The Dust Settled

It was already two in the morning when the door to the hospital room opened.

Old Chen came in carrying an insulated food container. He was still wearing his police uniform, with dust on his shoulders and a few spots of blood on his trouser legs-it was impossible to tell whether it was his or someone else's. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were red, as if he hadn't slept at all.

He glanced at Shen Yan on the bed without a word. He set the container on the bedside table, pulled over a chair, and sat down.

Fang Yuan, who had been assigned to stay with Shen Yan, stood up and silently went outside to keep watch.

Shen Yan's leg was wrapped in thick layers of gauze and suspended from a frame at the foot of the bed. His arm was bandaged too, and his face was as pale as the pillow. The medicine in the IV bottle fell drop by drop, making a faint sound in the quiet room.

"What did the doctor say?" Old Chen asked.

"The bullet went straight through and missed the bone. A month's rest will do it."

"A month," Old Chen repeated, his tone giving no indication whether he was relieved or distressed.

They fell silent for a while.

Old Chen pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, glanced at the "No smoking" sign on the wall, and put them away again. He rubbed his hands together. His palms were covered in calluses, and traces of blood remained under his fingernails.

"Those four Japanese are all alive," he said. "Yamada lost half an ear, Matsumoto was shot through the shoulder, Miyamoto in the thigh, and Takahashi in the stomach. None of the wounds are fatal. After his operation, Yamada asked about you several times. I had Fang Yuan tell him how you were, and only then did he go to sleep."

Shen Yan nodded.

"Li Kui's been suspended," Old Chen said. "Lu Tinghui questioned him personally. I heard he slammed his hand on the table. Of twenty men, half were lost. His days as captain are over. The men under him will probably be transferred to your unit."

Shen Yan said nothing.

Old Chen looked at him, his lips moving as if he wanted to ask something, but he swallowed the words. He poured a bowl of congee from the container and set it on the bedside table. It was plain rice congee, cooked thick and steaming hot.

"Nian'an is waiting for you at home. I didn't let her come. I was afraid she'd cry if she saw you like this." He stood and pushed the chair back into place. "I made the congee tonight. Eat it while it's hot. I'm going home. I still have work tomorrow."

Old Chen lowered his head and sighed as he walked toward the door, his back bent.

"Old man," Shen Yan called after him.

Old Chen turned around.

"Remember that time I was in a wheelchair?"

Old Chen nodded, then stared slack-jawed as Shen Yan stood on the bed and performed another textbook closing movement of lifting the heavens, looking just as punchable as he had back then.

"You... you fucking!"

Old Chen turned and went back to the bed, raising both hands as they trembled, now clenching his fists, now opening his palms, now clawing the air.

"What are you doing?! Insulting your superior? And now you're going to assault your superior too?! Watch it, or I'll dock your pay!"

Shen Yan crossed his hands in front of himself defensively, a cheeky grin on his face.

"I saw your wound with my own eyes... How could you..."

"I'm naturally gifted. What's it to you!"

Seeing that Shen Yan really was fine, Old Chen let out a long breath, as though a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"I'm not bringing you food tomorrow! Eat at the cafeteria yourself!"

Old Chen turned and walked away.

"Don't! We have to keep up the act. You've got to bring me food again tomorrow. I'm craving pork head meat, and bring a roast chicken too."

Shen Yan grinned mischievously.

"Eat shit!"

Without looking back, Old Chen pulled open the door and went out.

His footsteps sounded in the corridor, growing more and more distant.

Shen Yan lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The congee on the bedside table was still steaming. In the dim room, wisps of white vapor could be seen rising, dispersing, and vanishing.

Early the next morning, Lu Tinghui came.

When he pushed the door open, Shen Yan had just finished his congee.

He glanced at Shen Yan's suspended leg, then at the empty bowl on the bedside table, and sat down in the chair.

"Section Chief Kuroiwa heard about what happened last night."

He said,

"Li Kui disobeyed orders and attacked, suffering heavy losses. He's been suspended pending investigation. Once the men under him recover from their injuries, they'll all be transferred to the Special Operations Squad."

