Chapter 3 3

What happened a year and a half ago?Li Qi asked. She didn't answer, the car was driving on a straight road, there was no one on the road, and the sun was almost directly overhead.The direction of the car was heading south, and the time was close to noon, Li Qi guessed in his heart.The road surface has been patched with asphalt and is considered smooth, but the road shoulders are pitted and scarred.Random billboards would appear at regular intervals on the side of the road, standing alone by the side, advertising gas stations, hotels, and supermarkets a few miles ahead.The view on both sides of the road was endless, everything was scorched, the landscape remained unchanged, and the sporadic windmills scattered not far away did not move at all.Near the side of the road were some car engines on concrete, big V8s, the kind you'd see under the hoods of old Chevrolets or Chryslers.They were painted yellow and covered with rust, with short, bald black exhaust pipes that ran straight up.

Water pump.Carmen said.It was used to irrigate the fields, there used to be agriculture here, when oil was cheaper than water, so those things were running day and night.Now the water is gone, and gasoline has become too expensive. The landform spreads out in all directions, and the ground is covered with dry bushes.The road stretches endlessly. On the far horizon in the southwest, there may be mountains a hundred miles away, or it may be an illusion caused by the high heat. Are you hungry?she asked.If we don't stop, we can go to school and pick Ellie home.I would love to pick her up, I haven't seen her since yesterday.

all will do.Li Qi said. She sped forward, and the big Cadillac picked up speed to eighty mph, bouncing over the undulating road.Li Qi adjusted his sitting posture and tightened his seat belt, causing her to turn her head to look at him. Do you believe me?she asked. He glanced back.Li Qi had been an investigator for thirteen years, and his instinct told him not to believe anything. What happened a year and a half ago?he asks.Why did he stop? Her hands adjusted on the steering wheel, palms open, fingers stretched, and then she gripped the wheel tightly again. He's in jail.she says. For hitting you?

In Texas?As she spoke, she began to laugh, but there was only one sound, like a groan of pain.You sure are new here. He didn't say anything, just watched the Texas land recede from under the windshield, hot and oily and yellow. impossible.she says.In Texas, a gentleman would never do anything to a woman. Everyone knew this, especially a white gentleman like him whose family had been established here for more than a hundred years.If a Mexican whore dared to openly claim that her husband beat her, they'd lock her up, probably in a rubber padded cell. The day her life changed completely.

So what did he do? tax evasion.she says.He sold oil field leases and drilling equipment to Mexicans, but forgot to file taxes with the IRS.In fact, he forgot to tell the IRS everything, and one day they finally found out. They will arrest people because of this? She made a face.In fact, they are very reluctant, so if it is a first-time offender, they will ask him to pay taxes first, make suggestions and so on. They hope that you can pay taxes obediently and honestly.But Sloop was so stubborn that he refused to admit it, forcing them to dig out all the old ones themselves.Until he went to court, he still refused to disclose a word, and he was unwilling to pay a dime, and even argued that he did not owe them a dime at all.Of course this is ridiculous, and his money is hidden in a family trust account, so the IRS can't just take the money, which I think should drive them nuts!

So they prosecute? She nodded at the steering wheel.And menacing.she says.case in federal court.Have you ever heard a saying?Messing with the federal courts will keep you on your toes!Now I know why people are saying that, because they really can make something as big as sesame mung beans earth-shattering.The battle was fierce on both sides, and the good boy on the ground faced the U.S. Treasury Department.Shlopp's lawyer was his most loyal high school classmate, and another of his sworn high school classmates was a prosecutor for the Pecos County government, and he was a consultant, responsible for providing strategy.However, the Internal Revenue Service overwhelmed them, and finally turned into a massacre. Schlupp was sentenced to three to five years in prison, and the judge's sentence was to be in prison for at least 30 months, but This allowed me to finally catch my breath.

Li Qi didn't speak.Carmen passed a truck, the first vehicle they saw for more than twenty miles. I'm so happy, she said, and impressed that white-collar workers behave in this way.After the verdict was confirmed, they just told him to report to the federal prison the next day by himself, and they didn't send someone to handcuff him and drag him away or anything.After Slupe returned home, he packed his luggage, had a big meal with the whole family, and didn't go to bed until very late.Upstairs, he hit me one last time, and then the next morning, his friend drove him to the jail in Aberlin.They said it was called the Commonwealth Club, and it only had the most basic security guards. It was originally designed to make prisoners live comfortably, and they heard that they could even play tennis!

