Volume Two: Second Scroll
Eve
I will take out Ding Ye and Kuba before that, and rescue Lin Yan.
The night deepened, and the people in the operations conference room gradually laid their heads on the tables to rest for a while.
A tall figure pushed the door open and walked out. Passing police officers nodded to him in greeting. He waved his hand and walked quickly into the restroom, locked the stall door, and took out a phone from his pocket to make a call.
Not long after, several unfamiliar lookouts appeared near the Lin Residence.
The butler lifted a corner of the curtain to look, then gently let it down again. These people probably never would have imagined that near the seemingly loosely guarded Lin Residence, far-infrared thermal imagers had long been installed. Any rustle of grass in the wind could not escape the machines and his eyes.
“Master, they have arrived.”
Lin Youyuan opened his mouth and swallowed the medicine he handed to his lips.
“They’re here to see if I’m dead or not, right?”
“Master thinks, whose people are they?” Butler Lin blew on the medicine in the spoon to cool it and carefully handed it over.
Lin Youyuan coughed twice. The butler wiped away the medicine stains that trickled from the corner of his lips.
“At this critical moment, it would be strange if none of them came.”
“Then should we…” A sharp glint flashed in Butler Lin’s eyes, full of meaning.
Lin Youyuan waved his hand, signaling that he would drink no more.
“No need. They all want me to die, so I’ll just die for them to see.”
“Master…” A trace of pity filled the butler’s eyes.
In contrast, Lin Youyuan’s expression was as usual. He interrupted him.
“What has that woman Jin Xia been doing recently?”
“Staying in her own villa, holding parties from time to time. A few days ago, she had an all-night long talk with several popular male actors.”
Butler Lin did not mince his words, because he knew that Lin Youyuan had not a shred of affection for Jin Xia.
Jin Xia obtained money from him, while Lin Youyuan coveted her young body. For a successful and famous entrepreneur, wouldn’t it be too noble and righteous, and wouldn’t a tall tree attract the wind1, if he didn’t have some stain on his private life?
It was still that saying: when water is too clear, there are no fish2.
A smile appeared on Lin Youyuan’s lips: “She’s certainly enjoying herself.”
The butler placed the bowl on the bedside table: “Before, she provoked the Young Miss, the matter of the poisoning…”
Lin Youyuan understood his meaning.
“No need. Let her be free and happy for a few more days. Just watch, she’ll come sooner or later. We’ll deal with her along with the others then.”
“Does the Young Master really plan to join forces with Ding Ye and the others?”
When the attendant asked this, Lin Ge was wiping his scalpels. He treated these instruments with more care than he did people. He dipped them in some cold water to wash off the bloodstains, didn’t forget to disinfect them with alcohol pads, and finally wiped them clean and placed them on a tray, his expression rather nonchalant.
“Not interested.”
“Then…” The attendant was a little confused.
“Let them be dogs biting dogs, a mouthful of fur3. I’ll just treat it as watching some excitement. Of course, it would be best if they can help me kill that woman.”
When Lin Ge said this, he was perhaps tired. He closed his eyes for a moment, his hands propped on the lab bench.
The attendant understood: “Young Master, should I get you some ‘Drunken Dream’?”
Lin Ge gave a faint “en.” The laboratory door opened. When the attendant ran in again, he was holding a tray with a syringe and a blue liquid on it.
Direct injection like this was much more intense than oral administration, and of course, much more harmful.
Lin Ge waved his hand, a trace of fatigue on his face.
“You may leave.”
Early the next morning, the body of the thug whose throat had been slit by Lin Yan was discovered. Ding Ye asked her to come and take a look.
Lin Yan appeared before everyone with a normal expression. If there was anything special, it was the dark circles under her eyes. She seemed listless, looking as if she hadn’t had enough sleep.
“Yo, what happened here?” she said in surprise, looking at the corpse lying on the ground. After a night, it had already become slightly stiff and was emitting a putrid smell. She stood a little further away with some disgust.
Ding Ye’s gaze swept over everyone in the room, his fingers tapping the rattan chair intermittently.
“Who did this? Step forward yourself.”
Everyone looked at each other, silent as cicadas in winter, their faces all looking rather grim.
