Aurora
She remembered that the perpetrator of Chu Nan’s case is still at large.
She remembered Sun Xiangming, whom the law couldn’t touch.
She remembered those four individuals who relentlessly pursued her, intent on taking her life.
She remembered Scarface viciously stabbing Song Yuhang.
Lin Yan clenched her fists tightly, feeling a surge of new and old grudges welling up in her heart.
Every word was like shedding tears of blood.
“Criminals have human rights? What a load of nonsense! If criminals have rights, then who will protect the rights of ordinary folks? Who will safeguard the rights of the people’s police? If someone attacks me, I can’t fight back. If someone stabs me, I have to stand there and let them do it. If they can’t kill me with the first strike, I can’t retaliate. If I do, it’s considered excessive self-defense!”
“What kind of bullshit logic is this?! The law is just a piece of paper! I am the one seeking justice! Killing him is the only way to ease the hatred in my heart!!!”
Lin Yan gasped heavily as she roared, struggling. Her snow-white wrists bore the marks of handcuffs, her shoulder wounds had not yet healed, and her blue and white hospital gown slowly oozed bloodstains. Several burly prison guards could barely restrain her.
In front of the big screen in the neighboring observation room, Feng Jianguo slapped the table forcefully and exclaimed, “This Lin Yan is driving me crazy!”
The elderly man standing beside him was much steadier. Zhao Junfeng pushed aside the foam in his teacup, took a slow sip, and said, “A seemingly ordinary suicide case has actually revealed a cross-city child prostitution ring. We don’t yet know how many interest groups are involved. Although Lin Yan’s murder is not a big deal, it’s a pity. Otherwise, it could have been a major achievement.”
* * *
A half-month later, Song Yuhang was transferred from the ICU to a regular ward.
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Ji Jingxing sat by her bedside, peeling an apple for her. “Mom said she wants to bring Xiao Wei to see you…”
Song Yuhang smiled bitterly, interrupting her, “Better not. Seeing me like this will only make her sad. Besides, Xiao Wei has summer training classes, it’s a waste of time. I’ll be heading back in a few days.”
She peeled the apple skin neatly in one go, all in one breath. Ji Jingxing brought over another plate and cut it into small pieces for her, making it easier for her to eat.
“I still don’t know you well, but I’ve already declined for you. However, you can’t leave the hospital so early. At the very least, you should stay a while longer and recover properly. You’re young; you shouldn’t leave behind any aftereffects.”
Song Yuhang nodded and watched her busying herself. “Sis… I can’t eat that much. Can’t you go back? Xiao Wei can handle herself, right?”
Ji Jingxing’s hand, cutting the apple, paused. “It’s okay, Mom will take care of me. Don’t worry.”
“I’ll manage on my own.”
Ji Jingxing handed her the sliced apple. Song Yuhang used her functional left hand to pick up a toothpick and inserted it into her mouth before speaking.
“I know you say that, but Xiao Wei has never been apart from you for such a long time. Don’t worry, I’m fine now, and my colleagues are taking care of me. It’s better for you to go back early; I can’t eat or sleep well here.”
Speaking of colleagues, Song Yuhang couldn’t help but think of that person again, wondering how she was doing now?
Lost in thought, Ji Jingxing remained silent for a while, then set aside the plate and gently called her name.
“Yuhang—”
Song Yuhang snapped back to reality. “What’s wrong, sis?”
Ji Jingxing wrinkled the bedsheet with the hand resting on it and asked, “Do you remember what you told me when your brother passed away?”
Song Yuhang was momentarily taken aback, slowly recollecting the scene from that day, her voice filled with complexity.
When their father passed away, she and her older brother were still young, and their mother had been their pillar of strength.
When her older brother passed away, their mother had already grown old, her hair all white, nearly fainting on the ground from grief.
Her sister-in-law, pregnant for five months, sat on the floor, completely drained.
She was the only backbone of this family. Song Yuhang walked over, not shedding tears, but instead, she embraced her, carrying her in her arms, patting her backs to ease her sorrow.
She was wearing a police uniform, and with the national emblem, she swore, “Mom, don’t be afraid, you still have me.”
Ji Jingxing couldn’t speak through her tears, so she hugged her and repeated in her ear again and again, “Sister-in-law, don’t be afraid, from now on, I’ll protect you and Xiao Wei.”
“Remember—” She almost struggled to utter these two words.
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Ji Jingxing firmly held her hand, her eyes reddening. “You remembering is enough. In the future, please don’t act so impulsively. Take care of yourself. When facing extremely dangerous criminals, if you can’t win, retreat. What others do is not your concern… If you’re not here, how can mom, Xiao Wei, and I go on?”
