Insights Chapter 64: Clearwater

Chapter 64: Clearwater

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Late at night, in the north of Penang. On a street, the lights were already on. Ding Yueran got off a late-night bus. He had changed into a different set of clothes, combed his hair, and even wore a hat, looking as if he was going on a short trip. Based on his experience, although he had been closely guarded in the detention center before, he was just an accomplice, not a serious offender. The young prison guards didn’t have much vigilance against him.

The police response was like a massive and cumbersome machine. The entire system, from activation to issuing arrest orders, took at least several hours. After getting off the bus, he chose a route with fewer surveillance cameras to avoid being caught in the dragnet.

For a while, he was safe. Familiar with the whole process, he knew which loopholes to exploit to escape overnight. But as he walked, looking at the unfamiliar street ahead, a hint of confusion appeared on his face. He was alone, without family, and hardly anyone he knew. He didn’t know which way to go.

There were few cars on this road, but there were a few pedestrians. Suddenly, a car appeared in front of him, its headlights glaring. The car violated traffic rules, abruptly turning towards him. The momentum seemed like it would run him over in the next second.

Ding Yueran looked up; it was Mu Yuwei’s car. He didn’t move, not even blinking. He was gambling, betting that even if Mu Yuwei was insane, he wouldn’t dare to run him over in public. Sure enough, the car braked sharply, making a screeching sound, stopping about a dozen meters away from him. Pedestrians on the road were startled, looking over, not understanding what was happening with this car and its driver.

The car window rolled down, Mu Yuwei leaned out and honked, “Get in.”

His tone was bad, obviously suppressing his anger. Ding Yueran ignored him, hands in his pockets, continuing to walk forward. Mu Yuwei turned the car around, slowly driving alongside him on his right, keeping the speed very low. “I didn’t mean to deceive you. I just didn’t have time to explain things to you properly.”

Ding Yueran kept walking, his pace quick.

Mu Yuwei said, “Where can you go? With just you alone, do you think you can hide your identity? Where are you staying tonight? Once those people get hold of your photo, your wanted poster will be out in no time. Without the company’s help, you’ll be stuck.”

Ding Yueran still didn’t respond.

Mu Yuwei continued persuading earnestly, “Only I am with you, only I am your family. You don’t belong in the ordinary world.”

It seemed like a scene of a father advising his rebellious son.

Mu Yuwei added, “It’s just one deal. I’ll explain to the Trading Association about this matter. If you come back, I can even overlook the matter of that dog. Let’s pretend nothing happened.” This was his biggest concession. As the saying goes, first the courtesy and then the soldiers, if Ding Yueran still didn’t agree, he would have to kill him.

Ding Yueran stopped, “You want me to go back? Do you know what I told the police?”

Mu Yuwei patiently smiled, “I know you didn’t say much, otherwise, the police would have arrested you long ago.” He paused and continued, “We’re family, parents and rebellious sons may have conflicts, but there can’t be overnight grudges. Can I really abandon you? That person has been dead for years. We shouldn’t let the emotions concerning a dead person affect our relationship.”

This was, of course, a complete lie. He feared Ding Yueran would reveal more critical information to others and feared losing him as a subordinate, unable to plan satisfactory strategies in the future and unable to justify himself to the Trading Association. He hesitated for a long time between directly killing Ding Yueran or temporarily reconciling with him. Although they had torn their faces now, it seemed both of them had left some room for reconciliation.

Mu Yuwei didn’t think everything was so bad. The person in front of him just deviated temporarily. It was hard to find a satisfactory subordinate, and he could even try to win him back.

Ding Yueran asked, “How did you find me?”

Mu Yuwei smiled and said, “The hospital directly used by the detention center is the third hospital. Generally, they would take people to the emergency department. You’ve already rehearsed all this, right? I specifically had someone teach you how to unlock handcuffs. Those few little policemen are no match for you. You’ve also checked the third hospital. You hid your clothes there. After coming out from the back door of the third hospital, there’s a bus station. That’s where I caught sight of you.”

They had collaborated so many times that Mu Yuwei, as the boss, was familiar with his plans. In the company, Ding Yueran’s code name was Clearwater. He was highly praised by the Trading Association’s people, and many were willing to pay a hefty price for his plans. Therefore, Mu Yuwei always valued him and even chose him as his successor. But Mu Yuwei didn’t expect Ding Yueran to mess up this time.

