Chapter 6 The Old Policeman Goes on Patrol

  Not only is sleeping a problem, but taking a bath is also a difficult task. The rental house has limited conditions, no bathroom, and no bathtub. Fortunately, Zhang's sister was kind enough to help out, boiling hot water and lending her own home for Xiaofei to take a bath, even pulling up the curtains to prevent being peeped at.

  "There are many bad people on this street, they lose things every day and there are also rascals who peek at women taking baths." Zhang Dasao said.

  The sky had darkened, and the tenants of Tiehua Street No. 108 returned one after another. The lights turned on one by one. Zhang Dajie's husband was the first to return, parking his disabled tricycle at the entrance and locking it to the utility pole. He limped upstairs, and soon the sound of quarreling and smashing things came from inside. The cripple stormed out in a rage, got into his tricycle, and sped away. Zhang Dajie sat at the door, crying and wailing: "You're going to be the death of me! You only know how to gamble, and you've squandered all the money we had at home. Wang Zhigang, why don't you just go out and get run over by a car?"

  The neighbors were holding their rice bowls on the balcony watching the commotion, and Mr. Bao, the husband of the landlady, returned with a birdcage, dressed in a traditional Chinese changshan, looking pleased with himself, standing in the courtyard and advising: "Sister Zhang, don't say such things, if something really happens to the child, he'll be left without a father."

  "Come in and die, if you don't speak nobody will think you're mute." The landlady pinched her husband's ear and dragged him inside.

  The daughter of the landlady also returned, wearing suspenders and hot pants, heavily made up, throwing her school bag into the house, saying "Mom, I'm going out to play", and walked away without looking back. The landlady scolded loudly: "Get out and don't come back, you don't look like a student at all!"

  For some reason, two families on the third floor started arguing, and the courtyard was filled with profanity. Everyone got used to it and pretended not to hear.

  In room 202, Zhu Xiaoqiang wore headphones playing DOTA, as if isolated from the world.

  Fourth floor, Liu Handong gave the room and bed to Xiaofan, himself sleeping on the rooftop, the city was everywhere building houses and repairing roads, foggy all over the sky, couldn't see stars, Liu Handong fell asleep.

  After an unknown number of hours, a shrill cry pierced the night sky. The quiet courtyard suddenly lit up with lights as the landlady's daughter rushed out of her first-floor room wrapped in a towel, shouting: "Catch the pervert! Someone is peeping at me while I'm taking a bath!"

  A robust young man carrying an iron rod came out of the house, running out to catch a hooligan. He was the eldest son of the landlady.

  Just then, Wang Zhigang also returned with a loss, went straight upstairs to find Zhang Dajie to ask for money to turn over, Zhang Dajie and he got into a fight, Liu Handong was awakened, lying on the balcony watching the excitement, Xiaofei walked over, gently shaking his arm, with a pleading look in her eyes.

  Liu Handong didn't say another word, immediately went downstairs, just saw Wang Zhigang raised his fist, he stepped forward and pressed down on Wang Zhigang, grabbed his collar and pushed him against the wall. Wang Zhigang shouted with a mouthful of alcohol: "You stinky bitches, you dare to hit me, I'll call the police!"

  Zhang's sister also took out her mobile phone and said: "Report it if you want to report it!"

  The downstairs was also in a mess, the peeping tom who was stealing glances at the bathing girl got caught and was beaten half to death by the young man. The landlady dialed 110 and shouted for the police to come and take him away.

  In room 202, Zhu Xiaoqiang was still fighting intently in front of the computer, completely unaware that his Nokia 5230 had disappeared.

  ……

  Fireworks police station, duty room, Police Officer Ma Guoqing sat in front of the office desk, his mind was a complete mess. He had a diagnosis sheet for terminal stomach cancer in his hand. He had been a policeman for half his life, never achieved anything, never received any disciplinary action, always a good man, why did heaven not give him a break?

  Ma Guoqing's wife used to work as a ticket seller at the bus company and has already retired. Their only daughter, Ma Ling, is also working in the public transportation system as a driver. If he leaves, what will happen to his mother and daughter?

  The phone suddenly rang, and the 110 command center dispatched Huahua Police Station to Tiehua Street for a case of public security and a family dispute.

  Although he had two stripes on his shoulder, Ma Guoqing did not have an administrative position and was just a frontline police officer. He let out a sigh, folded up the medical records and stuffed them into the pocket of his uniform, and set off with two auxiliary police officers in a worn-out Santana police car, without turning on the siren or flashing lights, all the way to Tiehua Street No. 108.

  As a police officer, Ma Guoqiang was extremely familiar with every nook and cranny of Tiegu Street, where several thousand people lived, mostly migrant workers. Due to its location on the outskirts of the city, the situation was very complex, and it was a high-crime area, with cases of prostitution, gambling, drug use, and fights constantly emerging. The police station's resources were limited, and they couldn't keep up. Every time Ma Guoqiang encountered a group fight, he would walk around it, thinking that one less thing to deal with was better than one more. Having been in this line of work for a long time, he had seen many things, and the passion he once had had long since turned colder than the Huai River on the ninth day of the third lunar month.

  Tonight's case is not complicated, a peasant worker from a nearby construction site peeped at the residents taking a bath. Ma Guoqing understood these migrant workers who could only return home a few times a year, sexually repressed and starving, but couldn't afford to go to a hair salon, so they did such things. The suspect has been beaten half to death by the residents, just handcuff him and take him away in the car.

  There was another family dispute that was a bit more complicated, Zhang's sister pulled Officer Ma's sleeve and cried, saying that her husband not only didn't care about their lives, but also often used the money she earned to gamble at the game console room on the street, asking Officer Ma to hurry up and confiscate the gambling machine.

