RLTT CH 3

Chapter 3: Batman Comics and Cigarettes

On the way from the airport to the city, Yun Shaofeng gazed out the window in silence, watching the scenery pass by. The greenery, the harbor, the old residential buildings, the commercial towers… Familiar Chinese neon signs lined the streets. Though unlit during the day, they still displayed the signature look of the Special Administrative Region.

Inspector Wei Jiaxi was driving. The car, a black seven-seater equipped with reflective tinted windows, was a government vehicle—low-key yet practical. He dared not look at Yun Shaofeng, who was sitting in the passenger seat. Instead, he focused on the road, but the subtle tapping of his fingers on the steering wheel betrayed his nervousness.

“Um… The safehouse this time is in the old district near the CBD^[1]. It’s not far from the local police station in that area. We’ve secured the surroundings, so there’s no need to worry,” Inspector Wei said, awkwardly trying to fill the silence. “Once you’re home today, you can rest for a while. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to headquarters for a meeting, and in the afternoon, some colleagues will stop by to introduce themselves.”

“Alright,” Yun Shaofeng responded softly, still staring out the window.

Glancing at him from the corner of his eye, Inspector Wei relaxed slightly and spoke in a lighter tone, “For safety reasons, we’d recommend you avoid going out as much as possible. But if there’s somewhere you’d like to visit, just let me or one of the other colleagues know in advance.”

“Visit? Why don’t you ask me,” Yun Shaofeng said, blinking as his gaze followed the political banners hanging on the roadside guardrails, “where I used to live or what I used to do?”

Inspector Wei’s heart skipped a beat, fearing he might have slipped up. Swallowing nervously, he replied, “We have your dossier. I already know.”

Hearing that, Yun Shaofeng slowly turned his head to look at him, his expression somewhat peculiar.

“I… I know that six years ago, you were in a car accident, lost your memory, and then immigrated to Canada. So, there are probably many things you don’t remember and need time to reacquaint yourself with,” Inspector Wei said, gripping the steering wheel tightly as he made a large right turn, trying to hide the awkwardness on his face. “But don’t worry. I’m a native of the Special Administrative Region—I know the area like the back of my hand^[2].”

Yun Shaofeng lowered his gaze, staring at the car brand logo on the glove compartment, and remained silent.

Inspector Wei secretly bit his tongue, berating himself for being foolish.

“…Just call me Shaofeng,” Yun Shaofeng said softly.

Turning his face slightly away, Inspector Wei let out a long sigh of relief in his heart. Silently cheering, “Yes! Bonus points for me!” he then replied in a deliberately casual tone, “Alright, Shaofeng. I thought people who’ve spent time overseas usually go by English names.”

“I lived in the Chinese community in Vancouver and didn’t interact much with locals,” Yun Shaofeng said, his tone still subdued, showing little enthusiasm. “…I didn’t have many friends either.”

…Minus one point.

“Oh… Well, that’s… nice, too. Chinese people overseas are always very united, haha…” Inspector Wei chuckled awkwardly, realizing he was just digging himself into a hole with his words. Opting to stay quiet, he sealed his lips.

The car finally turned into a side road and pulled up to a rather upscale residential building. The iron gate opened as Inspector Wei nodded in greeting to the security guard in the booth before driving into the parking lot.

The safehouse was on the 11th floor. A two-bedroom unit with an open-plan kitchen. The counter was lined with a few chairs, doubling as a dining area. Though the apartment wasn’t spacious, by the standards of the densely populated Special Administrative Region, it was a relatively comfortable mid-range accommodation. Since the government had rented the apartment, the décor wasn’t extravagant, but all essential living items were provided. There was even a small balcony, just enough space to hang clothes.

Wei Jiaxi pressed the doorbell and spoke the code into the intercom: “The exchange student is back in the dorm.” A colleague inside the apartment unlocked the door.

For security purposes, the entire protection operation was codenamed “The Exchange Student Program.” Whether it was daily comings and goings, casual conversations, or phone calls, the code had to be used to maintain confidentiality.

Wei Jiaxi entered the apartment and set down his backpack, which contained only toiletries and simple clothing. According to the arrangement, he was the one mainly responsible for close protection, but during his off days, other colleagues would take over the stay-in shifts. Therefore, it wasn’t suitable to bring too many personal belongings.

“This is Eva from the Witness Protection Unit (WPU), and this is Zhong Zai,” Wei Jiaxi introduced his two colleagues to Yun Shaofeng as they followed him inside. “Zhong Zai and I will take turns staying here for 24-hour protection, while Eva will always be on standby and fill in for us when needed.”

