Chapter 134: Bugs Crawling on Me

Chapter 134: Feeling Like Bugs Are Crawling On My Skin

Jian Ruochen wolfed down his meal, slapped an orange Hong Kong dollar bill on the counter, and mumbled, "Keep the change."

"I couldn't possibly," the diner owner waved his hand. "Detective Guan has already paid handsomely. How can I accept more from you? This meal is on me."

Jian Ruochen shot him a glare. "Then put the rest on my membership account!"

He finally swallowed the food he had stuffed into his cheeks, then grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the counter, twisted it open, and took a swig while calling Teacher Li. "Teacher Li! There are five students threatening to jump from the dormitory next to the Art Building in the west district. The police and fire department's rescue experts will take a while to get here. Can you—"

Li Zhangyu interrupted, "Five people? That many? Stay downstairs and don't go up. I'll be right there."

"Okay, understood." Jian Ruochen hung up, finished the bottle of water in a few gulps, tossed it into the trash, took out his work ID, which had been idle for a week, and hung it around his neck. He then rummaged through his contacts, called his own counselor, and got the phone number of the Art Department's counselor.

The phone, having been in continuous use, was now uncomfortably hot. Jian Ruochen held the receiver away, dialed the Art Department counselor's number, took a few steps back, and looked up at the dormitory rooftop while listening to the busy signal.

The five girls were chatting and laughing. One had already climbed over the guardrail and was sitting on the edge of the roof.

She swung her legs, looking up at the clear blue sky of early autumn, seemingly humming a song.

The strong wind tangled the girls' long, loose hair over their faces, but none of them seemed to care.

The busy signal rang over a dozen times before the call finally connected.

Jian Ruochen quickly looked down and walked under a nearby tree. "Hello? Is this Teacher Huang from the Dance Department?"

Huang Zongjie: "Yes, who is this?"

"Five girls from the Art Department are threatening to jump. They're dressed like they're from the Dance Department, in practice clothes. Please bring the counselors from the other two departments to the scene to maintain order and prevent onlookers," Jian Ruochen spoke rapidly, finishing in one breath.

Huang Zongjie chuckled. "Stop joking. Which program are you from? Are you pulling my leg again? Is this because you don't want to do this afternoon's practice? No slacking off, you know."

This kid couldn't even come up with a slightly better excuse.

The Art Department was full of rich kids, the worst off being middle-class. Although they might be a bit emotional, they could do whatever they wanted. If they were feeling down, they went to bars, clubs, or karaoke to blow off steam. Why would they jump?

Huang Zongjie, curled up under a small blanket on the sofa, said calmly, "You're trying to scare me, aren't you? Well, there are still two hours left of the lunch break. Take a short rest and make sure to come to the practice room on time this afternoon. We're doing weigh-ins today."

Weigh-ins?

Jian Ruochen frowned, not having time to think it through, and raised his voice. "Teacher Huang, I'm from the Academy of Social Sciences, studying criminology! I'm not joking!"

Huang Zongjie paused for a moment, then threw off the blanket and stood up.

Damn!

That program—it's the new one that's been really popular lately...

The one studying criminal psychology and applied behavior analysis...

Jian Ruochen!

This student had been a consultant for the West Kowloon Regional Crime Unit for half a year. He wouldn't lie.

Huang Zongjie quickly got up, shaking the snoring Art Department counselor beside him awake. "Get up, get up! This is an emergency, stop sleeping! Students are about to jump!"

As he spoke, he put the phone on speaker, frantically pulling on his pants. "What's the situation now? We're on our way."

"Still on the roof." Jian Ruochen looked up at the building. One of the girls suddenly burst into laughter, rolling around on the edge of the roof. The sound was especially unsettling in the quiet afternoon campus.

He murmured, "Please hurry. Their mental state doesn't seem right."

It was September, and the weather hadn't cooled down yet. The autumn heat was still intense, with the midday temperature nearing 35 degrees Celsius.

Jian Ruochen waited downstairs for five minutes before the counselors rushed to the base of the teaching building, accompanied by the distant wail of police sirens.

Huang Zongjie looked up and paled. "Han Beibei! What are you all doing? Get back inside now!"

They were all from his Dance Department!

"Hey! Don't shout. You might scare them," Li Zhangyu clapped Huang Zongjie hard on the shoulder, panting heavily. "This university... has everything going for it, except for being built on a mountain. That's not great."

Especially since the Art Department was a new faculty, separate from the Academy of Social Sciences, located at opposite ends of the campus.

Li Zhangyu leaned on his knees, catching his breath, and glanced at Huang Zongjie. "You're the Dance Department teacher, right? Come on, take me up."

Huang Zongjie was about to ask, "Who are you?" when he heard Jian Ruochen say, "Teacher Li."

Huang Zongjie: "...Teacher Li, save us."

These kids were the apples of their families' eyes. Even if they weren't, if any of them jumped, it wouldn't just cost them their lives—it would cost him his job, and possibly his life too.

Li Zhangyu raised a hand, signaling him to stay quiet, and turned to Jian Ruochen. "Wait down here. Cooperate with the fire department and the police. Don't come up with me. We don't know their situation or motives yet. It's possible we won't be able to talk them down. If we can't, even one jumping is no joke."

