Retrogade Mission

Chapter Two: Mercury Retrograde

Located one kilometer from the city's main police headquarters is the Special Serious Crimes Office, a police station specifically for investigating sensitive and major cases. The office has only three floors but occupies a considerable area.

On the west side of the corridor on the first floor of the office is the Special Serious Crimes Unit 7. The Unit 7 office is simply furnished with four tables, four chairs, a sofa, a coffee table, a hot water room, and a restroom.

Zuo Luo sat alone in a chair, surrounded by busy Internal Affairs Bureau personnel. The Bureau was sealing seven sets of files; hundreds of kilograms of paper documents and data stored on computers all needed to be sorted and examined. The Internal Affairs Bureau also needed to question witnesses, suspects, and convicted criminals in every case Liu Mo was investigating.

A man walked up to Zuo Luo and said, "Officer Zuo Luo, the higher-ups are giving you a long vacation."

Zuo Luo, as if he hadn't heard, stared at the wall for a long time, then silently stood up, placed his service pistol on the table, picked up his suit jacket, and left the office. He had become the focus of attention in the building. As he walked down the corridor, his colleagues looked at him with varying degrees of sympathy, lamentation, and schadenfreude. Some even invited him to dinner or tea, but Zuo Luo acted as if he hadn't seen them or heard a sound, walking straight ahead out of the Special Major Crimes Office.

Zuo Luo got into the car assigned by the bureau and drove westwards. About half an hour later, he left the bustling city and arrived in the quiet suburbs. Zuo Luo glanced at the sky from time to time; it was gray, just like his mood. The bureau's psychologist had called that morning, hoping Zuo Luo could come to his place; if it was inconvenient, he could come over. But Zuo Luo hung up the phone without a word. He knew he didn't need a psychologist; he needed to go somewhere quiet, to lie down peacefully, and let time and space heal his body and mind.

But not today, because today is Liu Mo's funeral day.

Section 7 of the crematorium has been sealed off. Many reporters are present, and over a dozen police officers are preventing outsiders from entering. A former city hero died an unjust death; it should have been a tragic and heroic affair, but this is not the case. For the funeral of Liu Mo, a man of outstanding merit, no police officers attended his memorial service, not even a memorial service was held.

The mourning hall was deserted. A woman in her thirties sat in a chair facing Liu Mo's crystal coffin, while a girl of sixteen or seventeen, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt by a brazier to burn paper money.

"Sister-in-law," Zuo Luo said. The woman stood up when she saw Zuo Luo and couldn't help but shed tears. Zuo Luo helped the woman to sit down to the side.

The woman wiped away her tears, quite relieved, and said, "You still came."

“Sister-in-law, you have to understand them. The bureau has issued a notice that my brother’s case is currently in the spotlight, and they have also brought up two old cases that may have involved forced confessions.”

“I know, I know.” The woman sighed, looking at the crystal coffin. “I told him to quit being a cop a long time ago. He said I didn’t understand, that he loved this city, that there wasn’t much he could do, that his specialty was catching the bad guys in the city. Really, he wasn’t like what the newspapers said, that he didn’t care about power or fame.”

Zuo Luo nodded: "Sister-in-law, if you ever have any difficulties or need any help in the future, just give me a call."

Are you alright?

"Suspended from duty pending investigation."

"Group Seven?"

"It's over, sister-in-law. Don't blame them for being heartless. They can't come."

The woman nodded and said, "Then let's not wait any longer, let's send him on his way."

Three months later...

Zuo Luo entered Group Seven. Apart from the tables, chairs, and computers, everything else was completely empty, a scene of utter chaos, like a scene of looting by a gang. Zuo Luo slapped his chair down, scattering dust everywhere. He put his suit jacket aside, sat down without a care, and turned on the computer. It was alright; the computer still worked. However, the system had been reinstalled, and all previous data had been wiped clean.

The phone on the table vibrated. Zuo Luo looked at the number and answered, "What is it?"

