I returned to the office building, where Wen Siqiang and Qian Fugui were waiting for me by the door.
"How is it?" I asked. "Has he wavered?"
Qian Fugui replied, "People like him, having been brainwashed, it's hard to change them all at once. However, from my observation, the suicidal thoughts seem to have been dispelled. But a complete turnaround might take some time."
"Then let's give him more time," I said. "Loosen his restraints and let him stay with the other two killers in the front. We'll assign more security guards to watch him for the night. If he still refuses to change or attempts something foolish, we'll hand him over to the police tomorrow for them to handle."
Wen Siqiang asked, "Isn't that a bit risky? What if he harms the other two?"
"That's why the security guards are there to watch him," I explained. "Besides, those two are not pushovers; they can distinguish between good and bad people."
"Notify the security captain and do as I said," I instructed. "If there are any issues, tie him up immediately and send him to the police station."
After Wen Siqiang went to inform the security captain, I told Qian Fugui, "You two come to my office later, we need to discuss something."
I then went upstairs alone to my office to wait for them.
When Wen Siqiang and Qian Fugui arrived, I handed each of them a bottle of mineral water, opening one for myself. I gestured to the sofa and said, "Sit down and let's talk."
Even though Wen Siqiang was with me every day, this was the first time he had sat down in my office to talk.
They seemed a bit taken aback. "Didn't you hear me? Sit down," I urged.
They finally sat down. After all, I was the boss, and they felt some hesitation sitting on equal footing with me.
I sat on the large central sofa, with them on either side on the single seats.
"Qian Fugui," I began, "does Wu Guodong have some kind of illness that requires a doctor from the mainland to visit punctually every month?"
He looked at me, surprised, as if asking how I knew such a secret. After a moment, he replied, "Yes, the doctor is invited from a town called Heshun in Tengchong. This doctor is said to be from a family of renowned physicians and can treat his illness. It's strange, though; a few doses of medicine only last for a month, and he must be seen again at the beginning of the month. Each visit involves a few days of observation, and the doctor only leaves after seeing him finish the medication. It's said that this doctor charges a consultation fee of 100,000 yuan per visit, but Wu Guodong pays it, claiming that he would die if he missed three months of treatment."
"Is it that serious?" I asked. "Do you know what illness it is?"
Qian Fugui said, "It's said to be tuberculosis, but tuberculosis isn't a difficult disease to treat nowadays. Perhaps there are other issues."
Indeed, tuberculosis can be completely cured with Western medicine. He wouldn't be unaware of that, so there must be other conditions.
"Have you met this doctor?" I asked.
Qian Fugui replied, "Yes, I have. Once, I even went to pick him up with someone else. However, this person barely spoke, only saying 'thank you' from the car to the exit."
This was indeed a peculiar individual. Heshun is near Tengchong. If he is a renowned physician, it shouldn't be too difficult to find him. Perhaps we could meet him and see if we can find a breakthrough.
"Based on your observations, what kind of person is he?" I inquired.
He responded, "This person is less than forty years old, but he is very calm and mature. Although he doesn't speak much, he is very gentle and always has a smile on his face when he looks at people, he just doesn't speak."
What Qian Fugui didn't realize was that such people are the hardest to read; they are too profound, unfathomable.
"You two go back and rest," I said. "Tomorrow, we'll head to Heshun to meet this renowned physician."
They stood up and bid me farewell.
After they left, I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was past ten o'clock. The farewell party for Brother Qing must be winding down by now.
I felt a bit unaccustomed to not having a phone, like being blind and deaf, knowing nothing.
Back then, people managed without even a landline. Why was I now finding it hard to adapt after being without one?
It took me a long time to realize. In the past, communication was slower, and face-to-face interactions were the norm; there was time to wait. Now, in this fast-paced era, a phone call takes only a few seconds. Who would have the patience to wait for you to ride over on a horse to deliver a message personally?
I don't know what communication will be like in future eras with even faster information exchange. At least now, with phones, especially mobile phones, the efficiency of handling matters has greatly increased. If in the past we were traveling by ox cart, now we are flying by airplane.
Will it be even faster in the future? Definitely. But I can't imagine how fast, just as people from the era of slash-and-burn agriculture couldn't imagine electric lights and telephones in our homes.
In my father's generation, a bicycle was considered modern. Later came sewing machines and radios. Now, these are obsolete. Motorcycles, televisions, washing machines, fans, refrigerators – new technologies are constantly emerging, dazzling and overwhelming. One can't help but marvel at how times have changed, how people's wallets have grown, lives have improved, and choices have multiplied.
We are so fortunate and proud to live in this new era of constant change.
As I was lost in these thoughts, I heard voices from the staircase. It was probably Lan Ya and the others returning.
Indeed, it was them. Seeing me in the room, Lan Ya asked, "How is it? Is that person sorted out?"
"It's hard to say whether he's sorted out or not," I replied. "He's Wu Guodong's professional killer. According to Qian Fugui, Wu Guodong only has five such individuals around him, known in the underworld as 'death warriors.' Most of these are orphans, trained from childhood. They have nothing else in their minds but their master. They must succeed in their missions and never fail; failure means self-execution. Your timely arrival prevented him from doing so; the security guards had tied him up, otherwise, he might have committed suicide."
Lan Ya remarked, "There are such people? It seems Wu Guodong is ruthless, willing to kill you."
"Yes," I agreed. "Yesterday, in the mountains, they didn't intend to let me live. As a result, I managed to break free. How could they not try to kill me today? It's just that his luck has been bad the past few times, and I've escaped by a whisker. But I'm not going to wait for him to find me anymore; I need to find a way to locate him."
Lan Ya said, "From your tone, it seems you have a new plan. But this time, please don't gamble with your life. It's best to have a safe and secure method."
"It's always a risky business, like licking blood from a blade; there's no absolute safety," I replied. "It's just about being careful, very careful, thinking three steps ahead. There are no shortcuts."
Lan Ya said, "Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease. It means you have a plan."
Jing Lei was looking at me with a worried expression. I quickly added, "Let's not talk about these things today. Go back and rest. I haven't been sleeping well lately. We can discuss any matters tomorrow."