Pristine Darkness

Chapter 101

We find out more about this little border town and the gang that operates from it, as well as meet a new character - Zhu Tao, the police captain who has battled the criminal gangs at the border for many years. Will he prove to be friend or foe? This last story arc is shaping up to be quite exciting!

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Translator: shl

Editor/ Proofreader: Anks

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This city was rather quiet. The light rain wet the eaves and stone roads. There were not many pedestrians, and most of them were wearing plain and simple, often old-fashioned clothes. The sky was exceptionally blue, and the surrounding mountains were exceptionally green. When Jian Yao walked amidst them, she felt a sense of contentment, such that she could momentarily forget about all the dangers and responsibilities, and life was peaceful and stable.

Jian Yao was wearing an outdoor jacket and trackpants. With a backpack, but without an umbrella, she seemingly casually wandered into the sole cafe on the corner. There were not many customers, and she found a table by the window. The waiter appeared after a while, and handed her a menu with an indifferent attitude. She ordered a cup of coffee, then looked out of the window at the rain.

The cafe was extremely quiet at this time in the afternoon, with only the sound of the coffee machine and soft background music. The two waiters kept wiping the tables. The boss, a middle-aged man who was sitting behind the bar, looked up to glance at her, then looked down at his newspapers once again.

Jian Yao drank her coffee which was so-so. After about 10 minutes, two unfamiliar men walked in. One was about 35 or 36 years old, tall, wearing a simple T-shirt and jacket. He had a broad forehead and flat eyebrows and was wearing spectacles. He looked very amiable. The other man was in his twenties and looked quite ordinary, albeit cold and taciturn.

The man in his thirties glanced at Jian Yao, then said to the younger man, "I want their signature coffee, no sugar." The younger man nodded and headed for the bar. The first man smiled as he walked towards Jian Yao and sat down opposite her. He asked, in a low voice, "Jenny? Our friend from Beijing?"

His identity was a sensitive issue; Jian Yao had never seen a photograph of him, but he had seen Jian Yao's. Jian Yao took stock of his build, the shape of his hands, and carefully checked his distinguishing features. When she had verified that he was indeed the criminal investigator, she smiled slightly and said, "Tao ge?"

Zhu Tao nodded. Sitting across from her with a beaming face, they looked like two old friends who had not seen each other for a long time. Jian Yao could not help silently lamenting that these border police were really different from ordinary police officers. Most of the police captains she had met were tough and headstrong, such that ordinary people would treat them with some sort of awe. However, this criminal investigator who lived in the most dangerous area was like a smiling buddha. If one did not know better, one would think he was a businessman or a small-scale boss, or even an honest office worker. Who would have thought that he was a fierce police captain, who made evildoers quake in their boots? It was clear that this man was extremely shrewd and adept in disguise and deception.

In addition, Jian Yao could detect the smell of blood emanating from Zhu Tao. She did not know whether it was due to hanging around Bo Jinyan for so long, but her sense of smell had become much more acute than before.

"You're hurt?" she asked softly, such that only the two of them could hear.

Zhu Tao raised his eyebrows minutely. "Criminal psychologists can even sense this?"

Jian Yao laughed wordlessly.

Although this was their first meeting and his words were unexpected, because they were fighting the same battle, both of them felt a surge of warmth in their hearts.