However, they also noticed that I looked a bit strange.
I was with a young girl, looking like we were going on a long trip, but there was blood on my clothes, especially on my hands. I had been hit with a stick, and now half of my palm was swollen, so much so that I couldn't even hold a cigarette. My thumbnail was bleeding profusely, and it was only with great difficulty that I managed to bandage it. I could even feel that the wound on my knee was stuck to my pants. Although the bleeding had stopped, it still hurt terribly whenever I moved or even slightly pulled on my pants!
Now that I'm in the car, I finally have a chance to check my wounds.
I carefully rolled up my trouser leg. There were some dried bloodstains on my calf. Further up, the trousers were stuck to the wound on my knee. I gently tore it, and the pain made me wince. I cursed under my breath, but I gritted my teeth and pulled it open with all my might. The pain made me gasp for breath.
The long-faced man in front of me looked at me treating my wound in the rearview mirror, his face showing some fear. He opened his mouth but didn't say anything.
I glanced at him, and he quickly looked away, pretending to look out the window. But then, he pulled a bottle of mineral water from under his seat and handed it to me: "Hey buddy, wash your wound."
Thank you. I took it, rummaged through a pack of tissues, and carefully moistened the wound with water. I moved my knee; thankfully, it seemed there was no bone damage, just a superficial wound.
Having been through the rough and tumble of life, I knew I had some essential emergency supplies to carry when on the run. I pulled a pack of gauze from my bag, tore off a strip to wrap the wound on my knee, and then pulled down my pants. The long-faced man in front of me offered me a cigarette. I smiled and took it, but didn't smoke it; instead, I tucked it behind my ear.
"Hey buddy, what's wrong?" the long-faced man asked.
I nodded without saying anything.
The fat man, who was driving, suddenly laughed loudly, "Hey buddy, you know kung fu, right? Damn, you took them both down in just two moves, that's impressive!"
I said casually, "Nothing, just exercising." The fat man shouted, "Exercise? You beat us both up just from exercising?"
The long-faced man hesitated for a moment, then turned to look at me and lowered his voice: "I said, are you in some kind of trouble?" Seeing me frown, he quickly said: "I don't mean to pry into your business, ah... it's just that you've done us a big favor, so tell us what's wrong, maybe we can help you in some way?"
I smiled and said, "It's a personal matter, and you can't help with it."
I didn't want to talk about my own affairs, so I changed the subject to them: "You two are lucky to have run into me on your first robbery... It's fortunate that you ran into me, otherwise you would be in the police station by now."
"Why?" asked the fat man.
I shook my head: "Do you really not understand? Or are you just pretending not to? Or maybe you rarely go out?"
The fat man nodded immediately: "Yeah, this is my first time driving a long distance. He's done it twice and said the income is pretty good... Who knew I'd run into something like this on my very first time!"
I chuckled. "You guys actually went and committed robbery near the station? I can't believe you even thought of that... But doing that is practically suicide."
"What do you mean?" The long-faced man seemed unconvinced. "Damn it, there are so many petty thieves around the train station, how come we're the ones who got into trouble?"
I glanced at him and said calmly, "You don't believe me? Fine... Train stations are bound to be chaotic anywhere, that goes without saying... But don't you know? In places like this, pickpockets, purse snatchers, even those robbing with knives, or those waiting in alleys to ambush people... these aren't lone wolves! They're organized, they have divisions of labor, they're all in gangs, they have their own territories. You two newcomers, recklessly trying to steal food from their territory... Let me tell you, if you hadn't run into me, even if you had succeeded in robbing them, you'd be in deep trouble in no time! I'm saying you'd be taken to the police station, and that's the least of your worries! If the original gang in this area had caught you... it wouldn't be surprising if they chopped off your hands!"
A hint of lingering fear crossed the long-faced man's face. He shakily pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a drag, and sighed, "Damn it, I almost got into big trouble!"
I laughed, "You probably don't go out much anymore, so it's normal that you don't know."
The fat man next to him immediately chimed in, "Yeah! Third brother! I was just saying that the two of us might not be able to handle this shipment, so we asked Lao Dong to come along. We're new to this business, so having him help escort the truck would be a good way to look after each other! Damn it, you think you know everything just because you've been with him twice? Bullshit!"
