Chapter 051: The Deadly Omen That Comes True at Midnight

In truth, Captain Cui is an exceptionally good man.
His anger stems purely from his hatred of evil.
I understand that his decision to trust me was not because of what I said, but because he had his own judgment about the matter; initially, his fury made it difficult for him to calm down.
After the chaos just now, I inadvertently helped him regain his composure.
At that moment, the police burst in, guns drawn.

“Captain Cui!”

Captain Cui waved his hand, signaling everyone to holster their weapons, then said, “Wang Zihao, call an ambulance and take Yu Nie to the hospital for treatment.”
Having issued his orders, Captain Cui pulled me into his own car.
He smoked, sometimes glancing at me, sometimes looking outside.
I knew he wanted to ask me something, so I rolled my eyes and said, “Officer, if you have questions for me, that's fine, but please don’t point a gun at me—I’m really scared.”
“Scared?” Captain Cui looked at me suspiciously. “I’m curious: you and Yu Nie only met once. Why did he show up at your house, and why would you risk your life to shield him from a bullet?”
I smiled gently, pointed to Captain Cui, then to myself. “He trusts me, I trust him, and I trust you. Because the three of us share something in common—we’re all good people.”
Perhaps in Captain Cui’s mind, Yu Nie barely counted as a person.
He didn’t argue further on the matter, and instead took me to the hospital.
Captain Cui had everyone else return to their duties, and in the hospital, only he and I waited outside the operating room for Yu Nie.
After two hours, Yu Nie was wheeled out. The doctor said the bullet had been extracted, and as soon as his fever subsided, he would be out of danger.
Yu Nie awoke, leaning back against the bed, gazing thoughtfully at the birds flitting past the window.
Captain Cui and I entered the ward; Yu Nie didn’t turn his head, but simply muttered, “Thank you.”

As I stepped in, I saw Yu Nie’s hands cuffed to the bed.
It felt inappropriate, but this was Captain Cui’s greatest concession, so I said nothing.
Yu Nie slowly turned his head and smiled at Captain Cui and me. “Jiang Huai, forgive me for meeting you in such circumstances.”
I waved my hand. “The manner of meeting is unimportant; what matters is that you must not betray my trust in you.”
Yu Nie nodded firmly. “Never.”
“All right, no more nonsense. Just say what needs to be said so we don’t waste everyone’s time.”
Hearing Captain Cui’s voice, Yu Nie looked at him.
Though Captain Cui had nearly killed him, Yu Nie’s gaze contained not one bit of blame—if anything, there was self-reproach.
He didn’t answer Captain Cui, but looked at me instead. “Amitabha.”
“Jiang Huai, do you still remember what I told you about Captain Cui's fatal destiny?”
I nodded, and Yu Nie continued, “Tonight, at midnight, it will be fulfilled.”
Captain Cui was no fool; he immediately understood Yu Nie’s meaning.
He raised an eyebrow, strode over, and grabbed Yu Nie by the throat. “What’s this? Are you saying you plan to kill me tonight?”
I refused to let their conversation continue. As soon as Captain Cui finished, I spoke up. “Nothing in life is absolute. Fate may be unchangeable, but since you’ve spoken of it, there must be a way to avert it.”
Just as Yu Nie was about to reply, I interjected, “Master Yu Nie, if you truly possess compassion and wish to save this officer, then you had best be clear about your own situation.”
“Otherwise, you’ll be the cause of his death.”
If Captain Cui was originally destined to die tonight, then ignorance would guarantee his demise.
But now that Yu Nie had spoken, the nature and outcome were fundamentally changed.
Friends, never underestimate the power of a single sentence.

Whether watching television or not, we often hear the phrase: ‘The less you know, the safer you are.’
This is absolutely true. Just now, with my words, I had already implicated Yu Nie in Captain Cui’s fate, making him part of this web of cause and effect.
The fatal destiny gained a sliver of hope through Yu Nie’s involvement; if he refused to explain, he would cut off Captain Cui’s chance at survival.
“Master Yu Nie, do you want to watch him die with your own eyes?”
Yu Nie certainly understood my meaning, but appeared unconcerned.
He looked at Captain Cui and said directly, “I did not kill anyone. The case from ten years ago—I was not the murderer.”
Captain Cui burst out laughing, pointing at Yu Nie and then at me. “This is the guy you trust? Look, now even the case from ten years ago wasn’t him. Fine, fine!”
He slammed the door as he left, instructing Wang Zihao to have two men guard Yu Nie closely, and as soon as his wounds healed, to transfer him to the precinct.
“Master Yu Nie, your words may harm me as well.”
Yu Nie lowered his head, then suddenly looked at me with tear-filled eyes and spoke slowly, “When yin and yang are reversed, clarity is elusive; changing careers repays debts and ensures survival; Buddha and demon share one body, with no road to life; beneath the ancient Buddha’s feet, a lotus blooms. Amitabha.”
He uttered these four strange sentences and then fell silent, refusing to say another word.
Are these four lines connected to Captain Cui’s fatal destiny?
As I puzzled over them, my phone rang—Captain Cui was calling, saying he had found a new clue and asked me to come downstairs.
Looking at Captain Cui, lively and full of energy, I wondered: is this truly a man destined to die?