Lin Yan yawned: “Weren’t there patrols last night? It wouldn’t be easy to kill someone right under the noses of so many of us.”
Tiger slanted his eyes at her, his tone strange and sarcastic4.
“That’s right. Maybe there’s a hidden master among us.”
“Master?” Lin Yan burst out laughing.
“Isn’t that just Tiger-ge and Er Ye? The people from our Huange Nightclub certainly don’t have this kind of ability.”
During the surprise inspection last night, the commotion in her room was loud, and almost half the people in the corridor heard it.
Lin Yan didn’t have the time to commit the crime, and Kuba was injured. So wasn’t he the only one left with such skills?
Tiger was lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot5. He was so choked up by Lin Yan’s words that he couldn’t speak, his face flushed red.
“You…”
Ding Ye glanced at him and frowned impatiently.
“Now that something like this has happened, it seems we can’t stay here any longer. Pack up and let’s go to the next place.”
“Yes.” Several small leaders responded in agreement.
As Lin Yan was turning to leave, she was called back again.
“Auntie Hong, wait a moment. Let the people below get busy. You can stay and chat with this wretched old man.”
Ding Ye nodded in indication. Tiger locked the door from the outside.
Lin Yan secretly felt that something was wrong, but she still turned around with a smile. “Whatever Ding Ye wants to say, Jinhong will listen.”
“Sit.” There was another chair next to him. Lin Yan compliantly walked over and sat down.
The room was not large. On one side was a bed, and on the other was a pile of miscellaneous items. What she didn’t know was that behind a full-length mirror, a gun was quietly aimed at her.
Ding Ye made small talk with her with a normal expression. Even in such a state of being a dog that has lost its home, exhausted from running for his life, he still had a plate of sunflower seeds by his side, as well as oranges, which were rare for this season.
Lin Yan picked one up and peeled it. Her fingernail broke the skin, and fresh juice overflowed.
Ding Ye smiled: “Your mother is from Myanmar?”
Lin Yan fought with the orange without looking up.
“Yes, from Kachin State in Northern Myanmar. She died early. I was sold to China when I was six.”
Ding Ye sighed: “A pitiful person.”
Lin Yan peeled the orange and handed him a slice.
“Ding Ye, care for a taste?”
“No, I’m old, my teeth aren’t good anymore. This stuff is sour, it’s more suitable for you young people.”
Ding Ye had seen many beautiful women over the years, plump Huan and slender Yan6, each with their own merits. But Lin Yan was the only woman who blended worldliness and innocence so naturally, as if made by heaven. Just like now, she sat here, her legs crossed, at ease, as if she didn’t care at all about the police pursuit, and had no idea that a gun was already aimed at her head, waiting only for his order, and then no matter how smart or beautiful a woman was, she would have to die.
Ding Ye’s fingers tapped his knee lightly, asking like a kind and benevolent elder.
“What about your father?”
“Never met him. Don’t know if he’s dead or alive.”
Lin Yan shook her head and put a slice of orange into her mouth.
It all matched Pei Jinhong’s life story, Ding Ye thought to himself.
“I heard you suffered a lot following Wang Qiang before.”
When Lin Yan heard him say this, she appropriately revealed a hint of grievance.
“His one unforgivable mistake was going to find other women.”
The hand tapping his knee slowed down.
“Men, it’s unavoidable.”
A trace of disdain appeared on Lin Yan’s lips. She threw the orange peel on the table and pulled a silk handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe her hands.
A cold glint flashed past. She was carrying a gun.
Ding Ye’s hand on his knee stiffened.
“What you say is right. But women, they are always wishful thinkers, wanting a little more affection from men. When it comes down to it, isn’t it just drawing water with a bamboo basket, all for nothing?7 I’ve seen through it. Only something like money is eternal. With money, what kind of man can’t you summon at will and dismiss at a whim?”
When she said this, her expression carried a trace of indignation and viciousness, looking like a devoted woman who had been heartbroken by love, had a sudden awakening, and ended up hating men to the extreme.
A smile appeared on Ding Ye’s lips.
