NOVEL NEXT vol. 1 chapter 6 - “This was his last recognition before going unconscious”
Chapter 6 – “This was his last recognition before going unconscious”
Qin Mu and Wu Guangming agreed to meet the following morning.
Wu Guangming lived far from the city centre in the remote outskirts. Three years ago, the government planned to alleviate the congestion, housing and overcrowding issues caused by overpopulation. And so, with the quick circling of a pen, a few run-down counties were rebranded as new districts now under the umbrella of J City. Though the name of “new district” seemed to promise grand things, over time, the actual investment in social infrastructure remained curbed at the equivalent level of third-rate counties. Apart from inflating land prices and attracting a pack of greedy real estate developers, not a single school or hospital or other essential service was built. Though housing prices went up, compared to J City, where every square meter was worth its weight in gold, the new district seemed relatively charitable. Those who couldn’t afford to live in J City gathered and resided here. Every day, they’d grapple with the underground for three hours, rushing to punch in on time, and then, under the night sky, drag their exhausted bodies back here to search for the bed that belonged to them.
To pay for his mother’s medical bills, Wu Guangming had sold his apartment in the tube-shaped complex and moved here. His parents were originally labourers in a machine tool factory, and when a wave of technological innovation swept through, they retired ‘with honour’. His father didn’t have any other skills and so stayed at home drinking and playing cards. On a night of heavy rain, whilst on his way home from a card game, his bike fell into a ditch and he died.
Relying on a dishwasher’s income, his mother scraped by and brought up Wu Guangming, who was still a child at the time. The image of the small woman hunched over the low stool washing dishes, the image of the skin of her hands peeling after soaking in detergent for too long, and the image of her tightening a cloth around her aching lower back to keep going were like knives that carved themselves into Wu Guangming’s memory. Throughout his childhood, the one wish he expressed over and over in his writing homework was to honour and care for his mother, and those wishes remained unchanged even in his adulthood. He was a hard worker. After graduating from vocational school, he apprenticed for three years in a hotel kitchen, and then once he rose to chef, he saved up and now laboured through early mornings and late nights in his own eatery. Thanks to the great flavour of his cooking, business went well.
Life seemed to finally promise something good for the family, and he finally had the opportunity to treat his mother. It was at this moment that a flood of advertisements crashed into his life, from the internet, from the television.
It was “a health revitalising, detoxing, anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, bone-strengthening pure Chinese herbal remedy”, it was “the number one choice for a billion aging adults, the go-to-gift from loving children”, it was aired during prime time on mainstream channels, it was endorsed by big-name celebrities - what could possibly go wrong?
Wu Guangming had no idea that when he handed over with a heart full of gratitude and joy the beautiful red gift box, it contained a fatal poison. By the time she was sent to hospital, it was too late. His mother suffered for half a year in painful sickness and then passed, leaving behind a half-knit wool vest she was giving her granddaughter.
In one push, Wu Guangming fell into the whirlpool of tragedy, scrambling without avail. He sought out many places to find rightful compensation but was kicked around like a ball, covered in mud, and in the end plunged into a bottomless abyss by the declaration of “insufficient evidence, unable to establish case”.
Wu Guangming’s family of four lived in a small house of less than 60 square meters. It was fortunate that the two children were at school, otherwise, the space would’ve seemed even more unbearable with Qin Mu and Gang Zi cramped inside. Wu Guangming’s wife didn’t talk much. Apart from making the tea, she remained silently seated.
Wu Guangming told Qin Mu the whole story of his predicament, bringing out analytical results for Precious Health supplements, his mother’s medical records and correspondence ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) from various departments. Barely containing his anger, he said, “My mother was always in good health, but her liver fell apart after only six months. So many people have gotten sick because of it. The problem clearly is with the medicine, yet no one wants to do anything about it. I’ve never been after the money; no amount of money could buy my mother’s life back! I’m just so angry, that’s what, is there no justice left in this world?!” Just as he finished, his phone rang again.
