Der umwerfende Premierminister

Kapitel 16

Ya Chaolan felt the restraints on her body disappearing, and Zheng Zhihao was slowly falling, the soul bottle in his hand falling to the ground like a black raindrop. She heard Li Hong's scream, but it did not stop her pursuit of revenge; Tian Weiguo's soul was firmly grasped in her hand.

"Die!!"

************************

The axe was still in the wound, its handle sticking up high, and a large amount of blood flowed down it. Blood gushed from the wound like a fountain, and Li Hong pressed her hand against it, but she couldn't stop the profuse bleeding. She couldn't see anything clearly, and tears dripped onto him.

"Don't cry..." Zheng Zhihao said breathlessly, "I don't have much time left, listen to me..."

“Don’t speak…” Li Hong choked back tears, “You won’t die…”

“I’m going to die, so listen to me… don’t interrupt me.”

Li Hong nodded silently.

"Would you like to stay with me? If so, put your hand on my forehead..."

Li Hong burst into tears, placing her hand on his forehead and feeling his warm body temperature. Because she had lunged so violently, Li Hong's hands were scratched by the dry branches on the ground, blood slowly seeping out, and her right hand was still trembling slightly.

"You're injured too..." Zheng Zhihao slowly closed his eyes, as if in a meditative state, and said, "Now I'm going to find you, I'm in your heart..."

Zheng Zhihao is dead.

……

………………

…………

Before Li Hong, the images of three people flickered, with Ya Chaolan still holding Xiao Hei in her arms. They no longer had their aggressive aura; they were like old friends comforting their best companion.

"Where are you going?" Li Hong asked mechanically.

“Let’s go where we’re going. In my next life, I’ll be a Shandong native.” That was Ya Chaolan’s voice.

"I'm going to say goodbye to Li Li," came Ma Guiping's voice.

"I want to be reincarnated too," came Liu Huiquan's voice.

Li Hong nodded, and tears streamed down her face again.

"Thank you," Ya Chaolan said. "Don't be sad, that man is still in your heart."

Li Hong nodded again.

The images disappeared, and the surroundings returned to the darkness they had felt when they first arrived.

After a while, a rustling sound came from the bushes, and several people emerged. They turned on their flashlights, shining them on Li Hong and the two corpses on the ground. No one spoke, but there was a clicking sound of teeth chattering.

****************************

The double-decker bus sped along the highway. Li Hong leaned against the window, watching the roadside trees rush past. She felt like she was waking from a dream, a long nightmare finally over. The morning sun streamed into the bus, warm and comforting. Everything seemed to tell her that the nightmare was over, and she was about to return to her familiar life.

Her right hand clutched the black soul bottle; now, only this object told her that what had happened in her dream was real. The bottle was small, gleaming with an ancient light, and its cap was merely a wad of red cloth, tightly covering the opening. Once, this bottle had been filled with resentful spirits, but now it was empty, just like Li Hong's current state of mind.

Li Li sat beside her, gazing blankly ahead. Last night, when Ma Guiping appeared in Li Li's dream, it felt so real. Li Li could still remember the way his large hand stroked her hair, a feeling of warmth that lingered in her heart. Just like the road ahead, Li Li's journey was long, and Ma Guiping hoped she could persevere.

After these few days, both of them had the illusion that they had lived a lifetime.

"Hey, guess who I am?" A voice suddenly rang in Li Hong's mind. The voice was very familiar. She sat up abruptly and looked around. The surrounding passengers were all drowsy, while Li Li remained lost in her own thoughts.

"You are...where are you?" Li Hong asked softly.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Nonsense! Where are you?" Li Hong suddenly became excited, as if she were talking to her dearest person on the phone, the long-lost voice making her extremely excited.

"Extend your right hand."

Li Hong lowered her head and opened her palm.

A vaguely discernible face appeared on Li Hong's wounded hand. That face, indistinctly, resembled Zheng Zhihao's, his thin lips curving upwards. He was smiling.

