There is a kind of person who is just a person and nothing else.
Sometimes he is called Zhang San, sometimes Li Si. Over time, he even forgot his own name, so he has no name.
He has no relatives, which is a good thing in this world of suffering; he has no friends, so there is no betrayal; he is as ordinary as a grain of sand, clearly existing but no one knows about it.
But he must always remember that his number is 317. This number is the only value of his existence and his only belief, but it cannot replace his name on the tombstone.
317 likes to grow vegetables. There is no land in the city, so he has to plant the vegetables in broken pots, each plant looks like a flower. When he lazily leans on the street corner, those lonely vegetables are his only thoughts. When the target appears, he has to put away his thoughts, become focused, and become one of the numb people rushing around on the street, either passing by the target or following it.
317 walked into the gambling house. No matter whether it was day or night, the place was always filled with smoke. Although it was bustling with people, to 317 it seemed like there were ghosts everywhere.
There was one gambling table that was the biggest, and the shouting was the loudest. The protagonist was not the dealer, but the young black-clad ghost who had just lost his gun and was sweating profusely. He was obviously unwilling to give up. He was taking out a silver pocket watch and shouting wildly in his hand: "This is the time to turn the tables! Kill you without leaving a single piece of armor!"
The ghosts laughed: "Just relying on this pocket watch?"
The black-clothed ghost showed a sunny and proud expression: "A bunch of blind scum! What I hold in my hand is not a pocket watch at all, it is the bayonet of the Eighth Route Army!"
There was silence at the scene, followed by an even louder wave of laughter.
317 wrinkled his nose and walked quietly behind the black-clothed ghost beside the gambling table. He subconsciously lowered his right hand and shook it lightly. A sharp and slender metal cone over half a foot long slipped out of his sleeve. Amid the swaying figure in the smoke, murderous aura was faintly visible.
The sharp spike was too thin, and there was no sound when it was inserted or withdrawn, and not even a drop of blood was brought out. 317 turned around and disappeared into the ghostly shadows.
Clank-
The sound attracted the attention of those nearby, and the young man in black beside the gambling table couldn't help but look back. Behind him stood a strange man with a dazed look in his eyes. A dagger had just fallen to the ground, and the sound was made by the dagger falling to the ground.
The man continued to stand there for a few seconds, then suddenly fell on his back and began to convulse, his expression as painful as that of a ghost!
Only then did someone scream: "Murder!"
There was immediate chaos, with benches knocked over and legs broken. Only the black-clothed ghost holding the pocket watch was still staring blankly at the dying man on the ground.
…
Standing outside the gambling house, Li Youcai closed his silver pocket watch and put it in his inner pocket, then took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a puff. A police officer walked out of the gambling house and approached him, stretched out his hand to ask for a cigarette, and said, "There is no identification, and no one at the scene has seen this man. Second brother, you said he was behind you at the time?"
Li Youcai nodded: "How did he die?"
Officer Li Weiba threw away the extinguished matchstick and said, "Someone stabbed me from behind. I think they used an awl or something. It was not short."
Looking up at the sky, Li Youcai suddenly said, "It's been cloudy for several days, right? It's not raining, so annoying. By the way, how is Master Li doing now?"
"Are you asking about the old man? He... I haven't been back for a long time, so he should still be the same, right?"
"You really don't know?"
"I really don't know."
The cigarette in his hand was not even half lit when Li Youcai threw it on the ground and stomped it out: "Do you know about Ding Er's matter?"
"Ding Er?" Li Weiba rolled his eyes. "The one who died in your detective team's cell?"
"right."
"I only heard that he was murdered in prison. Isn't that an unsolved case for your detective team?"
Standing beside this hot and shabby street, Li Youcai's face was sweaty, but he couldn't feel the heat. Li Youcai felt that the man who had just died in the gambling house must have come for him. The more he thought about it, the colder his back felt. He didn't expect that he was now as poor as a dog, how could he still attract flies? If so, it means that the people who wanted to kill him were not because of his traitor skin.
What is even more incomprehensible is that the killer who wanted to kill him was dead. Who killed him
After bidding farewell to Li Weiba, Li Youcai didn't even dare to take the shortcuts in the alleys, and would rather walk on the main street from a distance. He thought that he had become meat on the chopping board again, and his end was approaching!
He was nervous all the way and went straight back to the detective team. Good or bad, it was safe to stay in the detective team. But now he no longer had an office. His office was occupied by the new captain of the detective team. Seeing the four powerful characters "in cahoots with each other" still hanging on the wall of the office, Li Youcai felt much better. It seemed that the new captain was a kind man and might be easy to talk to!
