At this mont, Xiang Jingsheng stared at his son, barely daring to breathe.
It was also at this mont that he fully understood his son had grown up.
He lowered his head sadly: "You were an exceptional child from a young age, so I’m not surprised you saw through it. I just don’t want you to think too poorly of the matters between and her, because everything is not like your mother said."
Xiang Yuan gazed at his father: "Regarding those years, are you willing to talk about it with your son? Actually, four years ago when you introduced Shi Haoran to , now it seems it wasn’t a coincidence."
Xiang Jingsheng turned his back and drew out another cigar.
He had been a man of great self-control for years, smoking only one cigar each night, but tonight he subconsciously wanted to rely on tobacco.
Xiang Yuan noticed but didn’t remind his father. Everyone has monts of helplessness and wanting to lean on outside forces.
However, Xiang Jingsheng was ultimately a disciplined person, as the match had already flared up, he suddenly realized it was the second cigar, hurriedly extinguishing the match.
The cigar remained between his fingers but was never lit again.
He faced away, his voice somber: "...I knew Xin Zhen long ago, many years before. Even before your mother. Her family was in Tianjin then, and I t her when I traveled to Nankai University. Her father was a professor at Nankai University, and he was close friends with many masters of classical studies."
Xiang Yuan was surprised, "No wonder my mother-in-law loves writing poetry."
Xiang Jingsheng recalled how Xu Xinzhen, despite being ill, never forgot to write poetry in the sanatorium, and he couldn’t help but smile: "Yes, so I never imagined she would later marry a policeman. Back then, police in China were mostly brutes, how could they understand her delicate and gentle emotions?"
Xiang Yuan took a deep breath: "So, hearing about wanting to return to China to study Chinese law, you recomnded this brute, wanting to get a close look at this brute’s extraordinary qualities, right?"
Xiang Jingsheng sighed deeply: "Indeed, I had that selfish thought. That’s why when I heard you wanted to marry Shi Nian, I happily agreed."
Because she is Xu Xinzhen’s daughter, her union with my son, in a sense, can be considered a continuation of my unfinished romance.
Xiang Yuan couldn’t help but nod: "I see. No wonder during those four years, you cared for my mother-in-law even more than for your son-in-law."
Xiang Jingsheng, however, lowered his gaze sadly, his sight falling desolately on the table: "But she no longer recognizes . She even screams when she sees ."
Xiang Yuan also felt heartache, stepping forward to gently pat his father’s shoulder: "Even though I am my mother’s son, standing from a man’s perspective, I understand your feelings."
Xiang Jingsheng reassuredly patted his son’s hand as well: "I wasn’t intentionally hiding it from you, it’s just that your mother tends to take things to the most unbearable extres, I just wanted less trouble."
Xiang Yuan chuckled lightly: "I am also relieved that this is just your private affection, and not sothing you directed towards Huangfu Hua Zhang. Now, Huangfu Hua Zhang is also paying close attention to my mother-in-law, and I was worried that you might beco his pawn in this matter."
Xiang Jingsheng looked surprised as he raised his eyes to his son, while Xiang Yuan tucked his hands into his pockets and silently walked away.
.
eting room.
Qi Xiuqi casually stretched his arms and legs, wearing prison clothes, even in such a confined and oppressive room, he still wore a relaxed expression.
When the door clanged open, he hurriedly restrained his deanor, sitting back at the table with a woeful face.
The door opened, and Xiang Yuan walked in.
Qi Xiuqi looked up, taken aback: "Xiang Yuan? Why is it you?"
He laughed to himself: "Ah, I should have guessed that since Shii said she’d find a lawyer, you would be the first choice. But I thought since you two divorced, there might be so grudge left, so she’d find soone else, and you wouldn’t take Shii’s case."
Xiang Yuan nodded to the guard, who locked the door again. Only then did Xiang Yuan sit down, looking serenely at Qi Xiuqi.
"Xiuqi, I also didn’t expect to see you here. Xiuqi, why did you make such a rash decision?"
No one really knew what kind of person Qi Xiuqi was, neither Jia Tianzi nor colleagues in M Country. Only Shi Nian and Xiang Yuan truly understood his capabilities here. So when Xiang Yuan ntioned it, Qi Xiuqi laughed.
