Death Notice 2 Destiny

Chapter 7

The word "Brother Han" pierced Han Hao's heart like a sharp blade. He stared in horror, his muscles tensing, assuming a posture of being ready to fight to the death.

The woman burst into laughter, her body trembling with mirth: "How funny! That man was right, he really scared you half to death. What's wrong with you? Have you never had a free beer in your life?"

Han Hao gleaned something from the woman's words; the horror in his eyes turned into alertness, and he scanned his surroundings.

"Alright, stop looking." The woman stretched out her slender hand and flung it past Han Hao's eyes provocatively. "It's the big brother over there treating us. I'm just passing on a message."

Han Hao followed the woman's finger and looked in the direction she was pointing. In a corner of the bar, a man sat alone, his figure shrouded in darkness. He noticed Han Hao's gaze, put a cigarette in his mouth, and took a deep drag. The dark red smoke flashed, reflecting off his bright, gleaming eyes.

"It's him?" Han Hao's heart skipped a beat. After hesitating for a moment, he picked up the case of beer and strode towards the corner where the man was.

The Fate of the Death Sentence (04)

9:30 PM.

Green Sun Spring Restaurant.

He came here again, and sat in that corner where he could see the whole scene.

Appearing in the same place multiple times in a short period of time is something he should avoid, but he couldn't quite control himself.

He needed to find a way to calm his troubled mind.

In just two days, he experienced so much.

First, there was the departure of that person, the one who gave him a second life.

For over a decade, he had grown accustomed to living under that man's guidance and instruction. Yet, when that man left, he didn't even know his name.

"Teacher," that's what he's always called that person.

He felt lost and helpless. This was the third time in his life that he had lost a man he could rely on, and each time it had happened so suddenly.

The first time was with his father.

His father's image had become somewhat blurred in his mind, because he was very young when he first met him. But deep in his heart lay an indelible longing for his father, a feeling always tinged with a distinct sadness.

The time spent with his father was not happy, because his father seemed to carry too much worry and pain. To this day, he can still feel the love his father had for him back then, but that love is now tinged with sadness. Perhaps his father didn't want to show that sadness to his child, but the blood ties between father and son are intertwined, and every bit of his father's emotion can seep into his son's heart.

Although he was young at the time, a desire to help his father had already begun to sprout. This desire grew stronger as he grew older, yet he never had the opportunity to quell it.

Because his father suddenly disappeared from his life. He disappeared so suddenly, without any separation, without even any warning.

For more than ten years, he had no idea where his father had gone. He only knew that from a certain day onwards, his father had never appeared in his life again.

The day his father disappeared was also the day the second man entered his life.

He remembered the date clearly because it was his birthday.

He called the second man "uncle".

He was deeply impressed by this uncle because the latter had brought him endless joy.

From a child's perspective, the uncle is a very "good-looking" man—young, handsome, and sunny, with a perpetually smiling face. Even on the first meeting, he exudes genuine warmth and friendliness.

When he was with his father, he liked to snuggle in his arms; when he was with his uncle, he liked to look at his uncle's face, which allowed him to clearly recall the latter's smile and voice more than ten years later.

Uncle had many ways to cheer him up: a little snack, a joke, or even a funny face. Uncle also took good care of Mom, who was seriously ill and bedridden at the time, and she often told herself to listen to Uncle.

His uncle's presence made him even forget the sorrow of his father's departure. That was the happiest time of his life.

But this happiness didn't last long, because my uncle soon disappeared as well.

Just like before, they disappeared suddenly without warning, taking with them the happiness they once had.

Not long after, his mother also passed away. He lost all his loved ones and began a truly dark period in his life.

He entered an orphanage. He disliked the place, and so did the people there. For years, he couldn't find any trace of happiness in his memory. He was a loner; no one knew his inner world, and no one wanted to understand it. This environment suffocated him. He wanted to struggle, to rebel, but he was surrounded by unbreakable shackles. He had nowhere to go, and his future seemed bleak.

In this state, he transitioned from childhood to adolescence.

Finally, one day, that person appeared. He was an unprecedentedly strange person, whose ugly and terrifying face concealed an irresistible magic.

From fear to curiosity, from curiosity to fascination, from fascination to awe… he approached the strange man step by step, absorbing his immense wisdom and power. With that man's help, the shackles binding him were easily broken, and he was utterly captivated.

That person, however, made him look at the world and see how many innocent people were still suffering and how many evil forces were still wreaking havoc. Liberating himself was far from enough; he bore a far greater mission.

Yes, he had seen too much. The suffering and evil he witnessed filled him with pain and anger. The world needed saving, and he was willing to dedicate all his wisdom and strength to this cause.

He followed the path guided by that eccentric man, and the title "teacher" came from his lips with great respect.

But as if by fate, none of those close to him could stay with him for long. Just when he felt he was capable of repaying his teacher's kindness, his teacher also left him.

The morning before, he watched from afar as the bailiffs retrieved his teacher's remains from the rubble of the explosion, his heart filled with sorrow and bewilderment.

Who exactly is this person? What is his story? Why did he appear in my life? Does he know about my past? Where are my father and that uncle now?

The teacher never wanted to mention these questions. Those answers might forever be buried in the ruins of the explosion. Because with the teacher's departure, no one in this world knows his original identity. He had become completely a person without any records, without any past.

But reality was not as pessimistic as he thought; some truths actually surfaced after the teacher's departure.

The truth that deeply shocked him.

Last night, he was almost stunned when he saw the news report about the bombing on TV.

He learned the teacher's true identity—a trainee policeman named Yuan Zhibang.