"What did you say? You don't want to go out on the field?"
"Captain Shen, I'm not going to hide it from you. Someone wants to kill me. I can't walk around the streets anymore. I'd rather come back to the team and sweep the floors."
"Someone wants to kill you?" Captain Shen stared at Li Youcai for a long time behind the desk, and suddenly started laughing: "Li Youcai, can you be more professional? Which of you brothers is not afraid of the dark? Which month on the roster is not marked with a red mark? If you say so, do I have to call all the brothers back to the team to sweep the floor and sprinkle water every day? Don't forget, I am a new officer, and I haven't started the first fire yet! Do you understand?"
Li Youcai stared helplessly for a long time. What he said was really incomprehensible. He had a good eloquence and even asked if anyone understood. If others didn't understand, Li Youcai must understand. Once they took up a position, they forgot how high the sky was. Aren't they afraid of falling to death
"Captain Shen, I've only been out of prison for a few days, and I haven't received my salary yet. But I have prepared something good for you!" As he spoke, he took out a beautiful silver pocket watch from his pocket and handed it to the desk respectfully: "I wish you great success and a long life!"
Captain Shen's eyes lit up. He picked up the pocket watch and turned it over and over in his hands. He happily opened the watch case and praised subconsciously: "Not bad! It's silver! Nanfeng? What does it mean?"
"It has been blessed in Sanqing Temple! This is not just a pocket watch, it is also a talisman!"
…
The great ideal of staying in the detective team to sweep the floors and sprinkle water has been realized. At least it is safe during the day. However, after get off work, the feeling of unknown danger comes again. In order to avoid being watched, Li Youcai deliberately waits until dark and goes through the back door instead of the main door. Unlike during the day, this time he does not walk on the main street but goes through the dark alleys. His destination is not his doghouse but Chunxiu Building. Only by spending the night there can he feel safe. Now he is a complete stray dog!
He thought that since someone had just died, he would have a few days to catch his breath. He thought that the darkness of the alley would be able to conceal his escaping figure. Less than ten minutes after leaving the detective team, Li Youcai already regretted it!
He was running for his life in the dark alley because he felt he was being followed. He looked back again and again but saw nothing. His ears were buzzing and he could not even hear his own rapid breathing and heartbeat. He could not believe that the other party was so anxious to kill him!
He quickly turned another corner and strode into a new dark alley. The alley was only a few dozen meters long and a street under dim lights could be seen at the entrance in front of him. As long as he could hold on for the last few dozen meters, he would be able to break out of the realm of death. However, his hope was shattered before he reached the limit.
A figure stood at the entrance of the alley ahead, and the posture and outline showed that he was clearly holding a gun. Li Youcai took a few hasty steps and stopped in the middle of the dark alley with a painful gasp. He turned back helplessly and saw a figure also stopped at the dark alley behind him, and the posture and outline showed that he was also holding a gun!
This dark alley was destined to be the final destination. No matter how unwilling Li Youcai was, he had no chance to escape. He didn’t even have the chance to reach for his gun and make a last-ditch effort, because he had lost his gun again today. He could only lean against the wall dejectedly, looking forward and backward. In the last few seconds, he didn’t reflect on the harm of gambling, but regretted it. Maybe... Hu Yi’s pocket watch... was really a talisman...
There was a sudden and violent sound of gunfire!
Muzzle flames flashed at the front of the alley, and muzzle flames also flashed at the back of the alley. Invisible bullet trajectories whistled in front of Li Youcai, again and again, flashing again and again. Li Youcai's mind was blank, and he didn't even realize that he had knelt.
Plop—someone fell down.
Plop—another one fell down.
Li Youcai finally found himself kneeling. He had not fallen yet. The ones who fell were the two people at the two ends of the alley.
As Li Youcai walked towards the fallen figure that was still moving, his legs were still weak and he had to hold on to the side of the alley wall with his hands.
He picked up the revolver on the ground and pointed it at the man lying on the ground coughing up blood. He didn't realize that his tone was almost a roar: "Who are you? Why?"
He seemed to be trying to suppress the pain. In the dim light, the blood from the corners of his mouth looked black: "... cough... I can only... plant the vegetables in pots... cough cough..."
I can only plant the vegetables in pots, he just kept repeating this sentence, repeating it until he could no longer cough up blood. All he could think about were the vegetables planted in the broken pots...