Chapter14

1

Rui Xiaodan finally got the sound system she had longed for. Not only did it add a touch of sophistication to her room, but because of its connection to Ding Yuanying, it also became a deep emotional wound in her heart. She thought that by pouring her heart and soul into striving for it, she would be able to let go without regret. She believed that following the proper steps would bring her peace of mind. Yet, the indescribable pain did not fade with time; instead, it quietly grew and spread within her.

She truly tasted the bitterness of love and realized the harsh reality of her personal hell. To escape the torment in her heart, she threw herself into her demanding work, unwilling to let her mind settle, unable to bear the anguish that arose from deep within. Only in the dead of night would she allow Ding Yuanying's face to surface in her mind, accompanied by the sorrowful strains of Daughter of Heaven playing from her sound system.

That afternoon, a torrential downpour descended on the ancient city. Lightning slashed across the dark clouds, and thunder roared as if exploding overhead, turning the world into a domain of water.

In this stormy weather, the criminal investigation team tracked down the hideout of Wang Mingyang, the second-in-command of the "Ma Wang Criminal Syndicate," and seven of his accomplices. The team immediately deployed officers to apprehend them. Wang Mingyang's group quickly noticed something amiss and fled in two cars along the highway toward Yiyang County, forcibly breaking through a checkpoint and ruthlessly shooting, killing one staff member and seriously injuring two others. Pursued by the police, they abandoned their vehicles and retreated to a nearby brick kiln on the eastern side of the highway. Using the complex terrain as cover, they resisted fiercely. The location was about 30 kilometers north of the ancient city, near Yiyang County.

Under the command of Captain Lei Jianfeng, twelve officers from the criminal investigation team approached the brick kiln from three directions to conduct a search.

The brick kiln's terrain was extremely complex, with walls for drying bricks that stood taller than a person and various kilns for firing bricks. Rui Xiaodan moved cautiously through the rain, advancing with her weapon at the ready. Gunfire suddenly rang out from the eastern side of the brick kiln. The police were exchanging fire with the criminals, and the perimeter was slowly tightening. Meanwhile, police cars and reinforcements were arriving on the highway.

Rui Xiaodan crept along a wall of stacked bricks toward the gunfire. Just as she stepped out from behind the wall, a gun barrel suddenly emerged from the other side and was pressed against her head.

She froze in shock, her mind going blank. This is it, she thought. Then, she heard the crisp, decisive click of a trigger being pulled. To her astonishment, the gun misfired—it was a dud. Realizing this in a split second, she seized the moment and grabbed the assailant's wrist with lightning speed, twisted her body, and used a swift judo throw to slam him to the ground. She wrestled his arm, disarmed him, and pinned him with her leg, drawing her handcuffs from her belt.

Only then did Rui Xiaodan see the man's face clearly—it was none other than Wang Mingyang himself.

As she was about to handcuff him, she suddenly noticed another criminal raising his gun to shoot at Zhao Guoqiang, who was locked in a struggle with yet another suspect. The armed criminal couldn't aim properly due to the scuffle. Rui Xiaodan fired instantly, her bullet striking the gunman in the head. He collapsed to the ground as blood splattered everywhere.

Pinned under her, Wang Mingyang witnessed the scene clearly and muttered, "Good shot."

Rui Xiaodan felt a mix of anger and amusement. At a time like this, and he still has the nerve to say that? She quickly handcuffed Wang Mingyang. By then, Zhao Guoqiang had subdued the other suspect. They handed the two criminals over to the arriving armed police reinforcements and rushed toward the ongoing gunfire, where additional reinforcements had already engaged. Gunfire echoed continuously.

The operation at the brick kiln lasted over half an hour. Three criminals were killed, two wounded, and three captured alive. Remarkably, there were no injuries among the police. Forensics personnel busily documented the scene, photographing the bodies of the deceased criminals before transporting them to vehicles parked on the highway. The scene was lit by the flashing lights of dozens of police cars, and the sight of armed officers standing tall in the pouring rain and thunder was both solemn and imposing.

