Ji Yongtao turned his back to him: Yeah.
Chu Jiajun didn't move: Brother Yong, do you have a gun under your pillow?
There was a long period of dead silence, and the only sound was the rustling of leaves outside.
There was indeed a gun under Ji Yongtao's pillow. He could guess it without even touching it.
Chu Jiajun turned over and lay on the pillow, reading the playlist on the CD box: You are afraid that I am Chu Jiajun.
Ji Yongtao asked: Is that you?
Chu Jiajun: I am Xu Fei.
Chu Jiajun took out a cigarette and a lighter from the drawer of the bedside table, and started smoking while lying down: If I were Chu Jiajun, you would have died a thousand times over.
Chu Jiajun: Why should Chu Jiajun let you go?
Ji Yongtao next to him didn't know what he was thinking about, and couldn't help but smile and move his shoulders.
Ji Yongtao: Yes, that's exactly what I can't understand.
Chu Jiajun: He knows we're looking for him, so why doesn't he run away? And he's even sleeping in your house? What does he want from you? Is he after your 290 bucks a month?
He stopped talking, biting his cigarette and glancing at the back of the man next to him.
Chu Jiajun: When my mother comes, I will complain.
Ji Yongtao: You sue.
Chu Jiajun: It will take three bottles of Coke to calm down.
Ji Yongtao: How about asking your friends in the north to bring you KFC again?
Chu Jiajun: Yes.
Ji Yongtao turned around, snatched his cigarette, took the last puff, and sighed deeply: After this is over, you can have whatever you want.
He managed a restful sleep. The next morning, he woke up, shook the cigarette ashes off the bed, did some laundry, and went to the milk box outside to get some milk. Not far away, at the door of Liu Weide's house, there were still paper ashes. A circle had been drawn on the door with chalk, and traces of burnt white paper within the circle were constantly drifting away.
Chu Jiajun lingered at the door for a moment, and Dafei followed him out, licking his hand. He took the dog downstairs and walked along the banks of the Aiya River to the ticket booth, where he finally confirmed the train schedule—train number K503 would arrive in City A at six o'clock tomorrow morning.
Before arriving in City A, it will stop at a county-level station near City A for ten minutes.
That stop is expected to be at three in the morning.
Xu Fei's mother is on this train.
-
At three o'clock in the morning, K503 slowly entered the platform of the county-level station.
Only a few people got on and off the bus occasionally.
In City A, at Ji Yongtao's home, the camp bed in the living room is empty. Xu Fei says he's staying on campus for the past two days because he has exams.
A sparse moonlight fell on the platform as a shadowy figure jumped onto the train. It was a man dressed in black, carrying a long suitcase. His steps were light and silent as he walked down the aisle.
Most of the passengers were fast asleep, including the conductor, who was taking a nap in the rest room.
Through the glass window, he looked at the writing board hanging on the shelf in the lounge. The board had ticket checking information and recorded the names of the passengers in each seat.
After a moment, he found the name he wanted on the form and walked towards the carriage where she was.
The compartment doors opened one by one, and the man stopped beside a berth in carriage number 5. A thin woman lay on the upper berth with her back to him, soundly asleep and motionless.
The man took out a roll of piano wire from his pocket and stretched it with both hands. When the strings were tightened, they made a slight sound.
In the dark carriage, his expression was shrouded in shadow. The train was five minutes away from departure.
As if performing a precise surgical operation, he grasped the strings and stretched them towards the woman's neck, without even making a sound. Like an owl swooping down on a mouse, with a speed almost impossible to detect with the naked eye, the strings had already wrapped around the woman's neck.
Then, it loosened.
The quilt slipped off and the body turned over to the front, revealing only a dummy.
Almost immediately, the man realized he had fallen into a trap. All the sleeping passengers in the same compartment jumped up instantly, and guns were pointed at him from all directions. On the berth directly behind him, Ji Yongtao raised his gun and aimed it at him.
Ji Yongtao: He slowly put the bag on the ground, turned around, and raised his hands high.
Ji Yongtao: You can't escape, Chu Jiajun.
The bag in the man's hand fell to the ground, and there was indeed the sound of metal clanging from a gun.
Ji Yongtao: Turn around.
An operative has already reported to the intercom: Chu Jiajun has been intercepted, waiting for instructions.