“Although you and I are very different in age, our views are surprisingly consistent. Maybe we can even become friends who transcend the age gap.”
“Ding Ye overpraises me. Jinhong wouldn’t dare.”
Although she said she wouldn’t dare, her butt didn’t even move an inch. This level of psychological fortitude was admirable.
“Alright, let’s stop the idle chat. I called you here to discuss serious business.” Ding Ye picked up the teacup on the table and took a light sip.
Lin Yan pricked up her ears, her whole body on alert.
“Please speak.”
“You must know about the transaction in five days. It’s set for…”
“Zhongjing Industrial Port.”
Lin Yan typed this line of text, hesitated for a long moment, but still pressed the send key.
After she left, Kuba emerged from behind the mirror. In just a few short days, he was already able to walk freely. His strong physique gave him an astonishing recovery ability.
“Why did Ding Ye tell her?”
“Don’t use people you suspect, and don’t suspect people you use.”8
“But what if…” Kuba was still a little indignant. Although he didn’t quite understand, his intuition told him that this woman was very dangerous. It was very strange; she was clearly someone without the strength to tie up a chicken, yet she made him feel apprehensive from the bottom of his heart.
Ding Ye picked up the already cold teacup and took a sip, an unreadable smile on his lips.
“What I’m waiting for is this ‘what if’.”
“Good evening, viewers. This is the weather forecast. The Central Meteorological Observatory issued a typhoon red alert at 6 p.m. this afternoon. This year’s eighth typhoon, ‘Korowang’, is moving in a southeasterly direction at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour, with little change in intensity. It is expected to make landfall in the southeastern coastal areas of our country tomorrow. Affected by the typhoon, from tonight to tomorrow, most areas of Binhai Province will experience continuous strong winds of force 8-9, accompanied by heavy to torrential rain. Relevant departments are advised to prepare for geological disasters such as mudslides and landslides…”
The female announcer on the television spoke with clear articulation and a mellow voice9. Ji Jingxing packed the boxed meal into an insulated bag and picked up an umbrella, preparing to go out.
“Mom, Xiao Wei, I’m going to deliver a meal to Yuhang.” She said, glancing at the gloomy sky outside.
“It’s a typhoon day. I’ll buy some things at the convenience store downstairs on my way back. Let’s not go out for the next few days.”
Mother Song saw her to the door: “Why don’t… I go with you?”
Ji Jingxing glanced at Xiao Wei, who was sitting on the sofa building with blocks, and smiled.
“I’ll go by myself. I’m not at ease with Xiao Wei at home alone.”
“Alright, go and come back early. Give me a call when you’re downstairs, and Mom will come get you.”
Perhaps because of the incident that had happened once, the Song family was now particularly cautious.
Ji Jingxing nodded: “Alright. Lock the door after I leave. Don’t open it for anyone before I get back.”
“Okay.” Mother Song watched her leave, watching until she had gone downstairs and could no longer be seen, only then did she double-lock the door.
A miniature camera at the door was flashing with a red dot. A wire connected it to the inside of the house, where there was a one-touch button to call the police. The phone number Song Yuhang had set was the nearest police station.
An extra door had also been added to the house. The outer layer was an ordinary security door with a Class B lock. The inner door was custom-made by someone Song Yuhang had hired, and it had no problem stopping an ordinary bullet, let alone petty thieves.
But even so, for some reason, sitting in a home that was like copper walls and iron ramparts10. Mother Song still felt a faint sense of unease.
At that time, she did not yet know that this unease did not come from Ji Jingxing, but from Song Yuhang.
Jiangcheng City Center Hospital.
ICU.
After the nurse registered her, she led her in, glancing at the food container in her hand.
“You’d better not bring that in. The patient can’t eat yet.”
“Not even liquid food?”
The nurse shook her head: “No. Her gastrointestinal function hasn’t recovered yet. She’s been on nutritional injections for the past few days.”
“Alright.” Ji Jingxing was helpless. She had no choice but to place the insulated bag on the triage desk, change her clothes, and go in with her.
“Yuhang, Yuhang, wake up.” As soon as Ji Jingxing went in, she saw her lying on the bed, covered tightly with a blanket, with only one arm out for an IV drip. She still had an oxygen mask on her nose. Her heart soured, and her eyes grew hot.
