Blinded chapter 5

Xie Li underwent an examination in the prison hospital. Apart from some bruises on his arm, there were no major injuries. He pretended to have a severe headache. The doctor who treated him was a woman in her forties, and she kept him under observation in the hospital overnight.

The hospital ward in the prison was desolate. Cases with slightly serious conditions could apply for outside treatment at a larger hospital, leaving behind only minor injuries that could be healed with a couple of days on IV fluids.

Xie Li was the sole occupant of the ward, unlike the prison dorm with eight people, where snoring was a nightly ritual. It was the first time since his imprisonment that he had slept in such a quiet environment.

He didn’t want to give up on the mission, so he needed to figure out a way to get back to Chang Xiaojia. However, Chang Xiaojia’s character was too difficult to fathom. Before Xie Li accepted the mission, Chief Yu Zhengkun had told him that Chang Xiaojia was the son of Chang Guanshan’s original wife, while the eldest son of Chang Guanshan was born outside his marriage with another woman.

Reportedly, Chang Guanshan’s wife was in poor health and had previously suffered two miscarriages. During this time, Chang Guanshan had his eldest son, Chang Xin, with another woman. Shortly after the death of Chang’s wife, Chang Xin fell ill and died while he was still young. Over the years, the one accompanying Chang Guanshan in business operations and running the society was Chang Xiaojia.

Moreover, shortly after Chang’s wife’s death, Chang Guanshan took the woman who had given birth to his eldest son into their home. Therefore, the current Mrs. Chang was not the biological mother of the second son of the Chang family Chang Xiaojia.

For many years, the police had mainly focused on Chang Guanshan and Chang Xiaojia, knowing very little about Chang Xiaojia, until last year when a female officer’s body was discovered.

This policewoman had disguised herself as a dancer and was investigating a drug case at a bar under Hongfang’s name. She suddenly went missing. The police began searching for her, and her body was later found in a reservoir. According to the autopsy, the policewoman was strangled to death and showed signs of sexual assault and abuse before her death.

The police commenced an investigation and found eyewitnesses who testified that the last time the policewoman was seen before her disappearance was in Hongfang’s bar. She was taken away by Chang Xiaojia that night. Due to the victim being a policewoman, the case enraged the police in the harbor city. They mobilized significant resources to investigate and collect evidence. It was ultimately confirmed that the vehicle used to dispose of the body belonged to the Chang family. By that time, almost a week had passed since the policewoman was taken by Chang Xiaojia, and it’s unknown what kind of torture she endured during that time.

Chang Xiaojia was summoned for questioning, and shortly after, a young member from Hongfang surrendered to the police. He confessed to physically assaulting and sexually assaulting the policewoman after Chang Xiaojia took her there. He accidentally killed her and then transported her body to dump it in the reservoir. Chang Xiaojia was unaware of everything except bringing the policewoman there. The police, however, didn’t believe his words. As the policewoman’s body had been in the water for over ten hours, they couldn’t obtain any more biological evidence related to Chang Xiaojia’s involvement in the sexual assault or murder. Moreover, Chang Xiaojia had alibis for the day of disposal. Consequently, the prosecution could only charge Chang Xiaojia with illegal detention, sentencing him to one year of imprisonment.

Before Xie Li’s imprisonment, nobody could clearly explain who Chang Xiaojia really was. Yu Zhengkun had reviewed the previous police interviews with Chang Xiaojia and had concluded that Chang Xiaojia was not a simple person and certainly not a good one.

Xie Li lay on the hospital bed and slowly closed his slightly red eyes.

The next day, when he returned, the prisoners were out for exercises.

The inmates in the yard were lazily going through their routines. When Xie Li approached, everyone turned to look at him.

The prison guard opened the iron gate of the exercise area to let him in and then locked the gate from the outside.

Xie Li stood at the end of the queue, next to Chang Xiaojia.

Chang Xiaojia was also exercising, arms raised, and his broad-sleeved prison uniform sliding down, revealing his slender arms. He turned his head to glance at Xie Li, but Xie Li didn’t look back.

After the morning exercises, they queued up for breakfast. As Dai Hao passed by Xie Li, he sneered contemptuously.

Xie Li gazed at Dai Hao and suddenly, expressionless, “tsk”-ed at him.

Dai Hao was instantly provoked, raised his fist, and struck at Xie Li.

The observing guard reacted quickly and intercepted Dai Hao’s attack, but Xie Li was hit on the face.

Chang Xiaojia stood beside Xie Li and glanced at him with an odd expression, seeming not to understand why Xie Li suddenly started provoking Dai Hao.

The guard reprimanded Dai Hao but didn’t pursue the matter. Then, he warned Xie Li not to cause trouble.

