Comrade Dong Xuebin, Rest in Peace!
Before noon.
At the crematorium, inside the Memorial Hall.
Above Dong Xuebin's black-and-white photograph hung a black banner with white lettering that read, "In Deep Mourning for Comrade Dong Xuebin." The flower-ringed coffin held no body, only a few of his personal belongings. Onstage, Su Jia delivered a eulogy with reddened eyes. Below stood Dong Xuebin's friends and colleagues, while on the other side were Luan Xiaoping, Dong Xuebin's uncle, aunt, and other relatives. Xie Huilan stood among the family as well, holding Luan Xiaoping's arm.
Nearly a hundred people were below.
The atmosphere in the hall was oppressive, with waves of weeping rising now and then.
Luo Haiting, Lin Pingping, and several other Investment Bureau officials had trembling shoulders. Liu Dahai, Deputy Captain Feng, and the other grown men had reddened eyes as well.
No one had expected Director Dong to die just like that, without even leaving behind an intact body.
Director Dong was only twenty-four, in the prime of his life. Who could have imagined that he would be gone just like that?
But more than ten days had already passed, and everyone had gradually accepted the fact. When they first heard that the Plane Crash had gone missing, many people had understood that Dong Xuebin was likely doomed. Later, when they learned that the plane had struck a reef and exploded, they knew that no one could have survived under those circumstances. Yet Luan Xiaoping had been unable to accept it. She had no idea how many times she had cried these past days. Only now did she understand what Bin had meant in that phone call, and why her son had told her to take good care of herself.
At first, Luan Xiaoping refused to believe her son was