Since Qin Mu arrived, Wu Guangming’s phone had rung four times. Qin Mu politely said, “If there is something urgent you need to take care of, please do so. We can always arrange another time.”
“It’s nothing, please don’t worry.” Wu Guangming rejected the call and threw his phone to one side, cursing in a low voice, “They’re like fucking flies.”
If they were to win the case, the documents Wu Guangming had were certainly insufficient. As Qin Mu was examining them, there was a knock on the door. Wu Guangming’s wife looked through the peephole and frowned with disgust but resignation.
Opening the door, Wu Guangming’s face fell. Two men stood outside, one thin, one fat. As soon as the fat one saw him, his face hurried into a smile: “Oh, you’re home? How come you’re not picking up the phone? I thought something bad had happened to you.”
“Wouldn’t it just be your greatest wish that I meet with some accident and then lie at home all day.” Wu Guangming returned coldly.
The two seemed used to his attitude and were unfazed. The fat one was still smiling, saying, “How can you say that? Of course, we want you to be well.”
The thin one continued: “You’re not opening shop today? We were thinking of coming over and ordering a few dishes.” It was about 10 in the morning, the awkward gap between breakfast and lunch; it was obviously a lie made up on the spot. Finishing his sentence, he poked his head inside and glanced around as if looking for something.
The thin one fixed his eyes on Wu Guangming’s wife, who stood towards the back, smiling apologetically: “Wu Ge*, please don’t be upset, if we didn’t have to, we wouldn’t want to bother you either. You know this is our ‘duty’, it’s our job after all. Nothing we can do about it, please understand us.” Having finished, he held out a cigarette as a peace offering.
Wu Guangming refused and ignored him with a darkened face.
The thin one awkwardly returned the cigarette to his own mouth, glanced over at Qin Mu and Gang Zi, and tested the waters: “You have guests over?”
Wu Guangming glared at him with anger and pulled the door shut, nearly catching the fat one’s foot, which still lingered in the doorway.
Soon, they heard the sound of the two going downstairs.
Wu Guangming sat down again, clearly annoyed, and said to Qin Mu: “My apologies, you had to see this embarrassment.”
Gang Zi asked with curiosity: “Are they money collectors? They don’t look it.”
Wu Guangming waved his hand: “I wouldn’t dare get involved in that sort of stuff. They’ve been sent by the higher-uppers to keep an eye on us. Before, I kept trying to “raise issues”, so I ended up being flagged as a person of interest. There’s going to be an important congressional meeting soon, you know, it’s their job to keep an eye on us both. Morning, afternoon, evening, they check up on us. They’re afraid I’m going to go “aggravate social division and disrupt social unity” again. When I’m not at the restaurant, they call. When I don’t pick up, they come in person. When I’m not home, they search everywhere. Like a cat chasing mice, they can’t let me out of their sight for a single second. This is why I asked you both to come to my house. I didn’t want to make things worse by causing a scene.”
Qin Mu frowned: “Infringement on personal freedom is a violation of the law.”
Wu Guangming smiled bitterly: “When one person oppresses a group, that’s a violation of freedom; when a group oppresses one person, that’s for the greater good. I’ve seen through it all now - freedom, justice, they belong to people who are capable of having them; useless rubbish like me, I can’t even get one word of right, even when my mother dies. Oh, right…” He suddenly remembered the previous point of conversation, pressed on his phone a few times and passed it over, “Back when I was looking for ways to get compensation, I published a few articles on a forum. Through that, I got to know a few others who also started having health problems after eating Precious Health, so we created a group. You mentioned that there was insufficient evidence. I don’t really understand these things, but why don’t you talk with them, see if there’s any additional material you can get?”
This, of course, was a good thing.