After clearing the scene, the captain ordered the team to withdraw. Back on the highway, police cars and vehicles escorting the suspects began to leave one after another. Rui Xiaodan stood silently by a Santana police car, her mind blank.

The captain approached her and said, "I heard what happened. Thank goodness it was a dud."

Rui Xiaodan murmured, "I killed someone again."

Zhao Guoqiang, standing nearby, quipped, "Miss, are you kidding? If you'd been a second slower, I'd be dead now."

The captain said, "It's over now, and Wang Mingyang is alive. Xiaodan, are you okay?"

Rui Xiaodan shook her head. "Captain, could you all go ahead? Can I stay here alone for a while?"

Understanding her need for solitude, the captain nodded after some thought. "All right, but stay safe. Change out of those wet clothes when you get back, or you'll catch a cold."

As the captain's car drove away, Rui Xiaodan sat in her car, resting her head on the steering wheel. Rainwater from her soaked clothes quickly seeped into the seat, and droplets from her hair dripped down.

The downpour continued relentlessly.

When Rui Xiaodan finally calmed herself, she realized rationally that death had brushed past her once again. One thought dominated her mind: If it hadn't been a dud, I would never see Ding Yuanying again. This realization brought a wave of unbearable sorrow, and tears streamed silently down her face.

The flood of emotions battered her heart. Unsure whether she was becoming more lost or more clear-headed, she instinctively took out her phone and dialed Ding Yuanying's number.

"Hello..." came Ding Yuanying's voice.

The moment his voice reached her ears, all her feelings—her despair, her heartache—broke through like a dam bursting. She burst into uncontrollable sobs.

Ding Yuanying's voice grew tense. "Is that you, Rui Xiaodan? What happened?"

Crying like a child seeking comfort, Rui Xiaodan said, "I almost died just now. The gun was pressed to my head—it was a dud. I was so scared that I'd die and never see you again…"

There was silence on the other end of the line.

Rui Xiaodan stopped crying, but her tears continued to fall silently.

After a moment, Ding Yuanying asked, "Where are you?"

"On the highway outside Yiyang County," Rui Xiaodan replied.

"How far is it? Which route back?" he asked.

"About 30 kilometers, through the northern ring road," she answered.

"Thirty minutes," he said. "I'll wait for you by the roadside on the northern ring road."

Stunned, Rui Xiaodan hesitated before asking tearfully, "Why?"

Ding Yuanying replied, "To have you as my confidant in this life is enough."

With that, he hung up. Rui Xiaodan turned off her phone and was suddenly overcome by a feeling of exhaustion.

2.

Due to the pouring rain, the water pooling on the road significantly increased the resistance against the wheels, and the visibility was extremely low. It took nearly an hour for the car to cover the mere thirty-odd kilometers to the North Ring Road of the ancient city.

As soon as the car turned onto the North Ring Road, Rui Xiaodan eagerly scanned the roadside through the windshield wipers that were swinging vigorously. Soon, she caught sight of a blurry figure holding an umbrella by the road, and her heart started pounding violently. As the distance gradually closed, the figure became clearer—it was none other than Ding Yuanying standing in the rain.

She stomped on the accelerator and rushed towards Ding Yuanying. Then, with a sudden, sharp brake, she quickly pushed open the car door and dashed towards him, hugging him tightly.

Ding Yuanying held the umbrella in one hand and gently placed the other on Rui Xiaodan's head. Rui Xiaodan snatched the umbrella from his hand and tossed it aside, so that he could hold her firmly in both arms.

At this moment, Rui Xiaodan's heart was filled with overwhelming happiness, as if everything around her had ceased to exist. Pressing close to Ding Yuanying's soaking wet body, she couldn't hold back her emotions and sobbed. All her happiness, joy, and grievances found an outlet at this very moment.

