Song Ran didn't sleep all night.
On the desktop of her open computer was the statement template Liu Yufei had sent her - admitting that the content of yesterday's article was suspected of being false and fabricated, and awaiting an authoritative investigation.
At nine o'clock in the morning, she wanted to get up and drink a glass of water. As soon as she stood up, she felt dizzy and everything in front of her was dark. She held on to the table for a long time before she slowly recovered.
Song Ran lay back on the bed. She had been trying to calm herself down and think from Li Zan's perspective all night, but to no avail.
When she stood in her own position, she saw that her fortress was impregnable—Wang Han’s testimony and evidence regarding the time and place of the complaint, the director’s exposure, and the threats she suffered from various parties…
But what Li Zan said was not without reason.
She took out her cell phone, hoping to find a third person to help lead her out of the maze, even if it was just an objective glance.
But after looking through the phone contacts of thousands of people, there was not a single person who could allow her to make that call.
The only one, last night...
She was about to put down her phone when she unexpectedly saw Luo Zhan's business card.
Song Ran remembered that Li Zan said he had returned to China and could be contacted now.
When the call was made, Luo Zhan happened to be free.
Song Ran greeted him a few times at first. When she hesitated, Luo Zhan had guessed her purpose and said, "It must be uncomfortable to stand in the center of the storm, right?"
"You know everything?"
"Reporter Song is now nationally famous." He was still in the mood to joke.
Song Ran asked directly: "Do you think I did something wrong?"
Luo Zhan pondered for a moment and said, "I read your conversation record. The witness testimony is very clear. The time and place of the incident, including the several complaints, are all very clear. As long as the police are willing to investigate, they will definitely be able to find out the truth. So I think you are right. However, you only gave one party a chance to speak."
Song Ran said: "But the other party has their own channels to express themselves."
"Which side does the public believe?" Luo Zhan asked back.
Song Ran was speechless.
"Perhaps you have only found part of the truth, but you are a journalist and you know the power of mass communication better than I do. When the truth from one angle is infinitely magnified, the truth from other angles is likely to be infinitely compressed, because the public has no reason, only emotions."
Song Ran remained silent.
Li Zan expressed this idea yesterday, but she didn't want to listen.
"But then again, it takes everyone working together to take all aspects into account. How can it be possible with just one person? I personally think you have been able to speak objectively. It is the police's job to investigate the truth, and it is the netizens' job to make rational judgments. It's just that the public's credibility is low at the moment, and the Internet is not rational. They can't do it, so they must blame you for not writing a complete answer, which is very unfair."
She said: "At that time I was afraid that if I didn't speak up, the other party would cover up for me and the child would be doomed."
"Yes. You have determined your purpose, so you have to fight for your life to get through. But reporter Song," Luo Zhan suddenly changed the subject, "the shutter button you pressed has no emotion. The photo of Candy is the most objective and true record. It doesn't matter what your purpose was at the time. You don't have to blame yourself or prove yourself for it. No matter Wang Han or Zhu Yanan, they were not the children who died at the time. You can record, but you have no responsibility to protect. When you want to protect, you have selfish motives and are no longer an objective person."
Song Ran was stunned.
…
Li Zan did not sleep well that night.
He drew a picture of all the clues of the incident and found that his disagreement with Song Ran was mainly on the student evidence, the director of the Education Bureau's teaching department, teacher Zhao Yuanli and the police's behavior.
First, there was the student testimony that Li Zan had no objection to the violence suffered by Wang himself, and it was easy for the police to verify this.
What he was unsure about was Zhu Yanan's two pieces of evidence, which did not meet the legal standards.
The second is the complaint to the Education Bureau and the director of the Teaching Department. Song Ran said she had verified it; but Li Zan has not discovered it yet.
Third, due to the limitations of his position, we temporarily do not have access to Mr. Zhao Yuanli’s transcripts and confession.
Fourth, the police's behavior, Song Ran thought it was a threat, but Li Zan could understand that it was a clumsy way of dealing with things. However, in his opinion, it was enough to say hello to the TV station. Even her father was affected, which was too much.
…
After analysis, he could try to explore the points made by the Director of Academic Affairs and Teacher Zhao Yuanli.
Before going to work, Li Zan visited the director of the teaching department again.
But the director's husband said that the director's mother was ill, so she rushed back to her hometown in the neighboring province.
Li Zan became suspicious and asked, "Did she tell you that Wang had reported Teacher Zhao to her?"
