Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 34: Wang Guodong Has Arrived
The next morning at 5:30, Zhang Qiu was awakened by the alarm clock. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and pulled back the curtains to look outside. Darkness still enveloped everything, with only a few lit windows indicating that the world was not completely silent.
Zhang Qiu leaned against the window for a moment before getting up to wash up. Before leaving, he put on a sweatshirt printed with the logo of the band Beyond over his school uniform. The thin autumn uniform could hardly block the cold wind; it seeped through, chilling him to the bone.
As soon as Zhang Qiu stepped into the classroom, he felt the gazes from all directions. He walked back to his seat under the surprised looks of his classmates. Just as he sat down, his deskmate Wang Zhengxiang asked, “Why are you back?”
“Where else would I go?” Zhang Qiu retorted.
Wang Zhengxiang replied, “I meant, weren’t you supposed to reflect at home?”
“It’s fine now, no need for reflection,” Zhang Qiu said lightly. He certainly wouldn’t tell anyone about threatening Director Zhao with a video.
Wang Zhengxiang stared at Zhang Qiu in astonishment, as if looking at a monster that had wandered into human territory. This was unbelievable; he had never seen anyone cancel their reflection before. What on earth had his deskmate done?
Noticing that Wang Zhengxiang was still staring at him, Zhang Qiu smiled and said, “Recite some ancient poetry for me and keep an eye on the teacher. If I fall asleep, wake me up.”
Seeing Wang Zhengxiang nod in agreement, Zhang Qiu picked up "64 Must-Know Ancient Poems for College Entrance Examination" from his desk and flipped to where he had last read: “Alas! The one who destroyed the six states was not Qin but the six states themselves. The one who exterminated Qin was Qin itself, not others…”
Chinese teacher Xu Qing Chu walked into the classroom through the front door, placed her textbook on the podium, and surveyed the room: “This early self-study session will be divided into two parts—reviewing 'A Fang Palace Ode' for the first half hour and a quiz after that.” She added, “Find someone to go to the blackboard!” As soon as Xu Qing Chu said this, even those who had no intention of reciting were compelled to do so; if called to the blackboard and unable to write anything down, it would be quite embarrassing.
After assigning tasks, Xu Qing Chu stepped down from the podium. Many teachers liked to patrol around the classroom; this way they could easily assist students with questions while also deterring those who were not paying attention—truly a win-win situation. Xu Qing Chu stopped next to Wang Zhengxiang and looked at Zhang Qiu.
Zhang Qiu felt Xu Qing Chu's gaze and looked up to meet her eyes. Her expression was calm, revealing no signs of disturbance. Xu Qing Chu nodded slightly and continued her inspection. Zhang Qiu refocused on the ancient text in front of him.
...
In the interrogation room of the police station, Liu Xiaolong sat in the interrogation chair, his wrists and ankles shackled, with a metal bar across his abdomen preventing him from leaning forward. A bright overhead light shone down on his face. He Jun sat behind an irregularly shaped table, designed to psychologically pressure the suspect.
Liu Xiaolong felt anxious and exhausted. Wang Hailong explained various policies while presenting the evidence the police had gathered against him. Among the evidence was a video of Liu Xiaolong assaulting someone, found in a store near Zhang Qiu's home—an undeniable piece of evidence.
At that moment, Liu Xiaolong's only hope was that Wang Guodong would arrive soon to rescue him; it felt like torture, and he didn't want to stay there for another second. However, even if Liu Xiaolong didn’t return home that night, his family wouldn’t think much of it; they would assume he was out having fun again.
He Jun glanced at his watch; it was already six in the morning. Liu Xiaolong usually got into fights, but thanks to Wang Guodong, he had never faced serious consequences. This time, with He Jun launching such a strong offensive, Liu Xiaolong, who had no experience with interrogations, would surely not be able to withstand it.
"You might as well confess quickly; the evidence is right in front of you. What else do you have to hide?" He Jun took a sip of water and continued questioning, feeling a bit parched.
Liu Xiaolong stared at the cup of water in He Jun's hand, watching his throat move as he swallowed. He couldn't help but purse his lips. Having gone all night without water and being baked under the harsh light while feeling scared, Liu Xiaolong's body was already dehydrated, and his brother-in-law Wang Guodong had yet to arrive. Finally, with great difficulty, Liu Xiaolong asked, "Can... can I have some water?"
He Jun smiled and pointed to the large poster behind Liu Xiaolong that read "Confess for leniency!" "Sure, but after you drink the water, you need to cooperate with us."
"Okay!" Liu Xiaolong managed to utter that word with great effort; he hung his head low, having lost the bravado he had when he first entered.
He Jun waved his hand decisively. "Give him water and prepare to take notes."
"Yes!" Wang Hailong stood straight; inside, he was extremely excited—after holding out all night, they finally had results. He poured a glass of water and handed it to Liu Xiaolong while unlocking his handcuffs.
Liu Xiaolong hurriedly took the water and drank it in large gulps. After finishing, he rubbed his wrist, which had been marked red by the handcuffs.
At that moment, the door of the interrogation room was suddenly pushed open, and Feng Guodong walked in under the surprised gazes of everyone.
Comment 0 Comment Count