Tang Guanshan searched every guesthouse in town but found no sign of Bowen. He stood outside one of them, the cold wind blowing down his collar until his face turned rigid and blue.
“Brother, how about we continue looking tomorrow?” The men helping him had been running around all night, and their legs were practically giving out.
Tang Guanshan ignored him and turned toward the hospital. When he reached the hospital entrance, he spotted someone familiar. Half of the man’s face was still covered in purple antiseptic.
“Qiangzi, what happened to you?”
Qiangzi was just about to leave the hospital. When he turned and saw Tang Guanshan, he couldn’t help venting.
“Don’t even get me started. I was only trying to earn a yuan, so I took a fare—a woman with an idiot. They wanted to go to Red Flag Brigade in the middle of the night. I tried teasing her on the way, and look what happened…” He pointed at his face. “She couldn’t take a joke at all. That idiot knocked me off the oxcart.”
Tang Guanshan’s expression changed. “What did you say? A woman with an idiot? Was the idiot wearing a blue cotton jacket with a patch right here on the chest?”
“Yeah. You know them? Let me tell you, that woman was really beautiful… Hey, hey… Where are you going?”
Before Zhang Yongqiang could finish, Tang Guanshan had already turned and left. He did not go to Red Flag Brigade. Clenching his fists, he braved the cold wind and headed toward the southern part of the city.
After winding through several streets, he stopped in front of a dilapidated courtyard. He knocked three times on the door. After waiting a moment, he knocked seven more times.
The door opened a crack. A thin face peered out from inside and narrowed its eyes at him. Only then did the person move aside to let him in.
“Section Chief Tang, what brings you here?” The man had a cigarette dangling from his lips, and his voice was hoarse.
“Help me find someone. Once you do, hide him somewhere for the time being.” Tang Guanshan took five ten-yuan notes from his pocket and placed them on the table. “He’s an idiot named Bowen. Someone is hiding him in Red Flag Brigade. This is the deposit. Once the job’s done, I’ll give you the other half.”
The man was silent for a moment before picking up the money and stuffing it into his pocket. “All right. I’ll ask around.”
Tang Guanshan nodded and finally left with some peace of mind. He knew what this old hand was capable of. If it hadn’t been for him, Tang Guanshan would never have gotten his job in the first place…
The moment Tang Guanshan left, the old hand began contacting people.
Meanwhile, in Red Flag Brigade, the Brigade Leader paced around the room with his tobacco pipe between his teeth, mulling over Xiao Mandong’s words.
If the police came, he was supposed to tell her. But if they really did come, he wouldn’t have the final say. If they ordered him to hand the man over, he couldn’t exactly stand against the police.
He took two hard puffs on his pipe, then knocked the bowl against the sole of his shoe.
“Shunzi!” he called toward the inner room.
A moment later, Shunzi came out wearing a padded coat. “Dad, what is it?”
The Brigade Leader took the money Xiao Mandong had given him from his pocket. “Take that idiot to your maternal uncle’s place. Leave right now, and don’t let anyone see you. Give the money to your cousin and have him look after the man for a few days.”
“Now? In the middle of the night? Can’t I go tomorrow? It’s freezing outside.” Shunzi genuinely didn’t want to leave the house.
The Brigade Leader struck him on the shoulder with the bowl of his pipe. “I told you to go, so go. Why are you asking so many questions?” He glared at him. “Take the back roads. When you get there, explain everything to your maternal uncle, and don’t let anyone find out.”
Shunzi didn’t dare say another word. He hurried inside to put on more clothes.
The Brigade Leader watched as Shunzi led Bowen away and disappeared into the night. Only then did he finally relax.
After locking the doors and windows, Xiao Mandong lay down on the kang with the ledger she had taken from Director Peng’s home. She turned to the page bearing Huang Yuanqing’s name and fell into deep thought.
