, his little feet slapped on the ground, through the hollow sloping bungalow, through the pitted playground; the short road seemed to be endlessly long in a dream, and finally he finally The gates of the orphanage, which were so familiar day and night for more than 1,000 days and nights, moved from far to near, and the little boy's dark pupils gradually widened, bursting out with joy.
He saw it.
Just as he had imagined countless times in his dreams, there was a car parked outside the door that he had never seen in his life. It was bright and gleaming, and his little friend was being led by an adult, smiling all over his face. Open your hands.
"I'm here to pick you up, Jiang Ting."
"Say you'll never betray me, and I'll take you away."
... Betray you, Jiang Ting thought vaguely.
The pains and injuries turned into sour warm water, soaking his body in it. At the same time, his soul seemed to be suspended in the clouds, and a hazy white light flickered from the heights, stabbing him so much that he couldn't open his eyes.
Someone was crying, someone was calling, and more were calling his name. The footsteps cluttered on the ground with the sound of the iron bed rolling, but those were already in a trance, as if they were getting farther and farther away from him outside the invisible barrier.
The deep sea of memory swept in, covering the last bit of dream.
"Are you happy?" The young K of Spades asked with a smile.
Wen Shao rarely smiles like this. He has been reserved and graceful since he was a child. He has something in his body that can make one feel ashamed. With a smile on his face, he focused on Jiang Ting.
"Jiang Ting?" He asked again with such an undisguised smile, "Are you happy?"
It may be a wharf or a factory, and the background environment has been blurred in the depths of my memory. Jiang Ting remembers things very late, and many fragments of his childhood faded in pieces at the end, and only a few unforgettable details are still imprinted in his mind: he only remembers his eyes widening, staring straight ahead, and a group of faces that cannot be seen clearly. of adults around the edge of the clearing.
In the center of the clearing, several bound men rolled to the ground, biting each other, and making a beast-like scream of confusion and frantic pain.
Several syringes fell to the ground, with blood still hanging from the needles.
"You're not happy enough," said K of Spades with a smile, then turned to his subordinates, and ordered naturally, "Give these kidnappers two more."
Someone brought the tray again, with empty syringes and white powder on it. Xiao Jiang stopped his eyes and fell on it. He uncontrollably recognized what it was. Many years ago, the pungent stench of midsummer and the roar of flies appeared in front of him again. The festering and pus-filled father on the reclining chair closed his eyes.
He recognized what it was.
"Are you happy?" the king of spades asked happily, "Jiang Ting?"
The white powder dissolves in the syringe, the needle is pierced into the vein, and the devil's fluid is pumped into the vein little by little. This scene coincides with a certain scene deep in my memory. The liquid level in the syringe drops little by little, all of which are reflected in the panicked pupils of the little boy who was carrying the big water basin.
"Jiang Ting?"
…
"Happy," Xiao Jiang stopped shaking and said in a thin voice, "Happy."
The king of spades hugged him tightly into his arms, his face filled with excitement and contentment deeply rooted in his soul.
"I'm also very happy that the culprit has finally been punished, and no one will dare to attack us again... You see, it's fascinating how easy it is to control or destroy someone."
Xiao Jiang stopped and breathed, but he couldn't hold back the strange trembling.
"Do you miss me?" the little friend whispered in his ear, "I'm going to America."
… America
"The formula over there is better and the technology is more advanced. You have to wait for me here. When I come back, I will definitely bring back a very powerful new medicine, which will surprise everyone, even those who dare to point fingers at me. The old man can't imagine it."
He laughed again, kissing Xiao Jiangting's soft hair, his eyes flashing like a child's desire for new toys:
"At that time, everyone will be commanded by me and obey my orders. I am their king."
"Only you, my equal brother—"
—Only you are my brother.
