Pristine Darkness - Chapter 123

Jian Yao’s heart sank as Wen Rong pronounced these words. As expected, Song Kun’s expression changed. He looked at the three of them and asked, slowly, “What did you say?”

“I said . . .” Wen Rong smiled gleefully as he continued, “the husband-and-wife team before you is not Smiling Snake or whatever, but the renowned criminal investigation specialists, the Ministry of Public Security’s Professor Bo Jinyan, and his wife, Jian Yao. Every serial killer with even an iota of learning on the Ministry’s records has heard of his great name, and prays to never fall into his hands. Apart from you wild bandits at the border. Anyway, he was even able to deceive the flower cannibal, so, that he was able to trick you into going around in circles is no shame. Moreover, his eyes are fine, otherwise he would not just have been able to dissuade both Jian Yao and Zhao Kun – the police officer – from drinking the tea — naturally, I don’t know what his real name is. Do I need to say any more? My dear Simon King, was Gu An deceived in this way, thinking that you were blind, and therefore getting killed?”

The muscles in Song Kun’s face were twitching as he glared at Bo Jinyan. “Is what he says true? Are the three of you . . . really police officers?”

Jian Yao and Zhao Kun remained silent as they held their guns steady.

Bo Jinyan muttered under his breath. Unexpectedly, he smiled, and ignoring Song Kun, he looked at Wen Rong and said, “Since you’ve shown all your cards, I am not going to beat around the bush, either.” He took off his sunglasses and tossed them onto the table. A pair of clear, bright eyes, harbouring within them a depth of tranquility that seemed to reflect the vastness of thousands of mountains and lakes, gazed at everyone.

Qin Sheng exhaled slowly, momentarily at a loss as to whether he should be pointing his gun at Wen Rong or at Bo Jinyan and the others. Song Kun’s voice dropped abruptly as he growled, “You’re also a police officer?!” The question was directed at Zhao Kun.

Zhao Kun’s face flushed slightly while a myriad of emotions flashed across his eyes. He said, “Yes, I am. I’m sorry, Boss.”

Song Kun was briefly silent before he burst out into low laughter, sounding like a wounded beast.

“So, it turns out that Gu An was wrongly killed,” Song Kun said slowly.

“It cannot be said that he was wrongly killed.” These words surprisingly came from Wen Rong. He smilingly continued, “Song Kun, Gu An and I, and this Professor Bo, are mortal enemies. As for his eyes – last year, we had the honour of rendering him blind. This past year, the police have been hot on our heels, so Gu An and I stayed here with you as a brief stopover. We got a kick out of killing people. We actually have not the slightest degree of loyalty towards you. We probably have even less feeling for you than this Zhao Kun here. However, we also have no need to harm you.”

Song Kun had already calmed down. It was hard to decipher the expression in his eyes.

“He’s lying,” Jian Yao suddenly interjected. “Before he died, Gu An said he had already achieved his objective in Buddha’s Hand. The two of you must have other intentions for remaining with Buddha’s Hand. It’s definitely not that simple!”

Wen Rong smiled indifferently and said, “I didn’t lie. Although I’ve killed many people, I never lie. Not like you . . . police officers, you criminal psychology experts. You’re always toying with people’s hearts.”

Jian Yao wanted to rebut him, but Bo Jinyan squeezed her shoulder, indicating that there was no need to say more.

Everyone present was looking at Song Kun. However, he merely lowered his head with a laugh, and said coolly, “Wen Rong, let’s make a deal.”

Wen Rong nodded and said, “I want them both; I am not interested in Zhao Kun. If you let me go, I’ll give everyone the antidote. And, I want to take a woman with me.”

Song Kun said, “You can only leave here empty handed.”

Wen Rong said, “Deal.”

Yet, Wen Rong’s gun was still pointing at his temple. Qin Sheng’s gun was also in the same position.

