"Exactly!" Lín Jìng slaps the dashboard. "You tell them Xiao Guo. They don't make any sense taking advantage..."
"Shhh!" Cóng Bō hissed, adjusting the volume again without taking his eyes off the road.
"So true, so very true.... Ladies and gentlemen, if you are just joining us, we have a special guest in the studio with us today. Guo Changcheng, dǒngshì zǒng jīnglǐ of Hái-Bài Lóng Education and Charities. We are discussing the inequitable distribution of disaster relief funds and how, The White Dragon, as it is affectionately being referred to, is spearheading the efforts to rebuild some of the smaller, underserved neighborhoods of the city.
"Now zǒng jīnglǐ, I want to ask about the organizations name. Hái-Bài Lóng is a mythical reference meaning a 'continued obeisance of the beating drum,' basically finding one's own path in life. But your alumni and partners refer to it by a homonym, 'The Black & White Dragon'?"
"Ah, duì. The dragons in our logo represent the traditional concept of yin and yang. Our organizational mission is to always learn in order to teach. This way, we combat fear and ignorance with education and knowledge. But the symbolism itself represents rebirth, so the imagery was intentional."
"Interesting...how so?"
"The black dragon in the logo symbolizes the primordial void before creation. The white dragon represents the first ghost in the purity of creation itself. Shěn lǎoshī used to say that reincarnation was a gift as 'each Death repeats the Death of the primordial man, which was also the first sacrifice.' I never quite understood what it meant, but I know that Shěn lǎoshī was a man with strong beliefs who sacrificed much of what he amassed for those in need. And he did so equally and without prejudice. Sometimes I still find myself amazed at the depth of his kindness."
The interviewer clears his throat and there is a brief pause. When he starts to speak again, his voice is thick with emotion. "Zǒng jīnglǐ, I cannot argue with that sentiment. For those unfamiliar, we are referring to Dr. Shěn Wei, PhD, and forensic geneticist of Dragon City University.
"Shěn lǎoshī was a quiet and unassuming powerhouse. He was the youngest PhD recipient in the history of DCU and the founder and largest anonymous patron of Hái-Bài Lóng Education & Charities.
As a published author, his progressive theories on genetics kept him sought after by labs and research organizations across the globe..."
Jin Ling chuckled, "Shěn lǎoshī was our own Dark Horse..."
"Mn." A collective agreement from Chéng Xīnyán and Cóng Bō. Their eyes meeting briefly in the rearview mirror, where it was impossible to tell if the sadness there was being seen or reflected. The corner of Cóng Bō's mouth raised slightly in a supportive smile as the interview continued.
"Shěn lǎoshī , was indeed, a great many things. It was only after his passing, that it became know just how kind and generous of a man he truly was. He privately left nearly 50% of his estate and nearly all of his family fortune as endowment to various charities.
"I received one of Shan Ren Scholarships my freshmen year and was lucky enough to have had Shěn lǎoshī for Bio-Chem my senior year at DCU. I think it was his final year of fellowship and he was working on his dissertation. No matter how busy he was, he always had time for my questions. Although the charitable work continues, Shěn lǎoshī was tragically lost to us last year."
Guo Changcheng could be heard sniffling away from the mic. Lín Jìng cleared his throat and removed his glasses. After wiping them clean with his kerchief, he discreetly wipes his eyes before replacing them. The leather on Cóng Bō's steering wheel creaks again under his punishing grip. His eyes shoot up in time to see Chéng Xīnyán brush a rogue tear of her own from her cheek as she continued to stare out of the window. There was a moment of silence before Guo Changcheng continued.
"Yes, this last year has been exceptionally difficult. We have all lost. Some more than others. We are trying to heal; we push straight ahead, not looking back at our pain, just focusing forward, all just to get to through the day. But that tunnel vision will hinder us in the long run. This is how we ended up here in the first place."
"How... how do you mean?"
"The quakes, the landslides, the sinkholes, and the flooding were natural disasters. There is not one part of Haixing that was not affected, but there are regions already repaired, as if ... as if nothing happened. Then there are areas where the infrastructure was so bad to begin with, that they are still waiting just to have electricity and water restored.
"Some people are already forgetting what it was like to live in uncertainty. Because they had a stable fallback plan, they could recover faster. They now move throughout the city with only their eyes on their destination and they develop tunnel vision.
"People from affluent areas have begun to assume that everywhere is receiving the same level of treatment, funding, and rehab as the places they live and work, but their disillusioned. If they would just look from their left and to their right, they could see what is really going on in the world."
