Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

The call connected. Cang Lifeng briefly explained the situation—Old Li had been threatened, someone had tampered with the concrete, and his son had been kidnapped. The police officer who answered the phone asked him to come to the station to give a statement, and he said he would be there shortly.

After hanging up, he dialed another number.

The phone rang for a long time before it was answered.

"Feed?" The voice on the other end was a little hoarse and tired.

"Sister, it's me. Lifeng."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Cang Liuqing understood the meaning in his voice.

"What happened?" she asked.

Cang Lifeng recounted the events at the construction site, Tianci, the newspaper, and everything Old Li had just said in the most concise way.

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. So long that Cang Lifeng thought the signal had been lost.

"Lifeng, you did the right thing. Old Li's decision to report it to the police was correct. But this is no longer just a construction site accident."

"I know. Zheng Yaoxian has powerful backers; they're the same group that caused the incident in Xiqiao Village last year."

Cang Liuqing didn't ask him how he knew. This younger brother was growing up much faster than she had imagined.

"Lifeng, what you need to do now is protect yourself, protect Tianci, and protect those who are willing to stand up. Leave the rest to me."

"Sister, Tianci... he hasn't woken up yet." Cang Lifeng's voice lowered.

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"He'll wake up. The Cang family are tough. You stay and watch over him; I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

The call ended. Cang Lifeng held the receiver, standing there for a long time. The lights at the construction site entrance were still on, their light dim but steady.

When Cang Liuqing put down the phone, her hands were trembling slightly.

She sat on the edge of the bed, looking out at the pitch-black night. It was over a thousand kilometers from Yanjing to Nancheng. The earliest train wasn't until tomorrow morning. She couldn't wait until dawn, but she had to.

She stood up and began packing her things.

"Liu Qing? Where are you going so late?" Her husband Qin Hao's voice came from behind her.

"Nancheng. Something happened at Lifeng's place. His train leaves early tomorrow morning."

Qin Hao sat up and rubbed his eyes: "What's wrong? Is it serious?"

Cang Liuqing didn't answer. She simply zipped up her bag, turned around, and looked at her husband: "Qin Hao, book me the earliest train tomorrow. Then ask for leave for me."

Qin Hao looked into her eyes. There was something in those eyes that he rarely saw—a cold, sharpness like a knife.

"Okay." He didn't ask any further questions.

Cang Liuqing walked to the door, then stopped. She turned back and glanced at the photo on the wall—a family portrait taken two years ago during the Spring Festival. Grandpa Cang Houde sat in the middle, flanked by her eldest uncle, father, and mother, Liu Wenxiu. Her third uncle, Cang Shouzheng…

The youngest boy stood at the very edge. He sat very straight, and his eyes were bright.

She remembered what Tianci was like as a child. That stuttering, thin boy who was bullied. Later, he learned martial arts, won a championship, and came in first place in his exams. He wrote to her saying, "Sister, I will be better."

He is now lying in a hospital bed, unconscious.

Cang Liuqing took a deep breath, took the family photo down from the wall, and carefully put it into her bag.

The next morning, Cang Liuqing arrived at the train station. The waiting hall wasn't crowded. She sat on a bench, clutching her train ticket. The electronic screen opposite her displayed the departure time—7:15, heading towards Nancheng.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She hadn't slept all night, but her mind was wide awake. The things Lifeng had said on the phone were piecing together in her mind like a jigsaw puzzle—the construction site accident, the newspaper article, Zheng Yaoxian, Song Jiawen… and the shooting in Xiqiao Village last year. These things weren't isolated; they were connected by the same thread.

Before she left, she had already called her old colleague, Lao Fang, asking him to help investigate Zheng Yonghe's background. Now she could only wait. Wait for the train to arrive, wait for Lao Fang's fax, wait until she met Lifeng and Lin Wei in Nancheng, before she could piece all the fragments together.

The announcement in the waiting hall came on: "Train Kxxx bound for Nancheng is now boarding."

She stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked toward the ticket gate. Her figure appeared small in the empty waiting hall, but every step she took was steady.

In the morning, Cang Lifeng received a call from the police station: "Is this Comrade Cang Lifeng? We have verified the information you reported. Comrade Li Xiaojun has been found; he is unharmed, just a little shaken."

Cang Lifeng tightened his grip on the microphone: "Where's the young soldier? Is he injured?"

"No. He's perfectly fine. You can have Mr. Li come to the station so we can discuss the details in person."

Cang Lifeng hung up the phone and stood at the entrance of the construction site for a long time without moving.

Xiao Jun was not injured.

The injuries in the photos, the pliers, the screams on the phone—all of that Old Li mentioned were fake. It was all an act for him, an act for Old Li. They didn't need to actually hurt Xiao Jun; they just needed Old Li to believe they would.

