NOS Chapter 34
by VolareChapter 34: Qianjin Ping (10)
Li Ying likely has a gun, and it’s probably a homemade, modified one. While this isn’t unusual for hunters living in the Jin A Lin Mountain area, it feels out of place on an old, frail man like Li Ying.
“Maybe I’m overthinking it, and that gun barrel really is just something he got from a hunter in the mountains,” Guan Yao said. “But what if it isn’t? What if he bought that gun barrel and has a lot of ammunition at home?”
Han Chen shook his head. “I don’t think it’s very likely.”
“Even if it’s unlikely, we can’t rule it out,” Guan Yao said. “Li Ying doesn’t look like someone who could handle a homemade gun with such strong recoil.”
Na Fei said from the side, “I seem to remember that Li Ying has a son?”
“Yes, he has a son,” Guan Yao replied. “I remember his name is… Li Qie. After Li Ying went to jail, his parents and wife died, and his son didn’t stay in Za Mu Er either. He went to work elsewhere.”
“Da Mu Qi,” Han Chen continued, “This Li Qie worked in Da Mu Qi, where non-ferrous metal smelting companies are mining. Li Qie was a contract worker. I did some specific checks after he came back last time.”
Guan Yao looked at the photo and identification information of Li Qie that Na Fei pulled up from the system, and remained silent for a long time.
“Is there a problem?” Na Fei asked, puzzled.
Guan Yao hissed, “When I was seven or eight years old, Li Qie came back to Za Mu Er once. I don’t remember him looking like this.”
“Seven or eight years old,” Han Chen smiled, “Guan Yao, how can your memories from when you were seven or eight be used as evidence?”
Guan Yao didn’t say much, he just added, “The Li Qie who came back then was burly, tall and strong. The person in this photo looks quite weak. Maybe he just changed a lot over the years.”
The group didn’t dwell on it, and they were also finding it difficult to decide how to handle the fact that Li Ying might be armed. After all, they had already stirred things up, and whether the man was really innocent or not, they were unlikely to find any truly useful evidence in Li Ying’s home.
“We can only hold back for now.” After learning about the situation, Liang Chong, the leader of the task force, said, “Rushing to investigate now, not to mention whether we can find anything, we can’t guarantee whether this person will act impulsively. Of course, we can’t take it lightly either. Let the Linchang Police Station send two people every day to patrol outside Qianjin Ping to try to figure out Li Ying’s situation before the heavy snow seals off the mountain. It just so happens that Deputy Director Yu is returning to Songlan tonight. Before he leaves, I’ll report this matter. In a couple of days, when Captain Wang from the Songlan Municipal Bureau comes to take my place, he will be in charge of these cases, and you can discuss the next steps.”
“Yes,” Guan Yao responded.
He pulled out his phone to contact Deputy Director Wang Zun, but it was at this moment that the people who had been busy all afternoon finally saw the long string of messages sent by Meng Changqing.
And now, it was already pitch black.
“Where’s Yu Chunming?” Walking into the Linchang Police Station, Guan Yao’s first question was where Yu Chunming had gone.
Meng Changqing quickly came forward to answer, “He’s still in the detention room.”
Guan Yao stopped abruptly and turned to walk towards the detention room.
Meng Changqing chased after him, anxiously explaining, “Master, don’t worry, Sister Shu Wen said it’s not a big deal. Brother Xiaotian has already been released, he should also be…”
“Why was Li Xiaotian released first?” Guan Yao asked sternly.
Meng Changqing was stunned, not knowing how to answer. He could only say, “Brother Xiaotian… maybe his problem isn’t that big.”
With a stern face, Guan Yao walked quickly to the front of the detention room. Without saying a word, he snatched the key and opened the lock. As soon as he stepped inside, he asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Yu Chunming was sitting by the window, his arms crossed, his shoulders slumped, listlessly staring at the “Basic Code of Conduct for Public Security Police” placed in front of him. When he heard Guan Yao’s voice, he raised his head slightly and glanced at the door.
“Can you change this habit of causing trouble all the time?” Guan Yao scolded.
Yu Chunming opened his mouth, but didn’t answer for a long time. After a long while, he lightly replied, “Sorry.”
“Sorry…” Guan Yao was angered by him, “What else can you say besides sorry?”
He strode forward and threw the self-criticism letter still in his arms in front of Yu Chunming, “Write it again for me properly.”
Yu Chunming didn’t answer, always keeping his head down, and it wasn’t clear whether he understood.
Guan Yao felt like he was punching cotton and was immediately annoyed. He shouted, “Are you deaf?”
Yu Chunming slowly raised his head, reached out to take the self-criticism letter, and then repeated what he had just said, “Sorry.”
At this time, Guan Yao realized that Yu Chunming’s forehead was covered in cold sweat. The man’s already pale face was now extremely pale, but his lower lip was bright red—whether it was bitten or cracked and bleeding.
