Chapter 54: The Visit

The woman lunged at the table like a mad beast. With her arms restrained by her clothing, she couldn’t reach out, and her body contorted and twisted violently like a panicked python.

Her eyes were so bloodshot they looked ready to bleed, and her expression was vicious, as if she might bite anyone who came near.

Outside the visiting room, everyone except Li Zhuiyuan was visibly shaken. Even Tan Yunlong was affected. After all, no ordinary person could stay unaffected by such a display—it defied all norms of behavior they were used to in peaceful times.

After all, she was human—one of their own. Conditioned by years of peace, most people simply couldn’t handle such animalistic hysteria.

Li Zhuiyuan, however, felt something different. From the other side of the glass, he could sense a kind of catharsis in her screams and frenzied movements.

What terrified others was, to him, a sign that a vital phase of the process was about to begin.

There was no logical way to explain this empathy. Crudely put, it was like how a junkie could sniff out a dealer in a dark alley, or a veteran john could tell whether a brothel had anything worth his time just by glancing at the door.

Some people seemed wired to sense their kind—it was another form of “like attracts like.”

But clearly, Aunt Xu didn’t get it. She began gathering the photos on the table, assuming the inquiry was over and nothing more could be extracted.

Li Zhuiyuan figured Li Lan had kept her on as a secretary not for her competence, but because she spoke the Nantong dialect and could be useful for calling his parents in the future.

Even if that call came years later, it was still a move Li Lan would have made.

“Binbin-ge, I know the woman inside. I don’t want her to see me here.”

That wasn’t just meant for Tan Wenbin.

With that, Li Zhuiyuan turned and dashed into the restroom down the corridor.

A man by Aunt Xu’s side opened the door for her. She stepped out and saw the three people standing outside.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“I’m a police officer from the woman’s registered district,” Tan Yunlong replied. “Brought them here for a visit.”

He gave Tan Wenbin a pat on the shoulder.

Tan Wenbin, after all, had once dined with a Dead Sinker.

Now, he kept his head low, hoping the woman wouldn’t notice the resemblance between him and the “cop” beside him. His shoulders hunched slightly.

Xu Wen’s eyes flashed with guilt. She knew the woman’s breakdown was her doing, so she just nodded and turned to leave. The man who accompanied her followed.

They paused by the restroom, where Xu Wen washed her hands.

The man spoke in a low voice, “Didn’t get anything useful.”

Xu Wen, oblivious, answered at a normal volume, “She probably never went down there. She’s just deeply traumatized by her husband’s situation. Where’s the next crew drop-off location?”

“Lianyungang.”

“Then let’s head out quickly.”

“You want to visit every site?”

“What else? I need to find him—alive or dead.”

“This is your hometown. Not stopping by?”

“My mother’s already in Beijing. I’ve got no one here worth visiting.”

“I heard…”

“I wouldn’t dare get involved with the director’s relatives. Not until she gets back…”

They walked away from the restroom, and their conversation faded.

Li Zhuiyuan stepped out, turned on the tap, and washed his hands.

Thanks to his brief spell of blindness, his hearing had sharpened. He’d caught every word of that conversation.

Aunt Xu was searching for someone, but it wasn’t Li Lan. She would never describe Li Lan with “alive or dead, I must find them.”

So, the task Li Lan took on hadn’t been related to Zheng Haiyang’s parents. But she still hadn’t returned.

What kind of assignment could last this long—over two months now?

As he shook his hands dry and walked back, Li Zhuiyuan reflected that in the past, he’d have greeted Xu Wen warmly, calling her “Aunt Xu” with affection. Now, he avoided any contact with Li Lan and those around her.

If he had a choice, he’d rather never cross paths with her again. He was sure Li Lan felt the same.

Because every interaction between them was like tearing flesh off each other’s bones.

The doctor came out, speaking with Tan Yunlong.

“She’s very unstable right now. Not suitable for more visits.”

Tan Yunlong pointed at Li Zhuiyuan. “Just let the kid in. He’s had a hard time.”

The doctor glanced at Li Zhuiyuan, hesitated, then nodded. “Alright, but only him. The rest of you stay outside.”

Tan Yunlong bent down, as if whispering to Li Zhuiyuan. “That guy in there used to be a soldier. Saw real combat.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded. “Thanks, Uncle Tan.”

Tan Yunlong smiled and sat on a bench in the hallway.

Li Zhuiyuan entered the visiting room.

He sat across from the woman. She was no longer thrashing wildly, just panting heavily, the red still vivid in her eyes.

He sat silently.

He was there out of “interest,” not out of any sense of camaraderie with Zheng Haiyang. So he didn’t bring him up.

He didn’t even try to steer the conversation, despite his skill at it.

Xu Wen’s approach had soured him. He didn’t want to derive pleasure from manipulating the innocent.

Ironically, ever since he decided to treat Li Lan like a compilation of his worst mistakes, doing the opposite of her actually made him feel more humane.

Outside, Tan Wenbin asked Runsheng, “Why isn’t Little Yuan saying anything?”

Runsheng shook his head. “If he’s not talking, it means there’s no need.”

Tan Wenbin chewed on that. “What kind of nonsense answer is that?”

But the turnaround came quickly.

The woman calmed down and began to speak. No more shrieks or madness. Just a quiet, normal conversation.

Too quiet. Those outside couldn’t hear a word.

Tan Wenbin fidgeted anxiously. He desperately wanted to rush in and listen.

Runsheng didn’t get it. “Why so anxious?”

“How could I not be? Right now he’s getting the raw story. By the time he tells us, it’ll be his edited version.”

“And that’s bad?”

“My mistake—why am I even arguing with you?”

Inside, the woman’s expression had returned to normal.

Li Zhuiyuan knew his sense of empathy had been right. He had his peach.

Xu Wen had triggered her outburst, then left behind a perfect setup for him.

If Li Lan had been here, she would never have made such a rookie mistake.