Po Sir's Police Affairs: The Hunter

Xiuying stayed in the hospital for three days.

For three days, Jiang Bo stayed by his mother's side without leaving for a moment. He had Zhang Yuhang move the case materials to the ward, and while keeping his mother company, he went through the files. When Xiuying was awake, he talked to her and listened to her recount her experiences over the years; when Xiuying was asleep, he looked at the materials and sorted out the intricate clues.

Tangyuan stayed by her side the whole time, lying on the edge of the bed, occasionally raising her head to look at Xiuying before lying back down.

On the afternoon of the third day, Xiuying was in much better spirits. She leaned against the headboard, watching Jiang Bo flip through the case files, a look of satisfaction in her eyes.

"Just like your dad," she said. "He was like that too, always engrossed in reading case files. When I called him for dinner, he would always say 'wait a minute, wait a minute,' and then he would wait for an hour."

Jiang Bo looked up and smiled.

"It's hereditary."

Xiuying smiled too.

"You two are exactly the same."

Jiang Bo put down the file, walked to the bedside, and sat down.

"Mom, when you're better, I'll take you to see Dad."

Xiuying's eyes welled up with tears.

Where is he?

Jiang Bo remained silent for a while.

"I don't know. His body was never found. But I erected a cenotaph for him in the cemetery."

Xiuying nodded.

"Okay. Go see him."

Jiang Bo held her hand.

"Mom, how have you managed all these years?"

Xiuying looked out the window and remained silent for a long time.

Then she began to speak. Her voice was very soft, as if it were drifting from a great distance.

That night, I swam across the river and hid in the reeds. They searched for a long time but couldn't find me. At dawn, I secretly went back to look for you, but you were gone. I thought they had captured you.

Jiang Bo clenched his fist.

"And then?"

"Then I started looking. I heard they had a place in Jiujiang, so I went to Jiujiang. When I got to Jiujiang, they had already left. I heard they went to Yueyang, so I went to Yueyang. I searched in one place after another like that."

Jiang Bo's eyes welled up with tears.

"You've been searching for twenty-two years."

Xiuying nodded.

"Twenty-two years. I searched from age thirty to fifty-two. Sometimes I found them, but they were already gone. Sometimes I didn't find them, so I kept searching. I told myself I couldn't stop, because if I stopped, I would never find them again."

Jiang Bo held her hand, speechless.

Xiuying looked at him and smiled.

"We've found it now. It was worth it."

Jiang Bo's tears flowed down his cheeks.

"Mom, I'm sorry I'm late."

Xiuying shook her head.

"Not too late. Perfect timing."

Jiang Bo wiped away his tears.

"Mom, how did you know about those places? Jiujiang, Yueyang, Jiangcheng, Huanggang, Nanchang—how did you know we were going there?"

Xiuying's eyes became somewhat dazed.

"Someone told me."

Jiang Bo was startled.

"Who?"

Xiuying thought for a moment.

"I don't know his name. Sometimes it's a letter, sometimes a note, sometimes a message from someone. He says, 'Go to Jiujiang, they're there.' So I go to Jiujiang. He says, 'Go to Yueyang, they're there.' So I go to Yueyang."

Jiang Bo clenched his fist.

He Wu'an.

It is He Wu'an.

"Are those letters still there?"

Xiuying shook her head.

"They're all lost. Lost on the way."

Jiang Bo remained silent for a while.

"Mom, that man is my savior. His name is He Wu'an, and he was my father's comrade-in-arms."

Xiuying was stunned.

"Your dad's comrade-in-arms?"

Jiang Bo nodded.

"That night, he saved me. He took me to an orphanage, left me money, and gave me his name. Then he secretly protected you, telling you about those places and letting you investigate."

Xiuying's tears flowed down her cheeks.

Why doesn't he come to see me?

Jiang Bo remained silent for a while.

"He's afraid of implicating you. He's afraid the J organization will find out about you."

Xiuying lowered her head and remained silent.

Jiang Bo held her hand.

"Mom, I will find him. I will find out the whole truth."

Xiuying looked up at him.

"Are you really going?"

Jiang Bo nodded.

"real."

Xiuying looked at him for a long time.

Then she said, "I'll go with you."

Jiang Bo was stunned.

"Mom, you're still not well."

Xiuying shook her head.

"I'm all better now. I'll stay with you. I want to watch you arrest those people."

Jiang Bo looked at her. Her gaze was resolute, just like the woman who jumped into the river twenty-two years ago.

He nodded.

Okay. Let's do it together.

On the fifth day, Xiuying was discharged from the hospital.

Jiang Bo took her to his place. It was an old apartment building, on the fifth floor, without an elevator. Xiuying was a little out of breath climbing the stairs, but she insisted on walking by herself.