The long-faced Ma San looked somewhat embarrassed and argued, "Damn it, I didn't want anything to happen either! Shut the hell up! Didn't you come out here eagerly to make money too? If you're worried about trouble, go home and hug your wife!"
I understand now... No wonder these two guys seem a bit silly, they're both newbies.
This long-faced guy had worked a couple of long-distance transport jobs and thought it was easy to make money. Greedy for cheap deals, he recklessly decided to go it alone. Lacking experience, he inevitably ran into trouble in another city.
I smiled and said, "Actually, even in Nanjing, it's rare to see someone brazenly robbing people with a knife in the open at the train station... I've heard that the Northeast and Guangdong are quite chaotic... But generally speaking, the Shanghai-Nanjing-Hangzhou triangle area is quite safe, and the train station isn't that chaotic... Local gangs generally don't go out robbing people with knives... Getting caught would be too serious a crime. You're all newbies, so naturally you wouldn't understand."
"Robbery? Are you suggesting we use a gun instead of a knife? We don't have that kind of guy..." the fat man retorted.
I chuckled. Since we had nothing else to do on the way, chatting with these two would pass the time: "Local gangs generally won't rob you openly; only out-of-town criminals do that. Locals, even when they're doing something shady, have a set of rules… Let me give you an example…"
I took out a pack of cigarettes, waved it in my hand, and said, "I'll only bring two people. We'll corner you in an alley, then I'll pull out these cigarettes—ten yuan a pack, I'll make you buy them for a hundred yuan a pack. I'll take out a carton, worth no more than a hundred yuan, and I'll make you pay a thousand! Don't buy? You'll get a beating! After you've paid, I'll definitely leave you the cigarettes! That's the rule!"
I sneered, "Go back and report it... Forget about whether they can catch us or not... You're from out of town, you'll have to leave eventually. Once you're gone, even the person who reported it will be gone, and the train station police station will basically ignore it. If I'm really unlucky and get caught, during the interrogation... Now you know why I insisted on leaving that pack of cigarettes with you, right? I insisted it was just forced buying and selling! It's still illegal, but forced buying and selling is much less serious than robbery! Getting a thousand or so yuan from you is still much more sophisticated than directly using knives and guns!" I shook the cigarette pack in my hand, then put it back in my pocket: "You know our country's laws are flawed, don't you!"
"Damn it!" the fat man couldn't help but curse, muttering, "They even have a whole set of tricks up their sleeves when they rob people..."
The long-faced man was stunned for a moment, then sighed, "Damn, I've learned my lesson. I need to be more careful when I'm out and about..."
As the car passed Zhenjiang and left Nanjing behind, I felt much more at ease.
After passing Zhenjiang, the car got back on the highway and headed straight for Shanghai.
There are restrictions on trucks entering the city. After we got off the highway, I asked them to turn the truck over, then I woke up Ni Duoduo and helped her out of the truck. The girl clung to me somewhat timidly, her eyes darting around.
Part 1: A Man in the Martial World, Forced by His Own Will, Chapter 104: A Lifeline Call
"Young man, we won't take you there. Our car can't enter the city." The long-faced man looked at me earnestly. "Be careful when you're out and about!"
He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice, "Don't worry, we'll pretend we never saw you when we get back, and we won't say a word."
I laughed. This guy's not bad; he's got a bit of a knack for it. But I'm not worried. Whether he tells anyone or not won't affect me, and I don't plan to stay in Shanghai for long anyway.
I took out my wallet, gave them the remaining half of my money, thought for a moment, then added two more bills and handed them over: "Take more money with you, just in case you get into any more trouble. When you're out and about, your wallet is your courage; you can't do without money."
Longface hesitated for a moment, then accepted. They got in the car, and Fatty waved to me from inside before driving away.
It was four in the morning, and Ni Duoduo and I were standing on a small street in the suburbs of Shanghai. There were few pedestrians on the street. Ni Duoduo looked tired and leaned against me, carrying a bag in her hand. She looked somewhat weak and helpless.
I thought for a moment, then grabbed her and started searching along the street. I had an injured knee, so I walked with a limp, but I could only grit my teeth and bear it. It was the coldest time of day, and dragging this girl along the street, I finally found a small hotel. It was something like a guesthouse; from the outside, it looked like what people often call a "shoddy hotel."