Have you visited the prison? She shook her head.I thought he was dead.she says. She calmed down, and the car quickly rushed to the hazy other side of the horizon.Mountains do exist in the southwest, but they are far, far away. Trans-Pecos area (Note: Trans︱Pecos, located in West Texas).she says.Pay attention to the color change of the light, it is very beautiful. Li Qi looked forward, but the light was too bright, and he couldn't see any colors. The shortest period is thirty months, that is, two and a half years.she says.I think the safest estimate should be two and a half years, and he should be very disciplined in it.

Li Qi nodded.probably! So, two and a half years.she says.But I've wasted the previous year and a half. You still have twelve months, which should be enough for whatever you want to do. She was quiet again.Discuss it thoroughly with me.she says.We need to form a consensus to see what must be done.This is important because then you can completely see things in my shoes. He didn't speak. help me.she says.Please, it's just an idea if you want. He shrugged, then thought about it from her point of view.From Li Qi's point of view, things couldn't be simpler, just pat his ass and leave, disappearing in front of others is his specialty.

You should leave.He said.This marriage is useless at all, leaving is probably the only way.So, a place to live, an income, that's all you need. It's easy for you to say. Any city, he said, will have shelters, and there are many. Where's Ellie? There are nannies in the shelter.He said.When you go to work, they will help you take care of the children. There are many children in this kind of place, and she will make her own friends.After a while you will be able to rent your own house. What kind of work can I find? a lot of.He said.You can read, write, and go to college. How to get there?

By plane, train, bus, two one-way tickets. I am penniless. Nothing? She shook her head.What little money I had left ran out a week ago. He turned his head away. how?she says. You're wearing not bad clothes for a man with no money. It's all mail order.she says.I'd have to get approval from Shlope's lawyer, and he'd write the check, so I'd have clothes to wear, but no cash. You can sell the diamond ring. I tried.she says.It was fake, but Schlupp said it was true, but it was actually stainless steel with cubic zirconium, and the jeweler laughed at me, saying it was only worth thirty dollars. Li Qi paused for a while.There must be money in the house.He said.You can steal a little. She was silent again, and the car continued southward for another mile at a fast pace. Then I'll run away with two charges.she says.You forgot about Ellie's custody, which is the heart of the matter, and has always been, because she's also Shlope's daughter.If I take her across state lines without his permission, I'll be a kidnapper, and they'll put Ellie's picture on the milk cartons and send someone after me and take her away and send me to jail .These laws and regulations are very strict. Taking children away because of marriage failure is now the number one motive for kidnapping, so all the lawyers have warned me, and they all said that I need to obtain Sloup's consent.But of course he wouldn't agree, right?How do I talk to him and ask him to let me take his child and disappear forever?To a place where he'll never find the two of us? Then don't cross the state line, stay in Texas, go to Dallas. I don't want to stay in Texas.she says. She spoke firmly, but Li Qi did not respond. difficult.she says.His mom kept an eye on me so I didn't sell the ring, and if I really wanted to spend the thirty bucks, she'd know right away that something was wrong, would be on the alert, would know what I was up to.She was smart, so if one day the money disappeared and Ellie disappeared, within hours of my departure she would call the police, and the police would call the FBI.But a few hours is not enough, because Texas is so big, the bus is slow, I can't make it. There must be a way.He said. She turned her head and glanced at the suitcase in the back seat, the stack of legal documents. There are many ways.she says.Procedures, terms, court guardianship, a lot of miscellaneous.But lawyers are inefficient and very expensive, not to mention I have no money at all.Some lawyers who provide legal assistance do not charge fees, but there are long queues of people looking for these lawyers.In short, the problem is big, complex and difficult to solve. I think so too.He said. But it must be successful within a year.she says.A year is a long time, right? so? So I ask you to understand why I wasted the first year and a half, and I hope you understand why.It was really frustrating, and I kept procrastinating and procrastinating, and I felt safe at first, so I told myself that there was plenty of time anyway.But as you said just now, twelve months is a lot of time, so even if I start now, there is a good reason, right?No one can say I started too late, right? There was a little beep on the dashboard, and a little orange warning light started blinking