The carriage rushed to the top of the mountain. The dizzy bronze suddenly saw the lights of Santa Fe. Santa Fe, the name of the minority city translated as sacred faith in Chinese, felt a bitter irony at the thought of this. He must have—he prayed—faith.

The bronze house looks like a stranger. He wiped the carriage from the carriage, untied the reins of the two horses, and left them on a muddy fork in the trail. Exhausted, he ran through the darkness toward his home. To his despair, he didn't feel the slightest sense of home. For the past year and three months, it had been his refuge, a symbol of his new life, but now it was just a place, not unlike the apartment he had rented out in Chongqing.

He looked around alarmingly to see if anyone was watching his home. Although he didn't find anything, he still felt that he had to be careful. He climbed the pine slope behind the house, the same path taken by last night's attackers. He took out the key from a dark place under the back door, opened the back door, and entered the house in a flash. In case the police drove by and spotted the light he turned on, he didn't touch the switch, but quickly locked the door behind him. He fumbled his way into his bullet-ridden bedroom by the moonlight streaming in through the back window. The room was a mess, and the stench of gunpowder had not yet dissipated. This is the symbol of his current life.

In less than 12 hours, he took a cold shower for the third time and then changed into clean clothes. This time, he packed what he had to bring into a small travel bag. He packed up his few pieces of jewelry—a gold bracelet, a gold chain, and an emerald ring. He never wore any of these things. They were keepsakes from his past life, and he carried them with him for emergencies and to sell them if he ran out of money. In addition, there are 12 small gold bars in a small pouch. He tossed them into a drawer in disgust as he moved in. He had planned to exchange them for cash or store them in the bank's valuables safe, but he never bothered to do so. At this moment, he put the jewelry in the bag containing the gold coin, and sandwiched the bag between the clothes in the travel bag.

He was about to stop, carrying his bag and walking to the door. This door is just outside the kitchen. He reluctantly stopped, opened the cupboard, hurriedly made a steamed bun with meat, devoured it, and poured a few sips of cold tea. He wiped the tea from his mouth, went into the study, checked it, and saw a note "Bronze, as soon as you see it, call me immediately." I've been trying to get in touch with you. If you've already left Santa Fe ......," bronzed's face became serious. He went back to the kitchen, picked up his travel bag, and headed for the carport. The Jeep's high-powered engine started at once, and with a roar, the car disappeared into the night.

"Hey, that's ...... Some......? ”

Bronze held the phone in one hand, "Is it Officer Blue?" ”

"Mr. Gu?" The officer's groggy voice immediately became alert. "Where are you going—"

"We have to talk."

"You're so right, it's time for us to talk."

"All you gave me was your home phone number, but no address. How do I get to your place? "Bronze, listen." Well, I know where. ”

Eight minutes later, Bronze drove to the south of the city, into a dimly lit residential area. Most people from the mainland like to wander through the brightly lit shops in the square, and they don't even notice the unattractive place. On the dark dirt lane next to it, a rickshaw was parked. The gravel floor in front of the house is densely covered with yucca flowers, and a small garden is located on the front wall. As an ethnic minority, at this moment, Officer Lan was wearing a poplin Chinese-style coat and long black hair draped over his shoulders, sitting under a dismal yellow lamp. Lights illuminate the three concrete steps leading to the front door.

Bronze was just about to get out of the jeep, but Officer Blue made a gesture for Bronze to stay still, and he himself stepped forward, got into the car, and closed the door of the passenger seat. "Your phone call woke my wife up."

"I'm sorry."

"That's what I said to her, but it doesn't solve the problem between her and me."

Officer Blue talks about his own private affairs, which Bronze didn't expect. Bronze was so focused on his own business that he didn't even think about Officer Blue's life outside of work. The officer was calm and responsible, giving the impression that he was working 24 hours a day. Bronze never thought that people like him had his own problems.

