大雪无痕05

It was Ma Fengshan who called him. Ma was Vice-Governor of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, in charge of criminal investigation. When he got the news about the shooting case in the Lai Feng Manor in the evening, his first reaction was that it was just a joke. How could it be possible? Who would have chosen such a place and time to kill a man? It would obviously be unfavorable to him. It was just too unreasonable. Then he hurried to the spot in the police car, and met all the main leaders at Provincial and Municipal levels in the guests’ room in the Lai Feng Manor. Though the leaders hadn’t embarrassed him with stern words (Even if the responsibility were to be investigated, he had nothing to be blamed for, because he was exclude from the duty of maintaining the security that night.), as an old policeman, Ma knew clearly that the chief thing now was to solve the case instead of investigating the responsibility. Speaking of case-solving, he knew that he had incumbent responsibility. He thought of Fang Yulin.

JEM中国英语学习网

Everyone in the municipal Public Security Bureau knew that Fang was ma’s favorite. It was largely due to Ma that only several years after graduation, Fang should have been promoted to the position of vice-head of the brigade. It ought to be pointed out that without Ma’s efforts, Fang was unable to get the position within such a short period of time in the public security system where personal qualifications and records would be attached great importance to, no matter how talented and outstanding he was. At the meting, Ma had even proposed breaking a rule to directly promote Fang, letting him be in the position of vice-head of the Criminal Investigating Brigade, but it was delayed because most Party members considered such a rule-breaking didn’t accord with the regulations concerned and might do harm to his own growth. Not long after, instead of adding to Ma’s glory, Fang had committed the mistake, which seemed to provide the evidence for those who had objected to his unconventional promotion. Even so, Ma didn’t consider himself wrong as he had never said that Fang was perfect or infallible. Mistakes can never be avoided in growing up. A man who has made mistakes should be encouraged and helped to rectify them. If a cadre were demanded not to make mistakes, he would certainly become mediocre and recoiled. The error Fang made in the ‘May 25^th’ Case couldn’t be ascribed to the fault in his quality or personality. He did that because he thought he was defending the independence and sacredness of the law and showing his scientific spirits in investigating. It was the most valuable character of Fang, as well as the most import reason why he was deeply fond of by Ma. Of course there was something annoying in Fang which should be rid of gradually. However, it should not be done at the cost of making him mediocre and recoiled. He of course didn’t hope that fang would be withering after being punished. In the evening when Guo Qiang, head of the Severe Case Brigade reported the case to him, he immediately asked Guo to call Fang. But he never expected that Fang should have ignored him.

JEM中国英语学习网

At eight the next morning, Fang came to work on his old bike unhurriedly. He was stopped by the squadron head as he arrived. “What was the matter with you last night? You, Fang Yulin!” Scolding him, the squadron head dragged him to the office, for the Bureau head and some other members had been looking for him.

JEM中国英语学习网

“Me? Nothing wrong with me!” Fang retorted.

JEM中国英语学习网

“Nothing wrong? You can’t smell the stink of your own increment! Last night Director Ma repeatedly called you, but you should have ignored him. Why? You’ve missed out on an important matte! Hurry to confess your mistakes!” The squadron head, with his waist bent, brought him to the office. Then he poured some water in the leaders’ cups, added some coals in the stove and walked out knowingly.

JEM中国英语学习网

“Say, what’s the matter? Why not answer my call? You are now too self-conceited. Second to deity?” Ma laughed ironically as he lit a cigarette.

JEM中国英语学习网

Fang got blushed and said, “No!”

JEM中国英语学习网

“No? Then you are superior than the deity?”

JEM中国英语学习网

Fang got more embarrassed. “No…”

JEM中国英语学习网

Guo, head of the Severe Case Brigade said, “Yesterday, Director Ma had called you several times in order to discuss the case in the Lai Feng Manor with you, but you refused to answer back. Who’s offended you?”

JEM中国英语学习网

“Don’t talk nonsense that you forgot to bring your beeper or it had no power!” Ma peered at Fang.

JEM中国英语学习网

“The beeper was in power and I heard it sound.” Fang replied.

