Po Sir's Police Affairs: The Hunter

The sunlight slowly moved from one side of the window to the other.

Jiang Bo held his mother's hand tightly, never letting go. Her hand was icy cold, so thin it was just skin and bones, her skin loose, covered in age spots and prominent veins, but he held it as if it were the most precious thing in the world. He dared not tighten his grip, afraid of hurting her, yet he dared not let go, afraid that if he did, everything would vanish like a dream.

Xiuying kept looking at him, the light in her eyes growing brighter and brighter. It was as if she wanted to make up for all the time she hadn't seen in the past twenty-two years. Her eyes went from Jiang Bo's forehead to his eyebrows, from his eyebrows to his eyes, from his eyes to his nose, from his nose to his mouth, looking at him inch by inch, as if confirming, remembering, and treasuring.

"Mom, are you hungry? I'll go buy you something to eat," Jiang Bo said.

Xiuying shook her head. The movement was very light and slow.

"I'm not hungry. Don't go."

Jiang Bo felt a pang of sadness. The bitterness welled up from the bottom of his heart, rushed to his eyes, but he suppressed it.

"I'm not leaving. I'm staying right here."

Xiuying smiled. It was a light, faint smile, just a slight upturn of the corners of her mouth, but it warmed Jiang Bo's heart. He remembered what Lao He had said: "She smiled. A beautiful smile." It was true. His mother's smile was truly beautiful.

"I held you in my arms when you were little. Just for one day," she said, her voice soft, as if it drifted from afar. "That night, I held you in my arms, looking at your face, so small and wrinkled. I thought, this child will definitely look like his father when he grows up."

Jiang Bo's eyes welled up with tears again.

"And then?"

"Later, someone came to arrest me. I hid you and went to distract them. I thought they wouldn't find you, that you would be discovered, and that someone would adopt you. I never expected Wu'an to save you."

Jiang Bo clenched his fist.

"Uncle He saved me."

Xiuying nodded.

"He's a good man. Your dad's comrade-in-arms."

Jiang Bo remained silent for a moment. The sunlight outside the window moved slowly, and dust particles danced in the beams of light, like countless tiny stars.

"Mom, do you remember what the person who kidnapped you looked like that night?"

Xiuying closed her eyes, as if recalling something from a long time ago. Her brows furrowed slightly, her lips were pursed, and the wrinkles on her face seemed to deepen.

"I remember. Three people. Two tall ones and one short one. The tall ones were wearing dark clothes and hats, so I couldn't see their faces. The short one walked with a limp."

Jiang Bo was startled.

He's limping again.

"What does he look like?"

Xiuying opened her eyes and thought for a moment. Her gaze turned to the window, as if she were looking at that distant night.

"He was in his forties, thin, with a long face and small eyes. His voice was strange, like his throat was being choked. He stood in the doorway, backlit, so I couldn't see his face clearly. But I remember the way he walked. His right foot dragged heavily on the ground."

Jiang Bo memorized this characteristic: his right foot dragged on the ground. Just like Dong Jianping. Just like the man who stood at the door watching Ding Laosan kill someone.

"What else did he say?"

Xiuying's eyes became somewhat unfocused. Those memories were too distant, more than thirty years ago, as if veiled by a layer of fog.

"He said, 'Hand over the child.' I said I didn't have a child. He said, 'Who are you kidding? Someone saw you were pregnant.' I said, 'The child is dead.' He laughed, a terrifying laugh. He said, 'You have to hand it over even if it's dead.' Then he sent people to arrest me."

Jiang Bo clenched his fists. His nails dug into his flesh, but he felt no pain.

"And then?"

"Then I ran. I ran very fast, and they couldn't catch me. I ran to the riverbank, jumped into the water, and swam to the other side. They couldn't find me."

Jiang Bo looked at her. This frail woman had jumped into the icy river to save him years ago, swam across, and escaped. She had just given birth and was weak then, yet she had still managed to swim across the river.

"Mom, you've suffered so much."

Xiuying shook her head. The movement was light, but firm.

"It's not bitter. Finding you makes it not bitter."

Jiang Bo's eyes welled up with tears again. He lowered his head, not wanting her to see. But Xiuying saw them; she raised her hand, trembling, and touched his face.

"Silly child, why are you crying? Mom has found you, you should be happy."

Jiang Bo nodded and raised his hand to wipe his eyes.

Tangyuan lay by the bedside, quietly watching them. It seemed to know this moment was important, remaining motionless and just staying by their side. Its eyes were bright, glancing at Jiang Bo and then at Xiuying, its tail occasionally wagging gently.

Xiuying looked down at Tangyuan and reached out to pat its head.

"How long have you had this dog?"

"Over a year. We've solved a lot of cases."

Xiuying smiled.

