Lu Tuo’s room was at the west end of the second floor. Dong Qin politely knocked, but there was no sound from inside. She then crouched down, intending to slip the fax under the door. No door gap! This door was completely sealed, with no gap at the bottom or sides, and the doorknob was round, leaving no place to even put the fax. Dong Qin was stunned. What secrets did his room hold? This not only prevented spying but also completely blocked out all sounds. The Lu family seemed increasingly mysterious.
She knocked again; still no response, confirming no one was home. Dong Qin went to find some tape to stick the fax on his door. She didn’t really want to see him, though she wasn’t sure why. In some sense, she trusted this person, but trust didn’t mean she wanted to get close or understand him. If Lu Jinghao’s demeanor felt “false,” then Lu Tuo’s felt “hollow.” One made her reject everything, the other left her ambivalent.
With tape in hand, she returned, only to find the door slightly ajar! Was someone inside? She was stunned for a moment, feeling the situation was eerie, and hesitated to go in.
“Lu Tuo,” she called softly at the door, “Are you in there? Your father sent a fax for you.” No one answered. She knocked harder, “You have a fax.” Still no response. With no other choice, she pushed the door open, intending to just throw the fax onto the floor, but as soon as she opened the door, a flurry of white papers flew up into the air! Dong Qin was startled. It wasn’t until the cool breeze hit her face that she realized his window was open, and the wind was strong outside, causing the curtains and the white papers all over the floor to flutter wildly. The room was very quiet. Dong Qin hesitated for a moment before stepping in, carefully avoiding stepping on the papers on the ground. The papers were covered with drawings of guns, long and short, cross-sectioned and longitudinally dissected—a room full of gun designs! Dong Qin felt as if she had frozen in place. A sudden realization flashed through her mind—was this what it was all about?!
