4 AM, Yi Shi hailed a night shift taxi, preparing to head to the Nanyi Machinery Factory.
“Old factory or new factory?” the driver asked.
“Old factory.”
“Ah, the old factory is quite far. I’d have to come back empty, not worth it. The machinery factory has a shuttle bus. Why don’t you just go back to sleep? It’s not even dawn yet…”
The driver chattered away, but Yi Shi patiently negotiated a higher fare until the driver finally agreed to take the mountain road. After a full hour’s drive, the road leading to the factory was deserted. The driver said, “I’ll take you to the bridge up ahead; at least there are streetlights. The machinery factory is right there; just a short walk.”
Yi Shi nodded and got out of the car, crossing the quiet little bridge and walking along the riverbank. The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the faint light revealed the sounds of birds chirping in the mountain forest. A light green hue dotted the massive mountainside, and all things were gradually waking in the morning light.
He stopped at a spot opposite the smokestack and began climbing up the slope, quickly spotting a strange building covered in weeds. If he remembered correctly, Peacock Head Mountain had an air raid shelter that cut through half the mountain. The more prominent entrance was on the eastern side of the mountain, and this entrance should be the “back door.”
Yi Shi turned around and could almost confirm this was the location from the photos. He took out a notepad, bit down on the pen cap, pondered for a moment, sketched a few simple symbols, tore off the paper, folded it neatly, and put it in his pocket.
The entrance to the air raid shelter wasn’t well hidden; it was covered by a layer of grass, and from a distance, the square stone wall looked more like a low grave. On the way, the driver had mentioned Peacock Head Mountain, saying it was heavy with an eerie atmosphere. In chaotic years, many corpses were buried on that mountain, turning the majestic mountain into a dismal ghost mountain.
Perhaps that’s why Tu Laogui and the others chose this place. Yi Shi cautiously approached the cave entrance, noticing fresh footprints in the grass along the way. Pushing aside the vines, he found an abyss of darkness within, resembling a bottomless pit.
He picked up a small stone and tossed it inside, hearing a crisp echo; there were steps below. The stone bounced several times before hitting the ground. After waiting a moment without any other sounds, Yi Shi switched his flashlight to low mode, opened it through a layer of his sleeve to ensure the light only illuminated his immediate vicinity, and began descending the steps one by one.
A pungent musty smell assaulted him; even the mask couldn’t completely block it. Yi Shi tried to slow his breathing, shining the flashlight ahead. Finally, he could see the tunnel’s full view. The arched structure created echoes, so he had to keep close to the wall, walking carefully. Soon, he reached a fork in the path that extended to the left and right. Yi Shi crouched down to carefully observe the muddy ground, finding a vague shoe print. An adult’s forefoot wasn’t that narrow; only a child would leave such small and slim footprints.
He immediately turned right. If he could determine the location of the hostages, that would be ideal. This end of the tunnel had only a few makeshift rooms, and at the end, he saw a pile of old sandbags stacked together. Next to the sandbags were a few curled figures.
There were two adults and two children locked up here, their hands and feet still bound, their eyes and mouths covered tightly, leaving only their ears to hear sounds. Perhaps they had been imprisoned for too long; they were no longer sensitive to footsteps. Even when they knew someone was approaching, they remained eerily quiet, like a few puppets huddled in a corner.
Yi Shi walked over and pulled down the blindfold from the female teacher’s eyes. Her gaze was blank as she stared at the man in front of her for several seconds, her pupils unable to focus. He tore off the tape and lightly tapped her cheek, softly calling her name, but even then, the female teacher maintained her dazed expression, as if her soul had long been lost to the void.
Yi Shi sighed helplessly, unable to imagine what kind of torment she had endured to be reduced to this state. It was evident that the female teacher’s spirit had collapsed; this kidnapping experience had caused her irreversible damage, and the shadow of it might haunt her for life.
No matter what, they had to get out first. Yi Shi took out a fruit knife, holding the flashlight in his mouth, raised the female teacher’s hands. The hemp rope was about the thickness of a thumb, but luckily the blade of the small knife was extraordinarily sharp. If she cooperated, he could quickly cut through it.
The female teacher allowed him to handle her. Once the rope around her wrists was severed, Yi Shi glanced back to ensure there were no abnormalities and then helped her cut the rope around her ankles.
Beside her was a little boy curled up, his hands awkwardly bound behind his back. Yi Shi had examined how he was tied up and raised the fruit knife toward the boy’s tender wrist.
At that moment, the female teacher’s eyes shifted to the sharp fruit knife, and she suddenly screamed, “What are you doing?! Don’t kill my student! No!”
Her slender body lunged at him, and Yi Shi was taken aback, immediately raising his left hand, worried he would hurt her. The female teacher tightly clutched Yi Shi’s clothing, her voice trembling with fear, yet still refusing to let go, “Don’t kill him! He’s just a child! Please, if you want money, just take the money! Don’t kill my child anymore!”
Her desperate cries echoed in the empty air raid shelter, and Yi Shi couldn’t help but feel anxious. He covered her mouth, saying, “I won’t kill him; I’m here to save you! You need to calm down first!”
