Chapter Sixty-Eight: As You Wish

Looking at Old Li and the dozen or so workers gathered around him, Kang Ning quietly touched his nose and spoke softly:

“Brothers, none of us expected such a thing to happen at the factory. I suspect someone doesn’t want us to keep this place open. Now that Uncle Wang has been killed, the police are investigating the murderer, and Lu Jing, overwhelmed with grief, is at a loss. I know everyone must be feeling uneasy and afraid for your own safety. So I’ve come to tell you: if any of you are willing to stay and help me repair these eleven smashed vehicles, I’ll be deeply grateful. But if you’d rather go home and wait until after the New Year, I’ll understand—after all, it’s only a couple of days until New Year’s Eve. I don’t want to make things difficult for anyone; you are free to go or stay as you wish.”

A hush fell over the group. Yu Sheng stepped forward and declared loudly, “Brother, I’ll spend the New Year here with you!”

Kang Ning’s apprentice, Xiao Jian, chimed in, “Master, I’m staying too!”

Old Li came forward, patted Kang Ning on the shoulder, sighed, and gestured to his two fellow craftsmen nearby. “Brother, don’t speak like an outsider. The three of us already decided to stay. Even if we miss the holiday, we’ll finish the job. I doubt anyone else will leave either—we’re not the kind to abandon each other!”

No sooner had Old Li finished speaking than everyone else voiced the same resolve. Kang Ning fought back tears of gratitude, nodded solemnly, and walked to the pillar to change into his work clothes. The others, seeing this, all hurried to their own posts and busied themselves with work.

Watching all this unfold from the office doorway, Gao Qinghua was taken aback. He never imagined the workers would dare stay, nor did he realize how much influence young Kang Ning held among them. As he watched Kang Ning methodically clear broken glass from the cars, Gao Qinghua found himself nodding repeatedly, comforted that Lu Jing had such an outstanding boyfriend.

Entering the office, Gao Qinghua sat on the couch and said to the now calmer Lu Jing and her sister, “The workers have all set to work—not a single one left. Xiao Wu is remarkable; just a few words from him, and he rallied everyone together.”

Lu Jing knew Kang Ning’s character, that he would never force anyone to do his bidding. Hearing Gao Qinghua’s words comforted her. “Without him, the factory wouldn’t be the harmonious, united place it is today. It’s not just me; everyone is grateful to him and admires him.”

Gao Qinghua then instructed the accountant, Xiao Cui, “Xiao Cui, go call Master Xiao Wu—we have something to discuss. And have you called the owners of the damaged cars to inform them? We have to let them know what’s happened.”

“All right, I’ll go next door and make the calls,” Xiao Cui answered and left.

Soon, Kang Ning entered the office, poured himself a glass of water, and sat across from Gao Qinghua, who then laid out what he knew. “Xiao Du is an old comrade of mine—a loyal man. He told me the gatekeeper at the Dachuan plant across the way heard the noise and saw a large dump truck and a white van at the scene. He was so terrified that it took him over ten minutes after the vehicles left before he dared call the police. The local station was first to arrive, but when they saw how serious it was, they reported it up the chain. The criminal investigation team arrived at seven. Xiao Du told me off the record that Ni San is the main suspect, but they have no evidence yet. It’ll probably take some time.”

“What if those people come back to smash the factory again?” Lu Lin asked anxiously.

Gao Qinghua quickly reassured her. “Don’t worry, Lin. After a death, they won’t dare return, at least not for quite a while. If they showed their faces and got caught, where would they run? Don’t worry! Xiao Wu, what do you think?”

Kang Ning agreed with Gao Qinghua’s analysis. At his inquiry, Kang Ning put down his cup. “Old Li and the others have already made some estimates. The vehicles mostly suffered external damage. If we work overtime for three days, we can repair them all. But we can’t charge the owners for the repairs, and we owe them an apology. Other than that, there isn’t much to worry about. Rain Sheng will move into the factory tomorrow. Right now, I’m thinking about when to arrange Uncle Wang’s funeral.”

A heavy silence fell. Lu Jing and Lu Lin began to weep again.

