Chapter 29

Liu Handong politely accepted the gifts, as he deserved them. That day, riding his motorcycle on the winding mountain road was extremely dangerous. If it weren't for his rich experience in driving three-wheeled vehicles, he would have fallen into the valley and met a tragic end. In fact, when he arrived at the hospital, the man with the severed fingers had already been jolted to the point of vomiting.

"Master, my name is Du Wei. The one who had the accident is my younger brother Du Qiang. On Sunday, there was no one in the factory, and he accidentally got his fingers cut by the machine. He does technical work and relies entirely on his hands to make a living. Thank you so much." The man extended his hand to shake Liu Handong's and asked how he should address him.

"Liu Handong."

"Master Liu, thank you, thank you. You go ahead and get busy. I'll invite you for a special thank-you when my brother is discharged." Du Wei left with deep gratitude. Liu Handong, holding the cigarettes and alcohol, suddenly remembered he hadn't visited Ma Ling's father at the hospital yet. Although Ma Ling had forbidden him from going, they had fought side by side, and not visiting would seem impolite.

Going empty-handed would definitely be inappropriate. These two packs of cigarettes and four bottles of alcohol were perfect gifts. Liu Handong put the bag in his car, started his motorcycle, and headed to the university-affiliated hospital. The hospital entrance was lined with a long row of electric scooters, motorcycles, and bicycles. Just as Liu Handong was about to park, an old lady holding a stack of tickets came over and said, "Your bike costs three yuan."

"Aren't motorcycles all one yuan?" Liu Handong's pockets were empty, and he couldn't even afford the parking fee.

"Is this an ordinary motorcycle?" The old lady sternly questioned him.

Liu Handong knew he was in the wrong; his bike took up the space of three bicycles, so it was reasonable to charge more. To save three yuan, he parked the motorcycle in a residential area behind the hospital and carried the gifts to the hospital's inpatient department. After asking around, he easily found Ma Guoqing's ward.

Ma Guoqing had been in the hospital for over half a month. As a grassroots police officer, he had worked very hard, and this time he had finally had enough rest. He tried to return to work several times but was persuaded by his wife and children to stay. "Your stomach is so badly injured, and you're still on a liquid diet. What kind of work can you do? Just lie down and rest," they said. Ma Guoqing, fearing his wife and daughter, had no choice but to stay in the hospital, spending his days chatting with his fellow patients.

One day, while they were discussing the merits and demerits of Chairman Mao, the ward door suddenly opened. It wasn't a nurse distributing medicine but a visitor. A young man in his twenties walked in with gifts and politely asked, "Officer Ma, how are you recovering?"

Ma Guoqing immediately recognized the young man as Liu Handong and stood up, saying, "It's Xiao Liu. You didn't have to bring anything. Come, come, sit down."

Liu Handong put down the gifts and started talking with Ma Guoqing. He asked, "Officer Ma, is the case closed? What exactly happened?"

Ma Guoqing replied, "The case is closed. There are witnesses and evidence. Gu Changjun kidnapped and extorted, and he got what he deserved. However, he's already dead, so there's no way to pursue criminal responsibility. His accomplice will probably get a sentence of ten to eight years."

Liu Handong said, "I don't think the case is that simple. Gu Changjun wouldn't have used eight killers just for extortion. He was completely reckless, not caring about the consequences. He wanted to kill Xiao Fan and, in the process, kill me to avenge his brother. There must be someone inside the police force helping him. Gu Changjun's death was also a cover-up. There must be a dark conspiracy behind it."

Ma Guoqing was inwardly shocked. This young man's analysis matched his own. However, the city bureau had already suppressed the case and forbidden any mention of it. The provincial bureau was also trying to downplay it. After all, Qing Shi High-Tech and Shifeng Group were major taxpayers with significant backgrounds. How deep the water was, even a veteran police officer like himself didn't know.

"Xiao Liu, you watch too many movies. It's not that complicated. Gu Changjun died of a heart attack. A cover-up inside the police compound is impossible," Ma Guoqing said with a faint smile.

The patient in the neighboring bed nodded in agreement, looking at Liu Handong with a hint of disdain and chiming in, "Young man, do you think we're still in the old society of the Nationalist era?"

Liu Handong scratched his head, about to say something, when he heard someone behind him say, "What are you doing here?"

He turned around and saw Ma Ling, holding a thermos, with a frown and a look of anger. Seeing the gifts on the table, she became even more upset, picked them up, and glared at Liu Handong, saying, "You come to visit a patient in the hospital and bring two packs of cigarettes and four bottles of white wine? Do you know that my father has a serious stomach condition and can't drink? Do you know anything about common sense? Take your cigarettes and alcohol and get out!"

Liu Handong awkwardly stood up and was kicked out of the ward by Ma Ling.

"See you at the main gate in half an hour," Ma Ling said, giving Liu Handong a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying back.

Back in the ward, Ma Guoqing looked at his daughter suspiciously. With his years of experience as a police officer, he felt there was something going on, but now wasn't the time to ask.

Liu Handong touched his face, feeling a sweet warmth, and carried the cigarettes and alcohol downstairs. He thought for a moment and then went to the orthopedic ward, where he found Wang Zhigang's bed. Wang Zhigang, with a cast on his leg, was lying in bed reading a tabloid, muttering the headlines, "National first-class actor Andy Lau was killed at the Causeway Bay MTR station in Hong Kong. Wow, big news, why isn't it on TV?"

"Wang Brother, I came to visit you," Liu Handong said, entering with the cigarettes and alcohol. Wang Zhigang was very enthusiastic, "Oh, Da Dong, come in, come in, have a seat, have some tea." Seeing the cigarettes and alcohol in Liu Handong's hands, he became even more excited. He was particularly fond of them and immediately opened a pack of cigarettes, saying, "Have one, I've been craving for days."

