Chapter 438: Chapter 412: The White Bone Palm_1
Zhou Ning, with Xia Momo, raced up the mountain, and Zhou Ning couldn’t help but feel apprehensive as Xia Momo put it that way.
Mr. Zhao, in the group, was quite the jinx—whenever he predicted heat, they were sure to be out in the hottest sun, not to mention Mr. He, the unlucky chap whose shifts always brought patient counts several times higher than others, an undeniable fact that left him quite helpless.
After much analysis, Zhou Ning came to a conclusion: his luck had always been good, the kind that catches the last train despite a late start, just like when he took the civil service exam, as well as his own college entrance exams, graduation, and whatnot.
Things looked hopeless, but he’d stumbled along to this day. Zhou Ning cleared his throat, got his backpack ready, shook off these messy thoughts, and quickened his pace up the mountain, dragging Xia Momo along.
All along the way, although they were in a scenic area, there were plenty of vendors, spots to sit with a cup of tea, and even places to get cold noodles, a Qindao specialty made from seaweed and stone jellyfish drizzled with garlic, cilantro, sesame oil, and vinegar—a refreshing antidote to the heat.
But now it was November, and the temperature on the mountain was even lower than in the city, so there weren’t many takers for the stalls. Zhou Ning, though he didn’t mind garlic, didn’t want to spoil the atmosphere with Xia Momo because of the smell.
Finally, they arrived at Chaoyin Waterfall, which, despite being in the dry season, still had beautiful cascades tumbling down due to recent rains.
After snapping plenty of photos, a woman with two children was next to them, reading the plaque beside Chaoyin Waterfall and trying to get the two kids to concentrate. But kids of eight or nine, preoccupied with play, hardly ever listened obediently, which was getting under the woman’s skin.
"Can the two of you listen properly? I’ll send you both to tutoring classes this weekend if you don’t write a travel log about Chaoyin Waterfall now that your school has set this assignment for you. Pay attention!"
The little girl blinked and clung to the woman’s arm, cooing,
"Mom, who wrote these words? Why is it called Chaoyin Waterfall? It’s such a difficult name to remember."
The woman glanced at her phone and explained, quite indifferently,
"This place used to be called Fish Scale Waterfall, but after Ye Gongchuo visited in 1931, he inscribed a poem here and changed its name. That’s how it got the lovely name Chaoyin Waterfall. What’s so difficult to remember about it? Look at the cliffside inscriptions across from us—many famous individuals have left their mark here because the landscape is so beautiful."
The little boy grimaced, full of disdain.
"Our teacher said we must follow the rules when traveling and not scribble everywhere. Doing that could not only result in a fine but also a scolding. These adults have no class."
Almost instantly, laughter erupted from those around them.
The woman, with an embarrassed expression, pulled the boy down from the rock.
"Stop talking nonsense. Can you not see the difference? What you’re talking about isn’t allowed—engraving your name with little stones or knives on cultural relics and scenic spots, claiming someone was here. That would certainly get you fined and scolded. But these are poems and inscriptions left by poets and famous people with top-notch calligraphy. They add color to the attractions."
The little girl hopped over, showing a gap in her teeth as she jumped cheerfully, and asked curiously,
"Sun Wukong also wrote ’was here,’ and that’s why the Buddha pinned him under a rock for five hundred years, right? And he also urinated everywhere."
Before long, the woman gave up on trying to keep a straight face, biting her lip and grabbing the little girl, trying to stop her from speaking out as she drew even more attention and laughter from onlookers.
The children’s argument continued unabated; they were like little devils, causing everyone quite a headache.
Zhou Ning pulled Xia Momo along, bypassing the crowd and heading towards the mountain, since many visitors stopped at Chaoyin Waterfall and didn’t want to go further. From there to Weizhu Temple, the furthest point on this trail, was a two-and-a-half-hour hike, while the descent on another path was somewhat shorter but still nearly two hours—and the pathways were very steep.
So many visitors turned back after just taking pictures, but Zhou Ning and Xia Momo were there to hike, so they headed straight for the mountain. Along the way, the scenery was pleasant, and they even encountered a one-legged disabled person climbing the mountain, whose stamina and willpower were admirable.
Five hours later, the two descended the mountain. Zhou Ning’s legs felt as if they weren’t his own, but seeing Xia Momo still in high spirits, he didn’t dare complain about being tired and felt relieved that he definitely didn’t have the constitution of Conan.
The two drove straight home, and Zhou Ning dropped Xia Momo off at Building 7. She glanced at the time, reached into the back seat for a bag of stockings, and gave them a shake in front of Zhou Ning.
"Come over for dinner after you shower. I’ll freshen up too. How about I make you some wontons?"
All at once, Zhou Ning’s fatigue vanished.
"Sounds good. I’ll come over after my shower, and today, I want to see white stockings!"
Xia Momo rolled her eyes, struggling to hold back a laugh and her embarrassment as she quickly entered the building.
Zhou Ning hurriedly turned around, but regretted his eagerness. Had he seemed too anxious just now? He reminded himself to pay attention to his tone and timing when making requests next time, as he drove straight home.
...
January 4, 2013
First thing in the morning, Zhou Ning drove Xia Momo to the technical department.
Dressed in a navy blue down jacket, Zhou Ning adjusted his clothes when he got out of the car, which made Xia Momo cover her mouth and laugh.
"Are you that uncomfortable without your uniform? Rest assured, this jacket looks great on you and suits your temperament. You can’t wear your uniform all year round—the headquarters doesn’t even require that of you."
