27 NIGHTMARE

At the police station, Iris Chen alongside Long Tian heard everything Zhaolin had just said and broke out in cold sweat.

Iris's lips quavering.

The lawyer smirked, "You heard him... Let them die. It's their final wish so grant it to them." He said to a police officer behind him.

"Yes sir!" The officer answered and went ahead to escort the lawyer out.

Iris: "Are we really dying? Are we truly dying? No, no I can't die... I'd rather become his dog than die! Sir Long you can die on your own and tell him to let me off, right?"

Long: "Fool! You don't have to be scared of him! He can't even harm us! He is just a little boy with wealthy background and nothing else!"

Iris: "But he meant it! His tone sounded final! It can be the final for you certainly not me!"

Long Tian decided to ignore the fool, he needed to come up with a plan! A plan to make an escape from this horrible place.

"Sir what are you thinking? Are you willing to pay?"

"Pay? Pay what? Do you think I have such?"

"I shouldn't have agreed on working with you! You put me into this mess and now I have to suffer with you? I'm ruined!"

"You are truly ruined! Fool." The man wanted to hit the young man so much but his wrists were in cuff. 

*

Outside the police station the lawyer was busy convincing the officers to instill fears into the two criminals. To make the detention a nightmare for them. Then they wouldn't threaten anyone with their own lives. "It's obvious, because they haven't received enough torture they had the guts to voice out. Now the command has been given... Make sure their voices are heard, not a happy tone but an agonizing one! Don't let them off! They need to jolted awake!"

"Yes sir!" The officer saluted and returned back to the interrogation room.

***

Zhaolin sat dazed in his office when suddenly the door was pushed open by his uncle. Zhaolin brows furrowed, forming deep lines. It was clearly written on his face that he didn't like this surprise visit. "It wouldn't kill you to call or knock beforehand."

The man ignored his expression, "Zhaolin?" The man's voice was no longer that of anger, but it was filled with warmth. "I got worked up the other day and... Anyway I'm sorry!"

"If anyone hears you apologizing then I'd become the bad nephew who made his uncle beg."

"Haha... Even if they say such we both know it's not true!"

"Do you still believe in truths? You don't seem like a believer of anything to me!"

Xing Jingze held back his laugh. "The car, where's the idea?"

"Oh! That's the reason why you are speaking to me without getting mad!"

"I only get worked up! I don't get mad."

"A bad joke... Let the gossips die down a little! Once everything is settled then we can go back to the production of the car!"

Jingze felt his heart beat in happiness and couldn't help but smile more.

"That's all for now!" Zhaolin said. "And make sure you close the door on your way out."

His uncle put his hands into his pockets and walked away with a smile on his lips. Zhaolin took another glance at the document on his laps, and his features softened. He didn't notice until he heard someone say, "I wonder what this document bears for you to have that look on..."

"Ah Zhi," he didn't look up to confirm his claim. The little cheery voice couldn't be mistaken to belong to another person, when it was tightly attached to his brain, mind, memory. He was standing beside his table with his arm propping his chin. "Fa..."

"You are way too little to address me as that, daddy would sound more pleasing to the ears."

Zhihao was baffled. 'Why shift the attention on me? It was clearly on him just some seconds ago.' He poked his head trying to see what his father was looking at.

The man noticed this, he then pulled the safe drawer open, kept the document and locked it. Zhihao raised an eyebrow, something Is definitely fishy. He might be a child but he had never seen his father so protective of something except him, with that gentle look... Something is definitely fishy!

"Let's go." Zhaolin retrieved his suit from a hanger, hung it over his shoulder and held Zhihao's little hand then strode out. Zhihao looked up at his father with love flying out of his eyes. This cold and detached man is his father, the man who has given him warmth since he was little, he fed him, clothed him, gave in to all his demands even if it was clear he was acting spoilt.

But there was a time he disappeared, disappeared from him, from his world, he was just twenty-four months old but he felt it when the man disappeared... He came back later, much warmer than he ever was and at the same time more detached than he ever was.

He promised himself that when he grows up, he would like to know why his father kept things to himself, and shutting everyone away from his life. He might be married but he is no different from all the bachelors out there. He himself might be little but has a natural way of observing humans and learning more about them.

At that moment Zhaolin looked down and beamed at him, he smiled back.

*****

"No! Please don't! Don't do this! Please let me off!" A pitiful voice cried out. "Let me go! let me go!! LET ME GO!!!" The same familiar voice pleaded.

*

Zhaolin sprinted up into a sitting position on his bed, covered in cold sweat. He always had this nightmare. The nightmare with this same voice, the voice asking to be set free, to be let off, to have freedom. This voice... Who owns this voice? Is it mine? Does is it belong to someone I know? Who is the person behind this voice? He really wanted to know who owned the voice in his dream.  

His heart palpitated, this nightmare was real. Whenever he woke up from this horrifying dreams, he would feel empty... Like a part of him had left him, departed from him... Abandoned him to suffer it all alone. This nightmare was real! Like some crazy childhood nightmare.