Forensic Forensic - Chapter 31

Chapter 31 [Extra] Spring Chill

[Extra] Spring Chill (Deputy Captain Zhao Top, Captain Chen Bottom, Be Careful Not to Be a Confession)

The phone vibrated persistently twice, finally waking Chen Fei. Half asleep, he pondered—should I smash it? Smash it? Or smash it?

Of course, he finally answered the call.

Hearing the sleepy “hmm,” Zhao Pingsheng immediately said, “The task force will have a meeting in half an hour. Hurry up and get ready. Captain Luo requested that you be more efficient in front of colleagues from other provinces. I’ve written the report for you. Just read it aloud.”

Scratching his stubbled chin, Chen Fei asked with his eyes closed, “What time is it?”

“Seven-thirty.”

“Fvck… I didn’t even go to bed until six…”

“Did you find out?” Zhao Pingsheng placed his phone on the phone holder and turned on the speaker. He was still driving, but he couldn’t hang up the phone anytime soon, or Chen Fei would definitely fall asleep again.

“Look at you asking this question, and you still have something I can’t pry open?”

Zhao Pingsheng knew Chen Fei was awake from the noise, and then a click came from the receiver. “You’re smoking in the break room again. Did you forget that last time you burned your pillowcase like a sieve? Old Jia from the logistics department almost got you killed?”

“He’s afraid I’ll set the whole building on fire with one cigarette.” Chen Fei scoffed, then started coughing again from the nicotine. Zhao Pingsheng frowned slightly, his tone slightly accusing: “Didn’t you put a glass of water on the table before going to bed?”

Chen Fei coughed for a long time, finally catching his breath and complaining, “I’ve been working non-stop for two days and two nights. By the time that bastard signed and signed his pledge, I can’t even remember how I walked from the interrogation room to the lounge. And he’s still pouring water? I could have taken a nap if I had that time.”

“Alright, listen to your voice and talk less,” Zhao Pingsheng warned him. “I’ve got goji berries soaked in the thermos on the table. I left it to air out before I left last night. It should be just the right temperature now. You can drink that later.”

“Okay, I’ll clean up. Hey, where’s your razor?”

“Second compartment in the locker.”

“Bring up two steamed buns later. Damn, I’m working all night and I’m starving.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, Chen Fei gathered his toiletries and went to the bathroom to clean up. The mirror reflected a gaunt, thin face. The eyes, nicknamed “Tiger Eyes” by his colleagues, were still bloodshot, and the stubble on his chin grew unchecked, reflecting Chen Fei’s unruly personality.

Last year, Captain Luo turned sixty-five and had been rehired for five years. He was about to retire completely, but then, while chasing a suspect, Deputy Captain Chen Fei caused him to fall from a sixth-floor rooftop, suffering a comminuted fracture of the lumbar vertebrae and leaving him with a lifelong disability. Chen Fei received a serious disciplinary punishment, requiring him to remain on probation for three years before being removed, with no hope of promotion to captain. A new captain was parachuted in by the provincial department, but within two months he was driven away by the fearless men in the Serious Crime Unit. The director, helpless, rehired Captain Luo, and only then did the gang quiet down.

In fact, Chen Fei had recommended Zhao Pingsheng as his successor to the captain’s position. He had never been interested in sitting in an office, and he found it quite satisfying to be his deputy, constantly out on the road catching scum. Besides, Zhao Pingsheng was one of the few PhD holders in the bureau, with fifteen years of experience as a police officer. Given his academic credentials and professional expertise, no one could resist him. Yet, when the director approached him for a meeting, Zhao Pingsheng politely declined, claiming he lacked political awareness, felt dizzy reading official documents in meetings, and felt weak in the knees when meeting high-ranking officials at provincial departments.

The director was furious.

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The conference room was filled with smoke. As the only woman present, Miao Hong chose a seat closest to the window. This was her first time participating in a special task force operation since joining the Serious Crime Unit. Her goal was to assist her anti-drug colleagues from other provinces in apprehending drug traffickers who had fled to the city. This coastal city has been a hotbed for smuggling and illegal immigration since its inception, with anti-smuggling police and coast guard intercepting triple-digit fugitives at sea each year.

