Pristine Darkness - Chapter 104

It was evening, and a dusky gloom filled the space between earth and sky. There was no sun as it had sunk behind the mountains. There was also no rain. Just a cold wind blowing through the dock.

Bo Jinyan got out of the car. When those men saw him fumbling with his walking stick, and his sunglasses, they were taken aback. Jian Yao hid her gun behind her, at her waist, before she also got out of the car.

The enemy is strong and we are weak, it is inadvisable to engage head-on. Be pragmatic and react according to the situation.

However, Jian Yao felt as if her heart was shrouded by layers of stifling haze. Because, their current opponents were not psychotic killers, but psychologically normal criminals. To be honest, this was not a field they were familiar with or good at. It should be noted that what intelligent detectives most feared encountering was not a similar level of intelligence, but unhesitating violence. Wasn’t it precisely this that caused the masked killer gang to attack the Special Cases Unit the previous year?

A disheartening thought flashed through Jian Yao’s mind: surely she and Bo Jinyan, who had caught so many terribly vicious and evil major criminals, would not die at the hands of these insignificant nobodies? Jian Yao instantly pulled herself together. The hairs on her body stood on end, and she readied herself to spring into action at any time.

But, very soon, Jian Yao discovered she was wrong. Intelligence is not afraid in the slightest of encountering the shallowness of violence.

That intelligent person would simply display his usual arrogance in overseeing all living creatures and toy with those cruel and violent people, whom he would hold in the palm of his hand. Along the way, he would toy with them increasingly, toy with them with arrogance and prudence, and no one would be able to stop him.

Their opponents were headed by a man 28 or 29 years of age, with a comb over, ruggedly built, with small eyes and thick lips. He wore a cowboy vest which showed off his arms. There was a tattoo on his left arm. Jian Yao observed him briefly and thought that he was someone whose strong appearance masked his actual weakness, but was still quite astute. He first looked at Bo Jinyan for some time before glancing at their car licence plate. Then, he asked, “You are . . .”

And so, that’s why it’s sometimes said that one’s life and death are separated by just a hair’s breadth, and the moment of opportunity is fleeting, flashing past in the twinkling of an eye before disappearing. It’s only a matter of whether you have the agility to catch hold of it. However, this ordinary criminal is facing the most extraordinary criminal psychologist.

In Jian Yao’s mind, there seemed to be many strings, all of which were being continually plucked – he doesn’t know their identity! They must have come here with a motive; they have arranged to meet someone here! Were they going to meet the gangster who drove the car here? Is that why he was driving so frantically? Was he expecting help? However, at first glance, these people are hired thugs. No matter what gang they are in, their status will not be high.

They did not know the appearance of the people they were going to meet.

They belonged to another group.

Jian Yao subconsciously looked at Bo Jinyan. Everything she had thought about, he would already have considered. So, how could they make use of all that? What opportunities could they seize? Could they grasp hold of that slim opportunity to live?

As the twilight enveloped them, the cold and intelligent man by her side was, at that moment, smiling slowly.

Jian Yao was unable to take her eyes off him.

Because that smile was completely different from his usual smile. In an instant, his refined and straightforward personality had become very complicated. There was even something of a sneer on his face, and a sense of being undisciplined. He even used his tongue to lick at his upper lip, and the corresponding movement along his jawline immediately gave him a cool, indifferent, ‘bad boy’ aura.

Even though Jian Yao was accustomed to his appearance, she was still momentarily dumbfounded. It was indeed true that Bo Jinyan did look like a playboy, with his slender eyes, high nose bridge, pale skin, and thin lips. However, his natural disposition and strong personality totally overpowered these features. Now, if he deliberately ‘played the role’, he seemed to become another person in the blink of an eye – Allen had taken over, and his evil charm was nigh unstoppable.

When Bo Jinyan spoke, his voice was deep and inviting. “You were saying?”

Everyone was silent. Creatures can usually recognise others of the same kind, and they were clearly somewhat subdued by the thoroughly ‘bad’ aura emanating from Bo Jinyan. But, because the leader was no fool, he signalled his subordinates with a look which had them spreading out in all directions straightaway, completely encircling Jian Yao and Bo Jinyan as well as the cars to take control of the situation first. Several of the men sported a bulge at their waists, indicating that they were carrying guns.

