Lin Chen didn’t understand how a lot “medical charges” Xing Conglian paid, however the amount of cash that would help Duan Wanshan’s want was most likely not a small quantity.

Usually, after listening to such a solution, most individuals would most likely ask him, “The place did you get a lot cash?” whereas atypical {couples} and spouses may also ask the opposite social gathering, “Did you spend a lot cash with my consent?”

However Lin Chen thought the connection between him and Xing Conglian wasn’t destined to be atypical like this. Talking of which, he didn’t know Xing Conglian’s actual background, expertise, and life, however he fell in love with this individual and determined to be with him. This in itself was a ridiculous factor, however… Lin Chen turned his head to have a look at the person who was already sleeping soundly on the slim couch mattress on the aspect of the cabin—love itself was fairly ridiculous.

After excited about these items for some time, Lin Chen additionally fell right into a deep sleep.

……

China, Hongjing.

Dr. Tan Kang, who was in control of the analysis and growth of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s new drug, immediately opened his eyes. He appeared to really feel a easy dialogue about his firm within the rainforest deep in his thoughts, and immediately felt a wierd palpitation.

At this second, he was sitting within the convention room on the Twentieth ground of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s headquarters, and his ears had been stuffed with fierce arguments. As the top of the laboratory liable for the event of the brand new drug “Nordren”, he was urged by dozens of calls to take part within the EIF assembly on this workplace, however the so-called “dialogue” was purely a quarrel.

Just a few days in the past, after a key worker within the promotion division died, the Meals and Drug Administration lastly issued a license for “Nordron” to be listed, however this didn’t ease the tense environment throughout the firm.

Despite the fact that he didn’t know precisely what had occurred, the CEO’s gloomy expression on his face mentioned all of it.

In any case, this revolutionary new drug that ought to have been easy crusing, was all the time like a turbulent undercurrent. It was like a skinny and harsh chain, tightly wrapped across the neck of each insider.

Dr. Tan Kang regarded on the blue sky and white clouds outdoors the Twentieth-floor window. For a small second, he was excited about what it could really feel prefer to open the window and step out, however his ideas had been restricted by the glass window that would solely be opened up and down.

He shifted his gaze to his pocket book, gently opened it, and noticed his daughter’s photograph hooked up to the internal web page.

He fastidiously considered it. How lengthy had it been since he noticed his daughter since he got here to China to work? 105 days, and this quantity was more likely to proceed to extend.

At that second, he immediately realized that it was ridiculous to decide on to finish his life for some salvageable issues. Household all the time modified one’s mindset once they least anticipated it. Dr. Tan Kang pressed the ballpoint pen on the pocket book, making some selections.

Lastly, the assembly ended. Dr. Tan Kang hugged his pocket book, squeezed via the offended individuals, gave up taking the elevator with the opposite workers, and ready to stroll again to the R&D laboratory on the tenth ground.

The pharmaceutical firm was all the time so brilliant and clear; even within the emergency passage, there was a clear odor of disinfectant, and he himself was very used to this environment.

He slowly walked down from the Twentieth ground to the nineteenth ground when immediately he heard a slight creaking sound from the security hall door on a sure ground.

Undecided if it was because of the anxiousness brought on by the brand new drug available on the market or for another cause, he had a imprecise feeling that somebody had walked into the emergency hall.

Subsequently, he intentionally stopped and listened fastidiously for a second, however there have been no footsteps, and no sound of footsteps might be heard both above or beneath the hallway.

He pretended to step down two flooring, making a transparent sound of the leather-based footwear rubbing towards the tiles.

Simply then, the sound of leather-based footwear hitting the bottom immediately got here from above his head, a few times, making him shudder.

As if making some form of choice, Dr. Tan Kang grabbed his cellphone and pressed the alarm button. He held onto the railing, rotated, and walked up. What was much more unusual was that the footsteps upstairs stopped in tacit understanding.

Quickly, a slowly transferring mop appeared in his visual field, and he additionally noticed the black rubber boots of a cleaner.

In that second, he even had a way of escaping demise. He closed his eyes gently and set free an extended sigh.

……

When Lin Chen wakened, it was already the following morning.

The daylight outdoors the window was brilliant, and the sky was blue, as skinny and clear as melting glass. He subconsciously lined his eyes together with his hand, however Xing Conglian leaned down and positioned his hand on his brow, smiling. “So, you need me to accompany you to sleep to scale back your fever sooner?”

