Volume 1: The Fall of Qingyun Chapter 1: Prologue

  I'm a legal journalist, to be honest just an intern with little experience. In May this year, the Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau called me and said that a prisoner wanted to interview me, this prisoner is very important, he's a local well-known thief, apart from that, he wouldn't say anything else, only kept emphasizing that the prisoner specifically asked for me to see him, and the travel expenses would be reimbursed by the local public security bureau.

  I find it strange, a thief with such a big show? Calling me by name to interview? I was hesitant at first, saying that I would ask for instructions, guessing that the unit leader would not believe or allow it. Unexpectedly, in the afternoon, the Chongqing Public Security Bureau sent a fax invitation to our unit. I didn't see this fax, but the unit leader seemed very serious and told me to set off as soon as possible.

  This piqued my curiosity, anyway, since the other party was paying, I quickly went home to pack my luggage and prepare for departure the next day.

  When I arrived at the Chongqing airport, the public security bureau's people were already waiting for me. They even sent a special car to pick me up. I was a bit surprised and flattered. Along the way, I asked the police officer driving the car what was going on, but he just smiled and didn't say anything, only saying that I would know when we arrived.

  The car drove into the Chongqing No. X Detention Center, and a group of police officers seemed to have been waiting for me at the door. A leader who called himself Chen Guofang (homophone) warmly exchanged pleasantries with me for two sentences before inviting me to an underground room. We walked in the underground room for half a day before entering a room. The driving policeman mysteriously told me to wait for a while, and soon heard the sound of iron chains clanking outside the door, and a prisoner was brought in.

  I've seen quite a few prisoners, but this is absolutely the first time I've met such a strange one!

  The prisoner's entire body was locked in iron chains from head to toe, with at least seven or eight layers of shackles on his hands, and wearing military boots on his feet, with at least five pairs of fetters from his ankles to his knees. On his head, he also wore a large helmet that only exposed his two eyes.

  His two eyes were extremely sharp, as if two knives could be sprayed from his eyes. He and I looked at each other for a moment, and suddenly my back felt cool. Even the most vicious and sinister criminals I had seen before had never made me feel chilled down my spine with just one glance.

  The prisoner was half-carried by a group of police officers, suspended in mid-air and placed on a chair. The police were extremely tense as they removed his helmet. After the helmet was taken off, there was still an iron ball tied to his mouth, which made it impossible for him to close his mouth or speak.

  The police asked Chen Guo for instructions, he nodded, and the police carefully took out the iron ball from his mouth.

  The prisoner opened his mouth, laughed twice, shook his head from side to side, and then looked straight at me. His two eyes were like rays of light, scanning my face back and forth, as if they could see through me, making me feel a chill run down my spine.

  This man is over forty years old, with a pointed head, thin and slender, and an eagle nose.

  He stared at me for a while before kicking his lips and saying: "You're Yan Zheng?"

  Yan Zheng is my name.

  "I replied: 'It's me, I am Yan Zheng.'"

  He seemed a bit depressed and looked at Chen Guo and said: "Oh? Didn't get it wrong?"

  Chen Guofang politely said: "That's right, it was him."

  He let out a sigh and said: "I didn't expect you to be an ordinary person, haha, never mind, it's just you."

  I'm a bit angry, how can this prisoner be so arrogant, but what's even stranger is that the many police officers are extremely polite to him, with a hint of reverence.

  "The offender said: 'Captain Chen, since you've brought him here, let him talk to me alone for a bit. After we're done talking, I'll cooperate with your work as agreed.'"

  Chen Guofang smiled and said, "Alright, Mr. Yan can do as he pleases." After saying that, he waved his hand, and the other police officers actually wanted to leave the room, even Chen Guofang himself seemed to be about to leave.

  I was stunned, how could this prisoner also have the surname Yan? Seeing the police about to leave, I was in a flurry of panic again, what's going on? Leaving me alone with this prisoner?

  I took a step forward and asked Chen Guofang: "Captain Chen, can I have a private talk with him? I still don't know what's going on."

  Chen Guofang said, "It's okay, it's okay, you guys talk alone, he won't do anything to you. Don't worry, don't worry." He said this with his mouth, but still left me, who was in a daze, alone in the room.

  I was inexplicably calm, but not afraid. My curiosity was piqued, and my face flushed slightly as I thought to myself: what could this prisoner, bound up like a rice dumpling, possibly do to me?

  I sat opposite the prisoner, pulled out paper, pen and tape recorder from my bag, and said: "Hello, what's your name?"

  The prisoner's expression relaxed and he said: "My surname is Yan, my name is Yi, Yan Yi, same surname as you, don't worry, I have no relation with you at all."

  "I said: 'What crime have you committed? Is there anything you want to say to me?'"