"She always nagged me that the little money I earned wasn't worth the risk and time." Officer Blue said, "She doesn't want me to be a police officer anymore." Guess what she wants me to do? You're going to love this coincidence. ”

Bronze thought for a moment. "Being a real estate agent?"

"Let's not talk about that. Do you often get phone calls in the middle of the night? ”

Bronze shook his head.

"But I bet you used to get phone calls at night when you used to do it. And I'm sure you've had quite a few calls tonight, too. I've been to your house several times, and you've been away. I made several calls and no one answered. It is ridiculous to rush to conclusions. But I have a feeling that you've left the city. If you don't show up tomorrow morning, I'll report to the authorities and ask for your arrest. Where have you been? ”

"Get out for a walk."

"From 4 p.m. all the way to now? It's been almost 10 hours. ”

"I stopped and sat down for a moment."

"It's not a short time."

"I have a lot of things to think about."

"What's the matter?"

Bronze stared straight into Officer Blue's eyes. "I'm looking for her."

Officer Blue's gaze was equally aggressive. "Even if I ask you to stay here, just in case I have more questions for you?"

"I've told you everything I can to tell you. It was a kind visit, to clear up misunderstandings between us, to let you know exactly what I was doing. I'm looking for her. ”

"So where do you think she's gone?"

Bronze ignored the question. "I told you about my plan, because I didn't want you to send a notice to arrest me, and I didn't want to be chased by the police and hidden."

"What do you offer in exchange? Why do I have to listen to you? ”

Bronze also ignored these questions. "Has the station provided any information about Gong Yu and Ryan's whereabouts?"

Officer Blue stared at him in amazement, then burst into a bitter laugh. "Do you really expect me to help? You've been hiding the situation from me as much as you can from the beginning, and now expect me to tell you what I know? ”

"It's up to you."

"I have my own plans. Now, what I want you to do is go into the house. ”

Bronze sat up straight. "You want me to stay here, you go call a police car to take me to the police station?"

"No, I want you to stay here, I'll get dressed. Wherever you go, I'll follow. Whether you like it or not, I will be with you to the end. I hate being tossed back and forth. Obviously, you know a lot more than you say. From now on, you and I are like twins who are not separated until you tell me the answer to the matter. ”

"Trust me, I wish I could find out."

"Get out of the car." Officer Blue opens the door to the passenger seat.

"Her real name is not Gong Yu," Gu Tong said, "her real name is An Ruoxi." ”

Officer Lan lifted his foot into the car with an indifferent expression.

"Have you ever heard of that name?" Bronze asked.

"Nope."

"She is currently under the guardianship of the Enforcement Office of the Court. She was scheduled to go to Hangzhou on Monday to testify about something. I can only come up with an explanation that makes sense. ”

"Protective measures."

"That's right."

Officer Blue sat back in the car. "When did you find out about this?"

"Tonight."

"How did you find out?"

"You don't have to know. If you really want to help, tell me how to find someone. ”

Bronze rang the doorbell for the fourth time and slammed the door again. He was overjoyed when he saw the lights in the house come on. He and Officer Lan tried to make a phone call, but after the phone rang four times, all they heard was a busy signal. They reckon that the man Bronze needed to talk to hadn't left the city, as only 12 hours had passed since they had last seen him. They decided to go directly to the man's dwelling to find him. Officer Blue knew where he lived. His house is a simple adobe house on a narrow street off Renmin Road. Like many areas of Santa Fe, this place also has no street lights. After the light on the top of the door came on, the bronze and blue officers carefully took a few steps back from the doorway so that the person who opened the door could see that they were not dangerous. They waited for the door to open.

A window opened. The Bureau of Investigation officer here looked out from behind the window and asked, "Who's out there?" What do you want to do? ”

"It's Officer Blue."

"Is that you? So why - it's only 4 a.m., what are you doing here? ”

"I have something to talk to you about."

"Can't you wait and find a suitable time?"

"The situation is urgent."

"That's what you said in the afternoon. I haven't forgotten how you made me look good. ”

"If you don't listen to me this time, you'll really have to make yourself look good."