"It's alright. I've climbed far more mountains than this over the years," she said.

Jiang Bo's place wasn't big, just a one-bedroom apartment, but it was clean and tidy. Xiuying walked around the room and nodded.

"That's good. Better than your dad. The place he lived in was like a doghouse."

Jiang Bo smiled.

"Mom, you stay in the bedroom, I'll stay in the living room."

Xiuying shook her head.

"You can stay in the bedroom. I'll sleep in the living room."

Jiang Bo disagreed. After arguing for a long time, they finally decided that Xiuying would stay in the bedroom and Jiang Bo would sleep on the sofa.

In the evening, Jiang Bo cooked a few dishes. He rarely cooks and usually eats out, but he made a special effort today. Xiuying ate with relish, praising the food as she ate.

"Not bad. Better than your dad's."

Jiang Bo smiled.

"Mom, you always compare me to Dad."

Xiuying smiled too.

"No comparison. You're better than him."

After finishing their meal, Jiang Bo cleared the dishes. Xiuying sat on the sofa, looking at Tangyuan lying on the floor with tender eyes.

"This dog is really nice."

Jiang Bo nodded.

"It helped me solve many cases. It was very intelligent."

Xiuying reached out and patted Tangyuan's head.

"Good dog."

Tangyuan licked her hand and wagged its tail.

After Jiang Bo finished washing the dishes, he came over and sat down next to Xiuying.

"Mom, I'm going to investigate someone tomorrow."

Xiuying looked at him.

"Who?"

"Tung Chee-hwa. A policeman who died in 1998. I suspect he was connected to the J organization."

Xiuying remained silent for a while.

Be careful.

Jiang Bo nodded.

"I know."

Xiuying looked at him with a worried look in her eyes.

"That's what your dad said back then. Every time he went out, he would say, 'Be careful.' And then he never came back."

Jiang Bo took her hand.

"Mom, I'll be careful. I promise you, I'll come back."

Xiuying nodded.

"it is good."

Jiang Bo went out early the next morning.

He took the glutinous rice balls and, following the address Liu Tong gave him, found Dong Xiaohua's shop.

It was a small supermarket located in an alley in the Jinghu District. The store wasn't large, but the shelves were filled with various goods. A middle-aged man was at the entrance, moving goods onto the shelves.

Jiang Bo walked over.

"Dong Xiaohua?"

The middle-aged man turned around. He was in his early thirties, tall and thin, with thick eyebrows and a square face, bearing a resemblance to Tung Chee-hwa in the photo.

"It's me. Who are you looking for?"

Jiang Bo presented his identification.

Dong Xiaohua glanced at it and paused for a moment.

"Police? What do you want with me?"

Jiang Bo looked at him.

"I want to ask you something. About your father."

Dong Xiaohua's expression changed. He put down the goods in his hand and wiped his hands.

"Come in and have a seat."

There was a small table and a few plastic stools in the shop. Dong Xiaohua poured Jiang Bo a glass of water and sat down herself.

"My father has been dead for over twenty years. What are you still investigating?"

Jiang Bo looked at him.

Do you know how your father died?

Dong Xiaohua nodded.

"I know. He fell into the river while chasing a criminal. That's what the unit told me."

Jiang Bo remained silent for a while.

Do you believe it?

Dong Xiaohua's hand trembled slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Jiang Bo stared into his eyes.

Was there anything unusual about your father before he died?

Dong Xiaohua lowered his head and remained silent for a long time.

Then he looked up.

"have."

Jiang Bo waited.

"A month before he died, he was always restless. He couldn't sleep at night and would pace around the room alone. I asked him what was wrong, and he said nothing was wrong. But I could tell something was wrong."

Jiang Bo clenched his fist.

"What else did he say?"

Dong Xiaohua thought for a moment.

"He once said something. That night, he was drunk and told me, 'Xiaohua, if one day Dad is gone, don't look for me.' I asked, 'Why?' He said, 'Some things are better left unknown than known.'"

Jiang Bo remained silent for a while.

Did he leave anything behind?

Dong Xiaohua was taken aback.

How did you know?

Jiang Bo was startled.

"What is it?"

Dong Xiaohua stood up and went into the inner room. After a while, he took out an iron box and placed it on the table.

"This is what he left behind. He said I could only open it when I turned thirty. I'm thirty-one this year, and I opened it. Inside were some photos and letters."

Jiang Bo took the tin box and opened it.

At the top is a photograph. A black and white photograph, showing two young policemen standing by the river, smiling brightly in the sunshine.

One is Jiang Yizhou.

The other one is Tung Chee-hwa.

Jiang Bo's hands were trembling.

Below the photo is a letter. The envelope is addressed to Xiaohua.

Jiang Bo took out the letter and opened it.

The handwriting is neat and legible, each stroke carefully written.

