A Peach Wood Comb

A single sentence brought her back to her senses, and then anger flared within her. She rushed forward in a few steps, pushing the policeman aside, scolding, “Stay away from him!” She gently wiped away the dirt from the abrasions on Zhou Yuxian’s face and forehead, then pulled at his hand, which felt as firm as ever. Thankfully, it was still intact! Then, she yelled at the policeman who was dispersing, “Quick, check his legs!” “I’m not an X-ray machine!” The policeman, who had been dealing with this all night, was starting to lose his patience, but finding the person still made him happy. He quickly stepped forward, moved Zhou Yuxian’s legs, and concluded, “He’s fine!” Lai Hui rolled her eyes and ignored him, calling out to the person in her arms, “Yuxian! Yuxian! Yuxian! Can you hear me?” “He’s passed out; how could he hear you!” The rookie policeman analyzed objectively. Suddenly, he widened his eyes, marveling as the “unconscious” man opened his eyes a slit. “Lai… Hui!” Zhou Yuxian looked at the person in front of him as if in a dream, the light making him close his eyes again. “I… am just… weak, take me… to the hospital!” “Yuxian, Yuxian!” Lai Hui called out a few more times, but there was no response. She guessed that even speaking those few words had exhausted him. At this moment, several men surrounded them again, one of them saying, “Let’s carry him up!” Lai Hui nodded, stood up, and two men—one supporting and one carrying—helped move him. The rookie policeman came up to Lai Hui and said with joy, “It’s good we found him; you can rest easy now…” Lai Hui watched the figures ahead, trying to take a deep breath but found it difficult, the scene before her growing increasingly blurry as if she were descending into a fog, with only her heart returning to its place. Thank goodness they found him… Before she passed out, she still heard the rookie policeman’s urgent call, “Hey, hey, hey…” Even the rookie was quite something! “Big shot, big shot!… Oh my God!” At the entrance of the hospital ward, a furtive figure drifted back and forth, murmuring to himself, completely ignored by passing doctors and patients. “Hey, Xiao Zhang, you’re here? Why don’t you come in?” Lai Hui opened the ward door and shouted. The rookie policeman abruptly stopped, grinned, chuckled, and scratched his head as he entered. After graduating, the rookie was assigned to a small town and had been there for less than a year. He never expected that his momentary kindness would save an investor the mayor had painstakingly brought in. After taking them to the private hospital last night, the woman woke up quickly, and the man was fine except for a leg injury, exacerbated by being exposed to the cold for hours, leading to fainting. A week’s rest should see him recover. Initially, he thought it would be business as usual after filing the report, but early morning brought a call from a colleague with a sour tone, informing him that the town’s police station had been “taken care of” by the mayor and the head of the investment promotion bureau, and he needed to go to the hospital to “explain the situation.” These big shots, whom he could never have met face-to-face before, now stood before him. Though they just nodded slightly at him, he knew what it meant. If he caught their attention, he would no longer be a rookie. What he said now could significantly impact his future career, but— “Actually, last night, Lai insisted on going down the cliff to rescue someone and thought of asking nearby farmers for help. If not for her relentless efforts, the consequences would have been unimaginable. I just did what a policeman should do; I can’t take the credit!” After speaking, he dared not look at the stiff faces of these big shots, sighing internally at his fate to remain a rookie. Lai Hui and Zhou Yuxian clearly didn’t expect him to give up such a golden opportunity. She blinked, and Zhou Yuxian caught on, smiling at the mayor, “Officer Zhang is very humble. My friend has already explained what happened last night. Thanks to him, and today he doesn’t take credit. Although it’s unfortunate that such an accident happened in your city, having such an officer is certainly a blessing for the residents.” The mayor, relieved that the investment deal wasn’t jeopardized, quickly smiled and did a favor, “Not at all! It’s a relief that Mr. Zhou is safe. Officer Zhang deserves commendation!” Everyone politely laughed, except for Xiao Zhang, who regretted his honesty. The doctor came in to check, and everyone left. Xiao Zhang was about to leave when Zhou Yuxian called him back. “Lai Hui, go downstairs and buy me a newspaper!” he said to her. Once she left, Zhou Yuxian sent his secretary away too, then said to Xiao Zhang, “Tell me about her situation last night.” Xiao Zhang recounted the events, emphasizing, “We were supposed to wait for the search and rescue team. A conservative estimate would have delayed the rescue by two hours, but Lai insisted. She even wanted to go down the cliff herself. After finding help from local farmers, we didn’t need to go down, but she still followed into the woods. She suffered a lot to find you.” Xiao Zhang lifted his head, finally looking at the man often seen on TV and magazines, whose pale face did nothing to diminish his heroic aura. No wonder that stubborn girl would go to such lengths to save him. “I didn’t expect a city kid raised with such luxury to endure so much. Look at her hands; they’re covered in scratches from thorns, yet she didn’t make a sound. In fact, she was already exhausted but kept going, passing out shortly after finding you!” Zhou Yuxian tightened his lips, turning to look out the window at the gloomy, overcast sky, which showed no signs of snow. After a while, he spoke, “Is that why you told the truth in front of the mayor?” Xiao Zhang touched his nose, smiling, “I was afraid I’d feel guilty!” “You don’t need to feel guilty; some people might not want me to know the truth.” His tone was mild, but a hint of emotion was hidden within. Xiao Zhang made a sound of realization, thinking he was referring to the mayor, scratching his head, “Although this incident might disappoint you, the mayor has his difficulties. Even though I’m just a small-town cop, I keep up with the news. Since your investment, many external companies have chosen here, like your suppliers, setting up factories nearby, which has spurred economic development…” Xiao Zhang spoke at length, completely unaware of his own concern for the state. Zhou Yuxian smiled, interrupting, “I won’t withdraw my investment over this little matter. A factory with thousands of workers isn’t something you can just pull out of. No need to get excited. Let’s start with the report. Better finish before my people come back!” He paused, then began recounting the events of that night. That night, he took the jack and turned around to find five raggedly dressed men surrounding him. A sharp knife was pressed against his waist, and one of the men stepped forward to search his wallet. Being so close, he could smell the heavy smoke odor on them, likely from prolonged exposure to a wood fire, which was unusual given his understanding of the city’s economic condition where people shouldn’t be relying on burning wood for warmth. From his observation, these men were experienced criminals, probably fugitives hiding in nearby caves. Since they were wanted criminals and he had seen their faces, they would not let him go even after he handed over his valuables. Outnumbered and in the desolate mountains where escape was impossible, the criminals relaxed their guard, gathering around to count the cash in his wallet. The one holding the knife against his waist was also tempted, frequently glancing at the red bills. Seizing the moment of their distraction, Zhou Yuxian quickly pulled out his phone from his pocket and swiftly smashed it into the man’s eye. With four men left, he was still outnumbered, especially since these ruthless individuals were armed. He glanced behind him; he had once stopped here to enjoy the scenery, and below, though it was a cliff, there was a grassy slope that could cushion the impact. Just as he assessed the situation, one of the men hit him on the chest with a stick, sending him tumbling down the cliff.