Crimson Instinct

---

Langfang.

*Xin Lei*

I just received a call from Dad that we won the case, and Fu Ting was set free of all charges.

I rushed over to Bai Li's side and jumped in his embrace.

"Hey, Hey. Have you forgotten that I am patient? Look at my hurt shoulder."

I rolled my eyes.

I furiously typed in excitement. "Bai Li. Dad won the case! Fu Ting is free!"

Liao Huifang exclaimed. "That's great! Finally!"

Bai Li nodded. "That is good news, indeed."

Somebody coughed on my right side, and I saw Major General Shi clearing his throat.

Then I realized the position we were in.

Gosh! So embarrassing! I hugged Bai Li so openly in front of his commander!

I heard Liao Huifang chuckling softly.

I awkwardly smiled and quickly moved away.

"So Major General, how are you here? Where is the esteemed General Song?"

He shrugged. "He had to stay in Dongcheng, so he told me to take his place in the rally. This was a good chance for me to meet you too. I have found out something."

"About what?" Bai Li asked.

"About what happened in the container terminal that night when Tan Ye was shot."

I widened my eyes in surprise.

Tan Ye...who Bai Li accidentally shot and because of which he was discharged from the army.

"What did you find?"

"I talked to Tan Ye's boss once again privately. He had sent Tan Ye to come at the container terminal for an urgent requirement. But after the whole incident settled down, the boss didn't find the customer again when he sent another one of his workers to deliver the goods."

That was... strange.

I typed. "He must have called him again, right?"

"He did, using that same number through which the unknown customer had called him, but the number became unreachable. Even the address was weird. The worker just reached an abandoned place that was not in use. There was no office or residence. He did not know what to do with the goods, so he came back."

That only meant one thing.

I typed. "So that unknown customer made that call to bring Tan Ye in the container terminal."

He nodded. "Yes. I am not sure if they already knew about Bai Li's plan to catch Rodey, or did they come up with that at the last moment. But one thing is for sure that Tan Ye's presence was not a coincidence."

Somebody planned it…

Bai Li said, "I see. They didn't want me meddling in the case anymore."

I typed. "Wait. So they wanted you to get confused so that your shot hits him? But how did that happen?"

"I think when I aimed at Rodey, Tan Ye was with him. He must have blocked his mouth from shouting for help and his movements. I didn't kind of sense him. Then just when I was about to shoot, Rodey brought Tan Ye in front of him as his shield, and my shot hit him

Liao Huifang exclaimed. "What! That's horrible! So they planned everything to frame you for his death! They killed an innocent man just like that!"

Major General said, "That is what conclusion I drew out too. A soldier hurting a civilian, worse killing him directly leads him to court-martial. They wanted Bai Li discharged from the army."

Bai Li said, "And they didn't target Tan Ye specifically. They just wanted the boss to call any one of his workers in the terminal. It happened to be Tan Ye. It could be anybody else, either."

I frowned. I typed. "But it wouldn't help them. The case wouldn't just disappear, right? If not Bai Li, then some other officer would work on the investigation. Are they planning to forcibly discharge every soldier who digs into the case to solve it?"

"Right now, Major Lin Zihao and Captain Su Weiyuan are working on it and reporting to General Song."

"Tell them to be careful."

"They are extra cautious now."

I nodded.

"Where was Cocoa?" Liao Huifang asked.

"I had mapped out the place and distance beforehand, so I knew what direction to walk. I didn't need his help for a while, so I sent him in another direction to search for Rodey. And in the meantime, I found him, and everything happened."

He paused. "But even if they planned to call Tan Ye and trap me, it doesn't change the fact that my shot killed him. It was my bullet. I killed an innocent civilian. If I had paid more attention, if I had sensed him then...he could have been alive."

I sat beside him and put my hand over his.

I typed. "We know you did your best, Bai Li. And the truth that Tan Ye was brought purposefully to trap you should definitely come out."

Suddenly, Major General hit hard on Bai Li's head.