Hearing Shao's nicknames gradually matured and became thick and low. Time passed by in the blink of an eye, Jiang Ting's shoulders widened and his height elongated. He was once again at the noisy celebration feast. When he looked up, he saw his pale face as an adult through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
The familiar whispers in hell are coming through the mobile phone, mixed with the rustling of electric current, like a devil whispering in his ear with a smile:
"Remember the new medicine I told you about? I came back with it."
"Traditional alkaloids will eventually be replaced by synthetic products, and they will go to the grave with those old men and be buried by the times. Jiang Ting, abandon Wu Tun, he is destined to live soon, and the future belongs to me and you."
Colleagues beside him slapstick, laugh, boo, toast, all the familiar excitement is separated by a transparent glass. Suddenly he was the only one left in the whole world, standing alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, staring at his dark, trembling pupils.
Footsteps came from behind.
The reckless young detective seemed to be a little embarrassed, raised his glass, and murmured, "That, Team Jiang..."
Jiang Ting saw his reflection in the glass move.
He controlled himself perfectly, holding the phone without turning his head, only raising his hand and swinging it back, with his fingers slightly open and palm outwards, a gesture of refusal with an obvious commanding meaning:
"I see, let's go."
The young man hesitated.
Jiang Ting said in a more serious tone, "Go."
The young man's mouth froze in the air, his face turned blue and white, looking a bit funny. But fortunately, he didn't entangle any more, turned around and left here with a heavy kick, walking towards the noisy crowd, towards the jubilant celebration banquet, and was soon pulled away by more cheerful young policemen.
Jiang Ting hung up the phone and looked back.
No one saw what kind of expression flashed in his eyes, he just stood up straight and watched Yan Yan return to the normal world—
The backlight outlines his side profile, like a sword from shoulder to back, casting a slender reflection behind the floor-to-ceiling windows, winding along the floor of the auditorium to the distance, but no matter how hard you try, you can't reach the lively crowd. .
No way, he thought.
He couldn't let people find that behind the calm and calm figure of the leader of Jiang Branch, a little boy who was too thin and clumsy and ridiculous, was holding a plastic water basin that was half his height, staggering across the threshold, and striving to become pale in midsummer. The bright and noisy afternoon of cicadas gradually melted into a nightmare that would never wake up.
"… the blood is compressing the nerves, and the situation is very dangerous now… "
"The risk of craniotomy is very high, and family members should be psychologically prepared..."
…
"Jiang Ting! Jiang Ting, wake up!"
"Brother Jiang, please!"
"Team Jiang! Team Jiang!!"
…
who is calling me? Jiang stopped thinking.
He floated up from the iron frame bed, fluttered, and flew into the vast and vast night sky.
"Team Jiang! Everyone made an appointment to go to Lao Niu's house to watch the game after get off work, are you going?"
"I have something to do tonight, so I won't go."
"Team Jiang, are you going for the weekend hotpot walk?"
"Oh, let's play."
"Jiang team Jiang team, the city held a badminton match, everyone in our team signed up..."
"I have other things to do."
Familiar figures crossed their shoulders and dispersed, one by one, the laughter and laughter gradually drifted away.
Overcast clouds were gathering, and the damp water vapor was like a cobweb, covering every corner of the City Council building. Jiang Ting walked through the dark and deserted corridor, the silhouette was bent and stretched in the stairwell, and the sound of footsteps echoed for a long time.
He locked the office door, drew the curtains, and came behind the desk alone. Stacks of thick documents were taken out from the file cabinets that were locked all year round, notebooks filled with various intelligence charts were spread out, and countless secret trails were marked on the map of China and Myanmar with red and blue handwriting; The faint fluorescent light reflected on Jiang Ting's icy side face, outlining the dim light and shadow.
"What are you doing?" The king of spades over the receiver asked with a smile.
"work overtime."
"It's so late, what are you doing overtime?"
Jiang Ting did not answer.