“Are you, are you feeling unwell?” He was taken aback.
Yu Chunming shook his head, seeming to be normal, but his voice was a little weak. He said, “I have a bit of a stomachache, maybe I’m cold, it’s nothing.”
“Have you eaten?” Guan Yao’s tone softened instantly. He turned to glare at Meng Changqing, who was standing by the door, “Was dinner sent?”
Meng Changqing hurriedly nodded, “I sent it, but, but Officer Yu said he wasn’t hungry, and he didn’t drink the corn porridge I brought this afternoon.”
Guan Yao sighed and bent down to help Yu Chunming up. “Let’s go, let’s go sit in a warm place.”
But it was better if he hadn’t helped. As soon as he helped, Guan Yao realized that the man was burning up.
“Yu Chunming?” Guan Yao was shocked and reached out to touch his forehead. As expected, it was also burning hot.
“Go, go start the car.” Guan Yao’s voice began to tremble. He instructed Meng Changqing, “Hurry up, don’t just stand there like an idiot!”
However, Yu Chunming, who was obviously delirious from the fever, still insisted that he was fine. “I’m just a little cold… Zhang hasn’t called me up yet…”
“Up your ass!” Guan Yao grabbed the man’s arm and put it over his shoulder, preparing to pull him up from the chair. “The day before yesterday at the hospital, your mother told me that you have many old injuries. If you get a high fever, there will be problems!”
“Which mother?” Yu Chunming looked confused.
He was already unable to stand up, his whole body sinking heavily into the chair. Guan Yao struggled for a long time before carrying the man, who was thin but about the same height as him, on his back.
As they went out, neither of them noticed that Yu Chunming’s phone, which was on the table, suddenly vibrated.
It was snowing lightly that night, and the road outside was slippery. Fortunately, Meng Changqing was reliable, and he had already started the car and was waiting at the door when Guan Yao came out carrying Yu Chunming on his back.
Guan Yao put Yu Chunming in the car and took off his coat to put it on him. “Why did he suddenly get a fever again?”
Meng Changqing sat in the front, and whispered, “Today at noon, Officer Yu and Brother Xiaotian went on a call. To save a person who fell into the water, Officer Yu himself also fell in. When he came back, his clothes were frozen solid.”
“Fell into the water? What water?” Guan Yao’s mind was momentarily blank.
“It’s the Ning Nie Li Qi River under Yang Bridge. Falling into the water in this weather, wouldn’t that cause problems?” Meng Changqing said, “I asked Officer Yu if he was feeling unwell, but he didn’t say anything…”
Guan Yao’s heart sank. He leaned over to touch Yu Chunming’s forehead again. Now, the man had drowsily closed his eyes, his body involuntarily tilting to one side.
“Chunming?” Guan Yao couldn’t help calling out.
But the raging fever left Yu Chunming with no energy to answer anything. After hearing the call, he merely moved his eyelids and used his breath to utter a few words that Guan Yao couldn’t hear at all.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at Za Mu Er Municipal Hospital.
Meng Changqing, eager to get out of the car and help, hadn’t even had time to reach out when he saw his master exerting force with both arms, lifting the already unconscious Yu Chunming out of the back seat.
“Go register,” Guan Yao ordered.
Meng Changqing ran so fast that his heels hit the back of his head, registering and paying the fees all the way, gasping for breath. Then, he and Guan Yao helped the person, who couldn’t even stand steadily, to get blood drawn for testing.
By the time they had finished all the errands and Yu Chunming was finally able to lie quietly in bed for an IV drip, it was already two in the morning.
“Master,” after settling the person in the room, Meng Changqing sat on a chair outside the ward and asked Guan Yao, who was intently looking at the test results, in a soft voice, “Just now, what did you mean when you told the doctor that Officer Yu had unremoved explosive fragments in his body?”
Guan Yao touched his nose, hesitating.
Meng Changqing couldn’t help but be curious. “Has Officer Yu suffered very serious injuries before?”
Guan Yao vaguely replied, “Yes, he has been injured.”
“What caused it?” Meng Changqing asked.
“Does it matter to you what caused it? Are you being a busybody?” Guan Yao waved his hand impatiently, “Go home, I’ll give you half a day off tomorrow.”
Meng Changqing was immediately attracted by the vacation and no longer explored Yu Chunming’s secrets. Before leaving, he kindly said, “Master, I’ll come again tomorrow morning.”
Watching the child leave, Guan Yao finally let out a breath. He leaned back, raised his face and looked at the white light above his head, somewhat dazed.
What caused Yu Chunming’s injuries?
Wang Meng had told him everything that day.
“It was an explosion.” Standing on this corridor, the stern and cold female professor said, “Last June, in Songlan, he was seriously injured in an explosion. At that time, a fragment flying at explosive speed grazed the back of his neck and injured the cochlea in his left ear. He almost lost hearing in one ear. And even now, there are still several explosive fragments left in his body that have not been removed. These injuries have a great impact on the nerves. He is actually no longer suitable to stay in the police force.”
