Alma Espejo Antigua

Capítulo 9

Pan Xiaolu, having recovered from her shock, asked, "Why didn't you remove it?"

Director Wu said, "The bullet is in the numb area of the right brain. At present, it will not cause any harm to the body. If surgery were to be performed to remove it, it would be extremely dangerous."

Pan Xiaolu seemed to understand but not quite. She turned her gaze to Xu Haicheng, who was lying on the bed with a blank expression, while Director Wu's words echoed in her ears: "It's a bullet, it's a bullet."

Director Wu instructed Xu Haicheng to stay in the hospital for observation until tomorrow morning, and he could be discharged only if there were no other problems after the examination. Seeing that he seemed absent-minded, he then instructed Pan Xiaolu to keep a close eye on him, to which the latter nodded solemnly.

As soon as Director Wu left, Xu Haicheng naturally told Pan Xiaolu to go home. She ignored his words and went straight to sit on a stool by the bed.

Xu Haicheng's mind was already in turmoil, and seeing that his persuasion was ineffective, he didn't bother with her anymore and closed his eyes. He couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, replaying Ma Junnan's words over and over, his mood sinking deeper and deeper. After a while, he heard even breathing beside him, opened his eyes, and saw Pan Xiaolu asleep on the edge of the bed.

Slightly touched, he pulled the blanket over her, then jumped out of bed, ignoring his throbbing headache, and tiptoed towards the door. It was late, the corridor was deserted, even the nurses on duty were dozing. He secretly slipped out of the hospital, hailed a taxi, and went home. Upon entering, he rushed to the bathroom, took off his shirt, and looked at his neck. Ma Junnan had said he had been possessed by a ghostly curse; there should be marks on his neck, like the two small holes on Professor Liang Ping's neck.

He nearly broke his neck but still couldn't figure it out. A surge of anger welled up inside him, and he punched the mirror. The lens shattered into dozens of pieces, each fragment a reflection of his frustrated and furious face. He withdrew his fist, pulled the glass shards from his joint, and blood gushed out. Without bandaging it, he staggered back to his bedroom, collapsed onto the bed, feeling utterly drained of strength, even thinking becoming difficult.

I don't know if I'm asleep or not. I hear the hissing of wheels rolling over the ground in the courtyard downstairs, the landline and cell phone ringing incessantly, and the dripping of water in Julong Cave; I see the light from the curtains gradually increasing and then decreasing, I see many dead moths in the ceiling lights, and I see a shiny black gun barrel peeking out from among a sea of heads bowed.

Part One, Section 18: Chapter Four, Part One of the Abiding Tribulations (2)

A knocking sound at the door.

A clear female voice came from outside the door: "Team Leader Xu, Team Leader Xu."

Xu Haicheng remained unmoved.

The sound of banging on the door.

Director Chen Chen roared, "If you don't open the door, I'll smash it down!"

This familiar anger jolted Xu Haicheng, the turmoil subsided, and his mind returned to normal. He grabbed a coat from the bedside table, put it on, and opened the door. Director Chen, seeing his haggard face and lifeless eyes, instantly lost his anger, sighed, and said to Pan Xiaolu, "You wait outside."

Pan Xiaolu responded softly, stole a glance at Xu Haicheng, and closed the door again. Peeking through the crack in the door, she saw that the room was dimly lit because of the heavy curtains. Xu Haicheng was standing against the light, so she couldn't see his expression clearly, but his usually straight back was now hunched over, and his head drooped heavily like ripe rice ears in autumn.

Director Chen paced back and forth a few times, then stood in front of Xu Haicheng, his face somber. He said, "I've heard about it from Xiaolu. I also talked to Professor Ma before coming here..." He paused, seemingly unsure how to begin, and lit a cigarette. After a moment, he spoke again: "I know you're devastated. You already felt guilty leaving Xiao Zhang in that awful place, and now this has happened. But Xu, Professor Ma also said that being possessed by a ghostly curse means you're not in control of your own body. Isn't Professor Liang Ping the same?"

Xu Haicheng walked to the sofa and sat down, hunched over, his head so heavy it seemed about to fall off, forcing him to support it with both hands. "Chief, I know, but it's true my hands are stained with blood. I can't pretend it didn't happen, and I can't excuse myself by saying I had no choice."