At this moment, the man turned around. The lights in the car were turned on, and the pale light illuminated his face.
Not Chu Jiajun.
Although he is similar in build and wearing a baseball cap, he is not the real one. He is obviously older and has a scary scar on his face.
Ji Yongtao realized that his plan had become a trap set by that man—this man wasn't Chu Jiajun, but a hired killer. The next second, the man pulled a grenade from his inner pocket, but before it could even reach the bolt, a hail of bullets pelted him, leaving him riddled with wounds.
The entire carriage was a blood-red mess. The glass was stained red like glazed glass. Through the red windows, which were like a burning cloud, Ji Yongtao saw a figure on the opposite platform.
——He stood quietly in the snow-white moonlight, his eyes as big and clear as a child's, absorbing the moonlight, containing a kind of desperate and crazy helplessness, entangled with a smile, drowning the people in the carriage.
-
Many people enjoy the feeling of relief they get when they wake up from a nightmare. After struggling through a terrifying nightmare, they wake up covered in sweat, yet beaming with relief.
But I won't wake up from this nightmare.
A train roared past on the railway, obscuring the figure. As the train passed, the figure disappeared without a trace.
-
Chu Jiajun's figure flashed across the distant darkness and got into the driver's seat of a car; before others could react, Ji Yongtao rushed into the field vehicle at the fastest speed, speeding against the train tracks, chasing the man's car.
On a nighttime suburban road, only two cars were passing, one in front and one behind. Ji Yongtao pressed the accelerator to the floor and leaned out the window to fire. One shot struck the taillight of the car in front, and a second struck a wheel. The car, losing balance, shuddered on the uneven road, slowing considerably, giving Ji Yongtao the opportunity to catch up. The field vehicle was closing in on the mountain from one side, and through the window, he could already see Chu Jiajun's face.
Chu Jiajun had a strange expression on his face. His eyes were wide open on his pale face, staring forward almost nervously. He maintained this expression even as his car was slammed into the mountain wall.
The two men got out of the car almost at the same time. It was still dark, with only the car lights eerily illuminating the night road. Ji Yongtao pointed his gun at Chu Jiajun, and the man also raised his gun, but pointed it at the "thing" in his hand.
On the other side of the road were train tracks, and a train was speeding past, making a constant rumbling sound.
Ji Yongtao saw clearly what Chu Jiajun was holding, and that "thing" prevented him from pulling the trigger—the thing the young man was holding was a child. A very small girl, thinner than her peers, with languid hair plastered to her face.
That was Liu Weide's daughter Liu Xiaomeng.
Liu Xiaomeng should be in the hospital. I don't know what means this person used to steal the child out of the hospital.
The blood and anger almost overwhelmed his rationality, so that he gritted his teeth and didn't know what to say; Chu Jiajun still had that weird expression, no smile, only his eyes were sickly wide open, staring straight into his eyes.
Suddenly, the man laughed.
There are no words to describe this laughter accurately. It was like a saw scraping across the spine, or like a jammed CD covered with scratches - he laughed hysterically, a laughter so shrill that it was almost inhumane.
Chu Jiajun: Ahaha… Ahaha… Hahahahahahahahahaha… Hahaha… Hehehe… Hahahahaha…
The laughter drained the oxygen from his lungs, forcing him to gasp for air, his inhales just as sharp.
Chu Jiajun said, what did you promise me?
Chu Jiajun asked over and over, almost a dozen times. He started crying as he spoke, and Mengmeng shook herself around in his hands, waking up.
Ji Yongtao didn't dare to provoke him again: You are Chu Jiajun.
Chu Jiajun: What did you promise me?! Tell me! What did you promise me?!
He laughed again. The almost inhuman laughter mixed with the shrill cry of the child, echoing on the late night highway.
Chu Jiajun: If you don't tell me, I will kill her!
Ji Yongtao: I said I would go with you.
Chu Jiajun: Then let's go! What's the point of saying it and then regretting it?!
Ji Yongtao: Put the child down.
Chu Jiajun hugged Mengmeng tightly: I don't want it. If I let her go, you will definitely shoot me.
Chu Jiajun whispered: Brother Yong, put down your gun. If you put down the gun, I will let her go.
Ji Yongtao didn't move.
Chu Jiajun: I'll count to three. If you don't shoot, I'll blow off her ear.