The cars speeding past splashed large amounts of water onto their already drenched bodies, but neither of them paid any attention. Rui Xiaodan buried her head in his arms, took a deep breath, and said in a choked voice, "I just shot and killed a fugitive."

Ding Yuanying's heart jolted. This wasn't an ordinary sense of empathy, nor the typical sentiment between a man and a woman. It was an involuntary respect that sprang from instinct. When the heavy elements of death, rebirth, punishment, and humanity intertwined, and when such complex and cruel feelings enveloped a woman all at once, she showed neither the fear of facing death nor the bravado of becoming a hero. There was only love and a pure reverence for life. He remained silent, simply holding her body steadily with one hand and gently stroking her hair with the other. At this moment, the silent comfort was more powerful than a thousand words.

Rui Xiaodan was intoxicated. She murmured dreamily, "Summarize all those thousands of words into one sentence for me."

Ding Yuanying said softly, "Do your job well."

Rui Xiaodan was taken aback for a moment, then quickly understood. She looked up at him shyly and said teasingly, "Rogue!" Then she tiptoed and whispered in his ear, "Let's go home."

The two of them walked to the car. Rui Xiaodan gently pushed Ding Yuanying into the passenger seat, closed the door, and then started the car, speeding towards the Rose Garden community.

After parking the car, Rui Xiaodan took Ding Yuanying's hand and quickly walked into the yard. Opening the door, she kicked it shut behind her.

Immediately, the two of them were lost in a long, deep kiss. After that, Rui Xiaodan nimbly closed all the curtains, quickly stripped Ding Yuanying of his wet clothes, and tossed them onto the floor before wrapping him in the warm quilt. Ding Yuanying, whose body was chilled from the heavy rain, was instantly enveloped in the gentle warmth of a woman.

Rui Xiaodan went into the bathroom, warmed herself up with hot water, changed into the silk nightgown, and sat on the edge of the bed. Then she turned on the bedside lamp. It was only then that she noticed Ding Yuanying's hair was still wet, so she took a towel and gently dried his hair.

Ding Yuanying reached out and untied the sash of Rui Xiaodan's nightgown. The nightgown opened, and Rui Xiaodan's full breasts rose and fell with her rapid breathing under the soft light, exuding an irresistible allure. He suddenly hugged her and pressed her under him with a hint of urgency.

At this very moment, the spirit and the flesh melded perfectly...

The passion raged like a storm and gradually subsided only after they were exhausted. Rui Xiaodan's fair face was tinged with a charming blush, adding more allure to her. She lay on Ding Yuanying's body, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly as she murmured happily, "I really wish God could turn us into a statue right at this moment."

Ding Yuanying replied, "The gun didn't go off. It's a chance given by fate, saving me from a lifetime of guilt."

Rui Xiaodan said dreamily, "It might be better if the gun had gone off. Then I'd be eternal in your heart."

Ding Yuanying said, "Our clothes are soaked. Go get some of my clothes. They're in the bedside table."

Rui Xiaodan got up, found her own clothes in the wardrobe and put them on. Then she placed a women's nightgown on the bed and said, "Wrap yourself in this if you want to walk around the room. Don't catch a cold. I have to go back to the team first. I'll pick up your clothes after work."

Ding Yuanying glanced at the nightgown and shrank further under the quilt, as if to say, "How improper."

Rui Xiaodan then took out two large photo albums and a file folder and placed them beside Ding Yuanying's pillow. She bent down and kissed his cheek, saying, "Have a look at these if you're bored at home. Everything about me is in here. Don't say you don't know me anymore. Stay put. I'll take you to the snack street tonight." With that, she grabbed Ding Yuanying's house key and quickly closed the door and left.