Qin Mu carefully noted some basic details and contact information of the people. That very afternoon, he was able to get in contact with two of them. They both lived in the surrounds of J City. One of them, a woman, was currently in hospital receiving treatment. That evening, Qin Mu bought a bunch of flowers and a basket of fruit and headed to the hospital. The attending doctor was able to give him more details of the case. By the time they left, the day was completely dark. The sky was thick with a hazy grey smog.
From a small shop on the side of the road, Qin Mu bought a pack of Li Qun cigarettes and a plastic lighter and offered one to Gang Zi. Gang Zi waved his hand to refuse and said, “I thought you didn’t smoke.”
The flame on the lighter flickered. Qin Mu held the cigarette between his fingers, brought it to his lips and lit it. After a deep drag, he puffed out a cloud of white smoke, saying, “It’s not a habit, I just suddenly felt like a smoke.”
Gang Zi could sense the reasons behind.
The past two days, all the people they had met, they suffered in such pain. Some struggled on the brink of death, some struggled on the brink of destitution, lonely with no one to turn to, with claims that no one listened to. Yet if Precious Health had not entered their lives, they would all have lived happily.
These people were too unlike any of Qin Mu’s usual clients. Celebrities, business tycoons, corporate interests, when they lost a lawsuit, there remained innumerable fallbacks. But these people had none, they were already standing on a precarious precipice, some had even fallen and were clinging for dear life onto fragile vines. Every pair of eyes that looked expectantly, hoping for justice, bore down on Qin Mu with immensity, let alone, when he raised his own gaze, there stood the unavenged spirit of his beloved teacher.
Qin Mu was the type that rarely made a show of emotions, even the way he relieved stress was restrained and private, as in this moment where he stood beside the car quietly smoking. When he finished, the tangled thoughts within his mind had been straightened out. An email notification came up on this phone, it was for a composition analysis of a sample he had commissioned from a lab. Qin Mu stubbed the cigarette and said, “We’ll head back.”
Due to security concerns, Qin Mu and Gang Zi stayed in the same suite. As they passed through the lobby, Gang Zi was noticeably wary. Upon entering the lift, Qin Mu asked: “What’s wrong?”
“The receptionists were looking at us with a funny look.” Gang Zi spoke in a low voice, “We should be careful, it’s possible someone wants trouble.”
“They’re most likely just curious.” Qin Mu said.
“Curious? About what?” Gang Zi didn’t understand.
“That we’re staying in the same suite, about what relationship we have.”
Gang Zi immediately blushed, and muttered with embarrassment: “What are they thinking…”
Entering the suite, Qin Mu’s phone rang.
It was his father.
Gang Zi listened in a bit and was taken aback. It seemed that Qin Mu wasn’t close with his father. He spoke only when spoken to, and most of the time replied only with a “yes” or “ok”, neither volunteering to hang up, nor making small talk or asking after daily life like normal father and son; it was more like a conversation with a client. Considering that they might be hindered by his presence, Gang Zi headed into the bathroom for a shower.
Having spoken a little more, Qin Mu said to Qin Aihua: “I still have things I need to sort out here.”
“You go ahead then.” Qin Aihua paused awkwardly and then said, “Um… If you have time this week, can you come home for a visit? Your mum misses you.”
Qin Mu went silent and then replied: “I’m not available at the moment.”
“Oh, ok. Work is more important.” There was no reply.
Qin Mu hung up. Standing before the windows that stretched from floor to ceiling, he stared absently into the light-dappled night. The still reflections of shadows upon the glass suddenly flickered.
Gang Zi finished his shower already?
Just as he was about to turn, someone behind him smothered his mouth and nose, a sharp but slightly sweet odour rushed to his head.
Diethyl ether.
This was his last recognition before going unconscious.
************
Translator’s note:
1.The honorific “ge” is equivalent to Korea’s “hyung” literally meaning older brother. It can be used as a term of respect or as a term of friendly or romantic affection. Since the honorific will be used extensively throughout the novel and carries special cultural connotation unavailable in English, this novel will preserve the Chinese honorific.