Jian Ruochen was taken aback.

The reason he wasn't allowed to go up was that even Teacher Li wasn't confident.

Li Zhangyu turned to Huang Zongjie. "They're all from your department?"

Huang Zongjie, eyes red, replied, "Yes."

"Have there been any unusual signs lately?" Li Zhangyu pulled shoe covers from his pocket, clumsily putting them on as he headed into the dormitory building.

Huang Zongjie, standing close by, was still in a daze. "No, it's just that since the semester started a few days ago, many of them don't want to endure the pain of stretching and flexibility training. They keep calling in sick, making excuses to skip class."

Jian Ruochen, seeing Teacher Li swaying unsteadily, hurried over to support him, only letting go once the older man had his shoe covers on properly.

Li Zhangyu felt a warmth in his heart, thinking he really hadn't misjudged this student. All his efforts to protect him were worth it.

Jian Ruochen recalled what Huang Zongjie had said during their phone call earlier. "Teacher Huang, you mentioned something about weigh-ins this afternoon? What's that about?"

Huang Zongjie explained, "That's just how it is in the dance program. There are weight requirements. We weigh everyone at the start of the semester, and then every week after that. If they're overweight, they have to lose it. This afternoon is the second weigh-in since the semester started."

Li Zhangyu: "Were these girls overweight at the start of the semester?"

"A little, but still within the excellent range. Many people gain five or ten pounds during the holidays. They only gained one or two pounds. They can easily lose it by controlling their diet." Huang Zongjie was utterly perplexed.

For dance students, weight fluctuations were normal. Surely no one would jump over just a pound or two?

He wasn't even that strict!

"Alright, let's go up and take a look." Li Zhangyu followed Huang Zongjie upstairs, instructing, "Don't say a word unless I tell you to, understand?"

Huang Zongjie: "Got it, got it."

Just as the two reached the upper floors, the West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit arrived at the scene.

Guan Yingjun drove aggressively, drifting into the parking spot after pulling up to the dormitory building, then unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the door, and got out in one fluid motion.

He walked over to Jian Ruochen’s side. "How is it?"

"Teacher Li went up. Said he’d see if he could talk them down." Jian Ruochen looked up again.

One of the girls was lying on the ground, convulsing. Just one roll, and she could plummet off the dormitory building.

A seven-story dorm, eight if you counted the rooftop.

A fall from here would be certain death.

Another girl feebly held the guardrail, shuddered as she turned over, and let one leg dangle off the edge, stumbling unsteadily.

Jian Ruochen exclaimed, "Why isn’t the fire department here yet?"

Had the crane he donated already proven ineffective?

"They’re here. Right behind." Guan Yingjun turned and ordered Zhang Xingzong and Liu Sizheng, who had arrived in the same car, "You two, go canvass the dance department dormitory. Ask about those five girls. Check their recent situations, see if anyone instigated this. It’s all girls inside, so remember to knock, announce yourselves, and wait before entering."

The two stood at attention: "Yes, sir!"

Another five minutes passed. The West Kowloon Major Crimes Unit and uniformed officers setting up barricades had arrived one after another, but the fire department was still nowhere in sight.

Jian Ruochen checked his watch repeatedly, terrified the teetering girl on the edge might fall right in front of them.

The area below fell silent, everyone’s heartbeats growing faster and faster.

What was happening up there?

Why were three girls still standing at the edge of the rooftop?

What about the other two? Had Teacher Li talked them down?

Guan Yingjun squinted upward. "This doesn’t look right. It’s like they’re high or going through withdrawal."

He turned to Bi Wanwan. "Call Ji Bailou. Tell him to bring people to search the building."

"What about the fire department?" Jian Ruochen also turned to ask.

"Stuck in traffic," Ding Gao said, puzzled. "It’s not even rush hour in the afternoon. How could there be a jam?"

Under the pressure, his blood pressure spiked. Combined with the hot weather and blazing sun, Jian Ruochen felt momentarily dizzy, his thoughts sluggish.

He looked up again. The girl who had been jumping and laughing inside the guardrail, as if dancing and singing, was gone. Teacher Li had moved close to the edge; from below, only the top of his head was visible.

The two girls outside the guardrail were particularly difficult to rescue. Pulling one might startle the other into falling.

What to do?

Li Zhangyu’s back was drenched in sweat. The sun beat down on his head, and his face looked as if it had been washed with water.

He couldn’t hear the fire department or the sound of a safety air bag being inflated.

If they fell now, it would all be over.

"You’re Han Beibei, right? Han Beibei, come on, look at me..."

·

Jian Ruochen’s vision darkened.

He leaned against a tree to steady himself, then went to a convenience store to buy two bottles of cold water. Standing under the tree, he twisted one open and poured it over his head, bowing low.

After dousing himself with one and a half bottles and drinking the other half, he finally felt his mind sharpening again.

He tossed the empty bottle, pulled out his phone, and called the first construction company contact he found. "Do you have safety air bags? Someone’s jumping at Hong Kong University—bring them over, dispatch from the nearest location!"

