Chapter 9: Matters of the Past

She did not have insurance at all, and in the office, the magazine would not be loaded with bullets; this is the most basic common sense. She could not pull the trigger at all. Li Bo stepped forward and took the gun away, saying to me: "Captain, I pretended not to see anything." With that, he left with everyone, understanding the situation.

Upon hearing Director Li's words, it felt as if a jar of seasonings had been overturned in my heart, leaving me unable to distinguish the myriad flavors of sweetness, bitterness, sourness, and spiciness. The term "special case team" has floated in and out of my mind countless times, and by now, I hardly dared to hope. I never expected such an opportunity to suddenly fall from the sky; I could hardly believe my ears and stammered, "So now even archive administrators can participate in the selection for the special case team?"

I nodded

I let out a cold laugh and then said, "Director Li, is this the only reason you called me here today? I am merely a temporary worker after all"

Yang Xiaojuan stopped the car and stared at me intently, making me feel uncomfortable all over. She said, "Do you not want to marry me at all? We have known each other for six years, and we have been in a relationship for five years. Do you know that tomorrow is my thirtieth birthday? You still want me to wait; just how long do you expect me to wait?"

After work, my phone rang; it was Juanjuan calling. As per our usual practice, I waited for her outside the Public Security Bureau. Over the years, Juanjuan has published numerous papers on forensic medicine, gaining considerable fame in the field. She has bought a house and a car, and has clearly become a strong woman, far surpassing me in many ways.

Only after she saw that I had returned to normal did she nod and say to me: "Brother Shao, domestic violence is truly one of the worst things in this world. If there were no domestic violence, this incident might not have occurred." I nodded in agreement, but in my heart, I thought: perhaps nothing in this world is as simple as it appears to the eye; the complexity of this world far exceeds everyone's imagination, especially when it comes to the human heart

Director Li said again: "Comrade, this is not me criticizing you, but you must change your temper. If it were someone else, you would have been dismissed long ago"

I admit that Director Li is the most unpretentious leader I have ever met, treating others with humility. That is why I dare to joke with him like this; deep down, I actually have great respect for Director Li. Having passed the age of fifty, Director Li is nearly bald and can only remedy this with a "local support for the central government" approach. Years have gone by, and his belly has grown larger, yet in the eyes of many, Director Li is remarkably tall and handsome.

Three

Is that so? Yang Xiaojuan, upon hearing my words, started the car again, but in the opposite direction, heading straight to the bureau. I was puzzled as Yang Xiaojuan stopped the car, pulled me out of the passenger seat, and dragged me forward with great force. The colleagues at the bureau, seeing me being dragged in by Yang Xiaojuan, thought I had committed some offense. Ignoring the strange looks from others, Yang Xiaojuan directly took me to the major crimes unit, startling the criminal police who were unaware of what was happening. I could only wave my hand and shake my head, signaling everyone that this was just a minor issue.

If you are an ungrateful person, I will leave immediately and will not stay for anything

Although I only spent three years with Captain Shi and Wang Gang, during this time we solved numerous cases, forming a veritable iron triangle within the bureau. Two years ago, in a major case, Captain Shi and Wang Gang went missing. I shot and killed one of the suspects, but due to insufficient evidence, I was imprisoned. A year ago, I was released and began secretly investigating the case from two years ago, yet to this day, I have found no clues and have achieved nothing.

Juan Juan walked past me, dressed in professional office attire, her figure well-defined, and her light makeup applied just right. To borrow a phrase from classical literature, she could easily captivate several cities. Juan Juan was driving while I sat in the passenger seat; she did not look at me but simply said淡淡地说道: "Has the director discussed the special case team with you today?"

The matter she mentioned is an everlasting pain in my heart. Over the past few years, whenever I think of it, I get a headache. I did not want to respond, merely shaking my head lightly, and then said: "Hey, you little girl, with Brother Shao here accompanying you, isn't that enough? One should be content; having a handsome guy is sufficient!"

Yang Xiaojuan's aggressive demeanor left me no choice but to stop evading, and I could only murmur, "I have long since moved on!"

Yang Xiaojuan is right, I have not yet moved on

Yang Xiaojuan turned her head and glared at me, her eyes filled with anger

I sighed, and Yang Xiaojuan continued, "I know you have never been able to move on from the shadow of that case, but life must go on. Can you please stop keeping this matter buried in your heart? You should know that I have known them longer than you have. Am I not sad about it too?"

"If I can become the director, you deserve half the credit, don't you think?" Director Li said, "Let's get down to business. You have been working in the archives for a year now, and today I want to discuss something important with you. This is something that Juanjuan and I have worked hard to secure for you. You may not know this yet, but the special case team has started recruiting new members within the public security system this year. They are only hiring a few people, and each location has its quota. You better not embarrass me!"