The female teacher was at the peak of her emotional breakdown and couldn’t control herself at all. She kicked and punched with all her might. Yi Shi tried to push her away with one hand, not daring to use too much force. She bit down hard on his left arm, causing the fruit knife to fall from his hand.
The bite drew blood, and the female teacher picked up the fruit knife, crouching protectively in front of the little boy, the knife tip aimed at Yi Shi, her shoulders trembling slightly, stubbornly refusing to step back even a bit.
“Don’t think about touching him! If you come any closer, I’ll kill you! I swear I’ll kill you!”
Yi Shi had anticipated several types of mishaps, but he never expected to be put in such a difficult position by the hostages. The sound of chaotic footsteps grew faintly audible, and Yi Shi’s expression turned serious. There was no time for explanations; saving at least one person was better than nothing. He single-handedly lifted one boy onto his shoulder, then delivered a swift blow to the female teacher’s hand, knocking the fruit knife from her grasp. “Let’s go!” he urged.
The female teacher looked at the child on his shoulder with a mix of shock and fear, dropping to her knees. “Please put Feng Feng down! I beg you, don’t drop him! Please!”
“…” Yi Shi didn’t have time to explain further. The footsteps were getting closer. He glanced back to see light appearing at the end of the arched tunnel—more than one source of light, at least two people were coming.
Just a moment of distraction, and he felt a cool sensation on his abdomen, followed immediately by a burning pain as the muscle was sliced open, the discomfort spreading along his waist. The female teacher had gripped the fruit knife again, the blade now stained with bright red blood. With tears still fresh on her face, she twisted her expression into a strange smile. “I’ve begged you, but you wouldn’t listen. I will really kill you; I’ll kill you filthy scum!”
His temples throbbed painfully, and Yi Shi covered his wound. After many years in the police force, it was the first time he had been harmed by someone he was supposed to protect. However, he couldn’t blame her; the teacher was driven by an overwhelming desire to protect her students. All her madness stemmed from the boiling fervor of her professional ethics, pushing the strength of a gardener of the homeland to the extreme.
As deviations began to multiply on the road to altering the established facts, it became clear he would not be able to rescue the poor hostages himself.
Yi Shi curled the corners of his lips and set the little boy down. The female teacher immediately threw away the fruit knife and embraced the boy tightly, as if he were a treasure.
“Who’s there?!”
“How did outsiders get in?!”
The newcomers were Pang Daozi’s lackeys and Tu Laogui’s men—the type with the least fighting ability, mostly left behind to guard the place. These minor characters were even less competent than Lin Erde. Yi Shi didn’t rush to confront them; instead, he slowly crouched down. As they approached, he scooped up a handful of dirt and threw it in their faces, knocking them both down with a swift kick.
The two useless henchmen rolled against the wall, still disoriented by the surprise attack when a gust of wind whizzed past them. By the time they got back up, they could only see Yi Shi’s back.
“He’s here to rescue the hostages! How did he know we were hiding here?! Should we change locations?”
“Forget it! Just tie them up! We’ll report back when the boss returns. We can’t make any decisions ourselves.”
Yi Shi stumbled away from Peacock Head Mountain. He removed his jacket and pressed it against his abdomen to conceal the bleeding, then flagged down a taxi to head to Xie Gang’s clinic. It was the peak of the morning rush hour, and the roads were congested; the originally ten-minute journey stretched into half an hour.
At that hour, Xie Gang was still lost in his dreams. The banging on the door jolted him awake, and he grumbled, rolling over, but fearing it was Pang Daozi bringing people, he reluctantly got up to answer the door.
As soon as he opened the glass door, a figure collapsed, resting on one knee. Xie Gang rubbed his eyes in shock. “B-Brother, what’s the matter now? I-I can’t handle such a big visit.”
“… If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll kill you.”
Yi Shi’s tone was harsh. He tossed his jacket aside; the light blue shirt underneath was now soaked with blood, the edges stained with a faint purple. Xie Gang hurriedly pulled him inside, cutting open the shirt to disinfect and apply medicine. As he prepared the suturing tools, there was another knock on the door: “Xie Gang! Xie Gang!”
“Hey! Coming right now, just putting on some pants!” Xie Gang guided Yi Shi down to the basement, cleaning up the surface before going to open the door. The newcomer had a buzz cut and a scruffy beard—someone he had never seen before. He introduced himself as a referral from Brother Pang, asking about the compatibility testing.
Seeing him empty-handed, Xie Gang asked, “Where are the samples? Didn’t you say over the phone last time that the project needs a certain number of people to proceed?”
“I’ll bring them over soon. Just don’t leave, alright? Stay in the shop.” The buzz cut noticed the messy hospital bed, with bloodstained cloth strips on it. He said, “Don’t take any customers today; our business is urgent.”
“There are no customers yet since I haven’t opened the door,” Xie Gang stepped forward to block his line of sight. “Don’t worry, I won’t be taking any business today. I’m just waiting for you guys to come. Is that okay?”
“Alright, but give me some more medicine.”
Finally managing to send the buzz cut away, Xie Gang hurried back to the basement with a tray, finding Yi Shi wrapped in a coat, with his abdomen tightly bandaged. In the brief moment he had gone up, Yi Shi had already bandaged the wound himself.
