Chapter 6 (1/2)
13th of October 20XX, Afternoon in the suburbs of Beijing, Yang Gao Province, the Sancha Village was s.h.i.+ning vibrantly.
Sancha Village was located along the vein of the Yan Mountain range, which had a beautiful scenery. Due to the fact that it was located centrally between the north and the south, communication was very convenient.
In the heart of Sancha Village, there was a large feudal land that took up a lot of s.p.a.ce. There was a wall, three meters high, surrounding this land. People would stand guard outside the large doors of the village all year long. At first glance, it seemed like it was a great establishment's inst.i.tution.
What very few people knew though, was that this was the headquarters for the seventh division of the National Security Bureau, and the Watchmen.
Within an office building in the feudal land, Luo Yi De was sitting in his personal office correcting doc.u.ments. At this moment, the phone on his desk suddenly rang.
He glanced at the number, and he realized that it was the security guards at the entrance calling.
”What is it?” Luo Yi De asked, in lieu of a greeting.
”Chief, a gentleman surnamed Gu is here, and he's looking for you. He said that he has an appointment.”
”Okay, I got it, let him in.”
Luo Yi De hung up and started to arrange his table. After that, he walked over to the door of his office to get ready to receive his guest. The person arriving is a distinguished guest, so he couldn't be impolite.
It wasn't long before footsteps sounded from the corridor. His guest was turning the corner with their head held high, he was a man full of self-confidence.
He had white hair on both sides of his temple, and even though he was quite old, he still had his usual impressive appearance, with an unhurried gait. His face carried a faint, refres.h.i.+ng smile, that made people feel amicable towards him.
Luo Yi De stood at the doors, smiling in welcome, while he waited for the man to approach. The two of them spread their arms in tandem and gave each other a strong hug.
”It's been a long time, Old Luo.” The man said while smiling.
”Yes, it's been too long, Old Gu.” Luo Yi De grinned back in response.
The man's name was Gu s.h.i.+ Tong. He was the head of a reputable conglomerate in the north, a legendary figure known for being able to move unhindered in the business world. He was also Luo Yi De's old friend.
After the simple greetings Luo Yi De lead Gu s.h.i.+ Tong into his office. He started to steep tea while gesturing for his guest to sit.
Isn't it a joy to have a friend from faraway come to meet you?
The two friends haven't met in a long time, so they talked for quite a while. Unknowingly, their reminiscing took up about an hour.
In the end, it was Luo Yi De that asked first, ”Old Gu, you're such a busy man, you wouldn't visit me for no reason. Coming here to find me today, it's not just to talk about the past right?”
Gu s.h.i.+ Tong swallowed a mouthful of tea, then replied while smiling, ”Of course, between you and I, there is no need to beat around the bush. I came here to see you today regarding two matters; the first reason is because we haven't met in years, so I came here to reminisce because I missed you. The second reason is because I need to request your help.”
Luo Yi De let out a faint smile. 'This old fox is still the same crafty individual. What do you mean, 'I came here to reminisce'? Looking for my help is the main motive of why you’re here.'
His face remained placid as he replied, while smiling, ”We've been friends for so many years. If you want to make use of my territory, just say so, I will put in my utmost effort. What do you need my help with?”
Gu s.h.i.+ Tong put down his teacup and gazed at Luo Yi De, ”I would like to borrow a person.”
”Borrow? Borrow who?”
”To be exact, I want to borrow a Watchman.”
Luo Yi De stared blankly and inquired, ”Borrow a Watchman? What happened?”
”The situation is like this,” Gu s.h.i.+ Tong said while adjusting his seat, ”I have a daughter that I have always treated as a pearl in my hands. She has just graduated from university not too long ago, so it's time for her to blossom at her current age. Do you know this?”
”You're talking about Gu s.h.i.+ Chen? I haven't seen that la.s.s since she was small, she was quite cute back then.”
Gu s.h.i.+ Tong nodded with a gloomy expression and said, ”Recently, s.h.i.+ Chen suddenly got some strange psychological problems for some unknown reason, which caused her to have the tendency to oppress herself. Furthermore, it's getting even more severe. If this isn't stopped in time, I'm afraid that the consequences would be unimaginable. I thought of you and your Watchmen because of this.”
”But,” Luo Yi De muttered irresolutely, ”according to my knowledge, Gu s.h.i.+ Chen already went to see an outstanding psychologist. Additionally, the doctor had attended some TV program.”
