NOVPUBHe Baowen nonchalantly crossed one leg over the other, nearly propping them up on the table. It was obvious that she felt very relaxed at the moment, arms folded across her chest, and said to Suming, "I let you have a look, what’s wrong with that? Besides, you’re a key involved party, aren’t you?"
"Oh, I get it. After I sign it, this statement is not just a testimony but also a witness." Suming nodded. The trial, he estimated, was at least a month away, and he was going back to the Mainland soon, possibly without the chance to attend and testify.
"Of course, it’d be even better if you were willing to stay in Xiangjiang for another month," He Baowen mentioned casually.
Suming just smiled and didn’t respond to her comment.
Seeing Suming bow his head in silence, the corner of He Baowen’s mouth twitched with an unnatural expression that flashed across her face, but she immediately returned to normal and remained silent, quietly waiting for Suming to finish reading the record.
After carefully reading through the record, Suming wrote down his name and handed it back to He Baowen, asking, "What do you think the sentence will be?"
"The hostages came out safe. These kidnappers will probably get between ten and twenty years each," He Baowen gestured with her mouth towards You, who was sullen across from her.
"Madam, may I speak with him alone for a moment?" Suming motioned to You, who had been sitting with his head in his hands, looking depressed.
"Just don’t lay hands on him," He Baowen joked, standing up to walk out of the interrogation room.
When she reached the door, she stopped, turned back revealing half of her side face hidden by short hair, and smiled at Suming, "We’re all friends here. If you like, call me Pau. There’s no need to always address me as Madam; it makes me sound like a tomboy."
"Yes! Madam!" Suming grinned.
"Smart aleck!" He Baowen was momentarily taken aback, followed by a fierce show of her middle finger, then with a flip of her bangs, she stylishly exited the room.
Only Suming and You remained in the room. You shrank back a bit, asking with a hint of panic, "What… what do you want?" Explore hidden tales at freewebnovel
"Nothing much, just remembering that we’re both from the Mainland. Meeting here in this place is a kind of fate, I suppose."
You glared at Suming resentfully. Fate? What a joke. If not for you, would I be sitting in prison? By now, I could have been far away with the money.
"Whether it’s bad fate or good fate, it’s still fate," Suming looked back at the camera behind them, then pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He lit one for himself and tossed the rest in front of You, throwing him the lighter as well.
"Humph, trying to be nice now is pointless, isn’t it?" You didn’t touch the cigarette on the table, speaking with a thick undertone of resentment.
Suming lowered his head, watching the smoke curl up from his fingertips. With a flick of his thumb, he knocked off the ash onto the floor, shattering it.
He looked up, the corner of his mouth quirking in a slightly mocking tone, "Do you think I’m afraid of retaliation from you guys, which is why I wanted to talk alone?
"Isn’t it? You just asked that lady officer how many years we would get…"
"What a joke!" Suming interrupted, looking at You with some pity, "Don’t even consider that you’ll have to spend at least a decade in the clink, but even if you were released now, do you think you could touch me?"
As if talking to himself, Suming said, "I made a fortune of nearly one billion barely a year after graduating college, took over a state-owned zoo, and even made a name for myself back in the Mainland. My bodyguards could beat dozens like you single-handedly. Do you really think the lot of you could touch me? When you get out, you won’t even be able to look up at me. With just one word from me, I could have you dead without even leaving a trace of your bones. Why should I be afraid of your revenge? Remember, don’t assume that Mainland tycoons lack means to protect themselves like those in Xiangjiang."
You’s lips twitched twice. Although Suming’s words were harsh, they were the truth.
"Besides, the major figures in Xiangjiang are my friends. If I wanted, I could easily have you die violently in prison. A few Mainland kidnappers dying in Stanley Prison – nobody would care. Even your families wouldn’t know you were dead," Suming continued.
After all, You was a tough guy and the leader of the kidnappers. His pride took a hit under Suming’s barrage, and he said in heavy breaths, "Suming, you’re tough! I can’t beat you, but there’s no need for you to come humiliate me, is there?"
"Humiliate you?" Suming scoffed, "To tell you something truly humiliating, I really don’t need to waste my time coming here just to humiliate you."
"What… what are you trying to say?" You was at a loss for words.
"If it were in the past, I might have killed you guys. Do you know why you’re still alive?" Suming asked lightly.
"Why?" You was perplexed.
"Because the hostage is alive, and I heard you didn’t touch her. She is actually quite attractive. I hate rapists and drug dealers the most," Suming said coolly.
"We kidnapped for ransom, not rape!" You retorted angrily.