on the fuel gauge next to the speedometer. Almost out of gas.she says. There is an Exxon gas station in front.He said.I saw the billboard just now, about fifteen miles away. You need Mobil gas station.she says.There's a Mobil card in the glove box, I don't have the money to pay for Exxon. You don't even have gas money? She shook her head: It's all spent. My gas money is all charged to my mother-in-law's account, and she won't receive the bill until next month. She drove with one hand, reached behind her for the purse, pulled it forward and placed it on Li Qi's lap. look by youself.she says. Li Qi sat with his bag on his lap. I don't want to rummage through the lady's purse.He said. I asked you to do this.she says.I want you to know the real situation. He paused for a while, opened the bag, and a faint fragrance came into his nose, which was the smell of perfume and cosmetics.The bag contained a comb with long hair tangled up in it, a pair of nail clippers and a thin wallet. look carefully.She said it again. In the wallet where the money was kept was an old dollar bill, the only cash, the only dollar.There was no credit in the wallet but a Texas driver's license with a picture of her looking horrified.In addition, there is a transparent plastic frame, which contains a picture of a little girl, who looks a little fat, but with flawless pink skin.Shiny blond hair, bright vivid eyes, big smile, small but straight teeth. That's Ellie.she says. so cute. That's right. where did you sleep last night in the car.she says.The motel costs forty bucks. I only spent twenty or so yuan yesterday.He said. She shrugged.Anyway, it’s much more than one yuan. I don’t have that much money, so sleeping in the car is the best choice, and it’s comfortable enough.I slept until the morning when the breakfast crowd came and I went to a restaurant toilet to wash, and they were too busy to notice it. what to eat? do not eat. She slowed the car down, probably to save some gas. I will pay for the gas.Li Qi said.You gave me a ride. Another sign appeared on the right shoulder.Exxon gas station, ten miles away. good.she says.I'll let you pay for gas, but that's to see Ellie. She started to accelerate again, confident that the tank would last another ten miles.Li Qi thought to himself, if there is less than a gallon of oil left, even if it is replaced with an old-fashioned engine with the same displacement, even if it uses a turbocharged engine, it will still be able to last.Li Qi leaned back, watched the horizon disappear, and then suddenly thought of something that must be done. parking.He said. Why? Just do it, okay? She turned to look at him suspiciously, but parked the car on the potholed shoulder, but the two wheels remained on the asphalt, the engine continued to idle, and the air conditioner was not turned off. Hold on.He said. They waited in the car until the truck she had just passed passed. Sit still now.He said. He unbuckled his seat belt, glanced down, and tore off his shirt pocket.The material is cheap, the lathe is not strong, and the pockets are easily separated from the clothes. What clothes are you wearing?he asks. What?what do you want Say it!What are you wearing? She blushed, bewildered from nervousness.This dress.she says.And underwear, and shoes. Show me the shoes. She paused for a moment, then bent down to take off the shoes, passing them one by one.Li Qi took a closer look, but there was nothing inside.Then he handed the shoe back, leaned forward, unbuttoned and unbuttoned his shirt, and handed it to her. I'm getting off now.He said.I'll turn my head away and take all your clothes off and put on my shirt.Leave your clothes on the chair and get out of the car too. Why? If you want me to help you, you do it, okay? Li Qi got out of the car and walked away, turned around and looked at the road they drove over just now.It was hot, and he could feel the heat of the sun grilling the muscles in his shoulders.Then he heard the sound of the car door opening, Li Qi turned his head and saw her wearing his clothes and getting out of the car with bare feet.The shirt was too big for her, and she kept changing feet because of the high temperature of the road. Shoes can be kept.he cried. Carmen poked her head in, took out her shoes and put them on. Now get out of the car and wait.he cried. She froze again, then walked ten feet away.Li Qi went back to the car, her clothes were neatly folded and placed on the seat, but Li Qi didn't care about it, he just reached into the back and searched her purse again, and then her briefcase.Nothing.He looked back at the clothes, picked them up and shook them, there was still her body temperature on them.There was nothing hidden in the dress, bra, or underwear, and then he put the clothes on the roof and began searching the rest of the car. He spent a total of twenty minutes searching the car thoroughly.Under the hood, throughout the car, under the carpet, inside the seats, under the seats, in the trunk, under the fenders, everywhere.But nothing was found, and he dared to guarantee with his life that no