Although Director Lin was the chief of the Public Security Bureau, he would have to report upward before investigating Director Peng. And there was no telling whether the ledger contained the names of people even Director Lin wouldn’t dare touch. Director Peng was a member of the investigation team. Would Director Lin really dare move against him?
As she thought about it, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
Early the next morning, Xiao Mandong got out of bed. She decided to go to the hospital to look for Shen Linzhou. After all, they were friends. She might as well give him the chance to earn this merit. If the military took action, the local authorities would have no grounds to interfere, and the matter would not be delayed.
But Shen Linzhou was not at the hospital. Sister Du gave her a bitter smile.
“Linzhou won’t be coming back to the hospital. He said he needs to avoid suspicion.”
Xiao Mandong said nothing. Someone capable of becoming a Regimental Commander was naturally not the sort of person others could easily manipulate. People like him were tough when pressured and soft only when treated with sincerity. Besides, his family had gone too far the day before.
Xiao Mandong asked the hospital director for leave and went straight to the military compound. After registering, the guard called to notify Shen Linzhou.
Xiao Mandong waited at the entrance for a while, but the person who came out was not Shen Linzhou. It was Zhang Yuanchao.
With his arms folded, Zhang Yuanchao looked her up and down with a mocking smile.
“Well, well. You’re back again?”
Xiao Mandong’s heart sank. She knew exactly what he was about to say.
Sure enough, Zhang Yuanchao continued, “Why aren’t you looking for the Political Commissar today? You say you don’t want to be with him, yet you keep coming to see him. Do you find it amusing to keep Shen Linzhou hanging? Does it give you some kind of sense of accomplishment?”
Xiao Mandong laughed in anger. “Some people are benefactors, and some are petty villains. Shen Linzhou is unlucky to have met you.”
With that, Xiao Mandong registered with the guard again and said she wanted to see the Political Commissar.
Zhang Yuanchao opened his mouth, wanting to say something else, but Xiao Mandong merely shot him a contemptuous glance and turned away. Being completely ignored felt worse than being cursed out.
He felt as though even the guard on duty was looking at him like a thorn in his side. Zhang Yuanchao clenched his fists.
“Fine. You win.”
“Doctor Xiao, the Political Commissar will see you,” the Political Commissar’s guard said, hurrying over. He saluted and stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter.
As Xiao Mandong passed Zhang Yuanchao, she heard him give a contemptuous snort behind her. She sighed. In all her years—across two lifetimes—she had never met anyone like him.
Inside the Political Commissar’s office, the Political Commissar stood up so abruptly that his chair scraped back when he heard Xiao Mandong’s account and opened the ledger.
This was the list they had been trying to obtain from Huang Yuanqing for so long.
“Comrade Xiao Mandong, you’ve made another great contribution to the military. Don’t worry—we will certainly reward you according to your merits.”
After Xiao Mandong left, the Political Commissar immediately called Director Lin of the Public Security Bureau.
When Director Lin heard that people under him had illegally detained someone who had reported a case—and had even been reported to the military district—he was so furious he nearly vomited blood. He ordered them to release the detainee at once and reopen the investigation.
When Xiao Mandong arrived at the entrance of the Public Security Bureau, she saw Xiaoli walking out. She moved slowly, one step at a time, clutching her stomach, looking as though all the strength had been drained from her body.
When Xiao Mandong got closer, she could finally see Xiaoli clearly. Her face was bruised in several places, the corner of her mouth was split, and one eye was swollen purple. She looked as though she might collapse at any moment.
“Sister Mandong…” When Xiaoli saw her, the girl who had endured her beating without shedding a single tear suddenly turned red around the eyes. With a thud, she fell to her knees.
“Sister Mandong… please, save my brother…” Her voice was so hoarse it was barely audible.
Xiao Mandong’s heart clenched. Thinking that Director Peng and the others had made the first move, she hurriedly crouched down to help her up.
“How did you get hurt? Who hit you?”
