An unpleasant feeling spread through his body. The tension grew again. Did Xu Zhengqing suspect something? His question was a double edged sword. He had to be careful what he said. “You're overestimating the relationship between Xiao Dao and his father. Ding Shenghuo taught his son, to deny him, even infront of the police, to get his head out of a noose. Do you really think, Xiao Dao cares so much for his father? He betrayed me out of his own free will.”

Xu Zhengqing sipped his tea. Then, he reached into the bowl of crackers and took a few out. He shoved them into his mouth with relish.

Wenjie watched him closely. The older man was calmer and more relaxed, than he had seen him for a long time. There was no sign of anger, frustration or malice. This increased his suspicion. 

“You're avoiding my question,” Xu Zhengqing stated in a calm tone. “What would you do? And what would you have done back then, if I had already told you during our theft, that your father was in my custody? Would you have betrayed Captain Luo and left the painting to me?”

So that's where the wind came from. Wenjie sighed deeply. “You know that my friends are more important to me, than my own life. I would put all my eggs in one basket and sacrifice myself to save everyone else.” He took another bite of the apple to buy himself some time by eating. 

Xu Zhengqing waited patiently.

“If you had been honest with me right away, we wouldn't have had to commit the theft at all. To save my father, I would have voluntarily revealed the secret of the painting to you. I'm not like him. I don't risk the lives of the people I care about.” How many times did he have to tell him that, before he finally believed him? He ate the last of the apple and placed the stalk in the bowl provided. 

Xu Zhengqing smiled. “Would you like it, if there was a way to turn back time?”

“What's the point of thinking about it?” Wenjie played the ball back. “The dead don't come back from this.” The only thing, that had helped him cope with the loss was painting. Especially this one picture, of which he had already made over 17 copies. 

“The dead wouldn't want you to suffer and you could help the living if you let yourself in on the idea.” Xu Zhengqing reached across the table for his hand. 

Before he could touch it, Wenjie pulled it away. He frowned. “What are you trying to say?”

Xu Zhengqing leaned back again and took a sip of tea. “Well. You want Captain Luo to wake up again and for me to let him go, don't you?” There was a lurking undertone in his voice. 

Wenijie's breathing quickened. He saw the invisible fishing rod, but he couldn't avoid the offer. “What's your condition?”

Xu Zhengqing smiled smugly. “If you agree to a little experiment, I'll fulfill your wish.”

Wenjie was not comfortable with this. It felt too easy. “What's the catch?” 

“What catch? If you go along with it, I'll give you new childhood memories.” The older man stood up and walked over to the bed. He sat down leisurely at the edge of the bed and opened the top drawer of the small bedside table, on which there was nothing more than a lamp. 

Wenjie watched him suspiciously. What was he up to? 

Xu Zhengqing took out a pair of headphones and an MP3 player. “All you have to do is sit back, relax, listen to the music and listen to my words.” He gently closed the drawer. It only made a soft tock.

“You want to do a hypnosis session?” What would that be good for? Did he think, he could be influenced, manipulated? Surely, he knew, that he would try to trick him. 

“Yes. Do you have any objections?” He placed both the headphones and the MP3 player on the table. “You can refuse. But then Captain Luo stays where he is.”

Wenjie held his gaze. “I was aware of that.”

“Think about it. You don't have to decide right away.” 

Of course, he was generous and gave him time to think about it. As if time made any difference. Wenjie reached for the mp3 player. “Don't act like I have a choice.” 

Xu Zhengqing smiled. “Oh, we always have a choice. The only question is whether we can live with the consequences.”

“You get what you want.” He crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward a little. His hand covered the MP3 player. But he hadn't pulled it towards him yet. “My cooperation in your criminal dealings. But if you want me to help you with the planning, make forgeries for you and steal ...” 

He deliberately paused. Then he pulled the MP3 player and headphones onto his lap and leaned back. “I need assurance, that my friends will stay safe, Captain Luo will survive and you won't make any more attempts on his life. I'll break with him, then there'll be no kidnapping case and you can save yourself the resources of keeping him in an induced coma on the ship.”

Xu Zhengqing raised an eyebrow. “You're not asking for your father's freedom at all?”

Wenjie shrugged and pretended to be indifferent. Sure, that would be the best outcome. But he was already asking for enough. “Unlike you, I'm not greedy,” he replied. 

Xu Zhengqing laughed and clapped his hands. “Well, good. You know what you're worth to me. I agree to the deal. Shall we get started?”

Wenjie put on the headphones and took up a comfortable position on the armchair. “I'll take you at your word. Don't disappoint me again.” He pressed the play button on the MP3 player and closed his eyes. 

The sounds of a guzheng soon reached his ears. Its melody enveloped him, like the sound of the sea resonating in the background. Relaxing, calming. It smoothed the waves of his emotions, which he hid from Xu Zhengqing on the outside. Even his thoughts were not spared the influence when he got involved and listened to the sound. The reality around him faded into the background, at least for a moment, before Xu Zhengqing reminded him that he was still there. 

to be continued ...