Ding Yuanying leaned against the headboard and opened the file folder. It was full of various certificates and contract documents: the graduation certificate from the Police University, the lawyer's practice qualification certificate, the police rank-awarding certificate, the second-class merit award certificate, the certificate for coming third in the women's group of the Police University's arrest and free combat competition, the certificate for coming first in the women's group of the provincial public security system's pistol shooting competition, the CET-4 certificate, the passport, the permanent residence visa for Germany, the German language study hours certificate, and the graduation certificate from a hip-hop dance training class.

There were also several blank German study abroad application forms and two contracts in the file folder: one was the share agreement of the Venus Hotel, and the other was the recent rental agreement for a house in the Jiahe Garden community.

The share agreement of the Venus Hotel between Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue was signed in April 1989 at the female dormitory of the China Police University in Beijing. It could be seen that Rui Xiaodan had already invested in the hotel during her university years. The agreement showed that Rui Xiaodan and Ouyang Xue each held 50% of the shares in the Venus Hotel. Rui Xiaodan didn't participate in the operation and management, while Ouyang Xue was responsible for the daily operation with 20% of the hotel's profit as a dynamic remuneration. According to the agreement, the source of Rui Xiaodan's investment funds was a mortgage loan on the villa in the Rose Garden community.

These certificates and contracts gave Ding Yuanying a more intuitive and three-dimensional understanding of Rui Xiaodan. It was easy to see from them her diligence, eagerness to learn, and courage beyond that of ordinary women. However, the graduation certificate from the hip-hop dance training class puzzled him. He couldn't imagine how a female criminal police officer with a heavy workload of work and study could find the time and interest to learn hip-hop dancing, nor could he picture what Rui Xiaodan would look like when she was dancing hip-hop with her elegant temperament.

After looking through the certificates and contracts, Ding Yuanying put these things back into the file folder and set it aside. Then he opened the photo albums to look at Rui Xiaodan's pictures. There were photos of her as a child in front of an old house, photos of her in elementary school in Frankfurt, photos of her in high school in the ancient city, and photos of her on the training ground at the Police University. There were even more photos taken after she started working, just like a growth archive, recording every step of her journey, her relatives, and her social circle.

A 5-inch photo in the album caught Ding Yuanying's eye. In the photo, Rui Xiaodan was standing on a mountain peak, holding a majestic wolfhound on a leash. The wind was howling on the mountain, blowing her long hair and windbreaker. Surrounded by mountains, the trees were rustling in the mountain breeze, and dark, rolling clouds filled the sky. Rui Xiaodan was looking into the distance with a melancholy yet expectant look, while the wolfhound beside her, with its mouth open, tongue out, and sharp teeth showing, squatted in a fierce yet docile manner, vigilantly watching the front.

Ding Yuanying thought: This must be a police dog. Although he knew nothing about photography, he was particularly fond of this photo just by intuition. The artistic conception of the asymmetrical blend of angelic beauty and the fierceness of the wolfhound was truly captivating.

3

In the primary interrogation room of the Criminal Investigation Unit in the ancient city, Zhou Wei and Zhao Guoqiang were questioning Wang Mingyang. At the same time, the second and third smaller interrogation rooms were being used to interrogate two other members of the "Ma Wang Criminal Syndicate." The captain and several other officers were in the adjacent monitoring room, observing the interrogation through surveillance footage.

Rui Xiaodan entered the monitoring room, found a chair at the back, and sat down, carefully studying the man known as the "Cold-Blooded Zhuge," the second-in-command. Wang Mingyang appeared younger than his actual age. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, and his pale, thin face remained calm and indifferent, devoid of the panic or distress often seen in other suspects. Judging solely by his scholarly appearance, it was hard to connect him to the heinous crimes he had committed. His clothes were still wet, and a small puddle of water had formed on the floor beneath him.

Wang Mingyang remained silent, refusing to utter a single word.

Zhou Wei fixed a piercing gaze on Wang Mingyang and said, "Keeping quiet won't help you. We already know everything about your activities. Now it depends on your attitude. You're an educated man, so I won't waste time explaining the policies to you."

