*Ling, Ling……..*   My phone rang.  I quickly jumped up and picked up the phone.....it was from Dong Zi.

          Since my identity was exposed, I told him to go to school today to look around and especially pay attention to Jiang Li's reaction.  I prayed the brat was too busy with his school assignments to take note of the news these last two days.  If he found out, I really did not know whether I would have the courage to stand in front of him and apologize to him.

           "Hello Dong Zi, how is it?"

          "Senior Sister, that kid did not turn up for class today.  I asked the teacher and was informed that he is sick.  I sent him text messages but he did not return any, so most probably he is really sick."

          With a tight frown I hung up the phone and since I was left without a choice, I switched on the phone that I normally use as an undercover agent.  My heart was unsettled.  After a while, several text messages burst forth and all of them were text reminders from Jiang Li's phone which was about four to five messages.  Then a text message prominently appeared:  Why was it me?

          I looked at the message for a long time and finally, came to my senses.  With a guilty conscience, I quickly switched off the phone.  It was early summer and the weather was hot but my hands and feet were cold.

          This night I did not sleep well.  The next morning with low spirits, I took a taxi to the Bureau.  When I reached Lao Tan's office, he reprimanded and scolded me again.  It seems he was venting his frustration on me and at last, he also criticized me. "As a dignified police officer you have committed a principle mistake and if the police in the bureau are all like you….. standing up for everyone, then what is the use of 110? *(This is an emergency number).  A useless setup?  Stupid behavior!  Do you know the consequences if the colleagues nearby had not arrived in time,?  If anything happened to you, how am I going to answer your father?"

          Considering that I had done a meritorious service with this matter, Lao Tan let me off with mercy.  He did not stop my pay nor demoted me and only instructed me to hand over my gun. 

          With a feeling of resentment, I sat in the office of Li Fang.  Because of the old unsolved cases, the office colleagues were depressed and from time to time, someone would sigh.  Even the elite police when they encountered such cases, no matter how good one's fists were, one would still feel frustrated. 

          Li Fang sneaked furtively over to me and told me in a low voice tone that only I could hear.  "Bureau Chief had made his move on Deputy Chief Tan and this time he is suspended!"

          "On what excuse?"

          "The cases not solved and work performance not good.  There are several wall vines that are beginning to support Deputy Chief Zhang."

          My heart became cold.  With an expressionless face, I nodded while drinking my tea and shook my head.  I decided to go home to sleep.

          Outside the Bureau, the sunshine was dazzling.  A group of girls was laughing shrilly as they walked passed and in their hands were small bags and big bags.  I realized that I have not gone shopping for a long time.  But I was not enthusiastic in using my leisure time this way and feeling down-hearted, I stood for a while and was about to leave when I noticed a slender young man standing in the shadows across the street.  His beautiful eyes were looking at me from a distance and he had a gloomy face. 

          Suddenly my heart skipped…..it was Jiang Li.

          A 24-year-old woman met the eyes of an 18-year-old boy.  I was like a coward and had the impulse to turn and run away.  But my feet were rooted to the ground and watched in a trance as he crossed the road using the pedestrian walk.  He stood proudly two steps away from me, just like our first meeting.  He raised his eyes arrogantly, putting no one in his sight, as proud as a little prince. 

          I felt bitterness in my heart.  In front of me was the original Jiang Li who was cold and alienated.  That boy who had once smiled brightly at me and who had silently shown his concern for me had been strangled to death by me.  I was overcome with guilt.

          In the sunshine, his thin face looked pale, the lock of black hair on his forehead moved with the breeze emitting a feeling of sadness and he said.  "I have waited for you here for the last two days."

          "Why was it me?  I can’t figure it out.  What can you get from me?  Or what can you get from my family?"

          He gave a cold humph with young people's self-mockery and there was no warmth in his eyes.  He asked with a sense of suffocation.  "Are you all fake?  Name, number, family address, whatever story of your parent's divorce, ha……in the end, I was the silly one.  I believed everything, I believed all your lies, Police Office Fang!  You are indeed very capable!"

          He gave me a cruel laugh and also gave me a thumbs-up sign.  And I, Fang Liang Liang had, in the past, never been this embarrassed, never been so speechless.  Every word that he said was like a big slap in the face and I was so painful that my ear tingled.