"That’s right, you didn’t go to extremes, so I don’t want to either. It’s that simple," Suming shrugged, crushed the cigarette butt underfoot, and stood up to leave. "I didn’t plan to say much to you. Just take care of yourself. If I have to give you advice, let it be a cliché—reform and strive to be a better person in the future."
"You stayed just to tell me this? That simple?" You was stunned.
"What did you think?" Suming turned and walked towards the exit of the interrogation room.
"Hey, you forgot your cigarettes." You suddenly picked up the nearly full pack of cigarettes and shook it at Suming’s retreating figure.
"Keep them for yourself." Suming didn’t turn back as he walked out the door.
You looked down in silence, took a cigarette from the pack Suming had tossed over, tremblingly lit it with a lighter, and after a moment, heaved a deep sigh.
...
Outside the interrogation room, He Baowen was leaning against the wall with one leg propped against it; one hand was cradling her chest, and the other held a slender lady’s cigarette.
Seeing Suming come out, she blew a smoke ring in his direction and lifted her chin, "Why did you suddenly decide to say those things to him?" Although Suming had been left alone with the suspect, He Baowen still had to monitor their conversation.
"Seeing that girl walking out of the cave and bursting into tears, something inside me was moved."
"What moved?"
"To let the kidnapper also try what it’s like to lose personal freedom, locking them away for decades seems better than taking their lives." Suming waved his hand to disperse the light blue smoke ring drifting towards his face and said, "Madam, you’ve changed a lot since the case was solved, smoking and swearing."
"Does calling me ’Madam’ satisfy you?!" He Baowen squinted, asking resentfully.
"Alright, alright, it’s all the same what I call you. After all, it’s just the two of us in this hallway. Even if I called you ’hey,’ it wouldn’t matter, right?" Suming shrugged his shoulders and continued walking outside.
He Baowen straightened up, tossed the half-burned cigarette on the ground, and stamped it out, then followed Suming from behind, deliberately calling out in a vengeful manner, "Hey, hey, hey, hey..."
"I hear you! Speak up if you have something to say," Suming said.
"You just said, if they had committed rape or murder, you wouldn’t let them live to see now. Is that really true? I’m really curious. Do you have a way to kill them while the police are present?" He Baowen asked with a gossipy expression.
Suming turned around, looked at her with pity for a long time, and finally sighed deeply, speaking faintly, "Madam, please use your head. Obviously, I was just scaring them."
...
After leaving the police station, Suming first went to pick up Nangong, who had been with Mrs. Xiang and already knew about the kidnapping case.
After saying goodbye to Mrs. Xiang and Long Wu, and leaving their opulent residence outside Kowloon – Long Wu had even arranged a car for the ride – Nangong kept a stony face the entire way and didn’t say a word to Suming as if he was holding back anger.
Back at the hotel, as soon as they entered the room, Suming felt a sharp pain in his lower back.
"I... Why are you pinching me? It hurts like hell!" Suming grimaced in pain. Nangong hadn’t held back at all, putting all her strength into pinching the soft flesh of his lower back fiercely, not just pinching but also twisting it.
It hurt so much that Suming’s head buzzed; he leaped away, lifted his shirt to look, and saw a large, purplish bruise on his waist, looking as if cancer cells had spread.
"This is the last time I warn you, speak nicely. If you fucking hit me again, I... I’ll really lose my patience with you!" Suming was furious, thinking how in the world he had dodged life and death situations, ignored flirtatious glances from a policewoman – well, it seemed that way, at least he hadn’t responded.
He hadn’t been hurt by bullets and gunfire, but now, back home, he was fiercely ’ambushed’ by his own people. Was there no justice? No law and order? When would social fairness and justice ever come my way!
Nangong watched him with narrowed eyes for a good ten seconds, then her eyes suddenly reddened. Staring at him, tears began to pour out.
"I..." Suming felt defeated.
Seeing her cry so sadly, Suming felt a bit guilty and mumbled, "What’s wrong now? Just tell me." He then reached out to take Nangong’s hand.
Nangong didn’t look at him and forcefully shook off Suming’s hand.
But her crying only grew more frightening, soundless yet like pearls with broken strings, the tears fell incessantly, soaking a good part of her dress... (If anyone’s mind goes there, it’s not my fault...)
When a woman cries, there’s only one possibility: she feels wronged.
At such a moment, words are useless; no explanation is needed, and no reason can be probed. Suming sighed and gently took Nangong in his arms, whispering in her ear, "It’s alright, it’s alright, I’m here."
Nangong burst out, wailing loudly, pounding Suming’s shoulders, "Why are you so reckless, all those people had guns. If something happened to you, what would I do! I’ve been worried to death since yesterday... You didn’t call me... and I didn’t dare to call you..."
Suming’s heart melted on the spot.