Zhao Guoqiang added, "Wang Mingyang, the only way out for you now is to confess your crimes honestly."

Wang Mingyang stayed silent.

Suddenly, Zhao Guoqiang slapped the table and shouted, "You dare to do it but don't dare to face it? What kind of man are you?"

At this, Wang Mingyang finally spoke, but only to say disdainfully, "I don't talk to uncultured people like you."

Enraged, Zhao Guoqiang yelled, "You're talking about culture? You deal in piracy, smuggling, murder, and robbery—where's your so-called culture?"

Leaning back in his chair, Wang Mingyang replied coolly, "That's the art of survival. You wouldn't understand."

Zhou Wei shouted angrily, "Your stubbornness will get you nowhere!"

A faint smirk appeared on Wang Mingyang's lips, but he said no more.

In the monitoring room, the captain's expression was grave. Slowly shaking his head, he remarked to those around him, "This approach won't work. We need to carefully study him and find an appropriate breakthrough."

With that, the interrogation session came to an end. After completing the criminal detention procedures, Rui Xiaodan, along with five other officers, split into two cars to escort Wang Mingyang and the other two suspects to the detention center in the ancient city.

4

In the evening, the rain became lighter, but it was still drizzling and showed no sign of stopping.

After work, Rui Xiaodan took a minibus to Jiaheyuan Community to get clothes, shoes and socks for Ding Yuanying. Then she went to a large supermarket to buy a carton of 555 cigarettes and two beautiful glass ashtrays. She hurried home and saw Ding Yuanying still waiting in bed when she entered the room. He was lying on his side, with one arm outside the quilt and the other hand supporting his head. The way he was deep in thought seemed extremely lovely to her.

She put the clothes beside him and asked, "Didn't you take a nap in the afternoon?"

"No." Ding Yuanying looked at the file folder and photo album and said, "You are very diligent."

Rui Xiaodan helped him put on his clothes and said, "It's not about being diligent. If I'm lazy, I won't have anything to eat." She put on a vest and shirt for him, and suddenly nestled up to him and said in a low voice, "Hold me... I killed a person again today. This is the second one."

Ding Yuanying said, "Executing a criminal includes killing a person, and that's the value of the law. The legal principles and reasons are all there. If the female psychology is not suitable for the work of a criminal police officer, it's a gender issue."

Rui Xiaodan said, "I'll work for another two years, just two years, and then I'll go abroad to study."

Ding Yuanying asked, "Why two years? Why not now or three or four years?"

This question made Rui Xiaodan smile sweetly and say, "In two more years, I'll be old. If my arms and legs are not agile, the criminal police team won't want me. In three or four more years, I'll be even older. It's very difficult to get approval for studying abroad after the age of 30. I like being a criminal police officer and will do it for as long as I can, but this job is not suitable for women. I have to make early plans. I'll get a decent law degree and become a lawyer in the future. I have to earn my own living."

Ding Yuanying didn't say anything more. What he saw was a woman with complete personality independence. Her present and the future she envisioned were completely her own support for survival, leaving no room for "subordination" and "dependence".

After a moment of silence, Rui Xiaodan got up and said, "Let's not think about this. Don't you like to drink Gongfu tea? Later, I'll take you to eat the Gongfu noodles in the ancient city. I'm sure you'll like them."

Rui Xiaodan went to the living room, put the cigarettes, lighter and glass ashtray on the coffee table, and then went to the kitchen to boil water and made a cup of Longjing tea and brought it over. At this time, Ding Yuanying was opening the stereo in the living room.

Rui Xiaodan put down the tea cup and said, "There's a record in the CD player. It's still the one of yours."

A song called "Daughter of Heaven" was played. Ding Yuanying sat in the middle of the sofa and listened quietly, and then stood at different angles to listen. After more than a minute, he asked, "How much is this set?"

Rui Xiaodan replied, "A little more than 20,000 yuan. Is it okay?"

