"Long time no see."
Lin Han said, extending her hand generously. I gave an awkward smile, "It's still quite cold in Beijing, my hands are freezing, let's not shake. You guys aren't here to pick me up, are you?"
"Yes, I'm here to pick up my boyfriend."
"Then don't let me delay your reunion, I'll be going then!"
The fatty was stunned, looking at me, "Tang Nan, Brother Chang..."
"Brother Fatty, Group Leader Wang has a dinner engagement. We'll talk later, I can't catch up. I can't ride with you guys. I'll take the subway, it won't be stuck in traffic."
The fatty still wanted to say something, but Lin Han pulled him aside. I nodded at them, turned around, and walked away without looking back, carrying my suitcase.
...
I didn't want any interaction with Lin Han. Ever since I went to Ruili in 2000, it was as if I was cursed, experiencing bad luck from time to time. Things had finally calmed down in the last two years. Seeing Lin Han reminded me of those thrilling past events. Although it seemed cowardly, escaping was better for everyone. Besides, I wasn't lying. Wang Zeyi knew I was coming and had booked a room at Quanjude.
Yu Xiaoluo said she had arranged a place for me and would drive me there after dinner. I went to the restaurant directly. Wang Zeyi was already there when I arrived. To my surprise, Teacher Wang Ren was also present.
When we were in Tai'an, I knew Wang Zeyi and Teacher Wang Ren knew each other. That time, he had a heavy task and made a trip to the hospital, praising me profusely before we parted ways and I never saw him again. I didn't expect Wang Zeyi and Teacher Wang Ren to be such good friends that he would invite me to dinner and also invite Teacher Wang Ren.
...
After we were seated, I respectfully poured Teacher Wang Ren a cup of tea, and then Wang Zeyi. Wang Zeyi looked at my tea-serving gesture and said with a smile, "Oh, you're treating differently. As the host spending money, I don't feel comfortable either."
"Zeyi, don't beat around the bush. Why don't you just ask if Tang Nan is a disciple of my sect?"
Wang Zeyi laughed heartily, "Sister, I was just joking with Tang Nan. Ever since I met Cao Shi in Tai'an, I've understood your relationship. Moreover, Teacher Wende once guided me and I owe him a great debt of gratitude. Times have changed, we don't need to be bound by sects. I'm bringing Tang Nan to Beijing, first to get him a stable job, and then let him gain experience in the criminal investigation team for a few years. With the mindset of The Schemer, Tang Nan will definitely be able to take over from me."
Teacher Wang Ren added casually, "By then, you, Wang Zeyi, will be the Director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau."
"Whoa, can I possibly hold that position? Our director has eyes like a thousand miles and ears that can hear a thousand li, he might overhear me."
Wang Ren laughed heartily, and Wang Zeyi chuckled along. I seized the opportunity to ask, "Group Leader Wang, you know Cao Shi too?"
"Yes, I met him in '89. Didn't I tell you? I knew a figure from the martial world, and you were very similar to him. I never expected back then that you would actually be Cao Shi's disciple."
"I'm not!"
"Whose disciple it is doesn't matter, Xiao Tang, you don't seem to be familiar with what happened back then."
I smiled bitterly, "Not just unfamiliar, I know absolutely nothing."
Wang Zeyi looked at Wang Ren, "While our Xiaoluo and her partner haven't arrived yet, Teacher Wang Ren, why don't you tell the child about what happened back then? Start with Miss Bai from the haunted house in '89."
Wang Ren looked at me, and I immediately put on an expectant expression. I knew the outcome of what happened back then: Zhu Guang's scheme forced Li Jiu to betray, and Cao Shi fled to Hong Kong. In the end, Zhang Si reaped the benefits. But I really didn't know the specifics.
Wang Zeyi saw that Wang Ren seemed hesitant and asked, "Perhaps I can tell the child."
"Alright then!"
...
***** , three days after New Year's Day, light snow drifted down the streets. People leaving work rode their bicycles swiftly, covering their faces with scarves, each eager to return to the warmth of their homes. Slowly, darkness fell, the streets became deserted, and the snow-covered streets gradually quieted down. The snow stopped, the streetlights went out, and the hazy moonlight illuminated the beautiful snow-covered Beijing.
Suddenly, a scream shattered the night's calm. Dog barks and police sirens disturbed the peace of the entire neighborhood throughout the night. The next day, everyone learned what had happened amidst the chatter.
Miss Bai from the haunted house had hanged herself!
"How could that be? How could such a kind girl commit suicide?"
"Was it a problem with romance?"
"I haven't heard of her dating anyone. Nowadays, love is free, even if she broke up, she wouldn't commit suicide."
"It must be because of the haunted house."
"How pitiful. I heard Miss Bai's father was a 'ten thousand yuan household' from Hebei. How could he let his daughter live in a haunted house?"
"Who knows? Maybe she eloped!"
"Have you ever seen someone elope alone? She was only twenty years old!"
...