The young, handsome, and sunny image on the screen immediately merged with a memory in his mind—the "uncle" who had accompanied him through the happiest time of his life.

The kind and approachable "uncle" and the monstrous, ugly, and stern "teacher" are actually the same person!

His many questions were immediately answered. He understood why his uncle had suddenly disappeared and why his teacher had found him.

Then the remaining confusion became even stronger.

Father, where did Father go? And how exactly did that person enter my life?

To find the answers, he had to go back to the beginning, to the starting point of all the confusion.

From that point on, his father disappeared, and a policeman suddenly appeared beside him.

He remembered that date clearly because it was his sixth birthday.

January 30, 1984.

As for what happened that day, only fragmented and blurry pieces remain in his memory.

Whenever he recalls that period of his life, the first image that comes to mind is a white hospital room. His mother lies in bed, looking haggard, a scene that accompanied him throughout his childhood.

Perhaps this is why my father was so depressed all the time.

He was very happy that day, though. His father had promised to buy him a birthday cake. He was full of anticipation.

He had never eaten a birthday cake before, but he had seen other children eat them. The golden cake topped with creamy white frosting must have tasted delicious.

He waited with his mother at the hospital for his father, who had gone out, but his father did not return for a long time. Later, two or three unfamiliar men appeared in the ward. The man in the lead had a gloomy expression, which made the little boy feel a sense of oppression, and he couldn't help but cry out in fear.

Then a pair of warm, large hands embraced him, and he saw that kind and handsome face—this was the first time "Uncle" appeared in his memory.

His uncle quickly made him laugh through his tears, and he was taken out of the ward to play happily with the other person.

The other men followed a moment later, and they whispered among themselves, observing the harmonious atmosphere between themselves and their uncle.

The negotiation resulted in him receiving unprecedented treatment: lollipops, a toy rattle, and even being carried into a toy car by his uncle. He asked his uncle where they were going, and his uncle told him they were going to find his father.

He was even happier, and he boasted to his uncle that it was his birthday today, and his father would buy him a delicious birthday cake.

Before getting off the bus, his uncle put two earmuffs on him. Cheerful and pleasant children's songs came from the earmuffs, and his attention was quickly drawn to this novel gadget. He listened attentively while eating a lollipop, occasionally singing along with "ya ya" sounds.

His uncle indeed took him to see his father, who was standing with another man; they were doing something, I don't know.

His uncle held him the whole time, and he kept thinking about the birthday cake, but his father never gave him the promised cake when they left.

I saw the cake in the evening; it was in my uncle's hands, and he said it was my father who asked him to give it to me.

The cake was very sweet and became one of his fondest childhood memories. But from that day on, he never saw his father again.

That's how he spent his sixth birthday.

Where did his father go? Who were his uncle and the strange man? These questions had troubled him for many years, but he could not find a way to explore them.

Yesterday's news suddenly made him feel better.

My uncle and those strangers were all police officers.

That was a case that occurred on January 30, 1984.

He knew where to find the answers he was looking for.

The Criminal Records Management Center of the Public Security Bureau.

He ventured in and found some valuable archives there.

He finally learned where his father had gone, and it was a heartbreaking answer.

At the same time, even more mysteries arose in his mind.

The truth behind the mystery was perhaps terrifying to him, and he already had a vague feeling about it. But he had no choice but to continue investigating.

This is destined to be a painful process.

So his mind became very chaotic. In this state, he seemed to subconsciously come to the Green Sun Spring Restaurant. Only here could his mind find peace.

The delicate Huaiyang cuisine, the mellow red wine, and of course, most importantly, the girl and the music she played.

But these wonderful atmospheres are somewhat diminished today because some ignorant people are ruining them.

There were three men. Two were older, one fat and one thin; the other, a young man, was physically robust, but his wide-set eyes gave the impression of low intelligence. They sat at the table closest to the performance area, ordering the most expensive dishes and drinking the finest liquor.

He looked down on the three men from the bottom of his heart: they were not qualified to eat in such a restaurant because they knew nothing.

Huaiyang cuisine is famous throughout the world, and its characteristic is its "lightness," and there is a reason for this "lightness."

Yangzhou, located in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, experiences four distinct seasons and is rich in produce. This has led to a local fondness for "tasting the freshest produce." The best time to enjoy seasonal vegetables is considered the peak season. To preserve the original flavor of each dish and highlight its freshness, Huaiyang cuisine emphasizes a "light" cooking technique.

Therefore, the most important concept when eating Huaiyang cuisine is to try the freshest dishes. Those three men only knew how to order the most expensive high-end dishes, but each dish was completely out of season, making them a laughing stock.

Since Huaiyang cuisine is light in flavor, it is not suitable to pair it with strong liquor, so the drinks chosen by the three men were also very inappropriate.

Furthermore, their seating position was too close to the performance area. At this distance, the performer's natural voice and the reflected sound from the water would interfere with each other, affecting the sound quality enjoyed by the listeners. This demonstrates that they fundamentally lacked musical understanding; the girl's exquisite performance was utterly meaningless to them.

Perhaps their purpose wasn't the food and music. They barely touched the dishes before them, yet had already downed more than a bottle of liquor. They also frequently whispered amongst themselves during the climax of the performance, completely oblivious to the fact that they were missing the most beautiful melodies.

For these three men, eating was just an excuse; their real purpose was to discuss something. They spoke in low voices, seemingly not wanting outsiders to know what they were discussing.

He sat in the corner, observing coldly, a sneer creeping onto his lips—he could guess what they were discussing, because he knew them all too well.

In order to assassinate Deng Hua, he had already thoroughly investigated the situation of the Longyu Group, and these three people were all important figures in it.