After a long pause, Gao Qinghua spoke. “Xiao Du knows about the kidnapping last night. He said he’ll try to merge the two cases for investigation, but he didn’t look confident. Sigh, there’s a lot of complexity in Lijiang—I’ll explain some other time. Tonight, I’ll call Xiao Du again to check. Uncle Wang’s body probably won’t be cremated until after the New Year; when the time comes, we’ll take his ashes back to his hometown for burial.”

Kang Ning nodded and spoke softly to Gao Qinghua. “Brother, let me know as soon as there’s any news—no matter what it is. I looked at the scene earlier and have some thoughts. Don’t mind me; my brother works in criminal investigation, so I know a little about these things. Maybe it’ll help. I’ll be staying at the factory for now. If I have time this afternoon, I’ll install an extension phone in my dorm so you can reach me anytime.”

At first, Gao Qinghua was surprised and uneasy at Kang Ning’s insistence on being kept informed of any developments. Only when he heard that Kang Ning’s brother worked in criminal investigation did he relax.

Though they’d interacted several times, Gao Qinghua had never been able to fully gauge Kang Ning’s depth. He found Kang Ning quiet but honest and straightforward. After hearing Lu Jing proudly recount how Kang Ning had saved someone, then seeing his steady gait and calm demeanor, and recalling how he’d shattered a kidnapper’s jaw with a single punch the day before, Gao Qinghua suspected Kang Ning knew martial arts. But he’d always been too embarrassed to ask directly, especially since he himself had transferred to civilian work after serving as a reconnaissance company commander in the Thirteenth Army, and had always been interested in people with martial skills. Now, hearing Kang Ning’s request, he saw an opportunity.

Gao Qinghua smiled at Kang Ning. “No problem—I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything. But I have a question: when I heard about you saving someone at the factory, I figured you must know martial arts. Xiao Wu, what style do you practice?”

Kang Ning was instantly on guard, but couldn’t avoid answering. After all, Gao Qinghua was Lu Jing’s brother-in-law, and he needed his help. So, he replied with a smile, “When I was a kid, I’d see my father walking the slow, circling steps of Bagua and practicing some Xingyi moves. I thought it was fun, so I’d imitate him. But after high school, I lost interest and stopped. By now, I’ve probably forgotten it all.”

Little did Kang Ning know that Gao Qinghua was not one to give up easily. Hearing ‘Bagua’ and ‘Xingyi,’ his eyes lit up. “Xiao Wu, you’re being modest, aren’t you? When I was in the army, my instructor used to say, ‘Bagua takes ten years before you go out into the world; Xingyi takes a year to become deadly!’ Many of our close-quarters techniques were inspired by Xingyi. I also heard that many famous Xingyi practitioners in Hebei and Shandong like to use Bagua as a supplementary exercise. So your father must be an extraordinary man!”

Kang Ning immediately regretted his honesty, internally scolding himself for not casually mentioning something like Southern Fist or Hua Fist instead. Now the words were out, there was no taking them back. He could only force a smile, stand, and take his leave. “It’s nothing like that, really. All that slow, circling stuff is just like what old folks do in the park—just for exercise and fun. Anyway, there’s a lot of work in the shop, so I’ll get back to it.”

But Gao Qinghua heard the evasiveness in Kang Ning’s reply and, seeing his expression, grew even more suspicious. Once his curiosity was piqued, he couldn’t resist testing Kang Ning further. Deciding on the spot, he stood up with a smile and deliberately blocked Kang Ning’s way in the corridor.

Kang Ning tried twice to slip past but failed. He looked up at Gao Qinghua’s smiling, square-jawed face with helplessness; irritation and frustration welled up inside him. With a sudden move as if to dart left, he watched as Gao Qinghua shifted his weight and lost his balance. In that instant, Kang Ning swerved right to slip past. But Gao Qinghua reacted with surprising speed and blocked him again. Annoyed, Kang Ning stopped dodging, dropped his left shoulder, and rammed forward. There was a loud ‘thud’ as Gao Qinghua was knocked back five steps and landed heavily, collapsing an old folding chair in the corner with a splintering crash before landing hard on the floor.

Shocked, Gao Qinghua sat awkwardly against the wall, surrounded by fragments of the shattered chair, staring wide-eyed at the doorway where Kang Ning had already vanished. He remained there in a daze until the startled Lu Jing and her sister hurried over to help him up. Only then did he finally rise, shaking his head with a deep sigh. “Damn! Is that guy even human?”