Chapter Ninety-Four: Reconnaissance

Although Gao Qinghua did not know why Kang Ning had asked him to obtain details on the Sixth Construction Company, he still had a comrade working at the Industrial and Commercial Bureau look into it.

Two days later, in the afternoon, Gao Qinghua handed Kang Ning several photocopies on a sidewalk not far from his workplace.

“Are you secretly investigating the matter of Uncle Wang’s murder?” Gao Qinghua had read the materials and vaguely sensed that something was amiss.

Kang Ning knew he could not hide it, so he could only answer honestly, “Could Uncle Wang have died for nothing?”

Gao Qinghua sighed. “I want to get to the bottom of it too. However you look at it, the old man was a benefactor to Little Lin in our family. But even if we uncover the truth, we still won’t be able to bring the killer to justice. We have no evidence, and the law depends on evidence.”

Seeing Kang Ning nod without saying a word, Gao Qinghua asked anxiously, “You’re not thinking of handling this yourself, are you? That’s very dangerous. You might even get yourself dragged in.”

Kang Ning said gratefully, “Brother, I need to ask a favor of you.”

“Go on.”

“This must not be mentioned to anyone. You only need to know about it, and you’ll have to help me come up with excuses to keep Lu Jing in the dark, all right?” After he finished speaking, Kang Ning looked quietly into Gao Qinghua’s eyes.

Gao Qinghua was stunned, suddenly finding Kang Ning strangely unfamiliar. That steady gaze and calm bearing immediately reminded him of the iron resolve and bold spirit he had once seen in his squad leader during his first covert mission into Burma when he was in the army.

Gao Qinghua shook his head and put a hand on Kang Ning’s shoulder. “Sigh... then I won’t try to stop you anymore. Just say the word if you need me, and I’ll help however I can. But you must be careful, very careful. No matter how skilled you are, those men are sure to have guns. One moment of carelessness and things could become impossible to clean up.”

Kang Ning nodded. “Thank you, Brother. I think I can manage on my own. After all, you’re a judicial officer and can’t get involved in something like this. Besides, your wife is about to give birth, so don’t worry about it.”

Gao Qinghua looked at Kang Ning with concern. “Then... sigh—let me break the rules once more. During the citywide confiscation operation last time, I got hold of an old Soviet-made gun, the kind still used in the standard service pistol. I thought the silver filigree on it was rather handsome, so I secretly kept it. I’ll bring it to you tonight.”

Kang Ning gave him a slight shake of the head, then took a one-yuan coin from his coat pocket. He夹ed it between the long fingers of his right hand, making a small gesture toward Gao Qinghua, glanced around once, and then flicked his hand out like lightning. A soft sound rang out, and a two-meter branch as thick as a thumb fell from a birch tree seven meters away. Kang Ning gave Gao Qinghua a mischievous smile, got into the car, and drove off.

Gao Qinghua hurried over and picked up the branch that had dropped from more than five meters high. To his shock, the place where the coin had struck was as smooth as if sliced by a knife, and the tender buds on the branch still glistened with droplets of water.

Holding the broken branch in both hands, Gao Qinghua stared blankly in the direction the Passat had disappeared, and it was a long while before he came to his senses. He looked again and again at the broken end of the branch, his face full of admiration and astonishment.

Kang Ning parked the car in the department store lot. After reading the materials carefully, he changed into an old work uniform washed nearly white. He then mussed up his neatly combed hair, got out, locked the car, and walked into the crowded front entrance of the department store while tearing up the photocopies in his hand. After exiting through another door, he casually tossed the scraps into a roadside trash can, hailed a taxi, said “Dongxing Market in Jiangbei,” and sat in the backseat chewing gum at leisure.

Dongxing Market was located behind the Sixth Construction Company, separated from the company’s rear entrance by a concrete road about ten meters wide. The market sold all kinds of goods, everything imaginable. When Kang Ning passed in front of a row of iron cages selling snakes, he was rather surprised to see snakes for sale already in early April, and he squatted down curiously to inspect them closely.

Who would have thought that the moment Kang Ning squatted down, the dozens of snakes in the cages, which had been quiet moments before, suddenly grew frantic with panic, thrashing as though they meant to smash their way through the wire cages with all their strength. One bamboo viper as thick as an egg was even violently slamming against the cage, hissing from its terrifying mouth.

The owner hurried out to take a look. After seeing what was happening, he stared at Kang Ning in astonishment. “Hey, buddy, what kind of medicine are you carrying on you that’s frightened my snakes into this state?”

Kang Ning looked at the middle-aged owner in confusion and shook his head. Then he suddenly remembered his strange encounter in the Yao Mountains, and with a sudden understanding he apologized to the owner. “Brother, I’m not carrying any medicine. Maybe this outfit has picked up some kind of scent. Haha, sorry about that—I’ll be leaving now!”

The short, stout owner watched Kang Ning go, scratched his sparse head in bewilderment, and soon called after him in his habitual way, “Hey, buddy, if you ever want to buy a snake to stew, come find me!”

Kang Ning stopped, turned back, and smiled at him before strolling out of the market and wandering leisurely around the construction company’s grounds. From a distance, he looked very much like a down-on-his-luck laborer with nothing to do.

He examined the company’s two three-story buildings and the row of garages in the courtyard in complete detail, and only then did he hail a taxi by the roadside and return to the department store.

From then on, for fifteen consecutive days, Kang Ning came to the area at different times and wandered about. Late at night, he would even go to that mutton restaurant with its special local flavor to satisfy his appetite.

On several occasions, when Lu Jing and Mengmeng asked why he so often came back in the dead of night, Kang Ning always used Gao Qinghua as a shield. This left Mengmeng complaining nonstop: “What’s with Gao Qinghua? Is Lin’s big belly making him so pent-up that he can’t stand it? He keeps dragging people from our family off to drink and box with him all day long. It’s driving me crazy!”

Kang Ning did not care whether poor Gao Qinghua was being wronged. Every time this happened, he would simply smile as he watched Mengmeng’s angry little face, and in return he suffered quite a bit of punishment from her—having the soft flesh at his waist pinched. Lu Jing, whose belly was already slightly rounded, usually stood nearby smiling as she watched, and she would even ask Mengmeng to administer her share of punishment as well. Thus, the cozy little home was always filled with laughter.

At the end of April, Kang Ning, fully confident, quietly began his preparations.

After work, he drove the jeep to the factory, where, with the cheerful help of Yusheng, he completed the suspension and wheel adjustments. He also replaced all the engine oil, transmission oil, and brake fluid. Once everything was done, Kang Ning asked Yusheng for a piece of copper wire taken from a motor coil, chatted warmly with him for a few more words, and then took his leave.

After filling the tank at a roadside gas station, Kang Ning drove into the city center and parked in the department store lot. He first found the old acquaintance who made seals and cut keys and had helped him with the fake documents, paid him two hundred yuan, and received a small paper packet in return. He then spent nearly half an hour browsing through nearly ten shops of various sizes along the commercial street.

Half an hour later, Kang Ning returned to the car carrying four or five shopping bags of all sizes. He drove back to the rented garage and parked, closing the garage door from the inside. He then carefully organized the various items he had just bought, sorted them, and placed them into a military shoulder bag, which he stuffed beneath the seat before stepping out and locking the garage door.

Kang Ning took out his mobile phone and glanced at the time on the screen. It was exactly eight o’clock in the evening. After thinking for a moment, he walked to a small restaurant outside the compound, ordered two dishes, and sat down. While waiting for the food, he called Gao Qinghua and Lu Jing separately, so that if Lu Jing ever asked Gao Qinghua about it, their stories would match.