Chapter 53: Storm of Denunciation (4)

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Indeed, it was that middle-aged man—clearly a high-ranking official like a director or chief—whom he encountered just before leaving the rehabilitation center today, the one who had made a bet with him. The first bet was that he would be fired and forced to leave, which, surprisingly, came true. The second bet was that if he didn’t leave Beijing that day, something bad would happen; but if he left, the man would benefit and receive a large sum of money. The second bet also proved accurate.

Staring at the message on his phone, he downloaded and logged into his mobile banking app to check his account. Sure enough, there was a substantial amount of money in his account. Smiling faintly, he put away his phone and looked out the window.

By now, the train had left the capital and entered the territory of Hebei Province. Watching the passing rural fields and houses, he felt a pang of melancholy.

After a while, he returned to his compartment. He decided it was time to plan his next steps.

Pulling the curtain closed, he regarded the berth bed. Since he had purchased a sleeper ticket, he ought to enjoy the service. He slipped off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, sat down, spread out the blanket, and covered himself.

Settling in, he leaned against the compartment wall and began to ponder.

His thoughts first drifted to his departure from Shaanxi Province: when he was being taken to the interrogation room of the anti-drug squad in Taiyuan City, he had told Officer Yang and Director Shang that the drug ring’s boss had connections—he had said so himself—that the boss had contacts within the Capital Public Security Bureau and the Ministry of Public Security. His presence here was entirely orchestrated by the drug boss. Just after he said this, the provincial public security director arrived, and a call came from the Ministry of Public Security.

He witnessed and heard with his own ears the orders from above: they were to release him immediately and escort him to Beijing without error.

Upon receiving these orders, they complied at once: they chose a police car, filled it with gas, serviced it, treated him to a good meal and a bath, and then set off. Director Shang drove personally, with the provincial director and Officer Yang accompanying him. They escorted him all the way to Beijing, and after confirming with the local police, they returned.

Once in Beijing, the police delivered him directly to Brother Li, from whom he then proceeded to the rehabilitation center as instructed.

And now, here he was.

After reflecting on the whole sequence, he smiled involuntarily.

At that moment, a troubling question arose: he had explicitly told them about the drug boss’s claim of having someone inside the Ministry of Public Security. Would they report this up the chain? Moreover, the man he met at the rehab center had said something chilling.

That matter was something they both understood all too well.

Could it be that someone was deliberately covering up the truth?

Who exactly was this man at the rehab center, that even the police treated him with such deference?

These questions overwhelmed Zhang Heng, making his head spin.

He decided to focus on his present situation. After all, he no longer worked for the Public Security Bureau and had already left the capital.

As the dizziness subsided, he thought this way.

He then took out his phone to pass the time, opening his favorite reading app, Tomato Free Novels, knowing from experience that not only was all the content free, but one could even earn money.

Browsing through the novels, he soon lost himself in the virtual world, forgetting his worries.

Yet, when he came across a certain urban suspense and mystery novel, a few lines sent a chill down his spine.

The gist was: if you receive unexplained money, the sender likely has an ulterior motive—either using you or buying your life.

These few words struck him deeply because he had just received a 20,000 yuan transfer.

For the wealthy, this was pocket change; for him and his family, it was unexpected wealth. Under Brother Li at the Public Security Bureau, it would have taken him three to four months to earn that much, and even longer to save it.

He checked his bank app again: the full amount was there. The transaction record bore almost no notes.

Seeing this, fear and unease gripped him. He trembled and lowered his head.

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His trembling caught the attention of a female train attendant, who approached and gently patted his shoulder.

Startled, he looked up to see her.

“Sir, are you alright?” she asked.

He was momentarily at a loss but replied hesitantly, “I… I just read a scary detail in a novel that frightened me.”

She laughed warmly, covering her mouth as she chuckled. “Don’t worry, sir. Novels are fiction. If you don’t read them, you won’t be scared. I recommend watching cartoons instead.”

Relieved by her words, he smiled and said, “Thank you, ma’am, for your advice.”

She nodded and walked away. Watching her go, he exhaled deeply.

Yes, novels were fiction; there was no need to fret over those baseless lines.

But he still felt it best not to touch that 20,000 yuan. If the sender asked for it back, he could return it.

He even considered reporting it to the police.

Yet, he thought better of it. His affairs were already complicated, and he still needed to return home. Reporting it would mean going back to Beijing, which would only complicate matters. If the sender demanded the money back, how could he explain?

No—the smartest choice was to keep the money safe, pretending it never arrived.

Relieved by this resolution, a faint smile returned to his lips.

He then considered his plans upon returning home. Now was the time to map out his next moves.

Closing his eyes, he began to think deeply.

First, he needed a good excuse for returning home—preferably a respectable one. Certainly not the shameful explanation of being fired.

What excuse could he use? He urged his mind to work quickly.

But despite his efforts, after several minutes, he found no satisfactory answer.

He sighed, deciding to seek help from his phone. He opened Baidu Zhidao, then Zhihu, Douyin, and Kuaishou.

He crafted a post describing his situation under a friend’s pseudonym, seeking advice.

Finally, on Zhihu, an online user offered a valuable suggestion: advise his friend to call the former Taiyuan Public Security Bureau leader before returning home. Before making contact, he should not mention being dismissed. Instead, he could say he was assisting in a case but was now suspected of staging things and ask for their support. Then, based on this, he could say he was preparing for an even bigger and more important case and needed to recuperate at home.

Reading this, Zhang Heng was overjoyed—it was exactly what he hoped for.

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He resolved to follow this plan once home.

Soon, the train arrived at his hometown station.

It was already dark—the train pulled in at 7:10 p.m.

He stepped off, exited the station, and took in the dark sky and the bustling crowd outside, many pulling luggage. The colorful, camouflaged streetlights and billboards glowed brightly, and cars flowed steadily through the square.

He felt a wave of comfort.

He watched the people, some entering the station, others returning home.

Especially those heading home, whose drivers helped load suitcases into car trunks before driving away.

He too felt a sense of ease.

Suddenly, he realized he had not told his father, mother, or family that he was coming home.

He smiled wryly.

Taking out his phone, he called his father.

The call went unanswered—perhaps his father was busy.

He then called his mother.

She answered and asked why he was calling.

He smiled faintly and told her he was coming home, adding the advice he had found on the message board—that he had just solved a case and needed to recuperate to prepare for the next one.

Before he could finish, his mother asked when he would arrive and if he had bought a ticket.

He laughed inwardly and told her he was already at the station but had been too busy to inform them earlier.

His mother’s words warmed his heart: after his father finished work at the construction site—where he had to work overtime tonight—she would come pick him up.

Moved, Zhang Heng hung up resolved to cherish his family once home. He planned to give the entire 110,000 yuan he had obtained from the drug dealers to his parents and family, even if it was all spent.

Money could be earned again, but the love and company of family were priceless.

After waiting several hours at the station, his parents arrived to pick him up.

And so, Zhang Heng returned home to rest and regain his strength; to cherish time with his parents; and to prepare and plan for the future.