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Hurrying to the hospital, I reassured myself that the bullet hadn't severed an artery, so it wasn't too serious. Juan Juan had been holding my hand the whole time, and I smiled at her, saying, "I'm not dying yet..."
Juan Juan frowned and replied, "You really don't know? It's taboo to say things like 'gone,' 'left,' or 'died' around here. Close your mouth!"
"It's fine..." I said, even though my shirt was soaked in blood. I felt that my body could still handle it. "He shot me right next to my arm, so the distance was short, and the bullet almost went straight through. Plus, homemade guns aren't very powerful. Just look at my wound; you know better than I do..."
"By the way, little nurse, you might not know this, but shooting from a distance is actually scarier than shooting up close. A small hole goes in, but a big hole comes out." I chuckled and asked the nurse, "Have you ever had a big bowl of noodles? That bowl is bigger than your face! Ha ha..."
The nurse frowned and said, "Are you saying my face is big?"
Juan Juan couldn't follow me into the operating room and spoke to the attending physician before the door closed. "Use plenty of anesthetic; it'd be best if he wakes up tomorrow morning..."
When I finally woke up, it was indeed already the next morning. My wound had been bandaged up, and as I moved my arm lightly, it still felt a bit numb. There were several IV bags hanging beside me. I turned to Juan Juan and said, "Hey maid, aren't you going to help me to the bathroom?"
"You got shot in the arm, not had your leg amputated!" Juan Juan retorted. Though she said that, she helped me up and added, "I don't know what bad things I did in my past life to end up with you in this one. You have no money or power and are always causing trouble. What good qualities do you even have?"
I shook my head helplessly and looked at Juan Juan seriously. She became a bit shy under my affectionate gaze and blushed slightly. At that moment, I spoke in a deep and magnetic voice, "Sometimes I do envy others for their many good qualities. As for me..."
I sighed dramatically. Seeing that I seemed a bit sad, Juan Juan opened her mouth to say something but I interrupted her: "As for me, I've been defined by being handsome all my life!"
"Get lost!"
With the case concluded, my mood improved significantly. Lying in bed with nothing much to do, I decided to watch a movie on my phone—something about a Taoist going astray or something like that; honestly, I was lost in it. Just then, a figure slowly peeked in; it was none other than the Fake Taoist.
The Fake Taoist timidly asked, "Is this Comrade Shaoshilin's ward?"
Upon hearing his voice, I teased him: "Ha ha ha! There's a living person right in front of you and you can't see me?"
As soon as he recognized my voice, he rushed inside. To my surprise, he was holding a live chicken; I had no idea how he managed to bring it into the hospital. He quickly changed from his earlier timid tone and exclaimed, "Oh brother! I heard from that coroner that you got hurt; I came specially to check on you. Who would have thought you're still full of life!"
Saying this, he lifted the rooster and declared proudly, "Look what I've brought you! A Yellow Chicken! As they say, the Yellow Chicken is a spirit guide; it can awaken even someone in a vegetative state. There's an old saying: when the rooster crows, dawn breaks—it's an evil-repelling charm! And later on, you can make soup with it! Let me tell you—low heat simmering until it's bubbling—that's going to be delicious!"
Juan Juan watched the old Taoist with narrowed eyes while I found myself oddly fond of him.
"I'm stepping out!" Juan Juan huffed before walking out of the room.
The old Taoist chuckled as he tied the chicken up nearby and remarked, "That girl is quite stubborn too!"
The old Taoist took out a bottle of Niulanshan Erguotou from his bag and said to me, "This wine is quite good. How about having a little?"
"Could you at least close the door?" I frowned and replied, "If someone sees us, it could lead to trouble!"
Then, I watched as the old Taoist began pulling things out of his Tai Chi Bag. One by one, he revealed plastic bags filled with beef, side dishes, peanuts, and other snacks to go with the wine. He even pulled out two pairs of chopsticks. I was taken aback; truly, the Tai Chi Bag contained everything imaginable.
He set two small wine cups on the table and filled them up before saying, "Brother, shall we drink to that?"
I smiled and clinked my cup with his. The old Taoist let out a satisfied sound and said, "I feel ashamed. I thought my skills in persuasion were quite refined, but after coming to Magic City, I realized I’m just a small fry compared to others. In just a few months, I've lost my disciples and ended up in trouble myself—almost losing my life. It seems this city isn't for me; perhaps I should settle for a second-tier city instead."
I couldn't help but think of the old Taoist's antics with his fake tricks. It was a strange mix of amusement and annoyance. I thought about Sun Bikun, Zhao Yu, Wang Kai, Mi Siyang Shuai, and others, saying, "Old Taoist, compared to some people, your schemes are still too shallow. You need to practice more, young man!"