"Good dog."

Tangyuan licked her hand and wagged its tail. The tail wagged happily, as if it understood the praise.

Jiang Bo watched this scene and felt a warm glow in his heart. It wasn't the warmth of sunlight, but a warmth that welled up from the bottom of his heart, like a river that had been frozen for more than twenty years finally thawing.

"Mom, come back to Jiangcheng with me. I'll take care of you."

Xiuying was stunned for a moment.

"Jiangcheng?"

"Yes. I work there, I live there. I have a house, I have the means. I'll take care of you."

Xiuying was silent for a while. She looked out the window at the unfamiliar sky. The sky here was different from that in Jiangcheng; it was bluer and farther away. But she missed the river, the river she had watched grow up.

"I'm not going."

Jiang Bo was stunned.

Why?

Xiuying looked at him, her eyes filled with something indescribable. It was fear, worry, and a mother's protective instinct towards her child.

"They're still here. They'll find you."

Jiang Bo clenched his fist.

"Mom, I'm not afraid of them."

Xiuying shook her head.

"I'm scared. I'm scared you'll end up like your father."

Jiang Bo took her hand. Her hand was still cold, but it was warmer than before.

"Mom, they killed Dad. I want to avenge him. I will find them and bring them to justice."

Xiuying's tears flowed down her cheeks. The tears welled up from her deep-set eyes and streamed down the wrinkles that resembled dried-up riverbeds.

"You're just like your dad. Stubborn."

Jiang Bo smiled. It was a bitter smile, a smile of helplessness.

"It's hereditary."

Xiuying smiled too. It was a helpless smile, but her eyes shone with light.

"Are you really going?"

Jiang Bo nodded. He nodded heavily, as if taking an oath.

"Really. Mom, come back with me, I'll take care of you. After I finish investigating this case, we'll live a peaceful life."

Xiuying looked at him for a long time.

The sunlight shifted slightly, shining on her face. The wrinkles looked like deep furrows in the sunlight, but her eyes were so clear and bright.

Then she nodded.

"Okay. I'll go back with you."

Jiang Bo smiled.

He stood up, took out his phone, and called Zhang Yuhang.

"Drive over. Bring the doctor."

Zhang Yuhang arrived quickly. Accompanying him was a barefoot doctor from the town, an elderly man in his sixties with gray hair, carrying a medicine box, but in good spirits. The doctor gave Xiuying a simple examination, listening to her heartbeat, taking her blood pressure, and checking her pupils. He did it very carefully, asking questions as he went.

After the examination, he didn't look too good.

"The old lady is very weak. She has been malnourished for a long time, and has also caught a cold. She needs to be well taken care of. It would be best to take her to the hospital for a full check-up. At her age, she can't afford any more stress."

Jiang Bo nodded.

"We're heading back to Jiangcheng right away."

They helped Xiuying into the car. Jiang Bo held her as if she were a bundle of firewood, so light, so very light. Xiuying leaned against him, her eyes closed, a slight smile on her lips.

In the back seat, Xiuying leaned against the car window, looking outside. Tangyuan lay down beside her, resting her head on her feet, keeping her company.

Jiang Bo, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced back.

Xiuying looked at him and smiled.

That smile, like sunshine, shone into his heart.

The car started moving, leaving Lotus Village and heading back to the city.

Xiuying kept looking out the window, at the fields, villages, and rivers she had walked through countless times. She had measured those places with her own feet, step by step, for twenty-two years.

She looked at it for a long time, then closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Jiang Bo looked at her, feeling a mix of emotions.

Twenty-two years ago, she left him in Jiangcheng and ran away. Twenty-two years later, she returned to Jiangcheng, with him by her side again.

This is home. No matter how far you go, you'll always come back.

After a six-hour drive, we entered Jiangcheng in the evening.

The setting sun bathed the city in a golden-red hue. Skyscrapers appeared as silhouettes in the sunset, traffic flowed steadily across the Yangtze River Bridge, and several boats sailed on the river, leaving long trails in their wake.

Xiuying woke up and looked out the window. The tall buildings, the streets, everything she remembered had changed. But the Yangtze River remained the same—still so wide, so long, and so muddy.

"It's changed," she murmured.

Jiang Bo nodded.

"A lot has changed. But Jiang hasn't changed."

Xiuying smiled.

"The river hasn't changed. It's still the same river."

Jiang Bo drove directly to the hospital. After going through the whole ordeal of checking into the hospital and getting tests done, it was already dark.

Xiuying lay in the hospital bed, receiving an IV drip, her complexion slightly better than before. She looked at Jiang Bo, a look of contentment in her eyes—the kind of contentment one would expect from someone who had been starving for a long time, finally able to eat a meal.

"You go about your business. I'm fine."

