False evidence

Chapter 5 Reversing the Future (Part 1)

In the police station, listening to the deep, harsh reprimands, and looking at the cold, iron-like face and the sharp, dagger-like eyes, I felt incredibly wronged.
"Officer, I'm the one who called the police! Why are you arresting me?!"

A policeman stared at me coldly: "Say what you said before again!"

I slumped helplessly in the interrogation chair.

I've repeated myself countless times throughout the night. I even told them how many steamed buns I bought, how much the meat ones cost, and how much the vegetarian ones cost.

As I recounted my previous experience, the policeman abruptly interrupted me: "Where are the gloves?"

I was taken aback: "What gloves?"

The police officer stared at me coldly for a while; his gaze was like a thorn, piercing straight into my eyes and drilling into my brain.

For the next few days, I stayed in the detention cell and was interrogated several times. They kept asking me to recount what happened, and I was always interrupted abruptly with questions that I had no idea what to do with.

To the point that later on, I began to lose sight of what the real situation was.

Even when discussing specific details, I can't help but ask myself: Where are the gloves? Where did the rope come from? How many meters did I buy, which knife did I use to cut it, and how many pieces did I cut it into...?

Finally, after enduring countless days and nights, I was taken to the interrogation room once again.

This time, I met a 'familiar face'.

I wasn't familiar with the "crew cut" guy who detained me in the jurisdiction last time, but I vaguely remembered that someone called him Captain Gao.

"Captain Gao, this really has nothing to do with me. Otherwise, why would I call the police? You know what I do... I'm just a poor student..."

After listening quietly to my story, Captain Gao took out his cigarette case, tossed me one, lit one for himself, squinted at me through the smoke for a while, and then handed me a few sheets of A4 paper clipped together. "Sign here and come with me."

I read the contents very carefully, and almost burst into tears. I signed the document with trembling hands, and followed Captain Gao, finally breathing the long-lost air of freedom again.

In a nearby restaurant, Captain Gao picked up his beer and gently clinked it against my glass.

I picked up my cup, my voice choked with emotion: "Captain Gao..."

"Call me Gao He." The other person downed his beer in one gulp.

I finished my ice-cold beer too, and burped twice, my chest aching a little. "How are the mother and daughter?"

Gao said calmly, "One had his spleen pierced, and the other had his right cheek slashed, but thankfully, neither of them is in life-threatening danger."

"No!" I put down my glass. "When I went in, the girl had her Achilles tendon severed, but she wasn't injured! The fat woman... she was injured on her left cheek!"

"You remember it very clearly."

Gao He looked at me with a half-smile, lit a cigarette, took a shallow puff, and slowly pushed the cigarette pack and lighter in front of me. "Why do I feel like there's something you haven't told me yet?"

Before I could speak, he waved his hand, as if to disperse the smoke he exhaled: "Let me finish. Do you know why we suspect you?"

Seeing that he didn't intend to continue, I gave a wry smile: "Because there were my fingerprints on the murder weapon!"

I remember clearly that I caught the knife that night and casually tossed it aside. The real killer clearly premeditated the crime; he was wearing a raincoat and most likely gloves as well.

Gao He shook his head: "It's not because of the fingerprints, it's because your reaction makes you seem too calm. We've done a thorough investigation. You're studying veterinary medicine, and from the first dissection lab class in the first semester... we talked to your advisor, and it seems you're a bit afraid of blood. Although it's not serious, you've consistently failed the course because of it."

With Gao He was a plainclothes policewoman who turned her face toward the window upon hearing this, and judging from her profile, she was clearly trying to suppress a laugh.

Gao He coughed. "Someone who's squeamish about blood, upon seeing such a gruesome scene, immediately thought of calling the police, and even effectively treated the ankle wound of one of the injured. If that's the case, it's a bit unreasonable for you to fail your anatomy class."

I really wanted to tell him things like saving lives and healing the wounded, that human life is of paramount importance... but the words were on the tip of my tongue, and I ultimately changed my mind and said:

"Do you remember Yang Wudao? He's that old man who got arrested for touching a woman's butt."

Gao He raised an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with him?" "He told me that if I ever became really unlucky and only had 352.6 yuan left, I should go to Elephant Trunk Lane..."

I recounted my entire experience from the first time I met Yang Wudao, pouring out everything like beans from a bamboo tube.

The policewoman named Lin Dan stared wide-eyed at me, looking at me as if I were a mental patient.

Gao He stubbed out his cigarette and looked at me with interest, asking, "You mean, you were able to treat the injured person's wounds because you had already seen even bloodier scenes in your dreams? The reality you witnessed far exceeded your expectations, which is why you remained so calm?"

"I know this is absurd..."

"I don't think so."

Gao He seemed somewhat excited. "So, you have the ability to foresee the future? You can reverse the future?"

"Reverse the Future!"

My scalp twitched suddenly.

Seeing Gao He's mocking smile, I finally understood the meaning of his sarcasm.

I felt a sense of humiliation and anger, but I steeled myself and said, "I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, you can ask Yang Wudao!"

Gao He's face fell, and Lin Dan, standing beside him, said with an equally cold expression, "Since you have been in contact with Yang Wudao, you should know that he is dead. Are you suggesting we go to the funeral home to ask him?"

I was shocked: "He's dead?"

Gao He stared at me for a while, then nodded slightly. "I said I would call you when the results came out. I'm sorry about that. My little nephew took the note with your phone number on it and used it to start a fire to roast sweet potatoes."

"How did Yang Wudao die?" I was completely unable to calm down.

Gao He and Lin Dan exchanged a glance, their expressions somewhat strange. Gao He said to me, "He was sentenced to 15 days in detention for assault. On the thirteenth day, he asked to make a phone call. You know, his little incident is nothing. I approved his call, but I didn't expect him to call the funeral home and, in front of me and my colleagues, directly tell them to send a car to pick him up the next morning."

I pressed further: "And then?"

Gao He's lips pursed again. "He said all the expenses would be paid by the phone owner, the one who made the call."

Lin Dan suddenly interjected, "I was there too. He said something strange, telling the hearse not to go down South Street, or it would cause a delay."

"and after?"

“The driver didn’t think he was crazy because of my status; but of course, he wouldn’t listen to which route to take.” Gao He’s expression grew increasingly strange. “The hearse had an accident on South Street, so they sent a second one.”

Later, Gao He told me something else: they had asked around in the vicinity of Xiangbi Lane as I had suggested, but they hadn't heard of any old beggars in that area.

While he was talking about this, Lin Dan received a phone call and went outside to make the call.

At that moment, Gao and I shared the rest of the beer, and we finished it off together.

I don't know if it's because I've been locked up inside for too long, but I'm a bit out of touch with reality. After drinking half a glass of ice-cold beer, I felt a little dizzy.

Just then, Lin Dan returned, and when I saw her slightly red eyes, my mind became even more foggy.

"Alright, here's your phone back. Keep it on 24/7, I'll contact you again." Gao He patted my shoulder, paid the bill, and was about to leave.

I suddenly grabbed his wrist, staring intently at Lin Dan, my heart pounding, yet my scalp felt like it was about to explode from the cold air.

"Is there anything else?" Gao looked down at my hand that was holding his.

I stared straight at Lin Dan for a while, then mustered my courage and turned to him:

"I don't believe anyone can really reverse the future, but right now there's an opportunity to prove whether such a thing really exists!"

(End of this chapter)