Prev | Table of Contents | Next
Chapter 15: “Xie Zijing, can I patrol your sea area?”
“Qin Ge! Get a clear understanding of your position!” Gao Tianyue clenched his fist and pounded the hard desk repeatedly. “The Psychological Adjustment Department is responsible for matters within the ‘Sea Area,’ and you’ve crossed over into criminal investigation!”
Qin Ge sat calmly in front of him with a composed expression, showing neither subservience nor arrogance.
Gao Tianyue adjusted his hair, covering the middle part of it.
“Reporting findings is a good habit,” he said, “but your approach is putting us in a passive position. What should I, Deputy Cai, the Special Management Committee, and the 267th Hospital do about this?”
His anger shifted to a friendly tone too quickly, and Qin Ge knew that neither emotion reflected Gao Tianyue’s true thoughts.
The middle-aged man before him looked very tired. He had been on a business trip in the humid south for a week, feeling as though he had lost weight due to the unfamiliar food and the overwhelming workload. Perhaps he was forcing himself to stay alert in order to discuss this matter with Qin Ge.
Qin Ge awaited Gao Tianyue’s next words.
His silence made it impossible for Gao Tianyue to hide his anger or his friendliness.
“Ah…” Gao Tianyue changed his approach and began to speak more openly. “Qin Ge, Uncle Gao watched you grow up. I know you’re a person of few words but many thoughts, and you’re upright. Crisis management needs people like you, or else I wouldn’t have appointed you as the head of the Psychological Adjustment Department.”
Qin Ge remained expressionless, pursing his lips and acknowledging Gao Tianyue’s assessments with a slight nod.
“But…” Gao Tianyue continued to drone on.
Qin Ge’s gaze wandered above his head, appearing distracted.
Gao Tianyue spoke for a while, realizing that Qin Ge wasn’t listening at all. His expression turned serious. “Qin Ge, pay attention. Do you have something to say?”
“Yes.” Qin Ge immediately opened the report in front of Gao Tianyue. “The missing numbers on this page are not because we don’t want to write them; it’s because we can’t confirm them at the moment. Based on my calculations of the number of infants I observed in Cai Mingyue’s ‘Sea Area,’ there are nineteen children who have died at her hands.”
Gao Tianyue stared at Qin Ge, and Qin Ge confirmed it wasn’t a look telling him to be quiet.
“Though I only saw nineteen, the situation was chaotic, and they kept coming out. I wouldn’t necessarily recognize every face… Moreover, Cai Mingyue worked as an obstetrician for eight years, delivering thousands of babies. The 267th Hospital specializes in special human cases, so the number of babies who died at her hands is likely not less than fifty.”
Qin Ge’s attitude was resolute and clear. He wouldn’t accept any explanations; he was determined to initiate an investigation into Cai Mingyue. Gao Tianyue understood his message from his demeanor: they couldn’t let Cai Mingyue continue living like this.
Seeing that Gao Tianyue remained silent, Qin Ge continued, “Director Gao, do you really think this is a minor issue? A doctor who can kill infants she had delivered with her own hands. A person who, given the opportunity, takes money and brutally murders defenseless babies because she finds it painful. Shouldn’t she face the appropriate consequences for the lives she took?”
“This is definitely not a small matter,” Gao Tianyue said in a low voice, “but what I’m considering is different from what you’re thinking.”
Qin Ge fully understood Gao Tianyue’s meaning.
However, he had no intention of backing down and had no intention of understanding.
Different positions require different approaches. His work was different from Gao Tianyue’s, and their ways of thinking about the issue couldn’t necessarily align.
But it was precisely because of these differences that there were countless divisions of labor, countless professions, and countless considerations.
In this vast array of emotions and perspectives, there is always a bottom line that must not be crossed.
“Have you ever hesitated?” Gao Tianyue suddenly asked, “Have you ever considered it from Cai Mingyue’s perspective or the perspective of the parents of the children?”
“No.” Qin Ge was surprised by the question. “Not at all.”
Every bit of sympathy for an executioner was, in reality, cruelty to the deceased. Qin Ge was aware that no one could convey forgiveness and mercy on behalf of the dead children. They were born as complete and independent individuals, not anyone’s property. Not even their parents had the right to decide their life or death.
