Insights Chapter 159: Rebirth

Chapter 159: Rebirth

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Late at night, in Changxi County, a fire in the Zhao family ancestral hall had already alarmed the entire county, with the flames casting a red glow over the night sky. The back door burst open, bringing a glimmer of hope to those trapped inside.

Gu Yanchen exerted his strength, lifting Shen Junci horizontally. He placed Shen Junci on a stone bench not far from the courtyard. With few plants in the courtyard, the flames couldn’t reach there, making it relatively safe.

Shen Junci covered his lips, coughing. With one hand, he gestured to Gu Yanchen that he was okay.

Several police officers followed closely, rushing out with Lin Yujiao.

With an exit available, other Zhao family members who could still move cried out and fled from the main hall of the ancestral hall, helping each other to extinguish the flames on their bodies.

Once outside, they finally had cellphone signals. Gu Yanchen said, “Call 119, 120! Rescue people as soon as possible!”

Some Zhao family members also realized that those trapped inside were their relatives. They fetched several fire extinguishers from elsewhere.

The main culprits had been apprehended, and whether police or civilians, there was no deep-seated enmity left.

In just a few minutes, the special police from the City Bureau finally arrived and surrounded the Zhao family ancestral hall. Gu Yanchen directed many officers, and they went back in twice, rescuing several people from the flames.

Soon after, the red fire trucks arrived, followed by ambulances. Everyone worked together to quickly rescue the injured and contain the fire.

Approaching midnight, the fire was finally completely extinguished. The entire Zhao family ancestral hall was left in ruins, on the brink of collapse.

With the scene finally under control, Gu Yanchen walked over to Shen Junci. Both of them were covered in black carbon marks.

Shen Junci wore a special police uniform borrowed from Wang Dui. Sitting on the stone bench, he asked, “Were you burned?”

The scene just now had been too dangerous. If a little more time had passed, their lives would have been in danger. Gu Yanchen had even ventured into the flames multiple times, each time making Shen Junci worry.

“Only a little burn on my shoulder, nothing serious.” Gu Yanchen wiped his face and coughed a few times. He felt like he had inhaled a lot of smoke just now, his throat dry, his hair slightly curled, and he could smell a burnt odor emanating from himself.

A police officer walked over and briefed them on the outcome of the fire.

“Our people are not seriously injured. Lin Yujiao has been taken away, Zhao Zhixin has been arrested and taken to the hospital for treatment, and several leaders have been detained.”

Gu Yanchen said, “Take these people to the city’s detention center later to prevent any tampering.”

This outcome was considered good.

Several masterminds had been taken away, and the surviving Zhao family members were deeply grateful, expressing their thanks to the police officers.

Some even tried to shift blame, saying, “We were all deceived by the old man… I didn’t attack the police just now…”

Now they were only feeling scared. This fire had made them see many things clearly; the so-called clan was not almighty.

A police officer waved his hand, “Go over there and give your statements. Everything has been recorded by the body cameras. Those who didn’t participate need not feel guilty, and those who did shouldn’t hope to escape punishment.”

Gu Yanchen glanced sideways at Shen Junci and said, “Those people wanted to attack the police just now, but when things really went wrong, it was still the police who came to rescue them.”

Shen Junci replied, “The troublemakers are just a minority after all. Most people are followers.”

Arresting criminals was the duty of the police, and protecting people’s lives was also their job.

A firefighter approached, “Officer Gu, the fire has been extinguished. We searched the scene and found two corpses. The specific identities are still pending confirmation by the medical examiner.”

Shen Junci stood up, “I’ll go take a look.”

“Are you okay?” Gu Yanchen hesitated a bit. “The county’s medical examiner will be here soon.”

Coughing, Shen Junci said, “In Changxi County, there’s no better medical examiner than me. Besides, I was at the scene just now, so it’ll be more convenient for me to confirm the identities.”

Gu Yanchen accompanied him over.

The fire had just been extinguished, and the eaves of the ancestral hall were still dripping water. After such a massive fire, it was almost unrecognizable.

Two corpses were laid side by side at the entrance. One was badly burnt, with the chest and abdomen already merged with the memorial tablets. He still had handcuffs on his hands.

Shen Junci squatted down, carefully examining. “An elderly male, burnt to death. Smoke and soot were found in the nasal and oral cavities. He should be Zhao Jianghai.”

The other corpse was of a middle-aged man. Shen Junci identified him after a moment and said, “Around forty years old, with gunshot wounds on the leg. He should be Zhao Jianghai’s son.”

Gu Yanchen said, “It’s a cheap end for them.”

Shen Junci whispered, “It’s for the best. As long as this old man is alive, some people will think of ways to make a comeback, and there may even be those who seek revenge for him. Only when he’s truly dead will the others be free.”

Zhao Jianghai was definitely the soul of the Zhao family, and now he and his son were deceased.

This fire seemed to have burned away all the feudal remnants and the hidden secrets of the Zhao family.