  Ma Guoqiang smiled bitterly, the slot machines were a way for the big brothers in society to make money, and there were people backing them up. If they were confiscated today, they would be returned tomorrow, what could a small police officer like him do?

  He advised Zhang's sister a few words and criticized Wang Zhigang.

  Wang Zhigang got drunk and was acting crazy, but when he saw the police, he became honest and admitted his mistake, promising not to gamble again. The matter was thus settled.

  Ma Guoqing asked Ba Zhi as usual, if there were any new tenants in the house. Ba Zhi said that two rooms had been rented out, the second floor was rented by a student from nearby, and the fourth floor was rented by a brother and sister duo.

  "Don't worry, Officer Ma. I'm a law-abiding citizen of this street and can spot a bad egg with just one glance. Absolutely no problem." The landlady patted her chest to guarantee it.

  "Has your ID been registered?" Ma Guoqing asked.

  "Registered, forgot where I threw it, this memory of mine." Landlady patted her head.

  "I'll go take a look." Ma Guoqing took his flashlight and went upstairs.

  202, Zhu Xiaoqiang took off his headphones and nervously looked at the police who came to the door. The hundreds of Gs of Japanese and Western romance action movies on his computer, if discovered, would be a serious crime punishable by labor reform.

  The police checked Zhu Xiaoqiang's ID card and said nothing, continuing upstairs.

  The third floor is where Xiaoli and Xiao Hong, who work at a beauty salon, live. They were lucky today as they didn't bring any clients back to spend the night, otherwise they would have been caught by the police and either sent to labor camp or fined.

  The fourth floor is a new tenant, the landlady knocks on the door, and only Xiaofan, who is wearing pajamas, stands in the house. She tells the police with gestures that she didn't bring her ID card.

  Ma Guoqing furrowed his brow and asked, "What about the man who lives with you?" In fact, he had already seen the bedding on the rooftop, so the man must have discovered the police inspection and escaped.

  At this time, Zhang Dasao, who had been following to watch the excitement, spoke up and said that Da Dong and Xiao Fan were good people, kind-hearted and kind, and even helped her with cooking. Ma Guoqing couldn't see anything unusual for the time being and didn't want to get involved, just as he was called on the intercom to deal with a traffic accident that caused a public disturbance, so he instructed Bao Zujin to go to the police station to file a case tomorrow and went downstairs.

  The police car drove away, and Liu Handong still did not appear.

  Liu Handong went to look for eyewitnesses, and the first stop was the Wenshui Road expansion site. The soil transport trucks were all transported at night, and Liu Handong remembered the license plate of the truck that witnessed his car accident, so it was easy to find the driver.

  A group of burly, rough-looking dump truck drivers were gathered together smoking and bragging. Liu Handong walked over to explain his intention, when a man in his thirties glared at him and said: "It's my truck, what's it to you?"

  Liu Handong said: "Now the police want to find trouble with me, you have to help me prove it, tell the police what you saw."

  The driver said, "That's right, I saw someone lying in front of your car with their head pierced by steel bars, and another person fell on the passenger seat. But why should I help you testify? I'm busy driving all day and can't afford to waste an hour, which would cost me at least a thousand yuan in lost income. You have to pay me for my trouble."

  Other drivers also followed and shouted, saying at least give 1,000 yuan for the trouble.

  Liu Handong clenched his fists.

  The driver said slyly: "I won't let you give it away for nothing. I know where the wounded man was taken."

  Liu Handong hastily asked where, the driver shook his head: "Speak with money."

  Liu Handong said you wait, I will raise the money to come, turned and left. Only after walking far did he take out Nokia 5230, call up the recording function, and replayed the driver's words just now.

  This is also evidence, Liu Handong muttered to himself.

  ……

  In Memphis, Tennessee, USA, at the Transplant Institute of Methodist University Hospital, a cancer patient from China, Xia Qing Shi, underwent liver transplant surgery. He is staying in the ICU ward and being taken care of by a 27-28 year old female assistant for his daily needs, while a team of five people are responsible for logistical support.

  An officer from the Memphis Police Department arrived at the hospital, requesting to see Xia Qing Shi. The female assistant received him and communicated with him in fluent English, saying that Mr. Xia's current health condition is not suitable for receiving guests, I am his senior assistant Anna, what can I do for you?

  The police told Anna that they had received an email from China, claiming to be the daughter of Xia Qing Shi, who was currently facing kidnapping and murder threats, and asked them to inform her father.

  "You know, such a strange thing doesn't happen often. As a police officer, I've never encountered an overseas plea for help before." the officer said.

  "Thank you, I will inform Mr. Xia and make corresponding arrangements," Anna said.

  "Sorry, I must speak with Mr Xia in person, it's his daughter's request." The officer insisted.

  "I'm afraid it's not possible, Mr. Xia has just undergone surgery and hasn't woken up yet." Anna said with a wave of her hand.

  The police officer just went through the motions and didn't persist, saying: "Then please pass it on, I'll be back."

  Anna saw the police out, turned back to the ward, put on a sterile gown and entered the ICU. Xia Qing Shi's liver transplant was very successful, lying in bed resting. He was a Chinese man in his 40s, with an extremely thin face, from which one could vaguely see that he had been a handsome young man.

  "Qīng shí, nǐ gǎn jué zěn me yàng? Jiā lǐ yí qiè dōu hǎo, bù yòng guà niàn." ānnà shuō.

  Translation:

  "Bluestone, how do you feel? Everything is fine at home, don't worry." Anna said.

  Xia Qing's eyes drooped weakly as she nodded slightly.

  Anna came out of the ICU, picked up the phone and dialed a China long-distance number starting with 086. "I'm An Xing," she said. "Immediately find me the best private detective in Jiangjin, one who used to be a criminal police officer."