Case Files 013

Why would a person about to commit suicide carry a briefcase with him? It would only mean that there was something important in it. With that in mind, I asked, "This briefcase, where is it now?"

"No clue, it's still missing." Someone answered. At that moment, my phone rang. It was Mary. Mary said, "Wu Meng, we've gotten the info on this man. His name is Lee Zhinan, 25, he lived in Dong Xing City alone. He worked as an employee at a finance company. I'll send you the victim's home address in a bit, we've already notified the local police."

"Okay." As I pulled my hair, I added, "But we still can't tell whether this is related to the 2 other cases or not."

Mary answered, "I've already sent you the address, why don't you go there and find out?"

"Let's head to the victim's home." I turned to Guan Zhenglin and Gu Chen. "Even though the style chosen is wildly different from the other two, there are some curious similarities as well. Perhaps we'll find out more at Lee Zhinan's home. At the very least, we should be able to get his suicide motive." When we left, the subway had reopened for business. Subway line 1 returned to normal. Passengers bustled into the trains. A life was lost here but no one cared anymore. Perhaps this would become nothing more than something they discussed with others over dinner. Only the scent of blood that lingered in the air reminded people that there was a suicide here that day.

Lee Zhinan's rental was very far from his company, which was why he had to take the subway daily. This was a very old apartment building, it had no guards and no management. The tenants didn't even have individual bathrooms, instead they had a communal bathroom at the ground floor. When we arrived, the landlord was already there. He had been notified by the local police. He opened the door and waited for us with the local officers.

Lee Zhinan's place was very small. There was no kitchen, only the living room and 2 bedrooms. One of the bedrooms had been turned into storage. When we opened the other bedroom, we were shocked. Every inch of the room was pasted with superhero posters. When I walked into it, it was like I had been transported into a different world. This was quite surprising. A young man in his 25 might still like superhero movies but to be so obsessed with them? That was unusual.

"There's a notebook here." Gu Chen commented. I turned and saw Gu Chen flipping through an inordinately large notebook.

"What is it about?" I asked. Gu Chen handed me the book and explained, "It's the man's diary. I looked through a few pages but didn't find anything useful." Around late afternoon, I finally finished that thick diary which didn't have much literary merit. It helped me understand Lee Zhinan better and why there were so many superheroes posters in his bedroom. Every boy had a superhero dream growing up. For Lee Zhinan, that dream started when he was in primary school.

Wang Ernao was their village terror. He learned how to smoke when he was 8, he was brave enough to flip girls' skirts when he was 10. Wang Ernao always wore a pair of white sports shoes and walked around with a sword, a wooden sword that he made himself. There would be screams wherever Wang Ernao went. Perhaps Wang Ernao wasn't even Wang Ernao's real name but the definite thing was, Wang Ernao was the leader among the children, he was the gang leader. His favorite thing to do was to block girls going home from school and harass them with words.

Wang Ernao's father owned a video cassette business. When he was only 8, Wang Ernao had seen and personally completed many rites of passage people over 18 would. In every story, there would be a hero to punish the villain. The first time Lee Zhinan met with Wang Ernao was an autumn day. Wang Ernao accosted a girl from Lee Zhinan's primary school whom Lee Zhinan had a crush on.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Wang Ernao cursed while he laughed. The young girl had no idea what those words even meant. Lee Zhinan showed up to her aid, "Wang Ernao, let her go out. If you don't, you'll regret it." Both parties brandished their weapons. Wang Ernao had a wooden sword while Lee Zhinan had a brush, because he just came from calligraphy class. It was the fight between the brute and the scholar. The fight ended before it even began because as Wang Ernao charged over, he tripped and fell to the ground. He hit his head against the ground and his forehead was bruised. However, if you heed the village rumours, it was Lee Zhinan who used his brush to poke out a hole on Wang Ernao's forehead.

The girl sighed, "You're my hero."

The life of a superhero was not easy because superheroes had their own creed and good grades to uphold. In contrast, life was much easier for the villain. Wang Ernao was an irresponsible local ruffian, he had nothing holding him back. When he was back on the street harassing women, the hero had to be in class to study math. The world always had plenty of challenges for superheroes.