Zhao Zhixin and Lin Yujiao were still alive. They would be judged, and the truth would be revealed to the world.

From then on, the era of the Zhao family’s clan in Changxi County came to an end.

After examining the corpses, Shen Junci finally relaxed when the medical examiner from another police station in the county arrived.

The fire and the aftermath had drained every ounce of his strength. Shen Junci now only felt cold, and even wearing borrowed clothes couldn’t bring him warmth.

Suddenly, Shen Junci felt dizzy, without any warning. He felt everything go black in front of him, and he collapsed forward.

Gu Yanchen noticed Shen Junci’s pale face and was on guard against any discomfort. In the end, he missed grabbing him by a step, but fortunately, he reacted quickly, and Shen Junci fell into his arms.

“Medical examiner Shen, are you feeling unwell?” Gu Yanchen was frightened by his condition. His hands were dirty, so he didn’t dare to touch Shen Junci’s forehead with them, but he let him lean on him.

“I might have a slight fever.” As the black mist in front of his eyes dissipated, Shen Junci’s consciousness became clearer. The cold he hadn’t fully recovered from resurfaced, weighing him down. His eyelids twitched slightly. “I’m so tired, I want to go back to sleep.”

Gu Yanchen could feel the heat radiating from Shen Junci’s body, like a fire. He reached out to help Shen Junci adjust his clothes, saying, “Sleep? Come with me to the hospital! This is more than just a little…”

There was still an ambulance that hadn’t left yet, so Gu Yanchen quickly called for medical personnel.

Two medical staff rushed over and brought a stretcher with them, anxiously asking, “What’s the situation with the patient? Burned or poisoned?”

Shen Junci felt a little embarrassed now. “It’s nothing serious. I’ll just borrow your vehicle to go to the county hospital. It’s just a cold…”

.

At night, the Changxi County Hospital was overcrowded due to the sudden fire. Among the waiting patients, Shen Junci’s temperature was finally measured. With a high fever of thirty-nine degrees, he was immediately taken to the fever clinic. Fortunately, after a thorough examination, it was confirmed that he only had a severe cold.

That night, Gu Yanchen stayed at the hospital with Shen Junci. They waited for a while before seeing a doctor. Gu Yanchen waited for the nurse to administer the IV to Shen Junci before going to wash his face.

After a short while on the IV, Shen Junci said he was hungry. Gu Yanchen went out to buy some food. Only the convenience store next to the county hospital was open at night. He brought back some cake and hot milk for Shen Junci. Gu Yanchen sat by the bed, holding the food, feeding Shen Junci. He enjoyed this feeling, feeling satisfied himself when he fed someone else.

After eating some food, Shen Junci regained some strength. Gu Yanchen used a towel dipped in warm water to carefully wipe away the burn marks on Shen Junci’s hands and hair. His movements were gentle and meticulous. Lying on the bed, Shen Junci watched him, his eyes as black as ink.

He looked at Gu Yanchen, thinking about the experiences of tonight, another brush with death. As police officers, they had faced many dangers in the past, and who knew how many more they would face in the future.

As long as Gu Yanchen was by his side, he felt warm and secure.

“You need to get better soon.” Gu Yanchen cleaned everything up, even wiping between his fingers carefully. He looked down at Shen Junci’s face. “Now that everything’s fine, you should sleep.”

Shen Junci said, “I just ate something sweet, I need to brush my teeth.”

Gu Yanchen chuckled, “That sounds like something a child would say.”

Shen Junci looked at him, his brows slightly furrowed. “Do you know how many corpses I’ve identified based on dental records?”

Gu Yanchen said, “…”, then stood up. “It’s important to brush your teeth properly. I’ll go buy toothpaste and a disposable toothbrush!”

After finishing brushing up, Shen Junci found himself unable to sleep.

Gu Yanchen said, “Then let me continue reading to you. Where did we leave off last time?”

Shen Junci reached out and held him, saying, “It is the time you have spent on your rose that makes your rose so important.”

“It seems you haven’t lost your wits yet.” Gu Yanchen read it once and continued, “The more we experience, the more I love you, unable to extricate myself.”

Shen Junci was already very familiar with the book. He questioned, “That’s not a line from the book.”

Gu Yanchen looked at him. “It’s not from the book, it’s from my heart.”

In the lamplight, Gu Yanchen’s profile was handsome and attractive. He leaned down and kissed Shen Junci. The convenience store tonight only had children’s toothpaste, orange-flavored.

Shen Junci felt that children’s toothpaste was too sweet. Otherwise, why hadn’t the orange flavor dissipated yet? He said, “I love you too.”

The night in the county town was very quiet. Gu Yanchen found where they had last read and began to read aloud again. In the dark night, the sound of his reading accompanied Shen Junci to sleep.

.

The next day at noon, Gu Yanchen bought lunch for Shen Junci. He went to the corridor and called Director Ding. Director Ding listened to his report about last night’s fire with a good mood. “This time we’ve solved this serial murder case and caught the culprit. I’ll make sure to give you and several other officers credit for this. I’ve also heard about Zhao Jianghai’s situation. What era is it now? They’re still playing the old clan game in the county. This fire was their own doing.”

