Myriad Calamities - Chapter 36
Xu Haicheng was certain that plainclothes officers were secretly escorting Ma Junnan. Looking around, he indeed saw a car with its lights off pull up near Ma Junnan's building. Ma Junnan clearly didn't notice, walking briskly towards the gate, in a good mood and seemingly unafraid of the dark.
As he approached, the motion-sensor light on the main gate illuminated the small area at the entrance. A figure emerged from the shadows and blocked his way: "Professor Ma." The voice was quite old, and the Mandarin was very stiff. He stood backlit, and Xu Haicheng's face was obscured by the height of the gate, but judging from the voice, he was probably over fifty years old.
Ma Junnan took a step back in fright, staring in astonishment at the person who had suddenly appeared. "Who are you... what do you want?"
"Professor Ma, don't you recognize me? I'm the one who led your expedition out of Wuri Valley..."
Ma Junnan scrutinized him closely, and after a long while, he said, "So it's you."
The man rubbed his hands together and chuckled, saying, "I saw you on TV and thought I'd come say hello..."
"It's too late today, so I won't invite you over. I'll treat you to lunch tomorrow."
The man chuckled and said, "Professor Ma, you're too kind. I'm a bit short on funds, so if it's convenient, could you perhaps…?"
Section 68: Chapter Eleven, Part One of the Void Tribulation (6)
Ma Junnan was displeased and said, "How much money could a school teacher like me have?"
They're always better off than us mountain folk. I'm old and it doesn't bother me, but my granddaughter is still unmarried...
Ma Junnan couldn't help but interrupt him, "That's your family matter. I'm sorry, it's too late." With that, he lifted his foot.
"Professor Ma," the man's voice suddenly turned sinister, "I saw what you did in the cave..."
Ma Junnan was startled and took several steps back, saying, "I don't know what you're talking about?"
"You dare to kill, but you're too afraid to admit it..."
Ma Junnan felt as if he were being tossed about, stumbling backward until he bumped into a tree by the roadside. He took the opportunity to hug the tree, pressing his head against the trunk like an ostrich. "I didn't kill him, I didn't kill him, I didn't kill him..." he repeatedly shouted, his voice filled with despair and helplessness.
Xu Haicheng was shocked. Ma Junnan had committed murder?
The car that had been secretly following Ma Junnan opened silently, and two people got out and quietly approached.
Ma Junnan's shouting alerted the people inside the building. Several windows were heard opening, a few people peeked out to look, and someone shouted, "Professor Ma, what's wrong?"
The man, clearly not expecting to alert others and seeing he was unlikely to gain anything, quickly slipped into the woods, followed closely by the two plainclothes officers. Ma Junnan, still clinging to the tree trunk, shouted, "I didn't kill him! I didn't kill him..."
A woman's exclamation came from upstairs: "Old Ma, what's wrong?" The voice was a little old, and judging from the intimate tone and words she used, it was Ma Junnan's wife. Then came the sound of footsteps and the clanging of a door opening.
Xu Haicheng pondered for a moment, then rushed downstairs to Ma Junnan's side. He pulled down Ma Junnan's collar and looked at his neck. Under the dim light, a scar the size of a teacup was visible on the back of his neck, near his spine. The scar was slightly darker than the surrounding skin, and judging from the texture, it appeared to be a burn.
Ma Junnan twisted his body to break free from Xu Haicheng's hand. He turned his head and saw that it was him. He was shocked and shouted loudly, "You killed him! You killed him! You killed him!" He accidentally tripped over a stone and sat on the ground. His expression was ferocious and he looked crazy. Where was the refined and elegant man he had been on TV just now?
Xu Haicheng looked at him silently, unable to tell whether he felt sympathy or disgust.
Ma Junnan's wife had rushed downstairs, thinking Xu Haicheng had bullied Ma Junnan. She stormed up and yelled, "Who are you? What are you doing to old Ma like this?"
Neighbors also came down; some helped Ma Junnan up, while others sided with him. Ma Junnan's wife scolded Xu Haicheng: "Who are you? Why are you causing trouble at our school?"