Chu Jiajun: Three.
He put the muzzle of the gun directly to Mengmeng's ear. Ji Yongtao had to squat down and put the gun on the ground.
Ji Yongtao: Her father treats you very well. Just think about how good others are to you.
Chu Jiajun held Mengmeng in his arms, his face pressed against the top of the child's head, and nodded: I remember.
Ji Yongtao: Have I done anything wrong to you? You don't have to do this.
Chu Jiajun: You are all nice to me, but you are nice to me because I am Xu Fei.
He raised his eyes, tears in his eyes as he looked at the opposite side: If I were Chu Jiajun, you would never be nice to me from the beginning.
Ji Yongtao: You robbed, murdered, and kidnapped someone's child. How will others view you? But if you put the child down, everything will be easy to discuss. Chu Jiajun, we know your situation is special. When you were very young...
Chu Jiajun: You don't usually talk to me like this.
His voice was as cold as ice. Ji Yongtao couldn't find Xu Fei speaking in that tone in his memory.
Chu Jiajun: Brother Yong, I have no choice.
Ji Yongtao: That's right. We know you have no other options. We will show leniency.
Chu Jiajun chuckled: Really? Will you show leniency? How lenient?
Ji Yongtao: I won't kill you.
Chu Jiajun's eyes sparkled: Really?
Chu Jiajun: Do you think I'm a three-year-old kid?!
His body trembled slightly and he held the child tighter. Mengmeng didn't have the strength to cry and could only sob.
Chu Jiajun: ...Brother Yong, honestly, I really have no choice. I have no choice.
Ji Yongtao also knew that this man would never be fooled by any "leniency": You had no choice the first time, but what about the second time? After your adoptive father died, you clearly had a choice.
Chu Jiajun: What the hell was my choice?! Back then, regardless of whether I was an accomplice or not, I was still executed. I'd already killed so many people. Even if I was coerced into committing the crime, I'd still be executed. Tell me, what choice was I supposed to make?!
He took a breath and shook his head: "I just want to live. It doesn't matter how many people I kill, as long as I live."
Chu Jiajun gently put Mengmeng down. Holding on to his last hope, he looked at Ji Yongtao with pleading eyes: Brother Yong, are you really not going with me?
Ji Yongtao: You can't get away.
Chu Jiajun: Okay.
Chu Jiajun: You forced me to do that.
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly threw the child onto the train tracks - a rumbling sound was heard in the distance, and the train was approaching; Ji Yongtao had no choice but to rush to the tracks to save the child.
The moment he pulled Mengmeng back into his arms, the train whizzed past. Ji Yongtao breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and prepared to go back to the car.
But a pair of eyes were waiting behind him, staring at him.
——He had no time to react as he was hit hard on the temple and fell to the ground.
Chu Jiajun looked at the man on the ground and threw away his gun. Because the blow was too heavy, the butt of the gun was even deformed.
Chu Jiajun: Brother Yong, we must be honest as people.
Chu Jiajun: I have decided to take you with me.
The field vehicle sped along the road. Dawn broke in the east and the sky turned slightly pale.
Ji Yongtao's hands were tied to the handle above the backseat window, and the blood from his head had stained half of his shirt. Chu Jiajun floored the accelerator, occasionally glancing back: "Do you want to go to the hospital?"
Chu Jiajun: Let's go to the hospital, okay? Let's get some bandages first, then find a place to eat. There's a long-standing restaurant in Changshu that makes really delicious noodles...Brother Yong? Can you still hear me?
Ji Yongtao's left ear hadn't recovered its hearing yet, probably due to the head injury. The voice in front seemed far away, with a faint sigh.
Chu Jiajun: Brother Yong, don't think I was born this way. I'm very pitiful. If I had a choice...
He kept rambling: "There are so many bad guys in this world. I'll introduce you to a few. There are so many, enough for you to catch for a year. This is a good deal. It's useless to catch just me."
Chu Jiajun: There are so many bad people in this world, why are you targeting me? I promise to be a good person and quit my crimes. Can I write a letter of guarantee? Just pretend you don't know about my crime and go back to your work and tell them you arrested the wrong person...
The wound started to hurt again. Ji Yongtao said angrily in a low voice: Why aren't you afraid of being shot when you kill people?
Chu Jiajun: I didn't kill them just for the sake of killing them. I had a purpose.