Li Hong was startled and immediately clenched her fists tightly, glancing around as if afraid that others would discover her secret.

"Hey, you're pinching me..." Zheng Zhihao's voice echoed in Li Hong's mind again, "Do you hate seeing my face that much?"

"What's going on? How did you get into my hands?" Li Hong covered her mouth with her right hand and whispered.

"I am now residing in your hands, and you are providing me with energy. This is what I mean by being in your heart."

Li Hong's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Zheng Zhihao's final request to have such an effect, and for a moment she felt a mix of joy and panic.

"Alright, beautiful lady, don't be afraid. I know when to show up and when not to. But I'm really grateful that you brought the Soul Bottle with you. I'm still a Spirit Hunter now, or rather, you should be the Spirit Hunter."

Li Hong didn't speak. Her mind was still in a mess; this sudden situation had caught her off guard.

"I'll give you some time to think it over and get used to it. Of course, if you want me to leave, I won't stay. I'm going to sleep now; just call my name if you need me."

After Zheng Zhihao's voice disappeared, there was indeed no sound for a long time. Li Hong carefully opened her palm, and everything returned to normal.

"Who are you talking to?" Li Li suddenly asked, tilting her head.

“Huh? No, he wasn’t talking to anyone, he was just talking to himself…” Li Hong quickly said.

"Does your hand still hurt?" Li Li asked with concern as she looked at her outstretched hand.

"No, it doesn't hurt anymore," Li Hong said quickly. She awkwardly placed her hand lightly on her leg, then let out a long breath, and a smile slowly spread across her face…

Volume One is now complete. Thank you for reading.

Volume Two: Temptations of the Past 2.01 Prologue

July 23, 2005, 23:11, Beijing

If you were flying over Beijing right now, looking down you would see the orange-yellow highway stretching diagonally northward, with sparse cars crawling along like worms. Actually, they're not slow at all; if you stood on the side of the road, each car would create a strong gust of air, whizzing past you. Only the massive trucks roared and shook the road as they slowly passed by.

The roadside is a dark area devoid of light, with only occasional twinkling lights. Looking down from the overpass, this dark area resembles a sleeping swamp. Passing through here at night gives one a feeling of being swallowed up at any moment, so the cars on the road speed up and rush forward.

At that moment, a silver Jetta that had just overtaken a slower car was accelerating up the overpass, its headlights flashing across the road, and its hot tires screeching as they rolled over the asphalt.

As Zheng Zhihao drove, all he could think about was sleeping.

After two days and two nights of grueling work, he finally helped Yang Yunhui complete the mission tonight and can now go home and get a good night's sleep. Thinking about not seeing his wife and children for two days, Zheng Zhihao felt a pang of guilt. He decided that once he got home, he would confess everything to his wife and stop letting lies and guilt haunt him.

"Speeding," Zheng Zhihao thought. The Jetta roared, speeding along the calm road at 160 kilometers per hour, cruising on the sparsely trafficked highway—he was sure to get a ticket, but he was willing to pay the extra 500 yuan for the comfort of lying in his soft bed at home—the past two days had been too tough; they'd been huddled in a tiny, dark room of less than ten square meters, unbearably hot and stuffy, even Yang Yunhui was almost at his breaking point. But the final result excited him; they had succeeded. The excitement of success kept him driving at breakneck speed; he could soon see his neighborhood in the distance.

Zheng Zhihao was unfamiliar with his opponent, only knowing that he was an extremely formidable figure. He was even more surprised when Yang Yunhui told him that the opponent was a woman. However, Yang was unwilling to reveal any more information. After completing the task, he simply thanked Zheng Zhihao and began slowly packing his things. Zheng Zhihao saw no trace of joy on his face, only a furrowed brow and a complex expression. But since he was unwilling to speak, Zheng Zhihao wouldn't force him, believing that Yang would eventually tell him. Having been Yang's assistant for half a year, Zheng Zhihao knew him quite well; he was simply that kind of person—rarely showing his emotions.