  Yan Yi burst out laughing: "I'm a thief, I steal things. In the underworld of Chongqing, they call me Huo Yan, and those who are polite call me Master Huo Yan."

  I said: "Oh, I'll still call you Mr. Yan."

  Yan Yi smiled and said, "You really don't know anything, aren't clear about anything, and aren't even a person of our thief world. What a pity! I thought you were someone, old master valued you so much!"

  "Old man?"

  Yan Yi said: "I came looking for you, actually I just wanted to tell you one thing - the old master wants to see you."

  I was full of doubts and continued to ask: "Who is Lao Yezi after all?"

  Yan Yi hehe smiled, his mouth moved slightly, his throat responded with a sound, and a black curved steel needle was spat out from his mouth, held between his lips.

  I was shocked and jumped up from my seat, pointing at him and saying: "What are you going to do?"

  Yan Yi said, "Don't worry, you're the old master's guest, I won't do anything to you. Don't shout, or neither of us will be in a good situation." Yan Yi lowered his head and did something with his hands, and suddenly there was a clattering sound, and the iron chains on Yan Yi's upper body fell off. Yan Yi twisted his body, and one of his wrists stretched out to his mouth, looking at me with a smile, saying, "Let you see the thief's skill."

  As soon as Yan Yi's words fell, the handcuffs on his hands had already fallen off.

  I stood there, shocked and speechless, unable to utter a single word.

  Yan Yi pinched his wrist, put down his hand, and with a few "clicks", the shackles on his feet fell off. Yan Yi stood up, stretched his waist, and said: "These locks are too bad! Not interesting."

  Yan looked at me with a serious expression, smiled slightly, and surprisingly walked towards me. I held my pen against him, stuttering: "What do you want to do? What are you doing? Come any closer and I'll shout!"

  Yan Yi stretched out his hand, and before I knew it, he had already taken away my pen and the recorder from my shirt pocket. Yan Yi casually tossed my things aside and said, "What I'm telling you, it's better to remember with your brain. Thievery also has its own way! No matter what profession, there are rules to follow."

  I don't know how I ended up wandering alone onto the main street, it was already 9 pm and I stood there in a daze. Everything that happened this afternoon felt like a dream. The prisoner named Yan Yi told me something and gave me an address, telling me I had to get there before midnight tonight. I didn't tell the police, they didn't even ask what Yan Yi and I talked about, they just escorted him away again after he somehow managed to free himself from all the chains, as if they knew he would do so all along. The police drove me a kilometer or two outside the detention center, asked me to get out of the car, said "see you later" and sped off.

  I was completely bewildered, walking aimlessly on the main street for over ten minutes, still unable to make sense of anything. The phrase "thieves also have their own way" kept swirling in my mind, as if I had heard it countless times before, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't recall it.

  I glanced at the time, hailed a taxi and told the driver the destination that Yan Yi had given me. The driver didn't even utter a word of greeting, and sped off immediately.

  Yan told me that it's very easy to find the place. Just go down an alley, follow the house numbers and you'll see 028.

  This is a very old house, estimated to be left over from the Republic of China era. The courtyard wall is high and towering, with only one old dark wooden door on the entire wall, not even a window.

  I took a look at the door number plate, no mistake, it was indeed 028.

  I walked forward, knocked on the wooden door, dong dong dong, no response. I knocked again three times, still no response. It was quiet inside, and there wasn't even a sliver of light coming from the gap under the door. I didn't dare to shout loudly, so I took a step back to see if there was a doorbell or something similar. Soon, on the left side of the door frame, I saw what seemed like a button. I touched it and found that it could be pressed down, so I lightly pressed it. Suddenly, from inside the room, a soft and nostalgic melody slowly grew louder, probably something like "Ye Shanghai" but one that I had never heard before.

  The music lasted for about half a minute before it stopped, but there was still no movement.

  I had a doubt in my mind, worried that I might have gone to the wrong place, and took a step back to check the doorplate. Just as I looked up, the wooden door suddenly creaked open with a squeak, which really scared me into jumping.

  A smiling face poked out from the doorway, a middle-aged woman in her 40s with an ordinary appearance but looking very kind. She smiled at me and asked, "Who are you looking for?" Her words didn't have any Chongqing accent at all, but were extremely standard Mandarin.

  I was stunned. Yan Yi didn't tell me who to find, just told me to come here and look for someone. I scratched my head and forced out a sentence: "I'm looking for... old master."

  The woman smiled and said: "Is it Mr. Yan Zheng?"

  I hastily replied: "Ah! It's me, it's me!"

  The woman said: "Mr. Yan, please come in, the old master has been waiting for you for a long time."

  The woman pulled open the door and invited me in. I smiled awkwardly and stepped into this old house.

  Thus, the story of the Five Great Bandit Kings, their unbelievable thieving skills, anti-thievery techniques, and everything that would never be known to man, drew its heavy curtain.