Chapter 115: Heading to the Countryside

2022-05-20

Seven days later, Liu Yinyan was laid to rest in Dongxing City’s most expensive and coveted cemetery. Over a thousand people came to say their final goodbyes.

Wreaths and ribbons lined the gravestone, and everyone stood silently, each person paying their respects to the small patch of earth.

Some people sobbed quietly while others murmured under their breath. Listening to their words, it was clear these were people Liu Yinyan’s Kidney Failure Foundation had helped. Without his aid, some of them might never have made it this far.

I stood at the back of the crowd in silence.

“Old Master Liu was a good soul. Those people though… they really have no shame.” An elderly woman said to another, “It was thanks to him my boy was cured back then. It’s a shame, good people never last, yet scoundrels live forever. I just hope his descendants find peace and health…”

The other old lady nodded. “Come on, let’s head back. It’s an hour to the station, and if we’re late, we’ll miss the last bus home.”

With that, the two women left the crowded gravesite. No one noticed them as they slipped away—they had actually made a special trip from another town just for this last farewell.

But how do we really draw the line between good and evil? Maybe to those who’d tasted Liu Yinyan’s kindness, he was the best person in the world. But for someone like Ren Tian, who was set up and killed by Liu Yinyan thirty-five years ago, there probably wasn’t anyone worse.

People believe what their eyes see, yet the eyes are easily fooled. No one is purely good or bad—it’s always a mix.

Three days later.

Inside Team Leader Shao’s office.

A teacup clattered sharply on the desk as Team Leader Shao tapped it over and over. By the look on his face, he was clearly angry. “I thought this whole thing was settled, but it turns out the higher-ups are really petty. In that situation, anyone who’d gone in would’ve died. Liu Yinyan was important, sure, but not as much as my team.”

“They already dumped all the blame on me.” Team Leader Shao shouted, “Don’t know which bastard filed that report, claiming if it had been him, all this wouldn’t have happened. What a load of crap. If you’d gone in, you wouldn’t have even found a hair. Go on—see if you’re so great!”

Xiao Liu rushed over, quickly pressing the lid of a tea mug against Team Leader Shao’s mouth. “Boss, please, not so loud—the guy you’re ranting about is right outside waiting for you to clear out. You’re already on thin ice. If you say anything out of line now, it’ll only make things worse.”

Gu Chen looked just as upset. “Isn’t it that Li Captain? Now he’s popping up everywhere, but I don’t remember seeing him during the case. They just want to shove us off to some backwater now, huh? Fine, let’s go then.”

Xiao Liu hurriedly tried to stop Gu Chen too. “Come on, let it go. After the case went south, by rights, we should’ve all been out anyway. If it wasn’t for Team Leader Shao, we’d already have been sent home. This is as good an outcome as we could’ve hoped for, honestly.”

I knew Xiao Liu was worried about keeping his job. I nearly spoke up, but seeing the helpless look on his face, I held my tongue.

Team Leader Shao kept drinking tea, one gulp after another—just like a human water dispenser.

Mary glanced at Team Leader Shao, then spoke up. “Since that’s how it is, let me lay it out: the big cases from now on will be handled by another team—the one outside, led by Captain Li. We’ll be left with the smaller stuff. But really, are cases ever truly big or small?”

Mary looked around at us again. “So, we need to clear out this office.”

At last, Team Leader Shao put down his cup. “All right, let’s go. It’ll be good to have some peace for a while anyway. A diamond will always shine in the end—we’ll be back on the frontlines before long.”

One by one, we walked out the office, and there was Captain Li, waiting outside.

When Team Leader Shao stepped out, Captain Li greeted him with a wide smile. “Shao, life in the countryside has its perks—good air, wholesome food, perfect for winding down in your later years. You’ve worked hard all these years; maybe it’s time to relax a bit.”

On the surface, Captain Li seemed friendly, but it was obvious he was hoping Team Leader Shao would never set foot here again. Who knows what grudges they carried between them? He reached out, offering a handshake.