It was all because of that damn cop.

Speaking of which, Ding Yueran finally opened the car door and got in. He sat in the back seat, turning his head to look out the window.

Mu Yuwei started the car, “I really didn’t mean to keep you in the dark…”

Ding Yueran couldn’t be bothered to talk to him about these things, “I want to go to the room where Li Zhongnan used to live.”

Mu Yuwei fell silent for a moment and compromised, “I’ll take you there.”

After driving for a while, the car stopped in front of a villa.

Mu Yuwei said, “Take a break for now. When you’re ready to talk to me, we’ll talk.”

He treated Ding Yueran exceptionally well, emphasizing again, “You should know, you’re my son. My company will be yours sooner or later.”

Mu Yuwei drove away, and Ding Yueran still didn’t respond. He walked into the basement of the villa, where there was a cell. There was only one bed, no sunlight, and ventilation depended on the ventilation system. Ding Yueran didn’t turn on the lights. He was a person born in darkness; his mother gave birth to him at night on November 5th, and no one rejoiced at his birth. His eyes had been accustomed to darkness since childhood. He often hid alone in dark corners, listening to the laughter of those men and his mother’s moans.

Now he sat on the cold floor of the basement, reaching out to touch the bars of the bed, “Officer Li, I finally did what I promised you back then.”

He stayed in the darkness, as if having a conversation with someone. Ding Yueran whispered, “I told the senior police about the existence of the company.” After a pause, he continued, “Don’t worry about me; I’m not in immediate danger.”

Sitting in the dim basement, by the bed, Ding Yueran remembered the first time he saw Li Zhongnan. He remembered killing someone two nights ago and hiding at his mother’s grave. He missed his mother. The feeling of killing someone with a firewood knife wasn’t very pleasant. He was hungry and cold, covered in blood, soaked by the heavy rain, tightly holding the knife in his arms. He felt he would be found by someone and might even be killed.

Later, many people came, village policemen and strangers. He stared, on guard, not even daring to blink. Those people cursed and grumbled, staying ten meters away from him, not daring to approach. Someone raised a gun at him, apparently preparing to shoot him on the spot.

Then Li Zhongnan appeared. At that time, the man was still young, extending his hand to him, saying, “Don’t be afraid. Put down the knife in your hand. No one will hurt you.”

He looked at that hand in front of him and put down the knife in his hand, standing up. He grabbed Li Zhongnan’s hand, feeling the warmth. He was handcuffed in the car, and those people started digging his mother’s grave. His mother’s corpse had been buried for seven days, still showing signs of being beaten.

He heard Li Zhongnan curse, “Those people deserve to die.”

That police officer showed an inappropriate sympathy towards him. He remembered other policemen calling the man’s name; his name was Li Zhongnan. In the dark life he lived, aside from his mother, Li Zhongnan was the only good person he had encountered.

Later, when he was in juvenile detention, Li Zhongnan visited him twice, urging him to study and reform well. The first time Li Zhongnan came, he gave him a letter, which the warden read to him, and he memorized it. The letter mentioned that considering his behavior toward Li Zhongnan and his mother, he might be eligible for a sentence reduction. The letter comforted him, saying his life was still long, and he had a chance to start over and return to society. He remembered that the letter had a pleasant smell, like the scent of sunlight shining on grass.

The second time Li Zhongnan came, he gave him a business card, saying if he encountered difficulties after coming out, he could come to him. He memorized the address on it. He would dream of Li Zhongnan, and in his dreams, the person was radiant, warm, and made him feel redeemed.

Because of his good behavior, he was released from juvenile detention just after turning eighteen. He didn’t fit in with the other kids there, and the warden was a bit afraid of him. He didn’t make any friends. However, he learned to read and write in juvenile detention, and he grew a bit taller. Finally, he wasn’t as skinny as he was when he was a child.

He packed up, hardly having anything to take with him, just that letter and the business card, which he placed in his study manual. At that time, he had no family, no friends, and didn’t know where to go. He went to find Li Zhongnan according to the address on the business card. He thought Li Zhongnan would be good at washing clothes and cooking, and as long as Li Zhongnan didn’t dislike him, he would stay with him for a while.