"..."

"Hey! That hurt!"

I looked at them dumbfounded for a second and then burst out in laughter.

"You are not speaking like the Bai Li, whom I knew all these years. What's with the underconfident tone? Where is the spunk, young man? Like in your teenage days when you used to beat the shit of the thugs on the streets."

I looked at him in shock.

Ah? How does he know that?

Wait…

Major General laughed. "But I broke your record of ever being beaten. Oh, wait, I remember. I broke your arm too. Hahaha!"

Bai Li seemed displeased. "It was your lucky day. I wasn't in the best of my form, so you won."

"Hah! Sure. Whatever you say~~"

Bai Li seemed more irked now.

I typed. "Were you the man who beat Bai Li?"

Major General looked at me in surprise. "Oh? Bai Li told you about that? I thought he would be embarrassed to confess that one lost fight of his life," he chuckled, "Yes, dear. I was the one. It was a sunny day, and I was walking along taking in the beautiful scenery when an arrogant teenager had the balls to come and pick my pockets and--"

"Enough!" Bai Li interrupted him.

Pickpockets!? Bai Li was a thief!?

I imagined what would have happened next.

My lips automatically curved into a smile. I typed. "So you were the inspiration why Bai Li joined the army."

"Xin Lei!"

Major General seemed shocked. "Bai Li. You never told me that in all these years. I feel so touched."

"Shut up!"

I shook my head at these two drama queens.

He asked, "So. What are you planning to do next?"

I typed. "We are going to meet Yi Xiaosi. If he is involved in this, then we would surely get some clue."

Liao Huifang asked, "But doesn't Bai Li need rest?"

I typed. "Yes. So we would leave after a few hours."

"Not necessary." Bai Li said, "I am fine, and as long as I can move, it's all good."

I dryly typed. "Your arm cannot."

"And isn't the capable doctor at my side?"

I sighed.

"I understand your concern, Xin Lei. But we don't have time."

I know that, but I was worried about him too.

I typed. "Okay."

"I will investigate Tan Ye's case in detail too. Don't worry."

---

We reached Yi Xiaosi's office, and it looked like any other party office. There was the hoarding of his face plastered outside, and I saw his staff going in and out of place, busy in their work.

One of them stopped us. "Who are you? Who do you want to meet?"

I typed. "We want to meet Yi Xiaosi."

She looked at me in surprise, evidently shocked about my mode of communication.

It seemed she realized that she stared at me longer than intended and cleared her throat.

"Sorry, but you cannot just meet him like that. Do you have an appointment?"

"Call Zhao Wenyan." Bai Li said.

She seemed to hesitate. "I think you should come at another time. Zhang Chao is here, and the atmosphere is already too tense. Yi Xiaosi wouldn't agree to meet you."

"Watch your mouth, Yi Xing!"

Zhang Chao's loud voice suddenly thundered in the office, followed by a bang.

"Let's go." Bai Li said, "Let's see what the two party heads are doing."

"But wait-"

We already went inside the room and found that Zhang Chao was clutching Yi Xing by his collar, just ready to throw a punch at his face anytime.

"Zhang Chao, enough."

Suddenly, Yi Xiaosi and the others snapped his head in our direction.

Zhao Wenyan asked, "You...what are you doing here?"

"Your memory seems to be fading. You remember what we talked about last night, right?"

"Yi Xing! Don't act innocent! Your mole has already confessed! You sent him to kill my Ning!"

Yi Xing glared at him. "Enough, Mr. Zhang! I already told you a hundred times that the man never belonged to our party! He has fooled you! And why the hell would I try to hurt my Ning?"

Zhang Chao was now extremely furious. "You! How dare you call her as yours! She doesn't like you. And why wouldn't you? She has rejected you so many times. Hasn't she hurt your ego?"

"Mr. Zhang! I love her! She is mine. I would never hurt her! That's why I want to meet that man who dared to do that!"

"Hah! So you could kill your mole and erase the evidence! Never!"