Jian Yao also rested her hand at her waist. If something went wrong, she would instantly draw her gun and aim it at the head gangster. And, that head gangster observed the look in her eyes and appeared to understand her intentions. His expression turned severe and he once again spoke to Bo Jinyan.

He asked, “You . . . are blind?”

Bo Jinyan chuckled softly. “So what? All you have to do is to recognise the name of Smiling Snake.”

Jian Yao shivered,

The lead gangster took stock of them for a long time before he asked, “Who is she?”

Bo Jinyan replied in a very natural manner, “Of course, she’s my eyes.” Jian Yao played along well. She looked at the lead gangster in a cool and detached manner and even took out her gun, aiming it at him. At this point, when they were at daggers drawn, she was still able to exude confidence.

The lead gangster looked as if he was viewing them with a mixture of trust and suspicion. With a sweeping glance behind them, he asked, “Who’s that dead guy in the back seat of the car?”

Bo Jinyan muttered to himself without replying. Jian Yao’s heart rate also picked up. Then, one of the gangsters who had been searching the dead man’s body picked up a fragment of a police identification card. The gangster turned pale and hollered, “Yue ge, he’s a policeman!”

Yue ge was startled. In an instant, Bo Jinyan said, coolly, “Yue ge, your underlings really like to make a big hullabaloo. It’s just killing a cop, why are they so shocked?” Yue ge glared angrily at his subordinate and said, “What are you yelling about?” However, when he looked again at the two of them, his expression had eased somewhat. Lowering his voice, he asked, “What about it?”

Bo Jinyan and Jian Yao went silent at the same time.

It?

What was ‘it’?

Yue ge watched their expressions carefully. Jian Yao suddenly broke into cold sweat – was that what he wanted? They also knew of its existence? Then, who on earth were they? Who had Smiling Snake intended to pass that thing he snatched to? Looking at Yue ge’s attitude, and this place that both parties had arranged to meet at, it seemed even more like the site of a . . . transaction?

However, at this time, Bo Jinyan had already spoken up. Rubbing his slightly dry lips briefly, he avoided replying by asking another question. “Yue ge, do you have a cigarette?”

Yue ge eyed him, then took a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his inner pocket and tossed them to Jian Yao. Her mind darting around in circles frantically, Jian Yao caught the items and passed them to Bo Jinyan. Bo Jinyan drew out a cigarette and lit it adeptly. He kept the cigarette in his mouth as he inhaled greedily, an expression of sheer enjoyment on his face.

On the other hand, Jian Yao’s heart was full of love, and she did not know whether to laugh or to cry. This was possibly the first time he had smoked, but he was portraying himself as a ‘bad boy’ type of heavy smoker whose tobacco addiction had flared up. She knew that he was just buying time and was probably weighing up all the countermeasures.

Bo Jinyan exhaled an elegant smoke ring – even his smoke ring was so elegant and professional – and said, “Of course I’ve brought what I promised to hand over to Buddha’s Hand. Several police officers are no match for me. However, this wasn’t what was agreed upon earlier. I want to take hold of what I want before I can give it to you.”

Jian Yao almost wanted to burst forth in praise. With these words, almost no one would suspect that he was not that legendary gang leader, Smiling Snake.

Yue ge was silent for a moment. Then, he actually laughed, and said, “Buddha’s Hand, Buddha’s Heart, whatever, what we’re really talking about is honour and keeping good faith. Of course, we will keep to what we’ve agreed upon. Smiling Snake, knowing someone by reputation cannot compare to meeting them in person. Today, let’s take it that we have become friends. Hand that thing over when you have met that person. But, the gun your girl is holding must be handed over to us first.”

Before Jian Yao could make a move, Bo Jinyan had already said, coldly, “Why are you standing there like a dummy? Didn’t you hear what Yue ge said?”

Jian Yao threw the gun down. Yue ge said, “Excuse me!” Two of his subordinates came forward and placed two sacks over Jian Yao and Bo Jinyan’s heads, so that they could not see anything.

The men seized the two of them. At this time, Yue ge lit a cigarette and looked up to see a boat in the distance, moving towards them. In the twilight, it looked like a crawling animal.

“Get on board!”