Ding Yuanying said, "It's not just okay. It's extremely good. The cost performance is very high."

Rui Xiaodan pushed him to sit on the sofa, straddled his legs, held the tea and fed him a sip. She put her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, "Well, are you okay?"

Ding Yuanying said awkwardly and playfully, "I've suddenly realized that there's no difference between heaven and hell, and I've attained paradise."

Rui Xiaodan smiled.

Ding Yuanying said, "There's a photo I also want. It's the one of you and a wolfdog."

Rui Xiaodan said, "Oh, that's my favorite one. I'll get a larger print and put it in a frame for you. That big wolfdog is you, okay? When I'm free, I'll take you out for a walk."

Ding Yuanying smiled and said, "Okay. Just throw me a piece of steamed bread."

Rui Xiaodan got off his legs and said, "Drink this sip of water. I'll go get the umbrella and take you out for a walk now." She put the cigarettes and lighter into her bag and went to another room to get the umbrella.

Ding Yuanying took the umbrella and went out with Rui Xiaodan. When they reached the door, he casually asked, "Is the Gongfu noodle restaurant nearby?"

Rui Xiaodan said, "It's far away, but we still need to use the umbrella to get to the gate of the community."

Ding Yuanying asked, "Then why not drive there? Can't the car be driven?"

Rui Xiaodan said, "It can be driven. It's in the garage. I don't want to drive that car."

Ding Yuanying asked, "Why?"

Rui Xiaodan thought his "why" was really a question and said, "Is that the kind of car I can drive?"

Ding Yuanying stopped her from locking the door and said, "You're fixated on appearances."

Rui Xiaodan didn't understand and asked, "What do you mean by being fixated on appearances?"

Ding Yuanying said, "It's a term in Buddhism. It means being obsessed with appearances and deviating from the essence."

Rui Xiaodan hesitated for a moment, then walked over to open the garage door and drove out the BMW sedan.

The car made a "rustling" sound as it drove on the wet road. The drizzle was still falling, and the windshield wipers were slowly and rhythmically wiping the rainwater on the windshield. The lights at night were reflected on the road. Because of the subtle effect of driving, neither of them spoke in the car, but they both knew that the other had something to say and were waiting for the other to speak first.

Finally, it was Rui Xiaodan who spoke first. She said, "What you did makes me very embarrassed. What do you mean by being fixated on appearances? Everything has an appearance that reflects its nature. As long as the appearance is correct, it's not being fixated on appearances."

Ding Yuanying said, "Well, you're not far from the Gate of Non-duality."

Rui Xiaodan wanted to say something but stopped. She drove in silence. After a long time, she said calmly, "Yuanying, don't make me feel that a woman has everything once she takes off her pants. Show me some respect."

In his heart, Ding Yuanying was saying to her, "Silly girl, it's not respect I have for you, but veneration."

After another moment of silence, Rui Xiaodan suddenly smiled and asked, "What bet did you make with Han Chufeng?"

Ding Yuanying said, "It's about the successor to the president of Zhengtian Group." He told her about it in a few words and then said, "Friendship bets like this are both real and not real. Let's put this aside for now and find an opportunity to smooth it over later."

Rui Xiaodan said, "I didn't expect that you guys have such an interest."

Ding Yuanying said, "I also didn't expect that you had specifically learned street dance. I can't imagine what you look like when you dance street dance."

Rui Xiaodan said, "You're discriminating against street dance."

Ding Yuanying said, "No, I just feel that it's a bit far from your personality and work."

Rui Xiaodan said, "It's for work. I learned it. Street dance is a very free-spirited dance. It can vent and show off wildness. If you're curious, I'll dance it for you some day."

