Chapter 73

Chapter 73

2 weeks later, on a flight going to Maryland, US.

Bo Jinyan is sitting on a comfortable and spacious first class seat. He looks at Jian Yao, who is mixing his tuna fish salad for him.  Then she butters a piece of toast for him.  Fu Ziyu observes for a while. Then he can't stand the sight anymore. He says disapprovingly to Bo Jinyan: “Don’t you have any hands? Do it yourself!”

Bo Jinyan can’t be bothered to argue with him.  He continues to admire Jian Yao’s every move. Everything about her is perfect.

Jian Yao just smiles.

She doesn't ‘serve’ him all the time.  But every now and then, she just wants to pamper him.  Because.. well… that’s just what lovers do for each other. 

Sitting next to Fu Ziyu , is Yin Ziqi,  She smiles at her brother and Jian Yao.  Then she looks out to the window.  She thinks about her fiancé. She is concerned for his safety and wellbeing.  

Anam is in the same cabin too.  He sits at the back, away from the four of them.  He is playing video games to keep himself occupy during the long flight.

—————

Xie Han’s case is not tracking much progress.  It’s a difficult task to investigate the rich in any countries.  There’s always a lot of hindrances. It’s hard to trace their assets.  And there are often complicated family relationships and illegitimate children…  It’s not easy to put a list together. 

The reason they are going to the US is because Bo Jinyan received an email from his mentor from the university.  Many years ago, this professor received an anonymous letter on areas of criminal psychologist.  However, the views are very extreme.  He thought the tone of the letter and the views presented in the letter matches Xie Han’s writing style and profile.  So he invites Bo Jinyan to investigate further and analyse it with him.  

Bo Jinyan has invited Anam to come along as they may need his help with fingerprint matching and other technical analysis done to the letter.  Like Bo Jinyan, he is also an university professor, a special consultant employed by the department of Social Security.  But he is not a police officer.  Therefore, he can only come along as part of an academic exchange programme.  

As for Yin Ziqi and Fu Ziyu , they are both going home for Christmas.  Yin Ziqi’s fleet of bodyguards are with them, assuring their safety.

It’s early winter.  The last of the autumn leaves covers the ground.  One can start to feel the winter chills as the cool wind blows.  

Jian Yao and Bo Jinyan are walking side by side.  

When you love someone, everything you do with him/her, and  every place you go together becomes beautiful.  Even when you are in an unfamiliar place, the atmosphere becomes cordial and relaxed.

“What are you looking at?” Bo Jinyan asks Jian Yao.

“This is a nice place.”  says Jian Yao.

“Really?  The buildings are ugly.  There are too many people.  It’s too noisy. The only thing nice about this place is that they have the best school of criminal psychology in the US.”  

Jian Yao: “….”

Well, no surprises here.  He is able to completely change the mood and ruin any ambience by saying just a few sentences.  

Fu Ziyu  is following behind enthusiastically.  He is showing Anam the famous sights of the university campus.  Bo Jinyan, Jian Yao and Anam are only staying in the US for three days.  After that, they will be flying back to Hong Kong.   So, they’ve agreed to have dinner together today. 

Behind them, there are five bodyguards.  The Chinese police can’t send any officers to accompany them to America for political reasons.  Therefore, Yin Ziqi has organised bodyguards for them.  

They are almost at the building for criminal psychology.  Bo Jinyan turns to face Jian Yao.  He gives her a peck on the cheeks, then turns to tell Fu Ziyu : “Please look after her for me.”  

Fu Ziyu is speechless: “You are only leaving for a few minutes!?”

Bo Jinyan answers casually: “We made a promise.  I will stay by her side 24/7 when we are on an investigation.” 

Fu Ziyu : “Oh, that’s sickening for the rest of us.” Jian Yao face blushes.  She gives Bo Jinyan a push: “Just go.” 

Bo Jinyan takes another look at her, and give her a smile before walking off.  

Due to the sensitivity of the information, the professor t doesn’t want to reveal the information to anyone else other than Bo Jinyan, to avoid getting into trouble.  So Jian Yao, Fu Ziyu and Anam, together with their five bodyguards in their black suit, wait outside the entrance of the building.  Naturally, the sight attracts the attention of a lot of students.  But they just look at them curiously as they walk past.  No one comes up to bother them.  

After waiting for a while, they see a champagne coloured sports car, followed by a Hummer, approaching them.  Fu Ziyu  smiles and admire the nice cars.  Soon, the cars stop in the carpark that is approximately 50 metres from them.  Yin Ziqi gets out of the sports car wearing a white fur coat.  She is surrounded by a few body guards too.  She has come to take them for dinner.  

Bo Jinyan and Jian Yao were too busy to meet up with Yin Ziqi when she was in Hong Kong.  Jian Yao notices that she looks a little gaunt, despite the calm smile she has on her face.  She feels sad for her.  

Yin Ziqi walks up to her and says: “Someone wants to speak with you.”

Jian Yao is stunned.  Yin Ziqi smiles and says to the two other men: “We’ll talk over there.”  Then she signals to Jian Yao to go into the car with her.  

Fu Ziyu  laughs: “Hey hey, your brother emphasised  that I can’t let her out of my sight while he is away.  Where are you bringing her?” 

Yin Ziqi glances at him: “Do you want to come along?”

Fu Ziyu  stands up.  He follows them to the car.

Jian Yao and Yin Ziqi are inside the car.  Fu Ziyu  stands outside and looks around.  Yin Ziqi passes her a mobile phone.  The line is connected.  It’s Bo Jinyan’s father. 

