"The women's locker room?" said Tai Wei at once. "Then it must be nine, because the number six changing room is definitely locked."
Fang Mu thought for a moment, and then took the key and walked off.
Tai Wei followed Fang Mu into the women's locker room. After looking high and low, Fang Mu found locker six. He tried the key in it, but it didn't open.
"Hey, over here there's another number six," said Tai Wei with surprise. He pointed at one of the lockers.
Fang Mu walked over. Nailed to the outside of the metal locker was the number six. He slipped his key inside, and it opened with only the slightest bit of effort.
He pushed lightly on the number. It absurdly spun round and round: 6, 9, 6, 9…
Tai Wei walked over and took a closer look. He discovered that the top of the two rivets holding the number in place had been unscrewed.
"This locker was originally number nine," he said, looking at Fang Mu. "Then someone got tricky and switched it to six."
Six…6.
The corners of Fang Mu's mouth curled into a faint smile.
That someone didn't get his way this time.
CHAPTER 19
"Uh-huh… Okay, I understand. Then keep it that way for now. Bye." Fang Mu hung up the phone and pointed at the tangerines on the fruit stand. "How much per pound?"
Tai Wei's tone had been gloomy when he had spoken with Fang Mu just then over the phone. As he'd told Fang Mu on the night of the attempted murder, the police had made a huge effort and spent vast manpower combing the campus in search of the killer. However, they hadn't found a single clue. Because of this they still needed to be stationed on campus for the time being.
Fang Mu understood exactly how Tai Wei was feeling. He had finally been within striking distance of the killer, only to watch him escape from out of the palm of his hand. This was something that no cop could endure. He was probably going over and over every aspect of the event in his head: If only he had been a little faster… If only he had pulled out his gun more decisively… If only he had fired more accurately…
For his part, Fang Mu was much more at ease. Perhaps it was because they were approaching the problem from different perspectives. Tai Wei, for his part, was comparatively concerned with how soon he cracked the case. While Fang Mu also wanted to catch the killer as soon as possible, having stopped the man from committing another murder was even more important to him. After being questioned by the police on the night, Fang Mu had returned to his dorm and had a long and restful sleep. The next morning, when his fellow students heard the news, they started coming in droves to ask him what had happened, Fang Mu was still asleep.
After sending the last of them away, he and several of his friends decided to go visit Liu Jianjun in the hospital.
Carrying the fruit that they had bought at exorbitant prices from the stand near the provincial hospital entrance, Fang Mu and the others signed in inside and then headed to the third floor inpatient department. While Du Yu scowled as he searched for Ward 312, Fang Mu proceeded straight to the end of the hall where two police officers were standing guard outside one of the doors. Since one of them recognized him, no further questions were asked and they were allowed inside.
The bed beside the window was already surrounded by people, all of whom looked back at them as they entered. Fang Mu recognized two of them as the cops who had rushed to the gymnasium the night before.
They nodded at Fang Mu in greeting and then one turned back to the doctor and said: "So what you're saying is he's not fit to answer questions in his current condition?"
"Isn't that obvious?" said the doctor gruffly. "He's still half-comatose. How are you going to ask him anything?"
The two cops looked at one another helplessly and then silently left the room.
After placing the fruit on the windowsill, Fang Mu gave Liu Jianjun a long look.
Liu Jianjun's head was wrapped in bandages and his skin was deathly pale. His eyes were half-closed and an oxygen mask covered his mouth. He looked terribly weak.
Fang Mu's heart fell. Liu Jianjun's injuries were far worse than he had imagined. When the two policemen had carried him down to the court the night before, they had said he was "fine". Now it looked as if the word only meant was that he was still alive.
Fang Mu looked down at the health record hanging beside his bed. At the top of it was written simply: "Depressed skull fracture."
"Depressed?" he said quietly. The killer had probably hit him with a blunt object — a hammer, he guessed.
Liu Jianjun's roommate, Zou Tuanjie, was sleeping beside the bed.
Du Yu nudged him. "How is he?"
Zou Tuanjie yawned and said, "He finished surgery last night. The doctors said there's no threat to his life, but he's going to have to stay here for a little while so they can monitor him."
A sudden burst of noise sounded from the hallway. A man was heard arguing with the policemen on the other side of the door while a woman cried. "I'm his mother," she said through her sobs. "How can I not be allowed see him?"
The door opened and a travel-worn, middle-aged couple walked quickly inside. After anxiously scanning the crowded ward, they hurried over to Liu Jianjun's bed.
Before she had even reached his bedside, the woman began to wail.
Zou Tuanjie jumped to his feet and hurried to support her. "Come on, Auntie," he said consolingly. "Please sit down. Jianjun is going to be fine."
Liu Jianjun's mother sat down beside him. As big tears rolled down her face, she held one hand over her mouth, seemingly worried she would wake up her still-comatose son. She leaned over and lightly stroked his face with her hand.
Liu Jianjun's father softly read the words on his son's health record. "Depressed skull fracture?" Fear and sadness were written across his face.
"Don't worry, Uncle," said Du Yu quickly. "The doctors have already finished his surgery. They said he's not in any danger."
The father nodded, his expression relaxing slightly. He looked at all the young men. "You guys are Jianjun's classmates? What exactly happened?"
Du Yu looked at Fang Mu. "I don't know the specifics. However," he said, nudging Fang Mu, "this guy saved Liu Jianjun’s life."
Liu Jianjun's father turned to look at Fang Mu as his mother grabbed Fang Mu's hand.
"Child, please tell Auntie, what on earth happened?" she implored. "Who did this?"
"Auntie, I also don't know what exactly happened," Fang Mu told them. "I was just lucky enough to be there in time."
She suddenly got down on both knees and, choking with sobs, said: "You wonderful child. Auntie is so grateful. I only have this one son…thank you, thank you."
Fang Mu quickly helped her up, his face red from embarrassment.
"Auntie…Auntie, don't do that… It was nothing…"
After he finally convinced Liu Jianjun's mother to return to her seat, Fang Mu knew he couldn't stay there any longer. More than anything else, the mother's endlessly grateful eyes were too much to bear.
After all, Liu Jianjun's attack had been because of him.
Looking once more at his comatose friend, Fang Mu's heart grew heavy. He balled his hands into fists.
Son of a bitch! I swear I'll catch you.
Not wanting to let Du Yu and the others see the change in him, he quietly left the room.
Back in the hallway, Fang Mu felt much better. Suddenly he really wanted a cigarette. After looking at all the doctors and nurses passing back and forth, he decided to find a bathroom and covertly smoke there.
He was strolling down the hallway toward the bathroom when he unexpectedly saw Tai Wei sprinting up the stairs.
"Hey, you're here, too?" Tai Wei asked upon seeing Fang Mu.