The bleeding had stopped, and it seemed Yi Shi didn’t intend to have stitches. Xie Gang set down the tray, silently pondering to himself that getting injured every few days was just tempting fate.
After waiting for what felt like half a day, as the sun dipped below the horizon, one of Zhao Chenghu’s lackeys finally called in, saying there was no need to wait; no one was coming for the compatibility testing today. When Xie Gang asked the reason, Zhao Chenghu shouted from nearby, “Damn it, if he dares to play tricks, let his son die thoroughly!”
Yang Wei had already broken the agreement; they didn’t plan to bring Gardenia for compatibility testing and certainly wouldn’t drag along a burden. The only solution was to eliminate her.
Yi Shi hurriedly put on his jacket and pulled Xie Gang along. “Drive me to Muli.”
“Ah?” Xie Gang hesitated, not wanting to get involved. “I just got my driver’s license; I’m not very good at driving. What if something happens…”
“You’ve had your license for ten years; do you think you can fool me?”
Xie Gang felt like crying without tears. Who was this person, and what else was he unaware of?
During the rush hour, the roads were not easy to navigate. They got stuck in the city for a while, but once they entered the national highway, it became smoother. Xie Gang followed Yi Shi’s directions, heading towards Muli Machinery Factory. In the hazy night, Yi Shi suddenly told him to slow down and pressed the window down himself.
Along the pedestrian walkway built along Baimei Mountain, a familiar graceful figure hurriedly walked by. As she passed under a streetlight, her youthful and beautiful face was revealed, and Yi Shi recognized her at once. She was one of the family members he cared about the most, aside from Lin Heyu.
“Stop here.”
After getting out of the car, Yi Shi maintained a proper distance, following Lin Zhizhi. She seemed anxious, holding her phone and asking around as if searching for someone. After a moment’s thought, he realized who could be causing Lin Zhizhi such distress. He couldn’t help but lament how troublesome he had been as a child.
Following Lin Zhizhi’s steps, Yi Shi spotted the Volkswagen that had caused him and Lian Jingyuan’s car accident, and Gardenia happened to be inside. He intercepted Lin Zhizhi, who was about to call the police, witnessing Gardenia being transferred to Zhao Chenghu. He scoffed coldly: this guy again. What a pity—over there, he was suffering for Pang Daozi, and here he was taking a beating for him. For his brother, he had already accumulated countless knife wounds.
The runaway little Shitou finally appeared, pleading with Yi Shi to let him go along to save people. Faced with danger, Yi Shi instinctively refused, but Xiao Shitou grabbed his arm and shouted, “How can you not take me? You said Lin Heyu can’t go save Gardenia; he’ll die!”
Lin Heyu will die?
Yi Shi’s heart trembled at first, then doubt began to set in. Could it be that the words reaching Xiao Shitou came from the future him?
Just then, Lin Heyu had caught up, forcing Yi Shi to worry for his safety. He took a shortcut, planning to handle Zhao Chenghu on his own. Unexpected twists kept occurring: Xiao Shitou and Gardenia fell into the river and were pulled back out, and Yi Shi’s previously bandaged wound on his abdomen tore open again. Holding on until now had already reached his limit.
Yuan Maoqiu followed the dam down to the riverbank to see what he could do to help. The evening breeze rustled the grass and trees. Yi Shi intended to place Gardenia onto the ambulance, but as he stood up holding her, a bullet came whistling through the air and struck his shoulder unexpectedly.
This bullet was powerful, churning through his muscle tissue and forming a cavity, as if he could hear the sound of bones fracturing. In that instant, countless thoughts raced through his mind: Who fired the shot? Was the target him or Lin Heyu Was this shot aimed precisely or just a stray hit?
His body was engulfed by the cold river water, and instinctively, Yi Shi clutched Gardenia tightly, experiencing a familiar dizzying sensation. His lungs felt crushed with pain, and the agony from the gunshot wound compounded his suffering. Yet, amidst the pain, his awareness began to sharpen.
The target was not Lin Heyu; the assailant had deliberately aimed for his shoulder to avoid hitting him.
What he wanted wasn’t to take a life but simply to fall into the water.
—–
Author’s Note:
Alright, I’ve finally written this part; the first round is almost over.
While writing this piece, I focused a lot on the subtle touches in detail. Due to the volume (there’s quite a lot), I had to constantly refer back to my notes to ensure I didn’t miss anything. Some important points received more elaborate treatment, while others less significant were covered in just a sentence, and some minor ones might not even be pointed out, though they are still written. However, if you look closely, you’ll definitely notice them.
Therefore, any overlapping plots aren’t due to filler; they are the result of multi-perspective storytelling. To be honest, it’s difficult to make this type of writing feel like filler. Everything moves the plot forward, and I even had to streamline some parts, which is challenging. I feel that as long as I can successfully finish writing, it’s an accomplishment, representing a qualitative leap on my writing journey.
Additionally, although my head hurts, I really love the feeling of continuously picking up foreshadowing. I hope the little angels reading this can resonate with me too. MUA~