The old Taoist sighed, his face blooming like a chrysanthemum as he replied, "Young man! You should be the one practicing. I'm already over sixty. Confucius once said that at fifty one knows their destiny and at sixty one can hear the truth. Yet here I am at over sixty and still can’t see through this world. Is it that the world changes too quickly or that I lack the insight?"
"The world does change quickly," I couldn't help but agree. "That's merely a sage's beautiful wish. We are not sages; we are just ordinary people who might never truly understand what destiny means in our lifetime. Let’s just live well; perhaps one day we might figure it out."
As we spoke, we downed several cups of Erguotou.
The old Taoist's face flushed red as he nodded seriously and said, "Perhaps you're right, Little Brother. This may be our last meeting. From now on, in this vast sea of people, who knows if we'll meet again? The Dao teaches us about fate and the way. The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao. So what is the Dao really? Perhaps it lies within our hearts..."
We exchanged cups and plates until everything from the plastic bags was gone and we finished the bottle of Erguotou. Then the old Taoist packed everything back into his Tai Chi Bag. He stood up without looking back and said to me over his shoulder, "Brother, this is where we part ways. The mountains will remain green and the waters will flow long after I'm gone. By the way, keep that chicken safe; don’t let it be seen or it could bring unnecessary trouble..."
With that, he opened the door and walked out. Just as he left, I heard a nurse shout, "That's him! The one who brought the chicken in!" Immediately after that, the old Taoist vanished in a flash. I looked at the chicken; it looked back at me. We exchanged silent glances filled with unspoken sorrow.
Before long, the nurse was startled by Mountain Chicken Brother and asked angrily, "Why do you have a chicken tied up here? Get this thing out of here! Do you think this is a market?" She quickly finished changing my bandages and stormed off.
The old Taoist had indeed not deceived me; he had brought unnecessary trouble.
Not long after that, Juan Juan returned with Yen Junde and Mary and Detective Captain in tow. They were all startled by the sight of the furious rooster. I had no choice but to explain that it was a farewell gift from the old Taoist...
Detective Captain said with relief, "The case has finally reached a conclusion; now I can sleep well again. Captain Shao had a good night's sleep yesterday too! Haha!" It was clear that Detective Captain was in good spirits when suddenly a young officer rushed in and shouted upon seeing Detective Captain: "We have a lead!"
"Huh?" We were all puzzled since this case seemed to have already been resolved.
The young police officer noticed that we were completely clueless about what he was talking about, and his face fell long. He then said, "Captain, you can't be serious! Do you remember when we chased Zhao Yu in the small town? He was chatting with someone labeled 'Dear' just before he died! At that time, Captain Shao suggested we follow that lead, and you handed this task over to me when we got back... Captain, don't tell me you haven't even noticed I've been gone from the precinct for so many days?"
Detective Captain clearly had forgotten about the young officer, but he calmly replied, "How could I forget? Zhao Yu said he wanted to elope with Mo Yu. So, have you found that 'Dear' person? What did the girl say?"
The young officer waved his hand dismissively and said, "You really have forgotten about me. Anyway, this is my first assignment since joining the criminal police team. Let's put it this way: I took a train to the northwest and finally found the person labeled 'Dear.' It turns out that person isn't a girl at all but a man in his sixties!"
"What?" We were all stunned. I asked, "A sixty-year-old man? Are you sure you're not mistaken? Zhao Yu wanted to elope with a sixty-year-old man?"
"Absolutely not!" the young officer replied. "I was shocked too and thought there must be some mistake, but in the end, it was indeed him. It turns out this Old Man enjoys dressing up as a woman online and chatting flirtatiously with Young Men! I bet Zhao Yu thought until his last moment that this Old Man should have been a cute and innocent girl of nineteen, orphaned and standing at about five foot seven..."
This world is truly insane. Just when we think we can deceive others, perhaps others are deceiving themselves as well. Compared to those who hide their betrayals deep within their dark hearts, the genuine tricks of the Fake Taoist seem almost endearing, providing me with some comfort in this hypocritical world.
I let out a bitter laugh and remained silent. Perhaps the old Taoist realized this and chose to leave.
Have you ever deceived someone? Or have you ever deceived yourself?
A Charming Widow sent a letter to a Young Man, inviting him over for dinner in the middle of the night. Afterward, she let him drive her husband's Gallop. Coincidentally, on the way, he encountered a Young Woman hitchhiking. Her actions after getting into the car made it hard for him to maintain his composure—more benefits for homebodies awaited...
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