Futile Devices Scans

He Chu San and Lu Guang Ming, both barely conscious, were dragged from the small dark room with their bodies scraping along the ground. The pain of stone grinding against them jolted them awake. Ignoring their struggles, several killers shoved them into a freezing chamber. With a heavy slam, the door was locked from outside.

Within the lightless darkness, bitter cold surrounded them on every side. Lu Guang Ming twisted and wriggled until he reached He Chu San, then nudged him. He Chu San released a weak breath. He had lost too much blood, and his throat had been burned. Even swallowing and breathing were excruciating. Lu Guang Ming rubbed his own gag against He Chu San’s body until it came loose, then used his teeth to pull He Chu San’s gag away as well. “A’San, wake up!”

He Chu San’s head rested limply against his shoulder. He was in too much pain and far too cold. He truly could not hold on much longer; his consciousness was gradually separating from his body. Enduring the pain, Lu Guang Ming bent his knees and laboriously worked his handcuffed hands from behind his back, beneath his feet, and around to the front. With his hands somewhat freed, he felt for He Chu San’s icy face and gently patted him. “Wake up! Hold on!”

Sensing what he had done, He Chu San thought hazily, I couldn’t get my hands around like that before. Ming-Zai’s waist is so flexible. Turns out he’s just like Brother Liu Yi—they’re both bottoms.

He laughed weakly at his wildly inappropriate thought. The faint sound delighted Lu Guang Ming, who quickly reached for He Chu San’s trembling eyelashes to make sure his eyes were still open. “You have to hold on! Brother Jia Hua will come save us! The evidence I left for him is enough for the ICAC to lock Xie Ying Jie’s accounts. That bastard won’t get his dirty money back, so he can’t escape! And Brother Jia Hua will definitely find us! Believe me!”

He Chu San nodded faintly. He believed Lu Guang Ming. He believed Xie Jia Hua. More than anyone, he believed Xia Liu Yi. He had left their diamond ring behind at the car-crash scene. Brother Liu Yi would definitely find him, no matter where he was.

“Listen to me talk. Stay awake,” Lu Guang Ming said.

He Chu San slowly lowered his head and nudged a thin metal chain around Lu Guang Ming’s neck with his nose. Lu Guang Ming understood instantly. “You’re asking about this necklace?”

He Chu San released a faint breath through his nose.

“This is Jacky’s spirit tablet. Brother Jia Hua gave it to me a few days ago. This spirit tablet has always protected him, and it’ll protect us too.”

Lu Guang Ming rambled on to He Chu San about Tang Jia Qi—about how withdrawn he had become as a child after suddenly losing both parents, about Tang Jia Qi’s patience and help, and about how good Tang Jia Qi had always been to him…

As he spoke, a sob entered Lu Guang Ming’s voice. Holding the spirit tablet, he said, “Actually, Brother Jia Hua is really good to me too. He’s nothing like that bastard father of his. He’s a good person. He looks cold, but he’s actually kind and gentle. I shouldn’t keep deliberately pissing him off. I’m such a bastard.”

I’m a bastard too, He Chu San thought. Brother Liu Yi loved me so much. He begged me so desperately not to leave, and he was willing to give up everything for me. Why was I cruel enough to leave him? Even if it meant going to the ends of the earth, I should have gone with him. Why was I so confident I could control everything? Why did I underestimate Xie Ying Jie’s viciousness and madness? Everyone died because of me.

Several tears fell onto Lu Guang Ming’s shoulder and quickly froze into frost. Lu Guang Ming struggled to wipe He Chu San’s face, desperately holding back his own tears as well. “Don’t cry. Your tears will freeze… Do you miss Xia Liu Yi?… Don’t be sad. Don’t blame yourself. You love him very much. You’re a good person. You didn’t do anything wrong…”

He wrapped his clothes around He Chu San, and the two huddled together like small animals, trembling violently from the cold. Lu Guang Ming’s tongue gradually stiffened until he could barely speak. His consciousness also began to blur, and he murmured to himself, “I can’t die here… Jacky… died in a freezer too… Brother Jia Hua would be so heartbroken…”

That’s right. I can’t die, He Chu San thought dizzily. If I die, Brother Liu Yi will be so heartbroken. He’ll be all alone. And Dad, Xin Xin, and Mom—I can’t make them suffer. I can’t let Xie Ying Jie get what he wants.

