Chapter Thirty-Six: "I Believe!"

Chapter Thirty-Six: "I Believe!"

Officer Xu’s words carried obvious undertones, but the woman didn’t catch them. She simply looked at Chen Xiao’s troubled expression. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Chen Xiao shook his head and forced a smile, then grew serious. “By the way, does Anqi know about what happened today?”

“She… I’ve already sent her to her grandmother’s house,” the woman replied, her voice tinged with sadness. “Once he wakes up, I’ll file for divorce. Even though I’m disappointed in him, he’s still the father of my child, so… Thank you for helping me cover for me in front of the police just now.”

Chen Xiao nodded silently. He was moved by her kindness. She could have pressed charges against her husband—deliberately hitting someone with a car was a serious crime.

“I just want to get divorced and take the child with me,” the woman’s face suddenly looked troubled. “But, Chen Xiao, I might not be able to keep you on as Anqi’s tutor anymore. With everything that’s happened, things at home will definitely be chaotic. It’s not convenient… Besides, during the divorce, Anqi will stay with her grandmother. Afterward, we’ll move out of the old house… so…”

“It’s fine. I understand,” Chen Xiao replied without hesitation, offering comfort. “We’ve known each other for a while. If you ever have any difficulties…”

He paused and smiled—a smile that carried a natural warmth. “I’m just a poor student and can’t help much, but you and Anqi are both women. If you ever need help, even if it’s just carrying something heavy or running errands, I can lend a hand.”

The woman smiled, her eyes touched. “Thank you, no matter what.”

Since he wasn’t injured, and his mind was filled with worries, Chen Xiao quickly completed the discharge procedures and left the hospital. He had barely reached the lobby when the woman caught up with him, calling his name and pressing an envelope into his hand. “Sorry, I forgot earlier—this is your salary.”

Chen Xiao was surprised. He’d only taught her daughter once, yet the envelope felt substantial.

“This…” Chen Xiao was about to refuse, but the woman spoke quickly, “If you hadn’t been there today, I might have…” Remembering her husband driving at her, a flash of pain crossed her eyes, though she forced a smile. “Consider it both your salary and my gratitude.”

Chen Xiao frowned. “Mrs. An…”

“No need to call me Mrs. An,” she said bitterly. “Oh, you don’t know my name yet—I’m Lu. You can call me Sister Lu. Please accept the money, otherwise I’ll feel uneasy.”

She gave a wan smile. “The sum isn’t much—I hesitated to give it, but after what happened at home, I can’t afford more right now. Please don’t mind.”

Since she’d said so much, Chen Xiao knew refusing wasn’t an option. He wasn’t the sentimental sort, so he tucked the envelope into his pocket with care. “All right, I’ll take it. If you need anything, just let me know.”

After saying goodbye and leaving the hospital, he saw a police car parked at the gate. Officer Xu stood beside it, cigarette in hand, smiling as he watched Chen Xiao approach.

Night had fallen, and the red tip of Officer Xu’s cigarette flickered like a star.

Seeing the officer’s amused smile and gaze, Chen Xiao felt a bit nervous.

“Get in,” Officer Xu said, tossing away his cigarette and opening the car door. “It’s late—hard to catch a taxi. I’ll give you a ride.”

Could anyone refuse a police officer’s “invitation” to get in a squad car?

Chen Xiao smiled wryly and climbed in. As the car started, he braced himself, knowing the officer surely had questions for him. He decided: I don’t even have the answers myself—whatever he asks, I won’t know.

With that thought, he felt oddly at ease.

“Do you smoke?” Officer Xu offered him a pack.

“No, I don’t,” Chen Xiao shook his head—though, in truth, he did. After his parents died two years ago, he’d learned to smoke to ease his pain, but he hadn’t touched cigarettes in a long time.

“Not smoking is a good habit,” Officer Xu smiled, stowing the pack. He drove, keeping his eyes on the road as he asked casually, “Are you fully recovered from your injuries a few days ago?”

Chen Xiao was at a loss for words.

That was the question he couldn’t answer. After Black Three and Thunder Fox abducted him, he didn’t know what they’d done. When he woke, every injury had healed miraculously, not even a scar remained.

Who would believe such a thing? Even the healthiest person couldn’t recover so quickly—“a hundred days to heal the bones,” they say. How could it all be cured in three days? And with so many wounds, it was impossible for them to vanish without a trace.

Seeing Chen Xiao’s silence, Officer Xu seemed to smile. “Hard to answer, isn’t it?”

His tone was meaningful. “Actually, I had doubts about that robber case. At the scene, the robbers’ car was flipped by a massive impact—such force could only come from a heavy truck. But… there was no truck anywhere nearby. Plus, I checked surveillance footage from the area, and found that during the ten minutes when it happened, the cameras seemed to be interfered with—nothing was recorded.”

He finally turned to Chen Xiao, his gaze cold. “You were in the robbers’ car then. Can you answer my questions?”

Chen Xiao was silent for a while, then sighed and forced a smile. “Officer Xu, what if I told you there really are ‘supermen’ in this world—would you believe it?”

“Supermen?” Officer Xu raised an eyebrow, almost smiling. “You mean like in the movies? Superman? Batman? Spiderman?”

Chen Xiao sighed. “That’s about it.” He sounded dispirited. “I know you wouldn’t believe it. You’re a police officer—how could you accept such nonsense?”

Screech!

Officer Xu suddenly slammed on the brakes. The car stopped abruptly in the middle of the road.

It was already late. The street was quiet, with no pedestrians or vehicles in sight. The police car sat in the middle of the road. Officer Xu gripped the steering wheel tightly, took a deep breath, then lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, speaking in a low voice.

“If I told you I believe it, what would you say?”

Chen Xiao blinked. “You… believe?”

“Yes. If you’d met any other police officer tonight, they’d have said you were spouting nonsense… but I believe!” Officer Xu’s expression darkened. He took a few more drags, grew restless, and tossed his cigarette out the window.

His eyes grew clouded, as if memories stirred within him.

The car was thick with smoke. After a long silence, Officer Xu spoke with a bitter smile.

“Actually, I’m not from K City. Nine years ago, I was in a coastal city in the east, working as a special operative in a police department—a unit I can’t name. Nine years ago, I was ordered, with several colleagues, to protect two Japanese businessmen. They’d received threats, so… my team was assigned to guard them around the clock during their stay, until they left…”

Chen Xiao’s heart stirred at the officer’s tone—there was a bitterness there. This must be some unresolved memory.

“…I remember it was January sixth. That year saw rare heavy snow in winter—ha, you know the south seldom gets snow. But that day, it was thick. Our team of four, plus six bodyguards for the Japanese businessmen, ten people in all, guarded their hotel room. We covered the room, the hallways, every entrance and exit. The protection was so tight, I was sure not even a fly could get in… but…”

He paused, turning to Chen Xiao. “That incident overturned everything I believed.”

Chen Xiao guessed, probing gently, “The people you were protecting—they died?”

“They did,” Officer Xu’s face was grim. “Right under my nose!”