Qiming Chapter 81

Chapter 81

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This was the second time Wei Han faced the barrel of a loaded gun. He suspected it might also be the last.

The first time was at Ruihe Hospital. After his younger brother Wei Yi passed away, he led a group of brothers to cause trouble, turning the inpatient department into chaos and severely disrupting the other patients. Eventually, someone called the police, and faced with the gaping barrel of a gun, he lowered his head. A large group of them were detained at the police station for twenty days.

Blinding sunlight streamed through the glass, reflecting off the blade and forming a bright spot.

Wei Han focused all his energy on gripping the sharp short knife, using all his strength to steady his breathing, but his hands still trembled uncontrollably, and, the tip of the knife touched Fang Xing's skin, causing blood to seep out.

As the blood began to flow, Fang Xing’s face twisted into an expression of fear mixed with a forced composure. This twisted expression gave Wei Han a sense of satisfaction, easing his tension somewhat.

"I’ll put down the gun, you put down the knife."

Wei Han stared at the calm, expressionless police officer with his gun raised opposite him, mustered his courage, and shook his head.

"Sorry, that won’t work," he said firmly, raising his head and gripping the knife tightly. The building was already sealed off, and no one would come up for a while. He intended to stand there, waiting for the media to arrive so they could spread his words far and wide, leaving Zhiyin Biotech with nowhere to hide.

"I'm just a rogue. You put down the gun, and I won’t kill him. But if you want me to let him go, you'll have to wait until the media arrives and I make him confess to everyone that he killed someone, that he killed my brother!"

The mention of his brother ignited a sudden rush of hot blood, which he quickly suppressed, the pain throbbing in his heart. Although he was uneducated, only good at eating, drinking, and causing trouble, it was his signature on the surgery consent form. Perhaps he, too, bore some responsibility for Wei Yi’s death.

Why did he sign it?

Probably for the promised volunteer funds. The moment he remembered this, he closed his eyes, almost wanting to drive the knife into himself.

A second later, he opened his eyes, a taut string pulled tight in his mind.

The police officer opposite watched him with interest, slowly lowering his gun. To Wei Han, this cop, who had been pointing the gun at him, seemed quite handsome, not particularly strong, even a bit thin, but full of power. With a face brimming with a sense of justice, he turned to Fang Xing and provocatively asked, "Hey, Mr. Fang, did you really kill someone?"

The air suddenly took on a tense atmosphere.

"No, no, how could I dare..." Fang Xing murmured, twitching his nose, his eyes constantly flicking towards the sharp blade. This middle-aged man in his early forties was fearful and desperate, yet still calm.

But Wei Han, in his twenties, was different. No longer staring down a gun barrel, he was fearless, filled with nothing but hot-blooded impulse. Hearing Fang Xing speak made him want to stab him in the throat, stomp on his head, and throw him in the bin, exposing all his lies.

Wei Han let out a cold snort, then, disregarding everything, he continued to throw out the explosive news he had somehow obtained.

He loudly questioned in Fang Xing's ear, "How did the Jiang family die?"

"Dare you say the death of Jiang Ronghua’s family had nothing to do with you?"

Suddenly, the whole world fell silent.

Something was ignited, and the flames grew ever stronger.

—————

Gu Yunfeng was astonished as he looked at Wei Han, this sloppy and seemingly dim-witted kidnapper. Despite his lack of education and average intelligence, often acting without much thought, there was a certain level of competence in the details of this kidnapping.

What was most surprising, though, was how Wei Han knew about Fang Xing's connection to the Jiang family's case.

Their criminal investigation team wasn’t even aware of it. How could a low-level person like him, with no power, influence, or connections, possibly have access to such information?

"The information I got says you hired someone to commit murder, instructing a female university student to kill the entire family. Although Jiang Yang wasn't there at the time, he was still finished off by someone else when he returned," Wei Han's eyes provocatively locked on Gu Yunfeng, his voice trembling slightly but laced with pride. "I heard the person who killed Jiang Yang took all the blame for you and that female student, Mr. Fang."

"Who, who told you this?" Fang Xing, his neck constricted by Wei Han's arm, his face flushed red, struggled to breathe as he stammered out the question.

"Fuck, why would I tell you that? It's all about loyalty, I don’t betray my brothers."

Brothers? Gu Yunfeng drew in a sharp breath, thinking to himself that Wei Han might have a skewed understanding of the word. It was clear he was being used, yet he still spoke of loyalty and brotherhood.

"I've contacted a few mainstream media outlets," Gu Yunfeng said after taking a call, addressing Wei Han. "In twenty minutes, they should be here." He finished speaking and then took a few steps forward, his nerves tense, his finger poised to pull the trigger at any moment as he stared at the young man, whose eyes had turned red and whose face was now distorted with rage.