JEM中国英语学习网

“Then why not answer back?” asked Guo.

JEM中国英语学习网

Hesitating for a moment, Fang said, “I thought… I didn’t belong to the Criminal Investigating Brigade…”

JEM中国英语学习网

Ma stubbed the cigarette against an ash tray made of half a cola bottle and pointed to Fang, “Are you still or a policeman?”

JEM中国英语学习网

Fang fell silent, “…”

JEM中国英语学习网

Guo said, “Director Ma is asking you!” Guo, six or seven years older than Fang, was his good friend. However, he could be counted as an ‘old policeman’ for he had been working here since nineteen years old. What’s more, he was a ‘zidi bing’— The sources of the policemen in the provincial capital fall roughly into three categories. The main category includes resigned army-men, which is a historical tradition. Another is graduates from police schools in the Province or from political, law or public security colleges elsewhere, which is a trend of times. The third is the ‘native soldiers’ or ‘zidi bing’ enrolled from the youth of this city and trained by the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Among these people, there are quite a large part who are offspring of the local policemen, so they are humorously be called ‘zidi bing’. They are honest and reliable, but tend to act impetuously. Guo was the most excellent of them, rising step by step from the grass-roots police station.

JEM中国英语学习网

Hearing Ma inquiring seriously whether he was a policeman, Fang answered firmly, “Yes.”

JEM中国英语学习网

“With a trivial punishment, you are attempting to bargain with your leaders?”

JEM中国英语学习网

Fang explained, “No. I know I’m ordinary and unqualified for bargaining with my leaders, nut have something to say about the punishment. I have some reservations about the ways the leaders behaved in dealing with the “May 25^th” Case and about my being shifted from the task force…”

JEM中国英语学习网

“Can you stop mentioning the “May 25^th” Case?” said Guo hurriedly, who was more experienced in dealing with social intercourse. He knew Ma was in anger at that time and it would make him more furious if the case was mentioned.

JEM中国英语学习网

But Ma stared at Guo hard and shouted, “Let him finish.”

JEM中国英语学习网

Since being punished, Fang had found no chance to vent his anger. Now stimulated by Ma, he took nothing into account and blurted out, “We have made it basically clear where the main criminals of the “May 25^th” Case had gone. In another ten days or so, we could have arrested them all. For this case, I, together with the others in the task force had worked day and night for completely one year and two months. But we were ordered to stop just ten days before the case should have been solved. Why? I can’t think it clearly. I have misgivings!”

JEM中国英语学习网

Guo shouted, “Fang Yulin!”

JEM中国英语学习网

Ma maintained his composure and said, “Let him go on. How could we possibly avoid arousing suspicion in others?”

JEM中国英语学习网

“Three of the five criminals at large are immediate relatives of the main former leaders of the Municipal Government! We are preaching everyday in newspapers or on TV that everyone is equal before the law, that the nation should be governed by law and that any official, regardless of his rank should be punished if he has violated the law. However, everyone pretends to be ignorant when facing with concrete problems and any law is nothing compared with a phone call or a note.”

JEM中国英语学习网

Seeing Fang was wide with the mark, Guo feared that he might say something improper, so he hurried to push him. “Fang Yulin! Have you finished?”

JEM中国英语学习网

Fang, with a red face, pushed Guo aside and continued to shout, “Go and have a look. Even three-year-old boys have known the real reason why the “May 25^th” Case has remained unsolved until today!”

JEM中国英语学习网

“OK, since it has been made clear, why don’t you report it to the superiors?”

JEM中国英语学习网

Fang breathed hard and uttered no words. Yes, he could have reported it if he were a true man. But…