The haunted house that Wang Zeyi mentioned was located outside Beijing's Second Ring Road. Now it's a prime location, but during the ***** period, it was still a collection of single-story houses. Among them was a house with a small courtyard. The interior was only about twenty to thirty square meters. The house was shrouded by a large willow tree, making it perpetually gloomy. This small house had been there since the early days of the People's Republic. It was said that a scholar lived there and had a good life. Later, Beijing went through tumultuous times, and this scholar also got into trouble. He was accused of having a capitalist ancestor and was to be sent to a cattle shed. The scholar couldn't take it and, after tricking his wife and son away, hanged himself in the house.
From then on, the house was known as the haunted house by the neighbors. This legend was quite ominous. In '78 and '85, people had died in this house, all by hanging. By '87, it was reported in the newspapers, and after that, not even tenants dared to rent it. It wasn't until October '88 that a girl surnamed Bai, tempted by the cheap rent, moved into the house.
The neighbors didn't know Miss Bai's full name either, only that she was a textile factory worker surnamed Bai. This girl was cheerful and hardworking. People often saw her with an aluminum lunchbox, buying two steamed buns and a small portion of pickled vegetables from the corner, filling her lunchbox for her midday meal.
After living there for a few months, Miss Bai gradually became familiar with the neighbors. Some nosy neighbors tried to introduce her to potential suitors, but Miss Bai politely declined. However, young people enjoyed her company. Boys liked listening to her sing with her melodious voice, while girls were drawn to her straightforward and slightly humorous demeanor.
Just a few days before Miss Bai's death, she had participated in a New Year's Eve dance party organized by a nearby neighborhood committee. Miss Bai sang beautiful songs to the rhythm of the piano and even danced with a shy young man from a steel mill.
...
At that time, Wang Zeyi, who was still working at the grassroots level, and Old Qu, who was nearing retirement, were in charge of the case. Since Old Qu was about to retire, he didn't want the case to be too complicated and, after inspecting the scene, concluded that Miss Bai had committed suicide. However, Wang Zeyi, after questioning the neighbors, rejected this conclusion. A girl preparing to commit suicide wouldn't be singing joyfully at a dance party and dancing with others.
For this reason, Wang Zeyi and Old Qu had an argument. Wang Zeyi said, "Comrades like you who are irresponsible, even if you're about to retire, you don't deserve respect."
"Xiao Wang, I don't care what others think of me. I'm old, and I'll be retiring after the New Year. What more trouble do I need to stir up?"
"You're retiring and you won't take responsibility, are you worthy of the national emblem on your cap? You'd let a murderer go unpunished and still have the nerve to say you retired from the people's police force?"
"Murderer, where is the murderer? You say this girl was murdered, fine, show me the evidence!"
Evidence, there was no evidence. When Wang Zeyi entered, Miss Bai was still hanging by a green shoelace. It was Wang Zeyi who, wearing gloves, carefully took down Miss Bai's body.
There was a ligature mark on her neck, with no signs of struggle.
Wang Zeyi had been in the criminal investigation team for several years and had considerable experience. He examined it and determined that Miss Bai had not been strangled to death and then hung from the beam.
...
The person who discovered the body was the steel mill young man who had danced with Miss Bai at the neighborhood committee's dance party a few days prior. The young man had developed feelings for the cheerful Miss Bai. Hearing about her eating only steamed buns and pickled vegetables for lunch, he had brought her some homemade pork and cabbage dumplings the night before she died.
That night, it snowed. In the yard, there were only the hesitant footprints of the steel mill young man at the door, and the hasty footprints of his escape after seeing the corpse. The young man said the door was unlocked, the light inside was on, he called out a few times but no one answered, he pushed the door, it opened. The room was small, and under the dim light, he immediately saw the swaying figure of Miss Bai. In that instant, the young man's soul was nearly scared out of him. It was his father who rode his bicycle to the nearby police station to report the crime.
...
Wang Zeyi and Old Qu had argued, and he was in a terrible mood. But what could he do? All he could do was to write down the detailed and serious reasons for Miss Bai's suicide in her death report.
Two days later, the case was nearing its conclusion. The neighbors seemed to have forgotten the deceased Miss Bai. They talked more about the irresistible eeriness of the haunted house, saying that the vengeful spirit of the haunted house was looking for a replacement, and several people had hanged themselves in the house in recent years. During those two days, people were anxious. As soon as the sun set, the street under the large willow tree became exceptionally desolate, unlike the rest of Beijing. Some even suggested that everyone pool money to find a Taoist priest to perform a ritual.
Wang Zeyi had no evidence and, in his utter helplessness, prepared to close the case when a person arrived, plump and smiling. He introduced himself as Cao Shi, and his reason for coming was simple: he had heard about Miss Bai from the haunted house. He came to the criminal investigation team to negotiate with Wang Zeyi.
"Two yuan?"
Wang Zeyi asked. Cao Shi nodded.
"In your eyes, a human life is only worth two yuan?" Wang Zeyi became angry. Where did this scoundrel come from? Even if Cao Shi knew some clues, he wasn't prepared to make a deal with him.
Can a human life be traded for two yuan?
In Wang Zeyi's worldview, human life was priceless. Those who equated human life with money were scoundrels. In front of his colleagues, Wang Zeyi roared and drove Cao Shi out of the criminal investigation team.