My name is He Sheng. I am now the Director of the Guangming City Public Security Department and the leader of the Punishing Sin Squad. Previously, I was a forensic examiner.
The victimized girls from the previous incident have all undergone psychological treatment and are slowly recovering. However, even so, they can no longer be the same as before. Years of medication and electroshock have severely damaged their pituitary glands, affecting their lives for the rest of their days.
Most of the regretful mothers have filed for divorce, and countless families have been shattered. Zhang Huihong is one of those who has recovered the best. On this day, she sought me out proactively.
"I heard that my father, until his last moment, never forgot the mission of the people's police, fearlessly making a final stand against the criminals, and ultimately sacrificing his life."
"That's right. Director Zhang was a good police officer. He served for 30 years and had no regrets until his death, dedicating his life to criminal investigation. He worked tirelessly until his death, and he is a role model for all of us police officers."
"Now you have inherited your father's legacy. I believe you can do a good job. Over the years..."
Zhang Huihong hesitated before me, her words trailing off. We stood on Tenglong Mountain, the highest peak in Guangming City. Legend has it that Zhao Shisan, a famous Feng Shui master of Guangming City, once consecrated this place and set up a dragon-slaying formation to kill the evil dragon, so that Guangming City could remain beautiful and prosperous.
Now, Tenglong Mountain has grown more abundant flowers and trees, covering the mountainside. When the flowers bloom, loved ones gaze from afar, their fragrance filling the air. In a blink of an eye, winter has arrived.
In fact, Zhang Keying was also by our side. As Zhang Huihong's sister, she had accompanied us here today.
"Sister, what kind of life have you been living all these years?"
"Life is worse than death." Zhang Huihong's eyes were filled with tears, and all her endless suffering condensed into these four words, which burst forth in an instant.
Although it were just a few words, they conveyed more pain and despair than a thousand words. The inhuman life she had endured over the years had almost completely stripped Zhang Huihong of everything. Even though she had returned now, she was merely a living dead, and her remaining life would likely be spent in gloom.
We dared not ask about that incident again.
Zhang Huihong looked at the distant mountains and valleys in silence. Keying stood beside her, very close, shoulder to shoulder. I did not leave until the sun set, and the whole world turned black. We were all enveloped by darkness, our silhouettes blending into one, inseparable, as if connected by needle and thread, never to be parted again...
Later, Zhang Huihong went to Li Zhiliang's psychiatric hospital for further treatment. For some reason, the two of them eventually got together. However, Dr. Li is a good person, and it is probably a good thing that Zhang Huihong is with him.
On this day, I returned to the Siheyuan (courtyard house) and recounted the recent events to my grandfather and parents, who were sleeping in the attic. I also offered incense and paid my respects...
"Elders, I have returned. Yes, this time I have successfully solved a case, and it was a huge gang. However, after verification, they had no connection to the organization. We were mistaken before. Of course, we don't solve cases solely to target the organization. As long as they are criminals, they will have nowhere to hide under our Punishing Sin Squad.
It is a pity that Director Zhang sacrificed his life this time. Honestly, even now, I still feel like I'm waking up from a dream. How could this have happened? That was Director Zhang! You have left us, and I can only inherit your position and continue to lead the provincial department.
But please rest assured, over the years, I am no longer the He Sheng of the past. The old me was just a feeble forensic examiner, but now I am a very capable criminal investigator and the leader of the Punishing Sin Squad. I will surely complete the mission you left behind. You must watch over us from the other world and protect us, so that we can more smoothly complete the remaining tasks. But I believe you will do so even if I don't say it.
Because even though you are no longer here, you will forever be our spiritual leader. Your willpower will always stand behind us, supporting us, allowing us to move forward resolutely no matter what difficulties we encounter. Alright, what is wrong with me today? Am I talking to myself?
But I am used to it. When no one is around, I talk about what happened to me. Later, I have to record it in my works. Otherwise, I worry that if I am gone one day, these things will be forgotten by the world.
Our He family has already been forgotten by the world once. In my generation, I will absolutely not allow such a thing to happen."
I stood up from the prayer mat. Kneeling for a long time made my knees feel tired and sore. Back in my room, I began to write furiously again. I recorded the case as quickly as possible, with extreme detail, leaving no detail behind. I believe readers will also enjoy such realistic and delicate writing. Although my writing style has not improved much, busy investigative work simply leaves us no time to read. Perhaps when I am old, I will have time to calm down and read books.
Now, while I have time, I picked up a novel called "Proof of Guilt" to read. It was written by a friend of mine. He is quite accomplished, a full-time writer, and also a criminal investigator. He is now 40 years old, a few years older than me, but his works are exceptionally good. I was completely captivated by his writings and experienced the lives of other criminal investigators. Yes, as criminal investigators, we spend our lives on the path of criminal investigation, without regret, just like Director Zhang.
The day Director Zhang's body was sent to the police cemetery, we participated in the final ceremony with heavy hearts.
Zhang Huihong, holding flowers, stood before us, extremely sorrowful. Today, it was not raining, and the weather was exceptionally good, with bright sunshine. After the burial, we raised our guns towards Director Zhang's tombstone and pulled the trigger again, firing into the sky!
Countless gunshots pierced the desolate sky. We kept pulling the trigger until all the bullets in our magazines were spent. Our arms still remained raised. At that moment, our hearts were profoundly shaken, as if we had experienced the most unforgettable event in the world. We would never forget the moments of today.
Zhang Huihong and Zhang Keying knelt on the ground, looking at the pale photograph on their father's tombstone, stroking it. Tears flowed uncontrollably from their eyes: "Dad..."
They could not say anything else at that moment, only calling out this single word. I could see that they were completely immersed in endless remembrance, and grief overwhelmed them, crushing them.