ordinary person could hide things in the car so that he could not find them. alright.he cried.Now put your clothes back on. Li Qi turned and waited until he heard Carmen's voice behind him.She held Li Qi's shirt in her hand, and Li Qi took it and put it back on. why?she asked. Now I am willing to help you.He said.I believe what you say. Why? Because you really don't have half a dime, he said, and you don't have a credit card, you don't have it in your wallet, you don't have it anywhere.And no one sleeps three hundred miles from home without a penny, unless there's a real problem.And a person with a really big problem deserves help. Carmen didn't speak, just lowered her head slightly, as if she was receiving compliments or complimenting others.The two got into the car, closed the door, and sat in the cool car for a minute before Carmen drove off again. So you have a year.He said.There is plenty of time, and one year from now, you may be in the remotest corners of the earth, having a new start and a new life.Is this what you want me to help you achieve?Help you escape from all this? She didn't speak for several minutes, and the car continued for several miles.There is a section of the road that settles down, then climbs up again, and then the next high point in the distance appears a building, probably a gas station, and possibly a tow truck service. Now just agree with me.she says.One year is enough, so waiting is not a wrong move. certainly.He said.One year is enough, waiting is not a wrong move. She didn't say anything else, just drove straight ahead, toward the gas station, as if it was the key to her survival. The first store to appear was the junkyard, a low, long warehouse of corrugated tin with a front door covered in old wheel covers.There is an open space behind the warehouse, and piles of scrapped cars are stacked five or six stories high, just like the stratum structure, the cars below are getting older.After passing the storage yard, there is a gas station, which is quite old. Pointer recorders are still used on the fuel dispensers instead of the current digital ones. There are four public toilets instead of the usual two, and there is even a saying The guy who didn't send it went to the sun to help cheer. The Cadillac would cost more than twenty gallons to fill up, and the price was about the same as a night in a motel for Reach.He handed out the banknote through the window, and returned the change of one yuan, which Li Qi felt should be given to that guy.It's over a hundred and ten degrees Fahrenheit from the dashboard, no wonder the guy doesn't talk, but then he thinks maybe it's because he doesn't like seeing Beanie driving a Cadillac with a white guy in it Males run around. Gracias, senor.Carmen said: Thank you. You're welcome.He said. De nada, senorita. Do you speak Spanish? Not really.He said.I've traveled all over the world as a soldier, so I speak a sentence or two of many languages, but that's about it.The exception is French, which I speak fluently because my mother is French. Louisiana, or Canada? Paris, France. So you are half a foreigner.she says. Sometimes I feel more than half. She smiled, as if in disbelief, and slowly drove the car onto the road.The pointer of the fuel gauge jumped to full, which seemed to reassure her a lot.Kamen pulled the car into the driveway and accelerated, bringing the car up to cruising speed. But you should call me senora (Mrs.), she said, not senorita (Miss).I am married. That's right.He said.I think so too. She calmed down, with a smile on her face, leaning on the back of the chair to relax her body, gently placing her hands on the lower edge of the steering wheel, and taking a deep breath. Ok, here's the problem.she says.I have less than a year left on my time. Why? Because a month ago, his lawyer friend came to the house and told us there might be some kind of deal. What deal? I'm not sure either, no one explained it clearly to me.I'm guessing that Shlope was planning to reveal some of his business associates' secrets in order to get a reduced sentence, probably brokered by his friend from the D.A.'s office. Oh shit!Li Qi said. Carmen nodded.That's right, damn it!They fought so hard to make this deal work, and I had to put on a big smile, like I was like, Oh, that's great, Sloop is going home early. Li Qi didn't speak. But I screamed in my heart.she says.I put it off for too long. For a full year and a half, I did nothing and thought I was safe.But I was wrong, what a fool I was, sitting in the trap and not knowing it.And now the trap is closed, but I'm still inside. Li Qi nodded slowly.Hope for the best and plan for the worst is his principle. So how is the deal going now?he asks. The car runs south. The deal is done.she says.the voice very low. When will he get out of prison? Today is Friday.she says.I don't think the weekend will be out yet, so it will be Monday, only two days away. I understand.Li Qi said. So I'm terrified.she says.He is going home. I understand.Li Qi said again. Really? He didn't speak. On Monday night, she said, he was going to start