Wei Zhi arrived at the brightly lit Dashanguan Police Station. Before she even pushed open the glass doors, she could hear Wei Shan’s booming voice:
"My daughter used to be so filial! But ever since she started dating that boyfriend of hers, she’s become more rebellious by the day! No wonder the old folks say a married daughter is like spilled water—and mine hasn't even married out yet, and she’s already disowning her own father!"
Wei Zhi pushed the door open and stepped inside. Wei Shan and the two officers standing beside him all turned to look at her.
Wei Shan wore a smirk of contempt, looking like a victor who had just won an arm-wrestling match.
"I’m sorry, my father has caused you trouble," Wei Zhi said, forcing a small smile.
"...It’s nothing," Zhang Kaiyang said softly, a flicker of sympathy crossing his eyes. "Do you want to talk privately, or do you need us to stay?"
"I’ll take him out to get something to eat," she replied.
"Alright." Zhang Kaiyang nodded. "Call if anything happens. I’m on duty tonight."
"Go where? I don't have an appetite. What can't be said right here?" Wei Shan blustered, intentionally playing hard to get.
"Your daughter is here to pick you up. You two should talk things through. Didn't you just say that family shouldn't hold grudges overnight?" Xiao Chen couldn't help but interject.
"I’m afraid she’ll be the death of me! I used to be perfectly healthy, but she’s aggravated me so much these past few years that I’ve been feeling worse and worse!" Wei Shan said, rubbing his chest.
"If you're feeling unwell, why don't you go to the hospital for a check-up?" Zhang Kaiyang asked.
"No, no! A place like a hospital—even if you aren't sick, they’ll run a bunch of random tests until they find something wrong! I’m not going!" Wei Shan said flatly. "As long as children are filial, what illness could a parent possibly have?"
Over the years, whenever Wang Lin had urged him to see a doctor about his chest pains, he had used this exact same rhetoric.
"Dad, let’s not disturb the officers while they’re working. Let’s talk outside. I’ll buy you some late-night snacks; I’m hungry too," Wei Zhi said reasonably.
Only then did Wei Shan let out a cold snort. With an air of reluctant compliance, he stood up from the plastic bench.
With his hands behind his back and his eyes rolling upward, he said to Wei Zhi in a shiftless tone, "Children are just their parents' karmic debts. Where are we eating?"
Wei Zhi led him out of the station and sat down at a nearby late-night noodle stall that was still lit.
The light box was coated in a thick layer of grease, the ground was filthy with puddles of standing water, and a faint stench of slop hung in the air. Sitting across from her, Wei Shan ate voraciously.
His yellowed teeth tore savagely into a braised chicken leg, a large chunk of meat disappearing with every bite. His sunken temples pulsed like the flickering lights of a cheap car as he chewed with force. He slurped the noodle soup as if he were drinking the warm blood flowing through Wei Zhi’s veins. He ate until he was drenched in sweat, yet Wei Zhi felt colder and colder.
"I told you, making a scene will affect the Ji family’s opinion of me."
"What’s that got to do with me?" Wei Shan swallowed a large mouthful of chicken, completely indifferent. "I couldn't find my own daughter, so I had to get the police to help me."
"...The property management agreed to compensate you?"
Wei Zhi stared at him intently and, as expected, saw Wei Shan choke slightly.
Just as she thought.
Unless he was absolutely certain he would get the compensation, Wei Shan would never have pulled a stunt like tonight.
"You bypassed the lawyer and reached an agreement with the property management yourself?" Wei Zhi pressed again.
"It’s my business to begin with. Am I not allowed to make my own decisions?!" Wei Shan said, his bravado masking his lack of confidence.
"How much are they paying you?"
"What are you trying to do?" At the mention of money that hadn't yet reached his pocket, Wei Shan immediately became guarded. "I’m telling you, that’s my son’s blood money. It has nothing to do with you."
"You think I care about that pittance?" Wei Zhi sneered.
"Pittance? Do you have any idea? They’re paying me seven hundred thousand! Don't you act all high and mighty in front of me. Everyone knows you’re spending someone else’s money; your own card probably doesn't even have ten thousand on it. Once I get that money, will I still need to endure the attitude of an unfilial daughter like you?"