"Who's with you?"

"The guy who was with me this afternoon."

"Fuck."

There were a few more lights in the room. After a scraping sound of unlocking, the door opened with a creak. He wore shorts and a short gown, revealing strong, thin arms and legs. His unkempt hair and beard stubble stood in stark contrast to the bureaucratic neatness of the previous afternoon. "I have a guest." He said he blocked the doorway with his body and pointed to a closed door at the end of the short aisle. Officer Lan told Bronze that the man's wife was not in the area.

"I want to know about An Ruoxi." Bronze said.

"Who?" The other party is expressionless.

"An Ruoxi"

The other party made a confused look. "I've never heard of her." He began to close the door. "If you're here for—"

Bronze blocked the door with his foot. "An Ruoxi is Gong Yu's real name."

The other man stared down at where Bronze blocked the door with his foot. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"She's protected by witnesses."

The other party's gaze condensed to one point, and suddenly became sharp and alert.

"It was because of this that my house was attacked, and her house was bombed." Bronze said.

"I still don't know what you mean."

"Of course, the Bureau of Investigation is not directly involved in enforcing protections as it used to be." "Now it's mainly the Court Enforcement Office that is responsible for enforcement. But you have a very close relationship with their work, so they will not fail to tell you when they relocate one of the main witnesses to Santa Fe. On the other hand, they did not inform the local police because they did not need to know. The fewer people who know, the better. ”

The other party's countenance became more severe. "Even if what you say is true, why do I have to admit everything to you?"

"Ryan." Bronze said.

The other party stopped closing the door.

"Before the house exploded, Gong Yu hurriedly ran out of the house, and he drove Gong Yu away." Bronze said.

The other side is clearly skeptical. "How did you know this man?"

"I've worked with him in the past."

"It makes no sense. Are you saying you used to be a magistrate in the courts? ”

"Magistrate?" Bronze didn't understand what the other party was referring to at first, but then it dawned on him. "Ryan is the court's magistrate?"

The other party inadvertently leaked the news and looked very frustrated.

"No," said bronze, "I've never done it in a courthouse. "Due to the constraints of time, he can only convince the other party by surprise." Ryan and I met while working in the Intelligence Bureau. ”

As he expected, the other party was really taken aback. He looked at the bronze with a new understanding. Then he turned to Officer Blue, looked at the bronze again, and made a gesture for them to enter the room. "We need to talk."

The sheriff's living room was as simple as the exterior of the house, with a simple set of Chinese tables and chairs, a small table, and a radio station. Everything was so neat and orderly. Bronze noticed a dot-38 revolver on the shelf. He thought he must have the gun in his hand when he looked out the window to see who was knocking on the door.

"I don't think you can prove you worked in the Intelligence Bureau." said the magistrate.

"I can't prove it right now. To be precise, we don't use badges and IDs. ”

"Then why should I trust you?" He turned to Officer Blue and frowned. "Do you believe him?"

Officer Blue nodded.

"Why?"

"You haven't been with him since this time yesterday. The way he behaved in a critical moment made it clear that he was a professional veteran, and I certainly don't mean selling real estate. ”

"We'll figure it out." He turned his attention to bronze again. "What do you know about Ryan?"

"He's the worst of all the agents I've worked with."

He took a step forward, closer to the bronze.

"He disobeyed orders," said Bronze, "and always thought that others in the same action group with him were secretly working against him; He took important actions without approval and took every opportunity to act ultra vires. It was because of him that the mission I carried out with him turned into a catastrophe, with extremely heavy casualties and almost an international incident. ”

The sheriff looked at him, as if wondering how honest he really was. Finally, he let out a long breath and sat feebly in the chair opposite the bronze. "I'll admit, I've heard some rumors about Ryan, and it's not a secret. These rumors have nothing to do with the Intelligence Bureau, and I have no idea of how he behaved while working in the Intelligence Bureau. The rumors I heard were related to his actions as a magistrate. He was a man who liked to be reckless, and always thought that he knew more than his superiors. He often disobeyed instructions and violated procedures. I couldn't figure out how he could get into the Court Enforcement Department. ”

"I can guess what's going on." "When the intelligence bureau asked him to leave, they must have praised him in the letters of recommendation they wrote to him. In exchange, they demanded that he never reveal any details of the disastrous operation in which he had participated in the future, so as not to embarrass them. ”

"But if he was the one who caused the disaster, he would have hurt himself by telling it out."