…

“Don’t worry, there will be a police announcement from the City Bureau. The Provincial Department has also said that they will treat this case as a typical example of the police cracking down on clan forces.”

“Also, make sure Medical Examiner Shen gets some rest. Since you’re wrapping things up there soon, if the medical conditions in the county are limited, you can transfer back to the city hospital at any time. I’ll approve your leave.”

After making a call, Gu Yanchen was about to return to the hospital room when he saw Zhao Zhiyuan walking out of a nearby ward.

Zhao Zhiyuan had a smile on his face. “Officer Gu, thank you for this.”

The news of Zhao Jianghai’s death had spread, which was good news for him.

Gu Yanchen greeted Zhao Zhiyuan, “Mr. Zhao, are you here to visit a patient?” This time, in solving the case, Zhao Zhiyuan had provided the police with quite a few leads, and Gu Yanchen had a good impression of him.

Supporting his glasses, Zhao Zhiyuan said, “I’m here to see my student.” Then he explained, “Zhao Xiaoyin is staying here.”

Gu Yanchen nodded, realizing that Zhao Xiaoyin’s ward was nearby. The girl had just woken up last night, and this morning, police officers had already come to take her statement. However, the details of the case were better told by family members, so it seemed Zhao Zhiyuan was chosen for that task.

Gu Yanchen asked, “Does she know everything?”

“I told her everything. She’s ten years old now, she should grow up,” Zhao Zhiyuan replied.

Sometimes growing up is a long process, but for some children born into adversity, growing up happens in a day, a night, or even a moment.

Looking out the window, Zhao Zhiyuan said, “She’s a smart girl. Actually, in the past six months, Xiaoyin hasn’t had a good relationship with Zhao Yihao. Ever since she grew up, Zhao Yihao would make some inappropriate gestures towards her. She came to me for help. I told her that regardless of whether they’re relatives, adult men shouldn’t do those things to girls. So, she resented Zhao Yihao and was averse to things between men and women, and also misunderstood the relationship between Zhao Yihao and Lin Yujiao.”

Because of this, Zhao Xiaoyin had started to hate Lin Yujiao as well.

Zhao Yihao and that clan had brought misery upon a mother and daughter. Gu Yanchen asked, “So now, how does Zhao Xiaoyin feel about Lin Yujiao?”

“I told her the whole story, and she said she doesn’t hate Lin Yujiao. In the future, she hopes I can take her to the prison to see her mother.”

As they talked, Shen Junci came out of the ward. His fever had subsided, and he looked much better. The door to the ward was open, and he happened to overhear their conversation.

Shen Junci walked over to Zhao Zhiyuan and asked, “Mr. Zhao, are you leaving here?”

He remembered that Zhao Zhiyuan had mentioned wanting to leave that night.

Now that the cage that had confined him was gone, Zhao Zhiyuan could pursue his own life.

However, Zhao Zhiyuan shook his head. “I will probably stay here as a teacher for the time being.”

Not only Shen Junci, but even Gu Yanchen showed a puzzled expression. Given Zhao Zhiyuan’s qualifications, being an elementary school teacher was obviously beneath him. He couldn’t leave before, but now, what was the reason?

Zhao Zhiyuan smiled and looked into the distance. “Although Zhao Jianghai is gone, the Zhao family clan still left many marks here. I hope to erase those marks.”

Gu Yanchen thought for a moment. “Indeed, the best way to break free from the ignorant control of those clans is through education.”

The existence of clans itself was based on blood ties, and violence, interests, and cover-ups would all thrive within them.

Zhao Jianghai had been orchestrating things here for so many years, implanting clan concepts into people’s minds. Many methods were just temporary fixes.

It wasn’t realistic to arrest so many people. Changing mindsets couldn’t happen overnight. With so many Zhao family members living here, it wasn’t practical for officers and leaders to be stationed here for long periods. So the best method was to provide proper guidance and education to the children here.

Every child would grow up, and even turn around to influence their parents, influencing every family. Therefore, children were the future. When they had cultural knowledge and understood the law, they would know what was right and wrong. They wouldn’t be trapped by those concepts.

Zhao Zhiyuan said, “Perhaps my thoughts are idealistic and naive, but I believe that with enough civilization and order, clans will have no soil to take root.”

Gu Yanchen nodded. “That’s not wrong, but it’s a difficult path that may take a long time.”

Zhao Zhiyuan nodded, prepared for the challenge.

Shen Junci said, “Mr. Zhao, with people like you working hard, that day will come true.”

This morning, vehicles had already come to demolish the burned down ancestral hall. Bulldozers had removed the decayed beams and pillars. In the county hospital, the rumble of machines could also be heard.

In the distance, the Zhao family ancestral hall had turned into scorched earth. The antonym of death is new life. Outside the window, the weather was clear. This small county town would also welcome a bright tomorrow.