Due to the heavy snowfall today, Xi'an traffic was paralyzed, and it took me a long time to reach the address Lin Zhijun had given me. It was a large building, presumably Lin Zhijun's company. I went upstairs. The room was empty. As I walked into Lin Zhijun's office, I saw a large bookshelf with its doors closed. The books and the shelves inside were piled haphazardly on the floor. Could Lin Han have been hidden inside the bookshelf? I hurried over, and Lin Zhijun burst out from behind the door. When I was chasing Fang Sheng, I had already felt that Lin Zhijun's stamina was extraordinary. He was skilled, and before I could react, he was in front of me. I prepared to counterattack, but he used a taser.
When I woke up, I found myself tied up, placed with the books and shelves taken from the bookshelf. I tried to speak, but Lin Zhijun gestured for me to be quiet. He smiled and said to me, "Tang Nan, you are a smart person. If you want to know the truth, just listen quietly."
...
Not long after, someone entered the room. Lying on the floor, I couldn't see his face, only his shiny pointed-toe shoes. The person spoke, his voice unfamiliar, "You're saying your identity was discovered by this child?"
"Yes!"
"How could you be so careless?"
"Everything was fine. I paid to resolve the issue, but I didn't expect my father to set a trap before he died, leading this child to discover my identity."
"Who is this child?"
"This child is just a tool. But I know who used him."
"Who?"
"Send a text message to Chang She Gui (Long-Tongued Ghost) and tell him to inform the Mentor that the legendary evil spirit has set its sights on us."
Lying on the ground, I listened, confused. A legendary evil spirit? Gluttonous Ghost? How did he know I was connected to Gluttonous Ghost? And another question: who is the Mentor? Sending a text message to Chang She Gui to inform the Mentor implied that the Mentor and Chang She Gui were not the same person. At this moment, I could hear the sound of phone key presses; it must have been the newcomer sending a text message.
Lin Zhijun spoke again, smiling, "Agent, you and I, one in the open and one in the dark, handle the antique trade. But the antique route is no longer viable. Our nicknames probably won't work anymore. How about we change them?"
"If you hadn't been so fixated on nicknames back then, we wouldn't have thought of naming ourselves. In the end, you were the most tacky. X is X, and then you added 'driver'."
"We all follow the Mentor's orders. Why is Chang She Gui incognito, while we all use our real names?"
The person called Agent let out a soft laugh, "Old Lin, the four of us work under the Mentor. You, me, and Gambler are all the Mentor's disciples. Only Chang She Gui is both a friend and a teacher to the Mentor, and Chang She Gui is older than us, a senior."
"Nonsense."
"Alright, alright, your jealousy. Shall I handle this child for you?"
"Why else would I have called you here?"
"What's his name?"
"He's just a tool; disposing of him like trash is enough. Why bother asking his name? About the nicknames, think about it. How about 'Four Great Vajras'?"
Agent snorted, "Don't interfere with the nicknames; they're so tacky. What about this child? What did you use on him?"
"Electric shock!"
"Ouch, then let's hope he doesn't wake up."
"It's fine; he's tied up. Did Fang Sheng handle it?"
"Don't worry, he met an enemy in the detention center and won't survive tonight. No, I have to see this child. I don't feel at ease. If he wakes up, he might overhear us."
I watched Agent's legs walk towards me and quickly closed my eyes. Agent used his finger to pry my eyelids open and laughed triumphantly, "He's really awake. As expected of the evil spirit's tool, quite deep. Listening to us..."
*Pfft...*
Lin Zhijun, caught off guard, plunged a knife into Agent's lower back. Agent turned, "Old Lin, what are you doing?"
"To repay the favor of my parents' protection."
Agent was also fierce. While Lin Zhijun was speaking, he turned, pulled the knife from his lower back, and plunged it into Lin Zhijun's stomach. Lin Zhijun grunted and staggered back two steps.
At this moment, Agent shoved Lin Zhijun aside and stumbled out. I was tied up, and after they started fighting, it took me great effort to turn my body upright. Lin Zhijun dragged a chair towards Agent in pursuit. He ran fast, and with a fierce blow to Agent's back, Agent slammed into the office door, his head bleeding profusely.