"If he is convinced that he is not responsible, it will be different." Bronze said, "Ryan never wanted to face reality. Every time he did something wrong, he always deceived himself into passing the blame on others. ”

Officer Blue leaned forward. "Listening to your tone, you seem to be a little resentful about this."

"He once shifted the blame onto me. Because of him, I resigned from government – and this dog mongrel has now broken into my life. ”

"It's a coincidence."

"No, I can't believe it's a coincidence, I don't believe that Gong Yu happened to buy the house next to my house. If Ryan was in charge of guarding her, it wouldn't have been. The only plausible explanation for this situation is that Ryan has been spying on me since I resigned from the Intelligence Agency. He knew I was in Santa Fe. He had a witness to be resettled. After a little investigation, he learned that the house next to my house was for sale, which couldn't have been better. Why don't you put Gong Yu next door to my house? That way, she has a next-door neighbor who provides her with extra protection and inadvertently acts as a bodyguard for her. ”

The sheriff thought for a moment. "It may be a bit cynical, but it makes sense."

"It is inappropriate to describe this practice as 'cynical'. I've been used," Bronze said, "and if I'm not mistaken, Gong Yu has been taken advantage of." I think Ryan has gone to the other side. ”

"What?"

Bronze remembers his previous conversation with Ryan in the car. "I think Ryan told the thugs where to find Gong Yu in exchange for them killing me in that attack. I think he blamed me for his dismissal from the Intelligence Service; From the moment he was assigned to help turn An Ruoxi into Gong Yu, this hateful dog thing was planning to ruin my life. ”

The small living room fell silent.

"It's a serious crime." The magistrate bit his lower lip. "Can you prove that?"

"I can't." Bronze didn't dare tell him what had happened in the truck.

"How did you find out that Gong Yu's real name is An Ruoxi?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

Bronze did not answer.

"Listen carefully." The sheriff stood up. "The information you currently have indicates that there is a serious gap in the security of an important witness. I now order you to tell me how you got this news. ”

"I have the right to remain silent."

The sheriff's eyes widened. "I'll teach you your rights." He picked up the phone. "There will be a long time before you lose your rights until you tell me what I want to know."

"No, you're mistaken." Bronze said.

The magistrate's eyes widened. "It's not me who made the mistake."

"Put the phone down, I beg you, the most important thing now is to rescue Gong Yu."

The sheriff abruptly turned to face Officer Blue. "Do you hear these bastards?"

"I hear you. He's been playing mind games with me for the past 24 hours," Officer Blue said, "and what worries me is that he's getting more and more reasonable." Gong Yu's safety should indeed be put first, if Mr. Gu gets the news in some convenient way, I am ready to deal with this matter later, as long as it doesn't affect me. ”

"The best way to get rid of everything." Bronze said.

"What?"

"We used to say that a lot when we were in the Intelligence Agency."

"How about calling this a 'felon's complicity'?" The magistrate asked.

"Tell me, Gong Yu is going to testify about it."

The topic changed suddenly, and the magistrate was clearly unprepared.

"Did she really hit her husband in the head and take 2 million in stolen money?" Bronze asked.

The magistrate gestured menacingly. "Where the hell did you hear all this nonsense?"

But Bronze ignored his anger. He was engrossed in recalling what the gunman had said on the phone. ("The boss is going to be furious.") ”）

"A boss has something to do with this," said bronze, "do you know this man?" What is his last name? ”

The bailiff blinked in surprise. "It's worse than I thought, and we should do a face-to-face review of the security measures for relocating witnesses."