Wei Zhi exerted a great deal of effort to suppress her rage.
Partly because of Wei Shan’s shamelessness, and partly because he had hit the nail on the head.
Since resigning, the allowance and household money Ji Qikun gave her each month barely left anything after living expenses and online loan repayments. Everything she possessed now was a castle in the air.
That was why she had to marry Ji Qikun.
"What did you want from me tonight?" she asked.
"Hmph, you remember now?!" Wei Shan said dissatisfiedly. "Now that you have a man, you don't care if your own father lives or dies! Since your mother left, the grocery store has had no business at all. If you don't take the initiative to give me living expenses, am I supposed to just live on air?"
"...How much do you want?"
"Give me twenty thousand for now. I lost some money playing cards. Just lend it to me; I’ll pay you back once I get the compensation from the property management," Wei Shan said nonchalantly, as if twenty thousand were just a casual figure.
"When will they pay you?"
"We’ve agreed. They’re coming to the site next Monday to sign the agreement."
Wei Lai had disappeared into the city’s drainage system. They called it a burial, but what went into the ground with the urn were merely some items he had used while alive.
To save money, Wei Shan hadn't even bought a cemetery plot. He had only purchased an eight-hundred-yuan urn, claiming he wanted to keep it at home to remember his son at all times.
"I’ll give you ten thousand first," Wei Zhi said before he could glare at her. "You don't have to pay it back. It’s enough to last you until next Monday."
Wei Shan agreed reluctantly.
"Are you full? Do you want to order anything else?" Wei Zhi asked.
Unaccustomed to Wei Zhi’s consideration, Wei Shan gave her a suspicious look. "Forget it, that’s enough."
"Want a drink?" Wei Zhi said. "Shall we have a glass together, father and daughter?"
Wei Shan looked tempted. Seeing his hesitation, Wei Zhi directly asked the owner for a bottle of beer.
She picked up a rusted bottle opener, deftly popped the cap, and took the initiative to pour a glass for Wei Shan.
The pale yellow liquid sloshed in the small glass—half foam, half beer. The two invaded and consumed each other. In the end, what remained in the glass was only the beer, which had appeared weaker at the start.
"What’s the use of trying to please me now? It’s too late!" Wei Shan picked up the glass and drained it in one go, saying with a hint of mockery, "I told you long ago you’d regret it—the wheel of fortune turns, and one day it’ll be my turn, Wei Shan’s turn, to hold my head high!"
Wei Zhi picked up the bottle and poured him another glass.
"I’m not trying to please you. It’s just that you’re right. Blood ties cannot be severed. Even if I block you on my phone, you’re still the father on my household registration. If you want to, you have many ways to find me."
Wei Shan smugly picked up the glass and took a large gulp.
"So I won't do that anymore." Wei Zhi topped up his glass again. "In the future, if you want to find me, just call."
"Now that’s more like it—" Wei Shan said. "Ji Qikun will always be an outsider. You and I are family, connected by blood and bone. If you get bullied in the Ji family later, won't you have to rely on me to back you up? What good does it do you to offend me?"
"You’re right." Wei Zhi had a smile on her face. "Once you get the compensation, what do you plan to do?"
The previous warmth vanished, and suspicion reappeared on Wei Shan’s face.
"What are you getting at?"
"You aren't young anymore. Don't waste your time playing small-stakes mahjong every day. Start a small business, get a stable income, so you don't just sit around and eat through your savings."
"Don't you tell me what to do. I’ve eaten more rice than you’ve eaten salt. What do you know at your age?" Wei Shan said impatiently.
Wei Zhi picked up her own glass and took her first sip.
"If you must play mahjong, you might as well play for high stakes. Who knows, maybe that seven hundred thousand of yours could double in a single hand."
"Go to Macau?" Wei Shan narrowed his eyes. "I’ve already thought about it. Once my project starts, I’ll pay off all my debts at once and then take a first-class flight to Macau to play a few rounds."