The husband waved his hand and said, "We never talk about work, so we don't know." Then he quickly closed the door.
When he arrived at the police station, policeman Xiao Jia saw the dark circles under Li Zan's eyes and felt bad. He came over and patted him on the shoulder and said, "This is not your fault, it's all the fault of that reporter. Don't take it personally. Even if you deleted her photos that day, she would still write nonsense."
Li Zan forced a smile but did not answer.
During a break from work, he clicked on Song Ran's number and typed: "Yesterday I didn't try to persuade you, I just wanted to remind you that the autopsy showed that the deceased had not suffered corporal punishment or violence before his death. I was afraid that you would do something bad with good intentions and you would not be able to bear it later..."
Before he finished typing, news came out on his cell phone—Zhao Yuanli's students wrote an open letter to prove their teacher's innocence.
Li Zan clicked on it and saw a joint letter signed by hundreds of students. It used many examples to describe how teacher Zhao Yuanli was a noble teacher and cared for students. It also quoted the comments of international netizens to attack Song Ran. It questioned the motives behind Candy's award-winning photo, and by analogy, questioned Song Ran's motives for writing "Another Voice". The final conclusion: Song Ran is a reporter who uses suffering to gain attention.
Since then, public opinion has begun to reverse wildly.
Li Zan put away his cell phone, got up and went out.
…
Senior high school students have to make up classes on Sundays, and the sound of teachers lecturing can be heard from time to time in Teaching Building No. 3 of Experimental Middle School.
Zhao Yuanli attended classes as usual and did not ask for leave because of recent events.
Li Zan stood in the office with his hands in his pockets waiting. He shifted his eyes from the shelves covering the wall with awards and trophies for outstanding teachers and glanced at the desk in the room.
After waiting for about ten minutes, Zhao Yuanli finally came back from get out of class.
"Officer Li, sorry to have kept you waiting." Zhao Yuanli looked apologetic.
"It's okay, I just got here too." Li Zan smiled and said, "The college entrance examination is only a few months away."
"Yes, the senior year classes are too important to be delayed. I am teaching several senior year classes." Zhao Yuanli just sat down and stood up again, "I'll pour you a glass of water."
Li Zan stopped him: "No need."
Zhao Yuanli still poured him a cup of hot water and said, "It's really cold this year. It's already spring, but the temperature is still so low."
Li Zan smiled and after a few words of small talk, he explained his purpose: "I am here to do a follow-up investigation. I am sorry to have taken up your time."
"Nothing, you say."
"I think you have seen the article online. What do you think?"
Zhao Yuanli sighed, "I have been teaching for so many years, and I have only thought about educating students well and giving my best. I didn't expect that this time, it would be the turn of these little kids to stand up for me and write a joint letter to redress my grievances. I am really ashamed and relieved."
Li Zan looked at him, his eyes slightly moving: "I'm talking about the article "Voice" written by reporter Song, accusing you of insulting and corporal punishment of students." He checked his phone, "The students' joint letter was sent half an hour ago. Weren't you in class at that time? How did you know?"
Zhao Yuanli smiled and said, "… The student told me that he wanted to do this before. I had selfish motives, so I didn't stop him. It was because my whole family was harassed so badly. As for the article written by the reporter, it is completely false. When I was interviewed yesterday, I made it very clear that I have a clear conscience towards the students. Whether it is Wang or Zhu Yanan, I have never done what the reporter wrote."
Li Zan asked, "Do you know which student Wang is?"
Zhao Yuanli: "Wang is a famous surname, how could I have guessed it?"
“Do any students usually have grievances against you?”
"No, I have a good relationship with every student. I didn't do what he said, so I can't know who Wang is. That student must have lied."
Li Zan was recording, looking up from his notebook with a scrutinizing look.
"What's wrong?"
Li Zan said: "Reporter Song has been under pressure from many sides, but has not disclosed any information about the students to the police until now."
"So what?" Zhao Yuanli was confused.
"So my colleagues all think that the reporter is making up stories and cannot provide any information. The so-called Wang is fictitious. But as the person involved, you assumed in your heart that there was such a lying student who accepted the interview?"
Zhao Yuanli was stunned.
"But you also said that every student has a good relationship with you. Isn't this a contradiction?"
"Also," Li Zan pointed at the desk next to him, "Teacher Zhao, the corner of this desk is so badly damaged, have you ever accidentally bumped into it?"
Zhao Yuanli's face changed and he said, "I have said everything I should say. If Officer Li has any questions about me, I will go to the Public Security Bureau in person to cooperate with the investigation next time. Now I have to go to class."