"Gong Yu is in danger," Gu Tong said word by word, "and if we exchange news, we may be able to save her life." ”

"It's An Ruoxi"

"I don't know anything about An Ruoxi. The woman I care about is called Gong Yu. Tell me about her. ”

The sheriff looked out of the dark window, then at his own hands, and finally stopped at the bronze. "An Ruoxi was—or before someone shot that dog mongrel in the head—Boss Joe's wife. Boss Qiao used to be the chief assassin team killer in Zhejiang. We estimate that he was responsible for at least 40 violent murders during his eight years in office. He's an idle man, but he's not complaining. Money is an excellent thing, and just as importantly, he likes his kind of work. ”

Bronze listened painfully.

"Three years ago, Boss Qiao met this woman, who is Gong Yu you know. Before she got married, she was called another name, and she was a hostess on a cruise ship in West Lake. Once, Joey asked his column leader to take out a collaborator in Shanghai, and in order to have an alibi evidence, he decided to go to this pleasure boat to show his face and play for two days, An Ruoxi attracted his attention.

You know, he's a handsome young man, dressed fashionably, and knows what to say to women, so most of them are obsessed with him. So, it is not surprising that when he began to pursue her, An Ruoxi did not tell him to stay away or anything like that. The relationship between them developed rapidly, and they were married three months later. Pursuing her provided him with ease of movement. He made arrangements, and they returned to West Lake again and again. In this way, he would have the opportunity to visit certain places as a matter of course, and banks and money banks in these places in Zhejiang could open cryptographic accounts without their names and deposit money. That's how their honeymoon was spent. ”

Bronze felt like vomiting.

"An important detail I would like to highlight is that, according to An Ruoxi, she does not know the real occupation of Boss Qiao. She claimed that he had told her that he was in the restaurant business—which was true; Boss Joe did open a couple of restaurants, which he used as part of his money transfer. Either way, as time went on, and — not surprisingly, Boss Joe's infatuation with women didn't last — he began to get tired of her. For a while, they lived in his luxurious residence in the city. But when he needed this place for amateur underground activities, he locked An Ruoxi in a large house on the edge of the West Lake. It was a suburban residential area of the Green Gang, surrounded by high walls on all sides. There were many disciples inside and outside the house, and he kept saying that it was to keep her safe, but in reality, the task of these people was to prevent her from returning to the house, lest she find out that he was fooling around with other women. But there was another, equally important reason for arranging for the guards, and that was to make sure she didn't bother to move out after being beaten up by him many times. ”

The bronze temples throbbed and throbbed.

"I mean he beat her up a lot," the magistrate said, "because An Ruoxi began to doubt not only his loyalty, but also his business." You know how smart she is. It didn't take long for her to understand what kind of business Boss Qiao was doing and what kind of demon he was. So, she was faced with a big problem. If she tried to leave him—with so many guards around and little hope of success—she was sure he would kill her; If she stayed, he would kill her if he found out she knew too much. Her temporary countermeasure was to pretend to have lost interest in his mistresses and his business, and pretend to be compliant. She used painting to pass the time, which would have given her great pleasure in other circumstances. Boss Qiao felt a kind of pleasure in it, and he made fun of her paintings. Sometimes, after he had beaten her, he would light a fire in the house and force her to watch him turn her beloved paintings to ashes. ”

"Oh my God," said bronze, "why did that bastard marry her?" ”

"It's clear that he's trying to take possession of someone he can hurt and make fun of it. As I said, Boss Joe is a demon. It wasn't until 9 months ago, in January, that someone knocked his head open and solved the problem for her. Maybe she did it.

There are now two conflicting interpretations. According to An Ruoxi, she was not in the house at the time and went to the backyard to paint winter scenes. From there she heard a gunshot in the house. She didn't know what that meant something was going on, and she walked into the house slowly and cautiously, thinking to herself that whatever happened, Boss Joe and his men would take care of it. She was first surprised to find that those men were gone, and then even more surprised to find that Boss Qiao was dead in his study, his brains splashed all over his desk, and his safe was wide open.