"Besides Macau, it’s not like there aren't other places to play big," Wei Zhi said. "I used to know someone who was incredible at cards. He didn't bother with small games; he only went to those private underground casinos. He could win several thousand a day. On his best night, he turned fifty thousand into five hundred thousand—"
"You’re not just blowing smoke, are you?" Wei Shan asked, half-doubting.
"I don't know." Wei Zhi shrugged. "But I saw him driving a Mercedes and wearing designer clothes. Then again, it’s possible they were rentals. After all, I’m not him."
Wei Zhi picked up her glass and finished the pale yellow liquid in one breath.
"It’s just a pity my card playing is so terrible, otherwise I’d really want to try."
"Those underground casinos you mentioned... where are they?" Wei Shan couldn't help but ask.
"I’ve never been, how would I know?" Wei Zhi said. "Things like that... people who play cards all the time should know about them, right?"
Wei Shan grew thoughtful, sipping his beer slowly, but his mind had already wandered away from the small noodle stall.
"I have to head back. Qikun needs the car for work tomorrow." Wei Zhi stood up, called the owner over to settle the bill, and then said to Wei Shan, "Next time something comes up, call me directly. Don't trouble other people again."
After paying for the snacks, she transferred ten thousand yuan to Wei Shan via WeChat.
"I’m leaving."
Wei Shan gave an absent-minded grunt; it seemed his spirit had already flown elsewhere.
Wei Zhi did not return to the Ji residence immediately. Instead, she went back to the Dashanguan Police Station. She found Zhang Kaiyang and apologized to him once more.
"My father shouldn't come looking for you again. I’m truly sorry for the trouble we caused this time..."
"It’s our job," Zhang Kaiyang said. "Have you two reconciled?"
"I wouldn't call it a reconciliation. I gave him ten thousand yuan and promised to answer his calls from now on." Wei Zhi gave a bitter smile. "He said the property management has agreed to pay him compensation. Once he gets that money, he probably won't have time to bother with me for a while."
Zhang Kaiyang knew well that outsiders couldn't mediate these kinds of family disputes, nor could they solve the problem once and for all. Yet, he couldn't suppress his desire to do something for someone in trouble.
"I once handled a case," he said. "A six-year-old girl. Her stepmother beat her so badly there wasn't a single patch of healthy skin on her body. She had injuries even on her scalp and inner thighs. Being kicked and punched was just the 'light drizzle' of her daily life. When her stepmother was in a bad mood, she would scald her with boiling water or beat her with clothes hangers. To please his young wife, her biological father either joined in the abuse or simply ignored it. It was only when a neighbor reported it that the battered little girl was sent to the hospital."
"But it was too late," Zhang Kaiyang said. "Outside the operating room, I heard the doctors pronounce her dead with my own ears."
Wei Zhi listened in silence.
"That couple was eventually sentenced to four years in prison for abuse resulting in death," Zhang Kaiyang paused for a long moment before giving a wry smile.
"It wasn't the most horrific case I’ve seen, but the victim was certainly the most innocent. Even now, I often dream of that little girl, whose features were unrecognizable by the time she reached the hospital."
Putting herself in his shoes, Wei Zhi didn't know if she could have endured such a blow if she were in Zhang Kaiyang’s position—witnessing the absolute worst of human nature over and over again.
"If that’s the case, why do you stay in this job?" Wei Zhi asked. "Even if you don't change careers, surely you could transfer to a different department?"
"...The doctor suggested I do that too," Zhang Kaiyang said. "But I always feel that leaving here would be like betraying the people who need my help."
"Compared to them, what does my own insignificant confusion matter?"
Zhang Kaiyang smiled at Wei Zhi, a smile filled with bitterness.
"You’re a good cop," Wei Zhi said.
"I’m not." Zhang Kaiyang shook his head, then said to Wei Zhi, "When Wei Shan makes a scene at the station, we are obligated to notify the family. But whether you come or not is your right. Do you understand?"
"...I understand."
A look of relief appeared on Zhang Kaiyang’s face.