One final tear slid onto Lu Guang Ming’s shoulder. With his eyes closed and his whole body shaking, Lu Guang Ming whispered, “Don’t… cry…” His teeth chattered as he struggled to pull a flattened little shark from his pocket and push it into He Chu San’s hand, which was still cuffed behind his back. “I… forgot… this is… for making… little kids… happy… I’ll lend it… to you…”

He Chu San could no longer feel anything in his palm. He closed his eyes and smiled faintly. The smile froze on his face, and his consciousness sank into absolute darkness.

CRASH—!!

“A’San?! A’San—!”

Did you come to take me away? Then take me with you. My soul will stay beside you forever. How could I ever bear to leave you grieving?

…

He saw the dream he had dreamed two years before: the land of a thousand Buddhas, temples standing everywhere, while Xia Liu Yi’s figure disappeared behind an ancient, half-collapsed stone wall. He tried to follow, but curling sandalwood incense obscured his vision. Within the spreading smoke came the faint murmur of virtuous men and women reciting prayers. A Zen master who had been bowing before the Buddha turned toward him, compassion filling his face. You remain stubbornly obsessed, sunk deep in the mire. Will you still not turn back? To offer your body, to cut your own flesh to feed the eagle—have you done it? Without the mud, there can be no white lotus. Have you entered Hell?

He prostrated himself on the ground and bowed his head deeply.

Do you regret it? the Zen master asked.

He opened his mouth, but no sound emerged. He did not regret it. He had come into this world. He had loved and been loved. He had spent every ounce of his strength trying to save a soul wandering in darkness. He had lost himself, but he had also found himself again.

There was only one thing he wanted to ask: Did I save him? Even if I fall into the abyss forever, did I save him?

All things in this world follow cause and effect. He has his own sins to repay, and you have your own price to pay.

But you have already saved him.

…

Under the gentle jostling of a moving ambulance, He Chu San slowly opened his eyes. His blurred vision gradually sharpened around a human figure, and he saw Xia Liu Yi’s anxious, delighted face.

“A’San? A’San? Are you awake?!”

He Chu San parted his lips slightly. White mist clouded the oxygen mask as a hoarse breath escaped him. Xia Liu Yi gently leaned down and kissed his cold forehead.

“It’s all right now, silly boy. It’s all right. I’m here.”

He Chu San stared at him without blinking, almost foolishly. Xia Liu Yi gently stroked his face and looked back into He Chu San’s eyes with such tenderness and concentration that he did not say another word. Gradually, He Chu San saw the grief and reluctance Xia Liu Yi was desperately trying—and failing—to hide. Xia Liu Yi’s eyes reddened, and a tear slid free and fell onto He Chu San’s trembling eyelashes.

He Chu San breathed in panic and confusion, making more white mist bloom inside the mask. Xia Liu Yi hurriedly wiped away his tears and coaxed him softly. “Shh, shh. It’s all right. I’m fine.”

Then He Chu San noticed the handcuffs Xia Liu Yi had hidden beneath the coat wrapped around his wrists, and his eyes flew wide. At that moment, the ambulance stopped and the doors opened. Several paramedics took He Chu San’s stretcher from the vehicle. He Chu San turned his eyes and saw Lu Guang Ming and Xie Jia Hua in another ambulance, along with police cars waiting outside the hospital and several officers approaching them.

Xia Liu Yi went forward to meet them and said quietly, “Not here. Not in front of him. Please, let me take him inside—”

Before he could finish, startled shouts from the paramedics erupted behind him. He Chu San, whose hands and feet were frostbitten, had somehow used all his strength to roll from the stretcher and was struggling to crawl toward him. Xia Liu Yi rushed back in panic and helped the paramedics lift him onto the stretcher again. He Chu San weakly clawed at the hem of his clothes, eyes red as rough, broken sounds came from his torn throat. “Huh… no… huh…”

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll stay here with you,” Xia Liu Yi coaxed. But his acting skills clearly were not even one-tenth of Actor He’s. Before he could get his next sentence out, his voice broke and he could no longer speak. “I…”

He lowered his head and fought back his tears, then took the diamond ring necklace from his trouser pocket and placed it around He Chu San’s neck again.

“Keep it as a memento… I’m not giving the jade Buddha back to you. Let your dad buy another one for his daughter-in-law…”

He Chu San breathed heavily and stared at him with all his strength. The paramedics strapped him securely to the stretcher and hurried him toward the emergency room. Under the watch of several police officers, Xia Liu Yi walked toward the police car, looking back every few steps. As the car door slowly closed, Xia Liu Yi turned his face toward the window, and at last his tears poured uncontrollably from his eyes.

