Wenjie felt sick at the associations that Captain Luo's statement automatically evoked in him. Despite his experiment, which result looked relatively good, he couldn't to let go. His memories continued to circle around the question, what Xu Zhengqing had done. He clenched his hands into fists under the table. Water gathered in his eyes. He could not look at Captain Luo or Xiao Dao. 

"Wenjie." 

He did not bat away the hand that touched his shoulder. Why couldn't he believe that his body would send him clear signals, if Xu Zhengqing had actually done something to him. The watchmaker had lied about so many things, right up to his father's death. It would not be surprising, if he had fooled him about that too. 

Cautiously,' he lifted his gaze. Captain Luo looked at him. He said nothing. He didn't have to. Wenjie read in his eyes, what he was thinking. Judging by his state of health, he really should accept help. After all, he wanted it. Only his pride prevented him from doing so. 

"I owe you an apology," Luo Jian said.

That broke Wenjie out of his paralysis. Irritated, he looked at the policeman. "Why?"

"After you handed Luoshen over to us, I should have taken you to the station right away. I had a bad feeling about Xu Zhengqing from the start. He was only able to kidnap you because we didn't do our jobs well."

Wenjie shook his head. "You warned me. I shouldn't have been so gullible, let him in and gone with him."

"Ey," Ding Wei interjected. "You both couldn't have known, what he would do. Stop feeling responsible for it. He's to blame, for everything!" 

That even elicited a smile from Wenjie. Captain Luo patted him on the shoulder and pulled his hand away again. "Think about my offer to talk to Doctor Wen."

Wenjie nodded. 

 "I won't let him hurt you again. Nor will his tricks work a second time. If he is out there, we will find him and he will get his just deserts."

"Thank you." He felt a little better again. It was good to know he wasn't alone. It was only Lin Zhiyue and Sun Zhijian he wanted to keep out of this. But was it conceivable that Xu Zhengqing would try to get to him through his friends? Startled, he winced. 

"Captain Luo," he asked nervously, "do you think my friends are in danger?"

"That is difficult to judge. But they should be told that there is a possibility that Xu Zhengqing is still alive. And you all should not make any arbitrary decisions. If you notice anything, call me. You both have my number?" 

To be on the safe side, Wenjie checked the number on his mobile. It all matched. 

Ding Wei nodded.

"I'll check up on Ding Shenghuo and Dai Mengde. Maybe we can find out something about potential hiding places," Luo Jian said. His gaze lingered a little longer on Xiao Dao. 

He chewed uneasily on his lower lip. "Do you think it would do any good if I spoke to my father?" it finally slipped from his lips. 

Luo Jian considered for a moment. "We shouldn't rule it out." Again he lapsed into silence. 

Wenjie got the impression that something was still troubling him. Was it related to the question of what Xu Zhengqing was up to? Indeed, it was strange. If the watchmaker wanted to get hold of him again, he would have already had enough opportunity to do so, after the student had been released from the hospital. And if he was really out to stir up fear in him, make him appear untrustworthy, he would hardly reveal himself to his friends. But then, he would probably go into hiding as soon as he realised, that he was in regular contact with Captain Luo. But why was he waiting at all? Was Xu Zhengqing going to respond to his wish to be allowed to complete his studies in the end? Was he hoping for a break in contact between him and Luo Jian? But there was still Wenjie's father.

"Don't worry your head," Luo Jian interrupted his whirlwind of thoughts. "Concentrate on your studies."

If only it were that simple. Wenjie sighed deeply. "I suppose I should take you up on your offer and talk to Doctor Wen?" 

"But you don't have to come to the office to do that," Captain Luo replied. "I will speak to the dean of your faculty. It will be more inconspicuous if she officially offers career guidance for legal professions for the rest of your academic year. She can use her consultation hours with you for therapeutic purposes and you'll have someone from us on hand right away, in case you see Xu Zhengqing again. Also, I would advise you to temporarily stay in the dormitory or move in with your father."

The dormitory was not a good idea. Not as long as he was having nightmares. Sun Zhijian would inevitably get wind of it. As curious as he was, he would certainly not leave him alone with it then and pester him with questions until he admitted what was going on. By doing so, he would automatically implicate his friends. It was enough, that he had to think of something to get her to stay on the university grounds without giving the real reason. 

"I guess at his parent's home, is the better choice," Ding Wei came to his rescue. "Speaking of career guidance. Wenjie had the absurd thought, I might join the police."

Luo Jian frowned and eyed him sceptically from head to toe. Then he laughed out loud, whereupon the serious, tense atmosphere finally broke. Wenjie and Xiao Dao also joined in the laughter. 

"I was serious," Wenjie said after a while. 

"Why do you think police training would be something for him?" asked Captain Luo.

Wenjie shrugged his shoulders. "Just a thought. I'm studying law too, although my father was a thief. You once told me, because of my family I was able to get into the mindset of criminals more easily. Ding Wei has that advantage too. Besides, he knows first-hand, how to deal with gangsters. If he uses his skills for the right cause, it could be an asset to the police."

"Hm..." Luo Jian's gaze drifted to Ding Wei. Thoughtfully, he regarded the young man. "You can talk to Doctor Wen about it, if you're serious. But you should realise that with your background, it won't be easy to gain a foothold with us. If you decide to do it and really want to, not just because Wenjie suggests it, I'll support you. A young person, who wants to live a righteous life should not have unnecessary obstacles put in his way."

Xiao Dao looked at him with wide eyes. "Really, you would do that? So." Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head. "I never thought about my future. My dad wanted me to graduate from Gao Kao because gangsters need to be educated too. However, my grades were really bad, so I guess it's meaningless. After that, I did my military service and kept my head above water with odd jobs."

Wenjie shook his head. "So much for, I don't have a proper degree," he muttered more to himself. The Gao Kao degree was not just any degree. He could make up for the poor grades with a good result in the entrance exam. So his career opportunities were not that bad.

Captain Luo gave Ding Wei an encouraging smile. "We know your background. As far as that goes, your father actually did something right. And your performance on the last case deserves my appreciation. If you keep working hard, you can stand in the light just like Wenjie."

to be continued...