Yun Shaofeng shook hands with both of them and greeted them politely.

“Mr. Yun, feel free to take a look around the apartment and choose a bedroom. If there’s anything you need for daily living, let us know, and we’ll have our colleagues purchase it for you,” Zhong Zai said with a professional smile. Meanwhile, Eva, a petite young woman with a poker face, stood quietly nearby.

“Just call me Shaofeng,” Yun Shaofeng replied before checking out the two bedrooms. Finding no significant difference between them, he casually pointed to the room on the right. Then, pulling out his phone, he asked, “Hmm, do you guys not have Wi-Fi here?”

Eva and Zhong Zai exchanged a glance before answering, “That’s correct. To ensure secure communication, we can’t install any commercial networks at the moment. We’ll also issue you a new SIM card later, specially encrypted for government security purposes. So, for now, there’s no internet access at home. It’s inconvenient, but we ask for your understanding.”

“If you’re looking for entertainment, the TV is functional. Or, if you’d like any books or DVDs, let us know, and we can purchase them for you,” Zhong Zai added, pointing to the television in the living room.

Yun Shaofeng glanced in the direction Zhong Zai pointed and shrugged. “It’s fine. Just bring me whatever you want. I’m not picky—movies, novels, comics…”

“Oh, you like comics too? Jiaxi-ge seems to enjoy comics as well,” Zhong Zai said with a smile, turning to Wei Jiaxi. “You two might get along well!”

Wei Jiaxi, who had been standing silently near the kitchen counter, paused as he pulled out his toothbrush and toothpaste from his backpack.

“Is that so?” Yun Shaofeng asked softly, looking at him.

Wei Jiaxi’s eyes darted away briefly. He carefully placed the cup on the counter and muttered under his breath, “A lot of people like reading comics…”

“Well, let me call a colleague and have them pick up some,” Eva said, reaching for her phone.

“No need to call. Comic shops usually cater to younger crowds and wouldn’t be open this early,” Wei Jiaxi said, glancing at the clock on the wall. “I still have some things at home that I didn’t bring. I’ll go back later and grab a few comics to bring over.”

With that, he picked up the remaining clothes from his backpack and walked toward the three people standing outside the rooms. Pointing to the left bedroom, he asked, “This is my room, right?”

Yun Shaofeng nodded. Wei Jiaxi brushed past him lightly, entered the room, and closed the door behind him. Yun Shaofeng smiled briefly at the other two and then pulled his suitcase into his own room.

“Strange… Don’t you think Jiaxi-ge seems a little weird today?” Zhong Zai whispered to Eva. “Almost like… he’s shy?”

“You think everyone is as shameless as you?” Eva rolled her eyes at him.

The afternoon tasks were fairly simple: replacing Yun Shaofeng’s SIM card, familiarizing him with the surroundings, installing surveillance cameras in the apartment, and doing some data entry. None of these required Wei Jiaxi’s presence, so he left the apartment soon after, heading back to his home without a hint of hurry. He grabbed a few extra clothes, a set of comics, a couple of movie DVDs, and a small gaming console. After some thought, he also packed up his compact coffee machine.

After loading everything into his car, Wei Jiaxi drove aimlessly around the city, wandering as though he didn’t want to return too soon.

He hadn’t seen Yun Shaofeng in six years. Over that time, he had thought about him day and night, missing him deeply. But all those memories had been built on the assumption that they would never meet again. No matter how much he yearned or how deeply he felt the ache of longing, he accepted it as an unchangeable reality and even took some solace in it. Now that Yun Shaofeng was here again, the torrent of emotions surged uncontrollably within him, but he could only endure it silently. Even though Yun Shaofeng was right before his eyes, he still felt as distant as the horizon.

Wei Jiaxi didn’t blame fate or the world—he blamed his own heart. Six years had passed, and still, it hadn’t calmed down. Yun Shaofeng had been gone for so long. The bed had grown cold^[3], the gun had grown cold^[4], even the summer winds of the city had grown cold. But Wei Jiaxi’s heart remained warm, never cooling.

As he drove, the car eventually reached a crossroads. In a daze, Wei Jiaxi realized he had driven to Shensha. A few more streets ahead was the place where he had grown up.

How long had it been since he last came back? A year or two, perhaps.

The corner shop wouldn’t stay open this late, but there was bound to be a 24-hour convenience store closer to the main road. The dessert stalls in the alley would likely have sold out of their signature mung bean paste by now, but their tofu pudding was just as good and probably still available.