As they were talking, the car arrived at the "Ancient Style Gongfu Noodle" restaurant. The restaurant was brightly lit inside and out, and the area in front of the door was filled with parked vehicles. Guests were constantly coming in and out. The spacious and large restaurant was noisy, like a boiling venue. Right in front of the entrance was a golden plaque with the words "A Unique Dish in the Ancient City". On the wall in the front of the restaurant hung a horizontal banner with the eight characters "Fresh Color, Genuine Aroma, Right Taste, and Beautiful Shape". Rui Xiaodan and Ding Yuanying were led by the waiter to an empty table and sat down. She took out the cigarettes and lighter from her bag and put them in front of Ding Yuanying.

Ding Yuanying looked around and finally knew what Gongfu noodles were. The so-called Gongfu noodles were a particularly delicate way of eating hand-made noodles. There was a pot on each table specifically for boiling noodles. The pot was filled with clear water and had no seasoning, but there were dozens of types of sauces and side dishes. Each time, only a mouthful of noodles was put into the pot, and each mouthful of noodles had the freshest taste just out of the pot. Each mouthful of noodles had a different taste due to different sauces and side dishes, taking the realm of a single mouthful of noodles to the extreme.

After a while, the full set of Gongfu noodles was served. Rui Xiaodan put a mouthful of noodles and a few slices of green vegetables into the pot, boiled them for a while, then scooped them into a small bowl, added the sauce and paired it with side dishes, and handed it to him, saying, "This is how you eat it. Have a taste."

Ding Yuanying stuffed the whole mouthful into his mouth and said before swallowing, "Great! It's delicious!"

Rui Xiaodan looked at his greedy eating appearance and felt full of peace and happiness in her heart.

Ding Yuanying put a mouthful of noodles into the pot by himself and said, "You eat too."

At this moment, Rui Xiaodan just wanted to look at him quietly like this. She shook her head and watched him eat pot after pot until he was tired and stopped to take a break. Suddenly, she asked him, "Can you stand staying in the room all day? Do you do nothing?"

Ding Yuanying said, "I surf the Internet, study, and look at everything."

Rui Xiaodan asked, "What are you studying?"

Ding Yuanying said, "It's not really studying. I'm just paying attention. I'm interested in cultural attributes."

Rui Xiaodan asked, "Cultural attributes? I haven't heard of this term. Is it important?"

Ding Yuanying said, "There are three levels in observing society: technology, system, and culture. From an individual to a country or a nation, any kind of destiny is ultimately the product of that cultural attribute. Strong culture creates strong people, and weak culture creates weak people. This is a law, which can also be understood as the way of heaven and is not subject to human will."

Rui Xiaodan asked, "What is strong culture? What is weak culture?"

Ding Yuanying said, "Strong culture is the culture that follows the laws of things. Weak culture is the culture that relies on the moral expectations of the strong to obtain something beyond the rules. It's also the culture that expects a savior. In martial arts, strong culture is known as a 'secret manual', while weak culture, because it's easy to learn, understand and use, has become a popular variety."

Rui Xiaodan pushed the ashtray closer to him to prevent the cigarette ash from falling on the food next to it and said, "People with knowledge really know how to curse. It's really sharp. I can understand a little literally, but so what if I know? How can I use it?"

Ding Yuanying said, "It has no specific use, yet it can be used everywhere."

Rui Xiaodan said, "Having no specific use, it's okay to live a life with understanding. What about being used everywhere? Give me an example."

Ding Yuanying thought for a while and gave an example, saying, "For example, in the cultural industry, literature and film and television are arts that touch the soul. If the creation of literature and film and television can decipher the cultural code of a higher thinking space, then its effect is to enlighten people's consciousness and shock people's souls. This is what the common people need, and it's also merit, market, fame and fortune. The huge profit of spiritual salvation is completely equivalent to the huge profit of drug anesthesia, and there's no need to play tricks like drug dealing. There's no psychological cost and legal risk."

Rui Xiaodan smiled and said, "I didn't see that. The more I look at you, the more you look like a well-dressed gangster."