hitting me again, and it was going to be harder than before. Perhaps he has changed.Li Qi said.Going to jail changes a person. From the look on her face, it wasn't helpful at all, and based on his own experience, prison usually didn't change people for the better. No, it will definitely be worse than before.she says.I am sure, it will be so.I'm miserable, Li Qi, I can assure you. She didn't finish her sentence. Why? Her hands moved on the steering wheel, and even now, at seventy miles an hour, her eyes were still tightly shut. Because I tipped off the IRS.she says. Crown Victoria goes south, then west, then turns around in a big circle and goes north again.The car deliberately made a detour and came to the gas station next to the road, so that it could refuel at the self-service refueling area while there were many people.The driver inserts the stolen Amex card into the slot, wipes off his fingerprints when he's done using it, and throws it in the trash can next to the gas pump, among the empty gas cans, soda cans, and paper towels that wiped the windshield.The woman in the car is busy looking at the map, picking the next destination, pointing to that point on the map.After driving back to the car, he turned his head and looked back.Are we leaving now?he asks. Just go and see.she replied.for follow-up arrangements. At first I thought it was perfect, Carmen said, it seemed safe.I know how stubborn and greedy he is, so I know he's not going to cooperate and he's going to go to jail, at least for a while.Even if he was lucky enough not to go to jail, it would at least give him a distraction for a while, and I figured maybe that would shake out some money, because he kept it so tight.It turned out that the whole scheme worked out well, but the money part stayed the same, but now it seems like a small thing again. How did you inform me? Call them directly and it will be in the phone book.They have a whole department responsible for collecting information leaked by spouses, which is an important channel for them to catch tax evasion. It usually happens when you get divorced, because you will be very upset with your spouse at that time, but I was already very caught before the divorce. Crazy. Then why don't you just get a divorce?he asks.Good reason sir is in jail, isn't it?Can it be considered abandoned? She glanced at the suitcase in the back seat through the mirror. But Ellie's problem is still not resolved.she says.In fact, doing so would exacerbate the problem because everyone would be aware that I was planning to leave Texas.Sloop is legally entitled to ask me to reveal where Ellie lives, and I'm sure he will. You can stay in Texas!He said it again. She nodded.I know I know.she says.But I can't, just can't.I know it's irrational, but I just can't stay, Li Qi.It's a beautiful state, and some people are really kind, and I know it's a big place, and I can hide away, but it's a symbol of nightmares, with memories that I can't bear to look back on, and I have to escape from these memories, no It's just Sloop. He shrugged.That's up to you to decide!He said. She fell silent and concentrated on driving.The road flows backwards, and the large plateau just passed by looks as if it is as big as Rhodes Island, and now it is slowly descending. hat rock.she says.Limestone or something, all the water evaporated about a million years ago, leaving just this rock, or maybe a sedimentary rock. Her voice was indistinct.The tour guide commentary is more uncertain than before. What do you want me to do?he asks. I have no idea.she says.But Li Qi was sure that she already had the answer in her heart. Help you escape?This should work. She didn't speak. You choose me.He said.There must be some thoughts in my heart. She didn't speak.Li Qi began to think, what kind of ethnic group does a person like him belong to in her heart?Cowboys without a job, Kong Wu is powerful and versatile. I don't know if keeping people from being caught by the federal government is one of them.She should have picked him out of thousands of choices, or he was very lucky. You need to move faster.He said.There are two days left, and now we have to start right away.After receiving Ellie, the car turned around and left immediately.Let's go to Las Vegas!Make it your first stop. Then what to do there? Find a way to get some ID.He said.Places like Las Vegas must be found, even if only for a while.I have some money with me, if you need it, I can get some more. I can't take your money.she says.It's not fair. Fair or not, you need money.You can return it to me later, and then you may need to go back to Los Angeles, where you can reapply for various identification documents. She was quiet again, with another smile on her face. No, I cannot escape.she says.I can't be a fugitive, I can't break the law.No matter what I've done in my life, I've never broken a law and I don't plan to do it now.Neither can Ellie, she deserves a better growth environment. Both of you are.He said.But you must take action. I'm a citizen, she said, and think about how important that status is to someone