She knew that there was a lot of cash in that safe, and she had seen bags and bags of cash being delivered, and she had glimpsed the cash locked in the safe, and she had occasionally heard them mention the amount of cash, and she guessed that the 2 million must have been lost. At the time, the loss of money didn't cause much shock to her, and all she cared about was taking the opportunity to escape. She didn't even pack up, just put on an overcoat, grabbed her car keys, and drove away. ”

"Went to the courthouse." Bronze said.

"Is there anywhere else she can go? She knew that the mob would look for her when she hid, but she thought their motive was nothing more than not to let her speak out. It wasn't until later that Boss Joe's godfather blamed her for his death that she realized that the gang thought she had killed Boss Joe and took the money. Now, it's about the reputation of the gang, the reputation of the bloodline. They want revenge. ”

Bronze nodded. "So the Justice Department spent months interrogating her, moving her to Santa Fe in a new capacity, and eventually summoning her back to Hangzhou to testify."

"Under protection."

"You mean under Ryan's protection."

"It's unfortunate."

"It's just a mess."

"You haven't told me who the boss is." Bronze said.

"The boss is the leader of that gang and the godfather of Boss Joe. His biological father was the boss's best friend. In a riot attempted to assassinate the boss, Boss Joe's parents were killed, and the boss raised him as his own child. This is the honor of the blood that I was referring to.

For the boss, the matter involves his personal reputation — more strictly his family's reputation — to find her and punish her. Now it's your turn," said the magistrate, "how can what I just told you save An Ruoxi's life?" ”

For a moment, Bronze didn't say anything. "It looks like I have only one choice."

"What are you talking about? What are the options? ”

"I suddenly felt so tired that I had to go home."

"How exactly did what I just said help your girlfriend?"

"I'll call you when I wake up, maybe you'll get more news by then." Bronze turned to Officer Blue. "I'll send you back by the way."

"Don't bother sending me home." Officer Blue said. The bronze put the jeep in gear and sped away from the officer's residence.

"So, where do you want me to send you?" Bronze slammed the steering wheel and turned around a dark street corner.

"Only when I'm a hitchhiker."

"You think this will help me?"

"Maybe I'll help you avoid trouble," Officer Blue said, "where is your friend?" ”

"Friends?" Thinking of Lao Yang and Xiao Li, the bronze mouth seemed to have swallowed ashes.

"Listen to your tone, as if you don't have many friends."

"I have a lot of acquaintances."

"I mean the two people who came to your house this afternoon."

"I know who you're referring to. They left the city. A rush of pain came over him with the smell of soot – pain from his chest and eyes.

"So fast?" Officer Blue asked, "After they came so hard as they could?" ”

"My former boss didn't think what was going on here had anything to do with their job." The dark streets were almost empty. Bronze turns on the headlights and presses the accelerator with his foot.

"Do you think it's a good idea to drive so fast when there's an officer in the car?"

"I think it's safest to have you in the car, speeding. If a police officer stops us, you can show your badge – explaining that we have urgent business to go. ”

"I told you a lie," Officer Lan said, "and I've already informed the Provincial Police Department and the Xining Police Department so that they can arrest you." ”

Bronze felt a chill run down his spine.

"I told them the license plate number of your friend's car and described what the car looked like. The car was spotted near a crime scene on Main Street around 11 o'clock tonight. Neighbors complained that they heard what appeared to be gunshots and explosions. The investigation proved that the neighbors' claims were true. The police found that a man whose ID card indicated that he was killed was lying on the kitchen floor of the house that his neighbors complained about. We don't know where Lao Yang is. ”

At this point, Bronze could no longer hold back his sadness. Xiao Li's frightened expression when he was shot, and the forehead where blood gushed out, all appeared in Gu Bronze's mind. Suddenly, it was as if he had never been to Santa Fe and had never been able to get rid of his old life. He recalled that after Lao Yang was shot in the chest, he still used his best to kick the man who was about to shoot him to the ground. This is not the battle they should be involved in! Bronze thought, I really should insist that they go back. However, I asked them for help, and they died because of me, and it was all my fault!

