4 - The game starts now

Chapter 4: The game starts now

“…I myself don’t believe that it has nothing to do with this case.”

Wu Fengrong instinctively felt that the text message was nothing but nonsense. Who went to the trouble of placing an insurance salesman on a train to catch a criminal? Even knowing the criminal was aboard, why not directly call the police? If there was any evidence to be found, explain it to the police and that would be it. Don’t tell me that a professional police detective would be inferior to an insurance claims investigator. You had nothing better to do than to provoke people for your own amusement, ba?

But he bit his tongue, questions stayed at the edge of his lips, as his brain quickly marshaled his thoughts listing several crucial clues.

If the text message turned out to be true, then there really was a lone murderer on the train and he or she might not only threaten the safety of other passengers but perhaps even interfere with the train’s smooth operation. Second, it was almost certain that the one who had previously attacked Zhou Yanling with a knife was on the train, perhaps still with the weapon. These two, the murderer and the assailant, 1 must not be the same person since having Zhou Yanling take the fall guaranteed that he’d be arrested for the murder without a hitch, in keeping with the murderer’s plan. If it were Wu Fengrong, if he met the person who framed him at the station, he would have certainly called the police. Stabbing Zhou Yanling might have merely allowed the murderer 2 to be caught, and if the police caught the real murderer Zhou Yanling’s own blame would be shed.

In other words, on this train trip there were at least two dangerous people, and the enemy understood I was in the dark.

The sound of a cellphone vibrating interrupted Wu Fengrong’s thoughts. Zhou Yanling’s face suddenly became clouded, dark and grim and, pā 3 , he threw the phone down onto the bed. Wu Fengrong did not understand why and picked it up. It was a text message from that unknown number.

—Mr. Zhou, my people are always keeping an eye on you. Please don’t rush indiscriminately into action. I wholeheartedly hope that your wound completely heals soon.

Wu Fengrong 4 readily spat without thought: “Fuck! This person is completely fucking mad, ba.”

Zhou Yanling was originally in an extremely bad mood. Contrary to expectations, listening to him swear made him happy, wry mouth starting to smile.

“Now do you believe me? If I am speaking nonsense, may heaven strike me with lightning.” Zhou Yanling said archly, pointing at the sky: “I guess I’m being watched by that man. Maybe right now they’re even listening in outside the door, ne. Us two in the toilet then, that business might also have been laid bare 5 .

Wu Fengrong looked askance, angry: “You still want to save face, ah? I, however, am shameless.”

Zhou Yanling, heart scratched by his sweet tone of voice, couldn’t wait to reel him in for a kiss in answer. But he was grasping his hot phone and his train of thought was awfully difficult to let go of in order to flirt. He repeatedly read the text message over, all the way through from the beginning until the end, carefully recalling the scene of being stabbed in the train station.

“He told me that I must not rush indiscriminately into action; in other words, that, at the train station, I definitely must have managed to do something to piss off another person. This person must be deeply afraid that I had not done what I was told to do and had ended up being stabbed. But I didn’t do anything, ah. I just took my luggage across the safety check to wait for the train in waiting area.”

“Where exactly were you stabbed? Around what place? Who was even around when it happened? Remember more.”

“I went to buy a pack of cigarettes. I had just come out of the commissary.” It couldn’t be that this was payback for him taking out a cigarette and violating the no-smoking policy? Zhou Yanling experienced an epiphany: “No. Before that, the security guard and I mutually greeted each other and I asked him where the commissary was. Only saying a few words in conversation couldn’t have taken more than thirty seconds. He probably didn’t think it likely that I would turn myself into the police, ba? If he reported it to the police, it wouldn’t be worthwhile to run to the train station to stab me next, ma? Just directly go to the police station and surrender, won’t you.”

Wu Fengrong gestured with his fingers, summarizing: “Three points. One, the person who stabbed you at the station and the person who sent you to get on this train to find the murderer are partners. The person who stabbed you is an informant who was sent to come watch you for the purpose of ensuring that you are able to find the murderer. This is the connection between the 9.27 case and you being stabbed. Two, he began monitoring you quite early and is unlikely to cease taking note of your actions before reaching Baihe. Three, he doesn’t want you turning yourself in nor does he want you in contact with the police. Who is it that’s protecting you like this at all costs?

