Chapter 8

Chapter 8: She Is Already a Corpse

I stared blankly at the man beside me. He barely resembled the Detective Sullivan I'd known before.

After Tiger ran off, I whispered, "Detective Sullivan... what was all that?"

"An act," Sullivan said, holstering the pipe gun. "If I couldn't pull off basic undercover work, how would I ever get close to different criminals?"

I felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble. I was supposed to hand the gold over to you, and instead you had to come rescue me."

"Finding something and turning it in to the police is what you should do—you did the right thing. I should be thanking you. You've helped us uncover a case as big as Monkey Drake's operation," Sullivan said. "But I didn't actually bring the gold out..."

"So you brought nothing?"

"Of course not. The police don't negotiate with criminals. There are lines we can never cross—we don't compromise with criminal organizations."

"But on TV, undercover cops always infiltrate the enemy's hideout..."

"You've been watching too many movies. When they have one person, we send ten. When they have ten, we send a hundred. We arrest them and raid their headquarters—everything comes out in the investigation."

I had an epiphany and let out a deep sigh. "I'm still grateful, Detective Sullivan. The fact that you risked your life to save me—"

"Who said anything about risking my life alone? The police always outnumber criminals in an operation. The leadership would never approve solo missions."

Sullivan suddenly waved toward a security booth near the scenic area. The door swung open, and a group of officers filed out.

I stood there, utterly stunned.

Sullivan asked them, "Did you get a team tracking Tiger?"

"We're on him. We never expected this would lead us to Monkey Drake. We've been investigating him for so long, and today he actually surfaced."

Sullivan placed his hand on my shoulder and sighed. "Marcus Zhang, what exactly do you want? You keep saying you want to turn yourself in, but then you go on the run. You don't cooperate with the investigation, but then you voluntarily hand over major evidence. You've got a manslaughter case hanging over you, yet you saved a drowning girl right in front of me. You're making this very difficult."

"Detective Sullivan, I didn't set that fire. I ran not to escape guilt—I ran to prove my innocence!"

"All right, your amateur detective games are over. From now on, you'll cooperate fully with the police investigation. We'll ensure your safety. Get in the car."

With so many officers present, I had absolutely no way to escape. I had no choice but to get in the car.

Sullivan personally cuffed me, then turned to the young officer named Chang. "I'm going to lead the team to arrest Monkey Drake. You're responsible for watching him. He's in cuffs now—don't let anything happen to him!"

Officer Carter said, "Captain Sullivan, I swear on my life—I will definitely—"

"Stop. Don't make rash oaths. You'll live a long life—longer than me."

"Right..."

I was put in the passenger seat. Sullivan was genuinely afraid I'd bolt—he put two sets of cuffs on me, one on my wrists and another linking those cuffs to the door handle.

In this position, I could only face the door with my back to the driver's seat. There was absolutely no way to escape.

Officer Carter got in, first buckling my seatbelt, then starting the engine. He said with feeling, "You're not a bad person at heart. When you saved that little girl, the captain said he'd put in a good word for you. Honestly, turning yourself in to the police is the best move for you right now. Good behavior will definitely earn you a reduced sentence."

"The problem is, I didn't set that fire!"

"We'll find the evidence. If you're innocent, we won't wrongfully convict you."

"Are you a judge?"

"I'm not a judge—I'm a police officer!"

"We've asked the police for help so many times, but did you actually solve our problems? We trusted you with our lives—what was the result?"

"Brother, I'm a detective, not in that department. And the stalled project situation has been making progress all along..." he said. "Helping residents isn't easy—the biggest question is, where does the money come from? Usually when a development runs into trouble, it's a cash flow problem. You might think it's just one developer, but there are countless companies and contractors involved. Some of them genuinely can't pay—even if you forced them to declare bankruptcy, they couldn't magic money out of thin air."

"I don't understand that. All I know is our problem wasn't solved."

"Brother, people are working hard to solve it. It's just that too many parties are involved, and it doesn't happen overnight. Every household has to be investigated, various plans have to be drawn up, and it even crosses provincial lines involving bank debt restructuring for some companies..."

"I don't want to hear it. You're just making excuses."

"Look! This is why whenever someone tells me how hard detectives have it, I tell them that community police have it worse! Do you really think we don't want to help?"

I said nothing, but the image suddenly surfaced in my mind—Detective Sullivan diving into the rushing water without hesitation, using his own body to shield the current when he saved that little girl.

I couldn't judge. I didn't want to judge.

Officer Carter asked me while driving if I had anything to add—anything that could help them investigate faster and resolve the case. So I told him everything I knew.

After hearing my account, he couldn't help but marvel. "A secret passage between two apartments? You may be a criminal, but you've racked up quite a few merits. You've got a smart head on you—how did you end up in this situation?"

"I once made a choice I thought would lead to a happy life, but someone else's mistake wrecked it."

"Maybe I shouldn't ask you about that—don't want to trigger another lecture on how the system failed you. You mentioned a secret passage—take me to see it."

