When Han Huaixiao saw that Xia Hang’s hospital bed was empty, he turned and went straight to the doctor’s office. “Doctor Liu,” he asked, “Xia Hang’s been discharged. Is he alright?” “Nothing serious,” Doctor Liu replied, “just take anti-inflammatory and circulation medicine for a few more days, and get proper rest.” “Alright.” After being up… Continue reading

On the way to the First Affiliated Hospital, Han Huaixiao received a message from Xiang Kaicheng: [Xia Hang is in Bed 32, Floor 5.] By the time he arrived, it was already past eleven at night. The inpatient building was quiet. As he passed the nurses’ station, he was stopped. “Are you here to visit… Continue reading

Xia Hang followed the markers. The further he went, the more something felt off about the route. He had assumed the markers were leading deeper into the mountains. But as he continued, he realized they were actually guiding him toward the outer edge of the forest. What was the other party trying to do? Cui… Continue reading

Bringing Liu Peng along, Jiang Tao made it smoothly to the rendezvous point. Once there, he kicked Liu Peng out of the car. Leaving him behind, Jiang Tao completed the handoff by himself, car and cargo included. To cover his tracks, he switched between two taxis, then picked Liu Peng up again.  But after leaving… Continue reading

After nightfall, Liu Zhibin turned on the television and sat at the table, watching the news while waiting for dinner. Ye Mei brought out a plate of stir-fried greens and a plate of bitter melon, then returned to the kitchen for two sets of bowls and chopsticks. She opened the rice cooker and served two… Continue reading

Sanxian County had done a decent job with environmental protection. Many mountainous areas, in order to develop agricultural and forestry economies, had cut down their original trees and replanted fast-growing eucalyptus. But most of Sanxian County’s mountains were still covered in pine trees. Walking through the hills, the air was thick with the scent of pine resin.… Continue reading

Han Huaixiao hung up the phone and said to Tang Gaoxiong, “Our technical investigation team has confirmed that the person captured by the surveillance camera near the crime scene is not Liu Peng.” Tang Gaoxiong looked up sharply, questioning, “Not Liu Peng? So the person on camera just happens to look very similar to him?!” Han Huaixiao nodded. “Yes.” Tang Gaoxiong… Continue reading

The room was on the third floor. When Xia Hang and Han Huaixiao opened the door and stepped inside, they were greeted by the stale smell of a room that hadn’t been cleaned properly in a long time. Han Huaixiao reached out and checked the bedsheets and duvet cover. Thankfully, they were clean. What he… Continue reading

After dinner, Liu Zhibin invited them to stay the night, saying, “The mountain roads aren’t easy to drive at night. Director Fang, why don’t the three of you sleep here?” Fang Dewei had been drinking and was a little slow to react. Instinctively, he looked toward Han Huaixiao. That single glance would make any onlooker think… Continue reading

At Liu Peng’s gate, Xia Hang knocked on the open wooden door panel. “Hello?” Liu Peng was cooking in the yard. The smoke they’d seen earlier was rising from a portable iron stove. Several pieces of firewood were stuffed into the stove’s belly, with a lidded iron pot set on top. From the smell, it… Continue reading