Song Kun’s hand moved slowly to touch the underside of the table. He said, “Therefore, I say, I hate the police the most. No matter what the cost, if you are a genuine police officer, I have to eliminate you. But criminals are different. Between criminals, it is always possible to execute a mutually beneficial exchange of interests. The three of you have dared to betray me. I swear that you will die a more wretched death than anyone else.”

Bo Jinyan shook his head and said, “Song Kun, you’re wrong. There is no way to have a mutually beneficial exchange with people of abnormal psychology. You are not dealing with ordinary criminals, but with demons. You are making the biggest mistake of your life; you will crash and burn without any means of rescue. Your best option now is to capture Wen Rong and surrender to us. This way, you might still be able to spend the rest of your life in prison.”

Wen Rong laughed softly.

Song Kun also laughed. With a press of his finger, a piercing alarm sounded abruptly in the room. Immediately, more than seven or eight people charged in, and stopped in surprise when they saw the scene before them. Song Kun lifted his chin and said, “Tie up Ah She and his wife, and hand them over to Wen Rong. Zhao Kun . . . disarm him, I’ll handle him personally later.” Jian Yao and Zhao Kun held their guns in preparation for a standoff, but they were heavily outnumbered, and their chance of victory was slim. Bo Jinyan sighed and said, “Put down your guns.” In the split second that Jian Yao and Zhao Kun heistated, they were neutralised and disarmed. Bo Jinyan and Jian Yao were tightly bound. Although Zhao Kun was not bound, there were several guns aimed at his head, and he knelt on the ground, with his future looking desperately grim.

Song Kun took in the scene and felt the fury in his chest ease a little. He calmly asked Wen Rong, “What about the antidote?”

Wen Rong appeared slightly hesitant, and said, “Boss, you promise, after I give you the antidote, you’ll let me leave with the two of them? Rest assured, I’ll make their lives a living hell, such that they’ll wish they were dead. They are our common enemies, I promise to deal with them in a way that will satisfy you. When the time comes, I can send you photographs or videos.”

Song Kun laughed and said, “I promise to let you go. There are so many brothers here as witnesses. Since when has Buddha’s Hand not kept his word?”

This was entirely true. All of Buddha’s Hand knew that the boss’s word carried enormous weight*, and his reputation in that regard was beyond reproach. Song Kun waited with a serene expression. Wen Rong surveyed the more than ten people standing around the room and seemed to come to a decision. He threw down his gun. Qin Sheng glanced at Song Kun who nodded once, whereupon Qin Sheng lowered the gun he had been pointing at Wen Rong.

*T/N 一言九鼎 (yi yan jiu ding) – lit. one word is worth nine sacred tripods

In this way, the deadly confrontation between the three parties appeared to have been swiftly resolved. A settlement was reached between criminals, and the police were all reduced to being prisoners.

Zhao Kun knelt on the ground with a bleak expression. Jian Yao gritted her teeth and looked towards Bo Jinyan. He noticed it and turned his head to look at her. Then, his clear, limpid eyes winked once, slightly. Jian Yao stilled.

Just then, Wen Rong fished out a glass bottle from his coat pocket, shook out a pill and swallowed it. He then passed the bottle to Song Kun, saying, “Have the brothers take this straight away; if you delay, the side effects will not be good.”

Song Kun made a sound of assent, shook out and ate a pill, then gave one to Qin Sheng. Song Kun eyed Zhao Kun and said, “Give him one, too. I don’t want his death to come at such a low price.” Thus, someone pried open Zhao Kun’s mouth and shoved a pill in. Bo Jinyan looked at Zhao Kun, his gaze sharp and bright. Zhao Kun stared intently at him in silence, the veins in his forehead bulging out.

Song Kun ordered three underlings to remain in the room to control the situation, while he sent the others out, and distributed the antidote to the men outside. As Zhao Kun was viewed as a traitor, he too was escorted outside to await punishment. The study once again resumed its usual state of tranquility.