Splendour Translations.
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Chapter 68: The Death of Chen Bansheng:
Song Siyao, 26 years old and standing 170 cm tall, was the picture of elegance with her fair skin, bright eyes, and symmetrical features. Her short, glossy black hair framed her face, and she looked quite impressive in her blue, short-sleeved uniform. Today was her birthday. It should have been a joyful day, but she felt a sense of sadness.
She had been called out for patrol duty on her day off.
Yes, patrol duty.
She was a patrol officer, or more accurately, an idealistic one with high aspirations. Song Siyao felt she should be investigating major cases, bringing down dangerous criminals, and serving the nation. Instead, her superiors paired her with a colleague named Gao Qiang for routine patrol. She couldn’t help but think it was beneath her.
Sitting in the passenger seat of the police car, she sighed. “Just another uneventful day.”
Gao Qiang, the driver, who was in his thirties, chuckled. “Why so sad? A police officer shouldn’t start the day off with a sigh!”
“It’s because my dream wasn’t to be stuck patrolling all day,” she said, pouting slightly. “I’m wasting my potential. Don’t they know I’m meant for bigger things?”
Gao laughed. “Be careful, or the Chief will hear you and give you a proper scolding.”
“Yeah, yeah… I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Song Siyao shrugged, looking out the window. “Hey, what’s going on over there?” She pointed ahead, where a crowd had begun to gather.
Gao was already turning the wheel. “Let’s go see.”
They entered a gated community where groups of people seemed to be running toward the southern side of the complex. Once they parked, Song Siyao got out of the car and approached a man with dark skin who was hurrying in the same direction.
“Hello, sir, can you tell me what’s happening?”
“Oh, officer!” The man seemed startled by her beauty but quickly answered, “You arrived just in time. Someone over there is threatening to jump from a building, and everyone’s running to watch.”
“A jumper?” she muttered. “Thanks for the info.” She turned back to Gao. “I’m heading over!”
Without waiting for him, she sprinted toward the scene, effortlessly clearing a few paths and a basketball court before reaching a crowd of onlookers. Men, women, and children of all ages had gathered, looking up at a young man on the roof of a 33-story building.
“My God, he’s really going to jump!”
“What’s he thinking, ending his life so young?”
“Who knows? Maybe his life is unbearable.”
“If he jumps, will our property values go down?” one woman muttered, looking horrified.
More people echoed her sentiments. “Yes, we can’t let him do it! Young man, don’t jump! Life has no obstacles that can’t be overcome. Jumping won’t solve anything!”
As the crowd muttered, the young man took a step off the ledge. In a blink, he fell, his body crashing against the concrete below with a sickening thud. Dust rose from the impact, and a splatter of red and white spread across the ground. Screams filled the air as people backed away. The old man quickly covered the children's eyes.
It was then that the fire truck pulled up, too late to prevent the tragedy. The crowd parted as Song Siyao, clad in her police uniform, approached the body. The young man slumped there, his face blurred by blood, wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt, floral-patterned pants, and flip-flops. She covered her mouth, struggling to contain her emotions as she examined the body, hoping for any clues.
Suddenly, a young man wearing a white T-shirt and ripped jeans pushed his way through the crowd, carrying a hiking bag.
“Make way,” he called out, squeezing past the spectators until he reached Song Siyao and crouched beside her.
“What… what are you doing?” she exclaimed.
Ignoring her, he reached for the young man’s wrist, feeling for a pulse. After a moment, he sighed and shook his head. “He’s gone—his meridians are severed. Even the gods couldn’t save him now.”
“You… you were going to try to save him?” Song Siyao asked, incredulous. A fall from the 33rd floor—was he serious?
“Of course,” the young man said, unfazed. “As long as there’s even a breath left, I can prolong life.”
“Are you a doctor?” she asked, skepticism mixed with curiosity.
“Something like that,” he shrugged. “I just arrived in Rong city today. Don’t have a hospital job yet.”
Song Siyao looked him up and down. “What’s your name?”
“Lin Yi,” he replied, smirking as he looked her over. “You’ve been asking a lot of questions, Officer. Are you interested in me?”
“Stop messing around!” she snapped. “Someone just died right here, and you’re making jokes! One more word and I’ll—”
“Relax, Officer,” Lin Yi cut her off, unfazed by her anger. “So he died. It’s natural. Birth, old age, sickness, death—it’s all part of life. Maybe, in the end, this was the release he was looking for.”
Before she could respond, police cars and fire trucks arrived, and officers began to secure the scene. Lin Yi glanced at her, looking unbothered. “Anyway, I have things to do. You’re beautiful and all, but compared to my fiancée, Su Qingyue, you’re just… second-rate.”
With a final grin, he turned and disappeared back into the crowd.
Song Siyao stood there, too stunned to respond. When he was gone, anger flared up inside her. Did he seriously say she was only good enough to be someone’s second choice? This jerk had some nerve! And Su Qingyue? She knew that name—it was famous in the pharmaceutical industry.
Meanwhile, across the street on a rooftop, Lu Yu watched the jumper through a pair of binoculars. His face was emotionless, untroubled by the sight. Though it was his first time orchestrating someone’s death, Chen Bansheng’s crimes were heinous enough to warrant it. Lu Yu felt no pangs of conscience—just a grim satisfaction that justice had been served.
The young man who had taken the leap was none other than protagonist Chen Bansheng himself.
- Adv chapters are availabale on Ko-fi