Shen Yan nodded.

"The section chief said," Lu Tinghui paused, "that wounding Lone Wolf is the biggest breakthrough we've had in months. You did very well."

"It was my incompetence that let him get away." Shen Yan lowered his head.

"One wounded Lone Wolf got away in exchange for a month of peace. Not a bad deal." Lu Tinghui stood up. "Focus on recovering. I've put Old Chen in charge of the Special Operations Squad for the time being."

He walked to the door, then suddenly stopped and looked back at Shen Yan.

"That man under you, Fang Yuan-he served in the army, didn't he?"

Shen Yan's heart tightened, but his expression remained composed. "Yes. It's in his police academy file. He used to serve in the Northwestern Army."

Lu Tinghui nodded. "No wonder. The way he stands, walks, and cleans his gun is different from the men who came out of the police academy. The Northwestern Army came from Feng Yuxiang's forces. They knew a thing or two about training soldiers. Times are chaotic now. Soldiers have scattered, and wherever they go, they have to make a living. As long as his background is clean and he's willing to work, put him to good use."

He paused, then added, "But remind him that the police force has its own rules. He shouldn't bring everything from the army over with him."

"Yes, sir. I'll tell him."

Lu Tinghui pulled open the door and went out.

Shen Yan leaned against his pillow, looked at the ceiling, and slowly let out a breath.

Lu Tinghui merely thought Fang Yuan "looked like he'd been a soldier." That was perfectly normal. In those days, far too many people had served in the army. The Northwestern Army, the Northeastern Army, the Sichuan Army, the Yunnan Army-the warlords had fought one another for so many years that men from defeated armies who had drifted to Shanghai were everywhere. A former soldier becoming a policeman was nothing unusual back then.

As long as Fang Yuan didn't give himself away, that identity was safe.

That afternoon, when Fang Yuan came to deliver some documents, Shen Yan stopped him.

"Go check on Yamada in a little while." His voice was quiet, but every word was clear. "Tell him to focus on getting better. The Special Operations Squad's assault team will be his to lead when he comes back."

Fang Yuan acknowledged the order and turned to leave.

"One more thing," Shen Yan called him back. "Tell the four of them they did well this time. But don't let it go to their heads. There's nothing glorious about Lone Wolf wounding all four of them by himself. If they want revenge, they should recover first and work on their marksmanship."

Fang Yuan froze for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, sir."

He left the room and closed the door.

Shen Yan leaned against his pillow and closed his eyes.

The IV had already been removed. The wound on his leg looked frightening, but that was only an illusion created by the system.

He went over the events of the previous night in his mind.

His clone had infiltrated the hideout, warned the Military Statistics Bureau to evacuate, and planted the mines. Li Kui had disobeyed orders and attacked, only to be caught in the blast. Shen Yan had led his team in pursuit. The four Japanese had been shot, and he and his clone had exchanged fire, both taking bullets. Lu Tinghui had judged the fleeing man to be the Scavenger and confirmed his identity through the shell casings.

There wasn't a flaw in any part of it.

Lu Tinghui believed it. Kuroiwa Masao believed it too.

Li Kui was finished. The four watchers were hospitalized with serious injuries and wouldn't be able to keep an eye on him for a while. The Military Statistics Bureau's people had evacuated safely and owed him a favor.

A system notification sounded in his mind.

[Ding! Mission complete: Successfully covered the Military Statistics Bureau's evacuation. Good and Evil Points +1,600]

[Current Good and Evil Points: 6,600]

[New skill unlocked: Disguise Technique]

[Skill effect: Changes facial contours, skin tone, hair color, and voice.]

[Clone Technique upgraded: Cooldown reduced to 15 days; duration extended to 48 hours]

Shen Yan closed his eyes.

Disguise Technique. With this, the next time he used his clone, he wouldn't have to rely on a piece of black cloth to cover its face.

The clone's cooldown had gone from a month to half a month, and its duration from 24 hours to 48. The next time a mission like this came up, he could handle it much more comfortably.

Next came a whole month of paid leave. Sweet!