          "Jiang Li, I……"  At this time, I was so embarrassed that I could not find the right words to explain to him.  The fact was too unbearable and there really was nothing to be said.

          "No…..don’t …..I don’t know you.  I only know Jian Mei Da.  So don’t call my name.  When I hear you call my name…..it makes me nauseous."  From his lips came strong mockery.  "When Police Office Fang calls my name, I will feel afraid.  I am only 18 years old and has always been a good law-abiding citizen.  I am not worthy of Police Office Fang's concern."

          He moved a step closer to me, slightly squinted his beautiful cold black eyes and cruel words spewed from his mouth as if exhausting all his strength.  "Fang Liang Liang, in future stay away from me........the farther, the better….."

          The boy's hurt, his pretense with putting up a front and his cold eyes still lingered.  I was at a loss.  As I stood in the sun, I felt that all my beliefs were exposed under the sun and at the same time, I felt the emptiness in my heart.  Jiang Li who had walked a few steps away, suddenly turned around.  "Hey!"

          I looked back at him automatically and he said.  "Who is that man, Surnamed Kang?"

          "He is my boyfriend."

          I moved my lips with difficulty.  After listening, his face turned ashen and nodded his head.

          "As expected."  Jiang Li lowered his head and laughed as his eyes turned cold.  "As expected, it was only me that was foolish.  Oh, it’s so ridiculous!"

          "No, it's not like this.  Jiang Li, don’t say that.  It was all my fault.  I was in the wrong.  I should be punished."  I could not stand to see the hurt and sadness in the boy's eyes.  I frantically pulled his clothes and bitterly begged.  "Please do well in your entrance examination, okay?  Don’t think of irrelevant things because I deceived you.  Right, just think that I am a scum, not worthy for you to hate me nor worthy for me to ruin your future or else……or else…….I will feel guilty for the rest of my life."

          My cheeks were wet and my transparent tears dripped down onto the back of my hands.  My feelings of guilt had made me shed tears.  Unmoved by my tears, Jiang Li gave me a cold look and forcefully pulled away from my hands that were clutching his clothes.  "Take away your dirty hands!"

          I slowly released my hands and lowered my head.

          Above my head, the young man's tender voice floated to my ear.  "I naturally will not waste my own future because of irrelevant people like you.  Really, Police Officer Fang, who do you think you are?  What?  Do you think I like you?  Oh…..why don’t you look in the mirror? Wrinkles are slowly climbing up, old woman!"

          I was drowned in great depression.  Before he left, his gentle voice that was not light nor heavy, floated over and shook my heart.  "Fang Liang Liang, I won’t forgive you!  I won’t!"

          The young man walked farther and farther away until his back view disappeared around the corner.  As I stood under the sun, suddenly I felt at a loss.

         

          At night, I, Stone and Dong Zi agreed to meet up for a drinking session.  Stone brought along his girlfriend who was learning ballet and sure enough, his girlfriend had a dimple when she laughed.  She was a charming and likable little girl. 

             The depressed Dong Zi was apparently hiding something in his heart and was ashamed to talk about it.  It was only today that I heard from Li Fang talking about Dong Zi's family matters.  Originally, this guy seemed to be heartless but in fact, his family burden was very heavy.  His mother's mental illness had dragged on for many years without any improvement and also he has an old grandmother.  At a young age, he had to bear the burden of the family but Dong Zi had never complained to me.  Every day he would be smiling and occasionally he would amuse others while acting childishly which made everyone want to cry and laugh at the same time. 

          I used to think he was a timid mouse but today I looked at him differently with better understanding.

          By my side, there are a lot of strong people and perhaps Jiang Li could also be strong to face the darkness of human nature until the day he could see through everything.

          I looked up at the bright moon in the sky and could only comfort myself.

          Because of the matter that happened the last two days which made Fei Ge and me into popular figures, Stone felt excited and he filled glass after glass of beer for me.  "Lao Da, I feel angry.  The two of you doesn’t treat me as a brother…..you didn’t look for me when you went for the bad guys.  Did you consider Stone as your brother?"

          A big man such as him, once excited he would sob and upon seeing he was about to cry, his girlfriend who was attending to him widened her big eyes and wondered what had happened.  She asked repeatedly.  "Shi Lei, Shi Lei, what is the matter with you?"