The words echoed in Guan Yao’s mind. He unconsciously remembered what Li Xiaotian had said before, “Yu Chunming knew there was a risk of explosion at the scene during the investigation, but he not only didn’t lead people away, but insisted on staying there to collect evidence, which ultimately led to the sacrifice of personnel.”
Knowing there was a risk of explosion at the scene…
Not only not leading people away, but insisting on staying there to collect evidence…
Ultimately leading to the sacrifice of personnel.
These words were like a hammer, pounding on Guan Yao’s heartstrings.
He didn’t ask Wang Meng whether what Li Xiaotian said was true or false, because he inexplicably believed that Yu Chunming would definitely tell him the truth himself one day.
Bang! A soft noise inside the room interrupted Guan Yao’s thoughts. He was shocked and quickly got up to push open the door into the ward.
Yu Chunming didn’t know when he had woken up. He was struggling to sit up, but was so weak from the high fever that he was slumped by the bed, unable to get up or down.
Guan Yao had no choice but to open his arms and get the man onto the bed. Fortunately, he now had an IV in place, so no matter how much he struggled, he wouldn’t bleed.
But who knew Yu Chunming would become unwilling. He tried to push Guan Yao away, “Don’t touch me.”
Guan Yao was helpless, “I’m not touching you, then are you going to sit on the ground?”
Yu Chunming’s gaze was still scattered, but because the temperature had dropped a little, his consciousness had returned a lot. He sighed, “I need to use the bathroom.”
Guan Yao generously bent down, about to grab Yu Chunming’s shoulders and legs, preparing to lift the man up horizontally like before, “It’s okay, I’ll help you.”
As a result, Yu Chunming dodged, looking at him warily, “What are you helping me do?”
Guan Yao looked as usual, “I’ll help you use the bathroom.”
Yu Chunming waved his hand away, “I don’t need your help.”
“You don’t need my help, you go yourself,” Guan Yao was exasperated, “I’m telling you, Officer Yu, do you want to see what you look like? You go yourself, what if you fall into the latrine again and can’t get up, what do you do?”
Yu Chunming still stubbornly refused to let him touch him.
Guan Yao was worn down and lost his temper, so he had to persuade him nicely, “We’re both grown men, what are you afraid of? We still take baths together in the police station’s bathhouse every day. Next time I’ll scrub your back for you, and you won’t be embarrassed.”
“I’m not embarrassed,” Yu Chunming stared motionlessly at Guan Yao’s face, which was a little haggard from not sleeping well for two consecutive days. He said, one word at a time, “I like men, do you know that?”
Guan Yao paused, thinking he had misheard, “What?”
“I like men, do you know that?” Yu Chunming repeated.
Guan Yao looked blank.
After all, Yu Chunming’s tone was too casual, as if he was saying “I don’t eat celery,” telling Guan Yao a small and insignificant thing.
Except that this time he said, “I like men.”
So, after thinking about this sentence upside down five times, finally understanding what it meant, Guan Yao retracted his hands as if he had picked up a hot potato.
He stood there blankly, a little helpless, a little dazed and distracted.
And Yu Chunming took this opportunity to hold onto the bedside table, stood up shakily, covered his still aching stomach, and then waved his hand at Guan Yao, “Move, don’t block the way.”
Guan Yao immediately jumped back a few steps, leaving Yu Chunming enough space to practice a set of military boxing.
However, compared to this man, Yu Chunming, who had just revealed a shocking secret, seemed much calmer. He supported the IV stand, slowly moving to the bathroom, and then slowly moving back.
Until he lay back on the bed, enduring the palpitations and dizziness brought on by the high fever and the not-so-strenuous exercise, Guan Yao was still standing there, looking at a corner like a wooden man.
“Are you going to stay here with me tonight too?” Yu Chunming asked.
Guan Yao didn’t speak.
“Go home,” Yu Chunming said, “I usually don’t need someone to accompany me. I used to be alone, it’s okay.”
These words slowly woke Guan Yao up. He coughed a few times awkwardly, walked closer two steps, “You still have a result that hasn’t come out, I, I’ll stay here…”
“No need, go back,” Yu Chunming, as if he had remembered something, glanced at the bedside table, “Also, my phone, did it fall in the station? Help me get it, someone sent me a message this afternoon.”
“Oh, good, good…” Guan Yao mechanically agreed to Yu Chunming’s request, and then, as he wished, turned and walked out of the ward.
If others were to see him, they would surely think that this Officer Guan was probably a wandering soul. He was dull and empty, absent-minded and at a loss, and no matter where he went, he seemed to be acting on instinct.
Therefore, it wasn’t until he returned home, sat in the empty living room, and saw the daily necessities he had specially bought for Yu Chunming’s “sleepover” in two days, that Guan Yao belatedly recalled what the man had just told him?