I had the Daoist brothers place A Bei on the sofa, then found a bottle of mineral water and opened it. Looking at the unconscious A Bei, I gently pried open his dry lips and carefully gave him a little water.
The two Daoist brothers had already carried the still-unconscious Brother Hui out and laid him on the ground. Zhou Yingying followed behind, looking at me somewhat timidly, likely frightened by the current scene.
I told Zhou Yingying, "The nightmare is over. Let's go back."
Zhou Yingying nodded cautiously, watching as one of the Daoist brothers drove the dilapidated jeep to the entrance. Then, they loaded the unconscious A Bei and Brother Hui into the car.
I asked Zhou Yingying to get a coat belonging to Brother Hui from the room and cover him with it. I had Zhou Yingying sit with him, half-supporting him with her arm. I placed the elder in the passenger seat, and the rest of us squeezed into the rear.
The car drove all the way to the sentry post. A guard, shining a flashlight, signaled us to stop.
The car halted. The soldier shone his flashlight on each of us in turn, then looked at Brother Hui, who had his eyes closed.
Brother Hui was completely covered by the coat, and we were all dressed in black. The sentry wasn't overly vigilant, merely looking at us with suspicion.
"Our boss suddenly fell ill. He needs to go to the hospital for treatment."
A Bei was shielded by our feet. The sentry only shone his light on our faces and didn't approach for a closer look.
"We have a doctor in our barracks. Would you like me to call him over?"
"Your barracks doctor can only treat minor ailments like headaches, colds, and superficial wounds. Our boss has a serious illness and cannot afford any delay. He must go to a proper hospital."
The sentry hesitated, glanced at his comrade, and finally made a gesture, moving the barrier aside.
The Daoist brothers hit the accelerator, and the car sped away from the sentry post.
Brother Hui was only unconscious and would wake up soon. However, A Bei couldn't afford to be delayed. He had been suspended upside down and subjected to smoke for so long, and had cried out loudly. His lungs were likely damaged. Even if he survived, he could end up crippled if there was any permanent injury.
Therefore, the priority was to get him to the hospital immediately and save his life first.
As for Brother Hui, he had his own destination.
Outside the sentry post, Zhou Yingying released her grip on Brother Hui, letting him slump onto the floor, her face filled with disgust.
She had likely suffered much abuse from Brother Hui these past few days. I'd heard that Brother Hui was quite perverse, never playing by the rules, utterly twisted.
It wasn't appropriate to ask, but Zhou Yingying's expression said it all.
Zhou Yingying and I shared a hatred that could never be resolved. Her helping us this time was, in a way, a form of atonement for her past transgressions.
She could be my partner, and we could work together, but we would never be friends. Not in this life, and certainly not in the next!
This was a matter of principle, a fundamental boundary.
As the car left the village, the road became increasingly difficult. Amidst the bumps, I saw Brother Hui stir and let out a gurgling sound.
The effect of the sedatives was likely wearing off, and he seemed about to wake.
I quickly found a piece of cloth and covered his mouth, to prevent him from shouting and alarming anyone nearby.
We retraced our steps. Upon reaching the small village, we abandoned the car by the roadside and made our way through the jungle, arranging for Wen Siqiang to pick us up.
A Bei remained completely still, his breathing shallow, his eyes still closed as if in a deep sleep.
Brother Hui kept moving and trying to say something, but with his mouth covered, he could only emit muffled grunts.
I ignored him; as long as he didn't try to get up, he could thrash about as much as he pleased.
In truth, he couldn't get up. With the rope around his neck and his hands tied behind his back, he was forced into a half-crouching position on the floor. He had never endured such hardship, and it was certainly uncomfortable.
The car drove fast, and in a short while, we arrived back in the small village.
We got out of the car. First, I had one of the Daoist brothers carry A Bei, and we proceeded forward. We escorted the now-mobile Brother Hui, following behind them.
Brother Hui now knew where he was going and, dejected, dragged his feet, reluctant to move.
I stepped forward, kicked him, and asked if he wanted to walk. If not, I threatened to give him more medicine to inhale.
He shook his head in terror, determined not to lose consciousness again, and only then grudgingly started moving forward.
He was truly stubborn, refusing to go when asked, forcing us to use coercion. If he didn't move, we'd have to show him some force.
He knew the consequences of returning. For someone of his stature, a severe punishment was inevitable; it was only a matter of time. Once he set foot on our territory, he was already a dead man.
Unlike our arrival, we walked through the woods with ease. Now, however, we were burdened with carrying A Bei and also the weak-kneed Brother Hui.
Despite Brother Hui's usual arrogance, he now looked like a frail old man, barely able to move even with constant pulling and dragging.
At this moment, I received a message on my phone from Wen Siqiang. He said he had reached the riverbank and that Mr. Song and his colleagues were with him.
I replied with an "ok" and urged Brother Hui to hurry.
Zhou Yingying followed closely behind me. From the first moment I saw her in Brother Hui's bedroom, she had remained largely silent, her expression complex. Even now, she was wordless, simply trailing behind us.
Finally, we reached the riverbank. I looked back at the land we were leaving, filled with emotion. In eight or nine days, we had faced near-death experiences and finally captured this demon.
I saw Wen Siqiang waving to me. Beside him stood Mr. Song, his face grim.
I waved back and instructed the Daoist brothers to go ahead first and take A Bei to the hospital.
The rest of us, escorting Brother Hui, waded across the river.
Several of Mr. Song's colleagues came over, pulled us onto the bank, and took charge of Brother Hui.
Mr. Song walked over and said, with a tone of reproach, "You are not allowed to act independently in such matters from now on. You must trust the strength of the organization. Have you considered the consequences of acting alone?"
I sheepishly rubbed my hands and quickly replied, "I understand. Next time, I will definitely consult with you first and will not make such mistakes again."
Only then did Mr. Song clap me on the shoulder and say, "Criticism aside, I must thank you. Their case involves too much with the Xie family and Brother Hui. His apprehension will allow for the swift conclusion of their case, and they will all receive their due punishment. Furthermore, the drug manufacturing laboratory discovered at Xie Jiabao has provided much evidence of their criminal activities, uncovering a massive drug production chain. You have performed a great service. I will report this to my superiors and recommend you for a commendation!"
I quickly said, "Forget the commendation. Do you have any spare seats in your car? My car took the injured to the hospital, so I need to go back with you."
"No problem, ride with me. We can chat about the details of your operation on the way. You know, you're a kid who never fails to cause worry but is also very capable. I don't know whether to admire your courage or your actions."
I replied, "I'm young. When I'm careless, you should definitely criticize me."
We walked towards the main road, talking and laughing. The elder and the others had gone with A Bei to the hospital. I needed to go back with Mr. Song to give my statement.