Ah Feng didn’t like having shaved ice for late-night snacks—it would upset his stomach. But a warm bowl of fish congee with a sprinkle of white pepper was his favorite.

Should he buy some to take back?

The red traffic light was counting down. Next would be the flashing yellow light, then green. He could drive straight to the end of the street, where he still remembered every parking space perfectly.

Wei Jiaxi’s ears caught faint sounds of commotion, as if from middle schoolers cheering during a soccer game, or perhaps from thugs shouting and cursing at each other.

Suddenly, he felt a craving for a taste he’d quit six years ago—a taste both detestable and oddly comforting. Since that was the case, why not buy a pack of cigarettes? Wei Jiaxi thought to himself. It had been six years—maybe he deserved a reward. Just one pack. After all, he wouldn’t be heading back to the precinct in the next few days. He’d be holed up in the safe house, and no one would know even if he smoked.

But Yun Shaofeng would know. That guy hated the smell of cigarettes. Even though he had endured plenty of Wei Jiaxi’s secondhand smoke back then without a single complaint, Wei Jiaxi knew he disliked it.

The red light had six seconds left.

Wei Jiaxi thought the street was too quiet. So quiet it didn’t feel like a street in the Special Administrative Region. So quiet it felt deafening. He twisted the radio knob, and the DJ’s monotonous voice filled the car, prattling on about the latest developments in the downtown protests and the unexpected traffic disruptions caused by the marches.

Wei Jiaxi flicked on the turn signal, cranked the steering wheel hard, and finally decided to turn around and leave.

This was where he had grown up. He knew very well that if his car drove into Hongsheng’s territory at this hour, it would arouse all kinds of suspicions.

When Wei Jiaxi returned to the safe house and stepped into the elevator, he immediately regretted it. The faint smell of cigarettes on him was still noticeable. He began silently praying that Yun Shaofeng had already gone to bed, sparing him the awkwardness of a forced greeting.

Fortunately, when he entered the apartment, only Zhong Zai was in the living room.

Seeing Wei Jiaxi walk in with a coffee machine in his arms, Zhong Zai froze for a moment before stepping forward to help. “Senior Jiaxi, I didn’t know you had such an artsy hobby! I always thought you just drank soda all day.”

“Coffee is for staying awake. If I can make it myself at home, there’s no need to buy it outside,” Wei Jiaxi replied, pulling a few comic books out of his backpack. “Is the witness already asleep?”

“Yes, he went to bed right after dinner—jetlag from a ten-hour flight,” Zhong Zai said, craning his neck to peek at the comics. “Wow, these are ancient! Batman? Does anyone still read Superman comics these days?”

“You’re ancient! These are classics!” Wei Jiaxi lightly knocked on Zhong Zai’s head. “He’s around my age—what, you expect him to read those otaku goddess comics you guys like?”

“Hehe, what’s wrong with goddess comics?” Zhong Zai grinned, unfazed by the playful knock as he helped Wei Jiaxi tidy up.

The two of them worked quickly, and soon, the living room was neat and orderly again. With Wei Jiaxi back, Zhong Zai could clock out and go home on time. The apartment was now left with only Wei Jiaxi and Yun Shaofeng, who was in his room.

After a long day, Wei Jiaxi was also feeling tired. Without dragging it out, he went to wash up and prepare for bed. But just before lying down, he picked up one of the comic books, turning it over in his hands.

A mix of indescribable emotions welled up in him as he thought about how Yun Shaofeng was resting in the room just on the other side of the wall. He couldn’t stop thinking about him.

After hesitating for a while, Wei Jiaxi grabbed one of the comic books and, in the darkness, quietly walked to Yun Shaofeng’s door. To his surprise, the door wasn’t fully closed—it was only ajar.

He gently pushed the door open a little. Yun Shaofeng was lying on the bed, half of his face buried in the pillow and blankets. The curtains in the room were drawn tightly, but faint moonlight slipped through the gaps, spilling over Yun Shaofeng’s back. In the dim night, the light resembled a streak of silver paint brushed across black paper—the darker the shadows, the brighter the light.

Half of Wei Jiaxi’s body leaned into the room, but he didn’t go further. He stood sideways, quietly watching Yun Shaofeng.

He hesitated for a long time, glancing down at the comic book in his hand. In the darkness, the words on the cover blurred into an indistinct mess.

Finally, he quietly withdrew from the room, gently closing the door behind him as he left.

To be continued…