But he didn’t find Li Zhongnan.

“That man, seems like he’s not a policeman anymore?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what he’s doing every day. It’s been a long time since we saw him.”

“His house is also empty. And someone said he…”

That day it was raining, and he felt lost, as if he had lost his home for the second time. Perhaps, he had never had a home. He was very unwilling to accept this, working odd jobs while inquiring about Li Zhongnan’s whereabouts everywhere.

Eventually, he ended up in a bar, and later he met the boss. The boss talked to him a lot and was very satisfied with this released criminal wolf cub. At that time, the company was rapidly expanding and in need of manpower. The boss brought him and several other kids of similar age into the company.

“The times are changing, but you guys don’t understand anything. In order to train you, I’ve hired the best teachers for you. Killing and arson used to rely on courage; now they rely on brains.”

The first step upon entering the door was to erase fingerprints. They first used chemicals to burn off the fingerprints, then soaked their fingers in water until the skin peeled off like gloves. While the other kids screamed in pain, he remained silent.

The boss was very pleased with him and remarked, “This kid is interesting.”

Later, he learned that the boss’s name was Mu Yuwei, a seasoned hand at helping wealthy people commit murder. Especially after the group of people around Xu Chenghuang was taken down, the boss practically monopolized all related businesses in Penang. The boss was very wealthy and had several loyal dogs under his command. The Hound was one of them, willing to kill and commit arson for the boss, doing anything for him.

They called murder “execution” and used various methods. Gutting was for fish, breaking the neck was for chickens, electrocution was for cows, stabbing the heart was for pigs, and bleeding out was for sheep. The boss often criticized his dogs for not being smart enough and didn’t involve them in management and planning, so he started training these kids.

When the kids grew up, they would be assigned to corresponding professions based on their strengths. They underwent various training courses, including one in criminal investigation. The materials they studied included some textbooks from the police academy. However, they learned in reverse; if the police were to investigate using this method, they needed to know how to erase traces. They also bought some internal police information and magazines to read. He remembered several articles with Li Zhongnan’s name as the author.

The boss believed that if a good beast wanted to evade a hunter’s pursuit, the best way was to study all the hunter’s courses. He had a talent for this. He wondered if, without his childhood experiences, if he had studied hard, would it have been possible for him to go to college and become a police officer.

Unfortunately, there were no “ifs.” He performed well and was later trained by the boss to become a planner. He started learning how to plan under other planners, knowing that behind those words and thin paper, there could be bloody lives. He took on many tasks and gradually became well-known among the planners. As long as it was a plan he submitted, the set designers never doubted it.

After working for a long time, he wondered why there was so much killing intent between people. Money, secrets, disputes—sometimes killing someone became the simplest and most convenient solution. Then one day, he heard that the boss had caught someone and imprisoned them here in this basement, and that person used to be a policeman.

At that time, he had a vague premonition, and later he confirmed that the person who was caught was Li Zhongnan. He learned some information—Li Zhongnan was imprisoned here by the boss because, during his time in the police force, he had solved two carefully planned cases. Later, Li Zhongnan resigned from the police force but still wanted to track down these people. As a result, he was captured by the boss.

The boss had the Hound injure him but deliberately spared his life. The boss also intentionally spread bad information, causing others to suspect that Li Zhongnan was a corrupt cop who fled in fear. But Ding Yueran knew that Li Zhongnan was not that kind of person; he was a steadfast good cop. Because he wanted to escape, his legs were broken, ribs were fractured several times, and every toe was broken.

Once, when there was no one around, Ding Yueran managed to distract the guards and came to this basement. Li Zhongnan was extremely weak, his entire body thin, and his hands and feet were shackled.

After several years since they last met, Li Zhongnan looked up and immediately recognized him, softly calling his name, “Ding Yueran, I remember you.”

No one had called his name for a long time, they all called him Clearwater.

His heart beat rapidly, telling him, “Officer Li, I remember you too.”

Li Zhongnan looked at him for a long time and asked, “How did you end up here?”

He shrugged, “I have no family left, nowhere to go.” He wanted to say, “Officer Li, I once looked for you.” But he opened his mouth and didn’t say it.