The target of this case, nicknamed “Jinshan,” remains unknown. He has been manufacturing and trafficking drugs along the China-Myanmar border for two decades, collaborating closely with the major drug lords of the Golden Triangle. Jinshan is cunning, elusive, and ruthless. Local police sacrificed several undercover agents before they could uncover his lair. But on the very day of the operation, Jinshan, somehow getting a tip, slipped away in disguise on a bus bound for the province.

Now, there’s confirmed information that Jinshan is in this city, planning to smuggle himself out of the country soon. A special task force was quickly established, with the director in command, and Captain Luo Mingzhe of the Serious Crimes Unit and Captain Ke Jianguo of the Narcotics Squad as the operation’s lead officers. The provincial government issued a strict order to the task force: they must apprehend Jinshan, or they would be stripped and sent home to wait in line. Even without the provincial mandate, every member of the task force would give their all—if for no other reason than to comfort the weeping souls of their colleagues.

Chen Fei had just apprehended a human trafficker three days ago, and after two days of intensive interrogation, he finally managed to extract a few clues. Today, the task force held a meeting, and he had to report on his work. Fortunately, Zhao Pingsheng had made him some goji berry tea to soothe his throat, otherwise his voice would have been as hoarse as sandpaper scraping against wood.

After the meeting, Luo Mingzhe asked him, “Was Zhao Pingsheng writing the manuscript for you again?”

“That interrogation part at the end was my impromptu performance, old boss.” Chen Fei chuckled. “What a brilliant performance.”

“Well, the part where you used nine curse words in one sentence was the best.”

Luo Mingzhe glanced at him. Even though Chen Fei was a four-year-old, in Luo Mingzhe’s eyes, he would always be the 18-year-old greenhorn who had graduated from technical secondary school and joined the Public Security Bureau as a criminal investigator. Chen Fei had three “bests” in the Criminal Investigation Department: the fastest when chasing suspects, the most reckless in critical situations, and the most ruthless when it came to beatings. He was Luo Mingzhe’s proudest apprentice, but also the one that gave the old man the most worry.

As he walked towards the office, Luo Mingzhe said, “By the way, someone from the SWAT team will be arriving this afternoon to assist the task force. You’ll be responsible for coordinating that.”

Chen Fei was stunned and asked, “Brother Weidong?”

“I’m not sure who they’ll be sending, but logically, it should be him.” Luo Mingzhe nodded. “But that’s not necessarily true. Our Luo Jianan got into trouble again a while ago. He brought his father’s baton to school to fight, claiming he was protecting a female classmate. Weidong got a warning from the team for that. I’m not sure if he can go out on field duty now.”

“Your grandson has a promising future. He’s a good candidate for the police.”

“If he wants to, I support him. If he doesn’t, that’s great. How many colleagues have left over the years? Just look at those who came in with you. How many are still around?”

Chen Fei silently calculated in his mind and replied, “Including me, three.”

Luo Mingzhe sighed slowly, folded his hands behind his back, and dragged his slightly limping leg, which had been injured by a gunshot wound, as a lonely figure formed in the corridor.

————————

After the meeting, Zhao Pingsheng took Miao Hong to investigate the clues Chen Fei had uncovered. They returned to the bureau near the end of the workday. Entering the office, he saw Luo Weidong sitting at his desk, chatting and laughing with Chen Fei.

“Hey, Mr. Zhao, you’re back. Come on, tell me what you found out?” Chen Fei stood up and tried to pat Zhao Pingsheng on the shoulder, but was surprised when his hand was empty. Then he realized Zhao Pingsheng looked unhappy.

Zhao Pingsheng was a PhD candidate, the most educated member of the Serious Crime Unit. His divination skills gave him the nickname “Mr. Yuanwai.” But no one actually called him that, except Chen Fei. And he called him that more often when outsiders were around, as if to show off his advanced education.

Logically, Luo Weidong wasn’t an outsider. Luo Mingzhe was his father, and everyone younger than him in the office called him “Senior Brother.” He was also the captain of the SWAT team, frequently working with the serious crime squad. In Luo Weidong’s own words, he saw Chen Fei more often in a month than he saw his wife.