I could only cough lightly and then said: "Haven't I not yet joined the special case team? Let's not be like this. Is there anything that cannot be discussed properly if we stop the car? The matter of marriage cannot be decided in a day or two. As the saying goes, it is better to know love before marriage; one may regret marrying too early when they grow old!"

She said to me with tears in her eyes, "I joined the special investigation team as a forensic expert. What if I am in danger next time?"

Director Li gave me a meaningful glance and then said, "Who knows."

The office is empty. I said, "I know you will not be in danger."

I am not unfamiliar with the people in the serious crimes unit; even their leader, Li Bo, was trained by me. This makes me feel even more embarrassed, wishing I could find a crack in the ground to hide in. Everyone is unaware of what has happened, when suddenly Yang Xiaojun grabbed a handgun that was placed on the table.

Suddenly, Yang Xiaojuan pointed the gun at herself, aiming at her own temple. Yang Xiaojuan said: "Haven't you come out? Good, I will count to three and then pull the trigger. If you don't want me to die, come over and take it! Come on!" Ever since I shot and killed that suspect due to insufficient evidence, I have been fearful of guns. Just the thought of having to hold a gun makes my hands tremble uncontrollably; I truly lack the courage to grip a gun again.

"What a stinky fart!" The young girl shot me a glance and went to organize the files

I lowered my head in deep thought, truly unable to answer this question. I cannot hold a gun, I cannot. I know this is a psychological issue, yet I just cannot overcome it, cannot see it clearly. There are always hurdles in people's hearts that cannot be crossed; if everyone could overcome them, if everyone could understand clearly, then there would be no homicides in this world.

Everyone was taken aback, and Li Bo subtly gestured with his hand, signaling everyone not to act rashly

Upon hearing Director Li's words, my anger rose uncontrollably, and I said sternly: "Nonsense, your previous words have been reduced to mere dogma. What do you mean by not letting a single bad person go while not wronging a good person? If I remember correctly, those words came out of your mouth, didn't they!"

I know that tomorrow is your birthday, and I originally wanted to give you a surprise. As I shook my wrist, a bright red, delicate rose appeared in my hand: "Thirty years old, to me, is just the beginning. I love you, I will marry you, and I will never let you be in danger."

I was seething with anger, yet Director Li was not upset at all. Instead, he smiled warmly and said to me, "You little rascal, your temper is indeed growing. It is true, those were indeed my words. But as a file administrator, what can you do? Without anyone's permission, what can you uncover in your personal capacity? Moreover, even your temporary position, if it weren't for my assistance, how would you have found it?"

I remained indifferent, Yang Xiaojun trembled as she said: "One!"

Juanjuan said: "Since that's the case, come with me to meet my mother today. This time you have no excuses, right? Previously you said your work was too poor and you were afraid my mother would make fun of you. Now you have no excuses, do you!"

I initially intended to scare the new intern girl, but unexpectedly, the case she was reviewing turned out to be the first homicide I had ever encountered. Memories of that time flooded my mind, and I didn't even react when the girl waved her hand in front of me. Seeing that I seemed to be in a daze, she cleared her throat loudly and coughed, which finally brought me back to my senses

I managed to brush it off, and the young girl did not press further. I lay on the lounge chair, staring blankly out the window. A person walked into the archives room, and I turned to look; it was Deputy Director Li. No, he should now be called Director Li. Upon seeing him, I felt at ease, after all, we had known each other for so many years. Director Li casually moved a stool and sat down beside me, looking out the window together. After a long while, he finally spoke: "If it weren't for that incident, even if you were just biding your time, you would at least be the captain of the criminal investigation team by now." I saw him and felt at ease, after all, we had known each other for so many years. Director Li casually moved a stool and sat down beside me, looking out the window together. After a long while, he finally spoke: "If it weren't for that incident, even if you were just biding your time, you would at least be the captain of the criminal investigation team by now."

Two

After Director Li left, the intern girl came over, gazing at Director Li's back, and quietly said to me: "He is the legendary Li Laohu, right? You are the first person in our bureau who dares to speak to him like that." It was then that I remembered that Director Li's nickname is Li Laohu, but why have I never felt that he resembled a tiger?

I know that you have been secretly investigating that matter, but it involves too many issues and is far too complex. With just you alone, it is simply impossible to investigate it thoroughly. Director Li patted my shoulder and then said, "Moreover, so much time has passed, and it remains unresolved; it has all become cold cases."

"Yang Xiaojuan!" I exclaimed loudly, "Such a significant matter, why didn't you discuss it with me? Hey, where are you heading? This is neither your home direction nor mine. What are you doing? Stop the car! If you don't stop, I will call for help! Are you trying to abduct me?"

The young girl nodded in agreement upon seeing me, and then asked, "Shaoge, how did you end up being transferred to the archives? I have never seen Captain Shi and Brother Wang Gang before. Have they been reassigned? They couldn't have already retired, could they?"