This matter was not under Li Zan's jurisdiction, and Zhao Yuanli was obviously very clear about it.
Li Zan smiled faintly: "Excuse me, please study hard and don't let it affect your mood."
He stood up and nodded goodbye.
Li Zan did not delay and immediately rushed to the Public Security Bureau to find Deputy Captain Wu and handed him the notes and recordings:
"Deputy Captain Wu, Zhao Yuanli must be hiding something."
After listening to the recording, Deputy Captain Wu showed no emotion and said, "Li Zan, I told you yesterday that Zhu Yanan did not have any injuries caused by violence."
"But verbal violence and mental violence are also..."
"Zhu Yanan's parents admitted to the two forms of violence you mentioned, saying they scolded their child at home this month. They also regretted it."
Li Zan frowned slightly and said, "That doesn't mean Zhao Yuanli is innocent. Zhao Yuanli used violence against the student surnamed Wang, and the deceased Zhu Yanan might not have been spared. Although there is no direct connection between the two at present, this line still needs to be investigated..."
"Where's the evidence? Who saw it? Who heard it? The conversation between Zhao Yuanli and Zhu Yanan was just a little harsh, and it won't have any legal effect. Li Zan, you haven't been to a police academy, so you don't know that everything depends on evidence and you can't just rely on one side. The consequence of not talking about evidence is law enforcement violence. As long as there is no evidence, even if Zhao Yuanli is really related to Zhu Yanan's death, the law will not punish him."
"I understand." Li Zan was silent for a moment, then asked, "But if there is no evidence, shouldn't we look for it?"
“After all, evidence doesn’t fly to us,” he said.
Deputy Captain Wu frowned slightly, stared at him for a while, and said, "The current situation is that there is no chain of evidence between Zhao Yuanli and Zhu Yanan. Zhu Yanan's parents were the cause of his death. The case will be closed soon. The reporter is your friend, so please tell her that today's reporters always want to command or even control the law and law enforcers through public opinion, which is absolutely impossible."
Li Zan's eyes changed: "So you are trying to get angry with a reporter..."
"Captain Li!" Deputy Captain Wu suddenly called out.
He had previously thought that the auxiliary policeman was just a gentle and non-tempered person, but at this moment, he met Li Zan's eyes - that was indeed the look that only a soldier would have, a look as sharp and silent as a blade.
"I saw you were so impressive in Baixi that day that I wanted to recruit you to the Explosive Disposal Team. But after asking around, I found out that you're a big shot. You can be my boss."
Li Zan looked at him calmly.
"I won't bother you with anything that happens within our system. But... Captain Li, you graduated from a military academy. Don't you know better than the average police officer how to obey and execute the orders of your superiors
Then let me tell you, this case is closed today."
…
Li Zan came out of the yard and stood on the roadside waiting for the red light.
There is a heavy flow of traffic at the intersection.
He looked at the tall buildings and the people coming and going, but at a certain moment he felt that the scene before his eyes was a little unreal, like a mirage floating above the desert of the East.
The street light turned green, but Li Zan did not follow the crowd. He stayed on the side of the road, like an alien.
After a while, he took out his cell phone and called Song Ran.
…
The Yangtze River flows through Liangcheng, dividing the city into two.
At the turn of winter and spring, the weather was cold and the ground was frozen. The river was blue and low.
Song Ran sat on a rock by the river with her hands in her pockets, enjoying the breeze. A few stones rolled down from behind her. She looked back and saw Wang Han walking towards her carefully on the steep gravel.
The light by the river was dazzling, Song Ran squinted and asked him, "No make-up class today?"
"I've asked for leave." Wang Han found a rock to sit next to her and asked, "Have you been waiting for a long time?"
"No." Song Ran took out his cell phone and turned it off in front of him, then took out his recorder and removed the battery.
Wang Han looked at her and was puzzled: "What's wrong?"
"Let me chat with you for a while." Song Ran smiled. "We are either a reporter or a victim, or just friends. Of course, I don't know if you consider me a friend."
Wang Han was stunned and said, "It's a friend. I didn't dare to tell anyone about these things except you. I also know that you didn't reveal my information, otherwise my classmates would definitely isolate me now."
"Let me tell you something." Song Ran smiled lightly, looked at the green river surface, and said, "Do you know why I want to help you?"
Wang Han shook his head blankly.
"Do you know candy?"
"of course I know."