Li Zhongnan suddenly remembered something, and his eyes dimmed, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help you.”

He briefly told Li Zhongnan about his life over the past few years.

Li Zhongnan looked at him and said, “I feel that although you have committed crimes, you are different from many people here. Your conscience is not completely lost, and you still have good intentions.”

Good intentions? Maybe such a thing did exist.

The name Clearwater was something he gave himself; he was the original sin of humanity, with a dirty soul, but he still longed for that clean water.

Li Zhongnan asked him again, “Are you still a good person?”

Ding Yueran replied, “Officer Li, how should I put it, I haven’t killed anyone with my own hands recently. But I feel that the words ‘good’ and ‘bad’ can no longer simply describe a person. Especially to describe me.”

At that moment, Li Zhongnan lowered his head and said to him, “Do you believe in karma, that good and evil will be rewarded?”

He had heard Li Zhongnan say this saying before; it seemed to be his mantra. He believed that hard work would be rewarded and that there would be a day of reckoning.

He said, “I believe.”

Li Zhongnan’s voice trembled, “And also, don’t kill the police, under any circumstances, don’t kill the police.”

At that moment, his eyes felt particularly sore. He had fallen to this extent, yet there was still someone reaching out from the cliff, always trying to pull him back. He had once thought about how to rescue Li Zhongnan, but he couldn’t break through the layers of defense set up by the boss. All he could do was provide Li Zhongnan with a key to unlock the handcuffs.

Since then, whenever the guards weren’t paying attention, he would secretly come over and have a few words with Li Zhongnan. He trusted Li Zhongnan, and even towards this man, he had a kind of indescribable emotion. During those days, there was gradually a light in Li Zhongnan’s eyes, as if he saw something called hope in him.

One day, Li Zhongnan finally revealed his purpose to him, “Ding Yueran, can you do me a favor?”

“What favor?” he asked.

“Reveal the existence of the company and the specifics inside to the police,” Li Zhongnan said softly.

Ding Yueran hesitated for a moment, “Are you hoping someone will come to save you?”

Li Zhongnan said, “I may not wait for that day. Mu Yuwei may kill me. I am imprisoned here and do not understand the situation of the company. Only you know what it’s like here and how it operates. You don’t need to mention me, just tell the reliable people in the police station.”

He hesitated a bit, with a voice in his heart calling out. At that moment, he wondered if he was being used as a pawn. But upon careful consideration, he seemed to feel that this might be the right thing to do.

Li Zhongnan looked at him, seeing his hesitation, and said again, “If you don’t want to, it’s okay. After all, this is a very dangerous thing…”

At that moment, he didn’t know where his courage came from, and he agreed, “Okay, I promise you. If I have the opportunity, I will help you pass on the message.”

But later, he became confused. How to tell the police? They were under the boss’s surveillance almost all the time. All communication devices would be confiscated, various documents would be changed at any time, and the boss was elusive, who knew where he would be.

Once, half-jokingly, he asked Ah Jin, who entered the company with him, “How can we meet the police?”

Ah Jin thought he was joking, hesitated for a moment, and said, “Unless we’re caught.”

He suddenly realized that he could only see the police if he was caught.

Then Ah Jin said, “But after being caught, we will probably be eliminated by the organization. Once there was a set designer who slipped up. Before he came out of the interrogation room, he had a heart attack and died in the City Bureau. Actually, he was poisoned, right?”

He calculated carefully, there would be a small time difference between being arrested and being killed. If he wanted to help Li Zhongnan pass on the message, this would be the only opportunity, and what would follow would be his death. He didn’t care about his life or death. Instead, he felt that this was a very exciting thing, and his life had a goal. He thought about the process, who to say it to, whether those people would believe him. 

But before he had a chance to be arrested by the police, Mu Yuwei found some clues first. Once the boss called him over and said, “Do you often go to see the policeman in the basement?”

He was stunned, thinking about who had betrayed him.

The boss said, “I can kill him, but I want to ask for your opinion first.”

He clearly knew it was the boss’s test, but he imagined how uncomfortable he would feel if Li Zhongnan died. It was like a black sky pressing down on him, just like the night his mother died. Just imagining it made him breathless.