That year, they were all 17. Lee Zhinan, the girl and Wang Ernao got into the same high school and the same class. The difference was Lee Zhinan got in with his good results but Wang Ernao bought his way in. The superheroes' love interests were always bimbos for some reason. When Wang Ernao swore before the girl when they were 8, she didn't get it but she definitely got it when she was 17. The girl failed a test and that night she had a lot to drink. She asked Lee Zhinan to bring her home and she lingered at the door, waiting for him to come in. But like all superheroes, Lee Zhinan was a gentleman. He smiled at her and said, "Go to bed, you'll feel better in the morning."

Unbeknownst to the hero, his departure only made the girl feel rejected and unwanted. It piled on her sadness even more. That opened a crack for the villain to enter. The things that Lee Zhinan did not understand, Wang Ernao did. Wang Ernao said, "If you don't mind, I can lend you my shoulders. Life is like this, there are highs and lows." That night, Wang Ernao provided the girl with her first sexual high. However, Wang Ernao didn't stay for long. This was just a long-hanging fruit that he picked off the tree, he still had other fruits to harvest. The girl was soon abandoned, in her moment of sadness, she returned to Lee Zhinan. Like all superheroes, he welcomed her back with consoling words and hugs, "I don't mind your past."

That night, Wang Ernao and Lee Zhinan had their second fight. This time, Wang Ernao did not trip so the hero was beaten to a zero. While Lee Zhinan studied in classes, Wang Ernao spent his time brawling in the streets and fucking girls. There was no chance the hero would win. Spitting out his blood, Lee Zhinan preached like all temporarily defeated superheroes would, "You might have her body, but you'll never have her heart."

Wang Ernao regaled Lee Zhinan with a tale. There was once a lock on the big door, a golden key volunteered itself to poke into the lock but despite multiple tries, the lock refused to open. Then an unimpressive steel key came. With a small twist, the lock opened. The steel key gloated proudly that it managed to get the lock open because it had the lock's heart but the golden key did not. "Do you know what the golden key says to that?" Wang Ernao laughed and left.

Even though he was told the answer, Lee Zhinan had no idea what Wang Ernao meant.

Despite Lee Zhinan's effort, the girl of his dreams never agreed to be his girlfriend, Lee Zhinan had no idea what the problem was. He loved the girl and the girl knew that too. However, the girl would throw herself at someone like Wang Ernao but refuse to accept his love. Was he still her superhero? Lee Zhinan would ask himself that question whenever he was alone at night.

Lee Zhinan got into a good university while both the girl and Wang Ernao failed. When he was 25, Lee Zhinan found employment at Dong Xing City. His salary was 6000 RMB per month, which was already considered high at Dong Xing City. He believed it was about time for him to find a girlfriend, settle down and get married. Finally the girl accepted his proposal but their relationship lasted only for a month. It was because when Lee Zhinan returned home early that one night, he found Wang Ernao in their bed. This was the third fight between Wang Ernao and Lee Zhinan and it ended with a draw.

The girl said, "Let's break up. We're not suitable for each other."

Lee Zhinan pleaded, "I'm hardworking, I have a good salary, I've done everything I could for you, but why do you choose him over me in the end? He has never changed since primary school. How can you do this with him when we've never even gotten further than holding hands?"

The girl was silent for a long time. "I don't know what to tell you. You are a good person but…"

"Is it something wrong with me? Tell me, I can change for you."

Wang Ernao finally got tired of this mindless drama and chimed in. "How can someone be so dense?! Clearly she is trying to lay you down easy! Why did she choose me over you? Simple, because you earn 6000 RMB a month while my dad wires me 60000 RMB a month. Now you get it? You must have read too many books until you've lost common sense."

The girl suddenly screamed, "No, it's not about the money. We're just not compatible with each other. Lee Zhinan, what you want is something I cannot give. Why can't you just act like a normal person, why do you have to keep such a high standard for yourself? Don't you get tired of being so pompous and pretentious all the time?"

It dawned on Lee Zhinan then. Not everyone liked superheroes. In a way, Lee Zhinan was indeed a superhero because what is a superhero but a fool who sacrifices themselves to complete others? Perhaps if he acted less gentlemanly and less superhero-like that night, things might have ended up differently. But that was not the way of a superhero.

Now he understood what Wang Ernao meant in that story about the keys and lock. The golden key said, "I never wanted to get into the heart, it was just poking around her hole."