Lin Feng turned 30 degrees to the left while reading a report—He turned his body because Officer Ma’s neck was turned and placed in front of him.
‘Damn Ren Ziling, something is wrong with my neck after a few minutes of rest.’
‘Forget it, I’m going to a Chinese Massage for help. It’s inconvenient to keep my neck like this.”
“What are you whispering there? Are you busy?” Officer Ma with an immobile neck wanted to transfer his anger to anyone he saw, including Lin Feng. He was furious and wanted to rebuke people!
“Officer Ma, I have an appointment.”
“Girl? Your girlfriend?”
Lin Feng smiled, and scratched his head shyly, “No, just a female net friend, we appointed to watch a concert a moment later… you see…”
Officer Ma whispered, “It’s quite a famous activity in the 70-thousand-people gymnasium.”
“Officer Ma?”
Ma Houde waved his hand, “OK, you can go and ask your colleague to take over your work. Go quickly, don’t be late.”
“Thank you Officer Ma!”
Ma Houde rolled up his eyes, firing a cigarette and thinking about the two cases… 48 hours had passed, it was getting harder and harder for them to complete the investigation.
Officer Ma felt more and more agitated, so he cleaned up everything and left the office— to go to the Chinese medicine doctor.
Unexpectedly when he walked to the gate, he saw a policeman, a policewoman, a taxi driver, and a little girl were quarreling, “What’s happening? What are you doing here?”
“Officer Ma!” the male saw him and salute to him, “This driver took a little girl to make a report, saying that this little girl may be lost or ran away from home after a quarrel. But when we asked her, she denied and asked to send her to the gymnasium. She’s not a missing girl or someone that ran away from home…”
“Ah?” Officer Ma gaped.
That old driver explained, “Sir, this kid jumped into my car, she didn’t say anything about her parents… and said if I don’t send her to the gymnasium, she’ll accuse me of inappropriate grouping! My god, she’s at the age of my granddaughter! Could I do this? Sir, I’ve been working following the law for a dozen years! Nobody has ever queried my moral integrity! Don’t believe her! And this is my proof, have a look!”
“OK, fine…” Ma Houde waved his hand, and glanced at the little girl.
He found her gaze to be a little scary. ‘Little kids mature so fast so quickly.’
So, Ma Houde squatted and patted her head, saying politely, “Little friend, do you have any trouble? Tell me and I’ll help you… did he touch you inappropriately?”
“Sir! I did not! If I did, how could I drive her here?” the old driver turned emotional and his face turned red, “I cannot do such immoral things! If I did, I’ll go to hell forever!!”
“OK, I was just asking her, calm down!” Ma Houde glared at the old driver.
Now, the girl… the true dragon felt she became completely evil.
She never thought the driver would take her to the police station.
“Where are your parents? Are you alone? What is your name? Where do you live?” Officer Ma kept asking her.
“Can you…” Long Xiruo took a deep breath, “Can you send me to the gymnasium first before asking these?”
“Gymnasium? Are your parents there? They work there or?” Officer Ma had very good patience toward kids.
“Can you stop asking…” Long Xiruo had no idea; she shook her body and raised her head.
Who knew what she experienced in this short time… Long Xiruo eyes opened wide and blinked, saying in a baby voice, “Uncle, you’re handsome, and must be a kind man! Can you take me to the gymnasium? My grandmother said she’s waiting for me there!”
Terrible… too terrible…
Long Xiruo felt she should drink herself drunk… terrible… too terrible…
My god… ‘I’m the True Dragon of China, but have to act cute in such a place??’
“What is your grandma’s name? Or we can contact her directly.”
Officer Ma communicated with the little girl patiently. This reminded him of his childhood.
He lived so happily.
“No, just send me there, please. Can you please…”
‘It was too cute, way too cute!’ Officer Ma’s heart was almost melted, ‘What a cute girl she is!’
“Oh… well, what’s your name?” Officer Ma nodded, “Policeman should know your name.”
“Long…”
“Long?”
“Long, Long Er…”
“Long Er?” Ma Houde nodded, and patted her head softly, “Good, I’ll send you there now.”
‘Can you please not pat my head…’
“Officer Ma, are you going to send her?” The policeman asked, “We can settle such tiny issues.”