"Zǒng jīnglǐ, once we look to our sides and see what is going on in the areas outside of our communities, what can we do? It is all so overwhelming; how would anyone know how to begin? Shouldn't we just donate more money to those charities better equipped to handle such things?"
"If it is overwhelming to see, imagine living it.
"Donating is always a great idea, but most of the local charities need volunteers with specialized skills. Organizations working in the heavily damage areas are strapped for human equity, yet thousands of qualified individuals pass areas in need of basic support, every day.
"Yes, you can donate $100, and it would go pretty far, but most organizations would rather have the ten hours of your time that the $100 is equal to. Ten hours of volunteer service from an experienced professional go so much further than the money ever could.
"There are no small tasks. So, ask yourselves, can you organize resource mailings? Can you drop off two boxes of supplies on your daily commute? Can you call your local council and lobby to expedite the rebuilding of systems like water and electricity?
"We are not asking for much, just a few hours to show that people are willing to keep the promise and be in it with us."
Cóng Bō turns down the radio, a slight smile on his face. In front of him, a vehicle pulls over to the side of the road. The driver exits and quickly grabs a flyer pinned on a local charity board before jumping back into his vehicle. A passenger in the car behind them holds their phone up to the windshield and snaps a picture of volunteers wanted info on the side of the food service bus.
Yes, it was difficult keeping up and staying sane when it came to SID, but he managed. Every now and again, he was able to do something extra that he knew, Zhào Yúnlán would approve of and that made it all worth it.
~~~~~~~~
Now, at this moment, he was silently praying that what was coming next, would also be worth it. They arrived at the gate of the apartment building. Cóng Bō entered the Chief's code and entered the parking garage.
"It looks like everyone is here."
"Mn."
Chéng Xīnyán was still distracted. She had been barely spoken a word after explaining what she thought was going on with the Chief. Cóng Bō mentally ran through it all again.
After, Lín Jìng had printed scans the earliest scans, A'Yán had mapped several peaks and valleys on the grids. Her hand began to shake as the nearly identical patterns emerged. When questioned about what they were looking at she stated simply that brainwaves are as individualized as fingerprints and that trauma can change them instantly or over time, but they should remain the same in sleep as they are awake.
"I have been researching sleep disorders, specifically night terrors and how they can be attributed to the trauma and repressed memories. I believe the Chief's brain still holds his ...memories." Chéng Xīnyán theorized. "And I believe there may be a way to access them."
Chéng Xīnyán had been choosing her words carefully. The unusual staccato told Cóng Bō that she was holding back which meant that whatever this was, it was important. Important enough for a family meeting.
~~~~~~~~
Arriving on third floor of the Chief's building, the group exited the elevator into the hallway. Chéng Xīnyán falling into step behind the guys, watched them turned right down the main corridor. Neither spaired the slightest of glances to left as they did so. But she felt herself pause. Her eyes lingered, stung and her frame of vision blurred. She tried to ignore the pull she felt, inhaling deeply to release the tension that had built in her chest.
'Avoidance behavior, stress, anxiety... not unusual given the circumstances,' Chéng Xīnyán's mind supplied.
Her thoughts were trying to organize themselves in the manner in which she was most comfortable. Missing the impartiality, she used to find beyond that door she welcomed the familiarity of the scientific and the analytical.
But Impartiality was not going to help here. The risk was too great, and it wasn't just hers to take. It was all of theirs actually. She had to convince them of that but for some reason, she didn't think that would be a problem. They all secretly hoped.
She wondered if she was just stuck. Wondered if they all were. Unable to let go, unable to move on. For a split second, she doubted her own reason of being there. Then the pain hit. Swift and intense.
She doubled over, nearly missing as she reached for the wall. In a blink, Cóng Bō's arm was around her waist. Lín Jìng's momentary look of concern intensified as the sound of shattering glass reached them from the Chief's apartment followed by a sickening thud.
Lín Jìng jammed the key into the lock but it wouldn't turn. He pulled it out and tried again but nothing. The panic was instinctual and so was the power that radiated out from his palm as it connected with the wood, splintering the jamb, and pushing the door open.
~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N:
Dàjiā hǎo!
Okay, so the story is officially moving forward again. Still at a snail's pace but I am definitely feeling my sea legs strengthening. What do you think? Are you following along, okay? If so, do you think that you're ready for another dream sequence? Let me know! Feedback, given nicely, is welcome. Lurve you all bunches and bunches!
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