The police car had barely driven out through the hospital gates when a nurse ran after it, shouting for them to stop. The officer in the passenger seat lowered the window in confusion. The nurse, panting for breath, said, “The patient refuses to cooperate with surgery! Could you—could you let that gentleman stay a little longer?”

“Can’t you give him a sedative?” the officer asked.

“No! He’s too weak!”

Xie Jia Hua came struggling up from behind and showed his identification. “I’m Inspector Xie Jia Hua. I just spoke to ‘Number One’ by phone. ‘Number One’ has agreed to let him remain at the hospital a little longer. I guarantee that he won’t escape.”

The rear door opened, and Xia Liu Yi shot toward the emergency room like an arrow. Several officers hurried after him. Xie Jia Hua watched their backs, clutching his agonizing chest as he collapsed weakly onto the ground. Looking up at the young nurse, he sighed, “Sorry to trouble you, but could you call a stretcher for me too…”

…

When He Chu San woke from the unconsciousness following surgery, his first movement was to struggle wildly. Xia Liu Yi immediately stood and restrained him. “I’m still here. I’m still here.” He gently held He Chu San’s bandaged hand and soothed him softly.

He Chu San was wrapped from head to toe like a mummy, even his neck covered in white bandages. Only his eyes could move. He looked around in alarm and realized he was in a hospital room. Xia Liu Yi sat beside his bed in handcuffs, with two police officers guarding the door. One of them was Qin Hao.

“Shh. Don’t talk. Your throat needs to rest,” Xia Liu Yi said.

He Chu San’s eyes moved toward the door. His stiff fingers trembled against Xia Liu Yi’s palm. Go. Run away, he mouthed anxiously and with great effort. Tell Qin Hao to let you go.

Xia Liu Yi smiled bitterly and shook his head. “Don’t drag anyone else into this. You know perfectly well I’ve done a lot of wrong things. How can someone do wrong and not face punishment? This is what I deserve. I was able to save you. That’s already enough for me.”

He lowered his head and gently kissed He Chu San, the clean fragrance of having just washed lingering between their lips.

“Your dad, mom, and Xin Xin stayed with you all day yesterday. They’ve gone home to get clothes and make soup for you, and they’ll be back soon. Lu Guang Ming and Kevin are out of danger too, although they’re still being treated. Xie Jia Hua broke several ribs and has been in too much pain to get out of bed these past two days. Xie Ying Jie isn’t dead either, but being alive will be worse for him than dying. He’s become the biggest news story of the past few days, even making The Times. His reputation is destroyed, all his assets have been frozen, and before long he’ll stand trial in open court.”

He paused, then continued, “I’ll be going to court too. I turned the Dragon Head Ledger over to the police. I’ll personally testify against him.”

He Chu San stared steadily at Xia Liu Yi. Gradually, the calm acceptance in Xia Liu Yi’s eyes soothed his agitation as well. Reason returned to his mind. He recognized reality—the reality he could neither struggle against nor change. Grief and reluctance settled deeply into his dark, watery eyes.

With reddened, damp eyes, he silently mouthed, I’ll wait for you.

Xia Liu Yi smiled and kissed him gently once more. “Don’t wait for me. I’m not worth waiting for. Take good care of yourself. Find someone good and live happily. That would be my greatest wish.”

A tear slipped from Xia Liu Yi’s eye and wet He Chu San’s cheek. He looked at him with deep love and unbearable reluctance and said softly but firmly, “Mr. He, let’s break up.”

…

In December 1993, the closely watched case known as “Deputy Commissioner of Police Xie Ying Jie’s Massive Corruption and Bribery Case,” described by the media and public as second only to the Godber case, finally reached its verdict. Xie Ying Jie was convicted of bribery, possession of unexplained property, murder, arson, and other offenses. With the sentences combined, he received life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Elio’s Notes: The Godber case was a notorious Hong Kong police corruption scandal involving senior police officer Peter Godber. His escape from Hong Kong in 1973 amid a corruption investigation became a major catalyst for the creation of the ICAC in 1974.

As for Xia Liu Yi, leader of the triad society Xiao Qi Hall, he was convicted of bribery, drug smuggling, managing a triad society, organizing prostitution, organizing gambling, and other offenses. However, because he voluntarily surrendered, actively cooperated with the investigation, and made major contributions as a tainted witness in the cases against Xie Ying Jie and He Yi Society leader Qiao Chun An, he was sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment.

…

Half a year later, Xia Liu Yi received a letter in prison. He opened the thin paper envelope, and a greeting card slipped out. An exceptionally ugly birthday cake had been drawn on the card.

Beneath it, four characters had been written with painstaking care:

“Happy Liu Yi.”

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