Lin Chen lazily held Xing Conglian’s hand and kissed it. When he raised his head, he noticed that Xing Conglian was already dressed neatly and was clean-shaven, which shocked him. “We’re right here already?”

“Sure, we’re right here.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Seeing off the Gaomeng individuals isn’t as vital as you sleeping.”

“Why are you so cute?” Lin Chen smiled.

“I’m severe. Watching you sleep is extra stunning to me than watching 100 Hollywood traditional motion pictures in a row.”

Xing Conglian’s candy phrases had been actually entertaining, however Lin Chen sat up, not letting him disrupt the rhythm. “How will we return?” he requested.

“Though I used to be initially planning a resolute Atlantic Circle tour with out Wang Chao, given your bodily situation and the issues we have to deal with after we return residence, we are able to solely take a airplane,” Xing Conglian mentioned with a dissatisfied expression on his face.

Lin Chen set free an extended sigh. “Please don’t tempt me with these luxurious journeys. We regulation enforcement officers can’t presumably have such an extended trip.”

“Then we are able to solely go residence, Guide Lin…” When Xing Conglian mentioned the phrases “go residence”, Lin Chen felt an especially snug and nice feeling.

He nodded, about to say one thing, however noticed Xing Conglian hand him a set of fresh garments from someplace and requested him with significant intentions, “Do you wish to take one other bathtub?”

Earlier, that they had additionally engaged in some pleasant and harmonious two-person bathing actions on the ship, primarily as a result of his wound couldn’t contact water, and Xing Conglian had to assist, however now it appeared inappropriate to take a shower once more at this second.

Lin Chen checked out him and mentioned, “Is anybody ready?”

“Solely me,” Xing Conglian mentioned with out hesitation.

Lin Chen checked out him suspiciously, then regarded out the window. From his angle, he might see a transparent harbor, a blue sky with white clouds totally different from the rainforest surroundings, and an extended shoreline. The port in Kaga was positioned on the western estuary of the Dana River and was underneath the management of the US. It was additionally the endpoint of their rainforest escape.

There have been cruise ships, containers, and sometimes touchdown helicopters, giving individuals the sensation of getting into trendy society from the barbaric period. However trendy society wasn’t essentially a very good factor as a result of there have been additionally warships and troopers guarding the port right here.

Ultimately, Lin Chen refused Xing Conglian’s proposal to take a shower. Xing Conglian pulled the curtains and closed the door, serving to him change his garments. The method was, after all, a bit lengthy, and after altering, each of them had been slightly breathless.

They walked out of the ferry aspect by aspect, and the ocean breeze and sensible sunshine greeted them as if washing away the gloom of the rainforest.

There was no hint of Gaomeng individuals within the cabin, and the bloodstains from yesterday had been cleaned up. Duan Yang was standing on the dock together with his palms in his pockets, alone.

Xing Conglian’s two subordinates, Zhang Lengthy and Zhao Hu, had been squatting on the dock with Wang Chao, boredly watching seagulls. Lin Chen checked out Xing Conglian, pondering what a joke that nobody was truly ready for them.

“The others despatched the Gaomeng individuals on their means. I’ll let these two keep right here with Duan Yang till issues are resolved,” Xing Conglian whispered.

In reality, he wasn’t actually frightened about Xing Conglian’s preparations.

Duan Yang walked in direction of them, as if he had undergone some contemplation, and slowly mentioned, “Guide Lin, Mr. Xing…”

Lin Chen nodded.

In reality, throughout the time when he couldn’t sleep final night time and all through his fugitive journey, he additionally considered what to say when he parted with Duan Yang. In spite of everything, that they had gone via life and demise collectively, however when it got here to the second of claiming goodbye, he immediately couldn’t give you something profound. Wanting on the barely longer hair of the younger man in entrance of him and his resolute and calm expression, Lin Chen immediately realized that Duan Yang, who was now in entrance of him, was not the younger man who wanted fixed encouragement from him to have a agency perception.

Rising up was so painful, however individuals needed to develop up.

Lin Chen reached out to Duan Yang. “We are going to meet once more.”

Duan Yang opened his mouth, his expression stuffed with a thousand phrases, however in the long run, he simply reached out his hand, shook palms with him, and mentioned, “Goodbye.”

……

China, Hongjing.

The climate was once more at the moment of yr when it was very unstable, with pouring rain one second and clear skies the following.

After an entire day of contemplation, Tan Kang lastly made an entire plan.

He sat in his workplace, nervously clicking a ballpoint pen.