"You're just asking for trouble..." Director Chen was heartbroken to see him so dejected, and his voice trembled.

"Director, if you were in his shoes, could you handle it calmly?" Xu Haicheng suddenly looked up and interrupted him.

These words silenced Director Chen; he didn't say anything more, only chain-smoking. Xu Haicheng was someone he had personally promoted. Back when Xu was still at the Tongyuan Suburban Police Station, a rare case occurred. Tongyuan Suburban was originally a rural area, only recently incorporated into Nanpu City. Many traditional rural practices remained, such as funerals. Once, during a village funeral, a young man riding a motorcycle accidentally hit someone carrying ashes, scattering the ashes everywhere. The deceased's family beat the young man and demanded compensation. The matter was considered closed. However, for some unknown reason, the young man became mentally unstable and died shortly afterward. He died at a scrap metal collection station, his death extremely gruesome. He was covered in blood, hanging from a large scale, his eyes wide open, his tongue protruding half an inch, and the surrounding stones were also covered in blood. The crime scene alone was shrouded in mystery. After examining the scene and conducting a detailed investigation, Xu Haicheng concluded that the young man had committed suicide due to mental instability. He first injured himself with stones, but still suffered unbearable pain, and finally hanged himself. The young man's family disagreed and took the matter to the municipal police station. Chen Chen then summoned Xu Haicheng to the station to report on the case. Xu Haicheng spoke eloquently, listing out all the reasons he believed for the suicide, leaving nothing out and making his arguments irrefutable. The case was ultimately ruled a suicide, which the detectives privately referred to as the "ashes-for-life" case. From that moment on, Chen Chen began to take notice of Xu Haicheng.

Later, Xu Haicheng cooperated with the city bureau's criminal investigation team to solve a major case. His talent and diligence displayed during the investigation greatly impressed Director Chen. Not long after, he was transferred to the Chengnan branch's criminal investigation team, and Director Chen secretly monitored his performance. Unexpectedly, since Xu Haicheng arrived at the branch, the case-solving rate increased by ten percent, making the Chengnan branch the highest in the city. Later, he was transferred to the city bureau and soon promoted to captain of the criminal investigation team. This position was entirely based on merit, and he had never disappointed Chen. Even now, with his disobedience, he hadn't disappointed Chen, only causing him unspeakable heartache. Why did this turn of events happen to his beloved subordinate?

After finishing his cigarette, Chen Chen felt much calmer. He knew he couldn't persuade Xu Haicheng in a short time; only Xu Haicheng himself could resolve his inner conflict. So he said, "I'll give you time. Don't disappoint me." He opened the door, glanced back, sighed, and then walked out, saying to Pan Xiaolu standing in the hallway, "Let's go."

Pan Xiaolu responded softly, glancing at the half-open doorway. She could still see Xu Haicheng sitting listlessly on the sofa. It was late, and he was slowly sinking into darkness. A sudden, inexplicable impulse surged within her, making her so engrossed in wanting to pull him out of the darkness that she didn't even notice Director Chen, who was walking ahead, suddenly stop.

"Xiao Lu." Director Chen Chen turned around and looked at Pan Xiao Lu, who had almost bumped into him, and seemed to be deep in thought.

Part One, Section 19: Chapter Four, Part One of the Abiding Tribulations (3)

Pan Xiaolu was puzzled by his gaze and tentatively called out, "Director, is something the matter?"

"Xiaolu, I think he must not have eaten all day. Why don't you stay and make him something to eat, and maybe cheer him up a bit too?"

Pan Xiaolu's eyes lit up, and she replied loudly, "Yes, Director."

Director Chen nodded in satisfaction before leaving.

Watching the bureau chief's figure disappear around the corner, Pan Xiaolu hurriedly turned around and walked quickly toward Xu Haicheng's door. But when she got to the door, she remembered something, so she slowed her steps and pushed the door open.

Hearing the door open, Xu Haicheng, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up and saw Pan Xiaolu, and was slightly taken aback. But he was in a bad mood and didn't pay attention to other people's behavior, so he didn't say anything, took out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer, took one out and lit it.