”That's right. That girl does have a little bit of reputation in curing mental problems, but her specialty is using hypnosis as a cure, which is where it gets troublesome.”
”What does that mean?”
”Even though we can all see that she has very serious mental problems, she will not admit it. Before this, I did find a few doctors that were considered to be quite famous in the industry, but s.h.i.+ Chen understood the methods of these doctors too well. If she doesn't cooperate, other people have no means of looking into her psyche.”
”So, you think that the Watchmen would be able to do what those psychologists could not?” Luo Yi De inquired.
”Of course,” Gu s.h.i.+ Tong said directly, ”We are both clear on this point. To get inside the heart of people, who better than the Watchmen?”
The room suddenly lapsed into silence while they looked at each other, which seemed like they were looking into each other's thoughts.
In the end, it was Luo Yi De that glanced away first, bitterly laughing as he shook his head, ”I apologise old friend, but you came here at the wrong time.”
”Why? Did something happen?”
Luo Yi De spread his hands while saying, ”The Watchmen each have their own responsibilities. They've all been sent out. Right now, I'm merely a commander, there isn't anyone else available.”
”There really isn't anyone?” Gu s.h.i.+ Ting asked, with a forced smile.
”There really isn't anyone left.” replied Luo Yi De, apologetically.
”It can't be right? According to my knowledge, you still have one person left.”
”Who?”
”Jiu Ming Shan's son, Jiu Jie.”
Gu s.h.i.+ Tong's words weren't very loud, but Luo Yi De felt like thunder had struck his ears. He was surprised, and at the same time, his thoughts started whirling inside his head. 'This rascal, he's already got such an accurate grasp on the situation. Looks like he really came prepared.”
Gu s.h.i.+ Tong took in Luo Yi De's change in facial expression and laughingly asked, ”Why? Is Jiu Jie also not in?”
Luo Yi De knew that since the opponent had already made preparations, it would be impossible to conceal the truth. He smiled brightly and said, ”He is here, but…”
”But what?”
”But he's still not ready. His red book has only reached three pages, and before that, he didn't even have his own dream alarm. To put it bluntly, he's still an apprentice Watchman. If I just sent him out like this, the consequences of destroying the Watchman's reputation is small compared to if he messes up your situation even further, causing you disappointment..”
Gu s.h.i.+ Tong grinned, ”This situation is different from the cases you've solved before, it's just rooting out a person's psychological issues. To a Watchman who has reached the third page, it's a very simple task, so you don't have to worry. Additionally, the girl's condition is getting worse, we can't delay treatment any longer. If Jiu Jie can cure her, I won't treat Jiu Jie or the other Watchmen unfairly in regards to the reward.”
”We've known each other for so many years, and yet you’re speaking about money like this as if we're strangers.”
”Old Luo, you know me. So many years and business just keeps growing. Money is just a meaningless number to me, my children are the most important. If there was another way, I wouldn't have come here to find you. You really need to help me solve this problem!”
What Gu s.h.i.+ Tong has said so far has been conveyed with varying degrees of both feelings and logic, so Luo Yi De was unable to refute.
Luo Yi De muttered to himself for a brief period of time and then finally replied, ”Old Gu, how about this? I will let Jiu Jie go with you first, and at the same time, I will try to quickly retrieve the rest of the Watchmen. You tell me your location and I'll wait until the rest of them come back before I select a better one to exchange with Jiu Jie. What do you think?”
” Of course, it's no problem, since that is the best option.” Gu s.h.i.+ Tong quickly answered.
”But, Jiu Jie's character is a bit problematic. If he offends you, please excuse him on my behalf.”
”That's good, that's good.” Gu s.h.i.+ Tong laughed.
”When are you preparing to leave?” Luo Yi De asked.
”Saving someone is like putting out a fire, the faster the better.”
”Sounds good. I'll go find Jiu Jie, wait here for a moment.”
Saying this, Luo Yi De rose from his seat and left the room.
Gu s.h.i.+ Tong looked at the silhouette of Luo Yi De leaving and lifted his teacup to take a sip, while a crafty smile appeared on his face.
Luo Yi De left the office and turned a corner to the rear court.
In the whole rear court, there were a few blocks of three-story buildings, and inside these buildings were apartment rooms. The people in the courtyard usually lived here and Jiu Jie was no exception.
Luo Yi De entered a building and went to the second level, stopping at room number 203. When he arrived, he lifted a hand to knock on the door. He continuously knocked for a while, but there was still no answer.