The next exit was off the highway, so Zheng Zhihao slowed down. He glanced at his rearview mirror, preparing to merge into the outer lane. A black Audi behind him flashed its headlights, so he continued driving in the innermost lane, only using his turn signal, waiting for the Audi to pass before merging into the outer lane.

Suddenly, the headlights illuminated a blurry figure ahead, vaguely resembling a pedestrian. This startled Zheng Zhihao, instantly clearing his drowsy mind. However, the Jetta was still traveling at high speed. To prevent a ton-and-a-half-heavy steel vehicle traveling at 120 kilometers per hour from hitting a pedestrian in such a short distance, the only option was to swerve. Zheng Zhihao slammed on the brakes and swerved to the right. The Jetta screeched to a halt and veered sharply to the side. The Audi, not far behind, hadn't seen the pedestrian and sped closer. By the time the Audi realized the danger, it was too late.

The Audi A6, traveling at 160 km/h and weighing 1.6 tons, slammed into the right door of the Jetta. The Jetta's right side contracted violently inward, causing the entire front of the car to tilt to the left. Shattered glass flew into the passenger compartment like bullets. The violent impact forced Zheng Zhihao, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, into the driver's seat like a rag doll. His legs were crushed like fragile straws. The steering wheel, which had no airbags, slammed into his chest like a hard rock, breaking all six of his ribs, three of which pierced his lungs. A mouthful of blood gushed from Zheng Zhihao's mouth, splattering onto the windshield.

The Jetta didn't stop; it continued speeding to the left at 80 km/h towards the highway guardrail. A small rock rolled under its left front wheel, causing the Jetta's front to lift. The immense inertia propelled the entire vehicle over the low guardrail, tumbling into the opposite lane. A Jiefang light truck, traveling at 80 km/h, crashed into the Jetta and came to rest on its side, blocking a Santana and another Buick behind it, ultimately causing a six-vehicle rear-end collision. At this point, the Jetta came to a stop, upside down. The shattered glass scattered on the ground reflected the streetlights, like blinking eyes, anxiously waiting.

Squeezed inside the car, Zheng Zhihao's last remaining consciousness allowed him to take one last look at himself. However, besides seeing his badly injured body, wrecked like a tattered rag doll, Zheng Zhihao also saw the pedestrian who had first appeared in the driveway. It was a woman, emitting a ghostly blue light, her straight hair obscuring half her face, her left eye emitting a deep blue light, staring fixedly at him.

"Go to sleep, child. You've been chasing me for two days, you must be exhausted..."

Zheng Zhihao didn't know if he had heard those words with his own ears or if they had flashed through his mind. He stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the blurry image. Until a mouthful of bloody phlegm flowed from his mouth, taking the last bit of air from his lungs.

Zheng Zhihao lowered his head and died.

2.02 Relics

Beijing, July 2, 2007

In Beijing's hottest July, at the hottest midday, Li Hong still had to travel across the city to Zheng Zhihao's home to sort through his belongings, which made her feel extremely irritable.

The sun beat down relentlessly on the road, as if it were a blazing inferno; you could almost hear the asphalt sizzling and melting. Stepping out of the office, Li Hong was immediately hit by a suffocating wave of heat, almost suffocating her. She tilted her head back, took a deep breath, opened her umbrella, put on her sunglasses, and resolutely plunged into the sweltering heat.

“Commendable spirit, commendable spirit,” Zheng Zhihao on the right kept saying.

"Alright, stop making sarcastic remarks." Li Hong deliberately held the umbrella with her right hand, resting the handle against her palm.

"Can't you just hold the umbrella with your left hand?" Zheng Zhihao protested. "I know you didn't have time to visit my place after your long holiday, so you could only go out at this time, but don't blame me entirely. I'm already like this, and you're still bullying me."