JEM中国英语学习网

Ma laughed, “Hm, a talented graduate from the law college should have been possessed by some thoughts of three -year-old boys. Are you still feeling wise and extraordinary? Do you thing all those preaching law-governing are hypocritical? My lovely Fang, I have to confess that there are indeed some corrupted officials in the present public security system, mixed with and protecting those in the Party. But as a party member of thirty-two years and as a policeman of thirty-three years, I can tell you seriously that the sudden unexpected measure taken just before the case could have been solved is absolutely not to protect the relatives of the former Municipal Government leaders. The decision was not rashly made by some leader either. As to the reason for the decision, I have no right to tell you and you have no right to know it either. Nevertheless, as vice-head of the Municipal Criminal Investigating Brigade, vice-head of the “May 25^th” Task Force, you went on investigating relevant people on your own will after the decision was made to pause the investigation and thus almost ruined the important strategic arrangement made according to the instructions of the Central Discipline committee and the Standing Committee of the Party Provincial Committee. Even so, you have only been dismissed from your post, and have been acquitted from assuming other responsibilities. It is completely for protecting you. And out of the same trust and care, you were informed to take part in the meeting about analyzing the new case. But you should have ignored me. Don’t you think that you are on the very dangerous verge? Whom are you harboring revenges against?”

JEM中国英语学习网

Fang smiled bitterly, “I see. It’s time for me to go back home and sell potatoes.”

JEM中国英语学习网

Guo shouted, “Fang Yulin!”

JEM中国英语学习网

“OK, since you’ve made up your mind to sell potatoes, please take off your police uniform.” Ma stood up and said.

JEM中国英语学习网

Fang was about to take it off when Guo grabbed him by the collar and said, “Do you really want to fight to the end? Damn it!”

JEM中国英语学习网

However, Fang pleaded to Guo earnestly and painfully, “Brigade head, since I’ll never be a good policeman, let me go back and be a good common person.”

JEM中国英语学习网

Guo pushed him hard. “What’s your logic? According to you, we are all bad? Are most of us bad? You! What on earth do you want to do?”

JEM中国英语学习网

Fang sat on a bench in despair. Ma suddenly went out. Guo hurriedly pushed the police uniform back to Fang and motioned him to put it on and then go with Ma. It was unexpected that Ma should have turned back, pointed to the uniform and scolded Fang severely, “Put it aside. What do you think it is? To put on or take off as you like? Don’t touch it unless you write a profound self-criticism.” Then he came out with big strides. As he arrived at the yard, he intentionally bid the squadron head, “Watch him. Let him hand in a self-criticism or leave the police uniform to me.” After a while, the police car was driven away and the yard became quiet at once. Then the squadron head brought a pile of blank paper and a ball-pen to Fang. Sighing slightly, he tried to persuade Fang, “Don’t be silly. Write it quickly!” But Fang was still motionless, so he patted Fang on the shoulder and came out resigned.

JEM中国英语学习网

Only Fang was left in the room now. From the cloak mouth keeping the gas away came a fit of slight sounds made by the wind. On the iron stove, the kettle was giving off steam, with water boiling for quite some time. The upset Fang picked up his pen, laid it down and then picked it up again. He could neither deny Ma’s remarks, as they were assured by his long years serving as a Party member and policeman, nor could he negate the injustice and unfairness revealed in such matters as he had seen, heard or experienced all those years, which led to the weakening of the law as well as the hypocrisy reflected in occasional events. He didn’t know whoever should write the self-criticism to redeem the sacredness and loftiness of the law as well as the solemnity and justice which should have been inherent qualities of ‘public security’, ‘judicature’, ‘sentence’ and ‘procuratorial’. All these concepts had often been heatedly debated upon throughout the night with those several masters and doctors by a small library window sheltered by pines in the law college. At this time, he appeared so contradictory and at a loss. Suddenly, he poked his pen against the desk. It blood and some blood oozed from his hand.

JEM中国英语学习网

Half an hour later, Fang, in his police uniform, suddenly emerged before the squadron head, who hurriedly stopped him, “Young man, have you finished your self-criticism? Director Ma has bid me on purpose that you can’t leave without finishing your self-criticism. Hey, don’t throw me into a dilemma whatever you do…” Saying nothing, Fang, keeping a straight face, pushed him aside and went directly to the police car in the yard.

JEM中国英语学习网

The squadron head shouted to Fang from behind, “Young man, do you really want to risk your neck?” Fang ignored him and drove his car away. The squadron head stamped his feet in desperation, hurried back to the office and examined that fold of papers, which were filled with several pages of words with the headline “My Self-Criticism”.

JEM中国英语学习网