"It’s good that you figured it out too. Four years ago, Shifu’s case couldn’t just end like that. But nothing could be found dostically, and I felt like the person disappeared into thin air, not knowing where they went. When Shii went to M Country with you, we lost contact. Until recently, especially when Mr. Jia went to China to track down Father, the scent from those years revisited . I finally understood, the clues from those years weren’t gone, they moved to M Country."
Qi Xiuqi’s eyes burned brightly: "I wanted to co to M Country for a long ti, but as a policeman from China, I couldn’t co easily or stay long to investigate. But this ti escorting the witness gave a good opportunity. So without hesitation, I got on the plane. Xiang Yuan, I want to stay here, thoroughly investigate the case from four years ago before returning, and bring peace to Shifu’s spirit."
Xiang Yuan could only sigh: "You’re taking too big of a risk. You’re a Chinese policeman, so you must understand your actions in M Country will be monitored, making it even harder to investigate the case."
Qi Xiuqi smiled: "However difficult it is, it’s better than seeing nothing from miles away."
Xiang Yuan lowered his head: "So you and Mr. Jia, and even Yanqing, have long been in sync."
Qi Xiuqi didn’t easily respond, just stared at Xiang Yuan.
"A Yuan, when Shifu accepted you as a disciple back in the day, we all found it incredible. Because you’re a lawyer, and lawyers and police are naturally adversaries; furthermore, lawyers learning investigation techniques are precisely to better target police in court. But Shifu firmly kept you."
Xiang Yuan gently closed his eyes: "...Beyond that, he still died saving ."
Qi Xiuqi deeply focused on Xiang Yuan: "As long as you understand."
Xiang Yuan opened his eyes to et Qi Xiuqi’s gaze: "Then I know what I must do."
.
Father died, buried in the public cetery.
He had no relatives, so the police handled this matter entirely.
The funeral was very simple; a priest officiated, Jia Tianzi and so policen put the coffin into the tomb.
Shi Nian also ca, walking to the grave at the end of the line, unable to resist saying coldly in Chinese: "Lucky you!"
At night, the mountain winds roared like the sea, while two agile figures in black silently moved through the forest of tombstones to Father’s grave.
The two exchanged a glance, then quietly coordinated. One damaged the surrounding surveillance caras, while the other started digging the grave.
Father was taken to the hospital right after disembarking, but where he was taken remained a tightly-guarded secret by the police. There are hundreds of hospitals scattered around the city, yet before even half were checked, Father was already buried. Now, the only way to confirm his life or death was to dig up the grave and open the coffin.
Gao Cheng, who had long hidden nearby, was unsurprised by the scene. He winked at his subordinates with a smile: "Mr. Tang said this is a fish trap. If we want to catch inforrs, just stake it out here. They’ll surely send people, and we just wait."
Moreover, Mr. Tang ntioned that this group of people would not be the only ones coming, even if the first wave is captured, they should persist in their stakeout, since an even bigger catch would co later.
Once the person digging had almost finished, Gao Cheng waved his hand: "Let’s go, ti to reel in the catch."
.
In the interrogation room, Gao Cheng personally examined the two caught fishes from tonight.
Mr. Tang had said the first batch caught was just small fry, so there was no need to alarm Jia Tianzi and Guan Liang, only routine policen should handle it. As for the interrogation, it didn’t need to be too explicit.
Gao Cheng slapped the notebook down on the table, startling the long-shaped, grim-faced man opposite.
Gao Cheng smiled with satisfaction: "Profiting from the dead, how despicable."
He didn’t ntion Father, nor directly inquire about the true intentions, only stated that the cetery managent found the surveillance caras damaged, worried soone might be tomb raiding, hence the police presence.
The other party relaxed imperceptibly hearing this angle, sneering: "Officer, no need for words. We have nothing to say now that we’re caught, deal with us however you will."
Treating it as theft was the smallest loss for them.
Gao Cheng contentedly wrapped up the matter, and the next morning the dia released the news saying the cetery had been robbed. A picture accompanied the news showing Father’s grave, now empty.
Thus events transford into: the graveyard was robbed, Father’s grave cleaned out, even his corpse was nowhere to be found.
.
Upon seeing this news, a tall figure by the window silently raised a cup of coffee.
This technique is called "using one’s spear against one’s shield" in China.
The tomb thieves actually didn’t steal anything, yet were conveniently used to say the corpse was lost due to the theft. Thus, whether alive or dead, beca an eternal mystery.
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