Breaking Through The Clouds - [Author: Huai Shang (淮上)]

Volume 1: Chapter 16

Volume 1: Case 502 - The Intoxicated Frozen Corpse

Chapter 16

"You wouldn't have to die, if you cops hadn't arrived so soon."

-

The wooden frame between the inner and outer window-ledge was stained with grease, it was all over due to the smoke and fire remnants which had accumulated over the years. Several indistinctive, oblique outlines, remained on the surface of the thick, black filth.

-shoe prints.

Yan Xie was leaning outside. After a long, cautious inspection, he finally noticed that there was traces of a fire-escape ladder; resting against the side of the tubular building.

Yan Xie motioned to Jiang Ting, telling him to wait for a moment while he made a phone call. "Hey, Old Qin..."

"Where are you right now?" It was obvious that Qin Chuan was driving at that moment, as on the other end of the line there was incredibly loud background-noise. "We've finished conducting a full sweep of Fan Zhengyuan's home; I'll explain more in detail back at the bureau. By the way, the other hidden base-of-operations is at Yihong Bathhouse, located in the Northern District. I heard from the informant that you didn't show up?"

"I asked Ma Xiang to head there with a few of our comrades. What's up?"

"Hah," Qin Chuan laughed. "Okay, now you're the one who refused to go meet up with those one-hundred-and-eighty 'Yui Hatanos', so you can't blame your old bro' for missing such an opportunity."

"How could that kind of place.." As Yan Xie glimpsed Jiang Ting out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly realised that he needed to protect his personal image. So he rapidly changed the subject, "Huh? Who is this Yui Hatano? Why the hell is your brain so fucking filthy?"

Qin Chuan: "...???"

"Cut the bullshit, I'm at Hu Weisheng's rented place. We managed to find a fresh clue, so come by if you're close." Quick to cut Qin Chuan off before he could speak, Yan Xie said in a hurry, "If there's nothing else- i'll go first. Get here quick, see ya!"

Jiang Ting took, and saved a picture of the shoe-print before supporting his hand on the wall; intending to climb the fire-escape ladder found just outside the window. However, his plan was foiled when halfway through his sloppy movements, Yan Xie hauled him down by the shoulders. He was then chided, "What were you thinking? Get behind me now."

Shoving Jiang Ting behind him, Yan Xie tightened his gloves before latching onto the window-frame. With a grunt, and in one swift movement, he leapt. His entire body shot through the window and onto the fire-escape, without any form of protection. He poked his head up to cast a glance at the top of the building. "Fuck!"

"There's something there?"

"That bloody Hu is a genius." Yelled Yan Xie, as he climbed onto the roof of the building; reaching out his hand to pull Jiang Ting up afterwards.

The thermal felt-fabric on the rooftop was already tattered beyond recognition. Copious amounts of trash, such as abandoned building-materials and damaged pipes strewn about, filled up the expansive space. The rusty and mottled metal doors, situated on either ends of the rooftop, had long since been sealed-off. Located to one side, were three illegal structures that were made from tiles, bricks and galvanised iron-sheets. The buzz of a working generator could be heard coming from them.