Chapter 5 (11) A Corpse (2)

  Xiao Bin's dull head turned laboriously, looking at the shell in his hand. This was a familiar shell, 51-style pistol ammunition, different from the Type 64 pistol ammo on him. Yet, he felt this shell was strange, as he didn't have a Type 54 pistol (note: Type 54 pistols use 51-style pistol ammo). How did this shell end up here? After a long while, Xiao Bin suddenly remembered that the 79 Micro-Assault Rifle used 51-style pistol ammo! The 79 Micro-Assault Rifle?! Shell?! Xiao Bin seemed to have an epiphany, carefully surveying his surroundings. This was the canyon he and Old Wei had fled into while being chased!

  Xiao Bin sadly discovered that he had been walking in the mountains for several days, only to find himself back at the starting point! He pinched the shell casing and carefully placed it next to his nose, using the residual gunpowder smell to stimulate himself, letting his already confused head clear up... there must be a way out... there must be...

  What about Lao Wei? Suddenly, Xiao Bin thought that maybe Lao Wei had already broken through and escaped. Or was he still holding on? Thinking of this, Xiao Bin gritted his teeth and stood up, walking deeper into the valley along the gorge. He didn't know why he did so, perhaps it was listening to his inner thoughts, or perhaps it was Lao Wei calling out to him.

  Xiao Bin's progress was very difficult, but the scenery around him became more and more familiar. In Xiao Bin's mind, he recalled every scene of that day when he fought and retreated with Lao Wei. He came to the small cliff where Lao Wei had climbed up the mountain, and the marks left by Xiao Bin were still there, but there was no longer any sign of Lao Wei...

  This is a dead end, Xiao Bin clearly remembers that 100 meters away is the end of the canyon, surrounded by smooth stone walls, and the canyon is filled with rugged rocks.

  Xiao Bin seemed to feel something calling him, he dragged his almost unconscious feet and walked towards the depths of the canyon, where his superior, his mentor, and his comrades like fathers and brothers were!

  The further in Xiao Bin walked, the more scattered shell casings he saw in the canyon, proving that a fierce battle had once taken place here. Now, however, it was so quiet, as if nothing had ever happened.

  Lao Wei seemed to know that Xiao Bin would come, still quietly leaning against the stone, his eyes closed, waiting peacefully. The 79 micro-charge pistol that had been shot out of his hand was damaged by a grenade and fell into a gap in the rocks, its muzzle pointing straight at the direction of the valley entrance. Lao Wei's left hand was holding onto the empty handgun...

  Xiao Bin saw Lao Wei, and tears flowed out uncontrollably. Lao Wei's chest was a bloody mess, his right arm had a huge gash, the blood in his body had been drained, and the stone and ground were covered with a large patch of darkened bloodstains.

  "Head... head..." Xiao Bin wasn't afraid at all, it seemed like Old Wei had just fallen asleep. He saw that Old Wei's head was hanging down in an uncomfortable position and tried to straighten it, but Old Wei's body had already stiffened. Xiao Bin gave up and sat quietly beside Old Wei, tears flowing silently. Xiao Bin didn't have the strength to wail anymore, and at this moment, he didn't need to either.

  Xiao Bin sat stupidly beside Lao Wei for several hours, and the sky darkened again. Xiao Bin stood up and said softly: "Lao Wei, it will be cold at night, I'll go make a fire." He took off his outer garment and carefully covered Lao Wei with it, and even tucked in the corners of the garment to keep him warm.

  Xiao Bin brought some hay and lit a fire. He sat by the fire, reminiscing about his time with Lao Wei...

  The first time I saw Old Wei was when I had just graduated from the police academy and reported to the anti-drug brigade. When this half-bald middle-aged man came in, he was wearing a crumpled camouflage uniform and a pair of dirty Liberation shoes, looking like a migrant worker. Xiao Bin was taken aback - is this really the legendary first-rate detective who has cracked countless cases? It's so different from what I imagined! Old Wei seemed to have noticed Xiao Bin's confusion, flipped through his file casually, and said: "Wang Xiaobin?! Ah, another rookie..."

  Xiao Bin heard the disappointment and helplessness in Old Wei's tone, but how long ago was that? Xiao Bin tried his best to recall, but no matter what, he couldn't remember the exact date, only that it was a warm afternoon in the office on the third floor of the Narcotics Brigade. Later, he found out that Old Wei had just returned from a sting operation disguised as a laborer and hadn't had time to change clothes. On that day, Old Wei's team successfully apprehended three drug dealers who were in the middle of a transaction...

  The second time I saw Old Wei was at night, he had just finished interrogating a suspect and bumped into him in the corridor. At that time, Old Wei was wearing a police uniform and a big hat, which covered his Mediterranean hair. It wasn't until then that Xiao Bin thought he looked a bit like a detective. Xiao Bin was with the political commissar at the time, and when Old Wei walked over, he suddenly asked: "What's your name again?"

  "Wang Xiaobin, others call me Xiao Bin..." Xiao Bin replied very seriously at that time.

  "Oh, Xiao Bin, that's a good name." Lao Wei casually replied, and the political commissar said: "Lao Wei, you take this new recruit with you. He is an excellent student from the police academy, all his grades are excellent."