Jiang Bo shook his head.

"I'm not busy. I'll keep you company."

Xiuying smiled.

"You're just like your dad, stubborn."

Jiang Bo sat down by the bed and held her hand.

"Mom, when you're better, I'll take you for a walk along the river. You love the riverside the most."

Xiuying's eyes welled up with tears.

"it is good."

Jiang Bo stayed with her until she fell asleep.

Xiuying slept peacefully, her brows relaxed and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, as if she were having a sweet dream. Jiang Bo looked at her, a strange feeling welling up inside him—in his thirty-one years of life, this was the first time he had watched his mother sleep like this.

As he walked out of the ward, Zhang Yuhang came to greet him.

"Polish Sir, Liu Tong has made a discovery."

Jiang Bo nodded.

"Walk."

Back at the municipal bureau, Liu Tong was already waiting. He saw Jiang Bo enter, stood up, and his expression was grave. The light from the computer screen illuminated his face, making the shadows of fatigue even more pronounced.

"Polish Sir, we found him. The lame man."

Jiang Bo was startled.

"explain."

Liu Tong pulled up a few photos. The photos were black and white, quite old, with slightly yellowed edges, but the faces were still clearly visible.

"These are photos of all the police officers surnamed Dong in Jiangcheng Public Security Bureau from 1992 to 1998. I compared them one by one and found one person to be very suspicious."

Jiang Bo looked at the photo.

A middle-aged man, in his forties, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and a gloomy gaze, stood in front of a tree. He wore a police uniform with two bars and one star on his shoulder insignia. The background appeared to be the courtyard of a police station. He faced the camera with a serious expression, without a smile.

Name: Dong Jianhua. Position: Investigator, Criminal Investigation Division. Remarks: Died in the line of duty in 1998.

Jiang Bo clenched his fist.

"Died in the line of duty?"

Liu Tong nodded.

"The file states that he fell into the river and died in May 1998 while pursuing a suspect. His body was never found."

Jiang Bo stared at the photo.

Tung Chee-hwa. May 1998. Died after falling into the river. His body was never found.

He thought of Zheng Jianguo. In May 1998, Zheng Jianguo "committed suicide".

Within a month, two policemen died. One "committed suicide," the other "fell into the river." Neither body was found.

"Who was he close to during his lifetime?"

Liu Tong flipped through the files.

"He's a cousin of Dong Jianping. He also has dealings with Dong Zhenhua. And—"

He paused.

"I also know Jiang Yizhou. They joined the police force at the same time."

Jiang Bo clenched his fist.

Tung Chee-hwa, I know his father.

"Is there any evidence to prove his connection to Organization J?"

Liu Tong shook his head.

"No. His file is spotless. He has received awards and commendations for his meritorious service, and is a diligent worker with no blemishes. He even received a third-class merit award in 1992 for solving a major case."

Jiang Bo looked at the photo and fell silent.

If this person really is the one with the limp, then he's disguised himself too well. For twenty years, no one noticed. He worked in the police station, received awards and commendations, and treated everyone like brothers; no one knew what he was doing behind the scenes.

Does he have any family?

Liu Tong flipped through it.

"I have a son. He was born in 1993. He should be thirty-one years old now."

Jiang Bo's heart skipped a beat.

Born in 1993.

She was born in the same year as him.

"Where is his son?"

Liu Tong checked it out.

"In Jiangcheng, I opened a small shop in Jinghu District. My name is Dong Xiaohua."

Jiang Bo wrote down the address.

"I'll go see him tomorrow."

By the time Jiang Bo stepped out of the technical department, it was completely dark. He stood in the courtyard and lit a cigarette.

Tangyuan lay quietly at his feet, keeping him company. The night wind was cold, causing the cigarette butt to glow and dim.

He remembered what Xiuying had said: "That person is lame."

Is Tung Chee-hwa lame?

There is no record of him being lame in the file. There are no records of injuries or illnesses.

If he was faking it, he was a very good one. He'd been faking it for so many years, and no one had noticed.

He stubbed out his cigarette and threw it into the trash can.

"Let's go see my mom."

In the hospital, Xiuying was still asleep. Jiang Bo sat down by the bed and held her hand.

Her hands were still cold, but warmer than before. The IV drip was still running, drop by drop, as slowly as time itself.

Jiang Bo looked at her, his mind filled with those thoughts.

Tung Chee-hwa, Jiang Yizhou, Tung Chien-ping, Tung Chun-hua, Ho Wu-an.

These people were like a net, enveloping him in its center. He stood in the middle of the net, watching the threads connect one by one, forming a huge maze.

No matter how difficult it is, he will continue his investigation.

For his father, for his mother, for those who died.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the two people.

Tangyuan lay quietly by the bedside, keeping her company.