Xu Haicheng shook his head silently, looking in the direction the man had disappeared, preparing to give chase. Before he could move, he heard the group shouting, "He's trying to run! Grab him!" Several hands grabbed his clothes. Xu Haicheng still had questions he needed the man to explain, and fearing he'd miss his chance, he flung his hand away from the group and disappeared into the woods.
A commotion arose behind him: "Someone's been assaulted! Call security immediately..."
"This is outrageous! Running wild on our university campus..."
"We've already notified security; this guy isn't going to get away..."
The woods were covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, each step making a crunching sound. Xu Haicheng stopped, listened intently for a moment, and then ran towards the source of the crunching sound. A moment later, he saw two plainclothes officers emerge from the trees and run to the campus path next to the artificial hill. The man who had threatened Ma Junnan earlier was running very fast ahead of the plainclothes officers.
Xu Haicheng quickened his pace, but as soon as he stepped out of the woods, he heard a flurry of footsteps and saw the flashlight beams flickering. He inwardly groaned. It was too late to dodge; several flashlight beams shone on his face, blinding him. Annoyed, he lowered his head and shielded his eyes with his hand to avoid the glare.
"It's him, it's him..." someone called out, presumably one of Ma Junnan's neighbors.
"Who are you? Come with us to the security office."
With Xu Haicheng's skills, these men couldn't stop him, but it would take some time. He turned to look at the winding campus path, now deserted, with only the wind rustling the bushes. It seemed he wouldn't be able to catch the "insider" this time; he could only hope the plainclothes officers could apprehend him. With a sigh, he gave up resisting and followed the security guards to the security room.
Ma Junnan's wife and many other residents of the building were there, chattering amongst themselves. Upon seeing Xu Haicheng, they all exclaimed, "It's him! It's him..."
"Looks quite presentable..."
Ma Junnan's wife rushed over and slapped Xu Haicheng several times, yelling, "What have you done to our old Ma? You wicked wretch, I curse you to die a horrible death!"
Section 69: Chapter Eleven, Part One of the Void Tribulation (7)
Xu Haicheng turned to look at Ma Junnan, who was sitting draped in an unidentified coat, his body trembling slightly, his eyes fixed on a certain spot, muttering to himself, "You killed him, you killed him..."
A wave of disgust washed over him. Xu Haicheng stared at him and said, "You're a good actor, but I've been fooled once before. Why would I fall for it a second time?"
Those present were stunned, looking at Xu Haicheng and then at Ma Junnan.
Ma Junnan abruptly stopped muttering, then his body trembled even more violently, like a withered leaf in the wind. His wife roared and began to pummel Xu Haicheng with her fists. Fortunately, it was winter and his clothes were thick, so he didn't feel much pain. But seeing a bloated old woman baring her teeth and brandishing her fists like rain was still an annoying thing.
Xu Haicheng raised an eyebrow, grabbed her hands, and gently pushed her, causing Ma Junnan's wife to stumble back a few steps. After being helped to her feet, she stared at Xu Haicheng for a moment, then began to shout, "He's hitting me! He's hitting me..." The group of people standing around her echoed, "That's outrageous! He's even hitting a woman..."
Encouraged by the cheers of the crowd, Ma Junnan's wife emboldened and lunged forward again, ready to strike.
Xu Haicheng stepped back to avoid the guard and said to the security guard next to him, "I am Xu Haicheng from the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Nanpu City Public Security Bureau. I forgot to bring my identification today. Could you please make a phone call to confirm?" Xu Haicheng is currently only suspended from duty, but is still a police officer.
Everyone was stunned. Some people swallowed back the words they were about to say. Ma Junnan's wife's hand was still raised in mid-air. She awkwardly withdrew it, but then felt it wasn't enough, so she simply put it behind her back.
The security guard made a phone call in front of everyone to inquire, and when he hung up, he became very polite, saying, "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding." He then waved to the onlookers, "Everyone, please disperse, please disperse."
In an instant, the onlookers dispersed, leaving only two security guards and Ma Junnan and his wife inside. Ma Junnan's wife forced herself to remain calm and said, "Even if you are a policeman, you can't do this to my husband! He has only just started to recover..." As she spoke, large tears fell from her eyes, and she tightly embraced Ma Junnan's head against her chest.
If outsiders were unaware of the situation, they might misunderstand and think that the two had suffered great persecution.