But after saying that he also didn’t feel that was quite accurate. Considering the tone of the text message, rather than saying it sounded helpful, it would actually be better to say that it was threatening. Based on this logic, in the event that Zhou Yanling couldn’t find the murderer it would be likely he would be stabbed to death. Wasn’t that insane?

Zhou Yanling’s thoughts had already gotten ahead of him. Not many people ought to know that he had been at the scene of the murder. The murderer, his long-time colleagues, the police, and also possible accidental passer-by, they would all have no need to play tricks on him. In the event that there was a personal grievance towards him, directly holding him for the police would rather simplify matters. Who could possibly rack one’s brains to arrange this fearful game on this train?

“Are there any clues about the person who stabbed you?” Wu Fengrong once again asked.

Zhou Yanling continued to recall: “I didn’t clearly see that guy’s face. He managed to pass me from the side to go around a corner. He was wearing a Léi Fēng hat 6 , a scarf upon his neck, and most of his face had been covered. I’m pretty sure it was a man, carrying a large suitcase, black in color. He was slightly shorter than me, but he ran into me with quite a lot of force. His physique was very buff. The knife was a small one, not big. I reckon that it was a paring knife. At that time, I was first anxious to take care of the wound. I had looked down and then he had already worked his way into the crowd away from me.

“Could he have a grudge against the murderer? And he’s afraid of identifying the murderer out of fear of reprisal, so he let you arrive to catch that person?”

“As long as there’s undeniable evidence it’s possible to submit this material to the police or to apply for witness protection. He already doesn’t mind calling on someone to stab me, but still he fears retaliation by the murderer? This is fucking just using me for entertainment.

“Why do you think he wants you to play this game?”

Zhou Yanling shook his head and let out a long sigh, collapsing on the bed and appearing extremely weary.

Wu Fengrong sat at the foot of the bed, picking up the cup to slowly drink the cold tea held inside. He remembered there was one year a man came to Yangjiao City’s train station. He was dressed slovenly, with a ragged beard, and liked staying in the middle of the carriage junction 7 drinking alcohol. He had been less than 30 years old but had a completely white head of hair causing him to look like a miserable 40 or 50 year old. Wu Fengrong was mindful of him,worried this drunk man would cause trouble. As a result, in the middle of the night in the toilet, he saw him vomiting, dying, holding his stomach and lying on the floor in a cold sweat. The medic came over in a hurry, gave him two stomach pills to down, then gave him both hot water and a massage until the pain was gone. The two individuals only then had a conversation at the office’s small table.

The story was like this. The man was an unemployed vagabond who had taken the exam for civil servant seven times in five years. Every time, during the middle of the interviews. he was brushed aside. This time, he chose a remote testing unit. Advancing in the interview, he tested second place with a very large gap between him and the first place scorer. The group again only recruited one person. He then gave up, so his heart felt unpleasant and he drank aboard the train to drown his sorrows. He didn’t expect that in the end he would still be considered. Almost having arrived at the station, he was suddenly notified that the first place person also quit. It went without saying that the second place person would usually fill the vacancy, but because he gave up the third place person earned the qualification of the passing grade.

It was not a major event, but in those days Wu Fengrong had just become an attendant and hadn’t had a lot of experiences aboard the train so he recalled this small matter profoundly. The man had smashed the bottle to pieces on the spot, the palm of his hand was pricked full of small glass shards, blood beading. Eyes weeping, mouth laughing, he resembled a wrecked puppet.

Fate will sometimes play with people, who have no choice but to play, who have no choice but to lose without any reason.

Zhou Yanling faced him and cast a grateful glance. He abruptly patted the rib below the wound and whispered: “Thank you.” Wu Fengrong wanted to start to talk, but was interrupted: “I know you have your responsibilities. You are the conductor. On this train, everyone is already your burden. You did the correct thing notifying the transit police, searching the cars, inquiring after the details of the case….it’s already not quite easy to be able to help me here. You should feel relieved because I won’t implicate you. In a moment I will go out. You should do your work, ma. If I am arrested or stabbed, you don’t have any relation to this at all.