It was 6:30 p.m., and many of the workers had already gone residence. The lights within the massive workplace outdoors had been turned off. His private secretary had knocked on his workplace door over half an hour in the past, asking if he wanted dinner. At the moment, he was pretending to be finding out recordsdata on his desk and refused the provide, citing that he would end work quickly.

Time handed second by second.

Tan Kang sat in his workplace, attempting to make himself look busy.

It wasn’t till the final individual outdoors turned off the lights and left that he stopped all his actions immediately.

He stared outdoors for some time, then rapidly pulled open the second drawer of his desk, the place a small USB flash drive was neatly positioned.

He moved the pc mouse gently, and the pc display immediately lit up.

……

Lin Chen leaned again within the tender cabin seat. This flight spanning ten time zones had made his circadian rhythm utterly confused.

In a daze, he might really feel Xing Conglian masking him with a blanket. In addition to the sound of the engine, the one noise within the cabin was the loud night breathing of Wang Chao. Lin Chen opened his eyes barely. Though it felt like he had slept for a whole night time, it was nonetheless daytime outdoors the window. He wrapped the blanket tighter round himself, and Xing Conglian habitually reached out to the touch his brow to verify his temperature. He rolled over and wakened.

On Xing Conglian’s aspect desk was a cup of espresso that regarded extraordinarily bitter, and Wang Chao’s laptop computer was propped up on the desk with the display nonetheless lit. From his angle, Lin Chen might solely see a brilliant white gentle.

“Did I wake you up?” Xing Conglian withdrew his hand and requested gently.

Simply now, in his goals, he thought he was nonetheless in the dead of night and sunless maintain of a small fishing boat, the place the odor of fish blended with the odor of the middle-aged man’s physique made him shiver. Maybe as a result of he subconsciously curled up his physique, Xing Conglian lined him with one other blanket.

Lin Chen’s imaginative and prescient steadily turned clearer, and to his shock, when he considered the small fishing boat and the middle-aged man, he noticed the black ring that had been taken from him by Xing Conglian on his desk.

Beforehand, he had used some technical means to make Xing Conglian quit investigating how he by chance obtained this iron ring, which he wore on his left ring finger. Now that he noticed this factor once more, he couldn’t assist however have a headache. He then requested in a businesslike tone, “Have you ever discovered something?”

Though he didn’t specify the precise object, that they had a tacit understanding. Xing Conglian turned the ring half a circle and replied, “You guessed it proper. It’s certainly a locator.”

“Can you discover out who issued it?”

“That’s tough, however this factor isn’t simple for people to acquire. It ought to belong to the federal government. After we return to China, Wang Chao ought to have the ability to discover out.”

Lin Chen turned his head to have a look at {the teenager} sleeping the wrong way up in his seat and requested Xing Conglian, “Did Duan Yang inform you the entire means of our kidnapping?”

“He did.”

“Did he point out the origin of this ring?”

“He did.” Xing Conglian checked out him and continued to stare on the ring. “How come you all the time run into this type of factor once you get kidnapped? Medicine, human trafficking, or one thing else? And do you assume the investigation he was conducting is expounded to Zhourui Pharmaceutical?”

As he spoke, Lin Chen felt like he was turning into Duan Yang.

“Guide Lin.” Xing Conglian turned his head and checked out him helplessly.

“Sure?”

“Have you ever observed that you just get into investigation mode too rapidly?”

Lin Chen regarded out on the huge sea outdoors the window and admitted frankly, “Perhaps it’s as a result of I had a not-so-good dream simply now.”

……

The local weather at sea was changeable, however the metropolis of Hongjing was lined in sensible summer time sunshine.

Mr. Tan Kang lowered his hat and wrapped his coat tightly as he walked slowly into Hongjing Amusement Park.

Maybe as a result of his outfit regarded misplaced, the employees on the entrance checked him twice with a steel scanner.

Mr. Tan Kang coughed flippantly.

“Sir, are you not feeling effectively?” the employees member requested.

“Even should you’re not feeling effectively, you continue to must go on a date, proper?” Mr. Tan Kang smiled and replied.

This amusement park had been constructed for about 20 years, and the furnishings had been outdated. Hongjing itself was too snug, so there have been no loopy sights within the park. Residents conventionally thought that even the carousel, the much less intense curler coaster, and even the marginally squeaky pirate ship had been appropriate.

Right this moment was Sunday and in addition a summer time vacation, so there have been extra guests within the park than traditional, primarily mother and father with youngsters. The kids had been holding cotton sweet with brilliant faces, chattering and laughing, making Mr. Tan Kang really feel like he was again in his childhood.

