Two days passed, during which Wenjie did not mention his father with a single word. Fortunately, Xu Zhengqing did not bring up the subject either. Instead, he showed his obliging side. No radio, no newspaper, nothing to add to the stress. They cooked together, played weiqi together, and Wenjie found that he could even get used to this life. The collar was almost forgotten when, on the morning of the third day, Uncle Xu said Ding Wei would come over later.

The mood suddenly tilted. For now, he could just try to use Xiao Dao as a courier. In the worst case, Ding Wei disposed of his message, in the best case it helped them to free themselves from the net that Uncle Xu had spun.

As hopeless as their situation might be, Wenjie was not about to give up yet. Xu Zhengqing did not seem to miss this. For he did not let him get up immediately. Rather, he put his hands on his shoulders and pressed to make him stay seated. 

"Did you enjoy the last few days?"

Wenjie nodded wordlessly. 

"And certainly, you want it to stay that way?"

With two innocuous-sounding sentences, he managed to remind his captive of more than just the collar. If he put everything on one card and something went wrong, the poison was probably the least of his problems. Then Monsieur again, would carry out his threat to do to Wenjie what he had done to him, while the student had been under the influence of the K-O. Drops. Only this time Wenjie would be conscious.

Stiff as a stick, Wenjie remained in the chair, holding his breath as Uncle Xu leaned down a little. "We understand each other, do we?" He tapped his palms lightly against the young man's shoulders. 

The latter winced, any touch recalling the memory of the morning after that night. But he said nothing in response. After all, Xu Zhengqing did not respond to his request to stop the constant threats altogether anyway. It would go on and on until Wenjie's psyche could no longer withstand the pressure of alternating between courteous behavior and meanness. Then the man would really have won.

At last he disengaged his hands from him again and let go of the student. "Ding Wei will be here soon. Take your time with breakfast."

Wenjie had lost his appetite. But he remained seated until Xu Zhengqing left the room. After he was out of the room, Wenjie put the leftover food on a plate and put it in the refrigerator. 

Pausing at the window, he looked out. A narrow driveway led to a gate enclosed in a stone wall. As the gate opened, Wenjie caught a glimpse of the street. It appeared similarly deserted as the alley he could see from his room window. There was also no sign of cameras in this residential area, which made the hiding place a lot safer.

Wenjie caught himself beginning to think about an escape despite the threats. If he gave Uncle Xu what he demanded, the emotional blackmail would never end. His father was right. He should go back to what he had taught him. 

After all, the stronger Xu Zhengqing's belief that he had won, the higher the probability that he would make a mistake after all. Wenjie just had to succeed in persevering and keeping a clear head, regardless of how slim the chance of success was. He had survived Ding Shenghuo's assassination attempt and had escaped Madame Hong. Monsieur, too, had a weak spot. His greed and his now growing arrogance to be far ahead of the police.

The memories fed Wenjie's hope. Later, when Uncle Xu was gone, he would talk to Xiao Dao. Then he would find out if he could be trusted. So he took his gaze off the window again and cleaned up the kitchen before heading to his room.

He was just opening the door when a rumble was heard from downstairs. Shortly after, he heard several voices. Wenjie let go of the handle and turned to the stairwell to see what was going on. 

At the same moment, something poked him in the throat. His eyes widened. Instinctively, he grabbed the collar with one hand. A second sting followed. A burning pain remained at the puncture points. 

At the same time, he felt as if a thousand insects were crawling under his skin. The itching was accompanied by short-term shortness of breath, triggered by the realization that Xu Zhengqing had activated the poison. The concentration of adrenaline rose in his blood. His heart was beating faster. However, nothing else was happening.

But that did not reassure him. He had clearly felt the sting. It was only a matter of time before the poison took effect. He had to find Uncle Xu. Again he heard voices, followed by footsteps. 

Xiao Dao appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Wenjie smiled in anguish while one hand convulsively clasped the stair railing.

"Hey buddy, don't make such a face." Ding Wei grinned. "Found him," he called out to someone out of Wenjie's sight. 

Heat rose in the young man's head. The air rippled before his eyes. White, thin threads created a web reminiscent of shattered glass. Wenjie gasped. His lips formed the elder's name, but no sound came from his mouth. 

Ding Wei rushed up the stairs. The smile on his face had given way to an expression of worry. Wenjie staggered. An uncomfortable pressure constricted his throat. Xiao Dao grabbed him by the shoulders.

"What's wrong with you?" The voice reached his ear as if through absorbent cotton.

"What did he do to you?" Ding Wei shook him, which didn't help and added to the feeling of vertigo. 

Wenjie reached out and clawed at the elder. "Poison." That was all he could get out. He hadn't expected the stuff to take effect so quickly. Panic sprouted. 

Someone was coming up the stairs again. The sound of shoes on the steps literally boomed in his ears, although it certainly wasn't that loud. Wenjie breathed heavily. "Uncle Xu has the antidote." Speaking stressed him because resisting the poison required a high amount of energy from him. What had Monsieur given him there?

"Zhuang Wenjie." This was not Uncle Xu, nor was it Xiao Dao. Wenjie's eyelids fluttered. Through a veil of mist, he thought he saw a familiar face. Captain Luo? It had to be a mirage. 

Images danced before his eyes. He heard Captain Luo's voice from a distance. Could the poison kill him so quickly? Wenjie continued to fight the effects. But that did not change the memories that rushed into his consciousness. Or were they illusions, caused by the poison and the last spark of hope? He did not know. 

"For your performance, you deserve my recognition. I want to offer you my friendship." 

Wenjie had never accepted the offer. And yet Captain Luo had always treated him like a friend, no even like a son. Would he see him again on the other side when the antidote came too late?

"We are friends. Don't hide anything from me." It had not escaped him from the beginning that Wenjie kept secrets from him. Still, he had believed in him until the end. 

"I think you've learned your lesson. You made the right decision." But by then it had been too late. 

A single tear ran down Wenjie's cheek. He stood alone by the river. The water rippled on the surface. A gentle wind was blowing. He barely managed to keep his eyelids open. Dizziness overcame him and his knees gave way. He fell. But he did not hit the ground. 

to be continued...