Liu Handong said, "No smoking in the hospital."

Wang Zhigang said, "I don't care. What can the nurse do to me? Bite me? Ha." He lit a cigarette and puffed away, saying, "Da Dong, I heard you beat up Zhao Yufeng yesterday. How did it end?"

Liu Handong said, "Last night, I and Tu Hongbin went to Leopard Company and sorted things out."

Wang Zhigang praised, "Leopard Company not pursuing it is a big favor to you."

Liu Handong raised his fist, "It's not a favor to me, but to it."

Wang Zhigang laughed, "Same thing. By the way, since my leg is injured, can you buy me some peanuts and chicken claws? Let's finish these four bottles of wine together."

Liu Handong said, "My alcohol tolerance is not good."

"Then let's have two bottles. Can't you handle a liter?" Wang Zhigang said with great enthusiasm.

"Drink! Always drinking! Drink until you die," Zhang Dajie shouted, entering the room. Wang Zhigang immediately lost his courage, "I was just joking, I won't drink anymore, I'll never touch alcohol again."

At the same time, in Ma Guoqing's ward, Ma Ling's mother, Wang Yulan, arrived. A fellow patient joked, "Sister-in-law, your daughter is so beautiful. Does she have a fiancé yet?"

Wang Yulan said, "Not yet, no rush. My daughter is so beautiful, 1.7 meters tall, and has a formal job. There aren't many boys who can match her."

The fellow patient said, "What are your specific requirements? I can help you look."

Wang Yulan said, "Two conditions: first, he must be a civil servant, and second, he must be at least a deputy section chief. Both are necessary."

The fellow patient was taken aback, "That's a high standard. Why not just find a rich one?"

Wang Yulan sneered, "Being rich is nothing. A government official can manipulate and control him with a single word. These days, being a civil servant is the most stable and secure, with a guaranteed income and status."

Ma Guoqing didn't comment on his wife's high standards. In fact, he couldn't interject; his wife made all the decisions at home.

Ma Ling, feeling uncomfortable, picked up her bag and said, "I should go, I have to go to work."

"Drive carefully," Wang Yulan said, listening to her daughter's footsteps fade away and sighing, "It's not good for a girl to drive a bus. We should find a way to transfer her to an office job, like a dispatcher."

Ma Ling went downstairs to the hospital entrance and saw Liu Handong standing there foolishly. She secretly approached and covered his eyes, saying, "Guess who it is?"

"It's Ma Driver," Liu Handong had already heard the familiar footsteps and let her cover his eyes on purpose.

"What Ma Driver, that sounds so ugly. Come on, take me to work," Ma Ling said, linking her arm with Liu Handong's, and they walked together. They had a默契 (good understanding) and didn't mention what had just happened.

From the 12th floor ward window, the old police officer Ma Guoqing saw his daughter and Liu Handong walking arm in arm, and his heart sank. His suspicions were confirmed!

Ma Ling and Liu Handong walked to the residential area behind the hospital and saw the motorcycle chained to a utility pole. She opened her mouth wide and circled it several times, asking, "Is this your bike?"

"Pretty cool, right?" Liu Handong said.

"Cool, very cool. Did you drive it on the mountain road the day before yesterday?" Ma Ling's excitement couldn't be contained.

"I think I did, I picked up a passenger going to the military hospital. What's the matter?"

"Did you encounter a group of motorcycle riders?"

"Yes, I didn't pay much attention. The passenger had a severed finger and was in a hurry to get to the hospital for surgery. What's the matter?"

"Do you know that your motorcycle is now known as the 'Blazing War Chariot' in the motorcycle community in Jinjiang?" Ma Ling laughed.

"Really? That's a very poetic name," Liu Handong said, not taking it seriously. He got on the motorcycle, and Ma Ling climbed into the sidecar. The motorcycle roared to life and drove away.

As they drove down the street, Ma Ling suddenly knocked on the sidecar, "Stop for a moment."

Liu Handong stopped, and Ma Ling got off and ran into a nearby cell phone store. In less than five minutes, she came out with a box and tossed it to Liu Handong, "It's for you."

It was a brand new cell phone box, a Coolpad 7295.

"There's also a China Unicom SIM card inside, with 200 yuan of prepaid credit. It's linked to my new phone number, so calls between us are free. Note: no chatting with others on WeChat, no flirting on Momo, got it?"

Liu Handong held the box, feeling honored, "For me?"

"Yes, I bought it for you. You should be grateful," Ma Ling said, climbing back into the sidecar with a smile.

At the 520 bus stop, Ma Ling got off and asked Liu Handong, "What special skills do you have?"

"I can drive, fight, and shoot well," Liu Handong said.

"Do you have a driver's license?"

"Yes, but it's a military license."

"Go to the DMV and get a civilian license, then get a commercial driving permit. Huaijiang Taxi Company is hiring drivers. It's a decent job, better than driving a three-wheeler," Ma Ling said seriously.

"Got it," Liu Handong felt warm inside. Besides his mother, Ma Ling was the first woman to care about him so much.

"Do you have any money left?" Ma Ling took out her wallet and pulled out all the large bills, "You silly, why did you buy cigarettes and alcohol to visit a patient at the hospital? You don't know anything about social norms and just waste money. You must be broke. Take this, buy a new pair of pants, and if you need money, text me."

Liu Handong refused, feeling it was embarrassing to take money from a woman.

Ma Ling got angry, "Take it, or I'll kick you."

Liu Handong had no choice but to accept it.

"Also, if you drive the three-wheeler for work, wait for customers at the bus terminal. There's no business in the city, and it's easy to get caught by the traffic police."

Liu Handong nodded; he didn't know this and was a complete novice.

"Go on, remember to call me