Song Ran raised her hand and gently rubbed his head. Wang Han shrank his neck like a little quail, looking at her with puzzled eyes, but did not hide.
"You are like those little kids I want to save," Song Ran said.
Wang Han didn't understand, but he still said, "You have saved me. Now Teacher Zhao doesn't dare to approach me."
"Maybe. But I might be fired from the TV station."
"Why?" The boy was surprised and scared. "Did someone threaten you? Oh, I saw that all your articles were deleted." He was angry and furious, but he had no power. He could only say with red eyes, "I saw the petition written by my classmates. It's fake. They didn't see the truth!"
Song Ran turned his head to look at him, his eyes calm: "I don't know if what I saw is the truth."
"You..." Wang Han was stunned, "What do you mean?"
"I've been sick recently, and my mind was too confused, so I overlooked a very important thing. Wang Han, you gave me accurate information and evidence about Teacher Zhao beating you. But can you give me more evidence about Teacher Zhao's bullying of Zhu Yanan, besides your testimony, that unclear screenshot, and the confusing short video? Even if you can tell me which part of Zhu Yanan's body was bruised or injured, tell me,"
She said, "As long as you give me money, I can continue to write articles. Even if I am fired by the TV station and scolded by hundreds of millions of people.
My friend said that reporters should not get emotional, but if you promise that everything you say to me is true, without any exaggeration. Wang Han, I can risk everything I have to protect you and help you fight against them. Can you promise me that?"
In front of him, the thin boy was stunned, his short hair was blown by the river breeze, and he opened his mouth as if to say something.
But at the moment he hesitated, Song Ran smiled at him, and his smile was even more desolate than the river wind at that moment.
She looked back at the blue river and muttered, "I thought it was atonement, but it turned out to be another crime."
Wang Han didn't understand what she said, but he also panicked, his eyes wet: "Sister, I swear!" He said fiercely, "Teacher Zhao really beat and scolded me for almost half a year! The place, the time, every time, I didn't lie! The wounds in my body and heart are real! When I saw the doctor, when I complained to the Education Bureau and the Teaching Office, I told you everything!"
"I know." Song Ran said, "I checked it, so I believe you. But... what about Zhu Yanan?"
"he… "
"Was he present in the scenes you described? Was he beaten with you?"
Wang Han was stunned for a moment, then slowly lowered his head: "He told me that the teacher once scolded him and seemed to have pushed him... I didn't see it with my own eyes..."
Li Zan's words suddenly rang in Song Ran's ears: "I'm worried that you will have to bear the consequences alone."
She looked towards the island in the middle of the river and saw a hint of green emerging from the mudflats, merging with the river water. But when she looked more closely, it seemed like an illusion.
Yes, it’s already this late and spring hasn’t come yet.
The river wind was as cold as a knife, and she suddenly wanted to walk along this road, sink into the green river bottom, sink into the clear color. If she jumped into the water, the world would be clear and transparent.
She said, "Wang Han."
"Um?"
"Don't believe what Mr. Zhao said to you. I think you are a good kid. Don't become a bad person because of the hurt you suffered in the past. Continue to be a good person, okay?"
"… good."
"Study hard."
"… Um."
Wang Han went to school.
Song Ran walked on the street, not knowing where to go.
The traffic was heavy and the sirens were blaring. The hustle and bustle of the city filled her ears and tore at her nerves.
She felt like she was walking in a completely unfamiliar world. The billboards, traffic lights, high-rise buildings and overpasses, and the faces of the oncoming pedestrians were all strange and cold.
She kept walking and walking, walking in that direction, trying to grab a life-saving straw in this endless city, even if it was just a trace of the only familiar breath she had.
When Song Ran broke into the Baixi Road Police Station, her lips were already blue and purple from walking in the cold wind for several hours.
All the police officers looked at her with puzzled expressions.
Song Ran's voice was as ethereal as silk, and he asked, "Li Zan, is Officer Li here?"
"He asked for leave this afternoon."
"Where did you go?"
“No.”
She turned around to leave and ran into policeman Xiaojia.
The other party was not very polite: "You killed A-Zan. He guaranteed you, but you turned around and published an article, causing all of us to have our bonuses deducted. Fortunately, the case is being closed now."
"I'm sorry." Song Ran said in a very low voice, with his head lowered, and walked out the door.
Behind me, a police officer shouted:
"Another incident! A student named Wang Han from Experimental Middle School came forward and said that he was the one who accused Zhao Yuanli, Wang. He publicly requested the police to investigate Zhao Yuanli and said that the school's education bureau was shielding him..."