He made a call to check if anyone else from the team was available, then said he needed to take me to identify the scene.

When we drove to Orchid Heights, a police car was already parked there with four officers waiting. Just as Sullivan had said, the police don't do lone wolf operations—the more, the better.

I asked Officer Carter curiously, "Why do you bring so many people for every investigation?"

He glanced at me and said, "When we joined the force, Captain Sullivan told us: in police operations, always outnumber the other side. Never take unnecessary risks, because every officer is someone's child. Plus, superior numbers can reduce the crime rate."

"I don't understand."

"Here's the thing—if you encountered just me, you'd try to figure out how to escape. If you had a weapon, you might even hurt me, because from your perspective, your odds of escaping are decent."

"I wouldn't hurt you with a knife."

"It's just an example... But if you faced ten of us, you'd know you couldn't get away, and you'd be much more inclined to surrender."

"I wouldn't surrender. I'd knock you down and run, just like before."

"I'm just giving an example! I can't communicate with you at all—our horoscopes must be incompatible!"

"Police officers believe in horoscopes now? Leading the charge in superstition?"

"I don't believe in horoscopes—I said it was an example! I'm done talking to you!"

When we entered the residential compound, the homeowners who saw me couldn't help but stop and stare.

Many pointed at me, and more than a few pulled out their phones.

Officer Carter said sternly, "No photos!"

They didn't take him seriously and kept snapping away. I've come to realize that people seem to have a rebellious streak—the more you tell them not to do something, the more they do it.

We took the elevator to the 15th floor.

Upon exiting, three people were in the corridor.

Howard Li was still there, but he'd fallen asleep—slumped against the wall, snoring softly.

An elderly couple was kneeling beside the fire basin, burning paper money. Weren't they Tai Sun's parents?

The old couple wasn't just burning paper offerings—they were also adding their own homemade specialty foods to the fire.

When the old man saw me, he said, "Young man, you're here too. We're burning gifts for our benefactor—so he can enjoy them in the afterlife."

I asked, "Where's Tai Sun?"

"He hasn't come back—said he's away on business. We asked his son, but he says he doesn't know either, and he doesn't handle the construction company's affairs."

The sleeping Howard Li was roused by the voices. When he saw me, he jolted upright and roared, "You bastard! It's you!"

He lunged at me, unable to contain his fury, but the officers held him back.

"Let me go! I want him to pay for my father's death with his own life!"

"This is a police investigation. Control yourself."

"How can I not be enraged? He killed my father... He killed my father! Look at this—this is my father's body, his memorial photo, his fire basin... Marcus Zhang! My father was alive just days ago, and now he can only lie here receiving offerings for the dead. Look at the devastation you've caused—how does it make you feel?"

I said nothing.

The old couple stared at us in shock, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Furious, Howard Li was strong enough to break free from the officers' grip. He grabbed my collar and roared, "I want you to kneel and kowtow to my father!"

I thought about it for a moment, then lifted my foot and kicked over the fire basin.

"Sinful!" the old woman shrieked, cowering behind her husband.

Howard Li froze. The officers froze too.

I said sincerely, "I've heard that those who engage in unfair trade, deceive their superiors, and cut corners on construction are condemned to the eighteenth level of hell. There, they're stripped naked, nailed to a plank, and sawed in half from the crotch up. You want to know how I feel? I feel... quite happy."

"You bastard! I'll kill you!"

He threw a punch at my face, but I was faster. Before his fist landed, I rammed my head straight into his!

Howard Li landed hard on his rear, clutching his skull and screaming.

I lifted my foot and kicked him in the face, saying, "Thousands of families were torn apart, made homeless, because of your father. Where was your concern for their feelings then? You drive the sports car your father bought you, run the business your father set up, live off the company your father invested in—but you couldn't see us working like beasts of burden, never able to move into our own homes. And now you want to talk about your feelings?"

"I'll fight you to the death!"

Howard Li scrambled up to fight me again, but the officers held him back. Officer Carter quickly dragged me inside, while Howard Li kept screaming, "Marcus Zhang, fuck your mother!"

"I have a mother. You don't have a father."

"I'm going to tear you limb from limb!"

"Good choice. Your dear father is about to be sliced into sections at the crematorium before being burned. You do know they chop up the body before cremation, right?"

"You beast! My father is being buried in the ground!"

"Whatever. Either way, he's already been burned. Congratulations to Mr. Li on achieving both cremation and burial—a double milestone!"

Officer Carter hauled me into the apartment. He was losing his mind. "Can you please just shut up? Do you ever want the victim's family to forgive you?"

His words reminded me of Elena, kneeling alone in this very hallway, begging for their family's forgiveness, only to be humiliated by Howard Li.

I poked my head out and looked at Howard Li, who was being held back by the officers.

I said, "If you love your father so much, why haven't you gone to be with him?"

"Shut up!" Officer Carter yanked me back inside and shut the door.

The commotion outside continued—probably because Howard Li lacked the basic decency to be quiet in the presence of the dead, not understanding that you should maintain silence before the deceased.