"Don’t come any closer." Wei Han stepped back a few paces, dragging Fang Xing with him, and drew the knife across Fang Xing’s neck again. The cold touch of the blade sent a wave of panic through Fang Xing, but he remained relatively calm, avoiding any reckless actions.

"Throw the gun on the ground," Wei Han demanded, lifting his chin towards Gu Yunfeng.

Gu Yunfeng hesitated for a moment, but seeing the pained expression on Fang Xing’s face, he bent down and placed the gun at his feet. He didn’t stand up, instead staying in a half-squat position as he continued to press him, "What do you want Mr. Fang to tell them personally?"

Wind whistled through the corridor, slipping into the not-so-sealed office and passing through the glass windows. Xu Chengyue stood not far behind him, a chill surrounding him.

What was Wei Han going to say next? Did it have anything to do with Professor Xu? There were things that he had partially guessed but didn’t dare to speak aloud, as they were beyond his comprehension. Professor Xu had confided part of what had happened during this period to him in the early hours of the morning, but had also kept some secrets.

The information he had gathered was incomplete, a mix of half-truths that didn’t quite fit together.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, deep down, he was extremely eager to know all of Wei Han's revelations. This desire even outweighed his concern for rescuing the hostage...

It made him absolutely unwilling to shoot Wei Han.

"What exactly do you want the media to know?" he repeated, his sharp gaze fixed on Wei Han.

"Let them know that Zhiyin Biotech is experimenting on humans!" Wei Han spat out through gritted teeth. "My brother wasn’t the first, nor will he be the last. Their experiments have already had successful cases. I want Mr. Fang to personally tell the whole world that he’s succeeded in transforming brain-dead corpses into artificial humans!"

"He should be put on trial! Instead of hiding behind the internet, deleting every truth that gets exposed."

Gu Yunfeng was momentarily stunned. He instinctively turned to look at Xu Chengyue, who was silently standing beside him. Professor Xu had his head lowered, leaning against the wall, his whole demeanour cold and detached from the world.

What was he thinking? Was he still pondering over what he truly was? Such a question had no clear answer. No matter how much he thought about it, he could never reach a conclusion on his own.

Gu Yunfeng chuckled and asked, "Have you ever seen this 'dead person' you speak of?"

Fang Xing's face turned ashen, and his expression gradually drained away. A drop of sweat fell onto the knife’s edge, disappearing before it could hit the ground.

This time, Wei Han didn’t respond. Instead, he stared at the gun by Gu Yunfeng’s feet and said, "Kick the gun over."

"Doing that will put all of us in danger."

"Kick it over!"

"Alright." Gu Yunfeng gritted his teeth, lifted his foot, and gently kicked the gun to a spot midway between them.

He intentionally kicked it to a distance of just over a metre from Wei Han. It seemed close enough to be within reach, just a bend down and it could be grabbed. This sense of being within arm’s reach might make Wei Han let down his guard, exposing countless vulnerabilities.

As expected, Wei Han cursed, hesitated for a few seconds, and then bent down, the knife in his hand shifting from its original position. The hand holding Fang Xing reached forward, trying to pick up the gun from the ground.

In those brief seconds, Fang Xing shielded his neck with the back of his left hand, twisting his body to escape from under the blade. He threw himself onto the hard marble floor, his knees supporting his body as his left foot tripped Wei Han. Before Wei Han could grab the gun, Fang Xing grasped the handle, securing it firmly in his hand.

Then, he swiftly rolled over, the muzzle of the gun pressing right against the scar on Wei Han’s forehead, and without hesitation, pulled the trigger.

Bang–

Fang Xing, his face expressionless, didn’t even blink as he fired the shot. A blood-red bloom exploded, Wei Han’s blood splattering across Fang Xing’s face, clothes, and the floor. Wei Han’s eyes remained wide open, not at peace even in death. The old scar on his forehead was split in two by the bullet, which pierced through his skull, shattering his brain inside.

His breath stopped, and his heart ceased to beat.

Fang Xing stared at the brain matter seeping out, covering his mouth as he dry-heaved in disgust. The impact of the gunshot was so powerful it left him dizzy, but he quickly regained his composure. Gripping the gun tightly, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, pushed aside Wei Han's lifeless body, and struggled to stand up in the pool of blood.

He took off his blood-soaked suit jacket, leaving only a white T-shirt. The logo on his chest was obscured by bloodstains as he limped forward.

"Officer Gu, thank you for saving me." Fang Xing wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand, paused, and then raised the gun, aiming it regretfully at Gu Yunfeng’s chest. "Unfortunately, you've heard too much that you shouldn’t know."

"Sorry, but some secrets... can only be taken to the grave."

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: September 10, 2024 by Angel

Edited: December 5, 2024 by Angel