Every person who spoke on behalf of the children, saying “living is also painful,” was not expressing concern for the children’s suffering; it was their own pain, the responsibility, and the burden that adults, parents, and elders did not want to bear. The children’s “suffering” was just a self-pitying excuse used to justify their actions.
Even if they ultimately decided to sever their ties with the children, “death” was not the only option.
Therefore, upon learning the truth, neither he nor his colleagues had considered finding excuses for Cai Mingyue. In reality, there was no excuse in the world that would justify taking the lives of innocent newborns.
After a long silence, Gao Tianyue said, “Apart from Cai Mingyue, the parents are also culprits.”
“So, Director Gao, this report must be handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department.” Qin Ge said, “The Psychological Adjustment Department has limited capabilities and can’t handle this on its own. As long as we investigate Cai Mingyue, it won’t be too difficult to find the people who paid her to do this.”
“If I don’t agree to initiate the investigation and don’t submit your report for approval by the Special Management Committee, Qin Ge, what will you do?”
“I have other ways.” Qin Ge looked at Gao Tianyue, “But the consequences of bringing them to light won’t be good, neither for me nor for the Crisis Management Department, or for Deputy Cai at the Special Management Committee.”
Gao Tianyue thought to himself, Oh, a threat.
He wasn’t afraid of this threat. In fact, he was somewhat pleased. This sense of satisfaction made some of the weariness on his face disappear, revealing a smile.
“Alright,” he signaled for Qin Ge to hand over the report.
Qin Ge was puzzled by the change in Gao Tianyue’s attitude. Before he entered Gao Tianyue’s office today, he had thought that convincing Gao Tianyue would be a difficult task, considering that he had been parachuted into the Crisis Management Department directly from the Special Management Committee after Qin Shuangshuang’s departure.
They had all assumed that Gao Tianyue was from the Special Management Committee.
Gao Tianyue: “You can rest assured that once the report is in my hands, it won’t be ignored. Within a week, you’ll see progress on this matter. But while you’re thinking about how to bring Cai Mingyue and the nurses and parents of the children to justice, I’m thinking about how to conduct the investigation without placing blame on the Crisis Management Department.”
This was not something Qin Ge could help with, so he decided to take his leave. At that moment, Gao Tianyue signaled for him to come closer and asked, “You’ve been with the Psychological Adjustment Department’s team for a week. How do you find your colleagues?”
When Bai Xiaoyuan returned to the Psychological Adjustment Department, Xie Zijing was playing with Tang Cuo’s panda, while Tang Cuo anxiously waited for news.
“The report is fine; we can start organizing the attachments.” Bai Xiaoyuan suddenly lowered her voice. “But when I finished talking to Lei Chi, I heard Director Gao banging on his desk. Qin Ge was in his office at the time.”
Tang Cuo, who had just relaxed, suddenly tensed again. “Qin Ge hasn’t returned yet.”
Xie Zijing approached while holding the panda. “Shall we go and boost Qin Ge’s confidence?”
“No need.” Bai Xiaoyuan said, “Even if Director Gao is angry, he won’t vent it on Qin Ge. Qin Ge’s parents both work under the Special Management Committee.”
Suddenly, Xie Zijing lost interest in the panda. He placed it back on Tang Cuo’s desk and pulled a chair to sit next to Bai Xiaoyuan. “What do Qin Ge’s parents do?”
Bai Xiaoyuan’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Why are you so interested in Qin Ge? Come on, confess, do you like him?”
“Yes.” Xie Zijing admitted candidly, “We used to date.”
This revelation even shocked Tang Cuo. “What!”
Bai Xiaoyuan was the first to express doubt. “Wait a minute, if you dated him, how come Qin Ge seems completely unfamiliar with you?”
Xie Zijing leaned back in his chair and smiled. “We broke up, so maybe he still harbors some resentment. But I still like him. When I saw him for the first time, that feeling of joy immediately came back.”
Bai Xiaoyuan poked his head with a pen. “Still doesn’t add up. If you dated him, shouldn’t you know about Qin Ge’s family background?”
Tang Cuo also remembered something. “You didn’t even know what Qin Ge’s spiritual body was before.”
This time, Xie Zijing didn’t resort to the excuse of hiding a relationship from family. He swayed in his chair and pointed to his head.