Team Leader Shao handed his cup to Xiao Liu and shook Captain Li’s hand. “You’re right—I could use a little quiet. Congratulations—you’re almost fifty, and just before retirement, you finally landed this chair. But it might not be as comfortable as you think. Sit steady, or you might tip over.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Captain Li laughed loudly.

“Let’s get going,” Team Leader Shao shrugged.

We filed out one after another, but Xiao Liu stayed put.

He handed Team Leader Shao the mug back and said quietly, head lowered, “Team Leader, I’m not going with you this time. I’ve agreed to stay under Captain Li. I’ve been in Dongxing City for over two years now; I know this place inside out. And, well, you know…”

We were stunned, but it made sense—Xiao Liu was choosing to split from us. Staying in a big city like Dongxing offered way more chances for promotion than some podunk town. He was terrified of losing his spot, and who knew when we’d even return.

Gu Chen scoffed. “Liu Kai, I always thought you were spineless. I put up with all your freeloading, like that time we went out—you never once bought me or Wu Meng a pack of smokes! This mission failed, no shame in that, but you just can’t face the consequences.”

“You’ve been with Team Leader Shao longer than any of us. Now, of all times, you bail?” Gu Chen was struggling to hold back his anger.

Team Leader Shao stopped Gu Chen and said softly, “Everyone has their own path. Xiao Liu, stay and work hard under Captain Li. But know this—my door will always be open to you.”

Xiao Liu was moved and wanted to say something, but with Captain Li right there, he swallowed his words.

And just like that, we left Dongxing City.

On the road, Gu Chen was still fuming. “I just can’t stand how cowardly Xiao Liu is. This was a team effort—if we fail, we face it together. But he went and switched sides for a couple thousand bucks and a job title. Makes me sick.”

Team Leader Shao waved it off. “I know what kind of person Xiao Liu is, or I wouldn’t have kept him around so long. Don’t judge things by just one side—life’s more complicated than you think. Let’s drop it. We need to focus on what we’ll do in Yumu City.”

So the office that used to house Team Leader Shao’s special task force was handed over to Captain Li.

The higher-ups reassigned Team Leader Shao to a small city called Yumu City.

Yumu isn’t big at all—it barely counts as a city, really. You’d never see a murder case here; most of the time it’s family squabbles or in-law disputes.

The locals hosted a welcome dinner for us. The turnout was tiny compared to Dongxing—more like a single department than an entire city. There wasn’t even a proper lab for DNA or chemical analysis. If you needed anything tested, you had to request it from a bigger city.

Sure, life here was a little rougher, but the pace was glacial. Everything moved in slow motion, and people had all the time in the world. Funny enough, Captain Li was right—this place was made for a peaceful retirement.

The new office was ready, and Team Leader Shao spent his days making tea and refilling his cup.

Mary was always busy—she used the new computer from the higher-ups to play online games, having the time of her life every day.

The three of us grew restless in the office. Sometimes we’d see someone heading out to mediate a family dispute and felt tempted to tag along.

Gu Chen finally snapped. “Days like this are so dull. Back in Dongxing, we had constant cases—even if they weren’t huge, there was always something to keep you interested. Now, we get a hundred calls a day—half are fake, the rest are stuff like lost keys, cats stuck in trees, maybe a stolen phone or e-bike, and at worst, a simple robbery.”

Watching Gu Chen’s frustrated face, I laughed. “At least being bored means this city’s safe—it’s not a bad thing.”

Gu Chen sighed, “Yeah, you’re right. Still, guess it’s a blessing and a curse.”

Guan Zengbin looked up from his book and gave us a look of disdain. “See, this is the difference—you guys are so idle, yet neither of you picks up a book. Reading makes you happy!”

Gu Chen shot back, “Who says I don’t read? I’ve got a crime scene investigation book—got halfway through, too.”

And so the days slipped by, one after another.

Until months later, when the first winter snow began to drift down.

That’s when the phone rang.

“Hello? There’s a body in our village! A woman’s body!”