Song Ran didn't know whether he heard it or not, and he kept walking away.
…
Song Ran stood at the crossroads and found herself with nowhere to go. Her phone was out of battery. She couldn't go back to the TV station. Her father's house had never been her support.
When the street light turned green, she followed the crowd, unconsciously searching among the faces of the people coming from the opposite direction, hoping that God would create another fate for her to meet him.
But this time, it seems that our fate has ended.
Among so many people coming towards him, there was no trace of him.
Song Ran walked alone across half of the city and returned to Beimen Street.
It was dark, and the alley was deserted.
Her body walked along the dead silent alley. When she reached the corner of Qingzhi Lane, she looked up and was stunned.
Li Zan stood at the entrance of the alley, which was exactly where he drove her last year.
Because he had been waiting for too long in the cold night, his shoulders were slightly hunched and his face was a little pale, but his eyes were still clear.
He looked at her quietly, with the same eyes as he had in the airport waiting hall, gentle, sad, yet more determined.
In an instant, all the sadness and grievances came flooding up like a river.
Song Ran had trouble breathing and immediately walked towards him, but it was Li Zan who spoke first: "Song Ran, I have something to tell you."
"I lied!" She interrupted hastily, staring at him. "I haven't had a good life in the past six months. Not at all."
She tilted her head and smiled at him, "My smile to you was fake, my happiness was fake, my family was fine, my work was going well, all of it was fake. I was pretending. ... Just like now..." She grinned at him, her smile was ugly, her eyes were filled with tears, "Look, I had a good day today. I was lying, I told a lot of lies. I felt like dying today, I felt like dying every day. I..."
Emotions surged up in her and she suddenly choked. She couldn't cry or laugh, and she didn't know how to face the absurdity of herself at this moment.
"I lied to you too." Li Zan smiled slightly, his eyes flickering, like eyes and tears, "I am living a good and relaxed life now. Bomb disposal is very dangerous. I don't want to do it anymore. I don't care. I lied to you. I actually..." He shook his head gently, the smile on his face was heartbreaking, "... I am a useless person now."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt as if he had been shot in the temple.
He looked up at the sky, took a breath, his eyes reddened, and suppressed the trembling in his voice: "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you those things yesterday. I didn't know about Candy, and I didn't know the pressure you were going through... I only stopped you and questioned your judgment because I was afraid that you would encounter the same desperate situation. I'm sorry..."
“No!” She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks, “I’m sorry, I said something too harsh. Please don’t be angry… OK?” She cried, “It’s my emotional instability… It’s also my stubbornness that caused the current situation… I shouldn’t have been a reporter a long time ago. I was wrong a long time ago…
But please don’t be angry, let’s not quarrel, okay? Because, there is only you... only you... "
She was already in tears, sobbing and unable to speak, and could not organize any words: "I... can't tell anyone. Ah Zan, do you know... I can't tell..."
She covered her mouth and nose with her hands, lowered her head deeply, and cried uncontrollably.
His eyes were red, he took a deep breath, clenched his jaw, and tried to raise his head. The night sky seemed to be sparkling.
He lowered his head and rested his forehead on her hair.
"I know," he said.
I know you can't tell anyone.
Because I am the same.
Because there is no empathy in this world;
Because saying it out loud is like, why am I the only one who is so fragile? Why am I the only one who is so incompetent
The soldiers who fought on the battlefield returned to the peaceful homeland, people were laughing and talking, and no one could hear the sound of gunfire in that memory.
In this peaceful era, the war has left a deep mark on them, which is ugly, private and unknown.
Outsiders saw it, either looking at it curiously or looking at it with disdain. They couldn’t see the cramps and bones beneath the scar; they didn’t know that it looked healed but could cause excruciating pain on rainy days.
And after so many twists and turns, it was not until tonight that I finally met the man who had also returned from the battlefield, emaciated and desolate; the man who had the same scar and was in heart-wrenching pain every night.
Just like the white olive tree I saw that day.
People who have never seen it will never believe that there has ever been such a magnificent sight in the world, and will never understand that there has ever been such a moment of tenderness between heaven and earth.
People who had never seen it shouted: "There can't be a white olive tree in the world!"
But only he/she knows that white olive trees exist.
Because that day, he and she saw it together.
Fortunately, at that moment, under the white olive tree under the blue sky and sand, he/she was by her/his side, proving that she/he was not dreaming.