She says politely: “Hello, uncle.” 

The voice of an old man on the other side of the line: “Hello.  I hear that you are Jinyan’s assistant.”

“Yes.” She answers.  She has overcome the initial shock.  She is not as nervous anymore.

“He didn’t even call me.  I would not  have known he is back in town if Ziqi hadn’t told me.” He said: “Come home for dinner tonight.”  

Jian Yao smiles to herself: “Sure.  I will pass on your words to him.”

  Like father like son…

——————

While Jian Yao is concentrating on the phone call with Bo Jinyan’s father, Yin Ziqi takes her handbag and gets out of the car.  She walks towards a white building, where the toilets are.  Two bodyguards follow her.  Fu Ziyu  takes a glance at her, but he is not too concerned about her.  Firstly, she has body guards with her.  Secondly and more importantly, Bo Jinyan has assigned the task of looking after his girlfriend to him.  He can only focus on one person at a time.  

Anam is sitting on the bench just outside the building of the criminal psychology department.  He is browsing through the internet with his lap top.

It’s just after midday.  The sun is high in the sky.  It’s the first time Jian Yao is speaking to Bo Jinyan’s father.  It’s a little sudden, but it’s also quite a pleasant experience.  He is asking her all sorts of questions about how Bo Jinyan is doing.  His tone sounds cold, but he obviously cares a lot about his son.  Jian Yao can’t help but smile.

Every now and then, she looks up at the window of the room where Bo Jinyan is.  She wonders how his conversation with the professor is coming along.

——————-

Suddenly, Fu Ziyu  notices there are a crowd gathering around the white building where Yin Ziqi is. 

“Oh my gosh!  Someone is hurt.” Someone shouts from that direction.  Fu Ziyu  takes a look.  There is a person lying on the ground.  He recognises the fur coat.  It belongs to Yin Ziqi.  There’s blood on parts of her body.

He quickly runs towards her.  The two guards that are standing by the car also rushes forward: “Chairman!”  Anam notices what’s happening. He too stands up and takes out his phone while rushing there. 

But after Fu Ziyu  takes a couple of steps. He stops.  Just as he wants to turn back to look at Jian Yao, he hears two soft sounds -  “Zi.. Zi…”. Then he feels like something has hit his left chest and right abdomen.  

It’s… gunshots!

He slowly looks down.  Blood is sipping through his shirt and onto his suit jacket.  

Jian Yao just finished talking to Bo Jinyan’s dad when all these happened.  She sees from the corners of her eyes a lot of people are running towards a point.  She looks up.  Before her eyes, she see Fu Ziyu  suddenly freezes, then slowly falls to the ground.  

She is horrified.  Just as she is about to open the car door, someone jumps into the drivers seat.  A tall man with broad shoulders.   She can only see his back.  

……

In just one minute, so many things have happened.    

———————

Bo Jinyan is standing in the professor’s office.  He has just finished reading the letter.  

His instincts tell him that this letter is written by Xie Han.  As for whether there’s fingerprints on the letter, he will  have to pass it to Anam for further testings.

He keeps the letter in the inner pocket of his jacket.  He says goodbye to the professor, and reminds the professor to keep himself safe.  While he is in the corridor, he feels something is not quite right.  He can’t explain it, but this causes him to walk faster.  

Even before he reaches the entrance, he can hear the noise of the crowd.  His face tightens.  He starts to run.  

In the bright sunlight, a group of students stands in the square next to the white building.  Yin Ziqi is lying sideways on the ground, with a knife stuck in her stomach. He can hear someone’s voice: “It’s suicide…  I saw her stabbing herself.”

In the car park not far away, Fu Ziyu  is lying on the ground.  His body is shivering.  His suit soaked in blood.  Anam is kneeling next to him. He presses hard on his wound.  He gives Bo Jinyan a look as he comes towards him.

Bo Jinyan takes a look at Fu Ziyu , then he turns to look at Yin Ziqi.  Then he looks around.  Again and again.  There’s no sight of her.  For the first time in his life.  He feels his heart is about to stop beating.  He can hear his own heavy breathing.  A wave of great fear and pain covers him.  It’s the first time he is so overcome by emotions he can’t think clearly.

—————-

When Jian Yao wakes up again, the first thing she sees is a metal door.  She is in a small cell.  She is lying on a bed with a metal frame.  Her limbs feel very heavy.  Her hands and feet are attached to thick long chains.  

A great fear covers her like a tidal wave.  Every inch of her skin, every muscle seems to feel painful.  It’s from the fear that’s within her.   Because she knows what is ahead of her.  Pain, and despair.  

Her chest feels like it’s filled with large pieces of rock.  Even her breathing has become difficult.  

Everything happened so quickly.  It’s not long since she said goodbye to Bo Jinyan.  

Mom, Jian Xuan, Xunran.

And Jinyan.

I might be leaving you.  

She doesn’t know how long she has been in the cell.  Then she hears footsteps coming from outside the cell. It’s coming closer towards her.  She also hears a man whistling.  

He… is here.

Jian Yao closes her eyes.  Then she opens it.  She sits up.  She puts on a stern face, and looks towards the metal door.  

He appears out of the darkness.  A simple and well tailored shirt and trousers on a well proportioned body.  Short black hair.  A pair of bright black eyes are looking at her, with a smile.  

Jian Yao suddenly remembers.  Images from the past runs past her mind.  She feels more hopeless. 

She has seen him before.  

Now that she has seen his face.  He will not let her live.