The Big Man was drunk and ecstatic. His words, slurred skid marks, fuelled by a complimentary fusion of pre-New Year celebrations and good news. Good news that had been worked for, nothing better.
“Wu, I’ve tracked the scrawny little shit down. It’ll cost four packs of Panda Brand Boss.”
What didn’t cost two packs of Panda Brand?
Piao said nothing. Listening to the voices, the laughter, the words of the drinking song in the background of the telephone call,
‘If wine were not beloved of the Heavens, Those Heavens would not contain the star of wine.’
“The day after we pulled those bodies from the mud, when the doctor was so fucking helpful, he was driven to a government zhau-dai-suo in Jiading District, near the Dachang Airfield. He’s been moved around regularly ever since …”
The Big Man stopping to overfill his mouth with beer. Piao could picture its foam dripping from the young detective’s series of chins.
“… they’ve even provided the doctor with his own fucking car and chauffeurs. The car’s a black Shanghai Sedan.”
A sudden sense of a bottomless disappointment, almost palpable. Piao almost having to steady his feet.
“If Wu has been entrusted to them he will be dead by now.”
Yaobang laughed. In the background of the call, the drinkers, their song, reaching a climax of premature ends,
‘If wine were not beloved of the Earth, Its fountainhead on earth would not exist.’
“But that’s why I needed to talk, Boss. I saw the little shit myself two hours ago. Wu isn’t dead, they’ve got him in another government guesthouse north of the city in Baoshan …”
The Big Man halting briefly to drink again. Piao could hear the beer gurgle to the back of his throat, the rough material of his cuff wiped across his mouth and stubble.
“… for them to do that, Boss, the doctor must be fucking important. Too important to kill, too important to let loose.”
The Senior Investigator losing the rest of Yaobang’s words in the swell of drunken singing,
‘Only when draining all the pleasures of the moment is a man happy; therefore never leave the golden goblet standing empty in the moonlight.’
Piao put down the phone. He would have joined them, but he’d run out of beer.