Zhao Pingsheng was fed up with hearing Luo Weidong say this, and even more infuriated by Chen Fei’s response, “Of course I’ve known you since I was eighteen, when my sister-in-law was still in college.” And every time he saw the two of them face-to-face, clapping arms and legs and reminiscing about the past, he felt like he couldn’t even drink water.

Yes, he liked Chen Fei, but Chen Fei’s crush was Luo Weidong. Zhao Pingsheng, a doctor of psychology, could see even the slightest body movement or facial muscle shift. He could tell that in Chen Fei’s heart, Luo Weidong was far more than just “Brother Weidong.”

He’d wanted to question Chen Fei more than once—Luo Weidong had a family and loved his wife, known to everyone in the system. Even if you, Chen Fei, gave him your heart, what could he possibly give you in return? However, the truth was, he had no right to question Chen Fei. To this day, he had never revealed even the slightest bit of his feelings to Chen Fei. Just as Chen Fei silently suppressed his feelings for Luo Weidong, he too was suppressing his own love for Chen Fei.

In the dead of night, when the possessive desire grew wildly within him, Zhao Pingsheng would always ask himself—

How long can you wait?

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The clues Zhao Pingsheng brought back were valuable. After analysis, the task force members unanimously determined that Jinshan’s hideout was in the suburban Mengshan area. National and provincial highways, as well as expressways, intersect there, creating a vast network of roads and a significant labor-intensive surveillance effort. Furthermore, if there was any sign of trouble, even if the suspect could not escape police surveillance, he could easily hide in the vast forest, making the search even more difficult.

The director immediately laid out the control arrangements for the task force: “The SWAT team will be responsible for the highway entrances and exits, setting up interception tape. Other police forces will be divided into teams of two, deployed every kilometer along the route. We must secure all roads!”

“Yes!”

Everyone responded in unison.

Zhao Pingsheng and Miao Hong were partners, and they should have been assigned to the same team. However, Luo Mingzhe, considering Miao Hong’s newness, ultimately decided to have her remain at the command center to assist with coordination. Chen Fei volunteered to be assigned to a team with Zhao Pingsheng, and before Zhao Pingsheng could say anything, he grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into the car.

“What the hell is wrong with you this afternoon?” Chen Fei lit a cigarette as the motorcade drove out of the city bureau gates, demanding to Zhao Pingsheng as he smoked. “How did Senior Brother Weidong offend you? He’s so sullen the moment he walks into the room.”

—I can’t stand him sitting in my seat and slapping your thigh!

Zhao Pingsheng swallowed the words back. If he actually said that, it would be a catastrophe. But keeping quiet wouldn’t work either. Chen Fei’s temper was such that if he dared to wait more than a minute without hearing an answer, he’d explode.

“I’m not mad at him, I’m just a little tired,” Zhao Pingsheng replied.

“Stop talking nonsense. You’ve been like this for a long time.” Chen Fei lowered the car window to release the smoke, and the cold spring breeze rushed in, sending shivers down his spine. “How long have we known each other? Fifteen years, right? Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on in your head!”

Zhao Pingsheng’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned to look at Chen Fei with a stiff neck.

“It was just that shooting competition where you lost to Senior Brother Weidong? He’s a sniper, and you’re a PhD student who spends all day reading. Losing to him by a few points isn’t shameful.” Chen Fei was practically giving him a good word. He felt that Zhao Pingsheng’s brain had been dulled by his excessive reading, and that he was just being too hard on himself if he couldn’t get first place. “How about this? When we’re free, I’ll ask him to come to the shooting range, and you can compete with him again. Whoever loses gets to treat the referee to a meal.”

Zhao Pingsheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Sometimes he felt that Chen Fei’s insensibility was beyond human nature. Fifteen years, and he hadn’t even realized he liked him? Excluding the time he was away studying for his doctorate, the two of them had seen each other for at least twelve hours a day, a total of over fifty thousand hours. Yet, Chen Fei still thought he was ignoring Luo Weidong because he lost the shooting competition.

