"Unsurprisingly, the operation was very inactive and even seemed dragging. There were several times when it nearly leaked. Seeing this situation, I gradually understood what was happening. Indeed, when we launched the raid, the factory had already been abandoned, with only the waste from making phenylethylamine-type drugs found."
"I knew right then that someone high up had been deeply infiltrated, and K's approach to collaborating was merely polite—because whether or not I wanted to collaborate, I still had to follow my superiors' instructions. The result for K would be the same."
Yan Fan did not show any visible unease: "But you're not a person who sits idly by…"
Jiang Ting moved slightly and raised his head, giving Yan Fan an extremely light smile under the moonlight.
"Right, I'm not."
"So you planned the raid on the plastic factory to catch him off guard?"
Jiang Ting was naturally slender but had maintained fitness, making him strong and resilient. After three years of coma, his health was almost completely destroyed, and he now appeared thin and weak rather than tight with muscle.
But within that frail body lay an indescribable strength, like steel.
"I spent a long time planning the raid on the plastic factory. I didn't believe the information K provided," Jiang Ting said hoarsely.
Yan Fan was startled: "Before the operation began, through various channels, I determined that 'K' had been betrayed by internal personnel to the drug lords."
Jiang Ting turned his upper body away from Yan Fan and buried his face in his hands. His pale nails glinted under the moonlight as he remained motionless.
After K's exposure, I urgently formulated an opposite plan, deploying elite police forces to fully control the plastic factory site. But at the same time, I suddenly learned that there were more than 80 kilograms of drugs found in the ecological park. At that moment, I realized… I realized…
The rustling sound of wind passing through reeds, the roar of a river, and the distant sound of trains passing over tracks—all mingled with the urgent footsteps on-site and the shouts heard from earpieces.
"… 21B Group is ready, repeat 21B Group is ready…"
"Sighting conditions are good, A-point sniper group in position…"
"All ground forces have taken their positions. Command vehicle! Shall we enter?"
"Command vehicle, reply! Shall we enter?!"
…
No, don't enter—get out of there all at once—
Hurry and get out of there—
Jiang Ting's fingers dug into his head so deep that he could feel the pain from his scalp. No matter how intense his regret or suffering, they couldn’t change the predetermined path in memory and the horrific realities.
He heard himself say over the microphone:
"21B Group break down and enter, action!"
All the details played out endlessly in nightmares, even to the precise time when the phone rang. Jiang Ting's soul floated in mid-air as he saw his younger self sitting in the command vehicle, frowning at the satellite phone before answering—it was clear what he had been thinking: At such a critical moment, what urgent message would come from the ecological park?
Yes, back then, he didn’t know that the ring was actually the devil's song.
All the tragedies and sins began unfolding their true climax right there."¡Jiang Dui! ¡Buenas noticias! La acción en el lugar de la base del Jardín Ecológico ha terminado," dijo alguien al otro lado de la línea telefónica con entusiasmo. "Capturamos una gran cantidad de drogas, estamos clasificando y pesando para transportarlas de vuelta a la comisaría principal!"
— ¡Ploc!
El teléfono satelital salió volando de las manos y cayó al suelo.
Pero Jiang Ting no podía escuchar ni sentir nada. Todos los gases de su pulmón parecían ser extraídos en el acto, y pasaron varios segundos antes de que se diera cuenta siquiera de si había emitido algún sonido. Cuando finalmente lo hizo, su garganta ya estaba completamente rasgada:
—¡La acción está cancelada, todos retrocedan!
—¡Retroceder!
Pero era demasiado tarde.
El rugido a través del radio resonó en el mismo momento que la llamarada se elevaba al cielo, la ola de aire levantaba los techos y la explosión derribaba violentamente todas las unidades policiales en el área de acción!
—¡Jiang Dui, regresa!
—¡Detenlo rápidamente!
—¡No está bien! Jiang Dui entró!
...
Las paredes ardiendo se derrumbaban y volcaban en todas direcciones. Incluso los ojos sentían el calor del fuego que ardía a su alrededor. Jiang Ting estaba parado en medio de un océano de llamas inmensas, como si desde ese momento no pudiera salir jamás de la agonizante plétora.
El ulular de sirenas llegaba de lejos y se acercaba rápidamente.
...
—¡Jiang Ting! —gritó Yan Fan, agarrando su hombro. — ¡Despierta, Jiang Ting!
Al final de la vía férrea, en la oscuridad, destellaban puntos rojos y azules que variaban, el ulular de las sirenas se entrecortaba entre los rugidos del río.
—¡La policía de Jianning ha llegado a buscar a los agentes en ambas orillas del río!
— ¡Habían sido arrastrados por la explosión... después de meses con los ojos vendados, atrapado en un punto de fabricación de drogas. Podía sentir el olor a productos químicos cercanos, pero no podía diferenciar ni el entorno geográfico ni cómo estaba fuera del lugar... ¡Había intentado pensar que había muerto en más de una ocasión!