"The Little Things"

Waking up

"Maybe we should've taken him to the hospital after all," said Guo anxiously.

"And tell them what exactly?" Chu responded angrily. "That a Dixing freak who inhabited our boss' body for two years has decided to move out without leaving a note?"

"Um... but has he moved out? I mean he's breathing and all..." Guo hovered over Zhao Yunlan's body listening to his steady breathing. It's been two days since they had found him unconscious in his office. Not sure what the cause was and how to proceed, they put the man on the couch in SID headquarters. "Da Qing, you contacted Leader Zhao, right? What did he say?"

An incredibly fat, black cat sitting on the stairs looked at him with malice. "He said, and I quote: 'How the fuck should I know, it's just a parasite, none of my business.' Then he hung up. I don't think it was wise to make that call. But you insisted." Da Qing licked his paw, turned around and lay down, not looking at the body.

"Well, I thought... I thought that after being together for so long, he would know something. I mean... he is... um... he was..." Guo trailed off, looking guiltily at Zhao Yunlan.

"Exactly! Was." Da Qing said, puffing. "That is not his son any more. And definitely not my master," he added to himself.

"But shouldn't we be doing something? Anything?" Guo prodded Zhou Yunlan's body with a finger.

"Like what?" Old Chu was losing patience.

"Like shutting the fuck up. Gods, you'll wake up all the dead," came from the couch. "My head's gonna explode."

Da Qing's ear moved.

"Chief? Chief Zhang?" Guo asked, looking hopeful. "You're awake," he smiled happily.

The man on the couch sat up slowly, massaging the back of his neck. He squinted slightly and looked at Guo Cangcheng suspiciously. "Little Guo, have you hit your head lately?"

Da Qing's head perked up.

"Who the hell is chief Zhang?"

While stunned Guo was looking at no less surprised Old Chu for some help, Daqing leapt from the stairs and onto the sofa and looked into the eyes of a not fully awoken man.

"Zhao Yunlan?" the cat asked quietly. The man's hand went instinctively to scratch the cat's nape in a motion that left no doubt it had done it a million times before.

"What, Fat Cat?" the man asked, not without affection. The silence that followed was overwhelming. Finally, Zhao Yunlan sighed. He lifted his hurting head and glanced at Guo Changcheng, whose face was already covered in tears. Then he looked at Old Chu, who for some reason was clenching his jaw and looking intently ahead. "Fine." Yunlan sighed again. "Judging by your reaction, you weren't expecting me to wake up, huh? So? Out with it, how long was I-oufff!" He didn't manage to finish when Guo Changcheng squeezed him in a tight hug.

"Chief Zhao," whined and sobbed the youngster.

"All right, all right, get off of me now!" Yunlan managed to push Guo away and looked at Old Chu expectantly, at the same time, searching through the pockets of his jacket. "How long was I out?" he asked, "And why don't I have any lollipops left?" He added to himself.

"Ch...ch...chief Zhang doesn't like sweet things," commented Guo, trying to be helpful.

Old Chu stared at him with a murderous look. "Will you shut up?" he hissed, then returned his gaze to Zhao Yun Lan. "To answer your question: you were out for two days."

Two days... that short? Felt like a lifetime...

"But the answer you really want is: your dead body has been carried out of Dixing over two years ago."