"Xiaohua, if you see this letter, it means I am no longer here."

There are some things I must tell you.

Over the years, I've made some mistakes. I helped some people I shouldn't have helped and covered up some things I shouldn't have covered up. I know I was wrong, but it's too late.

Those people are called the J Organization. They've been operating in Jiangcheng for many years, doing a lot of bad things. I didn't know at first, but by the time I found out, it was too late to escape.

Your Uncle Jiang, Jiang Yizhou, was killed by them. He discovered their secret, so they killed him.

I want to avenge him, but I don't have the guts. I'm afraid of dying, afraid that you'll lose your father.

I can only gather evidence secretly and leave these things to you. If you ever want to know the truth, these things will help you.

Xiaohua, Dad is sorry. Dad is not a good policeman, nor a good father.

But Dad loves you.

Signed by: Tung Chee-hwa. Date: May 10, 1998.

Jiang Bo held the letter, his hands trembling.

Tung Chee-hwa was his father's comrade-in-arms. He had worked for the J organization, but later regretted it. Before he died, he left behind evidence.

"Can I take a look at these things?" Jiang Bo asked.

Dong Xiaohua nodded.

"Take it. I don't know what to do with it."

Jiang Bo carefully put the tin box away.

"Thank you."

Dong Xiaohua looked at him.

"Do you know my dad?"

Jiang Bo remained silent for a while.

"My dad is Jiang Yizhou."

Dong Xiaohua was stunned.

Then he lowered his head.

"My dad is sorry to your dad."

Jiang Bo shook his head.

"In the end, he just wanted to avenge him. That's enough."

After leaving Dong Xiaohua's shop, Jiang Bo stood in the alley and lit a cigarette.

Tangyuan lay quietly at his feet, keeping him company.

He opened the tin box and carefully examined the contents.

There are several photos inside, all of them of J organization's strongholds. The room at the old pontoon bridge, the shipyard in Jiujiang, the warehouse in Yueyang, the old pontoon bridge in Jiangcheng, the sanatorium in Huanggang, and the dock in Nanchang. Each location has detailed annotations.

There was also a notebook that recorded Tung Chee-hwa's observations and experiences over the years. He had met the lame man and knew his true identity. But he didn't write his name, only a code name: K.

Who is K?

Jiang Bo turned to the last page of his notebook.

The sign above reads: "K is not one person. K is a group of people."

Jiang Bo's hand stopped.

Is K a group of people?

He recalled what Dong Jianping had said: "They are an organization."

Is K a core member of Organization J?

He put the notebook away and stood up.

It was getting dark. The setting sun bathed the alley in a golden-red glow.

Tangyuan stood up and looked at him.

Jiang Bo patted its head.

"Let's go back."

Back at his lodgings, Xiuying had already prepared dinner. Seeing Jiang Bo enter, she went to greet him.

"How is it?"

Jiang Bo placed the tin box on the table.

"Found it. Evidence left behind by Tung Chee-hwa."

Xiuying opened the tin box and looked through the contents. When she saw Jiang Yizhou's photo, tears streamed down her face.

"A boat..."

Jiang Bo went over and helped her up.

"Mom, I will find out the truth. I will uncover the whole story."

Xiuying nodded.

"it is good."

That evening, Jiang Bo sat on the sofa and looked through the evidence.

Tangyuan lay quietly at his feet, keeping him company.

The notebook contained many records. Tung Chee-hwa had met K several times, each time in a different place. K always wore a hat and kept his head down, so his face was obscured. But he had one distinctive feature—on the ring finger of his right hand, he wore a silver ring engraved with the letter J.

J.

It's J again.

Jiang Bo closed his notebook and shut his eyes.

The fragments in my mind finally pieced together a picture.

Organization J has existed for decades, operating in Jiangcheng and with strongholds in various locations. Their core members are a group codenamed K. They take in orphans, train them, and send them to different places. Their leader is an elderly man in his seventies who calls himself "Sir," speaking slowly with cold eyes.

His father found out about them and was killed by them.

His mother searched for him for 22 years before finally finding him.

He Wu'an saved him and secretly protected him for thirty-one years.

Tung Chee-hwa made mistakes, but he left behind evidence.

These people and these events are all connected.

He opened his eyes and looked out the window.

The moonlight shone in and fell on the evidence.

Tangyuan looked up at him.

He patted its head.

"Tangyuan, we'll continue the investigation tomorrow."

Tangyuan called out.

That cry echoed in the quiet night.

Jiang Bo stood up and walked to the window.

In the distance, the Yangtze River shimmered silver under the moonlight as it flowed slowly.

He remembered his master's words: "The river can take away evidence, but it cannot take away sins."

The sins remain.

But the truth is getting closer.

Volume One: The Riverside Mystery (Completed)