"After they left here, they must have accepted another mission." Bronze said as calmly as possible.

"You seem to be indifferent to Xiao Li's death."

"I have my way of expressing my emotions."

"I've never seen anyone like you," said Officer Blue, "don't you want to ask what he's doing there and where his companions are?" ”

"Let me ask you a question," Bronze said angrily, "why did you wait so long to tell me that you had notified the police that I was arrested?" ”

"I wanted to find the right moment. I'm trying to prove that you need me. "There's already your name at the station security checkpoint, and the security staff is keeping an eye out for someone who looks like you, and as soon as you show up to buy a ticket, you'll be detained immediately." If you want to go to Hangzhou, I have to revoke the arrest notice. There is a condition for me to do this, and you must let me go with you. ”

"To Hangzhou? How did you come up with me-"

"Mr. Gu, just this time, for the sake of the Bodhisattva, don't play mind games with me, okay?"

"Why do you want to go to Hangzhou?"

"Let me put it this way, tomorrow is my day off, and my wife and I can use this day to distance ourselves from each other." Officer Blue gestured disheartened. "Or maybe I've learned a lot with you, and I'm not going to end the course right now. Maybe I could say that – and it's a bit unusual – that I'm a police officer, and I love helping people, to the point where I'm obsessed. It's a stupid idea, isn't it? At this moment, I can't think of anyone who needs more help than Gong Yu. I want to help you save her. I have a feeling that you are the only one who really knows how to act. ”

The steam train bound for the mainland rumbled, and the body shook. The sun shone through the car window, and the bronzed tired eyes felt a tingle. As the flight attendant walked along the aisle and handed over tea and steamed buns, there was a pain in Bronz's stomach. It reminded him of the stomach aches he had often made when he was an agent. He said to himself, all of this is back.

Officer Blue sat next to him, the only other passenger in the row. "I've never seen Gong Yu, it's a pity. She must be special. ”

Bronze stared out the window at the fading plateau and desert scenery, mountains, ravines, the Yellow River, and the verdant dwarf pines on the yellow, orange, and red earth. He couldn't help but recall the ambivalence he had when he first arrived, fearing that he might be doing something wrong. Now, more than a year later, he was leaving the place, and he felt that ambivalence again, and he began to wonder if he was doing something wrong.

"Yes," said bronze, "very special. ”

"You must love her very much."

"It depends. Perhaps—" Bronze seemed hard to say. "—I hate her too."

"Hate?"

"She should tell me her background." Bronze said.

"At first, she might think it's none of your business."

"But then, after she and I developed that kind of relationship, she should have said it, right?" Bronze insisted.

"Maybe she's afraid to tell you, afraid you're going to react, like you're reacting to now."

"If she loves me, she should trust me."

"Well," Officer Blue said, "I'm starting to understand that you're worried that maybe she doesn't love you at all." ”

"I've always let work dictate my personal life." Bronze said, "I've never loved, I haven't really loved, before I met Gong Yu." I've never allowed myself to experience—" Bronze hesitated, "love." ”

Officer Blue frowned.

"When I'm really committed, when I'm giving my all, I'm physically and mentally, unreserved. Gong Yu has become the absolute center of my life. If she's just using me as a tool......" Bronze's voice lowered, sinking into despair.

"What would you do if you found out that she had no feelings for you, and that you were just inadvertently acting as a bodyguard for her?"

Bronze did not answer.

Officer Lan asked, "Are you still willing to save her?" ”

"Recklessly?"

"yes."

"No matter how many doubts I have, no matter how much I fear that she has betrayed me, and no matter how angry I am because of this fear?"

"That's right."

"Even if I go to hell, I'm going to find her. Bodhisattva help me, I still love her. ”

。