Crimson Instinct

---

Outside the hotpot restaurant, near the parking lot, Tian Song dialed a number.

"The General came at the last moment and took them away."

"Why both of them?"

"Bai Li insisted on staying together with her. He wasn't ready to send her to me. General Song had no issues, and he 'politely' said to me not to have any issues either."

There was a long stretch of silence.

"How didn't you know about General Song coming to arrest them?"

Tian Song was expressionless. "He discussed it with Duan Deming. They decided that Bai Li would go with the General and Xin Lei with the cops."

Silence.

"Duan Deming didn't inform you about it. Is he starting to be suspicious of you?"

"I am always careful."

"But not enough. He is dangerous."

"I understand."

"Keep following them. I'm pretty sure that they would find a way out of it."

"Okay."

*Xin Lei*, ---

General Song agreed to let us go but on one condition.

Bai Li asked, "What?"

He said, "I am the General, and I am not supposed to be doing this, but Bai Li belonged to the army so I can give a little leeway but not forever. If you think that you cannot go to the cops, then you have to at least prove it to me that you didn't steal the evidence. It doesn't matter what I know or not. You have to give physical proof. Then I can help in lifting the orders on your arrest, even from the cops."

I was a little skeptical about it.

"How much time?" Bai Li asked.

"Seven days. If not, then I will bring you both back here, and at that time, there would be no negotiations."

"You won't interfere in our exploration?"

"Under the circumstances that you don't run into any more trouble for which the army will have to intervene."

"Deal."

General Song nodded. "What do you suppose I should say regarding your disappearance?"

Bai Li said, "Not disappeared. We both got a bad stomachache and had to be admitted for treatment. They are not going to make rounds at the hospital."

That was a plausible excuse.

"Both of you at the same time?"

Bai Li shrugged. "If we ate the same food, then why not? Stomach upset can be pretty harsh too. Ask Xin Lei. She is a doctor," He waved his hand in my direction.

I rolled my eyes and nodded.

"Only you two?"

"For special effects, we can add a soldier or two to make it look real."

General Song raised his brow as if he was very amused. "Is that your story?"

"As real as it gets."

"Alright."

I heaved a sigh of relief. At least we didn't have to run away from here or the cops and the army behind us at the same time would have added double pressure on us. Things would have gotten more complicated.

We got up and turned to leave.

But General Song said, "Are you sure you can do it, Bai Li? We know what happened with Tan Ye. Your PT-"

"I am fine, General." Bai Li cut him off mid-sentence.

Damn, did he have to say that?

I worriedly looked at Bai Li. I held his hand and assured him that everything would be fine.

I knew Bai Li was in denial about his PTSD. General Song was wrong about Tan Ye, and I just felt it, but he wasn't wrong about Bai Li's condition.

But as a doctor and his potential future girlfriend, I had to make him realize that. I never want to see Bai Li like that ever again how he was outside the Micro Pub.

I turned and smiled. I used sign language. "Don't worry. I am with Bai Li. I won't let him lose his way, neither personally nor professionally."

General Song was impassive. "Well, I hope so. Good luck."

---

Dongcheng.

Rong Zhengsheng quietly stood at a distance from a nearby phone booth. There was a method with which he sometimes communicated with Xin Nianzu if the investigation turned dangerous in any of his cases.

He dialed his number through one of the many phone booths scattered in Dongcheng. And they had decided on a particular phone booth if ever Xin Nianzu was in trouble and had to call Rong Zhengsheng.

They had also decided on the hour slots of the day. It would start with ten to eleven in the morning and four to five in the evening. If Xin Nianzu couldn't call in between any one of the two hours, they would shift the hour by one the next day. So it was eleven to twelve and five to six the next day.

Xin Nianzu knew how to hide well, but this would go on for only two days; otherwise, it meant that the circumstances were not in his favor. So, if Xin Nianzu didn't contact today or tomorrow, then it was certain that he must be in trouble again.

And right now, if Xin Nianzu were still free and unharmed, then the phone in that booth would surely ring.

There were still fifteen minutes left for the clock to strike eleven.

And at precisely 10:46 AM, the phone in the booth rang.

Rong Zhengsheng casually walked up to the booth. He looked around as if he was unsure what to do with the call, questioningly glancing here and there. He seemed to think for a moment and shrugged. He went inside and picked the call.

"So, you still remember."

Xin Nianzu's voice came from the other end.

Rong Zhengsheng said, "I haven't gotten that old yet. It's your memory that must be rotting away."

"Whatever. Come at this address quickly."

Rong Zhengsheng quickly memorized it and cut the call. They had to be careful that they didn't spend too much time on the call. Further talk could wait.

Rong Zhengsheng came out of the booth.

"Why don't you take me there too?"

Rong Zhengsheng stopped. He narrowed his eyes.

He turned around and looked to see Rodey smiling at him.