Zhou Ning closed the car door, facing a blast of cold air, admitting the jacket didn’t lack in warmth.
"I’m just a bit uncomfortable, but since it’s from you, I naturally like it."
Xia Momo just smiled, not responding as they headed to the technical department, one after the other. They hadn’t reached Office 301 when hurried footsteps sounded from behind.
Turning around, Zhou Ning saw Mr. Bai approaching, and with a hint of confusion, he quickly asked,
"Mr. Bai, why the rush? Is there a case?"
Mr. Bai nodded.
"Director Zhou, did you forget your phone? I called you five or six times just now, and no one answered, so I hurried over to check. It’s like this: Tongshan Sub-bureau has a case and would like you all to have a look."
Zhou Ning glanced at his new down jacket and quickly felt his pockets, realizing his phone was stuffed in his bag and he hadn’t heard it ring.
"Don’t worry, I’ll change clothes. Come upstairs with me; we need to call people in anyway. While we’re at it, tell me about the general situation."
As Zhou Ning spoke, he was already taking off his down jacket, and Xia Momo quickly took it from him. She wanted to suggest that Zhou Ning go in what he was wearing, but she knew his character.
The three hurried towards Room 301, and Mr. Bai gave a brief overview of the situation.
"Early today, around five in the morning, two people went to Yangkou Police Station in Tongshan District to report a corpse. They’re off-trail mountaineering enthusiasts who said they found a body in a hollow near Zhutoushi yesterday evening.
It was too late, and in their panic, they even lost their way, failing to find the path they came from. By the time they made it out of the mountains, it was past five o’clock. They realized they had gone the wrong direction and ended up in Yangkou, so they promptly reported to the nearest police station.
They took some photos, though the lighting was poor. You could see that the body was covered with a plastic tarp and next to it was a discarded, huge mountaineering backpack. One of the corpse’s palms was already showing white bone.
Yangkou Police Station immediately reported it, and Director Tao discussed it with Director Xu. Director Xu’s idea was to have your team go and take a look. However, the location has not been found yet."
Zhou Ning paused mid-action.
"You mean to say, the location given by those two mountaineers hasn’t been found yet?"
Mr. Bai nodded.
"Probably, they were too frightened by the sight of the corpse last night, they only knew it was in a hollow near Zhutoushi, but now they can’t find the exact spot. But rest assured, we’ve dispatched a massive police force—almost the entire Tongshan Sub-bureau is out, even calling in several units of armed police. I believe there will be news very soon."
Zhou Ning let out a breath, by now he had already arrived at the office. Most of the team had heard parts of the conversation and, seeing Zhou Ning’s expression, realized work was coming their way. They all stood up, waiting for Zhou Ning’s orders.
After thinking briefly, Zhou Ning waved to Mr. Zhao.
"Today, everyone will head out. Go and find Zhu Zuozhang; let his team’s forensics experts come too. We have a body on the mountain with signs of skeletal exposure in a hand. Mr. Yang, prepare the necessary equipment; we need to be faultless."
Everyone sprang into action, but Zhou Ning held back Liu Yongxin, who was about to stand.
"Master, you don’t need to follow. We’ll have to climb and search, and it’s colder up there. Your leg isn’t up to it, so just stay and look after the place. We can’t exactly play a bluff here. Momo, you stay too. Is Zhu Xingxing fit enough?"
Zhu Xingxing grinned, a gesture that somehow very much resembled Mr. Zhao.
"I’m stronger than Zhao Xinli. Don’t worry, I can carry the body too."
The remaining few spoke up before Zhou Ning could ask, each one saying they were up to the task. Zhou Ning didn’t waste words and patted Mr. Bai on the shoulder.
"Ask the new driver Mr. Liu to get ready. We’re leaving immediately. Is Director Xu also going?"
Mr. Bai nodded and picked up his phone.
"Director Xu is going with us, and there’s bad news – those two mountaineers posted the photos on Weibo."
Zhou Ning frowned deeply, but this wasn’t his concern; moreover, Xu Dayuan had already brought in seven computer experts from Qin University, all assigned to the technology department, so deleting posts and controlling public opinion shouldn’t be an issue.
"Forget that, go call the driver Mr. Liu."
Mr. Bai, realizing he had said too much, quickly shut up and hurried downstairs, while Mr. Qu sidled over.
"Do you need my help with the posts?"
Zhou Ning shook his head.
"Director Xu will handle it. I think the seven new guys in tech are quite capable. This will be a good test for them. But why would those two mountaineers choose to report to the police and yet post on Weibo?"
Mr. Zhao pushed the door open, returning just in time to hear Zhou Ning’s last words. While pulling on his coat, he began to speak:
"Why take the off-trail path? It’s because they don’t want to see the regular scenic views. These people are usually rock climbing enthusiasts or the like who enjoy extreme sports and have significant influence. Seeing this, something that could go viral, how could they resist? I wager later they’ll insist it wasn’t their doing."
Zhou Ning shot him a glance, and Mr. Zhao promptly clammed up.
"Keep quiet; we’re there to survey the scene. Just do your job. Mr. Zhao, sit next to me later. The new driver Mr. Liu will drive. Alright, no more chatter; let’s head out."
Mr. Zhao shrugged his shoulders, as Zhou Ning became stern, which he is slightly afraid of.
"Mr. Liu doesn’t drive as steadily as I do."
Liu Yongxin, laughing, slapped him on the back.
"Get going, so much chatter. Old Liu is a demobilized soldier, has been driving for over twenty years, and he can also sail a boat. What can you compare?"