Ma Houde shrugged, “It’s OK, I’m going in the same direction to look for the Chinese medicine doctor. Look at my neck, I cannot stay like this all day.”
After saying that, Ma Houde laughed and pulled Long Xiruo’s hand, “Come on, Long Er, let me send you to your grandma!”
The policemen thought Officer Ma had really a heart full of.
‘Bear it, you need to bear it…’
‘Calm down, calm down… Long Xiruo, you need to calm down!!’
The true dragon forced herself to calm down. And finally, she got on the car!
Ma Houde was in a good mood; he hummed a song, wiping the front windshield slowly, then helped Long Er fasten the seat belt.
As Ma Houde fastened his seatbelt, he patted her little head again, “Long Er, are you hungry? Do you need some food?”
Uncle, can, can you… start the car?” Long Er fingers slightly bent and caught the leather of the seat.
“Oh, right! Start the car! Sit tight!”
Ma Houde nodded, inserting his key to start the engine, then he turned back, “I forget there is some chocolate here! Let me take it.”
‘Ah… I cannot bear anymore… not anymore!!!!!’
Long Er little hands clenched, jumping up and pinching Ma’s neck and shaking, “Drive the car!!!!!”
“OK, stop… let me go, cough… let me go first…” Ma Houde patted Long Er’s arm in pain.
‘What a fierce girl! It must be caused by her family.”
‘Huh, does she lack love? Grandma, is she a stay-at-home child, so she becomes easily agitated? What a poor girl…’
Ma Houde collected himself and shook his neck after the kid released him. He deeply breathed and stepped on the gas.
Oh?… Oh?
‘My neck got well!’
He didn’t expect the little girl to cure him through shaking… Good! It saved him some money… is this kid a little angel?
‘Ah… she’s so cute!’
…
…
Neon lights, night fell, people came and went.
Cheng Yiran sat below the footbridge alone. He wore a cap covering his eyes, along with sunglasses.
Carrying a wooden guitar, with fingers plucking the chord… This song was very easy, so he didn’t need to use some skills.
The box to carry the guitar was opened, with some coins and banknotes in it.
All banknotes were 1 yuan, except a 5 Yuan, which was left by an aged woman.
They passed by and didn’t stay here to listen; they just threw the money and left hastily.
Nobody listened… nobody knew he had been staying here for a whole afternoon.
Cheng Yiran throat turned hoarse. He played one after another, starting from nervousness at the beginning, but singing numbly now.
He sang ‘Again’, ‘Blue Lotus’ and ‘Lost’… nobody stayed to listen.
He expected that, but nobody stayed.
Sure enough, since he lost that guitar, he couldn’t touched anyone, even if he sang himself hoarse and with heart.
The songs were easy, but playing the whole afternoon made his fingers too painful to feel anything.
But… what was he insisting here for?
Cheng Yiran thought he should have gotten used to the emptiness… He experienced too much in Houhai and San Litun in Beijing with Hong Guan previously.
Hong Guan… did he have the same feeling when staying alone in the square?
“Did he hope someone could stay and listen to his music?”
He stopped the performance that lasted the whole afternoon… He looked at the time… the competition would start soon.
He collected everything. He thought he would comprehend something if he went back to his original state, in a lonely street; but he got nothing this afternoon, just feeling even more confused.
“It’s me. Can you order a car to send me there?” Cheng Yiran called Cheng Yun, “I’m at Huanshi Dong Road… Okay, I’m waiting here. Thank you, Manager Cheng.”
‘Go see Hong Guan’s performance.’ Cheng Yiran took a deep breath, taking a glance at the advertisement on the huge screen.
But his cellphone rang, Cheng Yiran found it was a strange number. He frowned but still chose to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Who’s this?” Cheng Yiran wasn’t sure, but he thought he had heard this voice before.
“Yeah! I’m Fish-Ball Qiang!”
“Fish-Ball Qiang?” Cheng Yiran was stupefied.
“Yeah, it’s me! The boss selling Fish-Ball noodles! Didn’t you say you’re looking for someone from Beijing something? I met that person!”
“Where are you now?” Cheng Yiran asked with excitement.