Ding Yuanying said, "That huge profit is not determined by me, but by people's Lord. The Lord makes the common people take out the money in their pockets. They have no choice but to do so because it's not me who gives people souls, but God."

Rui Xiaodan said, "Do you believe in the Lord?"

Ding Yuanying said, "There's no Lord. Where do doctrines and ideas come from? The Lord is everywhere. Simply put, the thing that governs people's value choices and behaviors is the Lord, which is the cultural attribute."

"Inconceivable." Rui Xiaodan thought for a while and said, "For example, if a death row inmate with extremely stable psychological quality knows the Lord in his mind and now needs to make him speak, is it possible?"

Ding Yuanying said, "Theoretically, as long as the judgment is correct, it's possible. But in the practice of judgment, there are usually mistakes. So the probability of success depends on the size of the mistakes."

Rui Xiaodan said, "The person who almost killed me today is already worthy of being sentenced to death ten times. The conventional interrogation has no effect at all. Can I make him talk?" Then, she introduced the situation of Wang Mingyang to Ding Yuanying.

Ding Yuanying pondered for a while and said, "This person needs a full stop. You can help him draw one."

Rui Xiaodan asked, "What is a full stop?"

"Sense of spiritual destination." Ding Yuanying explained, "This is the instinctive need of human nature. It's human nature. You help him find a clean place to rest his soul. What he needs is not repentance, but a reason to repent."

Rui Xiaodan asked, "What if he doesn't need it?"

Ding Yuanying said, "Civilization is powerless against people who cannot be defined as human beings."

"That makes sense." Rui Xiaodan nodded and then asked, "Then what should I do specifically?"

Ding Yuanying pondered for a while again and said, "You need at least three days of preparation time."

Rui Xiaodan thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll apply for three days. It's worth a try at least." As she spoke, she took out her mobile phone from her bag and dialed the number. However, the voices in the restaurant were too noisy, so she went outside the restaurant to make the call. After more than ten minutes, she finished the call and came back to sit down. She put the mobile phone back into her bag and said, "Okay, the team leader has agreed to give me a chance. I hope I don't make a fool of myself."

Ding Yuanying said, "Treat a dead horse as a live one. No matter how bad it is, can a dead horse die again?"

Indeed, a dead horse cannot die again, but can it come back to life? This is obviously a contradiction. Rui Xiaodan didn't want to discuss this issue anymore and changed the topic, asking, "Why did the private equity fund stop? It was doing well."

Ding Yuanying lit a cigarette and replied, "The huge profit of stocks does not come from production and operation, but from the speculative nature of the stock market itself. Its operating motivation is to put the money in your pocket into my pocket. Its rule is to fill the mouths of a very small number of wolves with the meat of most sheep. Private equity funds pick meat from the mouths of wolves, which requires you to be darker and more ruthless than wolves. But the psychological cost is also higher, and there is an additional risk outside the stock market. Therefore, it's necessary to stop at the right time."

Rui Xiaodan said, "It's really the way of the devil."

Ding Yuanying said, "I've never claimed to be a good person."

Rui Xiaodan smiled, picked up the chopsticks, put a mouthful of noodles into the pot, took a sip of tea, and asked him, "Didn't you say you didn't want to be tortured by women? Why did you change your mind?"

Ding Yuanying extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray and said, "For feelings with tricks and techniques, let's not talk about what's in the tricks. What's left for feelings without tricks and techniques?"

Rui Xiaodan asked, "What is it?"

Ding Yuanying replied, "It should be the heart given by the Creator."

Rui Xiaodan said, "I can't accept this. If you're that wolfdog, I'm already a greedy woman."

......

After dinner, Rui Xiaodan took Ding Yuanying back to Jiaheyuan Community.

When she got home, she wrote in her computer diary that night: What kind of person are you? You're the person I can't help but want to cherish. I've burst out with the energy I've accumulated for 26 years at this moment for you.

I know you're leaving, so I cherish every day of cherishing you.