“Who else is to blame but you?” Li Hong said. She looked left and right by the roadside, crossed the road, but her mind was calculating how much a taxi would cost—she had gotten used to Zheng Zhihao whispering in her ear like a mosquito, and she had gotten used to speaking to him in a low voice. She felt like a schizophrenic patient, constantly talking to herself.

“Let’s take a taxi! I’ll pay,” Zheng Zhihao said. “I still have money in my card, it’s all yours, I can’t spend it anyway.”

"How much would it cost to call your home? My school is in Xuanwu, but your home is in Xisanqi." Li Hong watched an empty taxi drive by but didn't wave. If she took the subway, she could transfer to the light rail at Xizhimen; if she took the bus, she would have to wait for the Special Line 4 and then transfer to the 719 at Fuchengmen. She hadn't taken the bus in a long time, and she had carefully checked the map before leaving. Working at a school, she rarely went out; if she needed to go to a crime scene, she usually took the police station's car.

"It will probably cost 40 yuan," Zheng Zhihao said seriously.

"Alright, let's not talk about it anymore," Li Hong said. "The subway only costs 6 yuan, and the bus should only cost 3 yuan. Let's save money."

"I'm really worried you'll get heatstroke. Let's take a taxi."

Li Hong ignored him. She saw a double-decker No. 4 bus swaying and pulling into the station; it wasn't crowded, so she boarded. To be honest, it wasn't that she couldn't afford the 40 yuan; it was just that she was used to being frugal. What couldn't she do with 40 yuan? It might be hot, but there were seats available.

Zheng Zhihao didn't say anything more, and Li Hong heard him seem to sigh.

The No. 4 bus, like a heavy tank, roared away from the platform.

**********************

Pushing open the door, Li Hong was stunned by the mess in the small room before her.

Despite Zheng Zhihao's repeated emphasis on how messy his room was, Li Hong only realized he wasn't exaggerating after seeing the scene. She didn't know how Zheng Zhihao had lived here before his death, only that she would definitely go crazy if she lived here. She frowned, remained silent, looked down at her feet, and carefully searched for an open space to move forward.

Zheng Zhihao remained silent, seemingly waiting for Li Hong to react.

“I admire the people who once lived here,” Li Hong finally said. She even had an impulse to take a picture of the place and see if she could apply for a Guinness World Record.

"Hehe..." Zheng Zhihao smiled sheepishly.

"Okay, what do you need to keep? I'll throw the rest away," Li Hong said, taking out her phone to check the time. She had three hours to tidy the room, and she had a teaching research meeting to attend at 7 pm, so she couldn't be late.

"Leave the book, and some props on that table. Oh, and there's 5,000 yuan hidden under the mattress, and important documents are in the desk drawer. After that, there's nothing else to leave behind."

"Alright!" Li Hong rolled up her sleeves and found a relatively clean spot to put down her handbag. It really was time to get down to business.

************************

Li Hong held three ID cards in her hand, turning them over and over, somewhat confused. Two of the three ID cards bore the name "Zheng Zhihao," differing only in the photograph, while the third bore the name "Yang Yunhui."

“Yang Yunhui’s photo is mine,” Zheng Zhihao said.

"Aren't you called Zheng Zhihao?" Li Hong asked in confusion.

"Boss! I told you my real name!!" Zheng Zhihao suddenly shouted, "You've forgotten about that day in bathroom 104, haven't you?"

“Oh, yes, yes, you told me.” Li Hong laughed. “I’ve gotten used to calling you Zheng Zhihao. So who is this real Zheng Zhihao? I remember checking his identity; he’s already dead.”

"The real Zheng Zhihao is my good brother." The fake Zheng Zhihao said in a low voice, "Two years ago, he was my assistant. He helped me a lot and we even took down a female demon together. But the ghost of that female demon didn't let him go. He caused a traffic accident and that's how he died."