"Who is this? For a jump, shouldn’t you call—"

"Your boss," Jian Ruochen wiped his face, flicking water onto the tree roots. "Hurry up. I’ll pay."

Anxious about the delayed fire department and the lives hanging in the balance, he felt irritable and urged, "Quick, get here in five minutes. Name your price."

After a pause, he added, "The roads might be jammed. Avoid the crowded areas."

"Okay, boss!"

Five minutes was short. But counting it down felt agonizingly long.

Jian Ruochen watched from below, feeling every second stretch endlessly.

Li Zhangyu was inching closer to the edge.

The sitting girl lowered her head, staring straight down at Jian Ruochen.

So far away.

Yet in that moment, Jian Ruochen felt he could see her face clearly—beautiful, in the prime of her youth.

He checked his watch again; the water on his face had turned to sweat.

Still not here!

Just as he thought about calling again to hurry them along, a dust-covered gray van sped up from behind, screeching to a halt right next to Bi Wanwan’s car.

A middle-aged man with a potbelly stepped out.

He opened the door, pulled out an air cushion from the back, and looked up. His face turned even paler than Jian Ruochen’s, freshly doused in cold water. "Oh my god—Qiqi!"

Any joy about arriving within five minutes for the payment vanished.

Pale and trembling, he turned and said shakily, "That’s my daughter. The one sitting is my daughter. Quick, spread the cushion—it’ll take three to five minutes to inflate."

Jian Ruochen walked over and helped others flatten the cushion. The man wished he had three heads and six arms, cursed the slow inflation machine, and wished he could blow air into the cushion with his own mouth.

·

"Ugh!"

Upstairs.

The girl who had been convulsing suddenly vomited.

It was the best opportunity.

But Li Zhangyu didn’t dare pull her back—he couldn’t grab both at once.

They had to wait for the air cushion.

He decided to first try to save the girl who had no strength left and was in no state to resist: "Han Beibei, Teacher Huang said you're amazing, a role model for your classmates. If you need anything, you can tell the teacher, and we'll do our best to help."

"Think of something happy," Li Zhangyu said.

Huang Zongjie murmured in agreement, "Yeah, think about your parents."

Li Zhangyu gave him a kick and glared: Didn’t I tell you not to talk?

He turned and saw Han Beibei lying on the ground, her face soaked in the vomit, tears slowly streaming from her eyes.

Li Zhangyu said quickly, "Don’t think, don’t think. Teacher saw a new accessories shop and a hair salon opened near the school gate. The hairstylist just got back from the U.S., they have new perming machines and they do nails too—what’s it called… manicure… mani…"

He deliberately left it unfinished, waiting for someone to fill in the blank.

Han Beibei sobbed softly and answered, "Manicure."

"Yes, yes, that’s it," Li Zhangyu said while secretly checking his phone.

A message from Jian Ruochen read: "The air cushion will be ready in two minutes."

He glanced at it, then quickly looked away and smiled. "How about I treat you to a manicure? Let’s do that first before thinking about anything else?"

Li Zhangyu noticed the extra necklace around Han Beibei’s neck and the hair accessories woven into her hair, knowing she was a girl who cared about her appearance. "You’ve never tried getting your nails done, have you? I haven’t either. I’ll go with you."

Han Beibei looked at Li Zhangyu’s graying hair and seemed to imagine him with pink nails, suddenly letting out a laugh.

Li Zhangyu crouched down and slowly edged closer to Han Beibei.

The next moment, his phone vibrated.

Jian Ruochen: "Ready."

Li Zhangyu lunged forward, reaching through the railing, grabbing Han Beibei, and yanking her back.

Huang Zongjie also lunged forward, but the girl sitting on the edge of the roof let out a miserable laugh, leaned forward, closed her eyes, and tumbled over the edge.

Huang Zongjie: "No!"

Several sharp, overlapping screams echoed.

It takes less than three seconds to fall from the 8th floor to the ground.

With a "thud," the girl landed squarely in the air cushion, sending up a cloud of dust from the construction site.

Jian Ruochen finally released the breath he was holding. He heaved a huge sigh of relief, his heart racing, his vision swimming, legs giving way as he sat down on a nearby stone step.

So close…

"Guan Ziqi!" The middle-aged man who brought the air cushion rushed forward, crawling to the center, clutching his daughter in his arms. "Guan Ziqi! You scared me to death!"

Tears streamed down his face. "If Jian Ruochen hadn’t called me, you would’ve died, you know that? It’s all thanks to Jian Ruochen…"

If he had suspected the call was a scam… then Qiqi…

Thank goodness.

Thank goodness he was greedy for the money, thank goodness Jian Ruochen was calm and generous.

"Daddy," Guan Ziqi said faintly, still dazed. She looked over her father’s shoulder at Jian Ruochen behind him and said quietly, "I’m in so much pain. It feels like bugs are crawling inside me. I want medicine, but I can’t get it anymore."

Guan Yingjun snapped, "Prepare a urine test. Ah Cheng, call an ambulance!"

"Organize officers in uniform to seal off the dormitory building—no one leaves! Where’s Ji Bailou? Tell him to drive faster!"