These so-called substandard hotels are essentially just like regular hotels, with a lobby and seven or eight clocks behind the counter displaying Beijing, London, New York, and Manila times—all clearly marked, though most are stopped, with only a small fraction still running. The staff wear uniforms, which are filthy, and the rooms are standard double rooms like those in star-rated hotels, but the sheets aren't changed daily, and there's no room service. While there's a TV, there's absolutely no landline. You can only receive CCTV-1 and CCTV-2 and local channels. The toilets only have soap, no shower gel, and hot water is only available at set times. After those times, only tap water comes on.
There's usually a water dispenser in the room, but the water bottles inside haven't been changed in ages... If you dare to drink from it, someone with a weak immune system will definitely get diarrhea!
The floor was covered with wood flooring, but it was greasy and hadn't been mopped in days. The walls were also covered with wallpaper, but in some places it was peeling off.
Moreover, there is only one house.
The good thing about this kind of run-down hotel is its lax management. The waiter, whom I woke up from my sleep, didn't even glance at my registration form. He just took it, threw it into the drawer, and then led us into the room with a bunch of keys.
"Hot water for showering every night from 6 pm to 9 pm." Then I slipped on my slippers and went back to sleep.
Looking at the filthy room, I remained expressionless, casually tossed my bag aside, pointed to one of the beds, and said to Ni Duoduo, "You should go to sleep."
The girl glanced at me timidly, opened her mouth as if to say something, but hesitated.
I smiled and said, "What? You don't feel comfortable sharing a room with me?"
“No…” Ni Duoduo bit her lip, “Chen Yang… I’m sorry.” Her voice was soft, her tone weak, and she sounded pleading.
I sighed. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go to sleep. We need to get some rest."
It's not that I'm petty or unwilling to forgive her...
But because something so serious happened, I'm really upset, extremely upset! Clearly, I'm not in the mood to comfort this girl; I have too many things on my mind…
Ni Duoduo bit her lip, seemingly wanting to cry, but not daring to, and sat silently on the bed. Then she pulled the blanket over herself, took off her coat, and lay down wrapped in the blanket.
I fiddled with it for a while. The air conditioner was working, it could blow heat, but it was incredibly noisy, there was nothing I could do about it… I looked at the brand of the air conditioner, it was actually Bat… This brand seemed to have existed more than ten years ago, but the manufacturer went bankrupt and stopped production. Looking at this antique that was making noise as loud as a sewing machine, I gave a wry smile and said to Ni Duoduo on the bed, “Just bear with it, it’s cold at night, you’ll catch a cold without air conditioning. If you find it too noisy, just stuff your ears with tissues.”
Ni Duoduo on the bed hummed in agreement but remained silent.
I sat down and began tending to my injuries. The car ride had been bumpy, and there were other people around, so I only gave them a quick treatment. I knew that in public, health was paramount; if I didn't take proper care of my wounds, and I collapsed, this girl would be in serious trouble too.
My fingers are so swollen they're unrecognizable; my thumb and forefinger are almost impossible to bend, especially my nails, which have turned purple.
I found a small pair of scissors and carefully cut off the broken nail... When I lifted the nail, I gasped in pain. As soon as the scissors touched it, blood gushed out, staining two or three tissues before it stopped.
I sighed, found a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao (a traditional Chinese medicine), wrapped my finger in gauze, and then rolled up my pants to rub my knee.
Ni Duoduo silently sat up in bed and looked at me cautiously, saying, "I...I'll help you." Seeing the girl's pleading eyes, my heart softened. Holding the medicine and gauze in my hand, I asked, "Do you know how?"
“Okay.” Ni Duoduo immediately ran off the bed, squatted down next to me, lifted my leg, and looked at the bloody wound on my knee. Suddenly her eyes reddened, she turned her face away and wiped her eyes, took the medicine from my hand, carefully applied it to the wound, then cut open the gauze and wrapped it up for me layer by layer.
Her movements were clumsy, and she actually hurt me several times, but I didn't say anything. After Ni Duoduo finished, she looked up at me and said, "Do you want some water? I'll pour you some..."