  "Oh..." Old Wei hastily responded with a sentence, and Xiao Bin's master-disciple relationship was thus firmly established in this informal setting of the corridor.

  Lao Wei was in a hurry to go through an archive, and perhaps his mind was not on Xiao Bin at that time...

  Xiao Bin looked back, turned his head to look at the old Wei beside him, still leaning against the stone in that posture. Xiao Bin added some firewood to the bonfire and asked: "Lao Wei, are you cold?" As if Old Wei was still alive.

  I don't know why, but Xiao Bin wasn't afraid of Lao Wei at all. Other master-apprentice relationships were always cautious, but only Xiao Bin was always carefree and casual. Lao Wei seemed to not mind Xiao Bin's rough and careless personality. The two of them worked in the same office, and their builds were actually quite different. One time, they had to wear formal attire for a meeting, and coincidentally, they had just finished a case and rushed back to the conference room. Xiao Bin randomly grabbed a police uniform from the closet and put it on, but it felt tight all over. When he hastily entered the meeting room and sat down uncomfortably, twisting and turning, Lao Wei silently sat beside him. Halfway through, he awkwardly said, "Xiao Bin, next time you get dressed, take a look; I just went to the bathroom, and how did you end up wearing my clothes?" Xiao Bin only then realized that the clothes on Lao Wei were his own. Lao Wei's hands were somewhat short, and Xiao Bin's police uniform sleeves covered his wrists. As a result, when it was time for photos after the meeting, they became the most eye-catching people in the group - Xiao Bin desperately tried to shrink away to avoid bursting the buttons on his uniform, while Lao Wei wished he could stand on tiptoes to prop up the loose police uniform that looked like a costume.

  Where did I put this photo? Xiao Bin thought carefully, but he just couldn't remember. Perhaps it's like that for everyone, only when you lose something do you realize how precious these trivial things in life are!

  Xiao Bin turned his head and looked at the sleeping Old Wei, asking in a low voice: "Head, do you still remember our first capture?"

  Lao Wei didn't respond, but Xiao Bin clearly remembered that it was in the sweltering summer, the weather was very sultry. The informant reported that there was a drug deal at the Haotai Hotel's 508 room, with four people involved. At that time, eight anti-drug police officers went to the scene, but Xiao Bin didn't show any signs of nervousness as a newcomer. As soon as the service staff opened the door, he rushed in without waiting for Lao Wei to get into position. The four people in the room were stunned, and one of them pulled out a gun from under the pillow. When Xiao Bin saw the black muzzle pointing at him, his mind went blank. Fortunately, Lao Wei rushed in just in time, pushed him away, and the bullet grazed past his ear. Then the gun jammed...

  Later, Old Wei said to Xiao Bin: "Next time don't rush so fast, the quota for martyrs is available every year, no need to use it all in the first year."

  Xiao Bin smiled foolishly and turned his head to look at Lao Wei: "Boss, I asked you what if we sacrifice, you said that we should strive not to sacrifice. You said you don't want to be a martyr, you want to see your own daughter grow up, fall in love, get married, and have a grandson for you. You said you like girls who are well-behaved, unlike boys who are mischievous... but... how can I go back and explain this to your daughter now?"

  Lao Wei fell silent, calmly closing his eyes to continue "sleeping", this sleep would be his last, from now on he would no longer outsmart and fight against criminals, nor would he take Xiao Bin running around searching for clues, nor would he go watch his daughter play the piano again, he wouldn't see his daughter grow up, get married...

  Xiao Bin thought about the bits and pieces he had experienced with Lao Wei, his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. He leaned against Lao Wei's side and whispered: "Boss, I'm a bit cold, can you give me some of your quilt..."

  Xiao Bin had once said this to Lao Wei, it was when they were handling a case in a mountain village, and they were staying in a farmhouse. The wooden wall of the house was drafty on all sides, and the farmer could only provide them with a thin quilt, so the two men squeezed onto the hard bed made of wooden boards and slept until midnight. Xiao Bin also mumbled to himself as he snatched Lao Wei's quilt, leaving Lao Wei to freeze for half the night, and the next day Lao Wei came down with a cold...

  Xiao Bin's mouth curved up into a silly smile again: "Tonight I won't snatch your quilt, head, you can sleep at ease..." His drowsy head leaned against Lao Wei's shoulder and he fell asleep...

  ……

  "Head, you rest for a while longer, I'll come back to pick you up. It's cold in the mountains, don't catch a chill...” The next day when Xiaobin woke up, the sun had already risen, still lazily sprinkling a few rays of sunlight in the valley. Xiaobin told Lao Wei that he carefully put the clothes that had fallen off last night back on Lao Wei's body, and then tucked in the corners of his clothes again, before standing up.

  "Head, I know you called me to tell me how to get out of here. Don't worry, I'll definitely be able to get out and I'll come back for you!" Xiaobin turned his head to take a look at the "soundly sleeping" Old Wei, then walked towards the outside of the gorge.

  Following the valley, you can definitely find that thicket, and there are your own footprints in the thicket. After passing through the thicket is a forest, and on top of the forest is that road. Xiaobin silently told himself: "It won't be wrong, it must not be wrong, the leader has already told me how to go..."