          Stone really cried with two drops of tears running down his face.  He removed his glasses and used his sleeve to wipe them before he pursued his lips and said.  "Lao Da don’t want me........don’t regard me as a brother."

          While talking, he began to whimper and wiped his tears with his sleeve which gave me a headache.  My hand stretched out to give him a slap on his melon head and the guy cried out in pain.  His girlfriend looked at me with her tearful eyes and showed her tender censure.

          I finished the glass of beer and started to give him a lecture.  "How old are you now?  Still, think about fighting?  Do you think it is a small fight like during our high school?  They were vicious desperate criminals and this time I and Fei Ge almost lost our little lives.  I don’t want to experience that scene a second time and I'm not joking.  As we grow older, we should cherish our own life more and it is the greatest happiness to know that we can live a simple life.  As for the excitement and the happy times, our experiences in high school was well worth it.  At a certain age, we can only do certain things and that is the basis, so don’t blindly wish for something."

          I strongly and sternly gave them a lecture and intimidated the three young people who blankly nodded their heads.  In fact, I had only recently understood this reason and it is better to realize this when one is still young.  An adult would not be confused, for as we walked down a path, we get insight and as we walk, we learn to love…..this is probably the wonderful aspect of life.

          Halfway through the meal, Dong Zi had to leave early for another dinner appointment.  Stone's girlfriend sat obediently beside him, helped him to crack groundnuts shells as I chatted with Stone. 

Stone is now in the education sector and therefore the news he received is a lot more.  I gave him my attention and absorbed all the news he shared with me.

          "Lao Da, you and Jiang Lao Da's high school principal, isn't his surname Yang?"  He furtively leaned closer to me and waved his hand.  "Lao Da, bring your ears closer, I'll tell you exclusive news."

          It was said 'do not listen to the impropriety' but when I heard it was regarding my favorite old principal, I hesitated and thought whether I should listen to Stone or not.  But if it is happy news it would be best and I might be able to give him a helping hand, so I pricked up my ears to listen.

          "The matter is like this........some time ago, a manager, who is also an old student of Principal Yang, working in my dad's hotel just came back from an inspection visit to Macau and said he saw Principal Yang in Macau."

          "Principal Yang went there to gamble?"

          "No.  At first, the manager also thought the same but when he saw the haggard look of the principal, he asked a local snakehead* and.......guess what?"

          (Local snakehead is a local bully who has connections with triads or gangs who control the local community.)

          "What?"

          "Principal Yang's son went to Macau to gamble and owed people a lot of money.  Then it was not known what happened,  he was kidnapped by the underworld and was taken to Bangkok.  Principal Yang rushed over to Macau but did not even see anyone there."

          My heart sank and I had a very strange feeling as I continued to listen to Stone.  "When that manager asked around, it was said that his son lost 1 million and then he re-borrowed on a high interest which snowballed into something like almost 3 million.  Ai…..but this happened several months back and it is not known whether his son was saved.  If this problem was not handled well, he may have died.  Our school news channel also mentioned something about Principal Yang.  It was said that at a meeting, they saw he was inhumanely thin and his head was going bald.  Probably he was worried about his son."

          I took a gulp of beer and asked.  "When did your manager meet the principal in Macau?"

          Stone leisurely lighted up a cigarette then chewed on the peanuts that his girlfriend handed over to him.  He recalled.  "In February, just after the New Year.  I also heard the news during a dinner and it was only when my buddies casually mention it but I was not concentrating that time.  Today, I'm telling you because it just came to my mind and anyway this happened quite some time back.  I guess the problem should have been resolved by now."

          Stone and his girlfriend was in a discussion on the fragrant crispy peanuts and I absent-mindedly took a sip of my beer.  Bad premonition filled my heart.  I did not believe that based on Principal Yang's fixed salary, a normal elderly could come up with 3 million such an astronomical figure.  A sum of 3 million is not a small amount and if he is unable to come up with the money, it is not just casual talk, thus this matter could not be easily settled. 

          Hacking off arms and legs, peeling off skin.......the triad has their ways of making you obediently try to find ways to come up with the money.  Like a vampire, they slowly drain every drop of blood from you until they could not anymore benefit from you.  Once a person gets involved with these vampires, his life will be hell.