I glanced at the water dispenser, which was covered in a thick layer of dust. The liquid in the bucket looked suspicious… I gave a wry smile: “No, don’t drink that water either, it’s definitely expired.” Ni Duoduo started crying. Then she suddenly buried her head in my lap and sobbed softly, “Chen Yang… I’m so scared… I’m so scared…”
I looked at her quietly for a while before placing my hand on her back, patting her gently twice, and saying softly, "Don't be afraid... You are safe now, I will protect you."
"I'm so sorry..." Ni Duoduo sobbed, her face streaked with tears. Her eyes were filled with remorse: "It's all my fault... I'm the one who made you like this..."
After the girl finished speaking, she raised her hand to slap herself, but I grabbed her wrist and said calmly, "I've gone to so much trouble to protect you because I'm afraid you'll get hurt—do you want to hurt yourself in front of me?"
Deliberately gazing into her eyes, I slowly said, "If you truly feel sorry for me, then live well and take responsibility for yourself. You're eighteen now, not a child anymore. From now on, before you do anything, think it through carefully... Understand?"
Ni Duoduo nodded frantically, wiping away her tears.
I sighed, my tone softening a bit: "Alright. Go to sleep and get some rest."
"Where...where are we going?" Ni Duoduo blinked at me, looking like a helpless fledgling.
"Let's talk about it tomorrow, I haven't decided yet." I hesitated for a moment, not going into details with Ni Duoduo.
I can at least guarantee that the people chasing us don't yet know we've reached Shanghai. But I don't know how long that will last... They might find us in Shanghai soon, anyway, if they can't find me in Nanjing, they'll definitely search for me in the surrounding cities.
At least after the commotion at Nanjing Railway Station tonight, they must already know I'm planning to flee to another city. So, based on common sense, they'll continue to blockade and search Nanjing's local train stations and docks, and if they still don't hear from me, they'll start searching in the surrounding cities.
Southern and northern Jiangsu, west of which lies Anhui, and further south is Shanghai... though we haven't found Shanghai yet.
Also, there's a reason I chose to come to Shanghai. Shanghai is an international metropolis with a huge influx of migrants. Many places are a melting pot of all sorts of people, poorly managed, and easy to hide in—like finding a needle in a haystack!
I had trouble sleeping that night; I was very alert, constantly feeling like something was happening outside. I drifted in and out of sleep until dawn, when I felt a slight soreness in my neck. The swelling in my fingers had gone down a bit, and after moving them slightly, bending them didn't hurt as much. However, after a night's sleep, my knees hurt even more.
I know this is a normal reaction, so I forced myself to get out of bed.
The room was on the second floor, right next to another building. Even with the windows open during the day, not a ray of sunlight could reach it. Ni Duoduo was still sleeping. The girl was exhausted, both physically and mentally; she was even snoring softly in her sleep, clearly very tired.
The old-fashioned air conditioner in the room was still humming. I sighed, got up, put on my coat, and went out.
Stepping out of the hotel, I felt a chill in the air. The weather wasn't great either; it was overcast and the sky was dark, looking like it was about to rain. I pulled my coat tighter, lowered my head, and walked a few steps. I saw a few breakfast stalls at the intersection of a small road ahead, so I went over and bought two jianbing guozi (Chinese crepes) and a packet of soy milk.
I walked with my head down, along the corner of the wall, and carefully looked left and right when I entered the hotel.
Back in the room, Ni Duoduo was still asleep. The girl was a restless sleeper, the blanket was tightly wrapped around her body, and she was curled up like a shrimp, half lying across the bed, with even her pillow on the floor.
I didn't touch her. I just went into the bathroom, closed the door, took out my phone, and dialed a number.
This number was given to me by Jinhe after he came to see me last time.
Before he left, he left an envelope containing Ni Duoduo's information, the money, and this phone number. He said not to call unless absolutely necessary, and that the number could only be called during the day on even-numbered days; not at other times. I tried calling it in the car last night, and sure enough, it didn't go through.
I found it strange at the time; why be so secretive? But anyway, Jinhe and Huan Ge are very secretive about their whereabouts now, and I can't find them at all. Huan Ge and Jinhe changed their phone numbers a long time ago, and if Jinhe hadn't come to see me last time, I would have lost contact with them long ago.
I thought about it and then dialed the number.
"Beep...beep...beep"
The phone rang three times before being answered.
"Hello." It was a man's voice, deep and resonant.
"Hello." I asked tentatively, "Jinhe asked me to make this call. My surname is Chen."