Pan Xiaolu stood in the living room for a moment, unable to think of anything to say, before blurting out, "You haven't eaten, have you? I'll make something to eat." She hurried into the kitchen, wondering when she had become so tongue-tied. Glancing back, she saw Xu Haicheng staring blankly into the distance, his mouth constantly puffing out smoke like a chimney. Feeling a pang of disappointment, she spaced out for a while before finally mustering the energy to cook.

She was an only child, living with her parents, and rarely cooked. The only thing she knew how to make was noodles. So she took out a few eggs and a packet of noodles from the refrigerator and started cooking. During this time, she peeked into the living room several times. Xu Haicheng was still sitting on the sofa, smoking one cigarette after another. In the wisps of smoke, he seemed petrified, except for his mouth moving slightly.

After making the egg noodles, Pan Xiaolu placed them on the coffee table in front of Xu Haicheng without saying a word, simply handing him the chopsticks.

Xu Haicheng accepted the egg without ceremony. Smelling the aroma, he did feel hungry, as he hadn't eaten or drunk anything since last night.

Not wanting to watch him eat, Pan Xiaolu began to look around the living room. The decor was simple and angular, clearly the home of a single man, especially noticeable by the sandbag hanging in the corner. The furniture was sparse, neither perfectly organized nor cluttered. The most striking feature was a cabinet against the wall, neatly displaying numerous trophies, medals, and photographs.

Pan Xiaolu's curiosity was piqued, and she went over to examine them closely. These were all the awards Xu Haicheng had received over the years, dating back to when he entered the police academy. The oldest trophy was engraved with a line of small characters: "1998 Best Shooter Award from [Police Academy Name]". She couldn't help but smile and said, "Captain Xu, did you know that your shooting record is still standing?"

Xu Haicheng was taken aback. He naturally knew, but he didn't understand why Pan Xiaolu was interested in such things. Then he heard her say, "Instructor Hong, who teaches shooting, often mentions you. He says you are his most outstanding student."

"Are you also Instructor Hong's student?"

"Yes, he's really strict. His shooting lessons are the hardest. If your movements are even slightly wrong, he'll give you a good scolding."

Pan Xiaolu's words involuntarily reminded Xu Haicheng of Instructor Hong's cursing style. He grinned, then his eyes darkened. He wondered if Hong would regret teaching him such good shooting skills if he knew that Hong had unintentionally killed so many people. A feeling of suffocation rose in his chest, and he couldn't even swallow his noodles.

Suddenly, Pan Xiaolu said again, "Captain Xu, do you still remember Chief Yang from Tongyuan Police Station?"

Xu Haicheng was slightly taken aback, turning his gaze to see her examining a medal closely. If he remembered correctly, the medal should be engraved with: "Tongyuan Police Station's Most Outstanding Police Officer of 2001." It was the medal he received after working at the Tongyuan Police Station in the suburbs of Nanpu City for a year after graduation. "You know Chief Yang?" His tone couldn't hide his surprise.

"Of course, I interned at Tongyuan Police Station. Chief Yang was a really good person; he took good care of me and never made me do any of the hard or tiring work." After a pause, Pan Xiaolu said, "He often mentioned you too."

"Oh?" Xu Haicheng's mind wandered. When he went to work at Tongyuan Police Station, he was young, energetic, and full of enthusiasm. Chief Yang always said with a smile, "Oh my, our Xu Haicheng, he's got a nuclear power plant inside him." Later, when he was transferred to the Chengnan Separation Station, his colleagues saw him off. Chief Yang held up his wine glass, looking very reluctant to part with him.

A soft chuckle pulled Xu Haicheng back to reality. He looked at Pan Xiaolu with surprise and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Pan Xiaolu was holding another medal, still for Outstanding Police Officer, but this time it was awarded by the Chengnan Public Security Bureau. "It reminds me of Officer Yuan from the Chengnan Bureau," she said. "His daughter should be in middle school by now."

Xu Haicheng suddenly realized, and couldn't help but smile. Officer Yuan from the Chengnan branch was a close friend of his, and always joked that he'd wait for his daughter to grow up and marry him; he remembered that his children were only in elementary school at the time. "You also worked at the Chengnan branch?"