Zhao Pingsheng sighed dejectedly, “Chen Fei, I’m not lying. I’m really tired…”

“Then you get some sleep. I’ll watch over you.” Chen Fei lit another cigarette. His nickname used to be “A Match”—from the moment he lit one cigarette to the last one in the pack, he’d never strike a match again, just using the cigarette butt. As he aged, his cough only subsided in winter. He was destined to stay up late today, so he chained one cigarette after another.

“It’s not me who’s tired, it’s me who’s tired.” Zhao Pingsheng reached out and snatched the cigarette from his lips, then smoked it in silence.

Chen Fei tilted his head to glance at him and asked, “What’s going on? Did you get rejected by your blind date again? I’m not saying this, women need coaxing. Who would be interested in you if you just poke at them like a lump of wood?”

“I haven’t been on a blind date in ages.” Zhao Pingsheng took a deep drag on his cigarette. Finally, he made up his mind and asked Chen Fei, “Do you know why I haven’t had a partner in all these years?”

“How would I know? I just know it’s because I’ve been too busy.” Chen Fei took a cigarette out of his mouth, lit it with the car’s lighter, and exhaled deeply.

Zhao Pingsheng stared at Chen Fei’s chiseled profile and said, word by word, “I’m waiting for you.”

With the cigarette in his mouth, Chen Fei forgot how to smoke. The cold wind howled, freezing Zhao Pingsheng’s words in his ears.

Suddenly, a voice from the car behind came over the car’s walkie-talkie.

“Deputy Captain Chen, are you all right? I see your car is swaying in an ‘S’ pattern.”

————————

The silence between them continued until they reached the control point. Zhao Pingsheng hadn’t expected Chen Fei to answer, but the silence was nothing short of torture. For a forty-year-old, this confession, reminiscent of first love, had already strained Zhao Pingsheng’s heart to its breaking point.

“What do you like about me?” Chen Fei suddenly asked.

Zhao Pingsheng was stunned by the question. Yes, what did he like about Chen Fei? He honestly didn’t know. All he knew was that he’d fallen in love with Chen Fei the moment he saw him after graduating from graduate school and interning at the bureau. At that time, this veteran, a man of the same age as Chen Fei but with seven years of experience as a detective, squinted his dark eyes and said to him—

“Kid, you’re mine from now on. If anyone shoots me in the back, kill them!”

Just for this one sentence, Zhao Pingsheng stared at Chen Fei’s back for a full fifteen years. He had a thousand words to say, but he couldn’t find a clue. Zhao Pingsheng pondered for a moment and shook his head. “I don’t know. I just like you. I want to spend my whole life with you. I’ll see you at work, after work, eat, sleep, and be with you.”

“Fvck, you’re supposed to be cultured, but that’s all you’ve got.” Chen Fei’s face tightened. If it hadn’t been dark, he’d have seen him blush. “So when did you start eating… ahem… sleeping with me?”

“From the first day I joined the police station,” Zhao Pingsheng confessed.

“Fvck… that’s fucking…” Chen Fei turned around, staring at him in disbelief. “Fifteen years? You’re not fucking thinking about me every night, are you?”

Zhao Pingsheng neither admitted nor denied, simply staring at Chen Fei without blinking. Chen Fei was the first to give in to this locked-eye confrontation. He ruffled his tangled hair and smacked his lips. “Actually… I’ve noticed. You’ve been a little… a little too attentive to me… but I didn’t think about it that way… well… I’m not… very emotionally involved… so now that you’ve suddenly said that, I don’t know how to respond.”

“I know you have someone in your heart,” Zhao Pingsheng said gravely. Now that he’d gotten it out of the way, he might as well open the wound and let the bl00d and pus inside. “Luo Weidong, you like him.”

At that, Chen Fei felt as if he’d been slapped in the face. His eyes widened, and every hair on his head stood on end. Suddenly, he grabbed Zhao Pingsheng by the collar and pulled him toward him, his face pressed against his, and yelled, “Stop the bullshit! Senior Brother Weidong has a wife and children!”

“If he hadn’t…