Xie Li took a bowl of porridge, some steamed buns, a boiled egg, and two plates of pickled vegetables.

Chang Xiaojia remained seated in his usual spot.

As Xie Li carried his tray around the cafeteria, seemingly looking for a place to sit, he passed by Dai Hao’s table, where Dai Hao’s accomplice attempted to trip him. Xie Li had actually seen it, but he pretended not to have and, stumbling from the trip, accidentally spilled his porridge all over Dai Hao’s face.

The cafeteria instantly erupted into chaos. Dai Hao and his group rose and surrounded Xie Li, punching and kicking him. The guards couldn’t rush in time. Xie Li’s face was stepped on, and the corner of his forehead grazed against the fallen tray, leaving a bloodstain.

The guards managed to control Dai Hao’s group, and Xie Li curled up, protecting his head, and didn’t retaliate at all.

He wouldn’t fight back where there were surveillance cameras and guards. He deliberately provoked Dai Hao in such a situation. As long as Dai Hao couldn’t control himself, the guards would intervene immediately, and Xie Li would at most sustain some minor injuries.

Dai Hao’s group was put into solitary confinement, and Xie Li, just out of the prison hospital, was sent back.

This time, Xie Li suffered more serious injuries. He needed two stitches on his forehead and completed the check-up by evening. He returned to the prison area from the hospital, bandaged in gauze.

All the inmates in the entire block silently avoided him, even those in the same cell. Hu Minxin found a chance to tell him secretly that Dai Hao had put out word to target him. This time was different from the last; Dai Hao was truly angry and had even influenced the guards. Hu Minxin reproached Xie Li, questioning why he’d purposely provoked Dai Hao.

Xie Li didn’t say anything. After the guard’s notice, he silently began packing up his things.

Hu Minxin pretended to focus on his own activities but, seeing that Xie Li was almost done packing, he couldn’t resist asking the guard, “Officer, which cell is he being moved to?”

The guard responded sternly, “Mind your own business!”

Hu Minxin had initially intended to step back but couldn’t contain his curiosity, whispering, “It wouldn’t be to Dai Hao’s cell, would it?”

Other inmates in the cell curiously eavesdropped on the conversation between Hu Minxin and the guard.

The guard replied, “Focus on yourself.”

As Xie Li finished packing, he stood by the guard’s side and said, “Officer, I’m ready.”

The guard nodded and said, “Follow me.”

As Xie Li followed the guard out of the cell, all the inmates from the whole floor were peering out of their small windows above the iron doors.

Hu Minxin waited until the cell door was locked and then peered out through the window, worriedly watching.

Dai Hao’s cell was on the floor below, but the guard led Xie Li to a corridor a bit away from his original cell. After passing four or five cell doors, the guard stopped and used the walkie-talkie to communicate. Then, the automatic door of the cell on the right side, near the entrance, began to open slowly.

As the door opened, Xie Li saw an eight-bed cell. The upper bunk on the right side near the door had a foot sticking out, which Xie Li would have walked into if he had taken a couple more steps.

From this position, Xie Li couldn’t see who was on the bed, but the foot was small, pale, and translucent. The toenails were round and clean, reminding Xie Li of a particular person.

Shortly after, the person on the upper bunk leaned over and made eye contact with Xie Li. It was Chang Xiaojia.

The guard pointed to the lower bunk and said to Xie Li, “This is your bunk.” After Xie Li entered, the guard left the cell, closing the automatic door behind him.

Once the door was closed, there was silence in the cell. Xie Li began to silently unpack his things, placing a plastic wash basin on the stand near the window and hanging up a towel that wasn’t completely dry yet. When he returned to his bed, Chang Xiaojia had already moved to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs back and forth.

Chang Xiaojia’s foot almost kicked Xie Li’s face, but Xie Li caught it with his hand. Chang Xiaojia raised his head, looking at Xie Li with a cold expression.

“Let him go!” shouted a big guy from the bed opposite theirs.

In this cell, at least four inmates were Chang Xiaojia’s people, and two of the big guys who were always with him were present.

Xie Li knew that these two big guys were named Gao Yuan and Luo Wanchun. This time, it was Luo Wanchun who stood up and shouted at him.

Chang Xiaojia smiled ominously, shook his head toward Luo Wanchun, and Luo Wanchun silently sat back down.

Xie Li stared at Chang Xiaojia’s face and didn’t let go of his foot. Instead, he suddenly used his fingers to lightly scratch the sole of Chang Xiaojia’s foot.

Chang Xiaojia immediately let out a soft “Ah” and had to use quite some force to retract his foot. He held onto the iron railings on the edge of the upper bunk with both hands, glaring at Xie Li fiercely.

Xie Li paid no attention to him, bent down to spread the bedding he had brought with him on the bunk, and began to make his bed.