At her call, Song Yuhang slowly opened her eyes. It took a long while for her to find her focus.
“Jie…”
Song Yuhang was wearing an oxygen mask, making it inconvenient to speak, and her voice was still hoarse.
Ji Jingxing squeezed her hand: “Mom asked me to come see you.”
Song Yuhang shook her head slightly, but accidentally pulled at her wound, grimacing.
“I’m fine…”
The two chatted for a while about Mother Song’s health and Xiao Wei’s recovery status, and the visiting time was almost up.
Song Yuhang was on a confidential mission, so the official story was only that she was injured during a routine patrol.
Seeing her family’s worried appearance11, she inevitably felt a little guilty. As she was about to leave, she took the initiative to squeeze her hand back.
“I’m sorry…”
Ji Jingxing turned back, pressed her down, and tucked her in.
“We’re family, don’t say that.”
If it weren’t for Lin Yan, and setting aside their respective identities, Ji Jingxing could be called a gentle woman.
But there were no ifs.
Song Yuhang released her hand and smiled slightly.
“Jie, Mom’s health isn’t good, so you’ll have to bear more. You’ve worked hard. There’s still some money in my bank card, the password is my birthday. If it’s not enough, take it out. Don’t work so hard by yourself. If there’s a good man… cough cough…”
“Seize the opportunity.”
Ever since the two had a falling out because of Lin Yan, she had respected her but kept her at a distance, and rarely said such intimate words.
Ji Jingxing was startled. Being a sensitive person, she had a feeling that she was still hiding something from them.
“You…”
Before she could finish speaking, the nurse knocked on the door from outside.
“Family of bed fifteen, visiting time is up.”
Song Yuhang raised her hand slightly and waved at her.
“Jie, go on, go home. Goodbye.”
Worldly affairs pass like a white colt flashing past a crack12. In a flash, it had been half a year since Lin Yan left her. In a flash, it was the eve of the transaction.
Song Yuhang closed her notebook, leaving today’s diary blank.
This would be the last time Feng Jianguo would see her. Once it passed 12 o’clock tonight and the battle began, he would have to stay in the command center at the City Bureau and could not easily come out.
“Why did you stop writing?”
On the few occasions he had seen her, she always carried this notebook with her.
Song Yuhang got out of bed. She had already changed into her military attire before he arrived. The bandages wrapped during her recovery these few days had not yet been removed. She said while unwrapping them.
“I will bring her back. There’s no need for this anymore.”
Feng Jianguo looked at the trees swaying in the wind and rain outside. The typhoon had passed, but the storm remained.
“Tomorrow, the Provincial Anti-drug Bureau and the Special Police will participate in the battle together. The City Criminal Investigation Detachment will only be responsible for the perimeter. The Armed Police will be on standby and will only intervene if the situation gets out of control. However, I suggest you don’t wait until that time.”
Feng Jianguo turned around and looked at her.
“I still have my people in the City Bureau, and the criminal investigation team all know Lin Yan. The Armed Police are not under my command, and I’m not sure if they have been infiltrated, so…”
Song Yuhang finished unwrapping the bandages on her arm and began to wrap her hands with straps, biting down on the end to tie a tight knot.
“Understood. I will take out Ding Ye and Kuba before that, and rescue Lin Yan.”
When she said this, she was exceptionally calm. If others said it, it might be overestimating their own strength, but she had crossed hands with Kuba once and had some confidence.
Feng Jianguo patted her shoulder and turned to leave.
“Waiting for your good news.”
After he left, Song Yuhang tied a sandbag to each of her legs, put on her combat boots, and tied the laces. She grabbed the military knife from the bedside table with her right hand, spun it in her palm, and sheathed it in one smooth motion, hanging it on her legging.
With all preparations complete, she sat down leaning against the bed, took out a pocket watch from her tactical vest, opened the cover, placed Lin Yan’s headshot photo inside, flattened the corners, then closed the cover and put it away close to her body.
Lin Yan, wait for me. Wait for me to bring you home, my fiancée.
LP: Re-translated on August 28, 2025
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