Fear is the real weapon.

Cang Lifeng closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he turned and walked out of the construction site—Old Li was still waiting in the workers' shed in the corner of the site, and he had to go tell him the good news.

Old Li sat on the wooden bed in the workers' shed, his eyes fixed on the ground. Hearing the door open, he suddenly looked up.

"Xiao Jun is alright." Cang Lifeng sat down by the bed. "The police station called. He's been rescued and isn't injured."

Old Li stood there, his lips trembling. After a long while, he finally managed to say in a trembling voice, "Boss... I... I'm so sorry..."

"Uncle Li, those photos and those phone calls are fake. They didn't hurt Xiaojun. They just need you to believe they will."

Upon hearing this, Old Li raised his hand, covered his face, and his shoulders trembled violently.

Cang Lifeng sat beside him without saying a word. He was just waiting for Old Li to finish crying.

After a long time, Old Li finally calmed down. He wiped away his tears, stood up, and looked at Cang Lifeng: "Boss, I'm going to pick up Xiao Jun."

"Go ahead." Cang Lifeng patted his shoulder. "He's waiting for you at the police station."

That afternoon, Cang Lifeng heard from the police station that Lao Li had taken Xiao Jun back. The father and son embraced and wept bitterly at the station. Lao Li confessed everything he knew, signed and fingerprinted the confession, and then took Xiao Jun back to his hometown. Before leaving, he asked someone to pass on a message: he would come back after everything was settled and kowtow to his eldest son.

The following evening, Cang Lifeng stood at the exit of the train station, waiting for someone.

The last rays of the setting sun peeked through the clouds and shone on his face. He hadn't slept well for days; his eyes were bloodshot, but he seemed to be in good spirits.

A train from the provincial capital slowly pulled into the station. The doors opened, and Cang Liuqing stepped off. She wore a dark gray trench coat, her hair was tied back, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, but her whole demeanor was like a newly drawn knife—sharp and composed.

Cang Lifeng went up to her and said, "Sister, you've come."

"Hmm." Cang Liuqing nodded. "What about Tianci?"

"He's still in the ICU. The doctor says his condition is stable, but they don't know when he'll wake up."

Cang Liuqing was silent for a moment, then reached out and pressed hard on her younger brother's shoulder, saying, "Come on, take me to see him."

The two walked out of the train station side by side. Cang Lifeng hailed a taxi and gave the driver the name of the hospital.

Arriving at the hospital, they entered the ward. Su Yumei was sitting by the bed, holding Tianci's hand. Seeing Cang Liuqing enter, she paused, then tears welled up in her eyes: "Liuqing..."

Cang Liuqing walked over quickly, took her hand, and comforted her, "Fourth Aunt, don't cry, I'm here."

Su Yumei nodded and wiped away her tears. Cang Zhenye walked over from the window and called out, "Liu Qing."

Cang Liuqing walked to the bedside and looked down at Tianci. His face was very pale and quiet, as if he were just asleep. But he was too peaceful, so peaceful that it broke her heart.

She reached out and gently touched Tianci's forehead. It was cool. For a moment, her fingers trembled slightly, her lips tightened, and her eyes reddened, but she quickly took a deep breath and suppressed the moisture.

"Tianci, your sister has come to see you. Your older brother is here, your parents are here, we are all waiting for you. Please wake up soon."

There was no response. Only the beeping of the monitor continued rhythmically.

Cang Liuqing stood by the bed for a long time. Then she straightened up and turned to Cang Lifeng: "Lifeng, I need you to do a few things for me."

"you say."

"First, give me a copy of Lao Li's statement. Second, collect all the documents related to the construction site accident—inspection reports, construction records, and material delivery slips. Third, where is Lin Wei? I need her help."

Cang Lifeng nodded: "Okay. I'll go call her."

Cang Liuqing then turned to Cang Zhenye and Su Yumei: "Fourth Uncle, Fourth Aunt, you two stay and watch over Tianci. Leave the rest to me and Lifeng."

Su Yumei held her hand, her eyes brimming with tears: "Liu Qing, thank you for everything."

Cang Liuqing shook her head: "Fourth Aunt, Tianci is my younger brother. The affairs of the Cang family are my affairs."

She turned and walked out of the ward, her steps firm. Cang Lifeng followed behind, watching his sister's back, and suddenly remembered many years ago, in the old house in Xiqiao Village, this same sister walked ahead, leading them out of that muddy road.

Back then, she was still a student, carrying her schoolbag, walking at the front, turning around to say to them, "Hurry up, we're going to be late."

She is still walking at the very front.

Cang Lifeng quickened his pace and caught up.