The big drug lord on the other side of the call didn't mind, and said gently: "We have a group of people who demolished their homes and were arrested by the sub-bureau. Just like what happened to Hu Weisheng last time, you need to find a way to clear things up so that the 'Blue Gold' matter will not be noticed by the police. "
Jiang Ting's tone was calm: "Okay."
He put down the phone, but just before hanging up, the voice of the king of spades came from the opposite side: "Wait."
"… "
"You've been working too much overtime recently, so you have to pay attention to your health. There is an apartment in Yazhi Garden near your city bureau, Room 701, Building B, District 1, which is specially prepared for you. You can take time to sleep when you can't work overtime in the future, or If it’s inconvenient to see people and do things, you can go over there to deal with it.”
Jiang Ting had no expression on his brows and said, "I see."
He put down the microphone.
The huge office returned to silence, and the desks and chairs were covered with a touch of gray. Jiang Ting raised his head. There were more than ten names written on the whiteboard on the wall. The dense arrows of interest formed a spider web. At the center was a box with a playing card attached—
Spades K.
He stretched out his hand and slowly and forcefully drew a fork on the card, the tip of the pen deformed with the stroke, boom!
The nib is broken.
The red ink was sprayed on the spider's web, winding down like a few blood and tears, and silently hit the floor of the office.
"One day," he thought to himself, "one day—"
The calendar is turned over by time, making a rustling sound.
The page is stuck on October 8th.
[In the trading tomorrow, all bulk goods and firepower will be delivered to the Ecological Park Base - Heart Q]
【Receiver: Rivet】
A window popped up on the screen, indicating that the information was sent successfully, Jiang Ting finally raised his hand and turned off the computer. Then he got up and took out the gloves, shoe covers, rags and detergent that he had already prepared from the bathroom, and started to clean the entire apartment in an orderly manner, completely erasing all traces of his entry here, not even a fingerprint or hair DNA. Let go.
After tomorrow, the king of spades will disappear from the underworld, and no one will know that there has ever been a queen of hearts in this world. The Gongzhou Anti-Narcotics Detachment, Changjiang Stop, has no connection with the drug cartel. Room 701, Building B, District 1, Yazhiyuan will become a "black room" with an unknown owner, and will be forgotten forever in the corner of this huge city until a few years or more than ten years. After demolition, it turned into ruins.
All sins will come to an end, just like a nightmare that has continued from the midsummer many years ago to this day, and finally disappeared with time.
Jiang Ting stepped out of the apartment, closed the door, and stood in the empty corridor. He finally looked back at the three numbers 701 hanging on the door, as if a heavy chain had been cut off and left behind. For the first time in so many years, he took a deep breath and walked toward the stairs briskly.
Ding dong!
Jiang Ting took out his mobile phone, which was new news from the team.
[Jiang team, we have been busy for half a month. After the operation is over tomorrow, everyone wants to go out for a drink. Are you coming? 】
A smile appeared in his eyes. Jiang Ting typed in the word "OK" and was about to click send, but hesitated after thinking about it.
They would be surprised, wouldn't it seem a little strange that the detachment leader, who had always refused coldly, suddenly asked to join the dinner
Will it be embarrassing? Will it make everyone feel uncomfortable
Or they just asked casually, should we wait until we meet tomorrow, and then try to ask
"..." Jiang Ting's thumb hung in the air for a while, and he finally deleted the good one, and typed it word by word seriously—"Let's talk about it tomorrow." Then he clicked send and put the phone back in his pocket.
The fresh wind outside the corridor, wrapped in salty and damp water vapor, blows in.
Jiang Ting put his hands in his pockets, an expectant smile appeared on his face, and strode forward.
The clouds are low, the fallen leaves are swirling, and the lanterns of Gongzhou City under the huge sky are beginning to come on. He just kept walking forward, through the crowd of people, through the smoke-filled scene, through the collapsed flames and the disintegrating future; he walked through three years of lonely sleep, the scarred soul from Awakened from hell and pulled the trigger on the devil.