Chu Jiajun muttered: Besides, I can kill them, but you can't kill me.
Ji Yongtao: So why continue living like this? Buy a fake identity and live an ordinary life. You won't necessarily get caught.
Chu Jiajun: I haven't been to school, so I don't know anything else except this.
Ji Yongtao couldn't stand it any longer: "Don't you even know how to move bricks at a fucking construction site?!"
The next second, a sharp braking sound was heard, and Ji Yongtao braked suddenly and crashed heavily forward.
The car fell into a brief silence. Through the rearview mirror, he saw Chu Jiajun's eyes. Anything caught in that gaze seemed to be shattered to pieces in the next second.
Chu Jiajun: - Do you think I won't kill you?
Then, those eyes closed, he hunched over, took several deep breaths, shook his head, and started the car again; his tone returned to normal, with only a slight tremor.
Chu Jiajun: Brother Yong, don't commit suicide. You still have your mother back home. What will happen to her if I kill you?
Ji Yongtao: She has a man and children, it has nothing to do with me.
Chu Jiajun: How can you be like this? You have no conscience.
Chu Jiajun: Hey, Brother Yong, I really forgot to take a lot of stuff this time. What should I do? Hehehehe... The car will run out of gas later. Do you have a gas card? Do you have any money?
Chu Jiajun: Lend me some money and I'll pay you back later. Alas, I'll have to rely on your 290 for a while.
Chu Jiajun: Brother Yong? Brother Yong? Don't be mad at me, I really can't help it. Hey, what do you want? Once I get the money, I'll give it to you—
Before he could finish his words, a pair of cuffed hands wrapped around his neck from behind, pulling him close to the seat headrest in an attempt to strangle him. Chu Jiajun struggled, and the car lost balance and drifted around on the road.
The sudden braking caused the window handle to loosen, and the handcuffs inside it also slipped out.
He struggled out of Ji Yongtao's grasp, but before he could steady the steering wheel, his hair was grabbed. The man pulled his long hair and slammed his head against the steering wheel. With each impact, the car honked ridiculously. Chu Jiajun pushed him away with all his might, his face covered in blood.
But Ji Yongtao's target was not him. Trying to defeat him in a hand-to-hand fight under such circumstances was a gamble. His target was the passenger seat - there was a spare gun under the passenger seat of the field vehicle. As long as he could get the gun...
His body flung itself from the back seat to the front, his handcuffed hands reaching under the seat.
Chu Jiajun covered his head, pulled out a knife in a dizzy state, and stabbed the man's shoulder; Ji Yongtao fell to the passenger seat and was stabbed hard in the left shoulder. At this moment, his hand groped for the gun under the seat.
He turned and pointed his gun at Chu Jiajun. With a clang, the dagger opened, but the next second, his hand holding the knife was kicked, and the dagger slipped under the clutch. Chu Jiajun kicked him in the abdomen, causing the car to shake violently, and Ji Yongtao was kicked against the passenger door, which opened due to the impact. As the car lost control and approached the cliff due to inertia, Ji Yongtao's body was half hanging outside the car, and his shoulder was even rubbed by the ground. The out-of-control car quickly approached the cliff side, and he was half hanging in the air, with the wind howling from below.
At this moment, he raised his gun and aimed it at Chu Jiajun.
The man also retrieved the dagger and rushed towards Ji Yongtao. However, the muzzle of the gun was faster than the tip of the knife.
The black muzzle of a gun is so close.
Ji Yongtao pulled the trigger.
Maintaining that dazed expression, Chu Jiajun's eyes widened slightly. At the same time, both of them heard the voice that changed the trajectory of their fate -
Stuck sound.
This old gun jammed.
Chu Jiajun's lips trembled. He stepped back slightly, his blood-stained pink eyes filled with disbelief. The trembling of his lips intensified, and finally a sound came out.
It is the roar of a beast that tears the silence of dawn, the scream of a madman, and the cry of a child.
For many years and many years later, this sharp, long, heart-wrenching howl lingered in every one of his nightmares.
It was almost like a howl that a human could make. The feminine face was bloodshot and his breath was blood red, just like a ghost in an ancient ghost story - his long hair was stuck to his face and body with blood, and all the despair, disappointment, collapse and helplessness rushed towards Ji Yongtao.