Silent Reading by Priest - Book 1

Chapter 9: Julien VIII

Wang Hongliang was in the prime of life, but half a lifetime of dissipation had left him somewhat aged before his time. The flesh of his cheeks sagged with a will of its own down to the level of his chin. At a glance, he looked like a Shar Pei plotting the overthrow of all mankind.

He inclined forward, examining the detained Ma Xiaowei while puffing away at a cigarette, blowing out a local Southern Gates of Heaven19.

Ma Xiaowei was too thin, so thin it nearly gave his face a look of abject childish awkwardness. Although he had a cell to himself, his whole body was still pulled taut, his eyeballs nearly starting from their sockets as they rolled every which way without being able to stop long on any one point.

Wang Hongliang tilted his head and fixed a look on him, saying to the person next to him, “So they’ve slunk off and taken him to the City Bureau?”

The person standing next to him was the head of the sub-bureau’s Criminal Investigation Team. This person hardly made his presence known while cases were being investigated. For his orders he relied on the general trend, and for his judgments he relied on his leader, like a mouthpiece transmitting down from above. He held up an ashtray and approached to receive Wang Hongliang’s cigarette end. “That’s what Xiao Haiyang reported.”

“I didn’t expect this. I really never expected it, it hardly seems real—how could there be such a coincidence in the world?” Wang Hongliang laughed out loud, showing teeth but no eyes, becoming a Shar Pei receiving the songs and praises of emancipated serfs. “No wonder my fortune said that although I would encounter obstacles this year, an eminent person can sometimes turn a misfortune into a blessing. That three-thousand yuan Serenity Talisman did some good. It turns out that aside from never making and always marring, that Xiao Haiyang may actually have some use.”

“Director Wang, what do you think we should do now?” the person next to him asked deferentially.

“Luo Wenzhou has stretched out his hand too quickly.” Wang Hongliang combed through the sparse hairs on top of his head. “Just because a major suspect is the City Bureau chief’s relative, they’ve shoved off out from under my feet.”

As he spoke, he paced a few circles, then waved his hand. “Never mind. Leave it to them. If even Luo Wenzhou isn’t afraid others will say they’re abusing power for personal benefit, what do I have to be afraid of? Now that a second suspect has turned up, it clearly shows this case is much more complicated than we’d imagined. It’s a case of a body being dumped after the killing.—It’s all the fault of the surrounding masses confusing the course of the investigation with their misleading testimony. The noises they heard had no connection to this case. Let them go investigate where they like, the Chengguang Mansion or anywhere else, as long as it isn’t in the ‘West District.’ We’ll do all we can to support the City Bureau’s work.”

“Director Wang is bold but cautious,” said the head of the sub-bureau’s Criminal Investigation Team, bootlicking with a smile. Then he said, “Another time you must tell me about the place you got this talisman from. It’s really very effective.”

“Well said. Give them my name when you go, they can give you a good discount.” Wang Hongliang patted his subordinate’s shoulder. “You know, when you reach this age, you start to find that not believing in things doesn’t work out. To get wealth and promotion, you have to rely on fate.—Right, didn’t I hear the victim’s relation is coming soon? Send them to the City Bureau, too.”

He headed outside, then suddenly thought of something, looked back at Ma Xiaowei, and meaningfully said, “Look at that child. At first glance he doesn’t look like much, but when you look closely, his features are really lucky, something of the full, prominent forehead and round jaw and chin20 look.”