A violin tune that he couldn’t identify started to play on the park’s broadcast, and the music was melodious.

Strolling underneath the solar, he felt that the soiled haze on his physique evaporated from his pores. Mr. Tan Kang steadily loosened his tightly wrapped garments and felt relaxed. He didn’t purchase cotton sweet however as a substitute spent ten yuan to purchase a bottle of Coke. Junk meals and the grins of younger individuals might soothe the soul.

On the grass by the lake, not distant, grey or white pigeons stroll on the luxurious inexperienced garden. A balloon vendor was promoting purple balloons to a cute pair of twins. There have been many colourful balloons tied to his sales space, and many individuals surrounded him—no little one disliked balloons. After promoting these two purple balloons, many mother and father additionally handed him cash. For a second, piles of balloons of assorted colours had been flying away, trying very cute.

Mr. Tan Kang smiled, bypassed the carousel space, and the violin tune turned cheerful. Music all the time had such a robust infectious energy. He walked up the bridge with small steps. Wanting round, there have been crowds of individuals all over the place. The magic present on the water stage not distant was about to begin. Solely when he walked to this crowded place did he remorse his earlier alternative.

Individuals had been crowded in entrance and behind, and many individuals nonetheless had balloons of various colours floating above their heads. The lovable issues that regarded beautiful earlier now made him inexplicably nervous. He clenched his fists, went towards the group, and watched the highway forward with vigilance.

Going towards the grain, the oncoming individuals had been like arduous rocks. Even youngsters simply above the knee might give him sufficient pressure of influence. Every time an elbow rubbed towards his shoulder, it made his coronary heart tighten by just a few factors. The Coke bottle had been squeezed to deformity in some unspecified time in the future, and the liquid inside was lined with brown foam, which appeared it might spray out at any second when it accrued on the mouth of the bottle.

Tan Kang was hit by individuals repeatedly. For some cause, increasingly individuals got here from the precise aspect. He was nearly pushed within the route he got here from by the group towards the present. He might solely shield his chest together with his palms, and he tried his finest to stroll sooner. With a view to keep away from the oncoming tall man holding a baby, he squeezed to the aspect however stepped on a feminine scholar’s leather-based shoe. The woman screamed, and he needed to apologize in a low voice. “I’m very sorry. I’m very sorry. Are you able to let me via.”

The combination of sound and noise within the air was so loud that the woman didn’t hear him, and nobody round even observed him.

Tan Kang lastly averted the stocky man and breathed a small sigh of reduction. He had not but exhaled the turbid air in his mouth when his pupils immediately shrank, as if he noticed one thing. Colourful balloons floated in entrance of his eye, and the plastic movie gently collided.

Then, he sensed one thing.

The sound of the piano crossed a excessive be aware, then immediately fell, and the fountain within the distance splashed white waves.

It was a skinny knife that was not too lengthy. The tip of the knife pierced his garments and pores and skin, and the blade pierced into his inside organs. After stirring it, the knife was rapidly pulled out. The hand holding the knife immediately let go of the deal with, and the blade gave the impression to be attracted by some form of suction because it immediately retracted into the assailant’s sleeve.

All this occurred throughout the blink of an eye fixed.

Dad and mom with youngsters of their arms, girls and boys who got here to hang around, and outdated individuals who took their grandchildren out to play continued transferring. Nobody observed that Dr. Tan Kang, who was within the crowd, clutched his ribs and slowly fell to the bottom subsequent to an indication that learn: [Crowded. Please be careful.]

The solar was nonetheless shining on the grass, and the violin music turned gentle and delightful once more after the climax as the group lastly handed via the slim space of the bridge.

On the lakeside path, a person in a darkish blue jacket slowly and methodically took out a small black bag from his sleeve and tied the bag tightly with three balloon strings in his hand.

The balloons floated up with the bag, and he regarded up and watched as they flew into the blue sky earlier than he heard the screams of panic coming within the distance behind him.

He didn’t flip round and as a substitute barely rolled up his bloodied cuffs, then straightened his darkish blue coat.

Ten paces away from him stood slightly boy, about 5 – 6 years outdated. The little boy was so fats that his t-shirt was stretched out a number of instances its authentic dimension, trying like a fats doll fabricated from lotus roots. The fats boy’s huge black eyes stared on the final balloon in his hand.

The person went to the fats little one, tied the string of the final balloon on his lotus-root-like wrist, and patted the boy’s head. Maybe he was feeling excellent, as there was a touch of laughter in his breath.