He had suddenly clearly flung the connecting relationship away like this. The image from just a moment ago of probing, seducing, and clamoring for affection, it was as though it honestly and completely hadn’t happened. Instead, it made Wu Fengrong feel a little resentful.

“What? You got out of bed and immediately fell out with me?”

“I don’t dare to. If the conductor still needs me in bed, ten thousand deaths will not stop me.”

Wu Fengrong lowered his cup, turning and hooking his finger towards him. Zhou Yanling clearly understood, turning over and getting up to crawl, moving close to the side of his face. Only now did Wu Fengrong have time to properly pay attention to his facial features. In terms of looking good, he surely wasn’t breathtaking. Much of it was an air of youthful licentious wildness, as if his disposition was of a soul not knowing his own place. Wu Fengrong was not some honest man, a lot of unlucky days 8 having passed way back when. It was not easy to provoke him so how could he be willing to miss this? Through Zhou Yanling’s eyes, he could see his own restless heart.

Was life or was death, was right or was wrong, both were unimportant; what was important was having a good time.

“Zhou Yanling,” Wu Fengrong said. His tone was brimming with warning, “I believe you.”

Finished speaking, he pushed towards the man’s thick lips. He forcefully sucked and directly pried open his jaw in order to stretch his tongue inside. This daring, explosively powerful way of kissing immediately received a response. Zhou Yanling forcefully held onto his back, enthusiastically holding him, pushing him against the wall. The guest acts as host 9 , sucking the tip of his tongue into his mouth. Lips met, knocking painfully against each other, but still demanding unceasingly, pressing closer towards the other person. Quickly, lust entangles. Flesh intersects flesh. The smacking of lips echo, rather like two faces both wishing they could press inside the each other. Dry firewood burns into a raging inferno, golden wind meets early-morning dew 10 , without even a little bit of reason.

Zhou Yanling panted against the top of his forehead: “I will not let you be disappointed.”

Wu Fengrong closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth drawing back towards his ears. Owing to a lack of oxygen, his cheeks were red as though they had met with a blast of cold wind, but the pit of stomach was scalding, heart beating both quickly and anxiously. At that moment, when he reacted, only then did he notice his own hand clutching Zhou Yanling’s wrist, leaving a deep red mark. Zhou Yanling did not shout in pain but just let Wu Fengrong 11 grip his wrist. Contrary to expectations, he held the back of Wu Fengrong’s 12 hand, kissing him over the pulse point. Wu Fengrong’s ears trembled and he swiftly drew his hand back, acting nonchalantly, obviously bashful.

“Hand me the case file and, together with you, I will try to help you find this person.”

“…Just in case, consider allocating the blame….”

“I am shouldering accountability.”

Zhou Yanling was still hesitant. The train’s early broadcast came down over their heads–

“Good morning, passengers. It’s 7:30AM. You are riding the K4133 train, departing from Tonzhou station. The last stop on this line is Baihe. The whole trip covers 2935 kilometers. The estimated traveling time is 32 hours and 15 minutes, with an estimated arrival time of 13:55 on October 3 rd . This train will stop at Wancheng, Yiching, Yangjiao, and Kenamuge stations. Right now it’s time for breakfast; car no. 7 is the dining car. We shall provide you with food and drink and we ask that you please go to the dining car if you need to. The train’s offices and medical points are located in the no. 8 car. If you need to replace a ticket for business purposes, please contact an attendant….”

Inside the small narrow train’s office, the train conductor and an insurance claims investigator exchanged meaningful glances.

Time could not be delayed, and the game began now.

__________________

T/N:

added for clarity added for clarity onomatopoeia for bang added for clarity the raw just had bào, I think the author meant 暴 the hat:

and here’s info about Lei Feng 车厢连接 : a car junction; more information on this phenomena and how it’s used for smoking Z/T/K numbered trains here 操蛋 : I’m translating it as unlucky, but it could also be read as deliberately behaving badly 反客为主 meaning turning from passive to active behavior a reference to a famous Chinese love poem added for clarity added for clarity