"Can I ask a favor?" Wei Zhi said. "I want to know the full story behind what happened to Mei Man."
"Why do you want to know?"
"Isn't this what you wanted?" Wei Zhi smiled. "Only by knowing what happened in the past can I see clearly what kind of person is lying next to me."
Zhang Kaiyang was silent for a moment, then said, "This isn't the place to talk. Follow me."
He led Wei Zhi to an empty office. After letting her sit, he took a disposable paper cup from a cabinet and brewed a cup of tea for her.
"What do you want to know?"
There was much Wei Zhi wanted to know, but her primary question was undoubtedly why the police also thought there was something suspicious about Mei Man’s fall, yet still concluded the investigation as a suicide.
"...Because he didn't technically lay a hand on her to kill her. It doesn't constitute the crime of intentional injury," Zhang Kaiyang said.
"Even though Mei Man died because of him?"
Zhang Kaiyang keenly sensed the facts she was withholding.
"You don't seem surprised that he could make Mei Man jump voluntarily. Has he done something to you as well?"
"Answer my question first."
"...If you must have an accurate answer, then—yes," Zhang Kaiyang said. "Under current laws, psychological abuse is very difficult to define. The only crime related to psychological abuse is the 'crime of maltreatment,' but that is limited to family relationships. Ji Qikun and Mei Man were only boyfriend and girlfriend at the time, so the crime of maltreatment didn't apply."
"What about negligent homicide?"
"If someone commits suicide and you claim it constitutes negligent homicide, there’s a logical gap. Legally, an act can only be categorized under one crime. Under this concept, if maltreatment occurs but doesn't directly cause death, it falls outside the scope of prosecution," Zhang Kaiyang explained. "So the courts won't support such a claim."
"According to you, there will always be a small group of people who receive no protection under the law," Wei Zhi said with a touch of sarcasm.
"The law isn't omnipotent, nor is it perfect." Zhang Kaiyang didn't refute her attack, speaking in a low voice. "But the law is always progressing. I still believe there will come a day when all evil has nowhere to hide."
"It just takes time," Wei Zhi finished for him.
Zhang Kaiyang didn't speak, a look of sorrow in his eyes.
"I’m not trying to blame you; it’s just frustrating to hear. Don't take my words to heart," Wei Zhi said.
"It’s alright. I feel the same way you do," he said. "Can you answer my question now?"
Wei Zhi gave him a simplified version, telling him that Ji Qikun had installed a tracker on her phone and was intentionally isolating her from her social circle.
"...Mei Man went through the same things you are experiencing back then. Only, it was much more severe. Besides psychological isolation, she suffered physical abuse. Has he done that to you?"
Wei Zhi shook her head.
Zhang Kaiyang guessed this was because the two were about to enter a marriage contract. With Mei Man as a prior lesson, Ji Qikun had become more cunning. He would be more careful to avoid any possible criminal liability.
"Do you still plan to be with him?" he asked.
"Why not?" Wei Zhi said. "According to you, he won't hurt me. Because I’m about to become a member of his family."
Zhang Kaiyang was left speechless.
"I’ve been out too long." Wei Zhi checked the time and stood up from the chair. "Thank you for telling me the truth, Officer Zhang."
Zhang Kaiyang stood up with her. Because Wei Zhi hadn't changed her mind despite his words, his mood was somewhat somber.
"It’s fine. I’ll see you out."
In front of the police station gates, he gave Wei Zhi one last piece of advice:
"The police station is always here. If an extreme situation really occurs, you must not be impulsive."
Wei Zhi nodded. After walking down the steps, she looked back. Zhang Kaiyang was still standing there, his eyes filled with unmistakable worry.
He was tall and thin. Every time Wei Zhi saw him, his brow seemed furrowed, as if he carried endless anxieties.
"You’re a good cop. You just demand too much of yourself."
Zhang Kaiyang looked at her in surprise.
"Not every victim needs you to save them, because they also have an obligation to save themselves."
"After my mother left, I realized one thing. I want to tell you this—"
"Even if you offer up as much self-sacrifice as you wish, in this entire life, the only person you can truly save is yourself."
***
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