A warmth filled Song Yuhang’s heart, but her brows still furrowed slightly. She was about to argue, “Lin Yan isn’t just…”
The door to the hospital room swung open with a clatter as several detectives escorted Zhao Junfeng inside.
Song Yuhang halted her conversation, discreetly retracting her hand. She raised her hand as if to salute but winced in pain from her wounds, gritting her teeth.
Zhao Junfeng couldn’t help but smile. “Getting better?”
“Reporting, much better. Thank you for your concern, Director Zhao.” Song Yuhang sat up a bit straighter.
Zhao Junfeng’s gaze lingered among them for a moment. “I hope I’m not interrupting your conversation, the two of you?”
Ji Jingxing tactfully got up, taking the wallet from the table. “I won’t disturb you; you can continue your conversation. I’ll go buy something.”
After Ji Jingxing left, the group of detectives also retreated, casually closing the hospital room door. Song Yuhang knew that Director Zhao had something important to discuss with her.
* * *
During the half-month that Song Yuhang spent lying in bed, the police had been far from idle. They followed the trail from Scarface and uncovered the criminal syndicate behind him.
“This Scarface is named Chen Wu, a former soldier. Ten years ago, he was imprisoned for crimes of sexual assault and manslaughter. He behaved well in prison and earned a chance for parole. After his release, he continued a life of idleness, engaging in various criminal activities locally, victimizing both men and women. The police had detained him for re-education several times. After serving his full sentence, he came into contact with a society of delinquents known as ‘Vultures’ and became their top enforcer. For profit, this criminal syndicate used job offers and part-time work as a guise to deceive young women, who were then lured into brothels, providing entertainment and pleasure for their clients. They even established hierarchical relationships, where every introduction of a young woman into the organization earned them a referral fee ranging from three hundred to a thousand, depending on the circumstances. It was during this time that He Miao’s uncle sent her in.”
“Each deceived woman, before officially serving clients, is responsible for ‘breaking in’ by ‘Vultures’ or their subordinates. If they comply, they get paid, but if they resist, they are beaten severely.”
“We’ve already apprehended several lower-level leaders who confirmed having seen He Miao visiting ‘Vultures’ three months ago. Although the final DNA match results are pending, the timelines match up.”
“He Miao isn’t the first victim, and we deeply regret that we couldn’t save her young life. However, we will make sure she becomes the last victim.”
Zhao Junfeng stood by the window, facing the setting sun, and exhaled heavily, saying, “The provincial department has formed a special task force for the 6.1 case, with the operation codenamed—Aurora!”
Hearing this, Song Yuhang’s heart surged with determination. She raised her right hand to her temple and said firmly, “Song Yuhang, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau, requests to join the task force and participate in the apprehension operation!”
* * *
A remote village far away from the city.
As night fell, everything became eerily quiet.
On the silent mountain path, the only sound was the heavy breathing of a man, reminiscent of the wheezing of a bellows.
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He ran while constantly looking back, stumbling and falling along the way. In the distance, a few dog barks echoed from the village, terrifying him even more. He clutched his head and rolled on the ground in fear.
It was unclear how far he had run, but the dog barking ceased, and the mountain path fell into silence, with only the chirping of crickets breaking the stillness.
The man let out a sigh of relief, stopping by a small stream. He splashed water vigorously on his face and bent down to drink several gulps before getting up. Surveying his surroundings, he spotted a public telephone booth not far away. He hastily picked up his scattered clothes and hurried over.
He dialed a series of numbers, and it rang several times before someone answered.
“Hello?”
“It’s me,” the man lowered his voice. “You damn well said you’d have my back if things went south? The cops are all over me now, and I’ve been beaten to the point where I don’t even have my underwear left.”
There was silence on the other end for a moment.
“You said to head south and take a boat out to sea.”
“Don’t give me your damn excuses. Get me a new ID, a new phone number, and arrange for a pickup at the border. Otherwise, if I fall into the cops’ hands, you won’t be able to save your own ass!”
After saying this, there was a brief delay in the signal.
“Hello? Hello?” The man lowered his voice and shouted, moments away from revealing the person’s name. Finally, the person on the other end spoke.
“Alright, no problem. The license plate number is Bin AH4578. We’ll pick you up at the border with your new identity. Head south all the way, take a bus, not a train. You’ll get there quickly.”
Satisfied, the man let out a grunt and hung up the phone.
The person sitting in the darkness removed the phone card and fed it into a shredder, reducing it to pieces.
They rhythmically tapped their knees, sometimes pausing.
It didn’t matter; the card was gone, and the man would soon be dead as well.