Officer Carter asked me where the secret passage was. I pointed to the location. He pushed against it, and it opened.

Strange.

Wendy Xu should have sealed the passage as I'd instructed.

I said, "Should I go in first?"

"Let me go. You step back in case there's danger."

He went in first, and after confirming it was safe, I followed.

The apartment was empty.

Wendy Xu, who had been tied up before, was gone. And the person I'd left on guard—Xu Wanchao—was also gone.

A bad feeling crept over me.

Officer Carter kept his hand on his baton and called out, "Is anyone in here?"

The empty apartment offered no response.

He didn't move rashly. Instead, he opened the front door, and the other officers filed in.

Everyone marveled at the secret passage, taking photos for evidence. Officer Carter checked each room one by one, then came back to me and said, "You said Nora Zhao was in this apartment. How come there's no sign of anyone?"

"Can I make a phone call?"

"What for?"

"I need to contact Wendy Xu. I don't know why no one's here either."

He nodded, signaling that I could make the call.

I dialed Wendy Xu's number, but no one answered.

Strange.

My unease grew. Seeing I couldn't reach her, Officer Carter said, "Let the police handle the investigation from here. This is already a significant discovery—your testimony will be analyzed to find corroborating evidence."

I slumped, wanting to sit down, but they stopped me, saying it could contaminate the scene.

Officer Carter began having me identify the scene—each statement I made, I had to point to the corresponding location, and they'd photograph me there.

After all the photos were taken, I still felt unsatisfied. I couldn't help asking Officer Carter, "Can I call her one more time? Maybe she didn't hear it earlier."

"Go ahead."

Still no answer. Just then, an officer photographing the bedroom suddenly called out, "There's something moving in here!"

We rushed into the bedroom. Officer Carter had everyone quiet down. From beneath the bed came a faint vibration.

Officer Carter turned to look at my phone.

When the system announced that the call went unanswered, the faint vibration immediately stopped.

He knocked on the floor. "Come out! Police!"

Silence from under the bed.

"Let's lift it and see."

They stripped away the blankets and pillows, then lifted the mattress, revealing the bed boards.

Officer Carter gripped a board and hoisted it. A strong smell of blood hit us—someone gasped.

Beneath the board was a large plastic bag, and inside it was wrapped a person. The officers exchanged stunned looks. Someone suddenly shoved me against the wall, and Officer Carter swiftly tore open the bag, revealing Wendy Xu's pale, lifeless face.

He reached down and pressed his fingers to her neck for a long moment, then frowned deeply. "We have a female body here. Request immediate backup."

"Copy."

I stared at the scene before me, my head buzzing.

Wendy Xu had been alive just hours ago. How could she suddenly be a corpse?

Officer Carter said gravely, "Marcus Zhang, you're now a suspect in a murder investigation. Come with me to the station for questioning."

I said numbly, "That's impossible... She was alive just a while ago. I clearly told her to keep the door shut and seal the passage. There shouldn't have been any other way in."

"We'll discuss all of that at the station."

"Am I being treated as a suspect? I'm already tied to one case, and now there's another. Am I going to be charged as a murderer?"

"Calm down. We'll investigate thoroughly. If it's yours, you won't escape it. If it's not, we won't wrongfully accuse you. Someone go pull the building security footage—check if anyone suspicious came through."

"On it!"

The officers sprang into action. Officer Carter ordered everyone not to touch the body to preserve key evidence.

I couldn't help asking, "If the footage doesn't show anyone suspicious, am I the prime suspect?"

"I can't guarantee that."

"If... if I was the last person in contact with her, and she has injuries I caused, would that make me a suspect?"

"What you should do right now is cooperate with the investigation, calm down, and later give a statement. Tell me all the details you know."

"I understand... I'll cooperate. I will."

Officer Carter took me back to the station. He cuffed me to the door handle again and buckled my seatbelt.

He started the car and sighed. "Such a young woman... what a waste."

I didn't speak, my heart heavy with disbelief.

Just hours ago, Wendy Xu had been talking to me, working alongside me.

Now she was suddenly a corpse. How could I be at peace with that?

Officer Carter was driving when he took a few turns, and I suddenly sighed. "If only I'd listened to her story."

"What?"

"I mean—"

"Hold on!"

Officer Carter cut me off, glancing at the rearview mirror, then took another turn.

Then he frowned. "We're being followed."

"Followed?"

I looked in the mirror, confused. There was indeed a car behind us, but I had no idea when it had appeared.

"Watch out! Lift your feet!"

Suddenly, Officer Carter shouted in panic.

From the side, at the intersection we were crossing, a large vehicle was barreling toward us at high speed. Officer Carter slammed on the brakes to swerve, but the vehicle seemed to be aiming straight for us and slammed into our car!

The impact threw my body forward, and the seatbelt yanked me back. Glass shards flew everywhere with a tremendous crash. The airbag smashed into my face, but because my hands were cuffed, my head still slammed into the door frame.

My head spun violently. My vision went black, and I passed out...