like me.I don't give up, I don't pretend to be someone else. So what are your plans? You are my plan.she says. Cowboy, Kong Wuli, 6 feet 5 inches, 250 pounds, ex-gendarme. You want me to be your bodyguard?he asks. Carmen didn't answer. Carmen, I very much sympathize with what happened to you.He said.Trust me, really. no response. But I can't be your bodyguard. no answer. I have no idea.He said it again.This is ridiculous, what are your plans?Do you think I'll be by your side twenty-four hours a day?seven days a week?To protect you from being beaten by him? no answer. A huge highway interchange crawled slowly across the empty, hazy landscape miles away. This is ridiculous.He said it again.It might be okay for me to warn him.I can scare him and beat him up and make him figure out I'm serious.But what will happen when I'm gone?Because sooner or later I will leave, Carmen, I cannot stay forever.I don't like to stay in one place, and it's not just me. Be sober, no one can stay forever, it's impossible to stay for ten, twenty, thirty years, or even die of old age. There was no answer, no reaction, as if what he just said didn't disappoint her.She just listened and drove on, fast and smooth, silent, as if waiting for her moment.The intersection became clearer, and the car sped up, heading west, when a big green road sign appeared on the side of the road, which read: Pecos, seventy-five miles. I don't need bodyguards.she says.I think so, it's ridiculous. So what am I going to do? She pulled the car into the center lane, going faster than before.Li Qi looked at her expressionless face. So what am I going to do?he asked again. Carmen hesitated.I can't say it. say what? She opened her mouth, closed it again, swallowed hard, and said nothing.Li Qi stared at her, Cowboy, Kong Wuli, former military police, Clay.Allison's grave, great epitaph, Kansas City newspaper obituary. You are crazy.He said. Yeah?Red spots the size of copper plates appeared on her face again, as if burning on her cheeks. You are totally crazy.He said.Don't even think about it. I can't think about it. Li Qi didn't speak. I want him dead, Li Qi.she says.I really want to.It's my only way out, and he deserves it. Tell me you're kidding. I was serious.she says.I want him dead. Li Qi shook his head and looked out the window.Forget it.He said it was outrageous, this place is no longer the Wild West. isn't it?Isn't it okay to kill a damned person? She was silent again, just driving the car, as if waiting for his answer.Li Qi looked at the rapidly approaching scenery ahead. They were now heading towards the distant mountains. The bright afternoon sun made the mountains red and purple, and also changed the color of the air.She said the place was called Trans Pecos. Please, Leech.she says.Please, at least think about it. He didn't speak.please?think about it?Li Qi couldn't react, he moved his eyes down and looked at the road.There were so many vehicles on the road that the whole road became a river of cars and trucks slowly crawling across this vast land.Carmen's car galloped forward, passing one after another at a very fast speed. I'm not crazy.she says.Please, I've tried to deal with this too, really.As soon as his lawyer told me about the deal, I went to my own lawyer, then got 3 more, and none of them could get me done in a month, they just kept saying Ellie would trip me up.So I started seeking protection, I went to private investigators, but they wouldn't do anything for me.Then I went to Austin to find a security company. They said they were willing to take over and they could protect me 24 hours a day, but they would need to employ six people, and the cost for a week would be nearly 10,000 yuan, which is no different from rejecting me. .So I tried, Li Qi, I tried to deal with it in the normal way, but it was impossible. He didn't speak. So I bought a gun.she says. amazing.He said. Follow the bullet.she says.Spent all my cash. You picked the wrong person.He said. Why?You have killed people before, you said it when you were in the army. That's different. What's different? Doing so becomes murder, murder in cold blood, it's deliberate assassination. No, it's all the same, just like in the army. He shook his head.Carmen, it can't be the same. Didn't you swear?To protect people or something? That's different.He said it again. Passing an eighteen-wheeler bound for the coast, the Cadillac swayed and vibrated in the hot, turbulent air. slower.He said. She shook her head.I can't slow down, I need to see Ellie. Li Qi supported the glove box in front to make himself sit still, and the cold air from the air vent directly sprayed on his chest. don’t worry.she says.I'm not going to be in a car accident, Ellie needs me.If it wasn't for Ellie, I would have killed myself in the car. But she eased off the gas pedal a little, and the linked car behind crawled to the side again. I know these things are hard to put into words.she says. Yeah? But you have to see things from my point of view.Come on, Li Qi, I've rehearsed it tens of thousands of times.I thought very clearly from