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Back In the Dark Save as PDF
Chapters (90)
  1. Cover
  2. IN THE DARK
  3. PRELUDE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. WIND LISTENERS
  11. Blind Abing
  12. 1
  13. 2
  14. 3
  15. 4
  16. 5
  17. 6
  18. 7
  19. 8
  20. 9
  21. 10
  22. 11
  23. 12
  24. 13
  25. 14
  26. 15
  27. 16
  28. 17
  29. 18
  30. 19
  31. 20
  32. 21
  33. WIND READERS
  34. An Angel with Problems
  35. 1
  36. 2
  37. 3
  38. 4
  39. 5
  40. 6
  41. 7
  42. 8
  43. 9
  44. 10
  45. 11
  46. 12
  47. 13
  48. 14
  49. 15
  50. 16
  51. 17
  52. 18
  53. 19
  54. 20
  55. 21
  56. 22
  57. 23
  58. 24
  59. 25
  60. 26
  61. 27
  62. 28
  63. 29
  64. 30
  65. THE SHADOW OF CHEN ERHU
  66. Diary Excerpts: 25 March 1987
  67. 26 March
  68. 27 March
  69. 28 March
  70. 2 April
  71. The Letter: Day One
  72. Day Two
  73. Day Three
  74. Day Four
  75. Day Five
  76. Day Six
  77. Day Seven
  78. Two Old Letters
  79. WIND-CATCHERS
  80. A Vietnamese Ghost Story
  81. 1
  82. 2
  83. 3
  84. 4
  85. 5
  86. 6
  87. 7
  88. 8
  89. 9
  90. THE BEGINNING

I opened the package once I returned home. First there was a layer of flannel wrapping, then a hemp one, and then finally a leather case file. Inside were a letter and a tape player. At that time, this type of mini-tape player was rather rare – perhaps Abing was the only person in all of Unit 701 who possessed one (a senior official had given it to him some time ago). I tore open the envelope and discovered several hundred yuan inside. I immediately had a bad feeling about this package; there was something ominous about it. I looked at the mini-tape player and saw that a cassette had already been placed inside. I pressed play and in a moment heard a whimpering cry. Then, in a tearful voice, Abing spoke: ‘[Sob, sob] … although I cannot see, I can hear … [sob, sob] … the boy isn’t my son, his father is the hospital pharmacist, that man from Shandong … [sob, sob] … my wife has given birth to a bastard child, all I can do is die … [sob, sob] … every man in Lujiayan follows this rule, if their wife has a bastard child, all that is left for them is death! Death! … [sob, sob] … Xiaofang is a whore … [sob, sob] … You’re a good man, please give the money to my mum … [sob, sob] …’

Christ!

How could I listen to any more! I urgently called for a car, hopped in and drove directly to the audio surveillance building. A few minutes later I tore open the door to Abing’s office and saw him curled up on the floor. In his hand he was grasping a live electrical flex; his entire body was smouldering: it was an awful sight.

Abing!

Abing!

Abing! !

Abing’s ears no longer heard anything.

20

Abing was dead.

The cassette he left me recorded his reason: his wife had betrayed him; the boy was a bastard; all he could do was commit suicide.

Abing’s death shocked and pained everyone in Unit 701, but there was no anger towards his wife – I lied to them about that.

It’s true. I lied to everyone, even to the intelligence service. What did I do? I never gave them that cassette. No cassette, no confession. How could anyone know that he killed himself? The memorial to Abing simply said that he died of a work-related accidental electrocution. For a blind man, such an accident wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility and so no one felt that there was anything odd or wrong about it. Abing’s legacy was secure.