The bullets that arrived for many years roared out of the muzzle, setting off a bloody fog that sprayed over the vast territory of the southwest.
I finally did it this time, he thought.
He leaned back, closed his already heavy eyelids, Yan Yan's heart-breaking cry gradually faded from his ears, and his soul drifted into the distance with a strong reluctance. In a trance, he seemed to become very happy and light, and the pain receded like a tide. He stood on the steps in front of the Gongzhou Municipal Bureau Building and looked back down.
"Team Jiang!" Those familiar figures still hooked their shoulders and waved at him with a smile: "The operation is over! Come and drink with us!"
"Don't always be busy with work all day, let's go with everyone!"
"Yeah, it's finally over!"
"come quickly!"
…
Jiang Ting laughed. He didn't remember that he had laughed so happily, and strode down the steps.
The wind whistled from his ears, and the steps that could have been run to the end in a few steps suddenly became extraordinarily long. Soon Jiang Ting became anxious and tried his best to reach forward, but no matter what, he couldn't meet his former teammates.
Wait for me, didn't you promise to take me with you
Wait for me!
Jiang Ting couldn't make a sound, his throat seemed to be blocked by something sour. He ran forward desperately, but the distance did not shorten in the slightest. He only felt the burning pain in his internal organs, and finally used all his strength to squeeze out the voice:
"… Hey! Wait for me!"
"Let me go with you!"
…
The moment the voice fell, as if the curse had been lifted, Jiang Zing suddenly stopped.
He found himself still standing on the steps, where his teammates waited silently. Just a short distance away, the wind of the world came from the sky, mixed with shrill cry, and rushed to the distant horizon.
Jiang Ting stretched out his hand, palm up, and he heard the voice of his choked request:
"Don't leave me alone..."
"I've always... always wanted to go with you..."
But the teammates laughed, shook their heads one by one, and answered regretfully: "No, Team Jiang, this time we are really leaving."
"One day we can meet again!"
"You have avenged everyone! Go back!"
Jiang Ting stubbornly stood there, hot tears rolling down his cheeks.
Do you want to leave me alone in the end? he thinks.
"No," the teammates winked at him teasingly, and they seemed happier: "You're not alone, didn't you realize?"
Jiang Ting opened his eyes wide and turned his head.
I don't know when it started, the rebellious and sharp-edged young criminal policeman came behind him many years ago, his face became more mature, his body became more solid, his eyes full of tears stared at him, full of pleading and hope. .
That's Yan Yan.
Jiang Ting was stunned, then Yan Yan stretched out one hand to hold him tightly, and waved the other hand to his teammates in the distance, like a grateful farewell.
But…
Jiang Ting struggled to turn back, and in an instant those figures that were once within reach were getting farther and farther away, only the familiar laughter echoed in his ears, mixed in the wind, and flew to the sky:
"Goodbye this time, Team Jiang!"
"See you one day!"
See you again someday-
Time went backwards quickly, the river flowed upstream, the devastation after the explosion was restored to its former appearance, the many scars were vanished, and the heroic spirit rushed to heaven with glory on his shoulders.
In the hospital ward, the person on the bed finally slowly opened his eyes.
"Jiang stop!"
"Team Jiang!"
"Doctor! Call a doctor!!"
Cheers rang out, more sobbing with joy. In the corridor, Ma Xiangguli hugged her head and cried, and Yang Mei sobbed softly on the shoulders of Han Xiaomei, who was wiping her nose.
Jiang Ting's scattered vision gradually focused, and fell into a pair of deep and bright eyes on the opposite side, only the reflection of each other could be seen in each other's pupils.
"..." Jiang stopped moving his lips, the oxygen mask he put on after the operation made him unable to make a sound, but Yan Yan smiled with red eyes: "I understand."
Jiang Ting also had a smile in his eyes.
Even though it is riddled with holes and old age, I and you have searched thousands of mountains and rivers, stepping through life and death—
Before we meet again, thank you for bringing me back to this world.