"Lin Zhijun, I'll fight you to the death!"
Agent stopped running and lunged at Lin Zhijun. Both were extremely ferocious individuals, and the knife was plunged into one of them, then the other. In the end, Agent lay on the ground, gasping for air, his body soaked in blood. Lin Zhijun wasn't much better. His abdomen was ripped open; he stuffed his intestines back in and clutched it with his hand.
"Tang Nan..."
"What exactly is going on?"
"My mother was right. Their protection made me this monster. They regretted the protection they gave me in this life. But I don't regret accepting their protection. Protection for descendants is a kind of love. When Lin Han ran away from home, I wasn't confident I could hide from the entire police force, so I had to let her go. Two years later, I successfully changed my identity, so I used you to bring her here. However, this is my fate. My foolish father, to expose my criminal acts, dragged Lin Han into it. They knew my love for Lin Han and thought I would realize my guilt because of her. They lived their lives with wild fantasies. Are there any right or wrong in people? If outsiders see you living a bright life, then there will be no regrets. As you've heard, there are others in this organization. I am also a tool. Now, I have severed the organization's connection with Xi'an. They will definitely think that Agent and I were killed by the evil spirit. For Lin Han's sake, please do not reveal the truth. Once the police know the truth, the organization will too, and then you and Lin Han will both... will..."
Lin Zhijun, covered in wounds, told me the truth with his last bit of willpower. Watching him pass away, I couldn't utter a single word. The situation was too heavy. My grandfather's death made Lin Han and me understand the truth. My grandmother's death forced Lin Zhijun to make a choice. The Lin family could live honorably under Lin Zhijun's protection, but Lin Zhijun could not bear to be estranged from his daughter. Father and daughter turned against each other.
That's right, Lin Zhijun was a super fraudster. His parents' excessive doting had created his life of crime. But Lin Zhijun was a smart person; he separated his criminal activities from his life. Almost no one could investigate Lin Zhijun's crimes. His wife was an ordinary person, and he even had a rebellious daughter like ordinary people. Now, Lin Zhijun had made a sacrifice, like the lizard's severed tail technique. This time, he was employing the same tactic, but not for himself, but due to the excessive doting inherited from his parents.
This doting knew no right or wrong, and was not bound by morality or law. It made me understand a truth: not everyone in this world lives by the constant principles of human relations.
Tied up, I crawled to the desk phone and, with great effort, stood up and used my bound hands to dial 110.
...
At the police station, Director Lu personally questioned me. Because I was an informant, Yu Xiaoluo was present.
"Tang Nan, this interrogation is not about you, but to understand the truth."
"You may ask, Director Lu."
"How did you get to Lin Zhijun's company?"
"Lin Zhijun called me, saying his daughter was with him, and asked me to exchange something for her. After I agreed, he sent me the address. I haven't deleted the text messages; they're still on my phone."
"Why did Lin Zhijun tell you he kidnapped his own daughter?"
"I was investigating the true identity of 'X Driver,' and through some clues, I suspected Lin Zhijun was 'X Driver'."
After Director Lu finished asking these questions, he exchanged a look with Yu Xiaoluo and smiled, "The situation is basically the same."
Yu Xiaoluo nodded, "I told you Tang Nan wouldn't lie."
"Can you tell us what happened?"
Director Lu smiled slightly, "Given your identity, you have the right to know. You experienced the same thing as Lin Han, but the battlefield was not on Lin Han's side."
I understood. Lin Zhijun must have called me and Lin Han separately when we were apart, threatening us with each other's safety. I tentatively asked, "Is Lin Han in danger?"
"No. Tang Nan, do you have anything else to say?"
I pondered. This was a tragic story. It wasn't the whole truth, but I felt it was necessary to continue it. I mulled it over in my mind and started from when I saw Huang Aiguo suspiciously appearing at the funeral, all the way to the end.
After hearing the story, Yu Xiaoluo frowned slightly, and Director Lu sighed, "During the investigation, you always believed 'X Driver' was Lin Zhijun, but later you discovered that 'X Driver' was the stranger who died in the office."
"Yes!"
"Thank you, Tang Nan. You can go and rest now."