Trafford's Trading Club

Memories resounded in Shen Meihuanʼs mind with voices ringing around her ear.

ʼEven if you resurrect him, the boy wouldnʼt be the one you are familiar with.ʼ

ʼ…You must be aware that the decomposing smell emitting from your son is bad for your health. As time goes by, you will get ill.ʼ

In front of the bathroom mirror, Shen Meihuan washed her face again and again. She became absent-minded while looking at herself through the mirror without noticing the water had overflowed.

She even couldnʼt remember how long she had not used a mirror. Shen Meihuan couldnʼt believe the pale face in the mirror was hers.

She was just like a patient with bloodless lips, empty eyes, and a dark face.

”I am just a little tired, it must be…”

She took a deep breath and turned the tap off. She washed her face again and again using the water.

She told herself that she was not exhausted while leaving the bathroom.

It would be the time to depart soon. Itʼs time to leave and have a new life. How could she be tired!

No way.

But it was getting worse and worse since the boy started decomposing.

”It will be fine, my little boy. Youʼre just ill. Itʼs okay, Mom will be with you.”

He could open his eyes. He could move. He was alive since he could express through his eyes.

Alive!

Shen Meihuan took his face in her hands and said to him gently, ”My little angel, mom is going to buy some foundation. You will recover soon. It will be fine.”

Everything was gonna to be okay.

The boy stood up suddenly when Shen Meihuan left. He was watching himself in one corner of the mirror on the way to the bathroom.

He kept standing there.

…

…

”Sir, why donʼt you arrange the other members to look for Shen Meihuan? I donʼ think you have to do it in person.”

A young officer asked Ma Houde after inquiring passers-by.

Ma Houde was leaning on the car with holding a cigarette. He replied, ”I canʼt figure out something. Zhao Ru claimed that she was not relevant to Gu Jiajieʼs death. But why would Gu Jiajie be the fifth one to commit suicide?”

And the most confusing thing was the pill found in Gu Jiajieʼs room as well as the words left by Old Qin.

He sighed and said, ”Zhao Ru was reluctant to say anything. I might as well come here to seek for clues about Shen Meihuan. I feel something stuck in my heart whenever I see Wang Yuechuan sitting in the opposite meeting room from my office.”

”So is this the real reason why you come here today?”

”So what?” Ma Houde stared at that young police.

”Of course not… Maybe I should ask the shopkeeper over there.” He ran across the street in a hurry and entered into that shop quickly.

According to the expense report provided by the bank, they found that Shen Meihuan purchased some goods in the neighborhood yesterday.

So she was very likely to be hiding in this area. Ma Houde looked around. He found that there were too many rental apartments in this district. And the roads were complex. This meant that it would not be easy to find Shen Meihuan.

And yet, at this moment, the young officer ran back with a delighted face, shouted, ”Sir, new clues.”

”Tell me.”

”I showed Shen Meihuanʼs photo to the shopkeeper. He said that he had seen the woman twice.” After a short pause, he went on, ”The shopkeeper said that he has been living in this shanty town for many years, so he can distinguish the newcomers easily. He saw the woman shopping in the evening and going back home in a hurry.”

”Does he know where she lives?”

”The shopkeeper pointed at the other direction, but he didnʼt know the specific address. One more thing, it was almost the time for her to go shopping today.”

”We need to go ask separately. Maybe we can find her soon.” Ma Houde looked excited.

…

”Madam, would you like something else? Try this lipstick, it is the latest fashion. It really looks good on you…”

”No, thanks. Check them out, please.”

Shen Meihuan paid the bill by cards. After that, she left the store with her cosmetics in haste.

The clerk noticed that the lady was pretty nervous. It seemed that she was hiding from someone…However, it was none of her business.

After all, it was their own lives.

…

Shen Meihuan decided to order some take-out food in a restaurant considering that there were not many fresh vegetables left in the supermarket at such a late time.

She slowed down by a restaurant on the way home and saw a chef cutting up chicken through the window. The chef looked at her and asked, ”What would you like to eat? 12 RMB for a set meal with free soup.”

The accent of the chef was not very standard Mandarin, it sounded more like Cantonese.

She Meihuan started to hesitate because none of the dishes was her sonʼs favorite. She became anxious suddenly.

It was evening now, but the window…

She noticed that someone was walking behind her through the reflection on the window.

Shen Meihuan turned back and faced with the dark and narrow alleys across the road. One old streetlight was flickering in the dark.

She Meihuan grasped her bag firmly and told the chef, ”Sorry, I donʼt want it anymore.”

She darted away but she could still hear the complaints from the chef.

She had no time to care about what the chef complained and was not going to care. The only thing she would like to do was going back to the rental house as soon as possible. So she hastened her pace and even started running at the next crossing.

Apparently, she was not the only one running on the isolated street.

Another person started running at the same time on the street.

Wearing a hat and a mask, he was obviously looking for somebody. However, he had to leave when couldnʼt find anything.

ʼDid she discover me? Should I give up now?ʼ He asked himself with slight hesitation. A voice rose behind his back when he was in deep consideration.

”Have we met before?”

He turned back and saw a middle-aged man with beer belly standing in front of him… Ma Houde.

”Have we met somewhere?”

Ma Houde stepped forward, not because he felt that this person was suspicious, although the wired hat and mask made him look like a suspect.

Ma Houde had found Shen Meihuan when he and his team were searching separately. Mr. Ma didnʼt intend to call Shen Meihuanʼs name as he found she was nervous, as if avoiding somebody.

So he followed Shen Meihuan all the way until she stopped at the restaurant… Then, he saw this guy.

Ma Houde thought he had seen this boy somewhere…But he couldnʼt remember clearly.

”No.” The boy responded quickly and managed to slip away with his head lowering down.

”Wait for a moment.” Ma Houde put his hands on the boyʼs shoulder.

From the perspective of an adult, he was too weak.

Unexpectedly, the moment boy got caught of Ma Houde, he shrugged it off and pushed him to the ground, attempting to run away.

”F*ck, trying to escape? No way!”

Ma Houde took off his shoes without a word and threw it against the running boy. He was a good shot with his shoes just like he when he was using guns and cola cans. Of course, the boyʼs heel was hit by the shoes, which resulted in him falling after only steps.

Ma Houde walked to him in a rush. He pulled the boy by folding his arms on his back. ”Freeze, your behavior is suspicious, report your name and ID.”

Ma Houde pressed him against the wall, and demanded in a stern voice.

However, the boy struggled, trying to break free without saying anything. He looked frightened.

Ma Houde twisted him around and tried to tear off the mask on his face.

”Donʼt!”

The boy shouted, but it didnʼt work.

”Let me see who you are…You…You are…”

Ma Houde was lost in thought with face stiffening with shock. A sharp pain came from his toes before he reacted.

One of his feet was stomped heavily!

As the saying went, fingers were connected with the heart, so were the toes.

In the chaos, Ma Houde couldnʼt believe that he pushed down to the ground again.

”Donʼt move! Ow, it really hurts!” Ma Houde got up but he started to limp. He could do nothing but watch the boy rushing into another alley helplessly.

…

”Sir, why are you sitting here… Oh, whatʼs wrong with your feet?”

A young officer found Ma Houde sitting on the stairs of the restaurant. He asked in astonishment.

Ma Houde was tapping his feet and sinking into thought again… He kept his head down with his eyebrows knit in a frown.

”Sir, could you hear me?”

Ma Houde raised his head and asked subconsciously, ”Do you… think a dead man can be resurrected?”

”What?”

”Do you know whom I met just now?”

”Who?”

”Gu Jiajie, A living…Gu Jiajie!”