beginning to end, step by step, from beginning to end, and then again, again, again, and kept reviewing.I've thought of all the possibilities, it's the most logical and only way for me to do it, I know that.But it's hard to say this kind of words clearly, because you are not mentally prepared, and to you, this is something that appears out of thin air, so you will think that what I said sounds crazy and cold-blooded.I know, I can understand, but I'm not crazy, and I'm not cold-blooded, it's just that I've had plenty of time to reach that conclusion and you haven't.This is the only conclusion I can assure you. Say what you want, but I'm not going to kill someone I've never met. He hit me, Leech.she says.He hit me hard, beat me, kicked me, hurt me, and he couldn't get enough of it.He even touched me with a smile and made me live in fear. Then go to the police! We only have one cop there, and he won't believe me.Even if he really believed it, he wouldn't take any action because they knew each other very well.You don't know what's going on here. Li Qi didn't speak. He is going home.she says.Can you imagine what he would do to me? He didn't speak. I have nowhere to go, Li Qi.I can't go because of Ellie, do you understand? He didn't speak. Why don't you want to help me?Because of money?Because I can't pay? He didn't speak. I risked it all.she says.You're my only chance, I'm begging you, why won't you?Is it because I'm Mexican? He didn't speak. It's because I'm just a Mexican, right?Beans right?If you were a white woman, you'd be willing to help, wouldn't you?Like your girlfriend?I bet she's white, presumably blond, right? Yes, she is a blonde girl.He said. If someone hit her, would you kill him? Yes, of course.he thought. And she has gone to Europe, and she doesn't want you to follow her.But you are willing to help her, not me. This is different.He said that for the third time. I know.she says.Because I'm just a piece of trash and I don't deserve you. He didn't speak. what is her name?she asked.your girlfriend. Judy.He said. Well, imagine that Jody is in some kind of predicament far away in Europe, is being beaten every day by some sadist, and she tells you everything, down to every shameful detail, what do you do? kill him.Li Qi thought. She nodded, as if she could hear what was in his heart.But you don't want to help me.You're willing to help white people, but not me. Li Qi paused, his mouth half-opened.Indeed, he was willing to help Judy.Gabor, but he is unwilling to help Carmen.Gurriel.Why?Because the impulse comes as soon as it is said, there is no way to force it, this is the instinct of blood, just like the medicine in the blood, it will make you dance with it, it's as simple as that.He has experienced this feeling many times in his life. As long as someone troubles him, he will never stop eating. So if someone troubles Judy, it is the same as trouble him, because Judy is equal to himself.Or so it used to be.But Carmen doesn't have that status, and never will, so he just doesn't have that kind of anger. It has nothing to do with being white or Latino.he said quietly. She didn't speak. Please, Carmen.He said.Be sensible. What does that have to do with it? Because I know her, but I don't know you. That's the difference for you? certainly. Then get to know me!she says.We have two days, you will see my daughter later, you can get to know us well. He didn't speak.Carmen drove on, fifty-five miles from Pecos. You're a policeman, she said, and you're supposed to help people.Or are you scared?is that so?Are you a coward? Li Qi didn't speak. You can do it.she says.You've done it before, so you know how.You could just slap your ass and leave, leaving his body in the middle of nowhere or in the desert, and no one will know.If you're careful there's no fallout, and you're smart enough to never get caught. He didn't speak. Are you smart enough?You know how to kill, don't you? Of course I know.He said.But I don't want to. Why? The reason I have already said, I am not a killer. But I risked it all.she says.I need you to help me with this, and I beg you, do whatever you want me to do. He didn't speak. What do you want, Li Qi?go to bed?no problem. parking.He said. Why? Because I've had enough. She stepped on the accelerator hard, and the car rushed forward. Li Qi looked back at the traffic, then leaned over and pushed the gear lever into neutral.The engine screeched as it unloaded, and the car began to coast, slowing. He grabbed the steering wheel with his left hand and turned it hard. Although Carmen pulled desperately, the car still turned to the shoulder of the road.The car left the smooth asphalt road, and the gravel on the side of the road rubbed against the tires, and the car gradually stopped.He shifted the gear lever into park and opened the door, all in one motion.After the gear was locked, the car stopped completely. He got out of the station and got up. His footsteps were a little unsteady, and he felt heat rushing towards him, as if a big hammer was hitting him hard, but he still closed the car door and strode away.