Chapter 84 My name is Li Shangwu
My name is Li Shangwu.
I distorted the truth.
On May 22, 2010, our team was assigned a surveillance operation targeting a notorious swindler known as Zhang Huanan.
Zhang was not just cunning; he had a lengthy criminal record filled with numerous offenses. Compounding our challenges was his exceptional skill in counter-reconnaissance, which had allowed him to elude police capture on multiple occasions. In this particular fraud case, he emerged as a prime suspect, and my colleague and I were charged with monitoring him around the clock.
"Sergeant Li, would you like a smoke?"
Xiao Liu offered, producing my favorite brand of cigarettes, DCXC (冬虫夏草). Despite not being particularly affluent, he always carried these pricey packs—each costing fifty yuan—yet never smoked them himself. Instead, he consistently made a point of offering me one.
"Xiao Liu, what’s your monthly salary?"
"Two thousand seven hundred yuan," Xiao Liu replied. "Didn’t you already know this, Sergeant Li?"
"You earn twenty-seven hundred and indulge in DCXC?" I asked, placing a HJJ between my lips, to which Xiao Liu hurriedly lit for me.
"Sergeant Li, what do you mean?" he replied, his smile overly eager. "I wouldn’t dream of smoking those! I’ve saved these just for you..."
I shook my head in exasperation and said, "We’re criminal police. Those who successfully crack cases are regarded as the top dogs, so don’t get caught up in workplace antics."
"Yes, yes, yes… you’re absolutely right, Sergeant Li." Xiao Liu slipped the DCXC into his pocket and retrieved a pack of ZBS (长白山) cigarettes, priced at six yuan. "Isn’t that why I’m here? To learn from you how to tackle cases!"
To be fair, Xiao Liu was quite sharp and possessed an impressive ability to grasp new concepts. It was said he consistently ranked at the top of his class in the police academy, yet how his parents managed his upbringing remains a mystery. Despite his youth, he had already mastered the art of sycophancy, proving to be quite a nuisance to seasoned veterans like myself after joining the force.
"Sergeant Li, do you think we’ll actually catch Zhang Huanan?"
"This—" I paused to consider. "Why the curiosity? We’ve been instructed by the higher-ups to monitor this location; our task is simply to follow orders."
We parked the car across the street from Zhang Huanan’s residence, our attention riveted on the solitary entrance.
Typically, stakeouts involve working in pairs, allowing one officer to rest while the other maintains vigilance. However, with no clear idea of how long we’d be stationed here, the uncertainty only intensified our cravings for cigarettes.
"I should’ve brought a spare pair of underpants," Xiao Liu joked.
"What are you talking about, you little rascal? Planning to change them right here?"
"Haha!" Xiao Liu laughed dismissively. "I’m just kidding, Sergeant Li. Care for another?"
In that cramped space, we chain-smoked, our movements cautious and guarded. Not daring to crack a window, the car swiftly transformed into a chamber thick with haze.
Xiao Liu occasionally switched on the air conditioning to circulate some fresh air; otherwise, in this stifling environment, the risk of lung cancer would skyrocket.
A full day had passed without either of us getting a moment of sleep. I felt I could endure, thanks to my history of late nights, but Xiao Liu was already struggling to keep his eyes open.
"You should take a nap," I suggested. "I can handle the watch alone."
"Sergeant Li… how could I do that? You haven’t rested yet; I can’t sleep first…" Despite his protest, his eyelids were already heavy.
"It’s fine; sleep. I’ll wake you up later."
"Well, if you insist… just wake me in half an hour…"
Within twenty seconds, the sound of Xiao Liu’s snoring filled the car, a testament to just how exhausted the kid was.
Upon confirming that he was sound asleep, I gently retrieved my phone from my pocket to check for any unread messages.
Of the four texts, three were from Xuanxuan.
{Dad, are you coming home for dinner tonight?}
{Dad, Grandma said you’re on duty these days. Please stay safe!}
{Dad, there’s a parent-teacher meeting next Friday afternoon. Will you be able to come then?}
I furrowed my brows slightly but resolved to reply to Xuanxuan.
"I’ll be home in a couple of days. Make sure to eat well."
After sending the message, I opened the fourth unread text.
The unfamiliar number simply read: "Still staking out?"
I glanced at the still-snoozing Xiao Liu and then turned my body to the side, quickly replying, "Cut the bull, stay hidden."
Once I finished, I tucked my phone away and slowly reclined my seat, preparing to steal a quick nap.
The new car from the department was quite luxurious; the seat was electric and reclined smoothly, a far cry from the old models that could drop unexpectedly and threaten to throw out your back.
As for surveilling Zhang Huanan…
What ludicrous. As long as I'm here, he’ll never show up.
After an indeterminate amount of time, I suddenly jolted awake from a violent shaking. Blinking against the disorientation, I found Xiao Liu staring at me, his expression one of sheer panic. "Sergeant Li! You fell asleep too?!"
"Huh?" Still groggy, I took a moment to grasp the situation. "Oh... you’re awake?"
"This is bad! If we both fell asleep, what if Zhang Huanan showed up?"
"It’s fine; he can’t get away." I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering drowsiness as I adjusted my seat back to its upright position.
"Oh... I mean, I just fell asleep, so it shouldn’t be that big of a coincidence…"
"Sigh…" Xiao Liu still appeared uneasy. He slapped his cheeks with determination and declared, "I knew I shouldn’t have slept. This is a disaster—my first time on duty, and I’ve already messed up."
"It’s fine, kiddo." I offered his shoulder a reassuring pat. "If anything goes awry, I’ll take the blame."
Strangely, from that moment on, Xiao Liu seemed reinvigorated, as if injected with chicken blood, staying wide awake for two straight days. I managed a few naps during those hours, but each time I awoke, he was still fixated on the building across the street, his gaze unwavering and intent.
"Do you wish to give yourself a heart attack, you rascal?" I asked, a genuine concern lacing my tone. "I’m awake now, so you should really take a moment to rest."
"No." Xiao Liu’s dark circles were pronounced, rendering him a picture of fatigue. "Sergeant Li, I refuse to rest until Zhang Huanan makes an appearance."
At that moment, my phone buzzed again from my pocket.
Even my trusty Nokia 6300 was nearing its battery’s end.
I glanced at the screen and was taken aback to see that troublemaker Zhang Huanan had messaged me once more. Nonchalantly, I shifted my position to check the contents, but Xiao Liu abruptly asked from behind me, "Any updates from the department?"
"Oh, no," I responded with a light chuckle, discreetly maneuvering my phone to the side.
"If it’s not from the department, then who is it?" His gaze fixated on the device in my hand, curiosity dancing in his eyes.
I understood that typically, such an impolite inquiry would be frowned upon. However, given Xiao Liu's sleep-deprived state, he was slightly off-kilter.
Observing his condition, a clever idea struck me.
I reached into my pocket, shifted the cigarettes from their pack, and pulled out the empty box, waving it in front of him like a beckoning flag. "Xiao Liu, why don’t you take a trip to fetch a pack of cigarettes?"
"Cigarettes? But there’s no convenience store in sight," he replied, momentarily taken aback.
"But I’m out of smokes," I replied, tucking both the empty cigarette box and my phone back into my pockets. "If there’s nothing nearby, just venture a bit farther. It’s not wise to go without cigarettes after such an extended vigil. Besides, the bottled water and bread in the car are running low as well, so if you can, pick those up too."
Xiao Liu stared blankly for a moment, processing my words, before nodding vigorously. "Understood, Sergeant Li. I’ll be back shortly."