After hesitating for a moment, he said, “Don’t kill him.”

Then he realized that things might be worse, because Mu Yuwei had finally found his soft spot. The boss smiled, “How about we make a deal? I won’t kill him, and you stop going to see him, and work properly.”

From that day on, Li Zhongnan became the hostage the boss used to control him. Because of this, he became even more obedient to the boss. In order to gain the boss’s trust, he began to plan frequently. He would leave a little trace in the plan, like his personal signature, a key with his personal style. He hoped that the police would find those traces and arrest him. He worked hard for the boss, and the boss was also grooming him as a successor. After acting for so many years, he even believed it himself.

At this moment, Ding Yueran looked at the empty room as if that person was still living there, “Recently, I used some means to kill the boss’s most loyal dog, the one who broke your leg and ribs. For safety, the planner and the set designer cannot meet. Before this, I only chatted with the Hound online. When we met, he thought I was a new set designer. I gave him the complete plan online under the identity of Qing Shui. He might still believe in my flawless plan until he dies, and he won’t even think that the sniper upstairs was prepared for him. I met with the high-level officials of the police station and revealed some information to them. I hope those stupid policemen won’t let your painstaking efforts go to waste.”

Saying this, Ding Yueran’s hand pressed against the ground, curling up in the darkness, “I know what you’re expecting.”

He had always thought that Li Zhongnan was here.

Until a week ago, Mu Yuwei went abroad, he opened this door, and then he found the room was already empty. No one had lived here for a long time. It was then that he realized that Mu Yuwei was controlling him. So he fabricated the illusion that Li Zhongnan was still here. He suddenly woke up, modified the plan in his hand, attracted the police, killed the Hound, and escaped.

He fulfilled his promise to Li Zhongnan. He seemed to be almost able to escape from Mu Yuwei’s control. But in the end, he returned here because he found that he had nowhere else to go.

Ding Yueran walked out of the basement.

Outside the villa, Yazi sat on the sofa, she saw Ding Yueran come out and waved to him, “Congratulations on getting out of prison.”

Ding Yueran smiled, “You were wishing for me to die in there, weren’t you?”

Yazi said, “How could that be? After all, we’re in this together, I’m your supporter.”

Ding Yueran said, “I don’t need supporters, I just hope you don’t talk too much.”

Yazi looked a little aggrieved, “It wasn’t me who told Dad, and I thought you wouldn’t come back.”

Then she took off her outer clothes. She was a beautiful woman.

Ding Yueran understood what her actions meant. He lifted her chin, “Did Mu Yuwei send you?” He quickly realized, “Because he felt without my weakness, so he sent you to get close to me? Trying to make me develop feelings for you? Dream on. Go back and tell him, although I’ve returned, he can’t control me anymore.”

Yazi straightened her clothes and sat beside him, “Let’s talk business. Many of our accounts have been banned recently. Do you know who’s behind it?”

Those were the water army they cultivated to guide public opinion, some of the accounts had been tirelessly cultivated for years and had gained some influence. Now, many accounts were banned, reducing their online control.

Ding Yueran shook his head, “I’m not sure, but I know there are some people making efforts. Your good days are numbered.” He paused and added, “But it has nothing to do with me. You should discuss it with others.”

He didn’t want to go back to being a planner in the company. He reflected that he seemed to have been pushed by fate all along, and no one ever asked him what he wanted to do.

Except for Li Zhongnan. Now, he had lost what he wanted, he feared nothing, and he had no one to miss. This place was just his refuge, another prison.

Ding Yueran looked at the woman in front of him and asked again, “Tell me, Li Zhongnan, did he really die?”

From the initial shock and anger, Ding Yueran woke up with this doubt. He had given the handcuff key to Li Zhongnan, who was so smart, maybe he could escape from the layers of cages. Without seeing a corpse, with just Mu Yuwei’s words, he felt there were still doubts about this matter.

“I don’t know,” Yazi said, looking at him, “I only know, if you act recklessly, Hetu Trading Association won’t let you go, and Dad won’t let you go either.”

Ding Yueran smiled, revealing his sharp teeth, “He’s not my dad. I killed my dad a long time ago.”

If possible, he hoped the person he could call “dad” wasn’t Mu Yuwei, but Li Zhongnan.