Lei Mi - Profiler

Fang Mu was about to ask him what he was talking about when Tai Wei slapped him heavily on the back and said, "Well if the damn bureau won't reward you, I will! What do you students need these days?" He scratched his head, racking his brain for an answer.

"Don't worry about it," said Fang Mu, waving his hand. "Seriously, I don't need anything." When he saw Tai Wei take out his wallet, his expression dropped. "Tai Wei, would you consider us friends?"

Tai Wei nodded forcefully.

"Well, if that's really the case, don't do this."

Scratching his head, Tai Wei thought for a long moment. Finally, in what seemed an act of great determination, he withdrew his Type-64 pistol from its holster and ejected the clip. Then he removed a single bullet and grasped Fang Mu's hand.

"What are you doing?" asked Fang Mu in surprise.

"For us cops, our gun is our best friend." Tai Wei's face was very serious as he placed the bullet in Fang Mu's palm, and then closed his hand around it. "I can't give you my gun, so this bullet will have to do. Keep it as a souvenir."

Damn, brother , thought Fang Mu, isn't this is a little unlucky?Handing over bullet as if it were no more than a piece of candy and saying, ‘Here, try it!’

Nonetheless, Fang Mu carefully placed the bullet in his pants pocket. Then he waved goodbye to Tai Wei. "I should head back now," he said. "Be careful driving home."

Fang Mu turned to go, but after only a few steps Tai Wei called for him to wait. Fang Mu looked back.

Tai Wei stared at him for several moments, as if examining a specimen. "Fang Mu," he said at last, his voice gravely serious, "have you considered being a policeman in the future?"

"Not once!" Fang Mu said with finality, and then turned and walked away without looking back.

Embarrassed, Tai Wei angrily yanked open the car door, climbed inside, and started the engine. Glancing at the "Policeman's Five Prohibitions"sign hanging from his rear view mirror, Tai Wei prayed that he wouldn't get stopped, and then he pulled out. (Translator’s note: "Policeman's Five Prohibitions": Gambling, Carrying guns while drunk, Carrying guns off duty, Drinking on duty, and, Drunk driving.)

Instead of returning to his dorm, Fang Mu walked to the bus stop just outside the campus gate. Hiding behind the covered bench, he watched Tai Wei's car fade smaller into the distance, then he hopped on Local Bus 315.

When the bus reached Eternal Life Road, Fang Mu got off. After walking up the street for a short way, he reached Prolonging Life Road, the site of JiangbinCity's main market for funeral products. Eternal life, prolonging life-in fact, the windows of every store here were filled with wreathes and papier-mâché burial figures. It was common knowledge that too many things on this earth failed to live up to their names.

Twenty minutes later, Fang Mu boarded the bus heading back to school, a bulging black plastic bag in his hands.

1 o’clock a.m.

The plastic bag kept crinkling in Fang Mu's hands as he tiptoed up to the seventh floor. The sound was terribly annoying. This was an all-girls floor, and should some unlucky lady choose this moment to walk to the bathroom, she'd almost certainly faint from fear.

After carefully opening the window that led to the rooftop, Fang Mu tossed the bag out. Then he climbed through without a sound, grabbed the bag, and walked directly to the northeast corner.

It was a pleasant night, silent but for the faint rustle of the wind, which sounded like a group of people quietly chatting. A pile of sand sat in the northeast corner, countless pieces of ash mixed in. Crouching down, Fang Mu reached into his bag and withdrew several bundles of paper burial money. He undid the bundles, took out his lighter and set them aflame. Soon a small bonfire was softly illuminating the midnight rooftop.

With nearly all its students wandering through sweet dreams or vivid nightmares, the darkened campus was unusually tranquil. But should any humans or ghosts have been passing in the night, none would have noticed the strange memorial taking place on the roof of Dorm 5, Unit B-though it was far from the first.

Fang Mu lit a cigarette and took a drag, and then he placed it on a brick beside him. Lighting a second cigarette, he inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled, the smoke curling upwards in the firelight like a veil. For a moment it fluttered gently, and then it disappeared into the night air.

Wang Jian, Fourth Brother, how have the two of you been?

And you, Chen Xi.

Tears fell from Fang Mu's eyes.

I caught another demon. Are you happy for me? What number was this? Six, I think. He was ruthless, killing women and then sucking their blood. And I did really well: we caught him before he could kill the final girl, and now he'll never kill again. He's going straight to hell.

I'll never be too late again. That nightmare was enough for a lifetime.

And if it really was all just a dream? How wonderful that would be.

Fang Mu whispered softly as he stirred the fire. The flames lit his pale face. His expression was surreal, as if he were in a dream. Large tears rolled down his face. He didn't wipe them away, allowing them to fall to the rooftop.

A burst of wind whirled the paper ash. Some of it stuck lightly to Fang Mu's face. When he tried to brush it away, his hand was streaked with black. He knew his face couldn't look much better.

He laughed softly.

Was that you, Chen Xi?

All right, I won't cry.

Fang Mu stood and tossed more burial money on the fire. He turned to look at the cigarette. It was almost out.

He lit Wang Jian another one. Then one more for himself.

The fire slowly burned down, until the only thing left was a pile of ash. Fang Mu covered the ashes with sand, and then took another bundle of burial money from his bag and set it aflame.

And with that, his corner of the darkened rooftop was illuminated once more. By now Fang Mu's eyes had long since dried, his mouth was pinched at the corners and his brows were knit. His expression was inscrutable.

Sun Mei, I've come to see you.

Even though he was never particularly fond of Sun Mei, he couldn't deny that she had saved him twice. Her fate had been horrible beyond imagining.

No matter one's luck, life always comes to an end, like the ash from the fire. Whirling through the air, only to be broken to pieces and forgotten.

Love will be there in the next world, too. Just remember to be happy.

Fang Mu held the final bundle of money for a long time. It wasn't until the fire had almost died that he tossed it in.

I hope you too can find some happiness there, Wu Han.

When he returned to his dorm room, Fang Mu felt unspeakably exhausted. However, his mind was at peace.

He felt this way every time he memorialized the dead, as if the burden he carried was somehow lightened.

Fang Mu slumped carelessly onto his desk chair. Moonlight shined through the open window. Softly, gently, it blanketed Fang Mu, seeming almost tangible. A light wind brushed his face, the air cool and refreshing. It felt wonderful, as if it were passing right through him, leaving him translucent and pure. He rested his head against the windowpane. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier…

Several minutes later, Fang Mu woke with a start.

Du Yu was talking in his sleep. "Actually, B Cafeteria's spare ribs are the best!"

Rubbing his temples, Fang Mu leaned over and switched on his computer.

The machine buzzed to life. Half a minute later, he opened a folder on his hard drive titled "Ma Kai".

Fang Mu's face was tinted blue in the light of the screen, his eyes once more cold, weary, and incomparably sharp.