“I’ve got a bit of a problem here,” he chuckled. “I’ve forgotten a lot of things.”
Meanwhile, in Gao Tianyue’s office, Qin Ge was contemplating how to answer his questions.
“Tang Cuo and Bai Xiaoyuan are both good,” he confessed. “Tang Cuo has a sharp mind and is very attentive. Bai Xiaoyuan is a capable hand when it comes to handling official matters.”
Gao Tianyue nodded in agreement with a smile. “Assigning them to you was a well-considered decision. What about Xie Zijing?”
Qin Ge: “…”
“Xie Zijing is a highly skilled top-tier Sentinel in the Western Division Office. He’s exceptionally competent,” Gao Tianyue finally said. “As for his personality, he’s easy to get along with, and I haven’t heard anyone say anything bad about him.”
Qin Ge: “I haven’t seen anything special about Xie Zijing yet.”
Gao Tianyue was stunned.
Qin Ge: “But the HR Department informed me that he doesn’t have an official transfer order. He was suspended from duty due to misconduct, and you specifically requested that he join us here under my guidance. Because I am a psychological adjuster.”
Gao Tianyue felt somewhat embarrassed. He coughed a couple of times and said seriously, “Well, then, have you explored Xie Zijing’s ‘Sea Area’?”
Qin Ge: “…No.”
No one would want to enter a “sea area” filled with yellow waste material—he held back from saying this.
Gao Tianyue looked very serious. “I admit that there was a personal motive behind assigning him to your side. Xie Zijing is too outstanding, and we can’t afford to lose such a talented Sentinel just because there have been some issues in his ‘Sea area.'”
Qin Ge responded, “You could have just told me that his ‘Sea area’ is not normal.”
Gao Tianyue was taken aback. “Who said his ‘sea area’ is not normal?”
Qin Ge also paused but then remembered that Xie Zijing had never actually said it was abnormal. He had only mentioned that there were some issues or that things didn’t seem quite right.
Gao Tianyue pointed to his head. “If you have the chance, please conduct a patrol in Xie Zijing’s ‘Sea area.’ There are some abnormalities and peculiarities in his ‘sea area’. You’ll know it for yourself.”
Since the last time he attempted to steal a kiss and received a punch from Qin Ge, Xie Zijing has become much more restrained. He obediently followed Qin Ge wherever he went, both outside and back home. Even the elderly couple living across from Qin Ge’s house had come to recognize him, and whenever they saw him, they would praise, “Your cousin is tall, handsome, and such a nice person.”
“Cousin now?” Qin Ge asked. “Why don’t you say you are my boyfriend?”
Xie Zijing was sitting on the sofa watching a movie with Qin Ge’s long-haired rabbit. The rabbit was still completely absorbed in watching the handsome zombie on the screen battle humans. Xie Zijing had a magazine in his left hand, and his right hand was continuously stroking the rabbit’s back.
The magazine’s cover prominently featured a close-up of a half-zombified human with the headline right on that mottled, withered face: “How many times do we have to get our heads blown off in your movies?”
“Boyfriend?” Xie Zijing pretended to be shy. “Don’t say it like that; I’m very bashful. It’s too sudden. I wasn’t mentally prepared.”
Qin Ge: “…”
He had developed immunity to Xie Zijing’s nonsense.
After placing a glass in the kitchen, Qin Ge walked behind the sofa and put his hand on Xie Zijing’s shoulder. Drops of water from Xie Zijing’s freshly washed hair hadn’t dried yet, and they fell onto his shoulder, leaving a few dark spots on the light gray fabric.
The rabbit in Xie Zijing’s arms reluctantly nuzzled Qin Ge’s hand before slowly transforming into a mist and returning to Qin Ge’s body.
Xie Zijing looked up at Qin Ge and quickly joked, “Are you going to kiss me? This position is good; I’ve imagined it many times.”
With the report now in Gao Tianyue’s hands and the work of the Psychological Adjustment Department completed, the next steps would be handled by Gao Tianyue and the Criminal Investigation Department. Tomorrow was the tomb-sweeping day holiday, so Qin Ge didn’t need to worry about any discomfort affecting his work.
“Xie Zijing, can I patrol your ‘sea area’?” he asked.
Prev | Table of Contents | Next
For every Ko-fi received for a perticular novel, I will release a new chapter!