"You little brat, don't you know any manners? Coming back to work without even saying hello. Come here."

"oh."

The city's police headquarters was only one kilometer away, but Zuo Luo still drove there anyway. Who knew what they were going to do? If they were going to fire him, he might as well hand over his car.

Upon arriving at the police station lobby, Zuo Luo swiped his ID card to enter the elevator and reached the seventh floor. This was the branch office; the headquarters had a total of six deputy directors, each overseeing several departments. Zuo Luo went to the last office in the corridor, where a photo and name were posted: Deputy Director Ma Tao.

Zuo Luo knocked on the door, pushed it open, and went in. By the window, a man around fifty years old was typing with two fingers, squinting at the computer monitor, glancing down at the keyboard, and then typing a word or two. Zuo Luo closed the door, pulled up a chair, sat down at the man's desk, picked up a pack of cigarettes, and lit one for himself.

The man was Ma Tao, the deputy director. He shoved the keyboard in frustration, then picked up the paper and pen next to him and started writing a report: "The time it takes me to type ten words is enough for me to finish writing a report."

"I heard your promotion fell through."

"With such a big incident in the Seventh Division, it would be strange if it didn't collapse. Everyone knows that the Seventh Division was built up by me, Ma Tao. Twenty years ago, the mere mention of the name of the Seventh Serious Crimes Division would scare even petty thieves to death."

Zuo Luo didn't want to hear Ma Tao talk about the past, and asked, "Why did you call me here?"

Ma Tao put down his pen, took a sip of water, and said, “Thieves can indeed scare people to death, but this isn’t the era of thieves anymore. You’ve seen it yourself, in this age of the internet, I can’t even type a report. You young people need to take over. I’ve secured the position of the Seventh Group. You’re now the group leader. Pick whoever you need and get the Seventh Group up and running. I have confidence in you. I have the files of the various criminal police officers in the branch office. I’ve selected twenty people for reference only. If you need anyone, just call Director Wang, who’s in charge of personnel. With you, there will be a total of six people: one deputy group leader, one internal affairs officer, and four field officers. Who you appoint and hire is entirely up to you. Even if you’re not satisfied with this list, you can choose yourself. As long as they’re willing to go, they’re welcome.”

Zuo Luo looked at the pile of files in front of him, thought for a while, pushed the files aside, then picked up Ma Tao's cigarette and handed it to him, lighting it for him. Ma Tao asked warily, "What? Don't even think about poaching people from Group One. Group One is all-powerful in the police station now. You can't even count how many people want to join Group One."

Zuo Luo said, "Uncle Ma, I heard that the bureau is currently implementing some kind of Mercury retrograde plan."

Ma Tao leaned back in his chair and stared at Zuo Luo for a while: "Any ideas?"

Zuo Luo said, "Uncle Ma, this time our Group Seven was defeated by foreigners. We don't even know how we were defeated, or even who the other party is?"

Ma Tao said with difficulty, "There aren't many people, it's not your turn now."

Zuo Luo said, "Since you're not going to be the director, Uncle Ma, the new director should at least give you, Uncle Ma, some face, right?"

Ma Tao looked at Zuo Luo, then turned and opened a drawer, taking out a large bag of files and placing it on the table. Zuo Luo reached for it, but Ma Tao pressed his hand down, saying, "It's not that I, Ma Tao, have any prestige, but nobody else wants this person, so I just grabbed it."

Zuo Luo said, "Anyone who can catch your Uncle Ma's eye must be no ordinary person."

Ma Tao said uncertainly, "Don't jump to conclusions. This person might be useful, or he might not. I'm not sure. But I think he's very interesting. Also, the deputy group leader of Group One, your old classmate Xu Xuan, has been keeping an eye on him and is undecided whether to take him or not. You decide for yourself. If you do, go now. There are two copies of his file; one has already been taken by your old classmate."

Zuo Luo asked, "Uncle Ma, you said this person is very interesting, but what makes him interesting?"

Ma Tao patted the file: "Look at it yourself."